Author's note: Peter is actually Peter Parker. I thought it'd be a really cute idea, and there may be a continuation of this in the future *waggles eyebrows*

Summary: Bucky has a little bit of a situation. Luckily Steve is there to help him out.

Bucky sat on the couch, his hands folded and elbows resting on his knees. His sister, Rebecca, was sitting at the counter scrolling through her phone.

And all the while a little boy was scampering about his apartment. Bucky still didn't know how he had gotten in this situation. Rebecca just showed up at his front door that morning with a little boy in tow and a pleading look on her face. The little boy, Peter, was apparently his nephew. He didn't even know he had a nephew until now! Becca never brought it up, not once. Not when he came home from the war, and certainly not when they spoke on the phone just three weeks ago.

He had to remind himself to breathe.

He felt a tapping on his metal arm and looked to see Peter at his side. The kid was completely taken in by its shininess. Bucky couldn't help shifting uncomfortably under the boy's scrutiny.

On closer inspection he had brownish-hazelish eyes, and his hair was a mess of curls. He kept staring between Peter and his sister, noticing the same curvature of their noses and shape of their eyes. Bucky even tried to find features of his own in the three year old, but the only thing he could identify was their same hair color. He figured the kid resembled his father more… whoever that happened to be.

He heard Becca sigh and turn towards him. She still hadn't explained anything, and he figured she probably never would. His sister was secretive that way, always had been.

"Look, I know it's a lot to take in, but I have an emergency at the office. Normally I would call his usual babysitter or Mrs. Osborne but they're both busy. The only other person I could think of was you, James."

He flicked his gaze up to meet hers and held it for a while. "Beck, you know how I feel about kids. I can barely take care of myself. How am I supposed to watch a kid for a day?"

Becca looked at the ground and bit her lip.

"And come on, can't you hire another babysitter or something?"

"On such short notice you know I can't James."

"What about his father?" Apparently that was the wrong thing to say because all he got was a scowl from her. He felt a certain dread fill his chest when he asked, "Don't tell me you don't know who the father is."

"Of course I do! You don't think I'm that naïve do you?!" Becca asked angrily.

"Well I don't know Beck!" He yelled back. "You haven't even brought him up once! How do you expect me not to come to that conclusion?!"

He suddenly heard a sniffling noise and a cough. They both turned to see Peter staring between the two of them with glassy eyes and snot dripping from his nose. Becca sighed and bent down to wipe his face.

"Please, James," she said while still cleaning up Peter, "You know I wouldn't do this if it wasn't important… And you were always so good with me when we were kids."

Dammit.

Bucky sighed in resignation and pinched the bridge of his nose. When she said it like that of course he couldn't refuse. "Alright, fine! I'll do it." Her eyes flicked back up and she smiled.

"But just this once, got it?" (It was more than once.)

She nodded her head seriously and got up to hug her brother. "Thank you James, thank you! Thank you sosososooso much!"

"Alright, alright," he laughed, patting her on the back. "Now go, you're gonna be late." She kissed him on the cheek and then kissed Peter on the head. "Mommy has to go now, but you're going to stay with Uncle Bucky for a while, okay?" She didn't wait for his response as she rushed out the door. "I'll be back around 6! Mommy loves you!" Once the door was shut the room was engulfed in silence.

Bucky heard a cough to his left and found Peter sitting next to him. He almost fell off the couch in surprise. Were all kids this… sneaky?

He noticed Peter was still mesmerized by his arm. Bucky gulped and slowly brought his it closer. "Wanna touch?" Peter furrowed his brows and nodded. He lightly dragged his hand across the metal, observing every bump and groove. Bucky had never done this before, never let anyone just touch the arm. Usually it was Tony, and lately Steve too. But that was about it.

After a while Bucky decided it was enough and knocked his knee against Peter's.

"You hungry?"

Peter scrunched up his face as if in deep thought. Then it went back to normal and he nodded his head.

"Okay then," Bucky murmured. He stood up, stretched, and went to the fridge to see if he had any suitable kids' food. He heard feet pattering behind him that stopped when he stopped.

"Alright let's see. There's some eggs, so maybe we could make an omelette. You like omelettes kid?" He turned his head back to face him. Peter tilted his head and squinted his eyes. Bucky raised his eyebrow. "How about sunny-side up?" Peter's eyes widened and he nodded his head jerkily. "Sunny-side up it is then." He took out the ingredients he needed and set them on the countertop.

When he got back from Afghanistan Bucky barely ate. Once he started to gain his sanity back, his appetite returned but not in full. It was better now, but before he could go hours without eating and still be okay. Nat always chastised him for being too skinny, but then Steve came into his life and he found himself wanting to cook and make meals for his boyfriend. Before Afghanistan and losing the arm, he was actually a pretty good cook. He would always watch his mom in the kitchen, and sometimes they would make stuff together. It took some time, but Bucky managed to find that spark again. He could cook a mean zucchini pasta, and he really liked to bake too. It was a good thing he had learned to cook, otherwise Peter would just be eating cereal or some leftover takeout from the night before. Which in no way was that nutritious.

As Bucky started preparing and whisking the eggs, Peter had climbed up onto one of the stools. Bucky peered up at him and found Peter staring right back. He returned to the whisking, then poured the eggs into the frying pan and watched as it turned colors. Peter stretched his neck out and wriggled around. If he kept that up Bucky was afraid he was going to fall off or something.

"You wanna come around?" Bucky asked gently. Peter looked at him for a second, then hopped off the stool and came around to Bucky's side. He only came up to his knee cap. Bucky smiled down at him and lifted him up. Peter made a sound between a laugh and a yelp, then his eyes turned to saucers as he got a better look at the eggs. Bucky really couldn't help laughing a bit at his expression.

He balanced him on his hip and used his left hand to fry the eggs. Peter was giggling and making happy noises the whole time. This actually wasn't as bad as he thought it would be.

He scooped the finished eggs onto a plate and brought them both around to the other side.

"Here, eat up kid." Bucky set him down on the stool and presented him with a fork and spoon.

Peter nodded his head in approval and started eating, the only sounds coming from the clinking metal.

Maybe this really wouldn't be so bad after all.

At least that's what he thought when just 2 hours later, he was sitting on the kitchen floor rocking his knees back and forth. Peter was napping on the couch (apparently breakfast tired him out), and Bucky was starting to hyperventilate a little. Everything was going just fine. But then he came to the realization that he didn't know what he was doing. He's never handled a kid before, never needed to until now. He was literally just making this all up as he went along.

He tried calling Natasha's home, but of course no one was there to answer. He may have left at least 10 messages. And possibly 3 voicemails on Becca's phone. He rubbed his stubble and took some deep breaths. He could call Tony—

No. That was just. NO. But who else was there to call?

Then Steve came to mind. Steve, of course! Why hadn't he thought of that before?! Steve would know what to do! But he squashed the idea immediately. No, he couldn't call Steve. That was a horrible idea. Steve might not even like kids. Steve might detest them.

But then again it was Steve. He wouldn't outright say no… right? Bucky groaned in frustration. Why did things always have to be so complicated for him?

Thirty minutes later he found himself standing next to Steve watching the little bundle on the couch.

When Bucky did finally call Steve, he basically dropped everything he was doing and rushed over as fast as he could. From what he had gathered, his sister Rebecca dumped her son that she never mentioned onto Bucky for the day and Bucky had absolutely no idea how to look after him. And honestly, Steve wasn't sure if he did either. He only had so little experience with kids, but he didn't mind them really. But this was a little different. This was Bucky's nephew. His boyfriend's nephew. He was not going to screw this up.

"How long has he been asleep for?" Steve asked in a low voice.

"I don't know." Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. "Two hours maybe?"

Steve nodded. He was kind of cute. They watched Peter roll onto his side and suck his thumb, making the two men smile. Okay, he was more than just kind of cute.

Bucky suddenly looked up at his boyfriend with a frantic look in his eyes. "Steve, I-I don't know what I'm doing. I shouldn't be looking after him. I know he's my nephew but I can't do this. I can't watch a kid I can't how in the world am I supposed to—"

Steve reached out and grabbed him into a hug. Bucky was shaking and clutching at him like he was about to sink into the floor.

He patted his head and rocked them back and forth until Bucky felt his own heart calm down. He grabbed a fistful of Steve's shirt and buried his head in the crook of Steve's neck, breathing in his boyfriend's scent. Steve's grip tightened around his waist.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. You're not in this alone. I'll be right here the whole time, okay? You can do this. Just breathe," Steve said soothingly. He rubbed Bucky's neck and ran his fingers through his mangled hair. He felt Bucky nod against him and pulled back. Steve gave a warm smile and pressed his lips against his forehead.

"Now come on, we've got some work to do."

Steve collapsed onto the couch, his head tilted back and eyes closed. He felt a dip in the couch next to him and something warm drop into his lap.

"Mhm, Bucky?"

Bucky grunted below him and sighed against Steve's leg. Needless to say the two men were exhausted.

Peter, on the other hand, was running around the room making fwoom fwoom noises with his new toy plane.

The three of them spent the whole day out together going to the park, the toy store, getting ice cream, even taking the trolley. It was actually quite fun. But now all Steve and Bucky wanted to do was pass out right then and there.

"I can't feel my legs," Bucky's muffled voice came out. One arm was thrown over his face while the other dangled off the couch. Steve huffed a laugh and rested his hand in Bucky's hair.

Peter was still running in circles with his plane overhead him. When he caught sight of them on the couch he stopped. He carefully placed his plane on the coffee table and then ran over.

"GAH!" Bucky jerked up and started coughing. Having a three year old on your chest was a little constricting after all.

Peter lost himself in a fit of giggles, and even Steve couldn't help joining in.

"Not… funny…" Bucky wheezed, trying to catch his breath.

They heard a jingling noise coming from the door and an excited "Mama!" from Peter as he slipped off Bucky, shoving his foot in his face in the process. Bucky scowled after him while nursing his soon-to-be-bruised chin.

"There's my big boy," Rebecca cooed as she scooped her son up into her arms. She turned towards the couch to see Steve and Bucky sprawled out over it.

"You know when I got your three voicemails James, I thought something horrible happened," Rebecca said in an amused tone.

Bucky groaned against Steve's leg and waved her off. Steve chuckled and tried to stand up, but with Bucky's weight in his lap he was forced to sit back down again.

"Hi, Steve Rogers," he waved, "I would get up to greet you properly but I'm kind of stuck at the moment." He gestured to the mass on top of him.

"Rebecca Barnes," she smiled, "And don't worry, I wouldn't want you to throw my brother off the couch or anything."

Bucky peeked through his arm and gave her a withering look.

"So I take it everything went well?" She asked bouncing Peter on her hip.

"Yeah, your son's great. We had a lot of fun today right, Buck?" Steve asked.

"Mhmmmm," he drawled out.

Rebecca laughed. "Well, I can you two are thoroughly exhausted so I'm gonna make my way out now. Say goodbye to Uncle Steve and Uncle Bucky, Peter."

Peter smiled and waved at them. Steve waved back and elbowed Bucky to do the same, who rolled his eyes but waved back anyways.

"It was nice meeting you, Steve!" Rebecca called out before shutting the door behind her.

"You never told me you had a sister Buck," Steve said after a moment.

Bucky made a noise beneath him and sat up. "Well now you've met her," he yawned while stretching out his arms. "Oh, looks like Petey left his airplane," he noticed. He reached over to grab it and looked down at it fondly.

Steve smiled and watched as Bucky fiddled with the wings. "For someone who doesn't like children, you were quite good with 'Petey' today."

Bucky blushed upon realizing his use of the new nickname. "Yeah, well… you know…" He shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess… not all kids are so bad."

He looked up at Steve for a second before leaning in and kissing him.

"Have I mentioned that I love for you?" Bucky breathed against his mouth.

Steve hummed and pecked him on the nose. "Yeah, maybe once or twice. But you're gonna have to refresh my memory." He took the plane out of his hands and placed it back on the table.

Bucky threw back his head and laughed, then dove in for a second kiss.