“They kept pulling her earphones out,” JJ went on. “And she was getting really upset. And so I told them to stop, but they didn’t, so I made her switch seats with me. Then they knocked my hearing aid out.”
Uncle Bucky’s metal hand made a clicking sound from a fist he was making. He looked down at it when JJ did, and his fingers opened again, and he put something stingy on JJ’s forehead.
“But I just put it in my pocket, and they stopped bothering me,” JJ carried on, quickly, so Uncle Bucky didn’t try to be Captain America either. “But when we got off the bus, they started following me home, and calling me names, and I was ignoring them--I promise I was. I know I’m suppose to ignore them, and I was. But then they tripped me, and they pushed me into an alley, so I had to fight to defend myself. It’s okay to do that. Dad said I can do that.”
Uncle Bucky sighed. “Of course he did,” he said. “I don’t suppose you thought about running?”
Oh. Yeah. That was something JJ could have done, actually. He was pretty quick. He could have run.
“No,” he admitted. You didn’t run. You stood your ground. Dad never ran.
“Where’s your hearing aid now?” Uncle Bucky said. “No wonder you didn’t hear me calling you when you came in.”
“One of them took it out of my pocket and stepped on it,” JJ said. “It’s broken.”
Uncle Bucky got to his feet. “What are their names?” he asked, in a deep voice that made JJ’s spine cold.
“I don’t know,” he lied. “It’s not a big deal, Uncle Bucky. Please, don’t make a fuss.”
“JJ, you’re missing a tooth,” Uncle Bucky said.
“It was loose already! It was a baby tooth. I’ve been wiggling it all day.” “They broke your hearing aid.” “I have an extra one at home. Uncle Tony always makes me extra ones in different colours.” “They ganged up on you three to one in an alley and gave you a black eye!” “I found a garbage can lid, and I blocked, like, half of the blows!”
All of the anger went out of Uncle Bucky at once, like a balloon that had been popped, and he started to laugh, first a chuckle, then a really deep belly laugh, his head shaking.
“Kid, you have no hope at all,” he said. “Genetics are a curse.” He got out his phone, and started texting.
“Who are you sending that to?” JJ said.
“Your dad,” Uncle Bucky said.
“No!” JJ said. He jumped to his feet, and tried to pull the phone away. “Please! I know I’m in trouble, and I promise I’ll tell him later, but I just want to clean up befor-mmmmmmm--” Uncle Bucky’s hand covered his mouth, so he couldn’t talk any more.
“I’m not ratting you out, I’m buying you time.” Uncle Bucky showed him the screen. “Your dad will worry if you don’t come home when you should.”
‘Borrowed your kid. Will bring him back when I’m done,’ was all the message said.
JJ relaxed. “Thank you,” he said, but it was muffled to ‘mmmmmmmoo’ under Uncle Bucky’s hand.
“Barnes’ and Rogers’ stick together,” Uncle Bucky said. “Sit back down. I need to check you for a concussion.”
no subject
Uncle Bucky’s metal hand made a clicking sound from a fist he was making. He looked down at it when JJ did, and his fingers opened again, and he put something stingy on JJ’s forehead.
“But I just put it in my pocket, and they stopped bothering me,” JJ carried on, quickly, so Uncle Bucky didn’t try to be Captain America either. “But when we got off the bus, they started following me home, and calling me names, and I was ignoring them--I promise I was. I know I’m suppose to ignore them, and I was. But then they tripped me, and they pushed me into an alley, so I had to fight to defend myself. It’s okay to do that. Dad said I can do that.”
Uncle Bucky sighed. “Of course he did,” he said. “I don’t suppose you thought about running?”
Oh. Yeah. That was something JJ could have done, actually. He was pretty quick. He could have run.
“No,” he admitted. You didn’t run. You stood your ground. Dad never ran.
“Where’s your hearing aid now?” Uncle Bucky said. “No wonder you didn’t hear me calling you when you came in.”
“One of them took it out of my pocket and stepped on it,” JJ said. “It’s broken.”
Uncle Bucky got to his feet. “What are their names?” he asked, in a deep voice that made JJ’s spine cold.
“I don’t know,” he lied. “It’s not a big deal, Uncle Bucky. Please, don’t make a fuss.”
“JJ, you’re missing a tooth,” Uncle Bucky said.
“It was loose already! It was a baby tooth. I’ve been wiggling it all day.”
“They broke your hearing aid.”
“I have an extra one at home. Uncle Tony always makes me extra ones in different colours.”
“They ganged up on you three to one in an alley and gave you a black eye!”
“I found a garbage can lid, and I blocked, like, half of the blows!”
All of the anger went out of Uncle Bucky at once, like a balloon that had been popped, and he started to laugh, first a chuckle, then a really deep belly laugh, his head shaking.
“Kid, you have no hope at all,” he said. “Genetics are a curse.” He got out his phone, and started texting.
“Who are you sending that to?” JJ said.
“Your dad,” Uncle Bucky said.
“No!” JJ said. He jumped to his feet, and tried to pull the phone away. “Please! I know I’m in trouble, and I promise I’ll tell him later, but I just want to clean up befor-mmmmmmm--” Uncle Bucky’s hand covered his mouth, so he couldn’t talk any more.
“I’m not ratting you out, I’m buying you time.” Uncle Bucky showed him the screen. “Your dad will worry if you don’t come home when you should.”
‘Borrowed your kid. Will bring him back when I’m done,’ was all the message said.
JJ relaxed. “Thank you,” he said, but it was muffled to ‘mmmmmmmoo’ under Uncle Bucky’s hand.
“Barnes’ and Rogers’ stick together,” Uncle Bucky said. “Sit back down. I need to check you for a concussion.”