Chapter Text
“…we are now ready to project that the independent candidate, James ‘Bucky’ Barnes, has won Brooklyn’s…”
The newscaster’s voice was drowned out by cheers from around the room. Everyone was hugging, high-fiving, fist-bumping… But Bucky was merely staring ahead in shock.
It’s happening. He did it. They did it. Congressman Barnes.
He was broken out of his stupor by a soft hand squeezing his own.
“I’m so proud of you.” Loki looked up, green eyes misty. He still hadn’t gotten over the shock of her being here, and now?
He cupped her cheek with his vibranium hand and kissed her like his life depended on it.
As he pulled back, he saw the corners of her mouth twitch up. “I hope you prepared a speech.”
“I think I might have to rewrite it now.”
“Better hurry— Oh!” Loki winced, causing Bucky to panic mildly.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, you idiot.” She smiled again, lifting the hand she was still holding to place it gently on her stomach. He felt the fluttering of a kick and every ounce of tension in him melted.
“How are you here? Is all of this a dream?”
“I hope not. Amber helped me to surprise you, but I had my immigration application approved a few days ago. I was not expecting it so quickly, the timing seems almost too good to be true.”
Bucky paused at that. What if it was? What if someone had pulled strings, hoping to manipulate him later? To use his wife against him…
“Even if it is,” Loki continued, as if she had read his mind, “I’m glad to be here now.”
“Not as glad as I am.” Bucky said in a low voice, kissing her once more, only to be rudely interrupted by a cough from Mack.
“What?” Bucky growled, causing Loki to giggle.
“Well, they’re going to be expecting you to give an acceptance speech soon… We’d better go over it.”
Bucky sighed, reluctantly letting go of Loki. “Don’t go anywhere, sweetheart.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Finally, I want to thank the people of Brooklyn for giving me the chance to represent them. We’ve come a long way, but there’s still so much farther to go. And there’s no time like the present. Thank you.” The crowd cheered as Bucky made his way off the stage, straight to his wife’s tender smile. He wasn’t expected to answer questions at this point, so Bucky thanked whatever god was listening for small miracles.
Well, there was at least one god listening, and he thanked her everyday for sticking with a fool like him.
“That was wonderful. You’ve become so eloquent. I’m so proud.”
Bucky laughed as he put his arm around Loki. “I had plenty of help with that.” He gave Mack a knowing wink as she stood off to the side of the stage.
“Still. The delivery, that was all you.” She kissed him on the cheek as the cameras continued rolling; capturing the intimate moment with the two of them blissfully unaware of the television audience.
She smirked as the coverage from the Barnes campaign headquarters continued, taking a sip of champagne and congratulating herself on a job well done.
“That man is going to be so easy to manipulate.”
As things really began to sink in, a slight terror gripped Bucky. He looked around for Amber, taking her aside.
“Please tell me you don’t have another job lined up.”
She laughed. “Of course I do.”
He groaned. “Shit.”
“As your Chief of Staff, right?”
He let out a held breath. "Oh thank god."
She gave him a confident smile. "Don't worry, we know you're not going to be able to do this without us."
“Wait, all of you are staying?"
"Well, Jihoon has to go back to school, but Andre, Mack, Jenny and I have discussed it, and we'd all like to stay on in some capacity. If you'll have us."
"I think that's a given."
"We'll have to hire more people, of course. You'll need an office in Brooklyn as well as DC. Jenny's willing to run things here, but Andre, Mack and I are happy to relocate."
"Kid," Bucky sighed, "none of this would have happened without you."
"I know. Not gonna leave you hanging now, am I?"
"Amber, I swear, hiring you was one of the best decisions of my life."
"Of course! Right after marrying Loki, right?" She grinned knowingly.
Bucky managed a small grin. God, he was exhausted. He went back to sit in his chair next to his wife, his eyes closing almost involuntarily at the comfort her presence radiated.
“What’re you doing, Buck?”
Bucky was standing on a street corner, hands in his pockets, whistling ‘Blue Skies.’ He glanced down at his friend, flashing a sheepish grin.
“I mean,” Steve continued, “I haven’t seen you look so happy in a long time.”
“I’m waitin’ on my girl.”
“Whaddya mean? You ain’t got a girl, Buck. Just me.”
“Whatcha talkin’ ‘bout, Stevie, course I got a girl.”
“Oh really?” Steve raised his eyebrows. “What’s her name?”
“Don’t be stupid. It’s—” Bucky frowned. “It’s—”
“Some girl.” Steve scoffed. “Couldn’t even make up a name?”
“Why are you acting like she’s not real? You’ve met her! We’re married!”
“Married? I think I’d remember a wedding. Or did you find someone else to be your best man, now that you’ve got your best girl?”
“C’mon, Stevie, it ain’t like that. We got hitched in the courthouse. She’s expecting, she needs me.”
“Oh. I didn’t take you for the type. I thought the girls were just a front. Or were you lying? When you said I was the only one you needed? That you’d never love anyone else? You promised me. End of the line. And now what? You’re having kids with some dame? Are they even yours, or is this just another front? Pretending to be a family man while you keep me behind closed doors? Because if that’s how it is, James Buchanan Barnes, then you can forget it.”
“Steve, that’s not— But you said you didn’t feel the same—”
“Are you sure? Did you ever ask me, James?
“—mes? James! Wake up!”
Bucky snorted as sat up straight, Loki’s worried face above him. “Wha? How long have I been out? I had a terrible… Wait, Lokes, what’s wrong?”
Her lips curled up in the faintest smile. “We have to go, James.”
“What? How late is it? Are they kicking us out?”
“No. We have to go. Now.” She flicked her eyes downward, and finally he got the message.
“Wait, now? Isn’t it too soon?”
“That’s up to them, not me. And twins are notably impatient to make their way into the world.” Loki was gritting her teeth, the exasperation in her voice leaking through as Bucky finally managed to wrap his head around the situation in front of him.
“Oh god. The babies. But what about—”
“Amber has it handled. So unless you expect me to do this alone…”
“Right. Right. Uh, right. Let’s go.” He grabbed his jacket and bag, putting a hand behind Loki as they walked to the door. “Oh shit. I, uh, I rode my motorcycle here.”
Loki hummed. “Well, that seems like an oversight.”
“I didn’t know you’d be here, doll! Much less…”
“Then hail a taxi. Honestly, I have to think of everything. You’d think carrying these would be enough work for one night.”
Bucky did as he was told, directing the taxi to a nearby hospital, praying nothing else would go wrong.
We’re having a baby. Babies!
“I’m gonna be a dad.” Bucky whispered under his breath.
“I hope that isn’t news to you, darling.” Loki said softly, patting the top of his leg.
“No, it’s… I won the election, and now… It’s so much.”
“Hmm, yes, well, if you want to be the pregnant one next time, then we can have a competition.”
Bucky finally snapped out of it then, letting out a hearty laugh as he pulled his wife into his side. “Have I told you how much I love you, Loki?”
“A few times, but I’m never averse to hearing it more.”
“How much longer?”
Loki rolled her eyes as an exasperated nurse answered James’ impatient question, again.
“There isn’t a set amount of time for these things. We wait for the contractions to come closer together, for her to dilate enough for the babies to come out. The time between water breaking and delivery can vary from person to person. And that’s among humans…”
“Yes, I know, my case has no precedents.” Loki added indulgently. “But I assure you, the process is the same.”
“Right. So, it will happen when it happens.”
James still looked skeptical, so Loki reached a hand out. “Sit down, dearest. Rest while you can, you’ve already had such a long night.”
He grumbled, but obediently sat in the chair beside her bed.
“Oh, that’s right, the election— I suppose I should congratulate you for that as well, Mr. Barnes. I might have voted for you, but I live in Queens.” The nurse seemed happy to latch on to a different topic.
“I won’t hold that against you.” He replied easily, already calming down from Loki’s soothing touch as she stroked his hair.
“Well, I’ll be back. If the contractions start coming faster or get worse, just press the buzzer.” The nurse exited, leaving them alone once more; the final minutes as a couple instead of a family, before they were the parents of newborns, adding a new but welcome stress to their already busy lives.
“So…” Loki began tentatively. “You’ll have to live in Washington. In two months’ time.”
“We have to keep the place in Brooklyn, too.”
“Naturally. But we expected I would still be in New Asgard at this point. Am I to stay with the children in Brooklyn? I don’t believe commuting with newborns would be the best idea.”
“What? Loki, why would I leave you alone when I only just got you back? I’m not turning you into some housewife, they’re my kids too. We raise them together.”
“Admirable as that is, you will have a job that takes a great deal of your time. Whereas I may now legally reside in this country, but I am not yet cleared for employment. We also don’t have family to rely on for assistance. Thus, the majority of the burden of childrearing still falls to me.”
“You’re too practical. We’ll all live in DC. Thor will probably still come by, won’t he? And Sam is still there most of the time, and I’m sure we could convince Joaquín to babysit too. We won’t be alone. You won’t be alone.”
“You always seem so certain, James.”
“I have to be, sweetheart. Too much of our lives has been random chance. We’ve got to start having some control. We deserve that much, don’t we?”
Loki gave him a sibylline smile in return. “You are an adorable man. I love you. I think it’s time to call that nurse back, though.”