"Mm." Kenzie looked over at him. "Yes. One of three. One is much older, I haven't seen him in decades. Then this one, and the youngest probably hatched not long ago." She was watching him now.

Bucky took a moment to just process that information. Finally he just gave her a bit of a grin.

"Wish I'd'a known, coulda been ready for him to drop in," he said. "How often do you see them?"

"Not very often." Kenzie shrugged a bit. "This is the first time I've seen Caspian in at least five years. I haven't seen my eldest in decades, and I don't think I'll see the youngest for a while. At least ten years, perhaps more."

"I see," Bucky said. He hesitated over his next question. "And the... father?"

"Fathers," Kenzie corrected quietly. "Different one each time. Dragons don't generally spend time with other dragons." She frowned, searching for the words. "We're too... possessive. Any kind of life-mate is generally not a dragon." She glanced at him.

"Life-mates are a thing?" Bucky asked hopefully. Maybe a smidge too hopefully, but at the moment he didn't particularly care.

"Indeed." Kenzie glanced at him. "I've never had one, but my mother did. A Fae. They were quite well matched."

"Have you ever considered one?" Bucky asked, trying not to push the issue too hard, but still wanting to know.

"It would be nice," Kenzie said after a moment. "I would enjoy having a permanent companion. I have you all, yes, but it's not the same." She smiled a little. "But I have thought about it, and I would like having a life-mate."

That was what Bucky wanted to hear, but he still didn't know how to get from there to where he wanted to be. He hesitated for a moment, and then decided that it was worth the risk. He leaned over and kissed her gently.

Kenzie blinked at that but didn't pull back. She looked at him for a moment before she gently slid her hand into his hair and returned the kiss.

Bucky grinned when he pulled away again.

"Been wanting to do that for a while," he said, watching her reaction carefully.

Kenzie smiled. "And does it live up to expectations?" She murmured, threading her fingers through his hair.

"Not sure," Bucky said, giving her a teasing grin. "May need to do it again."

Kenzie chuckled quietly and shifted forward again, kissing him lightly. "Might take a bit of trial and error," she murmured.

"I'm okay with that," Bucky replied, returning the kiss. "I don't mind more tries."

Kenzie chuckled quietly and leaned her forehead against his. "I'd been thinking about this," she murmured. "But I didn't want to push. Sometimes the bond can... influence people. I didn't want to influence your choice."

"I'm done being told what to do, believe me," Bucky said, closing his eyes and enjoying the contact. "I want this."

"Good." Kenzie carded her fingers through his hair gently, scratching a little at his scalp.

Bucky leaned against her at that, relaxing.

Gemma nudged Steve when she saw Kenzie and Bucky settling in.

"Looks like they worked things out," she murmured.

Kenzie smiled and just kept paying him as much attention as he wanted.

Steve grinned broadly at that. "About damn time," he murmured, because really. That had gotten out of hand.

"I'm glad," Gemma said, laying her head on his shoulder. "Kenzie was starting to get unhappy too."

Steve nodded, wrapping an arm around her. "I think they'll both be happier," he said quietly. "Might take a bit of adjusting at first, though."

"I think they'll be alright," Gemma said, snuggling closer to him. She leaned up and gave him a kiss.

Steve smiled and returned the kiss. "I hope so," he murmured. "They better be or I'll have to have a serious talk with one of them." But he looked more amused than anything.