Chapter Text
Steve flipped the final pancake onto the stack. Its black bottom made Steve scowl. He’d been trying to practice cooking so he could take care of the child he and Bucky were going to foster. They were waiting on the last bits of paperwork to go through. It seemed like everything would work out. Even if it didn’t, he wouldn’t mind writing “Steven Rogers-Barnes” on a few more forms.
Bucky sniffed the air as he came in from his morning run. He stifled his laughter.
“Hey! I’m trying my best,” Steve stated, trying to hide his own laughter.
Bucky sighed. “Thank God you’re not a househusband.”
If anybody else had said that, Steve would have been offended. Bucky saying that just made Steve want to kiss him. Husband… the word was almost magical. Why had they taken so long to make it official?
Grabbing a fork, Bucky gestured towards the stack. “No sense in letting food go to waste.”
“Is it edible?”
“You’re still learning.”
“That’s a ‘no’.” Steve tried some too. As expected, the burned taste overwhelmed his senses.
They ate it all anyway. Like Bucky had said, leaving good food untouched would be wasteful. Both of them had grown up poor, but the army had taught them the importance of eating what they were given.
A child wouldn’t have that experience. Steve would need to learn more cooking skills, but Bucky would have to learn too. He had no idea what children liked to eat.
Bucky stared at the rows of colourful yogurt containers. Since when did every food product need a mascot? He turned over each one, reading the ingredients lists like they were a secret code. Maybe he should just get the stuff he ate as a kid.
“Fancy seeing you here, neighbour!” En Dwi’s cheerful voice came from Bucky’s seven o’clock.
Bucky turned around. En Dwi’s cart was filled with plastic cups, several different cake mixes, a small fruit pyramid, and mascot-covered boxes. He grabbed a pack of yogurt and added it to the cart.
Bucky put the yogurt he was holding in his own cart. “Am I going to be shopping like that in a few months?”
“Only if you have something to celebrate.” En Dwi grinned. “The courts just gave us full custody! I’m certain Loki’s putting together a party as well but I don’t care. I’m too happy. Fre Ya deserves the world.”
“Congratulations.”
“I could give you some pointers on cooking for kids. Getting thrown into the deep end is tricky.” His shyer smile showed his experience.
Bucky nodded. “Got anything foolproof for Steve?”
“I might.”
“Sorry for invading your house. Somebody thought it was a good idea to set off a confetti bomb in the kitchen,” Loki said, bringing in a bag of groceries.
En Dwi elbowed him. “Somebody certainly did.”
Fre Ya giggled behind her dad.
“As long as our kitchen is fine, you can stay.” Steve smiled.
“I’m going to help with mixing!” Fre Ya stated.
Loki and En Dwi introduced the three-item menu, each one tailored for a certain aspect of cooking for children. Burgers with carrot and broccoli inside snuck veggies into a picky child’s diet. Omelette cups were an easy breakfast option. Chocolate chip cookies were an “easy win for dad”. Fre Ya proudly stated that she ate all her vegetables, and hiding them was for babies. Bucky laughed, remembering his younger sister saying something similar when he was a boy.
“All right, Chef Barnes-Rogers, would you like to point us to our stations?” Steve asked playfully.
Bucky set Fre Ya and En Dwi up at the dining room table, preparing the cookies. Loki got a spot at the counter, slicing all the vegetables. Steve was in supervising distance, though Bucky did give him knife privileges. Bucky switched between coaching Steve and helping the others.
He had plenty of experience leading a kitchen. In the army, he was often the camp cook. He was grateful he didn’t have to conform to A-Ration nutrition requirements anymore.
Before long, they had the cookies and omelette cups in the oven and the burger patties were sizzling on the stovetop. Steve hovered over the pan, spatula in hand, ready to flip them as soon as they were browned. Bucky stood by with a pot lid in case of fire. Everyone was watching him. He shouldn’t screw this up. He couldn’t screw this up.
He slid his spatula under the closest patty. With a flip of his wrist, he turned it over. The patty tore in two.
He screwed it up.
“Just wait a minute,” Bucky advised.
Steve did. The second time, it worked. His confidence grew. The hissing burgers filled the kitchen with wonderful smells. He gave Bucky a thankful squeeze on the arm.
En Dwi brought a chair to the counter. “All right, sunshine. You know what to do after we cook.”
Fre Ya climbed onto the chair. En Dwi handed her a towel before filling the sink with soapy water. By the time she’d dried the last dish, everything was cooked.
Loki held a piece of burger to Fre Ya’s mouth. “Try this, sollys .”
She chewed slowly. She looked around the room, thoughtful. When she swallowed, she made a face. Steve watched her carefully.
“It’s real good, Papa!”
Steve sighed, “Great.”
She turned to Steve. “So, when am I getting my new playmate?”
“That won’t be for a while. They haven’t decided who we’re paired with.”
“That kid might not want to play. They’re coming from a rough situation. But if they do want to play, I won’t stop them,” Bucky added.
Fre Ya looked disappointed, but her parent’s consolation helped a smile return to her face. She swore she’d look after the new kid. It was her glorious purpose.