Power of Three: Green Series 7 (Pre-Serum Omega!Steve x Alpha!Bucky Domestic AU)

Twenty-Four

With every new day it became easier to juggle the triplets. With every new week it became easier to juggle the triplets and the boys. Steve felt like he could fully breathe again when he started getting the hang of being a father to multiples. And more than that, he felt like he could do so by himself if he needed to.

Luckily, he didn't need to.

Awaking in the early hours of the morning, Steve climbed out of bed and made his way to the nursery. Trying to let Bucky sleep as much as he could since they were taking turns with the babies. Of course, in his sleep addled mind, he wasn't so sure he was being that quiet considering he bumped into the foot of their bed and the very sturdy frame.

"Fuck," Steve cursed under his breath as he rubbed his sore shin.

Tripping over Greg when she threw herself on the floor, Steve glared at her with all the grumpy sass he could muster in the middle of the night while being sleep deprived. Clearly losing the staring contest, Steve continued through the living room and down the hall to the nursery.

With Cori being the only one awake, Steve thanked whatever entity was watching over them and quickly got to work trying to soothe her. Efficiently changing her wet diaper before bringing her up to his chest. Cradling her there as he turned to leave the room.

Which was exactly when one of the other babies started crying.

Betting it'd be Bitsy, Steve crossed the room and felt smug at knowing her cry. Not too different from her sisters', but just a pitch or two higher. Steve placed Cori back in her crib, so he could tend to Bitsy.

Cori started to whimper, and Steve assured her, "I'm not goin' anywhere. I'll be right back."

Picking up Bitsy, he hurried to the changing table and took care of her soiled diaper the same way he took care of Cori's. Giving her crib a look every so often just to make sure that she was okay and then looking at Nevie's in hopes that she'd keep sleeping.

Once Bitsy was clean, Steve lifted Cori. Balancing one on each side of his chest with their little heads resting on his slender shoulders, Steve carried them out of their nursery. Swaying and bouncing all the while as he tried to calm his girls before he got the bottles.

"Shh," Steve softly shushed the one month olds as he walked over to the swings.

Carefully placing them each in one of the swings and putting the settings to their individual liking. Knowing that Cori liked the gentle gliding of the first setting while Bitsy preferred the faster middle setting and soft vibration. But that was probably because of the alpha purrs that Bucky conjured up and Bitsy being a daddy's girl already would rather have Bucky's broad chest over his. Not that he could blame her. Steve would choose Bucky's chest over his own any day too.

After the bottles were prepared, Steve brought them into the living room and sat them down on the coffee table. Putting the tv on, Steve decided to binge a couple of episodes of The Haunting of Hill House in case Nevie woke up, hungry like her sisters.

Speaking of her sisters...

Bitsy and Cori both whimpered in their separate swings as they awaited Steve's return with their food. Steve imagined that he'd be pretty cranky too if he had to wait on someone else before he could eat.

Placing a baby lounge pillow on each side so Steve could easily feed them both, Steve went back to the swings to get his girls. Their thick, dark hair messy and wild. Their eyes big and bright as they looked up at him with their father's steel-blue eyes. They looked so much like Bucky – all of the kids did – and it soothed something deep in Steve to see how the evidence of their love was all around them.

As soon as he could, the girls were safely nestled within their soft bassinets with a bottle in their mouths and their eyelids fluttering closed. Steve all the while watched the show. Making sure that he was paying attention for another cry, and half-worrying when no such cry came.

You saw her, she was fine, Steve attempted to reassure himself since his paranoia was running rampant.

"'Forgiveness is warm,'" the character, Nell, told her siblings, "'Like a tear on the cheek. Think of that and of me when you stand in the rain. I loved you completely. And you loved me the same. That's all. The rest is confetti.'"

Sniffling, Steve blinked the tears away. Both hating and loving the show that always brought forth so many emotions in him whenever he watched it; no matter how many times he'd seen it. Rewatching it time and time again and never growing bored. And now was no different. Him sitting on the couch at two in the morning, extra hormonal even a month later, and crying.

That was when Nevie's little cries started, and Steve wished that he had more arms. Fortunately, Bucky woke up. Groggily assuring, "I've got her."

With one out of the three babies done eating, Steve lifted Bitsy to his shoulder to burp her. Still holding Cori's bottle, he felt accomplished with his current multitasking endeavor.

"You're not watching Buffy without me, are you?" Bucky questioned as he carried Nevie into the kitchen.

"Now, would I do that?" Steve yawned.

Yawning himself, Bucky chuckled, "Yes."

"Oh-kay," Steve sarcastically replied. Lifting Cori to his other shoulder as he relaxed in his seat while he burped the two.

Taking a seat on the sofa, Bucky asked, "Want a hand?"

Giggling, Steve admitted, "I'm so tired I can't tell if you're joking about your prosthetic or if you're being sincere."

Laughing too, Bucky clarified, "I was being sincere, but now just thinking about tossing you my arm sounds so much more appealing."

"You're lucky my hands are full or I'd throw a pillow at you," Steve chuckled. Nuzzling his girls, Steve playfully told them, "Daddy thinks he's funny, but really he's not."

Of course, that only made Bucky laugh harder in their tired, delirious state. All the while defending himself, "I'm very funny. People are always telling me how hilarious I am."

Shaking his head, Steve argued, "The kids don't count."

"Ha ha," Bucky deadpanned. Looking down at Nevie, Bucky used the tone he reserved for the babies as he playfully added, "The kids are the only ones who count. Yes, they are. They're the only ones who matter."

Settling further into the couch cushions once the babies were appeased and their gas alleviated, Steve kissed Cori's and Bitsy's heads. Reaching for the remote beside his thigh so he could put on another show. Knowing that Bucky still wasn't that big of a horror fan but was a sucker for dramas, Steve clicked on the next Haunting series. Reliable and beloved, The Haunting of Bly Manor started. Feeling at peace as their babies went back to sleep and Bucky rubbed his sore feet in such a loving way that Steve could cry. Instead, their eyes met, Bucky winked and Steve smiled, a blush tinting his cheeks.