Bucky enters the interactive history museum behind Sarah, Cass, and AJ. He hasn't been to a museum in a while; he'd loved them as a kid. Sarah uses her driver's license to get a resident discount, and after a metal detector, they're all in.
"Let's do the virtual reality pirate ship!" AJ says, and Cass agrees. Bucky follows them to a large atrium with a couple of VR booths and a long line. Museums didn't have things like VR when he was a kid, but he's determined to try to get into it.
"Hey, isn't that—the Winter Soldier?"
Bucky's heart sinks. He looks over, and a man with gray hair and horn-rimmed glasses is pointing over at him. Soon, the entire line of ten or so people is staring.
"Yeah," the guy continues, "did you see that video from Madripoor? He's still insane."
"He should be locked up; he's dangerous," a wide-eyed woman says, taking her small daughter's hand and hurrying out of the area.
The line starts to form into more of a mob-like crowd, circled around each other with the accusatory man in front. "I can't even believe you're in public, you murderous menace," he says, pointing at Bucky. So far, things haven't escalated to yelling, and security hasn't come running, but Bucky figures it's only a matter of time.
Bucky is gutted. For himself, he wouldn't care. But this is his deep fear coming to life, his fear of shaming Sarah and endangering her children and complicating the happy family life they have.
AJ is clearly scared. He steps back, and Bucky puts a protective arm around his shoulders.
Cass steps forward. Every preteen inch of him stands right in front of the horn-rimmed glasses man and stares him straight in the eyes. "He's not the Winter Soldier," Cass says. "He's my dad."
The small crowd dissipates one by one, obviously ashamed in the face of the kid and doubting their ringleader. Even the instigator finally stands down after catching Cass's unrelenting glare.
Once the area is clear, Sarah takes AJ's hand. "Let's go into the warfare exhibit," she says, looking back at Bucky with a smile and a meaningful glance toward Cass. She leaves, with AJ obediently alongside.
Bucky is reeling, feeling the effects of having the worst day suddenly become the best day. Cass is still standing in the same spot, with his back to Bucky. The angry one, the one who hated to hear him called dad, he's the one who stepped forward. Everything is different now.
"Hey, Cass, you okay? That was a really brave thing you did just then." Bucky talks without moving. He doesn't want to do something wrong that will cause Cass to close up.
In an instant, Cass is on him, his arms wrapped around Bucky's middle like a vice, head pressed to his chest. The one who doesn't normally hug is hugging him so hard it practically knocks the wind out of him.
"It's okay," Bucky says, putting his arms around the little boy. "You did good. We're all okay."
"It's not right, what they said," Cass says, with tears in his voice. "You're not those things now."
Bucky, still holding onto Cass, drops down to a squat in front of him. "Hey, Cass, look at me." He gently puts his hand under Cass's chin. "It doesn't matter to me what those people think. What matters to me is what your mom thinks and what AJ thinks and what you think. I'm proud of you for standing up for me, but those people don't matter. You're the one who matters." Cass sniffles a little but doesn't cry. Bucky just waits, watching quietly, still kneeling in front of him, glad that nobody else is walking by.
"Are you—mad that I called you my dad?" Cass finally asks.
"Mad?" Bucky tries to understand, but he's at a loss. "Why would I be mad?"
"Um, because I was such a brat about it before," Cass says, looking down at the floor.
Bucky grins. "I told you it was okay if you never called me that, but it doesn't mean I didn't want you to. I'd be—honored if you wanted to call me that again, and I would do my best to live up to it."
"Okay," Cass answers, finally meeting his eyes again. "I want that."
Bucky is the one who initiates the hug this time. "Thanks, son," he says. "Thanks for standing up for me. I'm not used to anybody doing that."
—
On the ride home from the museum, Bucky has a chance to consider that it seems fitting, ultimately, that AJ was the one who started calling him "dad" first, but Cass is the one who wants to jump with both feet into doing it all the time.
They stop for lunch at a deserted 50s-themed diner with an old-fashioned jukebox. Cass and AJ go over to the antique pinball machine. "You got any coins, Sarah?" Bucky asks. "I want to pull a Fonz." Sarah digs a couple of quarters out of her purse, and he selects "Everyday" by Buddy Holly.
Everyday, it's a gettin' closer,
Goin' faster than a roller coaster,
Love like yours will surely come my way
"Nice," Sarah says, as he takes his seat across from her at the four top.
"Thanks, Sarah," he says, reaching across the table and taking her hand.
"What for?" she asks.
"For knowing I used to be all the things those people at the museum said—and loving me anyway."
Sarah leans across the table and gives him a quick kiss, but the moment is broken by the sound of "Ew, gross!" coming from the direction of Cass and AJ. "Do you guys have to do that?"
Bucky grins. "Absolutely have to."
"Absolutely," Sarah agrees, nodding with mock seriousness.
Bucky feels something a lot like happiness fill him, and, as it settles on him, he senses that it's finally come to stay.