Bucky Barnes Imagines Vol. 2

Starting Over Pt. 2

"Smores! It has marshmallows." He squealed, making Bucky smile softly at his son's enthusiasm.

"Oh, wow. This is really good."

"I told you. Y/n is the best!"

"Is this the Y/n you told me about before? The one that you go see every Saturday?"

"Mhm. I like Y/n. Daddy likes her, too. He asked her on a date!" He said loudly, but then his brow dropped. "But I heard him tell Uncle Sam and Uncle Steve that he felt bad and couldn't call her."

Mary looked shocked while Bucky's skin paled. That wasn't exactly the way that he wanted to approach the subject with Mary. And when the hell did Grant hear that conversation? Bucky remembered telling Sam and Steve that he hadn't called you yet and that he still felt guilty for moving on, but Grant was supposed to be in bed. To his surprise, Mary's lips turned up into a smirk and continued her conversation with Grant.

"Daddy doesn't have anything to feel bad about. It's about time he puts himself back out there. He deserves to be happy, too. Doesn't he?" Mary passed a piece of the cookie to Grant as she spoke.

"Yeah!" Grant took the cookie and shoved it into his mouth. "Can I go play, Nana?"

"Of course, honey. I need to talk to your daddy anyway."

Bucky picked Grant up from the chair and set him down. As soon as his feet hit the floor, he took off running through the house to the playroom that Mary had decorated for him.

"Alright, serious talk time." Mary started. "Why haven't you called that girl? Grant likes her. He says you like her. What's the problem?"

Bucky looked out the backdoor to avoid Mary's eyes. He didn't want to tell her the reason he was avoiding you. Katie was her only child and Mary was so excited when she got married and started a family of her own. He had made a vow on his wedding day to love Katie for the rest of his life. How did he tell her mother that he was considering re-entering the dating world?

"Bucky, you can talk to me, honey." Mary said soft​ly.

"I feel guilty." He whispered. "I feel like I'm breaking the vows I made to Katie."

"Oh, honey." She sighed. "It's been two years, Bucky. I know my daughter and she would want you to be happy. She'd want you to find a woman to love you and Grant the way she did. Katie wouldn't expect you to spend the rest of your life alone just because she's not able to be here with you."

"I know that, but it feels like I'm trying to replace her with someone else. I don't know if I have enough room in my heart for someone new." His voice broke as he spoke.

"Do you have feelings for Y/n?"

Bucky nodded.

"Then you have room for her, too. If you didn't, those feelings wouldn't have grown for her in the first place. I know you well enough to know that you will never stop loving my daughter. But, I also know that you're capable of keeping that love alive while still giving yourself up to someone new. Talk to Y/n. Explain everything. If she's the right one, she'll understand."

Mary smiled reassuringly and squeezed his forearm gently.

"How can you be so understanding about this?" Bucky asked.

"Because I've been in your situation. When Katie's father died of an aneurysm, I was five months pregnant with her. I never thought I'd be able to love another man, but then I found Dean and love just kind of—-happened. From a widow to a widower, you have nothing to feel guilty for."

Bucky let her words sink in before he whispered the last bit of his hesitation.

"I'm scared. What if I do fall in love with Y/n and then I lose her like I lost Katie?"