Chapter Text
“Well, that didn't take long,” you muttered to yourself as you stared down at the two pink lines on the test on your bathroom counter.
You ran your hand down your face, trying to clear the initial shock and figure out what was underneath it. You heard Bucky calling you from outside the door.
“Buck, is it just you?” You called back.
“Yeah, babe. Laura and Lila put the kids to work setting up for the party,” Bucky answered and you could hear he was right outside the door now.
You took a deep breath. “You can come in,” you told him, standing back from the counter and wrapping your arms around yourself.
You heard the door knob click and Bucky quietly entered, your eyes staying on the countertop.
“Are you still not feeling great?” He asked as he approached.
Before you could respond, his eyes followed yours landing on the test. He froze. His eyes darted between you and the countertop a couple times, watching you chew at your lip and fidget with your fingers. He took another cautious step forward so he could see the test and read the result.
“You're pregnant,” he said quietly, fighting to keep his expression steady, but his lips couldn't help but curl at the ends.
You finally tore your face away from the counter and looked at him. You watched him struggling to temper his excitement, waiting for your reaction to inform his own. You took another steadying breath and let your arms fall.
“I'm pregnant,” you confirmed, a hint of a smile ghosting your expression.
Bucky broke, unable to contain it anymore. “Oh, my God, baby, you're pregnant,” he said through a laugh and he wrapped his arms around you, lifting you off the ground into a crushing hug.
You held on to him tightly, as he laughed and buried his face in your hair.
“Buck, I'm still nauseous. Put me down,” you said, but he could hear the smile in your voice.
He did as you asked, but kept his arms locked around your waist, holding you close. His smile was infectious as he beamed down at you and you couldn't help but smile back.
“How are you feeling?” He asked softly. “Other than nauseated,” he added with a sympathetic look.
You gnawed at your cheek. “I'm not exactly sure yet,” you admitted. “I really wasn't expecting it so soon. Maybe Tony was right about your ‘super swimmers’,” you said with a dry chuckle. “Right now, I think I'm still in shock.”
Bucky nodded cautiously, being careful once again to reign in his excitement so he didn't overwhelm you. “That's okay, baby. Just take your time and let it settle in.” He moved his hands to hold your face and his expression became determined. “And if you decide you don't want to do this, then you have to tell me, okay? I'm not willing to risk our marriage, to lose you over this,” he assured you with sincerity.
You tilted your head and felt overwhelmed by how much this man really loved you. Part of that was the hormones, you were aware, but you were choosing to ignore it.
“God damnit, I love you, Bucky Barnes,” you said with a giggle and you rocked up on the balls of your feet to kiss him.
“I love you too, doll,” he echoed when you pulled away.
You smiled and left the bathroom, heading back to your bedroom to try and find something to wear for Kate and Peter’s shower that began in s few hours. Bucky watched you get all but swallowed up but the closet as you dug around, searching.
“I miss my walkin closet,” you grumbled.
Bucky laughed as he sat on the bed watching you. “I'm sorry, babe. If it makes you feel better, Anthony's room isn't much bigger than a closet, since that's what it used to be.”
“Which is fine, since we don't live here full time anymore,” you pointed out. “Although,” you added, as you emerged from the closet with a box. “Now that there's another one coming, they're going to have to share anyway. There's no more room for Clint to build out.”
Bucky's heart jumped a little, hearing you talk about the baby like it was already a sure thing, but he managed to control his expression. He took the box from you and set it on the bed. You opened it and began pulling out clothes.
“My old maternity clothes from when I was pregnant with Tony,” you explained. “I told Kate I would dig them out for her. But maybe I better keep them,” you added quietly.
Bucky rested his hand on your back. “Just give them to Kate, babe,” he suggested. “If we need more, we'll get more. We don't need to explain to her why you need to keep them when you're still undecided. We'll tell our family if and when you make up your mind.”
You gave him an appreciative smile.
“Can you bring the box next door? I'm gonna try and find something to wear that I can actually zip up,” you huffed. “I swear, the struggle to zip my jeans starts sooner every time.”
Bucky laughed. “Just wear a dress, baby,” he suggested. “You always complain about the ‘damn Midwestern humidity’ when you wear jeans anyway.”
Bucky grabbed the box and started for the door, but you caught his arm. “Just to be clear, we're not telling anyone right now, okay?”
Bucky smiled. “Of course, love.”
***
You leaned back against the porch rail as you looked out at the yard that was currently buzzing with people and laughter. Kate and Peter were in chairs by a big table, opening gifts while your friends and family watched on.
“That poor kid looks like he hasn't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks and the baby's not even here yet,” Sam said with a chuckle as he came to stand behind you.
You smiled. “Yeah, he definitely needs to relax. Kate might lose it on him if he doesn't,” you agreed with a soft chuckle.
Sam nodded and offered you a beer as he grabbed one from the cooler at his feet. You reached out, suddenly remembered you couldn't, and quickly retracted your hand.
“Uh, no, thanks,” you said with as casual a tone as you could manage.
Sam closed the cooler and stood back up, eyes on you the whole time, face scowling. “Oh, shit, not you too,” he said with an exaggerated whine.
Your eyes went wide and you shook your head vehemently, putting a finger to your lips. “Shh, Sam, keep your voice down. We're not telling people yet.”
Sam was shaking his head and trying to contain the laughter that shook his shoulders. “Man, you guys are crazy. I thought you threatened to snip his manhood if he even thought about knocking you up again?” he whispered.
You sighed and rubbed your temples. “Yeah. Yeah, I did,” you confirmed.
“But you just can't resist that look on his face when he gives you one of his icy glares of irritation, hmm?” Sam suggested with a snicker.
“You've made your point, Wilson. You can stop now,” you said with an unamused look.
“Seriously, though; congrats. If you guys are happy, I'm happy for you,” Sam said with a sincere smile, pulling you into a side hug.
“Thanks, Sam,” you replied, hugging him back. “But I'm serious; zip your lip. We're not sharing right now, for a lot of reasons, but especially not today. Today is about Peter and Kate.”
“Alright, understood, Kes,” he said, making a zipping motion with his fingers over his mouth. “They won't hear it from me.”
You rolled your eyes, but smiled as you walked down the stairs. “I told you before, only Hawkeye can call me that.”
You wound your way through the throng of conversing people, stopping to chat and hug and smile with them as you went. You looked out over the crowd and you could see near the fence there was a kickball game going with all the kids. Bucky, Clint, and Wanda were playing too, and meditating, you assumed, since there were intermittent shouts of ‘no powers, that's cheating’ and ‘no, your dad can't hold you up so you can catch the ball, that's cheating’.
But past the ball game, past the fence, by the birch grove, you could just make out a figure standing alone, barely visible through the trees. You immediately knew who it was and your heart clenched.
Before you could take a step, though, there was a hand on your shoulder. You looked back and Peter was there, giving you a weak smile. You smiled back, turning around and bringing him in for a hug.
“How are you holding up, bug?” You asked as you let go.
Peter’s eyes were nervously flitting around. “I don't know, Auntie. I'm just overwhelmed, I guess,” he shared. “Tell me it gets easier,” he said with a nervous laugh.
“It does, bug, I promise,” you assured him as you rubbed his back. "You should talk to Clint. He was younger like you when his first was born. I bet he understands what you're going through.”
Peter nervously laughed a little louder. “Yeah, except he threatened to chop me up and spread me in the garden if I didn't do right by Kate, so I don't know if admitting to him that I'm scared to death is wise.”
You offered an amused but apologetic look. “I know. He tries a little too hard. He threatened to murder Captain America. The man knows no limits when it comes to protecting the ones he loves. It's as endearing as it is annoying.”
You glanced out over by the tree line again. She was still there. You patted Peter on the back once more.
“Just talk to him, Peter. It'll help,” you encouraged. “You gotta do something to calm the nerves or Kate is going to lock you out before this is over,” you pointed out.
Peter gave a sheepish grin and nodded. You gave him one last hug before heading off towards the lonely figure in the distance.
***
“Ya po tebe skuchayu, sestrichka,” you heard Yelena saying as you slowly and quietly approached.
She reached out and gently touched Natasha's headstone and you felt your heart breaking. You heard Yelena softly sniffling. You reached out and very slowly took her hand, not wanting to startle her. She gripped your hand without turning around.
“We all miss her. She was loved,” you assured her in a hushed tone.
“Sometimes I cannot stop thinking about how unfair it is that everyone else got a second chance but she didn't,” Yelena all but whispered.
You gave an understanding nod, knowing that feeling more than most.
“I struggled with the same thought,” you said, nodding towards Steve's headstone. “Still do, once in a while. Especially when Murdock is really missing him.”
“I wanted to be here for Kate, but it is too difficult. I feel like everyone here has moved on and found their place, and I am just… empty ,” she concluded.
You watched her, feeling simultaneously so heartbroken and so helpless. You knew what she meant. When your brother died and you lost Matt, you had been there. When Bucky died, you had nearly gone back there. And you knew there was little you could offer but to stand by her and make sure she wasn't alone while she learned to live through it.
“You have a place here, Lena. We want you here,” you assured her. “But if you need to find a place for yourself, one that doesn't have ghosts, then I understand that. I had to do that once, too.”
Yelena finally turned to look at you, her face sunken. She gave a very weak smile that didn't touch her eyes.
“I have an assignment,” she stated.
You hugged her tightly. “Be safe.”
She let go of your hand and turned to go, but Bucky was approaching and she paused.
“James,” she said with a nod.
“Yelena,” he nodded back. “Did you give any more thought to what I asked?”
Yelena paused and folded her arms. “No, not really. I think it's kind of hypocritical for a former Soviet assassin to preach about moral gray areas, if I'm being honest.”
“She has to be stopped, Lena,” Bucky said earnestly. “Valentina is crossing lines and you know that.”
“So, stop her,” Yelena suggested. “You have the skills.”
“I don't do that anymore,” Bucky said, running a hand through his hair.
“Okay, well, good talk, James,” Yelena said, patting his back as she walked away.
You watched her go, feeling heavy and sad. Bucky put his arm around your waist.
“How do I convince her to help? Without testimony like hers, Valentina will just keep going. What if she creates something worse than a super soldier or a hulk? ” Bucky asked quietly.
“You can't convince her, Bucky. You have to let her decide. She's struggling,” you replied.
“Maybe she's right. Maybe I just need to do what needs to be done,” Bucky concluded.
***
You woke up uncomfortable, needing to pee for what felt like the hundredth time. You huffed and threw your legs over the bed with an irritated groan, slowly getting to your feet and shuffling to the bathroom.
When you returned you looked over and noticed Bucky's side of the bed was empty. You frowned. You checked your phone and it was nearly 6am.
You left the room, heading downstairs to check the kitchen, but the house was dark and quiet. You leaned back against the counter, rubbing your very pregnant belly, and checked your phone. You let out a frustrated cry, hand going to pinch your nose and immediately called your husband.
It rang a couple times before Bucky answered.
“Hey, doll. What're ya doin up?” He asked.
“Well, I happened to notice my husband had mysteriously disappeared in the middle of the night and I found that concerning,” you deadpanned. “Buck, what the hell, why does my phone say you're somewhere in Indiana?”
“I couldn't just sit back and listen to a bunch of jackasses in suits talk anymore. I had to do something. I got a lead and it looks like Yelena might be walking into a trap. I couldn't wait,” Bucky explained.
You hummed and chewed your lip. You couldn't argue with that. But, still, the timing was terrible. “I get it. And if Yelena needs help, I'm glad you went… but I'm getting some serious deja vu here, love… Do you plan on being back soon?”
You heard Bucky give a nervous laugh. “I know, baby, I'm sorry. I swear I don't do this on purpose. I'll be home as soon as I can. You're not due for another three weeks. It should be okay.”
“That's what we thought last time,” you reminded him. “Do you think I should see if Clint can at least come stay with me until you get back? In case you don't make it, so there's someone to stay with the kids?”
“I'll make it, baby, I swear,” Bucky said, his tone a little desperate, like he wanted to convince both of you.
You let out a frustrated groan as you sat in a kitchen chair. “Look, Barnes, I know that's your intention, but the reality is, I'm gonna have a baby, whether you're in the state or not, and neither of us can decide when that will be. I can't just bring our 9 and 3 year olds into the delivery room with me. I need to have a plan.”
Bucky sighed, knowing you were right. “Yeah, I guess you better call him,” he caved. “But, I promise you, I'm gonna be there. I'll get Strange to open a portal, if I have to.”
You laughed. “That's a great idea. Why didn't we think of that last time?”
***
“YN!” Bucky shouted, dodging debris and running toward you.
You were helping an injured woman get off the street and you turned just in time to see a chunk of concrete aimed for your head. Before it could land, Bucky's left arm was over you and the concrete shattered when it hit. His arm came down to wrap around you and he was herding you off the street and under a doorway.
“Are you hurt, doll?” Bucky was asking, frantic hands roaming your body to check for injuries and brushing dust from your clothes. He held your face, searching your eyes for signs of distress and rubbing his thumb over a cut on your cheek.
“Bucky, I'm fine,” you insisted. "Remember when I used do this everyday? I can still take care of myself.”
Bucky decided he believed you and immediately his look became stern and accusatory. “Goddamnit, YN, what are you doing here?!” He cried, his hands instinctively cradling your belly. “It's not safe, for either of you!”
“You're here!” You shouted back. “It's not safe for you either! You can't just leave me and expect me to be okay with it, Bucky, what did you think I would do?!”
Bucky shook his head. “It doesn't matter, we just need to get you out of here.”
He grabbed your hand, eyes scanning the street for an exit. He saw Walker and Alexei helping people out of cars as debris continued to fall and chaos was everywhere.
“Fuck! There's nowhere to go,” he yelled in frustration. “How did you even get here?” He asked, frantically searching for options.
“I took your advice and had Stephen portal me,” you replied, scanning the area.
“And he thought it was a good idea to send my pregnant wife into this mess? I'm gonna re-break his hands when I see him, I swear to God,” Bucky yelled.
“He didn't send me here. He sent me to Kate and Peter's and I took the train here. Don't blame him,” you replied.
You saw Yelena and you felt a jolt of panic.
A vast blackness was approaching and you felt your skin go cold. Bucky looked back at you, fear in his eyes. But you set your jaw.
“Just go. Do whatever needs to be done. I'll stay here,” you told him.
He gave you a desperate look and kissed you hard, before running back out to help with a chunk of concrete that was threatening to crush his… teammates? Was that the right word?
You watched the scene unfolding before you. People were streaming into the building behind you as the devouring blackness consumed the streets. You watched, frozen with horror, as Yelena slowly and calmly walked into that blackness.
And then she was gone.
You screamed, about to run after her, but Bucky caught you and dragged you backwards.
“You can't!” Bucky was yelling as he held you back.
He pulled you as far into the overhang as possible and pushed you down until you were sitting on the ground.
“Stay here, please,” Bucky begged.
You watched him return to his teammates and they were arguing about what to do. Alexei was in shock and trying to go after her. Walker was angry and spouting off. You didn't hear the outcome of the argument because your ears were ringing and all your mind could think was not again.
Bucky approached you, kneeling down. “You gotta stay here, doll, please, I'm begging you. I'm gonna go after her, but I can't do that unless I know you'll stay here. I'll come back for you. Can you do that?”
You nodded. “Bring her back, Buck. I can't go through this again,” you said, your voice sounding distant and disconnected to your own ears.
Bucky just nodded, pulled you into his arms and kissed your forehead, before letting go.
He looked back and nodded to you, before he, Walker, Alexei, and Ava stepped into the blackness and disappeared.
You sat completely still. An odd quiet was sweeping over New York that you'd never experienced before, not even during the blip. You closed your eyes and rested your head on the concrete, trying to do anything but count the minutes until he returned.
You felt a strange cold sensation, like everything was fading and you snapped your eyes open and picked your head up to look around.
You were no longer in the doorway, but standing on the street. You looked back and forth, trying to get your bearings, feeling anxious and disoriented. You turned your head to look up the street and what you saw made your blood cold.
It was you, a much younger you. You were holding Matt's hand, your brother and Peter in front of you. The boys said something to each other and ran up the street, passing you as they went. Your heart stopped at the image of your brother, alive and in front of you and you reached out for him, but it was too late.
You helplessly watch the scene unfold in horrifying detail as the first shots from above collided with the surrounding buildings, sending chunks of glass and marble and concrete in every direction. You watched the energy blast hit your brother and screamed. You turned and saw the car flying through the air as it struck you and Matt and you screamed again, closing your eyes and covering your ears.
Then it was quiet. You opened your eyes. You were back where you started, watching as you and Matt walked hand and hand and the boys giggled to each other. They ran by you again.
You moved, unwilling to watch that occur once more. You ran up the street, turning a corner, but were stopped when you hit a wall. You could hear the sounds of the screaming and destruction behind you and you cried out in frustration, picking up a nearby piece of pipe and you slammed it against the wall.
To your surprise, it broke through and you pushed through the crumbling rock, desperate to get away from the horror behind you.
Only to find yourself in a new one.
Your mind struggled to make sense of the new scene in front of you. But this one you recognized immediately. The jagged rocks and low, purple lighting and biting wind. It was unmistakable.
“Oh, God, no, not again,” you whispered as you looked up and saw another version of yourself standing near a cliff, clinging to Steve.
You looked away, squeezing your eyes shut and covering your ears again. “No, no no no,” you muttered, trying to ignore what you were being forced to remember.
But it was no use and you heard yourself shouting his name, followed by a blood curdling scream. You screamed too and sank to the ground.
There was a moment of silence, and then the nightmare began again.
There was no way you were anywhere but your own personal hell, you thought as you sobbed.
***
You were listening to the horrifying memory replay for what felt like the thousandth time, when suddenly it was quiet.
You finally opened your eyes again and found yourself back where you started, crouched in the corner of the doorway. You cautiously got up and walked out into the quiet street. You saw Bucky disappearing through a tarp over some scaffolding and you ran after him.
“... the New Avengers!” You heard a female voice announce and then there was clapping.
You froze, peeking through the tarp to look at the scene on the other side. There were reporters and a podium. You recognized a press conference when you saw one. Bucky and the rest of the team were standing behind the women talking to the reporters and you breathed a sigh of relief when you saw Yelena. You waited out of view for things to end and everyone to disperse.
Yelena was still talking to Valentina, but Bucky saw you and ducked back under the tarp. He wrapped you in a strong hug and you felt a long breath escape his lips.
“You're okay, baby,” he whispered. “I'm sure whatever you just went through was awful. But you're okay. I've got you.”
“Buck, what just happened?” You asked, mind still fuzzy and reeling. “And what was that about New Avengers?”
Bucky shook his head. “I'll tell you all about it, doll, but right now, we better find you a hospital.”
You furrowed your brow, confused. “No, I'm not hurt. I'm okay. Is Yelena okay?”
“She's fine, doll,” he assured you. “But…” he looked down at your legs and your eyes followed him. Your pants had an enormous wet spot and you suddenly realized you were having pain in your lower abdomen.
“Great,” you groaned, moving to hold your back. “We're like 250 miles from home.”
“Well, It's not my favorite idea,” Bucky said. “But I don't have a better one at the moment; I'll call Strange.”
***
“I haven't delivered a baby since med school. Are you sure you want me to do this?” Stephen asked as he watched you pace the room and occasionally groan in pain.
“You have a photographic memory,” you countered. “It's not like you forgot.”
Bucky came back into the room, holding a coffee and rubbing his eyes. He nodded at Stephen as he crossed to sit in the chair by your bed.
“Alright, fair point,” Stephen agreed. “My next question is are you sure he's okay with me delivering your baby?” Stephen asked, jerking a thumb in Bucky's direction.
“I called you, didn't I?” Bucky pointed out as he sipped his coffee and rolled his shoulders, trying to fight the exhaustion.
Stephen gave him a curt smile. “Alright, then all we can do at this point is wait. At the rate you're progressing, it's probably not going to be too long.”
Bucky nodded. “I called Peter. They should be here soon.”
“Oh, good,” you said as you breathed through a contraction. “What did Hawk say?”
Bucky chuckled. “That you're an old pro at this point and he and Laura will see you and the baby when you get home. He took Murdock and Anthony back to the farm.”
You nodded. “Just as well. Too many people just makes it stressful.”
You sat back on the bed, attempting to get comfortable, when a particularly bad contraction hit and you yelled.
Stephen looked at his watch. “Okay, I guess she's decided she wants to come sooner rather than later,” he said with a wry chuckle.
***
“You sure do know how to make beautiful baby girls,” you told Bucky with a smile as you held your newborn daughter, watching her sleep.
“I think she looks a lot like you, doll,” Bucky countered, gently stroking her head. “Which is why she's so gorgeous.”
You laughed and rolled your eyes. “Again with the lines, Barnes.”
“I told you, babe. It's not a line,” he insisted, kissing your head before he sat back against the chair. “You're beautiful, and so is our daughter.”
You gave him an appreciative smile. There was a knock at the door and you looked up. Yelena was peeking her head in, someone you didn't recognize in tow.
“Come on in, Yelena,” you said softly, not wanting to wake your infant.
She crossed the room to you, an excited grin on her face.
“Oh, she is so precious,” Yelena cooed, leaning over you to look at the baby. “He makes beautiful babies for someone so grumpy,” she remarked with a laugh, nodding at Bucky.
Bucky gave her an unimpressed look. “So glad you could make it, Lena,” he replied dryly.
You handed the baby to Yelena when she reached her arms out and she stood, rocking and bouncing as she softly spoke to her. You looked passed Yelena to the stranger that was standing awkwardly near the door, arms tucked behind his back with a goofy kind of grin on his face.
“This is Bob,” Bucky informed you. “Bob, this is my wife, YN.”
“Hi,” Bob said, waving to you.
“Yes, sorry, I should have told you he was coming,” Yelena apologized. “He sticks with us now,” she added with a smile.
Bob cautiously approached Yelena and looked over her shoulder at the baby.
“And who's this?” He asked quietly, smiling at her.
“That is Natasha Zephyr,” you replied with a wide but slightly sad smile.
Yelena snapped her head up and looked between you and Bucky.
“You named her after my sister?” She said just above a whisper.
Bucky gave her a sad smile of his own. “She was our family, too, Lena,” he said softly. “She always will be.”
You could see tears brimming Yelena’s eyes and she smiled back at you. But she quickly blinked them away and turned to Bob.
“Would you like to hold her?” She asked.
Bucky shifted in his chair, ready to stand and retrieve his daughter, but you put your hand on his arm. “It's okay,” you whispered. “She'll be fine.”
You both watched as Yelena transferred the baby to Bob’s arms and he held her like he was both unsure what to do and he thought she might break. But the genuine joy on his face was unmistakable.
“She's so cute,” he whispered, grinning down at the infant, before turning back to look at you and Bucky. “Yelena's right, Bucky, she's very adorable, even though you're so grumpy.”
You and Yelena both laughed and Bucky closed his eyes with a quiet groan and a curt smile. “Thanks, Bob,” he sighed.
***
“So, we're moving to New York?” Murdock asked you and Bucky.
You had sat the kids down to talk to them about their dad's new job and the changes you were making. It was a lot to take in, since you also just brought home a newborn a couple months ago. You were worried the transition would be less than smooth.
You nodded and Murdock smiled.
“Back to where we lived before when Daddy was still alive?” Murdock asked
“No, back to where your mom and I lived before you were born, actually,” Bucky clarified.
“Oh,” Murdock said, nodding slowly.
“Uncle Peter and Aunt Kate live in New York,” Tony added, making connections. “And baby Ben.”
“Exactly,” you affirmed. “We won't be far from them. We'll get to see them more often,” you added, hoping it would help alleviate any resistance to the idea.
“Plus, we'll live in the same building as Aunt Lena…” Bucky added and Murdock lit up. “... And Uncle Bob,” he added, looking at Tony.
Tony's eyes got wide and he squealed. “Okay, I'll go pack!” He declared and ran off to his room.
“Me too!” Murdock agreed and she followed suit
Natasha started crying and you crossed the room to get her. Bucky got up to set up a pillow in the chair for you to feed her.
“That went well,” you said, looking at Bucky as you nursed the baby.
“They're always up for adventures. I wasn't too worried,” Bucky replied.
“I can't stop thinking how… poetic… it is that we'll be back living at the tower again. Like everything's come full circle. It's kind of nuts, really,” you said with a light chuckle.
Bucky nodded in agreement. “We can even have either of our old apartments back. I told the crew we'd let them know.”
“We better decide then. Your place or mine, Soldier?” You asked with a grin.
“Up to you, doll,” He replied, handing you a cloth for the baby.
You laughed a little. You cocked your head and gave Bucky a smile, laced with nostalgia.
“Why don’t we pick a different one and it'll be our place,” you suggested.
“How about we have them put in a staircase and we'll combine them, make it a two floor place and turn my old kitchen and living room into rooms for the kids,” Bucky suggested.
“That's a great idea,” you agreed as you rocked Natasha to sleep.
“Good, because that's what I told them to do,” Bucky said with a quiet laugh.
You sat quietly as Natasha fell asleep in your arms and you listened to the sounds of Murdock and Anthony playing upstairs. Slowly, your eyes slid shut and you dozed off.
Bucky smiled as he watched and he rose to take the baby and set her gently in your cradle. He came back to drape a blanket over you and you smiled, your eyes still closed.
“Just take a nap, love. I've got Natasha,” he assured you.
You yawned and turned to curl up in the chair. Humming contentedly as you relaxed.
“I love you, Buck,” you whispered as you drifted off.
“I know, doll,” he said softly. “And I love you.”