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“And sometimes Natty comes over and she needs a stuffy too but if Stevie and Sammie are here first then she has less stuffies to pick from and that’s not fair! And sometimes I have a tea party and a business meeting at the same time so I need twice as many stuffies that day and then after it I get so tired and I wanna sleep in my cozy corner but then there’s not enough stuffies in the corner because of the meeting and the party and I’m too tired to put them back so I need more stuffies, right Daddy?”
You were in the midst of convincing Bucky to let you buy more stuffed animals. He knew the second you opened your mouth and gave him those pleading eyes that he’d say yes to anything. Ordering takeout? He’d love to. New clothes? Of course. A new TV? Why not, you’ve been very good lately. A vacation? His employees are readying the beach house as you speak.
He almost laughed when he realized all you wanted was a few more stuffed animals. Your little heart wasn’t used to being so spoiled. You were ready to beg and do anything for some new fuzzy friends. Bucky thought you were so cute. His instinct was to tell you you could have whatever you wanted, but he chose to rest a hand on his chin and pretend to think about it some more. He couldn’t resist your adorable rambles and the way you so sweetly clung to his arm as you told him why you absolutely needed more plushies.
Rant now over, you scrambled your mind thinking of any reasons you might’ve missed. Bucky loved watching you as you did anything, but this moment was particularly good. He was standing at the front door, having just come home when you greeted him with a hug and a kiss and wasted no time before you started asking him for more stuffies. You held onto his bicep with both arms as if him taking a step away from you meant that you wouldn’t get your prize. Your eyes were wide, your lips pouted, and your whole body was leaning toward him, trapping him with your cuteness.
He was proud of how brave you’d gotten as your little self. You were comfortable around his friends, you knew you could ask him for anything, and you started being more adventurous. He could sense the latter by the stray leaves and grass stains on your clothes. He told you you had free reign over the house, but you had stuck to the two bedrooms you liked and the living spaces until today. Your skin even had a gentle glow from the sun; you were happy. Bucky felt endlessly fulfilled getting to see this side of you.
“Okay, Baby, Daddy’ll get you your stuffies- but” he said, quieting your squeals. “What does Daddy get in return?”
You stopped bouncing on your feet for a moment. “A hundred million kisses!”
Bucky laughed, “Sounds like a good deal to me, Angel. Why don’t you start paying up now?”
You giggled and held his face with both hands, allowing you to bring his head down and smother him with kisses.
~
Bucky pulled up to your favorite toy store, parked the car, and placed a hand over yours to get your attention. “Now, Angel. What are our rules for going into a store?”
“Always stay next to Daddy, don’t talk to strangers, no bein’ fussy, and say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and ‘excuse me’!”
“Good, baby. You make Daddy proud when you listen.” Bucky patted your knee before getting out of the car and opening your door and seatbelt for you.
You held his hand as you skipped to the shop. Then, something in the display caught your attention and you tugged Bucky by the sleeve to get a closer look.
“Daddy! Daddy! Look at all the stuffies!” You pressed your face so close to the window, your nose was nearly touching the glass. “And they all hab clothes and hats a- and shoes.”
The excitement and toys were pushing you further into little space. You were so distracted by the display that you didn’t notice the heart eyes Bucky was now sporting for you. He loved seeing you so happy and carefree.
“C’mon, Angel let’s get inside and you can find even more stuffies!”
You squealed and trotted into the shop as Bucky held open the door for you. While shopping, you insisted on looking at every single shelf, because every stuffie deserved to get a fair chance at being the one you brought home. Bucky was more than happy to indulge you. You’d seen nearly every corner of the shop when a small, grey stuffed cat caught your attention.
“Dada,” you gasped.
“Yes, Angel?”
“Dis one, pease.”
Bucky saw what you were looking at and carefully plucked the grey cat from the shelf so you could get a closer look. With the plushie still in your Daddy’s hands, you inspected its fur and facial features.
“‘s perfect,” you whispered, still in awe. The small cat was delightfully soft and had a nice, round belly.
Bucky let you toy with the plush for a few more minutes before speaking up. “You ready to take this new friend home, Sweetheart? You gotta name them and introduce them to your other stuffies before bedtime.”
You snapped out of your trance. “Oh yeah! Kitty already has name though.”
Bucky raised his eyebrows. “Already? You came up with a name that fast, Angel?”
You were still a little distracted, answering his question while stroking the plush’s fur. “Yeah ‘s Banjo. Banjo the kitty.”
“That’s a beautiful name, Baby. Let’s go to the register now, okay?”
You nodded and followed Bucky back to the checkout section. On the way there, something in the corner of your eye caused you to stop suddenly. Bucky was holding your hand and paused when you did.
“You alright, Sweetheart?”
You pointed to the shelf on your right. It was full of grey cat plushies that were bigger than your Banjo.
“Can I hab one?”
“Sure, Angel. You wanna get a bigger Banjo instead?”
“No, want two kitties pease.”
Bucky failed to hold back a smile. He was so proud of his baby for telling him what they wanted and for asking him so politely.
“Anything for you,” he said, kissing the top of your head. He took one of the cats from the shelf and let you inspect it. “You sure you want another grey cat, Angel? This store has a lot of other animals in different colors.”
“Has to be grey kitty, Dada. Banjo needs a Daddy.”