Chapter 12
Bucky
Bucky smiled down at the baby in his arms, weighing in at 6 pounds and 7 ounces.
A tiny finger held Steve's, from where the Alpha sat behind Bucky's back, his strong arms wrapped around his family.
Bucky couldn't stop crying, Dr. Cho said that was normal, but even as tears slid down his face he'd never been more happy.
Everything they said was true, even after all the hours of pain it was totally worth it when you got to hold your baby.
The baby in question let out a little whine, face nuzzled against Bucky's chest, tiny hand still gripping Steve's large finger.
"I think she's hungry." Steve said, a smile in his voice.
The Alpha helped Bucky undo the buttons on the top of his gown meant for this exact purpose.
Little Idalia latched on in an instant, making happy grunts at getting what she finally wanted.
Bucky's mouth hung open when she started sucking, it was gonna take awhile to get used to that. But the relief it gave of the soreness in his chest was heaven.
Steve rested his chin over Bucky's shoulder, just watching.
And Bucky could understand not wanting to take his eyes off of her, even for a second, because she was the most incredible sight he'd ever seen.
The little tuffs of hair on her head were golden, but her nose and lips were all Bucky. They still couldn't tell who's eyes she had, but for how light they already were Bucky was gonna go with Steve's.
"Sam's gonna be so excited, he just won 57 dollars." Steve whispered, voice right by Bucky's ear.
Bucky chuckled, remembering the bet Sam and Tony made months ago. Wilson was right, it was a baby girl.
A little angel.
"I love her." Bucky whispered after some time, just starring at his little girl as she ate.
"So do I, more then I knew I could love somebody." The Alpha said, voice just as quite.
Bucky nodded in agreement, relaxing back into Steve but making sure not to jostle his little love.
"When are we gonna introduce her to the family?" Steve asked.
"Tomorrow, in the morning, I just want this night to be us."
"Sounds good."
_-_-_-_
When their family came in Bucky was holding Idalia, not wanting to give her up but knowing it was fair for others to have a turn.
Steve had only held her twice, but he never strayed far, always right next to Bucky and their daughter.
"Oh my goodness." Sarah whispered as she neared the bed, Joseph right behind her.
Steve's parents took up the right side of the bed, next to their son, while Bucky's family stood to the left, his little siblings trying to see over the bed.
"What's her name?" Winnie asked, voice just as quite as Sarah's.
"Idalia." Bucky said, smiling at his baby.
Both mothers awed, while the men just smiled, George didn't even try to hide his watery eyes.
"My bubby." Luke said from where he was nestled in Winnie's arms.
"Do you wanna sit with me Lukey?" Bucky asked, and the baby nodded reaching his hands out. Winifred set him on the bed next to Bucky, and the toddler sat on his knees so he could better see the little person in Bucky's arms.
"Baby?" Luke asked.
"Yeah, this is my baby, your niece."
"My niessse?"
"You're an uncle now."
"Uncle? Uncle!" Luke excitedly said.
Everyone was quick to shush him, not wanting to wake the sleeping baby in Bucky's arms.
Luke raised himself up and leaned over the baby, kissing her forehead, when Luke pulled away there was a small smile on his face.
Bucky looked up to see Steve holding his phone, taking a picture of the moment.
"My turn." He heard Julia say, a whine in her tone.
Winnie picked Luke back up as George put Julia on the bed.
She gasped excitedly when she saw Idalia, touching her shoulder gently as if to make sure she was real.
"Am I uncle too?"
Everyone chuckled at that.
"No, you're an aunt."
"An ant? Cool." She smiled proudly at her niece. "We're going to be best fwends." She whispered to Idalia.
Next was Jack, who looked to scared to touch the baby.
"You can say hi Jack, it's okay."
Jack looked to Bucky, leaning up to rest his head on his shoulder, just admiring the baby.
Rebecca's turn may have been the most special.
She held Idalia's small hand and whispered to her niece.
"I'm going to protect you and nothing bad will ever happen to you. I won't let anyone beat you up or make fun of you." When she kissed the baby's forehead the adults could barely hear a, "I love you."
And goddamnit Bucky was crying again.
Sarah was the first to ask if she could hold her, and Bucky slowly made the transfer, his arms feeling empty.
Joseph wrapped his large arms around Sarah's small frame, his hands resting around Idalia and his chin hooked on his wife's shoulder.
"Hi baby girl, I'm your nana, I'll teach you to bake." Steve chuckled at her serious expression.
Idalia stared up at her grandparents, little hand grasping Joseph's thumb.
The two cooed at her for a few more minutes before George asked for a turn with his granddaughter.
Bucky smiled as he watched his father interact with his baby girl. Winnie moved to peak at her as well, smiling when Idalia yawned.
George turned to Bucky, a huge grin on his face. "She's beautiful Buck, you two did good."
"Thanks dad."
After awhile the kids began to complain, saying they were hungry. George and Winifred took them out to get breakfast, and Joseph and Sarah tagged along, saying they'd be back later to bring the young couple food.
It was around noon when their friends came to visit.
Bucky was expecting more but was some what relieved to find out it was only Sam, Tony and Bruce. He was still exhausted and having a bunch of teenagers crowd in a small hospital room did not sound fun.
"Hey, guys." Sam said, voice soft and soothing.
Tony was practically bouncing in excitement, and Bruce calmly walked over to Bucky to take a peek at his friends offspring.
"So? What is it?" Tony asked, wondering the gender of the baby.
Steve chuckled at his friends impatience, but also noticing that Sam was just as eager.
"A girl."
"Yes!" Sam whisper shouted, fist raised in the air from his victory. "57 bucks, Stark. Pay up."
The Beta raised his hand to Tony, waiting for his win.
Tony sighed, grabbing his wallet out begrudgingly.
"Fine, Wilson."
Tony then looked to Bucky, face shrouded in hurt.
"Why couldn't you of popped out a man? Hmm?"
Bucky raised his eyebrows, huffing at Tony's childish behavior.
"You know it's up to the dad what gender the baby is?"
Tony turned to Steve, hands raised in accusation. "What the hell Steve?"
"Hey, I'm happy with my baby girl." The Alpha said, smiling dopily at Bucky and the little burrito in his arms.
Tony was about to rant more but luckily was interrupted by Bruce.
"What's her name?"
"Idalia." Bucky said, smiling at his little love.
"What about her middle name? And who's last name is she getting?" Sam cut in.
"She doesn't have a middle name, me and Steve both agreed on that. And Rogers, for the last."
"Can I hold her?" Bruce asked, eyes peeked with curiosity.
Bucky nodded, slowly depositing Idalia into Bruce waiting arms. She made little grunts, clearly not happy about leaving her mother.
"Support her head." Bucky whispered, although he had nothing to worry about because Bruce held her like a pro.
"Hi, small child." The Beta said, making everyone else chuckle.
Sam and Tony moved to look over Bruce's shoulders, smiling at Idalia's wide blue eyes.
"Aren't you just the cutest little thing?" Sam baby talked, making silly faces.
"Please Wilson, she's an infant not an imbecile. Talk to her like a person." Tony said, eyes never leaving the baby.
Everyone's attention was directed at Tony.
Slowly the Omega looked up, confusion written on his face.
"What?"
Steve's smile slowly turned into one of evil.
"You care." The Alpha accused.
"No I don't."
"Yes you do."
Tony's cheeks slowly heated up.
Luckily for the embarrassed Omega, Idalia chose this time to start fussing.
What started as small whines turned into growing cries.
Bruce gave her back to Bucky in an instant.
Idalia stopped when she was in her mothers arms, only to start right back again.
"I think she's hungry." Bucky said, undoing the buttons on his hospital gown.
Sam and Bruce said they should probably get going, eyes clearly diverted from Bucky's direction, while Tony watched, eyebrow raised out of curiosity.
Sam walked back into the room and grabbed Tony by the arm, pulling the Omega out.
"See ya guy's, congratulations." Sam said, before shutting the door.
_-_-_-_
Steve
Once his friends had left Bucky relaxed back against the hospital bed, adjusting Idalia so she could eat more comfortably.
Steve came to sit on the bed, watching with a smile as Bucky closed his eyes.
He knew his boyfriend was exhausted and he deserved all the rest he could get.
Steve made sure to keep a hand on Idalia's back as she ate, to make sure she didn't slip out of the Omega's arms while he slept.
The Alpha couldn't stop looking at the two.
The entire time Bucky was in labor Steve couldn't help but be truly and utterly, amazed. Never in his life had he experienced that level of love, from the moment his eyes landed on his baby girl Steve knew with out a doubt that he would protect her with everything in his being.
The love he had for Idalia was very different from the love he had for Bucky, and Steve wasn't afraid to admit he'd been shedding tears for the last twenty four hours.
Steve had to say though, he'd never respected anyone as much as he respects Bucky now. He couldn't believe how long the labor was, he didn't know what to expect really.
Sure, his hand was sore from the Omega squeezing it for hours, but that's nothing compared to what his boyfriend had to endure and accomplish.
It really was the most beautiful experience of his life though, no matter how gross and how long it was, it was absolutely beautiful.
It was in the way Bucky's face scrunched during a bad contraction, when his voice would break off because he lost his breathe. It was in the way his legs tightened up and his toes tangled in the sheets. Or when his hands lay hovering over his to tight belly. In the way he reached down to feel the baby's hair when the head was out, even though the doctor told him not to.
It was when Steve kept telling him he could do it and Bucky said it was impossible (and to shut your face Rogers! You're not the one pushing out a bowling ball!)
It was in the way Bucky cried when Idalia was laid in his arms, crying against her mothers chest, it was when Bucky looked at him in that moment with watery eyes and the brightest most exhausted smile Steve had ever seen gracing his face.
When he whispered against Idalia's slimy head, "Oh my god, oh my god I love you so much, I love you."
And when Steve held her for the first time, hours after she'd left Bucky's body, goddamn was that the moment that nothing would be the same, the moment that every memory before now wouldn't hold this, this completeness as it does now.
Steve knew if he could pinpoint exactly when his life started, really started, it would be that day.
That moment.
_-_-_-_
"Okay, I've got the car seat in the car, all of your clothes and the stuffed animals my parents got her. I think we're ready." Steve said, wheeling Bucky out to the car.
The Omega complained about needing the wheelchair but it was hospital policy, and if Steve was being honest, Bucky was walking very slowly right now and by the way his face scrunched up it couldn't be all to comfortable either.
In his boyfriends arms their daughter lay, staring at Bucky, who was obviously her favorite.
But, if Steve produced milk and was soft and cuddly he'd probably be her favorite too.
Once they reached Steve's car he helped the Omega stand, trying to not jostle Idalia to much. Slowly Bucky got in the back seat, Steve standing right behind him to make sure he didn't fall.
Bucky buckled Idalia in, then himself, and held his daughters hand as Steve started the car.
The Alpha had never driven so slow, he was going a few miles under the speed limit and kept checking his mirrors. No way was he getting into an accident, not like he'd ever been in one, but he definitely wasn't gonna start now.
Once they'd gotten back to the apartment Steve rounded the car to help Bucky out, unclipping the car seat and bring it with them because they didn't want to wake the sleeping baby.
Bucky set the car seat on the coffee table in front of the couch, then huffed, turning to Steve who'd moved to stand in front of him leaning down for a kiss.
"I'm gonna take a shower, watch her?" The Omega whispered against Steve's lips.
"Of course."
_-_-_-_
Bucky
When the water hit Bucky's shoulder he almost moaned.
They said he could shower at the hospital but he didn't feel comfortable leaving Idalia at the time, here at home he knew she was safe with Steve.
But to get this filth off him was a dream, he'd been settling for Steve wiping him down with a worm towel, that could only do so much.
He scrubbed his short hair, making sure all of the dried sweat was gone.
Then he moved down his body, gently going over his stomach. It was still swollen, softer now, and he looked about five months pregnant still.
Slowly he brought the soaped up towel to his nether regions, being as gentle as he could.
He winced at the soreness, he had to pull away the rag and get a new one. He was still leaking fluids and it was awful and gross.
After he'd cleaned his whole body, he dried off and walked to the bedroom.
Changing into some black sweats and one of Steve's grey sweatshirts (he liked it because the bottom went past his butt and the sleeves covered his hands, it made him feel comfy).
Bucky walked over to the floor length mirror, turning to the side and smoothing the sweatshirt down to see his belly, he huffed.
It was gonna take forever to work of the baby weight.
Slowly he walked (more like shuffled) to the kitchen, looking through the fridge before his eyes landed on some fruit juice.
He just leaned against the counter, drinking his juice.
Steve was probably fine, sure he'd never had to deal with a new born before but he was good with Luke so it couldn't be going that bad. Besides, the Alpha needed time alone to bond with his daughter.
But really, Bucky just wanted a few minutes to himself. Completely himself, because for the last nine months he'd been sharing his body and it felt (sore/empty/in pain) good to have it back.
He let the time pass, but decided after fifteen minutes to join the two again.
When he walked through the kitchen door, out into the open space of the living room he was greeted with the most adorably gorgeous sight.
Steve lay flat on the couch, belly up with Idalia resting on his chest, her little hands clutching his shirt and his large ones covering her back, the two were sleeping peacefully.
Bucky grabbed Steve's phone from the coffee table, taking a picture of them.
He sent it to the group chat Steve had open with his friends, they'd know it was from Bucky of course, but since he didn't have a phone this would have to do.
He just sat on the floor (a pillow under him because fuck no was he sitting on a hard floor right now, no, nuh uh), left elbow rested on the coffee table, chin cradled in his hand as he watched his family sleep.
A sleep that was sadly disrupted by a loud cry.
Bucky moved in front of his daughter, lifting her from a startled Steve.
"What? What's wrong?" Steve asked, sleep crowding his voice.
"She probably has a dirty diaper, I'll go change it."
"I can if you want?" Steve suggested, genuinely.
"That's alright." Bucky said, almost to the kitchen. "You can take the night shift."
He was out of the room before he could see Steve's reaction.
It's only fair after all, Bucky did birth her, the big Alpha could handle changing a few (dozen) diapers in the wee hours of the morning.
The end... for now.