THE FADING FALLEN ● Bucky Barnes X OC ● 18+ ● ENGLISH [COMPLETE]

Chapter 78

"Do you have any pain? Or... is it the little one?! Are you... you guys not doing well?!"

His restless gaze darted to her belly and back to her face. Not daring to touch the bulge, he could only stare helplessly for an answer.

"No, babe. Everything's alright. We're both fine."

Her gaze went back to the cake buffet and the group of children. The excited boy and the grumpy girl were gone. They left Emilia with a deep grateful feeling for the life that flourished in her womb.

Gently, she smiled down at Bucky a moment later, placing her palm on his slightly tense cheek.

"I'm just really happy."

She truly was. Despite the sadness over the lost child they both never got to meet, her luck was perfect at that instant.

She truly had arrived. Connected to Bucky in every possible way, she felt home.

If they fell, they would both sink into the depths. If they rose, they would both glide to the highest heights.

Together.

The glow in the two ambers before him confirmed Bucky in what he was hearing. Even though he could detect some melancholy in between, he knew that everything would be good.

Therefore, he stood up and leaned forward to kiss her.

"Do you wanna unwrap some of the gifts? Sam's been nagging me about it all the time. Somehow I don't like it. He's plotting something..."

His concerns were to prove true less than half an hour later.

Having satisfied her sudden craving for cake with three pieces of the typical South African Malva pudding, Emilia now literally fell around Scott and Hope's necks.

Some little birdie seems to have whispered to them about what she would like to do someday. And while she eagerly looked forward to finally getting into one of the suits to run around the world like Golliath, Bucky declined the offer with a somewhat skeptical expression.

In his gut he still felt the rather dubious grin of Sam, which now seemed to be even broader.

"Exclusive and uncut - Best of Barnes."

He handed her a small box decorated with a red bow. Inside were Red Wing's recordings of some of his joint missions and deployments with Sam. Including, of course, the legendary jump from the plane, which Emilia still never got a chance to see.

"Yeah... I'd better take care of that myself, Carson. Before it ends up in the wrong hands."

Before she could even open the bow and look inside, Bucky already grabbed it and was about to put it in his trouser pocket.

"Hey! This is called Barnes now! And by the way..."

She wanted to snatch it out of his hand again. But she didn't get that far, feeling a slight twinge in her lower stomach, whereupon she slouched forward, contorted in pain.

"Ouch..." Before she knew it, Bucky was kneeling in front of her, catching her by the hips to keep her from falling. Supporting herself on his shoulder, she took a few deep breaths and held her belly.

"What is it?! Is it time already?! This is way too soon!"

His panicked face was mirrored in Sam's, who was still standing with them: "Should we get a doctor? Is the baby coming now?!"

Emilia couldn't help but start laughing after the two full-grown men looked around like helpless little schoolboys, frantically, not knowing what to do. Actually, she considered giving them a bit of a runaround, but didn't do it after all due to her somewhat dull state after the busy day.