Chapter Text
I walk down the hall of the dusty warehouse, taking out the last of the Hydra agents I find. Sam, Steve, and Natasha are muttering over the comms while I'm searching through the warehouse for any other Hydra agents or civilians.
"Has anyone seen Bucky?" I ask. "I haven't heard from him in a while."
They all say they haven't and Steve mentions that it's weird he got so quiet.
I pick up my speed, looking into every room desperately. I'm looking so fast I almost don't notice him huddled in a corner of an old office, his knees to his chest and his face hidden in his arms. My brow furrows in worry as I turn the corner.
"Baby? You okay?"
He jumps at my voice and I notice a small stuffed bear in one of his hands. He nods and stands, wiping his eyes. He quickly leans against the wall, almost hitting his head on a pipe that's sticking out. I frown slightly.
"You sure you're alright?"
He sighs and looks down at the little bear. "No," he mutters softly.
I lean against the wall next to him. I notice that he has two injuries - a gash on the side of his leg and a gunshot wound on his shoulder. My eyes narrow in concern. "Maybe we should go and talk about it later."
"I'm staying. I have to."
I nod. "Then I'll stay with you." I take his free hand in mine, using the other to text Nat, Sam, and Steve about his injuries and insistence to stay.
The next few minutes pass in silence, but I squeeze his hand a few times.
He looks at me with something resembling worry in his eyes. He looks down at the bear again when he asks, "Did you... Did you see a little girl?"
I think for a moment and sigh softly as I recall. "I did. She, uh... got caught in the crossfire."
He closes his eyes and turns his face toward the ceiling, taking a deep breath. I look at him and he seems to be paler than usual.
"Buck, you need med-"
"Can you take me to her?"
"If I do, will you let me take care of your injuries?"
"...yes."
"Okay." I move away from the wall, watching him carefully. He barely limps a step before falling to his knees. I help him up and hook his arm around my neck, using my (not the greatest) strength to keep him up.
When we reach the room she died in, my heart aches at the sight of her body. I help Bucky over to her and he kneels. He rests the stuffed bear on her chest and wraps her arms around it. He closes her eyes and gently strokes her hair a few times. "Rest well, kid," he mutters weakly.
I look down at my feet, wiping a stray tear from my face. I help him up again, but we don't even make it through the door before he's falling again - taking me with him.
I shift him so he's sitting against a wall. I inspect his face, which is lighter than before. I ask for help over the comms as I try to halt the blood trickling from his shoulder wound. "Look at me in the eyes, Buck," I assert, snapping my fingers in his face. "You cannot die today, you hear me?"
"Can't promise anything," he grunts. His voice is gravelly and strained, making me worry more.
"No, no, you're not dying. I'm not gonna let you." Silent tears fall down my face as I desperately try to keep myself calm and him awake.
He notices that I'm panicking and takes my hand in his metal one. "Doll, relax. I'll be fine."
I squint at him for a moment, tears still clouding my vision. "Bucky, you're- you're bleeding out."
He scoffs jokingly, but his breath has sped up and I know he won't last much longer. "I've lost... I've lost an arm. I think I'll be... I'll be okay..."
I hear three sets of footsteps running toward us and toss a stone-sized piece of broken concrete out of the door.
All three of our teammates rush in at once, asking me what happened and handing me things and touching my shoulder and why is there something wet on the back of my neck?
Nat pulls me away and I watch worriedly as Sam and Steve patch Bucky up. Natasha puts gauze against the back of my head and the feeling stings. Why does it sting? Am I bleeding?
"Yeah, pretty bad by the looks of it." I realize I must have been talking out loud. She helps me stand and we walk to the plane together behind the others.
Half of the ride is a blur. I barely know where I am and I don't have the capacity to understand anyone's words for at least a few minutes.
"Is Bucky gonna be okay?" I find myself asking. He's asleep across from me, Steve looking at him worriedly. Sam is sitting next to me, helping me clean the blood off my face while Nat flies the plane.
Sam looks over his shoulder before answering. "He'll be fine. He's survived worse before."
I sigh, not relieved by his answer. I get up and walk over to him, despite Sam's requests and my head aching with each step. I sit by Bucky's side and start singing a tune he played for me once.
"I never cared much for moonlit skies
I never wink back at fireflies
But now that the stars are in your eyes, I'm beginning to see the light"
Steve hums along with my singing. Then Bucky's voice chimes in softly with the second verse.
"I never went in for afterglow
Or candlelight on the mistletoe
But now when you turn the lamp down low, I'm beginning to see the light"
We sing the rest of the song together.
"Used to ramble through the park
Shadowboxing in the dark
Then you came and caused a spark
That's a four-alarm fire now
"I never made love by lantern-shine
I never saw rainbows in my wine
But now that your lips are burning mine, I'm beginning to see the light"
I kiss him gently. When I pull away, the plane is descending onto the runway at the Compound. I sit in one of the chairs so I don't fall over.
I've regained my strength, but Bucky is still pretty weak so I help him off the plane and to our bedroom. Ignoring the throbbing ache at the back of my head, I run a bath in our bathroom, leaning my head against the cool tile of the wall. Bucky limps in when he hears the water stop.
"Buck, I could've helped you," I chide.
He shakes his head, sitting next to me while he takes his shirt off. "I know you got hurt too. I can do some stuff on my own."
I sigh, and I think he can tell that I don't believe him.
"I'm a super soldier, y'know. Got that fast healing built into my skin."
I smile softly. "Yeah, well... Even super soldiers need to let their bodies rest in order to get better. I know because I've seen it."
"Then let's rest together. In the bath. While I kiss you all over."
I chuckle, closing my eyes as I nod. "That sounds nice..."
I hear him get in the bath and I quickly remove my clothes before following him in. He makes his words a reality, kissing my shoulders and my neck and my face, leaving a few hickeys in more inconspicuous places. I hum contently as he runs his hands down my arms and sides.
I remember how he held the bear in the warehouse, which brings a question to my mind.
"Do you want kids?"
He stills. "Would that change anything? Between us?"
I shake my head and he wraps his arms around me. "No, I was just curious."
"Okay. Well, I do want kids. I just don't know if... I don't know if we should. Given what we do."
I nod, taking his words into serious consideration. "Maybe you're right. We're not the best candidates for parenthood. But the way you worried about that girl today... and the way you treat Sam's nephews... You'd make a great father, baby."
"Yeah, but you know way more about kids than I do. Especially babies. Babies are confusing, to say the least."
"That's true..."
We're startled by a knock on our bathroom door. The only person we both know well enough for them to come into our bedroom when we're not there is Steve. "Come in," Bucky calls.
"Guys, get dressed. You'll wanna see this," Steve assures us. He leaves after he tells us.
I roll my eyes and get out, Bucky following close behind. Once we're dried and dressed, I put on sunglasses to assist my headache and we head for the living room.
When we get there, we're surprised to see Tony holding a crying infant. "Thank god you're here," he sighs, handing me the child. They stop fussing as soon as they're in my arms.
I bounce them gently, trying to keep them calm. Everybody stares at me, save for Tony and Clint.
"I don't miss when mine were that small," they say in unison.
"That kid was dropped on our doorstep," Steve informs us. "I assume whoever left them thought we were one of those Safe Haven places."
"So what do we do?" I ask.
"We alert the authorities and keep an eye on 'em until further notice," Tony chimes in. "I take it you and Terminator can handle it?"
Bucky and I roll our eyes at the nickname and I nod. "Yeah, we've got it. You got supplies?"
"Yeah, I've got a cabinet in the laundry room full of baby stuff. Pacifiers, diapers, wipes, formula... anything a baby could need, we've got."
Everyone, save for me, gives him a weird look.
"What? I'm proactive. And rich. Don't be surprised when the apocalypse comes and I've got a stocked up bunker."
I walk off while everyone else starts bickering. Bucky rushes after me (as fast as he can, at least) when he notices I've left. I hand him the baby and start rummaging through the cabinet. I grab formula, a few bottles, a pacifier, diapers and wipes, onesies, a blanket, and one of those collapsible cribs. That's the one thing I'm surprised to find.
"Do you think they were listening to us?" he asks me as we walk back to our room.
"I think we definitely need to check the bathroom for a hidden camera," I joke. Well, I'm partially joking.
I set up all the baby's things and get them - her as we find out when changing her diaper - into fresh clothes. I rock her for a few minutes, Bucky and I singing the song he taught me to lull her to sleep. Once she falls asleep, I set her into the crib. She miraculously stays asleep as I set her down. She must be exhausted.
I climb into the bed next to Bucky, resting my head on his non-injured shoulder. "This might be the last night we sleep well for a while, baby."
"Yeah, let's hope this doesn't last long. I want kids, but I'm not sure I want one right now."
"We can't control fate, Buck."