Song: Dirty South - the unknown.
Imagine; James used to be abused but still wants you to meet his father, he's nice until he gets drunk, but you won't accept any of his bullshit.
•
'You should've died together with your mother...'
'You're such a crybaby!'
'I should've let you die that night!, worthless piece of junk!, that's what you are!'
Those words still haunt Bucky real late at night, usually the memories follow with him getting a slap in the face or even a punch in the jaw, which is then follows by some screaming or crying, which makes it worse.
But that was only if his father was drunk, and well his stepmother is one of the nicest women alive, he wants them both to meet you.
The love of his life, the woman helping him get through the night and the day that follows, who loves him unconditionally.
You couldn't possible deny anything Bucky asks of you, even if you wanted to, it's the same this time, sure it took a lot of his effort to convince you. You hadn't even met the man that makes Bucky lay awake at night, but you already held so much hate for George, his father. But he convinced you anyway.
'Ah!, James!, it's so nice to se you again!, how have you been?' Myra, his stepmother asks as she hugs him.
'I would've been much worse if it wasn't for this angel...' he smiles at you and you chuckle.
'Well I wouldn't call myself an angel...' you reply as you turn to Myra.
She goes in for a hug and you don't even hesitate to hug her back, you may hate her husband but you only heard stories of her that imply that she's been nothing but kind to Bucky, she even defended him on more than one occasion.
'I'm y/n...' you smile kindly.
'Myra...but enough formality, let's get inside!' She turns and walks away with you two following her.
'I must say James, I was surprised you'd even come to this family dinner...'
'Hadn't seen you in so long, and I wanted to introduce y/n to everyone... I mean you guys have been pretty persistent when it comes to her...'
'James!' A female voice yells and you turn your head to see an almost exact copy of him, just in the female version.
'Rebecca...' he breathes as she hugs him.
And then more voices cut in yelling his name, his real name, as if nothing happened, all were glad to see him. And you have to say you weren't expecting such a huge family.
He was the eldest of four, as you found out just now. He has three little sisters, Rebecca, Lilian and Olivia, all looked so alike to James, the resemblance is just uncanny.
'This is y/n...' he takes your hand in his and he squeezes, it's his way of assuring you, knowing how anxious you get in these kind of situations.
'Oh my lord!, finally!' Olivia squeals.
'What's all that noise?' A grumpy old man emerges from the living room.
He freezes when he sees Bucky and you standing in the middle of the dining room. He seems to be thinking, probably about the way he's going to react.
'Son...' he smiles and you're caught of guard by his reply. You wouldn't have expected him to react so happy.
'Hey dad..' he squeezes your hand tighter and you know he's starting to get nervous, he clearly didn't expect his father to react like that either.
'Hi Mister Barnes...'
'Let's skip the formalities... Call me George...' he shakes your hand and you nod, a fake smile displaying on your face.
•
Later at the dinner table, things were going pretty good, people were laughing and the food was delicious, Bucky really wasn't lying when he said that Myra could cook.
You were just talking when the atmosphere starts to get more and more tense and Bucky can sense you're getting more alert now.
'Stop y/n...I can feel you getting more tense..'
'I'm perfectly relaxed Buck...I have no idea what you're talking about...'
'So y/n...' George slurs.
The whole table gets silent, you can see Bucky's sisters slowly starting to get more nervous too which lets you know the tenseness you have is not completely misplaced.
'Yes Mister Barnes?' You reply politely.
'Why my son?' He asks and you frown at him. 'What do you mean?'
'Why did you choose such a lowlife when a pretty girl like you can have anyone?' He asks and the entire room goes quiet now, you could hear a needle drop, that's how quiet it gets.
You inhale before you can feel Bucky's fingers overlapping yours on the table.
'Excuse me?, lowlife?, Bucky is not a lowlife and he never was, so if you wouldn't mind thinking about how hurtful those words can be to him... I would appreciate it...'
'He's my son, I can talk about him the way I want...' he smirks at you and you try your hardest not to fly across the table and give him a taste of his own medicine. God knows you're trying.
'He may be your son, but that doesn't give you the right to humiliate him, to bring him down while he is still recovering from what you did all those years ago....'
His eyes widen at your words. 'Oh yes, he told me what you did, not only to him but to every child...you want to know how many hours it took to convince me to even come here without ripping you to absolute shreds?'
'Y/n...' he begs you to stop.
'You need her to defend you boy?, you really need a woman to defend you?' He laughs which makes you even more mad.
'Listen here you boomer, I have no idea what any of these wonderful people have ever done to you that made you into this asshole, but let me tell you one thing, you call him useless, worthless or weak one more time, and I will come across the room to give you a real piece of my mind...I do not care who you are, but if you even look at James the wrong way, or Rebecca, or Lilian, Olivia or Myra. I will come for you...'
'You should be glad that you have a son who's willing to forgive every horrible thing you have done. And then you're telling me I have to sit here and let you call him things, well I have a newsflash for you, I'm not going to sit here and swallow my tongue just to please you...' you stand up.
'C'mon Buck...we're leaving...' you speak up and he just nods.
You look at his sisters and they all nod at you. Maybe you're the first person to go up against him in such a brutally honest way. And then you look at Myra, who's giving you a smile and then a nod after.
You and Bucky quietly make your way out of the door and you walk down the sidewalk to the parked car.
'I'm so-' he starts but you cut him off by gently placing your lips on his.
'Don't apologise... you don't ever have to apologise to me... ever...'
'Why...why did you defend me?'
'Nobody has the right to talk to you like that... not when you're a good man... when you've made such progress, when you're so forgiving, you're willing to visit them..'
You lay your forehead against his and you close your eyes while your hand travels to the male of his neck.
'You're none of those things...not to me... to me you are everything... and god help those who say different....'
He kisses your forehead and then wraps his arms around you, holding you close. Just to feel for himself that this is real, that you're there to protect him.