You gave yourself another once over in the mirror as you assessed your make-up and hair, then laid your outfit for your date on the bed. Bucky would be picking you up in an hour and you wanted to make sure that you had everything ready to go. Wanda was insistent that you leave early in order to have time to shower and reapply your make-up for your date. After a bit of protest and even more arm-twisting by Wanda, you reluctantly left the shop and headed home.
It didn't take long for you to shower and do your hair and make-up, so you had spent the last half hour trying to calm your nerves by watching Netflix. It wasn't working, though. Everytime your focus got pulled to the show, something in your brain snapped your attention back to the fact that tonight was your first date with Bucky. Regardless of how the two of you felt about each other, there were still so many ways this date could go wrong.
What if he thought you were weird after spending more than just ten minutes talking to you? You had quirky traits just like most people, but that didn't mean Bucky would find them endearing. Maybe he'd think your laugh was annoying or the spark that he thought was there just wouldn't ignite. God forbid he tried to kiss you goodnight and you ended up sneezing straight in his face. You groaned as your brain produced scenario after scenario of awkward and downright humiliating things that would probably never happen, but you couldn't stop picturing. You didn't have to wait for your date in order to be put out of your misery, though, because Bucky called you a half hour before he was supposed to pick you up and ripped away your chance to make an ass of yourself.
"Hey, Y/n. I'm so sorry to have to do this, but I'm going to have to cancel." Bucky sighed.
After his big speech, he wasn't even going to give you a chance to embarrass yourself. He was skipping straight to the ghosting you part...again.
"O-Oh. I understand. It's okay." You said, trying to mask the disappointment in your voice.
"I really am sorry, Grant's sitter just called to cancel and Steve and Sam are already busy tonight."
Using his son as an excuse was a low blow. He could've just said he made a mistake. At least it wouldn't have been a lie to spare your feelings.
"Yep, I understand. I guess I'll see you next Saturday." You started to pull the phone from your face to end the call when you heard him call your name.
"Y/n, wait!."
You placed the phone back to your ear and waited for him to speak.
"Can we maybe go to lunch tomorrow? Or, once I put Grant down in a few hours we could video chat. Maybe like a virtual date?" Bucky asked, hopefully.
Your brow furrowed at his request. Why would he ask to video chat if he was cancelling to avoid you? Unless Grant's sitter really did cancel and you jumped to conclusions.
"Wait, Grant's sitter really did cancel, didn't she?"
"Yeah. Did–did you think I was lying?"
"I, uh, maybe. I guess I thought you were regretting your decision and were trying to find a way out of it without hurting my feelings." You mumbled.
You expected him to be mad or upset that you automatically assumed he was lying, but instead you heard him chuckle.
"Y/n, I told you I want to do this. If I was having second thoughts, I would have told you instead of trying to blame it on my son's babysitter."
"Sorry, I feel like an idiot now."
"Don't. I get why your mind went there, but I want to work on building a relationship with you. No more doubts or hesitation." Bucky said softly.
You smiled as a blush crept across your cheeks and an idea popped into your head.
"If the only issue is that Grant doesn't have a sitter, why don't you bring him along? Instead of going out, I can cook and then we can watch a movie. It'll be more laid back, so maybe it won't be as tense as a normal first date." You suggested.
"Seriously? You want me to bring Grant...on our date?"
"Why not? He's good company and you know I love seeing him."
"Uh, yeah. Okay." You could almost hear the smile in his voice as he spoke. "I'll get him ready and then we'll head over."
"Then it's a date." You said as a grin spread across your face.
"It's a date." Bucky agreed.
~
By some miracle, your pantry and refrigerator held all the ingredients you needed to make chicken parmesan. As soon as you cut the call with Bucky, you hustled into your kitchen and began prepping the chicken and sauce. Once you had all the pieces going, you grabbed a bottle of wine and popped it in the freezer to chill for a bit. You were just pulling the chicken out and placing the garlic bread in when there was a knock on your door
Your heart immediately began pounding in your chest. This had not only turned into a first date with Bucky, but a first date at your home. You scanned the open area and grimaced, wishing you had the forethought to pick up a little while the food cooked. Maybe it was better he saw your home for what it was instead of trying to make it look like a picture from Good Housekeeping. You wanted Bucky to like the real you, not a made up version that would disappear once you became comfortable.
When the door opened, the first thing you saw was Grant sitting in Bucky's arms. He was wearing little blue jeans and a nice sweater with a smile on his face. A stuffed dinosaur was tucked under his arm and his chestnut hair was combed back out of his face so you could see his bright blue eyes.
"Well, don't you look handsome." You said with a chuckle.
"When I told him I was bringing him with me, he asked what you wear on dates. I told him something nice and then he made me help him pick out something." Bucky laughed.
"That's the most adorable thing I've ever heard."
Grant reached his arms out for you and you took him from Bucky's arms, then opened the door wider for Bucky to enter.
"Wow, something smells amazing." Bucky said, walking into your home and taking a look around.
"Dinner should be done soon, just make yourself at home." You told him.
"Daddy, the flowers." Grant pointed his finger at Bucky's hand.
For the first time, you noticed that Bucky was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He looked down at his hand as if he had forgotten about them and then held them out to you awkwardly.
"Thank you. They're beautiful." You smiled softly at him hoping to ease the tension that was clear on his face.
His shoulders dropped with relief as you took the flowers from him. You sat Grant down expecting him to go to Bucky, but he grabbed your hand and began walking further into the house.
"You wanna help me put these in water?"
Grant nodded and you took him to the kitchen to grab a vase. When it was filled with water, you unwrapped the flowers and let him drop them in the vase.
"Good job, munchkin."
Bucky leaned against the doorway watching you and Grant begin a conversation about the little t-Rex he had brought with him. For a four year old, Grant knew a lot about dinosaurs and he was more than happy to share every detail he knew. You listened to every word as you finished dinner and even asked him questions as he talked away.
When Bucky called you to cancel, he was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to see you tonight, but he never expected you'd suggest this. He didn't know many women who would want their date's son to tag along. It just gave him more proof that he had made the right decision.
"What do you do on a date, Y/n?" Grant asked, finally switching subjects.
"Uh, well, you talk and get to know what the other person likes and doesn't like." You replied, stumbling over your words.
"Uncle Sam told daddy to make sure he gets a goodnight kiss."
Bucky's face turned red and his mouth fell open as you tried to stifle a giggle.
"Grant, buddy, remember how I told you that you don't have to say everything that pops into your head? Now's one of those times."
"But Uncle Sam said that's how a date is supposed to end." Grant turned his attention from Bucky to you. "Are you gonna kiss daddy goodnight?"
He looked so innocent as he stared at you with huge, sparkling eyes. You didn't think it was possible, but somehow Bucky's face flushed further. He rubbed at the back of his neck as he looked at you with an apologetic smile. Your lips turned up in the corners and you looked from Bucky to Grant.
"Depends on if your daddy wants me to kiss him goodnight."
You peeked over at Bucky and saw him suck in a breath. Deciding he had been embarrassed enough, you directed Grant's attention to something else.
"Are you hungry? I made spaghetti."
"Can Tony have some?" Grant said holding up his stuffed t-rex
"Of course. Can't let your guest go hungry."
True to your word, you fix two small portions of spaghetti. One for Grant and one for Tony. Bucky helped Grant get started while you plated spaghetti for the both of you, topped it with chicken, and poured you each a glass of chilled wine. Although you and Bucky didn't get to have the same level of conversation as you would have if it had been just the two of you, the night was perfect.
You had always wanted children at some point in your life, so there was no hesitation on your part when you asked Bucky to bring Grant along. He was a good kid and you were as smitten with him as you were with father. He may be a bit outspoken at times, but that was just another one of the things that made him so endearing.
When dinner was done, you all moved to the living room to watch a movie. You and Bucky agreed to let Grant pick, so you ended up watching Toy Story because 'Rex looked just like Tony'. It was a little surprising when he climbed up into your lap before the movie started, but you didn't make him move. If he was comfortable, then you'd let him sit on your lap as long as he wanted. What shocked you even more was when Bucky sat down right next to you instead of leaving a space between the two of you. You saw him look at you out of the corner of his eye and his mouth open and close a few times. He wanted to ask you something, but he was hesitating.
"Ask me." You said, looking over at him.
"W-what?"
"You want to ask me something, so ask."
"Well, I was just wondering if I could, um, if I could put...my arm...around you." He stuttered.
"You may." You smirked.
His arm curled around your shoulders and your breath caught in your throat when his fingers brushed against your skin.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I can scoot down..." He whispered.
"Just put your arm around me, Bucky." You softly chuckled.
He placed his arm back around you as you held Grant. About twenty minutes into the movie, Grant was passed out in your arms and you felt your own eyes drooping as the heat from Grant and Bucky soaked into you. It was hard to fight sleep and the last thing you remember thinking about right before you nodded off was how relaxed you felt.
Bucky felt your body lean into his and your head fall onto his shoulder. He gazed down at you tucked underneath his arm and Grant snuggled into your chest and he felt truly happy. It was an emotion that he hadn't felt in a long time. Of course Grant made him happy, but this was different. This was the type of happiness that not only sent a thrill through his whole body, but calmed all the doubts that were trying to creep back in.
In a way you reminded him of Katie. You were driven, kind, generous, and you had the same look that she had whenever she looked at Grant; one that said he was the most important person in your world and you'd do anything to make him smile. Maybe Katie had placed you in his path knowing that you were the woman they needed. She loved taking care of Bucky and Grant however she could. Stranger things had happened in the world.
Bucky let the movie play, content to have you and Grant by his side. When the movie ended, he lightly called your name until he saw your eyes fluttering open. You looked down to see Grant still on your lap, but somehow he had turned around and his head was laying on your chest with his legs thrown to either side of your body. The credits of the movie were rolling on the screen and you realized that you must have fallen asleep as well and Bucky didn't bother to wake you.
"I'm so sorry I fell asleep. You and Grant are like heaters and I guess I just got too comfortable." You laughed.
"It's okay. I didn't mind." Bucky paused for a moment. "I like how comfortable he is with you."
"He's a really amazing kid, Bucky. I know it probably hasn't been easy on you, but you should be proud of the job you've done with raising him."
"When Katie died, I was so scared that I was going to screw up. I still am, to be honest. I felt lost and alone. If I didn't have Sam and Steve I don't know what I would've done." Bucky ran his hand over Grant's hair. "I still feel alone sometimes. Mostly at night when they've gone home and Grant's in bed."
Bucky looked into your eyes and took a deep breath.
"I know that we haven't spent much time together, but I want something more than just a casual friendship with you, Y/n. I want this to work, but dating a single father isn't always easy."
"I'm not looking for easy. I want someone who has the capacity to love me the way I love them. Someone who is going to be my partner and accept me for who I am instead of trying to mold me into what they want. Besides, I've told you a million times, I adore Grant. I love kids and I've always wanted a few of my own. Dating a man with a child isn't a deal breaker for me."
"Okay then."
He smiled until it slowly faded from his face and his stare became more intense. Bucky leaned forward a fraction as his eyes trailed over your face, stopping on your lips. You wanted him to kiss you and you could tell he wanted to, but when Grant began to stir, you both leaned away from each other as quickly as possible.
"Hey, buddy. I think it's time to go home. Yeah?" Bucky said as Grant's eyes cracked open.
Grant nodded and crawled out of your arms and into Bucky's. You walked with them to the front door and held it open for them.
"I had a good time." You said.
"Me, too. Would you like to do this again sometime soon?"
"Of course. Call me." You smiled up at him and then reached up to rub Grant's back. "Night, Grant."
"Night, Y/n." He mumbled then lifted his head to look at Bucky. "Don't forget your goodnight kiss, daddy."
A light chuckle passed his lips and you saw his cheeks blush red again. You shook your head and leaned up to kiss his cheek. His eyes went wide as if he wasn't expecting you to actually kiss him goodnight.
"Now Grant can tell Sam that you got your kiss" You said softly. "Goodnight, Bucky."
"Goodnight, Y/n."
A/N: Grant is too adorable and I love the way her unknowingly embarrasses Bucky. 😂