Welcome to Chapter Fifteen.
Long time no see on this one, huh? I received a comment on AO3 about wanting to see more of Case and Bucky and how they handled the twins. So here is a fluffy-ish chapter, set in Wakanda when the boys are about 18 months old.
I've been really excited to explore more of Case and Bucky's lives with the pregnancy and their twins, but more of that will come later.
In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy the latest chapter.
Also goes without saying I do not own anything related to Lady Gaga or any of her songs.
"The Calm Before the Storm"
As the fog of sleep lifted, Bucky had the distinct feeling he was being watched – watched by something sitting on his chest as it breathed in his face.
He was able to ignore the feeling…at least until something grabbed hold of his nose and squeezed.
With a snort and sneeze his eyes shot open, and he was suddenly nose-to-nose with a set identical to his own.
"Hi Dada!"
Bucky blinked, and his voice was a little rough from sleep as he said, "Hey Owen…"
"Wove you," the toddler smiled as he cuddled into Bucky's neck.
Bucky gave a chuckle and hugged the little boy, "I love you too, buddy."
"Now up!" Owen then announced, immediately back in the sitting position as he bounced on Bucky's chest. "No and Dada pway!"
Bucky gave a grunt, "It's 'play' Owen, there's an L in there."
"Pway! Pway! Pway!" Owen continued chanting.
"Alright, alright, but you gotta move kid," Bucky groaned, and Owen slid to the left, plopping into the space where Bucky's left arm should be. As he sat up, he asked, "Where's…ah, never mind…"
Case was still fast asleep beside him, and apparently Noah had wriggled his way under her arm and cuddled against her side, mouth hanging open and drooling as he slept.
"No?" Owen asked, and his little face frowned up at Bucky as he asked, "No pway?"
Bucky couldn't help but smile at the cute sight his wife and older son made, before he turned to Owen, "Sorry buddy, looks like No's gonna sit this one out."
Owen gave a little huff and folded his arms, glaring at his twin.
Good God, it's hereditary, Bucky wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry at the sight of the patented Silverfox Glare on his son. He decided to ignore it for the time being as he threw his legs over the side of the bed, "Why don't you help me with the goats instead, huh?"
"Goats!" Owen chanted, "Help goats!"
"Exactly," Bucky said getting to his feet. He crossed the room, heading for a chest sitting against the wall where he kept his current prosthetic.
"Dada?"
"Yeah?"
"Where arm?" Owen asked, waving his left arm for emphasis.
"I took it off," Bucky explained as he knelt and opened said chest, revealing the artificial limb. It was a combination of plastic and metal – a prosthetic that Shuri believed was too basic and assured him there would be a better product in his future, but for now the temporary would do to help wrangle the twins.
Bucky grabbed hold of the piece of cloth he'd tied around his neck to cover his shoulder and yanked it over his head as Owen walked up beside him and tugged at the opening of his shirtsleeve, poking at the metal underneath.
"Watch your hand," Bucky said gently, and adjusted the limb so it would automatically latch onto the shoulder piece. Once the mechanisms clicked into place, Bucky rolled his shoulder and wiggled his fingers.
"Me too?" Owen asked, tugging on his left arm with his right.
"No, no buddy, yours is firmly attached."
Owen poked at the metal arm, "Dada owie?"
Bucky chuckled, "Yeah, Dada had a big owie."
"Hurt?"
"Not anymore."
"Mama hurt?" Owen then asked. "The Whoosh hurt Mama?"
The Whoosh, as the twins called it, were Case's claws. To forgo any potential problems in the future – since neither Case nor Bucky knew exactly what they had passed onto the twins, Case wanted them to know right out of the gate what she could do. They hoped it would give them a sense of normalcy in their weird little family of mutants and super soldiers.
The other stuff – the Siren and the Winter Soldier, Hydra and Silverfox, even the Wolverine, all of that could wait.
Dada and his metal arm, Mama and the Whoosh, they figured those were a good starting point.
"Nah, Mama's not hurt," Bucky assured the boy. "Mama was born that way."
"Don't dwag, be queen!" Owen said in an excited voice.
Bucky cocked an eyebrow, "Come again?"
"Don't dwag, be queen!" The toddler repeated, "The Gaga song!"
"Gaga song…?"
"Bone da way! Bone da way!" Owen said, "Don't dwag, be queen! Gaga song!"
Suddenly it clicked, "Don't be a drag, just be a queen?"
Owen nodded excitedly, "Ya, ya! Gaga song!"
Bucky shook his head and got to his feet before hoisting Owen onto his left hip, "I believe her name is Lady Gaga."
"Wady Gaga?"
"Close enough," Bucky chuckled, as he ducked so he didn't hit his head on the curved doorway.
The two made their way out to the goat pasture, some of the kids from the village had already brought the hay for the goats and were waiting for them when they arrived.
As soon as Owen saw the other kids he started squirming in Bucky's arms.
"Okay, okay," Bucky knelt and put the toddler on the ground, "Have fun buddy."
With a cheer Owen ran over to the kids on stubby legs, tripping over his own feet at least twice before finally reaching the duo.
"Is he okay?" Bucky called to them.
As Owen chased after one of the goats the two kids followed him as they called, "He's fine!"
Bucky kept an eye on the toddler with a slight frown on his face, wanting to make sure nothing bad happened.
A nudge to his thigh brought his attention back to the task at hand, and he looked down at the female goat who was glaring up at him.
Giving a quiet laugh, Bucky knelt and scratched the goat's ears, "I'm sorry sweetheart, I know you're the center of the universe around here."
She gave a huff but otherwise seemed satisfied that Bucky gave her a sufficient greeting.
"Am I forgiven?" Bucky asked.
The female bleated in his face then trotted off.
"I'll take that as a yes," He got to his feet and headed for the nearby wheelbarrow and went to work scattering the hay for the goats.
It was still early morning when Owen tugged on Bucky's pants leg, making grabby hands at him, and saying, "Up!"
Bucky smiled and hoisted Owen back up, balancing him on his left hip, "Just a little longer, buddy."
Owen let out a yawn and nuzzled into the metal shoulder, and tried to stick his fingers in his mouth, only to have his wrist caught by Bucky.
"Not this time, Oh, your hands are filthy."
Owen gave a little whine as he gripped Bucky's shirt instead as he dozed against his father's shoulder.
No matter how many times it happened, Bucky still found it a little odd that Owen could cuddle up and sleep pressed up against his metal shoulder, but at the same time it warmed his heart.
"I'm beautiful in my way, 'cause God makes no mistakes. I'm on the right track baby I was born this way!"
"Mama!" Owen yelled out, making Bucky cringe as the boy screamed right in his ear.
Case came into view soon after, carrying Noah in her arms as she continued to sing, "Don't hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you're set. I'm on the right track baby I was born this way!"
"Mama! Mama! Mama!"
"Alright, Owen, yes I'm here," Case chuckled, pressing a kiss to her son's cheek.
"Good morning," Bucky added, leaning down to give her a kiss as well.
Case hummed and smiled up at him, "It is now…"
The Wakandan children giggled at them as they climbed the nearby tree.
"I can't get that song outta my head though," Case added. "Woke up with it stuck in there and can't seem to get rid of it."
"Bone da way!" Noah said.
"Don't dwag, be queen!" Owen added.
"Maybe I listen to too much Lady Gaga…" Case bit her lip.
"There's worse things they could be quoting," Bucky pointed out.
"True…"
Noah suddenly went on alert, and pointed as he called out, "Chowa!"
"Oh-kee!" Owen added.
Both adults turned in that direction, seeing both T'Challa and Okoye heading toward them with a few Wakandan guards, carrying a large, rectangular box.
See? Fluffy-ish…also for anyone that caught it, yes, the title is a bad pun.