#avastarr

[yelenaenthusiast]

mansplain girlboss mallgoth gaybait manwhore

[barnesonly]

.𖥔 ݁ ˖༘⋆ Bambi ⊹₊ ⋆｡˚

dad!bucky barnes x reader

tags: fluff and humour, established relationship (marriage), parenthood, girl dad bucky, the new avengers (post thunderbolts*), auntie yelena, alexei shenanigans… and bob is an ipad kid.

summary: yours and bucky’s toddler daughter visits avengers tower for the first time and immediately becomes everyone’s favorite. alexei is obsessed. yelena is chaotic aunt. bob is shy. bucky comes back from a mission and goes full soft dad mode. chaos and fluff ensue!!

word count: 2275

A/N: kinda inspired by this fic written by @buckysleftbicep (absolutely loved it) so everyone go check it out right now!! Posting fluff in celebration of reaching 1k followers!

The moment you step into Avengers Tower, your daughter’s tiny hand wrapped in yours and her beloved deer plush tucked under her arm, you brace yourself.

Not for an attack. Not for a mission.

But for them.

Yelena’s the first to spot you from across the lounge, sitting cross-legged on the couch with her boots on the coffee table, casually eating pickles out of the jar like it’s an Olympic sport. Her eyes light up instantly.

“You brought the gremlin,” she says, hopping over the back of the couch like it owes her money. “Finally.”

Your daughter perks up at the voice and lets go of your hand, wobble-running straight into Yelena’s legs. “Lena!”

Yelena scoops her up with practiced ease, already spinning her like a pizza. “You’re taller than last time. What are they feeding you, huh? Dinosaur nuggets? Uncrustables?”

You smile, brushing hair from your face. “Babysitter called in sick. Bucky’s off running recon with Ava and John. It was either bring her with me or let Alpine babysit.”

Yelena shrugs. “Cat would’ve done a decent job.”

But before you can respond, a voice bellows from across the room like thunder cracking through a storm.

“OH MY GOD.”

You freeze.

“THERE IS A CHILD.”

Alexei appears like a bear-sized ghost from around the corner, eyes wide, beard fluffed, hands halfway to the sky in pure dramatics.

“She is real! You made her!” he gasps, pointing between you and your daughter like he’s just discovered human biology. “You and Barnes! You spawned!”

Your daughter clutches tighter to Yelena’s neck, blinking slowly. “…Who’s that?”

“That’s Uncle Alexei, baby,” Yelena mutters, clearly second-guessing every life choice.

“Uncle?” Alexei gasps, one hand pressed to his heart. “She called me uncle? Did you hear that? She has taste.”

“She didn’t call you anything, actually,” you say dryly.

He ignores you, kneeling down like he’s approaching a skittish woodland creature. “Little one. What is your name?”

Your daughter snuggles further into Yelena’s shoulder, unsure.

Yelena whispers it to him.

Alexei lights up. “Beautiful. Like tiny ballerina-slash-assassin.”

Then he spots the plushie.

His jaw drops. “Is that… a deer?!”

She nods.

He gasps. “A baby deer,” he glances directly at you. “You brought Bambi to the Tower. Look at this! I will call her Bambi forever now. This is perfect.”

You groan. “Her name is not Bambi.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Alexei says with utter seriousness. “Her superhero name is Bambi now.” He looks at the plush deer again, as if he needs confirmation. “This is Bambi. Your child… she is Bambi.”

“Why are you like this?”

The elevator dings softly behind you. Bob steps out, hugging a datapad to his chest, eyes flicking up—and stopping cold at the sight of a tiny human standing in the middle of the room surrounded by chaos.

He freezes like he just walked into the wrong universe.

“Oh,” he says, voice soft. “Oh. Um. Hi.”

Alexei scoops your daughter’s plush out of her hands (gently, somehow) and holds it up like a prize. “The deer has arrived.”

Your daughter lets out a tiny, distressed “Nooo!” and Yelena sighs, prying it back and handing it to her. She immediately clutches it to her chest, pouting.

Alexei melts. “She loves it. Look at the loyalty. I respect it. She will be a warrior.”

“She’s three,” you say.

“And already wiser than John,” Bob mutters, sliding onto the couch and giving your daughter a gentle wave. “Hi… I’m Bob.”

Bob offers a cautious smile from his corner of the couch, clearly doing mental math on how to interact with a three-year-old while holding a fragile datapad full of intel. “Is that your deer?” he asks gently.

Your daughter nods, eyes wide but curious.

“What’s your name?”

She hesitates, glances at you, then whispers, “Bambi.”

You sigh. Yelena smirks. Alexei fist-pumps like his soul just ascended.

“Haha! See?! Bambi!”

“She only said that because you pressured her!” you argue.

Alexei ignores you completely, now crouching beside Bob like they’re co-conspirators. “This changes everything. We must get her a cape.”

Bob blinks. “Wait, for the deer or…?”

“Yes.”

Before you can intervene, your daughter climbs out of Yelena’s lap and toddles unsteadily across the rug, her tiny socks making her slide a little on the hardwood. She waddles straight up to Bob and shyly offers him the plush deer for inspection.

Bob stares, caught completely off-guard. Slowly, reverently, he reaches out and pokes it once, like he’s been offered something sacred.

“She trusts you,” Yelena says with a smirk. “You’ve been chosen.”

Alexei claps him on the back. “Welcome to the Uncle Club.”

Bob pales. “I—I didn’t sign up for that—”

“Too late,” Yelena and Alexei say in unison.

You step in before your daughter hands over her entire soul to the team. “Alright, Bambi’s gotta go with me to the debriefing room for a bit. She’s quiet during meetings, I swear.”

“Wait, she’s sitting in?” Bob asks, blinking.

“She can’t stay here,” you whisper. “He’s already planning her costume reveal.” You point at Alexei as you roll your eyes.

Alexei winks. “Tiny leather jacket. I know a guy.”

You hoist your daughter up, her head instantly finding your shoulder, deer tucked between you. She’s calm now, observing the chaos like she’s already used to it—which, to be fair, she probably is.

Yelena holds the elevator door open for you. “Want me to come with?”

You smile gratefully. “Please.”

Bob waves. “Bye, Bambi.”

Alexei bows. “We will train in the art of war when you return.”

Your daughter yawns.

“Yeah,” Yelena mutters, smirking. “She’s terrified.”

As the elevator doors slide shut, you glance down at the sleepy toddler in your arms and murmur, “She kind of is ruling the tower right now.”

Yelena chuckles beside you, hands in her pockets. “Please. Alexei is probably already imagining her leading The New New Avengers.”

———

The common room is unusually quiet.

Which, considering who lives here, means there are only three simultaneous conversations instead of seven, and no one’s actively throwing knives at the wall.

You’re curled up on the far couch with a warm mug of coffee tucked in your hands, your legs folded under you, eyes tracking the scene in front of you with the kind of resigned affection that only comes from parenting amidst chaos.

Your daughter is sitting cross-legged on the rug, her beloved deer plush nestled in her lap, while Bob sits beside her like he’s attending a high-stakes diplomatic summit. His tablet is open, and he’s very seriously showing her a game where she gets to decorate cupcakes.

“Okay,” Bob says, voice calm and precise, “this one has rainbow sprinkles. That means it’s the most powerful one.”

Your daughter giggles, pointing at the screen. “That one’s Bucky’s!”

Bob raises an eyebrow, impressed. “Excellent choice. Very dangerous cupcake.”

Across the room, Alexei is sitting backward in an armchair—knees up, arms draped over the backrest like a golden retriever in a human body—just watching the entire interaction with rapt fascination.

“Look at her. Tactical decisions. Cupcake strategy. She is genius,” he murmurs, eyes wide. “You see this? She will rule us all.”

“Alexei, she decorates cupcakes,” you say tiredly.

“Exactly!” he says, like you’ve proved his point. “That is unpredictable. That is art.”

Bob glances up, sheepish but undeniably soft. “She’s really good at this. Like… scary good. She beat my high score.”

“She’s three,” you repeat for what feels like the hundredth time today.

“Exactly,” Bob echoes, completely serious.

Your daughter turns and beams at you, holding the tablet up in victory. “I made a cat cupcake!”

“You’re a creative genius, sweetheart,” you say with a smile, setting your mug down. “Now let Bob breathe before he has a full-blown cupcake identity crisis.”

“She beat me twice,” Bob mutters, looking at the screen with quiet betrayal.

Alexei grins. “You have been defeated. Welcome to the Bambi Era.”

That makes your daughter puff up with pride, hugging her deer closer. “I’m Bambi.”

You blink at her.

“Okay, okay. You’re Bambi.” you murmur, already accepting defeat.

Alexei makes a dramatic gasp and holds his hand to his heart. “The prophecy is fulfilled.”

And that’s when the elevator dings. The doors slide open with a mechanical hum, and your husband, Bucky steps out—followed closely by Ava, already pulling off her gloves, and John, still mid-complaint about something Ava definitely tuned out five floors ago.

All three look a little winded, mission dust still clinging to them, that sharp post-field energy still buzzing in their shoulders.

Bucky’s the first to clock you.

Then—his eyes land on the small deer-plush-carrying toddler sitting in the middle of the Avengers’ common room rug like she owns the place.

He stops cold.

“What is she doing here?” he asks, blinking like he’s not sure if he’s hallucinating from exhaustion.

Your daughter hears his voice—and immediately bolts to her feet, deer plush bouncing from her arms as she runs.

“Daddy!”

And just like that—everything about Bucky shifts.

The steel in his posture melts in real time. That hard edge in his jaw softens. His arms open like it’s instinct, like they were made just for this exact moment.

He drops his bag without looking. Drops everything.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he breathes, catching her in a sweeping hug and lifting her off the ground like she weighs nothing. “Hi, my girl. Did you miss me?”

She nods furiously, burying her face in his neck. “You were so gone.”

Bucky presses a kiss to her hair, eyes fluttering shut for a second, like the entire day fades away the second she touches him. “I’m here now, baby. I’m here.”

There’s a stunned silence behind him.

John looks like someone just hit him with a frying pan. Ava raises an eyebrow and mutters something under her breath that sounds suspiciously like “holy shit.”

Yelena grins, arms crossed. “Aww. The Winter Soldier has emotions. Someone write that down.”

Alexei is squinting, hand raised like he’s observing wildlife through binoculars.

“She called him Daddy and he went from Terminator to teddy bear in 0.2 seconds,” Bob whispers, genuinely fascinated.

You’re already walking over, arms crossed and smile threatening the edges of your mouth. “Glad to see she’s got you wrapped around her finger, too.”

“She owns me,” Bucky says simply, pressing one more kiss to her cheek. “You should know that by now.”

You snort. “Yeah, well, the rest of the team just found out.”

Bucky turns slightly, finally looking over at the stunned group of adult superheroes who just watched him transform into Dad of the Year.

“She get into any trouble while I was gone?”

“She beat me at tablet games and claimed her superhero name is Bambi,” Bob says numbly.

“She made Alexei cry,” Yelena adds.

“I did not cry,” Alexei huffs, wiping suspicious moisture from his eye. “I was emotionally impacted.”

Your daughter leans back in Bucky’s arms and holds up her deer plush proudly.

“Did you bring me a snack?”

“Your priorities are incredible,” Bucky mutters fondly, already walking toward the kitchen with her still on his hip. “Let’s go find you something good, huh, Bambi?”

She gasps. “You called me Bambi!”

You sigh.

———

Later that evening, the common room has finally quieted. Most of the team has dispersed, save for the ones still floating nearby with post-mission snacks or paperwork. The lights are dimmed, your coffee’s been reheated twice, and you’re curled up in one of the oversized armchairs, finally off your feet.

Across the room, Bucky is sitting on the couch with your daughter perched on his lap, her deer plush tucked snugly under one arm, the other animatedly waving in the air as she recounts—in painstaking detail—every single moment of her day.

“And then Lena spun me so fast, and Uncle Lexi said I was a ballerina, and Bob showed me a cupcake game but I BEAT HIM, and there were pickles but I didn’t want any ’cause they smell bad—Daddy, are you listening?”

Bucky, absolutely smitten, nods with exaggerated seriousness. “Of course I’m listening, Bambi. Pickles smell bad. Got it.”

She nods proudly. “And the couch is really squishy but not as squishy as ours. But this place has better snacks. And Lena let me jump on the beanbag on purpose. Can I come here always? Please?”

Bucky leans in, brushing a kiss to her temple. “I’ll talk to Mama about it. Maybe not always. But often? I think we can arrange that.”

She beams. “Okay. Also I drew a picture of Bob. He looks like a jellybean.”

You stifle a laugh into your mug.

Yelena slides into the chair beside yours with a quiet flop, arms crossed and an amused glint in her eye as she watches your daughter still rattling off to Bucky like it’s a press conference.

“She is so her father’s daughter,” Yelena says.

You sigh, but you’re smiling. “Yup.”

“Talks like him. Bossy like him. Stubborn as hell.”

You raise your mug. “And weirdly good at knives for a toddler. We’re doomed.”

Yelena snorts. “And you love it.”

You look over at Bucky again—his eyes soft, his fingers gently braiding a bit of your daughter’s hair as she chatters on about Alexei’s beard and how “Lena said I could have a jet one day.”

Your chest swells with something warm and weightless. “Yeah,” you say quietly. “I really, really do.”

⋆⁺₊✧ MASTERLIST

tags: @iamthatonefangirl (dm or comment If you wanna be added to my tag list)

[multifandomimagines1522]

Bucky: “Okay everyone, safety briefing for this weekend.”

Bucky(pointing at john): do not add to the population

Bucky(pointing at Yelena): do not subtract from the population

Bucky(pointing at Ava): also do not subtract from the population)

Bucky(pointing at Alexei): do not, at any point, name the team thunderboltz

Bucky(pointing at Bob): do not...

Bob(sitting in his chair reading): ....

Bucky: do not leave that chair

[dissemmiart]

I didn’t expect to love Thunderbolts THIS much but here we are 😭💥 Found family trope? Check. Unhinged chaos? Check. Every character just clicked instantly and I’m so weak for that.

Bob & Yelena had me in a chokehold so naturally I had to draw them 💜

[yelena-realthunder-bolt]

Is it bad that sometimes I wonder what might have happened if me and my sister became ballerinas?

Like how can I yearn for something I’ve never truly had

[i-was-a-well-kid-once]

In The Dark, I'll Be Alright

ship so good, it made me post for the first time in years. Disclaimer: This is unedited and was written instead of sleeping. I saw a fic on AO3 that inspired this, and I thought I'd give it a go because I can't get these two out of my head.

Rated T for some swearing

1202 words

Ava Starr/John Walker, other characters briefly mentioned, Ava centered.

title from Hurt by Amber Run

*

The truth is, Ava still had a lot of secrets. Well aware of the coaxing she’s received since joining a team that’s built on vulnerability. She’s spent her entire life vulnerable, and all it’s done is make her feel weak and pitiful. The truth is, most nights, Ava would lie awake in paralyzing pain. Her condition was better controlled than before, sure, partially due to Janet’s quantum energy, partly due to Valentina. As much as she hates to come to terms with the fact, Valentina’s tech has saved her life. 

A lot of different variables can lead to a bad night. Not eating, not enough water, a headache, an injury, but what never fails to send her body into panic mode is a mission gone wrong.

They happened more than she’d like to admit. 

Miscommunication, mistrust, and disagreements. They’re all still getting used to working on a team. Besides, Walker and Bucky, it’s new to all of them. 

That led to nights like this. 

Ava stumbled into her room with heavy steps, her entire body burned. The fire underneath her skin spread through every cell and nerve that made her up. She felt everything and nothing all at once. 

Walker’s grip against the plating on her waist was what grounded her, what kept her there. Of course, it was Walker, of all people, who would find her at a time like this. He may be awfully dimwitted, but he was undoubtedly the most observant person on the team. His look of recognition didn’t go unnoticed by her. At first, she received confused looks, but they slowly became more concerned and even caring. Walker was the one to toss her a protein bar once they got back from every mission, because he noticed her lack of urgency to eat. Walker is the one who has figured out when it’s not time to give her a hard time, because he recognizes her behavior patterns. He was the first to learn her rhythm during training, hence why he quickly became her favorite to spar with. He’s taken note of her go-to snacks and drinks and makes sure to keep them stocked for her. Like the tea she likes to make on nights she’s restless, or the cereal that reminds her of breakfasts with her parents.   

It was safe to say she knew he had to be the first to find out. 

The hand that held her own, pulled over his shoulders, brought her arm over his head and set her gently on her bed, only then did he stop to take in the room they now occupied. In the few months as the new avengers, none of them have been in her room, let alone seen what it contained. It was one of the many boundaries she had set without words.   

Her room resembled a hybrid of a prison cell and a lab, obviously drawing inspiration from every other room she’s had since the accident. Apart from the machinery, exposed wires, and metal, she hadn’t bothered decorating. After all, she’s never been able to before, and she didn’t have enough possessions to begin with. She wouldn’t know where to start. “Geez, Aves. This is…” 

A lot. She was well aware. The room resembled that of her old quantum chamber, built by her friend Bill Foster. This, however, was a condensed version; Valentina’s team called a quantum regulator. Instead of being its own room, it surrounded her bed, with a third of the height, only going up to a foot above her mattress. It wasn’t pretty, but it did the job. 

“It’s just to help with the pain. Keeps me stable.” Keeps me alive. Ava hit the buttons she’s since memorized, robotically switching the machine on. It was soundless, but she felt its effects immediately. The quantum waves worked their way through her skin, inside her body, soothing the pain, helping her refocus, as she moved to lie down. 

John stood at the bed, warily, obviously uncomfortable. His eyes moved to study the dark room, the strange equipment, and the way her body was slowly starting to become solid again. “I had no idea you were…”

“It’s fine. It’s nothing new.” She’d long given up on the idea of the pain going away for good. Janet Van-Dyne had given her that initial hope, but it hadn’t lasted long before reality decided to set in. 

Ava slowly started to peel her suit off, revealing the thin, comfortable layer she had on underneath: a loose, white long-sleeved shirt and dark leggings. Her joints felt tight and strained.

“Right.” John watched her with that concerned look she’d often find him wearing. His mouth was slightly open, like he wanted to say something but lacked the right words, and his brow was tight, like he was currently working out what he could do to help. “Can I sit, or is thing gonna give me ghost powers, too?” He gestured, dramatically, at the bed.

Ava snorted, a soft puff of air. She shoved her suit to the side of her bed and reached up with a sore arm to pull her hair loose from its bun. “It won’t affect you, if that’s what you’re wondering.” 

Walker nodded and took a seat on the edge of her bed, at her side. He still wore his suit, worn and devoid of color. He had various cuts on his face that he hadn’t even mentioned yet, but likely needs some bit of medical attention. No, since arriving back at the tower, he was solely focused on getting Ava the help she needed. 

“Thank you,” Ava said softly, eyes on him. It was moments like this, albeit sometimes rare, when she could see through his hard exterior. It helps her soften her own. 

“Hey, don’t mention it.” Walker shrugged, sparing her a glance before shaking his head and staring at the floor. “Least I can do in return for you saving my ass every mission.” 

“So, he finally admits it,” Ava smirks, tiredly, her arm draped lazily over her stomach. 

“You know, I’m trying to be genuine, here, and you’re making it very difficult.” Walker chuckled, despite himself, through the corner of his eye. 

“Sorry, please keep going.” She teased, from her spot in the bed, she was starting to feel drowsy. The mission took a lot out of her, and sometimes her regulator did too good of a job getting her to relax. 

“Seriously, you know you don’t have to be doing this alone anymore, right? I mean the others, they’re not going to give you shit for this. We’re all our own tragic messes.” Walker sobered, his small smile becoming a thin line, eyes hardening with assurance. 

“That includes you, too, cap?” Ava challenged, raising her brow lazily at him, smirking despite his soft words. 

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?” He says it with mock annoyance, but the corners of his mouth are twitching and there’s a softness in his eyes she’s never seen before. 

“Hmm. I guess you are.” She hums quietly, smiling, and wondering faintly if he could even make it out, as sleep drags her under, feeling the warm embrace of company and care from another. Something she hasn’t felt in a long time. 

[madog4269]

Ava in ant man was really peak crazy woman and is need her back!!! No more mentally stable ava! Give me crazy socially awkward autistic ava!!!!

[lynnington]

Another Thunderbolts* Animatic! Gonna crash out because TikTok muted it for copyright, and I had to speed it up there to avoid it :( Weeks of work for it to be 1.8x speed >:(

This is the video not sped up, thank you YouTube I guess.