(Bartholomew stopped. He could go no farther. The awful oobleck was plumbing down as big as greenish footballs now!)
(Oooooohhhhh, this is getting interesting Bucky!) Maxim scooted closer to him to see the book better, squishing Gerry the giraffe in between them.
They were in the shared living room on the couch reading one of Maxim's books. It was another one by the Dr. Suess author. Bucky had never seen so many books written by the same person, but he kind of likes them and Maxim can't stop reading them. This one was called 'Bartholomew and the Oobleck'. Compared to most of the other books they have read, this one is a lot longer but Maxim is hanging off every word in excitement.
(To late to warn the people of the kingdom! There were farmers in the fields, getting stuck to hoes and plows. Goats were getting stuck to ducks. Geese were getting stuck to cows.)
(I like cows. Do you like cows, Bucky?) Maxim had a tendency to get distracted. His mind just keeps going and going.
(Yes.)
(I have a cow. He's not as big and soft as Gerry but I like him. He's like my polar bear toy. I named him Mr. Moo.)
Bucky laughed. (That's a good name for a cow. You name the polar bear?) This wasn't the first name he'd heard Maxim give his animals. His toy cheetah is Spots, his gorilla is Viktor and his panda is Mr. Bamboo. Bucky doesn't know how Maxim can remember all the names, those three were just a few. Some names Maxim would get from learning about the animal and naming them after what he learned or others were just plain Russian names Maxim had heard somewhere like Pavel the hippo.
Bucky's favorite name that Maxim came up with is for the zebra: радуга or rainbow in English. He asked him about it and Maxim bursted with laughter. (It's joke!) He'd said (Cause he doesn't have any colors in the rainbow!) Bucky smiles at the memory and at Maxim's name choices.
(Pluto!)
Bucky was a bit surprised at that one. He doesn't exactly no what Pluto looks like but he's sure it's not the exact opposite as a polar bear. (Pluto?)
(Yeah! Remember that space book we read about the planets. It said Pluto is really cold and my polar bear is always so cold you have to wrap him up in a blanket. He's cold like the planet! Get it?)
Bucky never doubted Maxim intelligence, Tony wasn't wrong when he said he believed Maxim was smart. (That was smart, Maxim. I wouldn't have thought of that.)
Glee spread over Maxim at the compliment. (I bet you're smart to, Bucky. You can read really good and you know a lot of languages and you help me with my math. You can name my dragon. I can't find a name for him. I can't find a name for my dinosaur either.)
Maxim's face crunched up in concentration. (What did you say he was. A-A Stag- A Stog- Stig-)
(Stegosaurus?)
Maxim's face lit up. (Yeah! I can't find a good name for him either. I bet you can though, Bucky.)
(I don't know...)
(You named Alpine. Didn't you? How come you named him that?)
(That was the street I found him on.)
(See! You can name them.) Maxim leaned closer, poor Gerry was flat as a pancake now, and put a hand up by his mouth like he was telling a secret. (But watch out.) He whispered. (Dragon can be a little moody.) Bucky held in another laugh.
(Thanks for the warning. I'll watch out.) Maxim held a thumbs up.
(Your welcome.)
(You wanna finish the book?) Maxim turned his attention back to the book.
(Yeah! I want to see what happens with the oobleck.) He settled back into a sitting position and held Gerry in his lap. Bucky was about to read until Maxim started talking again.
This time, though, Maxim wasn't talking in his usual loud, excited voice. Instead, it was calmer and little bit hopeful. (You really think I'm smart?)
It felt like a weight of sadness had just washed over him. Bucky answered right away. (Of course I do. I think you can be as smart as Bruce or Tony and make cool stuff just like them.)
Maxim curled around him more closely then and laid his head on Bucky's arm. (Thanks, Bucky.)
0-0-0
They had just turned to last page when Natasha came in. She sat on the couch beside them. As soon as Maxim saw her he got excited and showed her the book.
(Oobleck is so cool! It's green and sticky and slimy, but I hope it doesn't rain oobleck here or it'll be a mess! It'd be cool to have some though, to play with.)
(I hope not to.) Natasha said. (Did you say you wanted oobleck?)
Maxim shook his head enthusiastically and started flipping through the book. (I want to play with it.)
Natasha grinned. "Sorry Barnes."
Bucky gave her a puzzled look which made her grin even more. Maxim glanced between them. (What are you guys talking about?)
Natasha turned her attention back to Maxim. (Do you want to make your own oobleck?)
Maxim's mouth made a "o" shape before he started jumping up and down. (Yes!)
They followed Natasha to her room with Maxim excitedly pulling Bucky along the way. Bucky had never been in her apartment before. It was neat and clean. Bucky pictured all the toys and books laying around in his apartment. He thought his was pretty neat until a certain six year old moved in. He's not complaining though.
"I bought some for Clint's kids. They love it, but it gets in the carpet all the time." Natasha opened a closet door and grabbed a plastic bag. "He won't let them have anymore. It's to messy, but I already bought these and lost the receipt." She pulled a box out and handed it to Maxim. The box was as wide as him, but Maxim didn't seem to care. He looked down at the box with a big grin. (Thank you!) He put the box on the ground long enough to hug her and then picked it back up. (Can I open it?)
(Yeah, but let's not do it here. Maybe in the kitchen?)
0-0-0
Bucky is now seeing why Natasha suggested the kitchen.
The make your own slime- which was a more modern term for oobleck he guesses- kit was messy. Bucky is now not the greatest fan of slime to say the least and he's beginning to regret suggesting they read the oobleck book. Maxim loves it though so he doesn't regret it to much.
Green wasn't the only color of slime. The kit had different dyes which stained all three of their hands even Bucky's left arm. Nat said it should come off when Maxim spilled some on his shirt. Luckily, Bucky kept Gerry away from the table when Natasha suggested it.
Right now Maxim was stretching red slime as far as his arms could reach. (It feels weird!) He rolled it into a ball then. (It's so cool!)
It's so sticking. Bucky kept that to himself. His blue blob of slime on the table stuck to his vibranium finger as he held it up from the table. There was slime stuck in the tiny crevices of the metal all over his arm. It'll take forever to get out.
(What are you making?) Natasha grinned at Bucky. She pushed a few bottles of dye out of the way for the other two to see. The slime was mainly pink, but there was also a bunch of different colored spots. (Not making, just trying to do some tie dye.)
(Cool!) Maxim held up his ball of red slime. (Can you do mine?)
(Or course.)
Barton came in a while later. When he noticed the slime he scrunched his nose up, "slime?"
"Yep," Natasha smiled.
(Want to hold it?) Maxim held out his red ball of slime now mixed with other colors.
"He's asking if you want to hold it." Bucky translated.
"Uhh... tell him no thanks." Clint gave a thumbs up to Maxim.
(He said no. Maybe next time.) Natasha said. Maxim shrugged and went back to playing.
"What's in his hair?"
Bucky looked at Clint. "What?"
"Maxim." Barton pointed to the kid. "I think he's got slime in his hair."
Maxim hadn't noticed and kept playing. Natasha laughed once she saw it. Bucky raised his eyebrow at her. "I'm guessing this is why you apologized?"
She didn't answer. Clint put a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "Good luck man." He left.
(Maxim, let me see your hair.) Bucky sighed.
Maxim looked confused. (Why?)
(You got some- some slime... in your hair.)
Maxim's hand immediately went to his hair. (What?!)
He's going to panic. Bucky thought but both him and Natasha were able to calm him down. (Don't worry. We can get it off.) Natasha assured. She was picking at the bigger pieces of red slime on his head while Bucky was searching the internet for 'ways to get slime out of hair' on his phone.
(Don't sit there and look all sad Maxim.) Natasha said after throwing a glob of slime in the trash from his hair. (You can still play with it. Just be more careful.) Maxim didn't seem so sad then and went from fiddling with his shirt to rolling slime in his hands.
(How'd you get this stuff in your hair anyways?) Bucky's tone was light. He didn't want Maxim thinking he was mad or annoyed.
Maxim shrugged his shoulders. (I don't know.)
After minutes of searching and picking, Bucky couldn't find anything. (It's all saying the same thing.)
(What? I know there's a way to get it out. If Clint got it out of carpet then we can get it out of hair.)
(I've looked everywhere and I can't find anything. Just videos of kids making slime.)
Natasha huffed. (Hold on,) she got her own phone out and started typing. Bucky didn't know how she did it, but she found something.
(Here, I found one.) She showed it to Bucky before muttering something about a "old man" under her breath.
Hand soap or hand sanitizer will take the slime out!
Bucky shook his head. (How'd you find that?)
(I just looked up 'how to get slime out of hair'. How'd you not?)
(I don't know... It doesn't matter. Where's the soap?)
Maxim stuck his head in the sink as Bucky put dish soap in his hair. He scrubbed where Maxim's blonde hair turned red.
(Is it coming out?)
(Not yet, Maxim.)
Maxim sighed. (Does this mean I can't play with oobleck anymore?)
Bucky wouldn't have been able to say no even though he wanted to. Maxim's tone filled with disappointment. (No,) Bucky answered (you can still play with it. Just keep it away from your hair.)
(I'll be back.) Natasha said, (I'm getting a towel.)
Bucky nodded and went back to scrubbing Maxim's red hair.
(How about now?) Maxim asked with a little hope.
(I don't think so. I'm going to rinse some of the soap off. Close your eyes.)
Bucky made sure the water wasn't to hot or cold before he nudged Maxim's head under the faucet.
(I'm back. Any luck?) Natasha placed the towel on the counter beside Maxim.
(I got most of it off but there's still red.)
(Let me try.) Bucky and her switches places.
(Is my hair going to be red from now on?) Maxim asked, his head still in the sink.
(Of course not.) Bucky said.
(What's wrong with red hair?)
Bucky watched Maxim's eyes grow big as he realized Nat had red hair. (Nothing!)
(It's okay, I was joking.) Natasha laughed. (Anyways, I can't get it off.)
"Can't get what off?"
All three looked to see Bruce standing behind them. "Why is Maxim half in the sink?"
Bucky motioned for Maxim to get up and started drying his hair with the towel. "Nat gave Maxim some slime and he got it in his hair."
Natasha had a look of betrayal on her face. "Hey! This is not all my fault." Bucky glared at her when Maxim's eyes were covered by the towel so he couldn't see.
Bruce was laughing at the whole scene. "You guys made a mess."
Bucky looked over the kitchen. There was clone of slime all over the table and bottles of dye left spills and probably stains. His metal arm still had slime in it to. Now he's wondering if he doesn't have slime in his own hair. Nat probably wouldn't tell him if he did. He just hopes that Maxim would see it. He would tell Bucky.
"You don't by any chance have some scientific soap to get stains out, would you?" Bucky asked.
"No, sorry."