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Sarah was being fussy. No matter what Bucky did, she wouldn’t stop crying. He’d tried everything: fed her, changed her diaper, rocked her, but his daughter continued wailing.
“Everything okay, Bucky?” Wanda stuck her head into his room and raised her eyebrows in alarm. Bucky, looking half-dead with spit-up and tears soaking his shirt, was bouncing Sarah lightly in his arms.
“Honestly, not really, Wands. Steve’s on a mission and she won’t stop crying.”
“Have you tried--”
“Calling Clint? I tried, like, five times. He won’t pick up.”
“You look like you could use a break,” Wanda put her arms out and Bucky gratefully handed his daughter over to her. He flopped into the nearest chair and put his head in his hands, sighing,
“Maybe Aunty Wanda can help figure out what’s wrong with you, darling.”
As soon as Wanda had Sarah in her arms, she knew what was wrong.
“Bucky.”
“Hmm?” Bucky mumbled, exhausted.
“She’s got a fever.”
Shit. How had he not he noticed? Bucky bounced his leg rapidly as his breaths became shallow and the room began to spin. What if Sarah got SIDS? What if something happened and it was all his fault? What if he killed their baby while Steve was away?
“Bucky, look at me, it’s probably just a cold, okay?” Wanda tried to reassure him, worried by the tears forming in his eyes. She sighed: she really didn’t want to have to deal with two crying people, even if one was a baby and the other one of her best friends, “look. How about I take Sarah to see Dr. Cho, and you call Steve?”
Bucky took a deep breath and nodded. He pulled out his phone as Wanda walked away with Sarah, humming a Sokovian lullaby. There were only a few numbers he had on speed dial: Natasha, Wanda, and Steve, so it wasn’t hard to dial his husband. Bucky held his breath as the dial tone rang. Steve finally picked up on the third ring.
“Bucky?” the sound of metal clashing against metal was piercing even through the phone. Steve cursed under his breath and dove into a roll as another HYDRA agent shot at him. “Is everything alright?”
“Stevie,” Bucky’s voice wavered, “S--”
“One second, love,” Steve leapt up and punched the last agent square in the jaw, knocking him out. He brought his finger up to his coms, “okay, what’s up?”
“I think I killed our baby,”
“WHAT?” Steve’s heart nearly stopped. Killed their baby? Concern overtook common sense as his voice rose, “James Buchanan Barnes-Rogers, what do you mean you killed our baby? What happened to Sarah, is she alright?”
“I don’t know,” Bucky sounded distressed and Steve started to panic as he rambled, “she wouldn’t stop crying and Wanda said she had a fever so she took her to see Dr. Cho, and--”
“Is she alive, Buck?” Steve felt his heart beat start to slow a tiny bit. He didn’t know if it was possible for him to have a heart attack, but if it was, he had gotten pretty damn close. A slight tussle sounded on the other end of the line,
“Listen Rogers,” Natasha had taken the phone from Bucky, “your husband’s just freaking out. Wanda and I talked with Dr. Cho and she says it’s just Sarah’s first cold. She should be fine in a few days,”
“Are you sure, Nat? I mean what if it’s the measles? Or polio? What if the fluid in her tiny ears starts to boil? You know what, I’m coming home, mission be damned.”
“Rogers,” Natasha was sympathetic, but also exasperated, “Steve, do you really think I’d lie about the safety of my goddaughter? Finish up your mission,”
“I’m leaving tonight,”
“That’s not up to you, and you know it,”
“Nat--”
“Shush,” she cut him off.
Steve could make out some whispering on the other end. Jesus, how many people were in his room? The words were unintelligible, but it seemed like there was some arguing going on. His eyes widened a bit when a very clear “Wanda, don’t!” was shouted, but the whispers eventually quieted and Natasha finally spoke to him,
“Maria says it’s fine if you come home, but you owe her, and I quote, “a fuck ton of booze’ for this,”
Steve couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. Typical Hill.
“Tell your girlfriend I said ‘thank you.’ And that I will buy her all the drinks she wants when Sarah gets better.”
Steve heard Natasha pass the phone to someone else, and Maria’s clear voice rang out,
“Just get your ass home to your family, Steve.”
“Yes ma’am,” Steve mock saluted her even if she couldn’t see it, “I’ll see you all tomorrow,”
“I love you, Stevie,” Bucky had his phone back and smiled when Steve gave him an ‘I love you’ back. Things were looking up.
------
When Steve got back, Bucky was passed out in the rocking chair, Sarah drooling on his chest. He gently picked up his daughter, who whined in her sleep as she lost the warmth of Bucky’s body, and felt relief rush through his body when he saw that her fever had broken. Sarah opened her eyes as he rocked her and Steve cooed,
“Hi pumpkin. Daddy’s sorry he was gone,” he lightly tickled her tummy, “but it looks like Dada took care of you, huh?”
Sarah started to laugh, but she ended up sneezing all over Steve. Luckily, this shirt had to go in the laundry anyway. Steve got a clean cloth and wiped snot from Sarah’s face, wrinkling his nose when a putrid smell hit his nose,
“Looks like someone needs a new diaper.”
He put her down on the changing table and grabbed wipes, baby powder, and a new diaper. Changing diapers was always a challenge, but Natasha said it had improved his dexterity. The tabs were so small and dainty in Steve’s large hands, and he and Bucky had accidently ripped apart many a diaper due to their super strength. Steve had it down, though. As long as he was mindful, he could usually do it in one try.
Diaper changed, Steve took Sarah to her room and put her in her crib. In the rocking chair, Bucky snored softly, and Steve walked over to him and shook his shoulder,
“Bucky,”
“Hmm?” Bucky mumbled, half asleep. His eyes immediately widened when he saw who had woken him up, “Your back!”
“I am,” Steve pecked Bucky’s lips, before scooping him up bridal style, “how are you feeling?”
“Like shit,” Bucky cuddled into Steve, “I didn’t even realize she was sick until Wanda held her. My own baby, Stevie. Our baby. I’m a terrible dad”
Steve placed Bucky on their bed and sat next to him,
“You are not a terrible dad, Buck. Sure, there are some things maybe we both need to work on,”
Bucky scoffed and opened his mouth, but Steve stopped him with a hand,
“But considering how worried you were about Sarah, I can say, definitively, that you, Bucky Barnes, are a good father to our daughter,”
“Steve--” Bucky was cut off by Sarah babbling next door, clearly not asleep, “I’ll get it,”
“It’s okay, you’re exhausted. I’ll take care of her,”
“M’kay, thanks Stevie,” Bucky was already drifting back to sleep as Steve picked Sarah up.
He rocked her as he walked to the common room. Surprisingly, although not really, Maria was sitting on one of the large couches. She was glaring at her tablet, tapping furiously. Nat sat next to her, legs placed in Maria’s lap, looking at her own tablet. They looked up briefly as Steve sat down near them before going back to work.
“Thanks for letting me come back, Maria,”
“Of course, Steve. Family comes first,” Maria’s words were aimed at Sarah, who babbled at her.
“I was told I owe you drinks later,” Steve quirked his lip and tried to calm Sarah down,
“You definitely do. The paperwork I have to file is worth at least two shots of scotch on its own,”
“And we expect you to return the favor for your godchildren when we have kids,” Nat spoke up.
“You two? Kids?”
“In a couple years, yeah,” Maria shrugged, already focused back on work.
“And me, godfather?” Steve couldn’t believe what he was hearing,
“That’s kinda what I said, old man,” Nat beamed at him, “might wanna get your hearing checked out,” she started swiping at her tablet again.
Steve noticed that Sarah had fallen asleep in his arms. He slowly stood up, careful not to wake her, and began walking back to her room,
“Thanks again.”
Maria only waved in response, too absorbed in paperwork.
------
Steve and Bucky didn’t sleep for the next few days, constantly worried about Sarah’s health. Dr. Cho was right though, and in a few days she was back to her normal self. They were relieved, but exhausted, so when Wanda and Sam offered to babysit, they happily handed her to them.
“Her first cold,” Bucky shook his head as they lay next to each other in bed,
“We survived it,” Steve shot him a tired grin,
“We did, thanks to you.”
When Steve didn’t respond, Bucky looked over at him. He was already passed out, chest rising and falling rhythmically. Bucky gently placed an arm over his torso, pulling Steve close to him as his eyes drifted shut.
They deserved a nice nap.