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Bucky was very clever for a two year old man child, so clever that Steve had to watch his back constantly. When Bucky had gotten into the toothpaste, Nat was kind enough to go out and buy baby locks so that he could lock up anything that smelled sweet. But Bucky's nose was sharp and he knew where the sweet smelling things were. He just couldn't tell if the sweet smelling thing was a food. And that was why Steve was always nervous when Bucky tried to pick at the locks. He had hoped after a couple of days Bucky would give up on trying to get the locks open, but he didn't. Bucky was becoming smart enough to try to pick at the locks whenever Steve had his back turned. It didn't always work out to his favor, so Steve had to tie a bell to the lock.
"Daddy, please?"
"No, Bucky."
"Please?" Steve sighed. Bucky had been asking for his lollipops ever since he woke up from his nap.
"Bucky, you've had a lollipop and a piece of pie. You don't need anymore sweets for a while." Said Steve kissing his head. Bucky groaned and pouted. He could get what he wanted if he pouted.
"The answer is still no." Now he was out of options. Then Steve's phone rang.
"Stay there." Steve went in the bedroom. Bucky tilted his head then went in the kitchen. He sat in front of the cabinet that smelled the sweetest and picked at the lock. These things weren't budging. But the bell was becoming annoying. Bucky put his metal arm on the lock and tried to scratch it off, then he felt strong hands pick him up.
"What are you doing?"
"Please?"
"No. Listen, Daddy's got to go help Uncle Sam with something, so papa is going to come watch you for a couple of hours, okay?" Bucky nodded and smiled. Steve put Bucky on his back and carried him to the laundry closet. Steve started a small load. Bucky smelled the detergent, it smelled very sweet. Steve put the detergent back on the shelf, the one place that didn't have a lock.
After twenty minutes, Steve was finishing up cleaning the bathroom with something that Bucky was finding very sweet smelling. So in order to stop Bucky from trying to get to the cleaning product while he was cleaning, he kept Bucky on his harness and tied the lead to the door until he finished.
Then the doorbell.
"Papa?"
"That should be him." Steve unbuckled Bucky and they went to the door. It was him. Bucky jumped in his arms and hugged him.
"Hey, sweet boy. I see you've been staying out the toothpaste."
"Yucky."
"Shouldn't have ate it in the first place. Alright, what am I doing?"
"Just watch him for a few hours. I should be back before dinner."
"Cool. We'll find something to do."
"Rumlow, there's a cabinet in the kitchen that his candy from Halloween. He knows it's in there and he tries to get to it. Don't let him."
"Why you afraid of him getting a cavity or something?"
"I'm afraid of him drinking soap which is also in there."
"Oh, I'll watch him. Have fun." Steve kissed Bucky's head and left. Bucky watched the door for a while then went back to the kitchen.
"No, you aren't allowed in the kitchen unless I'm there with you." Rumlow picked Bucky up and sat on the couch. After a while, Bucky started to become nervous.
"What's going on, kiddo?"
"Lamby."
"Where is she? Is she in the bedroom?" Bucky nodded.
"Okay, go get her." Bucky got up and went to the bedroom. He got Lamby, but then he smelled something sweet. Bucky followed his nose to the laundry closet. The sweet smell was coming from a container. Bucky knocked down the container and it spilled on the floor. Now it smelled like lemons. Bucky put his hand on the floor and licked whatever this stuff was. Something tasted weird about it, but it was the smell that kept him going.
"BUCKY!" Yelled Rumlow. Bucky turned to him then he felt sick. Bucky threw up and started to cry. Rumlow picked him up and went back in the living room and got his phone.
"What, Rumlow?" Said Nat.
"Bucky drank something bad. I think its cleaning product."
"Is he throwing up?"
"Yes and I can't get him to calm down."
"You calm down first. I'm on my way with Bruce. Just make sure he stays awake." She hung up. Rumlow held Bucky close despite him crying and dry heaving. This was his fault and he knows it was. Bucky was so curious and found his way into everything, but Rumlow wasn't expecting him to get into something so dangerous. Then he realized, someone had to tell Steve.
"Hold on kid, you're going to be okay." Rumlow was so dead.
Nat and Bruce came a little after. Bucky was still crying and trying to throw up. Bruce gave him an IV to settle his stomach and reduce any of the toxins he swallowed.
"I thought I told Steve to lock everything up." Said Nat reading the container. Rumlow sighed and stroked Bucky's hair. He was a little calmer, but obviously scared and in pain. Then Steve came in. He looked at everyone then at Bucky again.
"Steve, I need you to be calm for Bucky." Said Nat.
"What happened?"
"He got into whatever this is. It smells sweet."
"I used that to clean the house." Steve turned to Rumlow then frowned. "Where were you?"
"He was becoming nervous and he said he wanted his lamb so I let him go get it. I didn't know he had gotten into that."
"You weren't watching him? I asked you to do one thing, Rumlow, one thing. Look at him."
"You think I don't feel guilty. He's been sitting here throwing up and crying. I feel terrible."
"Enough, you two. You both were at fault. You should have been watching him closer and you should have locked up all those products. Right now, our focus is Bucky." Said Nat.
"Right." Said Steve. He went to Bucky and touched his face. Bucky was pale and sweating, but actually smiling.
"Why did you drink that?"
"Sweet."
"Bucky, not everything that smells sweet means it is edible. I'm just glad you're okay." Steve kissed his head, he did smell a little like lemons. "How is he doing, Bruce?"
"Well, besides being scared and probably trying to get the taste out of his mouth, he's fine. He needs to drink plenty of water or milk for the rest of the day. I need you to monitor his urine, if it's dark or looks bloody bring him to me immediately. But, he should be okay with some rest. No more drinking cleaning products, Bucky, they're not good for you." Said Bruce.
"Yucky."
"Yes, they are. So no more trying to get into sweet stuff unless daddy says it's okay." Said Steve.
"And you, Rogers, need to lock up everything. And that includes detergent and cleaning products. Same goes for you, Rumlow." Said Nat seriously. Both men nodded. After Bruce did a final check up on Bucky, he removed the IV and strictly told Bucky not to touch anymore cleaning products. Nat and Bruce left. Steve was trying his best not to yell at Rumlow for letting Bucky get into that stuff, but it was learning day for all three of them and this was a well needed lesson. After Rumlow left, Steve looked at Bucky, who was sucking on his fingers like nothing ever happened. Steve sat next to Bucky on the couch and took his fingers out of his mouth.
"Honey, why did you touch that stuff?"
"Smell good."
"Yes, it does smell good. But that stuff is for cleaning the bathroom. Not cleaning your tummy. Please, don't ever touch stuff like that again, you really scared all of us today. That could have gotten you really, really sick."
"Daddy, scared?" Bucky tilted his head.
"Yes, I get scared. Especially when my baby boy is sick because of my foolish actions." Bucky crawled onto Steve's lap and laid on his shoulder. Steve snuggled Bucky for a little while, he never felt so scared but also so angry at himself since Bucky fell. All of this could have been prevented if he had locked the cleaning product, but it also could have prevented if Rumlow had watched Bucky closer.
"Despite everything, I'm glad you are okay. So how about we go get a drink a milk and watch a movie before dinner?"
"Lolli?"
"Yes, you can have a lollipop only because you've a hard day." Steve picked him up and brought him in the kitchen. He fixed a warm bottle for Bucky and got juice for himself. Steve got a lollipop for Bucky and one for himself. They sat back on the couch and watched a Paw Patrol movie special.
"Daddy, yummy."
"I see and that is lemon flavor. How ironic." Bucky truly was a sweet boy, inside and out.