Escape
Steve wheezed as his back made contact with the mat... Again. His best friend was a prick...
And he'd been holding back on him.
Steve rolled onto his stomach to use his hands to push himself up. His best friend was standing five feet way with his hands in his pockets, grinning ear to ear.
Asshole.
"You have been holding back on me. Why?"
A shrug was all Steve got to let him know that Bucky had actually heard his question. He was in fine form today. And completely kicking his ass.
"You're an asshole you know that,"Steve whined. Steve did not whine.
If possible, Bucky's grin became bigger, as he pointed to the vents in the gym. "SHH! Little ears in the vent." Sofi and Morgan had found Clint's entrance to the vents and more often than not snuck in on their sparring matches. Earlier Sofia's "yay, Uncle Bucky," gave her away. He would be jealous, but the little girl was totally infatuated with his best friend. It was too comical.
Bucky had turned to the bench and picked up his water bottle. "We done, punk?"
Steve was. He'd spent the last thirty minutes getting thrown across the room and he was afraid that that was just a warm up. "You're teaching me. You don't have a choice."
Bucky turned and watched him, his grin faded with each passing second until it became that all too familiar stare. "You know with Hydra, at first after I got the arm, the only thing they would have me do is shoot. They knew about me. They knew I was a sniper. And because the war had barely ended, they wanted something less messy."
Steve sat down to listen, realizing he touched a nerve. "Bucky. You don't have to-"
"Then they started training me. Making me into a fighter. They'd wake me up, fry my brain like a scrambled egg, so I'd be compliant. They'd send men my way, lock us in a cage together and wouldn't let me eat until they were dead. If they had one bit of doubt that I was holding back, they would fry me again."
Steve stared ahead. He still didn't like to think about what his best friend endured all those years.
"They were men with families, caught up in a group that made them feel good, after the war. They felt like the American government betrayed them. Forgot about them, so Hydra became the answer. It was so cult-like. They were willing to die against me because they thought they were fighting the good fight. A waste."
"Do you remember them?"
"I remember all of them, Steve. Because see. As much as they were putting my brain into a blender, this serum is a curse. They never woke me for more than a few days at a time. Then they would put me back into cryo. My body would heal itself. And when they woke me, I would remember and it was back to step one again."
"Bucky-" Steve started.
"After Stark was the worse," Bucky whispered, before he inhaled sharply.
"It wasn't you, Bucky. And you have more than made up with Tony."
"I know," Bucky ran a hand through his hair. He'd trimmed it recently. "But I still did it."
"Have you talked to your therapist about this?"
Bucky nodded. "And Jane."
"You spoke to Jane about this too?"
Bucky nodded again. "We talk to each other about everything. She's my person, Steve."
"Your person?"
"Sorry, Darcy has been making me watch Grey's Anatomy with her," Bucky grinned. "But it fits more than girlfriend."
"You guys have been close lately. Much closer than I remember. "
"Well we're having a baby," Bucky breathed as Steve gasped. "Two babies."
"WHAT?! And this is how you tell me?! How long have you known."
"Five weeks. She's about thirteen weeks now."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"We wanted to tell her mother first," Bucky smiled. "We told her yesterday."
"Ah," Steve grimaced. He'd heard rumors about Jane's Puerto Rican, Catholic mother, enough that it sent him into confession once. "How did that go?"
"Really well. She's happy. Happy enough that she's been texting me all morning."
"Why you," he asked.
"Because she's smart enough to know her stubborn daughter won't respond. And she wants to get to know the father of her grandchildren."
"Wow," Steve breathed, a little jealous that Bucky was building himself a family so easily, and quickly. He'd only gotten family dinners with Darcy about five times a week and all he'd gotten was a few game nights, and movie nights and a few smiles in his direction.
Granted Darcy was in an entirely different position than Jane with a little less freedom, but that still didn't stop the jealousy. "Does Darcy know."
"Darcy guessed off the bat. She knew before Jane," Bucky used a towel to wipe a drop of sweat off his forehead. Asshole. He himself was drenched. He looked to the vent. "Sofi. Morgan. Let's go eat lunch."
The conversation was clearly over for Bucky. And Steve was ok with that. He'd heard enough for a lifetime, but not enough to help his best friend, he guessed. He caught up with his friend and pat his shoulder. "I'm happy for you, pal. Two babies. That's something we all hoped you'd get but never thought you'd have. Not twins per say. But a family. And Jane is swell."
Bucky smiled. "Thanks buddy. It will happen for you too. Darcy isn't immune to you."
Steve blushed. "I hope you're right."
"Well look at it this way. I'm family now. I have the inside scoop." He winked and ran to assist Sofi and Morgan who were climbing out of the vent. "How about sandwiches ladies?"
Jane put her hand at the small of her back and stretched for the fourth time that hour. She'd barely gained any weight, but she'd been small all her life and the extra weight was already hard on her. The backrubs Bucky gave her at nights helped, but a glance at the clock let her know that night was a long time away.
She could text him and he'd be there, but he had things to do too, and she didn't want him to feel trapped. Another inhale and she'd get back to work.
"You ok, Jane," Tony asked eyeing her suspiciously. "It doesn't usually take you this long to solve an equation."
"I'm ok. Just pregnant and sore," she announced to the room which seemed to stop and stare at her before getting back to work.
To his credit, Tony didn't act surprised. "Wow. Congratulations. You and Barnes, huh? That's exciting. Good for him."
"Tony, I know you guys have issues."
"What we have is complicated. And it sucks. But he's not a bad guy. I don't blame him anymore. Hell, he's like Morgan's favorite person in the world."
Jane grinned. "He has a way with children. He's over the moon for these babies."
"Twins," Tony's eyes widened slightly. "Wow. Two for one. Why didn't I think of that?"
"I don't think that's how it works, Tony."
"Either way," he pushed a wheeled chair to her. "Sit down. I remember Pepper being pregnant and she was only carrying one. It was hard on her."
"Thanks Tony." Out of all the people she met from the Avengers, Tony was always surprising her. And he fast became one of her favorite people. Maybe because their brains thought alike, jumping from one idea to another. Or maybe because in the science field, both if their reputations preceded them, and when they finally met they realized that not an ounce was true.
Either way they bonded through their trauma. And came out really good friends at the end of it.
"Have they found out if the babies are all serumized, yet?"
Jane laughed. "Not yet."
"Are you going to be ok if they are?"
Jane thought for a moment. "You know I haven't thought about that actually. I just feel like they are going to be our babies regardless. The serum is a part of who Bucky is. And I love him, even though for some reason I can't tell him. And I know these babies will be fine regardless. "
"Hydra-,"
"Hydra can go F themselves. The reason why they still want him? Because they are scared of him and Steve. And they are on our side. So you know what. I have no worries about fucking Hydra."
"For what it's worth," Tony puffed his chest up. "They have me too."
"And me," Bruce piped as he walked into the room.
"Best family in the world," Jane grinned.
"You know it," Tony grinned. "Ok enough with the mush. Let's science."
Darcy found her youngest in the cafeteria eating a sandwich with Morgan, Steve, and Bucky. Sofi and Morgan had managed to escape from daycare, again.
"Little miss," Darcy raised a brow at her daughter and her daughter giggled.
"Hi mommy."
"You escaped from daycare," she gave her her most severe look. She wasn't actually mad. If Steve or Bucky were in the tower, she would always know where Sofi was. But it was the principle.
"Oh yeah," she tossed her hair. "It's getting harder. My teacher knows my secrets now."
Bucky tried not to laugh but he was unsuccessful.
"Is that right," Darcy asked.
"Mhmm. Than I think, what would Aunt Janie do?"
Bucky stopped laughing and Steve shot him an amused look. "You climbed through the vent," he asked and looked a little nauseated as he pushed his huge sandwich aside. "How did you get up there?" Clint's entrance was by the gym.
"It's a secret, Uncle Bucky." She put a finger over her mouth and Bucky looked away. Probably realizing that he was going to have a handful with his own children.
Darcy smiled at him ruefully then turned to her daughter. "You girls. Both of you girls." She included Morgan in her glare. "You have to stop escaping the daycare. If you want to leave someone can come pick you up. But you have to stop escaping."
"Ok mommy," her daughter looked even more determined, yeah this conversation was going to continue, but at least Morgan looked contrite.
She sat down and glanced at the remainder of Bucky's sandwich. "Can I have this?"
He nodded, "go ahead."
Steve watched his friend for a moment and then settled his blue eyes on her. "Busy day?"
"You don't know the half of it. Bella had scholar's bowl this morning. And Mason forgot his project for his poetry assignment. And this one," she focused another glare at Sofi. "I'm glad Jane is lenient with my schedule. Honestly though, I feel like her brain is fifteen steps ahead of me on any given day. I don't know how she thinks of equations that fast. Let alone solves them. I feel like the world's biggest dummy next to her," she grinned.
"I'm sure that's not true, Darcy."
"Have you been around her when she is in her science mode?"
Steve shut his mouth, "fair point."
"I'm just not use to having all the responsibility to myself."
"I can help," Steve jumped in. "I mean. We can help."
She looked at him a moment too long. His blue eyes widened, the strong jaw lined twitched. No doubt he was possibly the most handsome man of her acquaintance. And so, so sweet. She briefly wondered what a night in bed with him would be like among other brain-frying moments with him, but she let that go. Nothing had changed. She couldn't go down that route with him. He deserved the world and that was something she couldn't give him. No matter how wonderful he was with her children or her, she was broke. Nick broke her. And she wasn't sure she would ever come back for that.
Jane had suggested therapy. Bucky had an amazing therapist that came to the tower a couple times a week. And she'd finally manage to arrange an initial appointment.
"I appreciate that Steve. But I can make do."
He gave her that devastating smile that almost made her change her mind. "Here's the thing. You don't have to." Darcy didn't know how to respond to that.
Bucky found Jane facedown on their large sectional that afternoon, surprised she wasnt in the lab. He'd only come home to shower and change clothes.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" He sat next to her and rubbed her back gently. "Talk to me, baby."
"Keep doing that," her voice muffled by the pillow. "My back aches. Your children are mean."
"Our children," he teased.
"Your children. When they are mean they are your children."
"Because I'm mean," he asked, laughing lightly.
"Yes. You got me pregnant."
He laughed out loud this time. "I remember you being a more than willing participant."
"Moment of weakness. I have a metal and ass kink."
"Is that so?"
"And your thighs," she sighed and rolled over. "Oh God. Now I'm horny."
He laughed again. "Come on," he stood and lifted her from the sofa easily. "I was going to shower, but my girl needs taken care of right now and I'm more than happy to do it."
"Is this how the entire pregnancy is going to be? You taking care of me?"
"Embrace it while you can, sweetheart. After the babies are here, I read that sex is more of an after thought."
"Well that's depressing as hell."
"I know, right," he kicked their bedroom door shut and they didn't emerge until supper.