“oh wicked!” Bucky crowed after a moment of exploring with Johnny, hefting a huge black snake with his flesh hand, since he didn’t want to accidentally wound it. His new arm was fantastic but he was still getting used to it. It was just a rat snake, but the thing was huge, and Tony squealed like a child at the sight of it, and actually hid behind Clint and Stephanie. “we should take it back with us and show the kids!” Bucky suggested, grinning like an imp. “it’s non-venomous Tony, it’s fine.” Bucky promised before smiling at Clint. “thank you. At least someone here understands that Spiders are demon spawn.” he had confessed to Clint after a round of nightmares that he couldn’t stand spiders after all that Hydra had put him through. Rats for the same reason. He’d have to sit in a hole, or in abandoned building, or anywhere they put him. Usually rat infested, spider infested places that they didn’t want to sit in themselves. And he’d just sit there, letting the things crawl all over him because he didn’t have enough of a mind of his own to do anything but what his handlers told him to do.<br/><br/>“No, YOU got lost in central park. I was trained to always know where I am at any given moment. I wasn’t lost.” Bucky sniffed. “I just didn’t want to wound your bride by showing you where to go.” he was full of shit is what he was. “Johnny just needs more outdoor time.” Bucky assured Steph, amused. “let’s throw him in central park and see how long it takes him to find his way out.” he decided before rolling his eyes at her dramatics. “you would think.” Bucky told Clint dryly. “that after all this time she’d have at least gotten used to it.”<br/><br/><hr/><br/>“...thanks Ma’am…” Geoge said, flushing harder. Looking very shy. He wasn’t used to praise from anyone, Loki of course praised him effusively but it was different when it was your parent and Loki couldn’t always be there to congratulate a job well done. Loki hadn’t been able to be there much at all, not that Jörmungandr … George, blamed his parent for that. He blamed Odin, the rat bastard. But it meant he had lived a very lonely existence. Having people here be proud of him… he was still getting used to it. “you must be a very smart kid.” Loki praised, smiling at George, eyes shining with pride.  “I dunno about that…” George mumbled, looking even more shy, leaning into the hug Laura offered him. It had taken months and months to get George used to being hugged. He’d gone all tense and panicked the first time she had done so. The entire farm assumed, mostly correctly, that George was a runaway from an abusive family, just trying to survive and do what he was passionate about. “what are you going to school for?” Loki wondered and George grinned. It was an impish grin. “Law.” and not just human law either. George was going to become the nine realms most feared lawyer in EVERY Court. Especially Asgards. George smiled at Laura, agreed to the game plan and finished the last of the mucking before heading off to milk and feed the goats. Loki settled in the Hammock Steph had claimed last night and began to read the book Laura had suggested. By the time the others returned, Loki had fallen asleep mid chapter and was looking rather adorable and completely relaxed. Something Tony had never seen before. Loki was always a little tense when he was around anyone but Steph and Johnny. Vacation had been a very good idea indeed.