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Steve and Bucky spent their days off catching up on all that they lost out of. At least, that’s how Steve saw it.
Truthfully, Bucky and Steve were okay. Kind of.
Well-
Who really was okay after the worst war in modern human history, a pandemic, a lot of government uprisings, and well—
All that shit.
Now, Bucky was a tough congressman who held his own on the Capitol floor with a mysterious public past that was less and less mysterious, and now just another part of life. Shit is crazy on this Earth, with yearly attacks and whatnot. More fish to fry. Sam was currently divorcing Bucky; even though they never married. They still talk and are friends, but might have a divorce. It was complicated.
Steve and Bucky got married and their daughter was born a year later. She was a month old when Bucky got sworn in.
It was almost four in the morning when Steve woke up to Bucky stirring. He wrapped an arm around him and was not there when he first went to bed.
“You’re back?”
“Been back for a while…slept on the couch…forgot I had a bed…I’m cold.” Bucky had wrapped his arms around Steve. “I don’t like it.”
“Mm,” Steve agreed.
“It’s cold as a bitch outside,” Bucky mumbled.
“Is everything under control?”
“For now,” Bucky said. “I went to check on Sarah. She’s asleep.”
“Good.” Steve also had a late night while taking care of the baby.
Bucky had a late-night committee emergency meeting that had him and other congressmen losing their fucking sanity with the secretary of state with an incident somewhere classified. But the matter was resolved, somehow, and Bucky finally had a day off. Even though he knew he was part of the war room, no matter what rank he was in and at a moment’s notice, he would be summoned to Congress.
(Everyone knew about him. They didn’t talk about the Warren Commission, though. They just…didn’t need to mention it.)
Bucky was tired and needed to sleep longer. Steve tucked the blanket over Bucky. He didn’t bother to react. He needed all the shuteye he possibly could have. Mostly considering that Bucky never slept in general. Even before the war, even before their lives changed, Bucky was a light sleeper.
And whiny when it was cold.
“Is the heat on—”
“Yes, baby, the heat is on—”
“I need to get up—” Bucky murmured. “Some goddamn packets—”
“Get some more shut eye first—”
“I need to read the packets…” Bucky turned on his side and pulled Steve closer. “I got a lot to do today.”
“It’s your day off.”
“Never heard of that.”
“You want to know something?”
“What?”
“You need to actually rest on your day off. Anyone ever tell you that?”
“You. All the time.”
“So listen to me. Stay in bed. I’ll keep you warm.” Steve kissed the top of his shoulder. “And we’ll go back to sleep.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
At 8 in the morning, Bucky was awakened by an urgent message regarding the CIA hearing.
He threw his phone across the bed.
“GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!”
World was saved. Yelena made a group chat and added him, John Walker, Ava, Alexei, and Bob. Trauma bonded assholes for LIFE was the group chat name now. Bucky will never change it.
“Well, saving the world is over, back to the ol’ ball and chain,” Bucky said to Steve on the phone on the night before he was on his way home after clean up.
“Bitch, fuck you.” But Steve laughed.
Hours later, Bucky locked the car behind him and let out a long sigh. He walked up to the front door, only to have it open to Steve, gorgeous in his beard and long hair and peppered gray among the blonde.
“This is why I’m a stay at home Dad,” Steve said smugly.
“Yeah,” He kissed Steve for a long time that should be considered normal and hugged him. “How are you?”
“I’m good, Buck. I’m all better, now that you’re here.”
“Whatever.” Bucky moved past him. “Where’s Sarah?”
“She’s in the nursery.”
“C’mon, I want to see my baby.”
Bucky held Steve’s hand as he led him to their daughter’s nursery. Sarah was wide awake and giggling, and Bucky held her up carefully to greet her and give her a kiss on the head.
“My sweet girl! I missed you!” Bucky knew that she was eight months and only getting stronger by the day. “Say Dada.”
“No, say Daddy,” Steve reminded. “Dada is later.”
“Nuh-uh, she’s learning how to say Dada first for me. Don’t you indoctrinate or brainwash my child.”
“Like you’re one to talk about that .”
“You’re a fucking asshole. Let me shower off the violence and I’ll deal with you.” He snarked to Steve, who only laughed and wrapped his arm around his waist to kiss him and ruffle Sarah’s curly hair.
“Am I wrong?”
“You’re always wrong.” But Bucky leaned into Steve’s embrace regardless.
Bucky showered and dried his hair. He laid down next to Steve and curled up into his arms. He wanted to shut his brain off for a while. Too much had happened. He was tired. He was the leader of his little district in Brooklyn and of the Thunderbolts now. A politician and a Thunderbolt. What a life he lived.
He had texted his chief of staff: “I’m not resigning. Jesus fucking Christ. I’ll be fine. Translate it however you want.”
“You ever miss the craziness?” Bucky asked Steve.
“Absolutely fucking not,” Steve said immediately. “I’m done. I’m tired. Never ever ever ever again. My joints are not the same... It’s a brand new world. Nothing’s the same. The….snap…..the pandemic….yearly invasions and incidents, it’s not that big of a deal at this point. Mayday Holiday. Are you gonna make it a federal holiday? Schools get the day off?”
“Sarah might like that. She’s worse than you were in getting up for school.”
“How’s the hearing aids?”
“Dude. I forgot they were there. They’re fucking PERFECT!”
“I told you so. Wakanda healthcare, bro. I am never wrong.”
“When are you getting fitted for yours?”
“Already did, baby. They’re charging for the night.”
“So are mine…It comes with age.” Bucky stayed silent. “So, in the Void, it made us all relive our worst moments.”
“And?”
I didn’t get scared by the torture, I got angry instead.
“I mean, I had a really happy past, so I’m good.” Bucky shrugged. “I didn’t flinch afterwards.”
But the unsaid was there that Bucky was shaken up and just needed to be home.
“I’m glad,” Steve said with a gentle smile. “It was only three weeks. But…I missed you. C’mere.”
Bucky got closer to Steve and kissed him. He let out a sigh as he did, relief and gratitude all at once.
“I missed you too. But…everything is gonna be weird after this. New Avengers…Thunderbolts…I’m the leader now. And it’s going to be weird.”
“That’s fine,” Steve said. “You, me, and Sarah are going to be fine.”
“Are you sure? Avenging is going to be part of my world now.”
“And it always will be part of mine too, if you need me there. Joints aside...And it’s okay. You being an Avengerbolt is just going to help make this place a lot safer for our baby. Does Sam know?”
“We’re currently divorcing, I think, but he is glad I’m okay. Separation of church and the—state? I don’t know. I’m not thinking about it. That’s a problem for tomorrow.”
“We got this,” Steve reassured.
And Bucky believed it.
“Is it going to be the New Avengers?”
“We hate that name.”
“Thunderbolts, then.”
“Yeah. Full offense, but Avengers is too righteous and too...prude. We are the Thunderbolts; a bunch of mentally ill rejects, egoistic assholes and reckless idiots with PTSD. And you know what, Steve? You would fit right in!”
Steve laughed. He kissed Bucky’s forehead.
“I’ll keep the job application in mind.”