"Ugh, when will Uncle Sam be back?" AJ groaned, holding his stomach tightly. He collapsed back on his pillow, pulling his comforter back up with his free hand.

Bucky was asking himself the very same question. Sam had been called out on a solo mission, which Bucky wasn't incredibly fond of in the first place, but had also been reassured that it would be a quick in-and-out mission, which made Bucky doubly worried about it. Not wanting to interrupt Sam's mission and thinking he could manage a small stomach bug, Bucky had only texted Sam with a couple updates, but hadn't received anything in return.

This was the third time that AJ had been sick to his stomach, and only the second that they managed to get it all in the bucket. Bucky had been able to convince Cass that he had everything handled, and that he should go to bed because both boys had school the next day, but Bucky was starting to second-guess his ability to manage a sick child.

It had been forever since he had to handle looking after someone so fragile. He could remember the long nights holding Steve as he struggled through a cold with his asthma, praying that he would be able to catch his breath amongst his coughing.

And now, all AJ wanted was his Uncle Sam, which Bucky definitely was not.

"Here, AJ, take a couple small sips of water," Bucky said, helping AJ tip the glass carefully to avoid spilling it all over himself. "I'll go rinse this out and be right back, okay?" With a small nod, Bucky dashed to the bathroom to dispose of the bucket's contents. As he did a final rinse, something came to mind that might help. Taking a small detour into his and Sam's room on his way back, he entered the youngest Wilson's room with something hidden behind his back.

"What are you hiding, Uncle Bucky?" AJ asked quietly, his voice muffled by the blankets he had tucked up around him.

"I have just the thing to help until Uncle Sam gets back," Bucky replied with a grin, revealing the Captain America teddy bear from behind his back. What Bucky didn't mention was that it was actually his bear, that Sam had gotten him as a bit of a joke back before they finally admitted their feelings for each other. He also didn't mention how he didn't go anywhere without it, and often slept with it when Sam was on solo missions.

AJ's pale face lit up as he reached out for the stuffed animal. AJ instantly tucked it under his arm, and as Bucky dimmed the lights and started a story about how Shuri tried to talk him into becoming a goat farmer, AJ soon fell fast asleep, the Super Soldier succumbing shortly afterwards.

XXXXX

Sam rushed into the house, taking the steps two at a time. He had received a couple messages from Bucky about AJ not feeling well, the first one asking how important one of the throw pillows was, and the most recent commenting that AJ had thrown up a few times at that point. But as he approached the bedrooms, he didn't hear any noise and was hoping all had calmed down. Sam cracked AJ's bedroom door open slightly and peered in.

He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

The Winter Soldier, Hydra's most feared assassin, had fallen asleep on the chair next to AJ's bed. Bucky was bent over in half, his head resting on his metal arm. His neck was on what looked to be an incredibly awkward angle, and Bucky, who normally never snored, was snoring like a freight train. But the noise wasn't bothering AJ, who was sleeping soundly as well. Sam was about to leave when he spotted the Captain America bear tucked under AJ's arm.

Sam could remember the day that he won Bucky that bear at the Fair like it happened yesterday.

Bucky had been grumbling about the weather all that week, complaining about how the cold was bothering his Vibranium arm, and generally sounding like his actual age. So Sam showed up at his apartment, made Bucky put on a jacket that actually was meant for the colder weather and not his usual leather jacket, and gave him a pair of mittens that Sarah had made herself. He then pulled and pushed Bucky out of his apartment and to a local fall fair.

It had been Bucky that spotted the booth, lined with Captain America and other Avenger-themed stuffed animals. Bucky then dared Sam to try to win his own teddy bear. And of course Sam took him up on the dare, but then turned around and gave Bucky his winning prize instead, joking that now he could complain to the bear about the weather as well.

Sam could recall the look on Bucky's face when he handed over the teddy bear, their hands brushing against each others' in the exchange. It was painfully obvious that no one had ever won a bear for Bucky before; Bucky held it carefully, like he might accidentally break it. But throughout the remainder of the fair, Bucky's eyes kept drifting back to it, and there was a soft smile across his face.

He was beautiful, Sam thought to himself. And that's when Sam knew he was head over heels for his partner.

Luckily it didn't take too much longer after that for both of them to confess their feelings and after a year of dating, Sam has seen that teddy bear tucked in Bucky's go-bag on military jets, at SWORD, and here, at his sister's place in Louisiana.

As Sam carefully backed out of AJ's bedroom and headed back to his own room, he couldn't help but marvel at how much comfort one stuffed animal could bring.