He was almost surprised to see him as he stumbled into the kitchen, his sleep pants and shirt still rumpled from the night before.
They had been home for about 2 months now (well, really they were hiding out from the ass-end of the law in the middle of nowhere Lousiana thanks to Walker fucking up the last mission), but it was still a lot to witness as Bucky circled round to where Sam stood over the stove, hot plate below covered in scrambled eggs as he pressed his forehead against the side of the Alpha's neck and breathed in, his five o'clock shadow scratching against it before it disappeared. "Mon-in'."
"Morning." Sam's dark eyes briefly flickered to the Omega with a small smile before going back to the task at hand. "Manage to get any sleep last night?"
An annoyed grunt was all he got in reply, but he already knew the answer he was going to receive before he asked the question anyway. Didn't take a dumbass to know what was going on and Sam's Mama didn't raise him or Sarah like that.
Bucky was in labor.
Sam guessed that he had been hiding for a while now, over the last day or so. The veteran was known for his high pain tolerance and his ability to just blend in like nothing. It was almost infuriating, but it's what attracted Sam to Bucky in the first place as they got closer to one another during their time working (and lately, living) together while either on mission or off.
In fact, getting off of mission is /exactly/ how this situation happened, for it seems as according to his partner, "The world has a sick fucking sense of humour Sam Wilson and I've been the butt of the joke for years." No kidding.
Bucky and him had been in Hong Kong and laying low by going around to a few bars in the area while waiting for their next operation to start up. While Sam had managed to curve his increasing alcohol consumption and headed back to their hotel room, Bucky had disappeared for the night only to be at the foot of Sam's bed in the early morning hours, leaning over him almost menacingly and dropping his fully packed bag almost at testicular level as he woke with a start.
Given that they were still on a level that could be considered "tentative friends" (given their only link so far was they both liked football and had major respect for Steve), he was quite taken aback when his heated glare at Bucky produced a small amount of rare laughter that went straight to his stomach and chest, a feeling he hadn't had since his first parachute jump in military training before joining the Air Force.
Now, it was no surprise to him that he was attracted to guys. While he and Sarah were growing up and before he presented as an Alpha, he was often at odds with himself over his own sexuality. It wasn't till he was 14 that he gave into them, ending up going to a house party with a few friends and screwing an older student at his high school who soon graduated and left. It wasn't his proudest moment (and if anyone had found out he would have been so fucked, literally and figuratively), but it helped him figure out everything somehow, which was the only positive thing about it.
Back in the present, eggs having been put on two plates of toast and one-handed off to his housemate, he watches from afar as the Omega's arms grip the dining chair in front of him, skin and metal causing a few splinters to appear. It's been almost an hour since the last one, but he would wait. He would come clean in his own time, that was just how Buck was.
He thinks back to almost 3 months ago, when they're knee-deep in an insurgency combat zone around Paraguay and he's holding off some armoured vehicles with those damn almost impervious wings of his when he hears a screech of metal and ducks just in time to see Bucky go flying over him, heading for the ground. Thankfully, even though he held his breath for a moment (not even a damn lie and he hates himself for it), Bucky's arm catches the side mirror of one of the cars and he hauls himself up onto it, giving the driver of it a flying axe kick to the face to possibly get him off the road and spin the car out.
The first part of the manoeuver goes well, Bucky's face entering this guy's face like a soufflé that's been left too long in the oven, but as he pushes himself up to get the second guy riding in the top of the car (and shooting at Sam along with his co-pilot on the other side of the road), the gunner swings the mounted rifle around so fast that neither see it till it hits Bucky in the abdomen. Usually, Bucky wouldn't even flinch when he takes a hit like that and Sam's expecting him to just brush it off and turn its occupant into a Picasso painting, but he pales behind his goggles seeing his partner fall like a stone towards the road, his arms wrapped around himself like he was in pain.
Quickly opening his wings and diving, regardless of the hail of bullets spraying him, he grabs Bucky just before his body can hit the gravel road below them and flies up, out of the range that the guns can reach them.
He's never been so goddamn happy to see local law and military enforcement in his life as they came charging down the road to take over (he really owes that smart-alec Torres his soul, doesn't he?) and he makes a quick break for it, still carrying the groaning man in his arms as he touches down near their ride, the aforementioned soldier jumping out to greet them. "What the hell happened to him?"
"Don't know, the rifle must have shot him at point-blank range, it went right into his stomach."
Quickly scrambling as Torres holds him down in the back seat of their suburban, he manages to find the first aid kit nearby, though if he's right, it's not going to do jack shit to help a close contact gun wound. "Help me get his suit off, he could be bleeding out internally."
Pulling off the vest and other bits and pieces had eaten away valuable time, but thankfully (and terrifyingly from Sam's point of view), Bucky wasn't struggling against them doing it, which made it all the direr for Sam to find out what happened to his friend.
Removing the last layer before he goes to grab Bucky's black tank top and pull it up (bleeding-injured-shot-), he stops and his expression wavers rather largely at what he sees.
Under his rather large hand, Bucky's stomach curves up into a round high hump that not only short circuits Sam's eyes and brain, but the Alpha side of him roars, the feeling making blood rush through his ears. Omega. Bucky was an Omega. Oh god, this was not what he had in mind.
Internally freaking out, but seeing Joaquin on his left equally as bewildered and in shock, Sam snaps out to it quickly. "Yo, find me a glass and a stethoscope, there should be one in that damn bag. Now!"
Thankfully, Torres is quick about it and soon enough, he's peeled a section of Bucky's tank top away and hissing as a dark purple bruise makes itself known on the taut looking skin, the rim of the glass on a pitch that isn't looking like hell and stethoscope underneath, grateful for the one nurse he dated for a few months during service for teaching him this trick and he not only prayed, but listened hard for something- anything.
A sudden whooshing sound enveloped his ears and his Alpha side suddenly calmed to the point where he almost collapsed, but didn't. Still alive, it was still alive.
He could feel eyes on him and looked over to see Bucky, now back in gear to seemed, near tears and having the gall to look guilty as all sin before he cleared his throat and spoke up. "Is it okay?"
Sam almost wanted to go over the edge, bring that Alpha bred anger up he'd been born with and just ream into Bucky, but the words died on his tongue and instead, he just staunchly nodded, passing the stethoscope to him. "See for yourself."
The look on his face when he brought the pongs up to his ears was one Sam hadn't quite forgotten yet. Back at their hotel room only a few hours later, both were sitting on their adjacent beds before Sam finally spoke up. "How long have you known?"
Bucky doesn't say anything at first, but then as Sam's annoyance and irritation reaches a new level, his voice comes out quiet. "Couple of weeks."
"You didn't think to inform me of this, like, at all?" "I didn't know what you would say."
"Oh, I have a lot of things to say right now-" Sam's body moved before he thinks and he's suddenly over Bucky's curled form that's facing the window of their shared space "-like how fucking dumb you are, but I'm sure you realise that."
Bucky huffs and rolls onto his back to look up at Sam from the bed. "Yeah, I got the message when I got smacked in the gut with a machine gun. You don't have to go off on me, I get it."
The Alpha rolls his eyes and sighs as he just stares down at him, frowning. He desperately wants to make him pull his head out of his ass for once (a rather familiar feeling he's all too used to), but he can see Bucky's not in the mood and, to be honest, still looks worse for wear. "Lemme check on that bruise of yours before you end up going back into your shell. Need to keep an eye on it."
Bucky also rolls his eyes, but nevertheless, lets Sam have his way and pulls the blankets down and his new light blue shirt up to let him look at the now prominent bruise staining the bump he'd worked so cleverly to hide away, swallowing hard as his fingers trailed against the delicate skin.
Sam on the other hand despite his carefully controlled anger, gently probed at the bruise while keeping (more like forcing) his instincts in check as he did so. "How far along do you think you are?"
"Not sure." Bucky cracked his neck while on the inside, he was melting a little (or really as much as he could still) at the care Sam was showing for him and his...stowaway, despite their relationship. "Last time I bottomed was...most likely Hong Kong, got too drunk and some Alpha I was hanging around took me home."
Sam snorted lightly, fingers twitching a little on Bucky's stomach. "I wondered where you were, but I wasn't going to say anything as anytime I do, you prickle up like you just ate a lemon and tell me it's none of my business." His voice went an octave deeper in a way to imitate Bucky, but his eyebrows went up when Bucky let out an involuntary whine before shifting his eyes away from Sam's gaze, embarrassed pink flooding his cheeks. "Sorry."
"It's cool." Sam's own cheeks pinkened, but he didn't remove his hand from Bucky. "You're just deprived of pheromones, seen it all before. Happens a lot to vets who come back from combat or spouses who mate and their partners go on service. Plus you were in a fight which you /shouldn't/ have been in-" He attempts to lay some guilt on him thick, but it just comes out as scolding in a way. "-so you most likely just need some sleep as well."
"Yeah, of course." Both of them stare at each other before Sam begins to retract his hand, but before he can, Bucky's metal one stops him. "Can you...I don't know, stay here? Just for a minute."
Sam freezes and for the longest time, he's just standing and staring, which causes Bucky to turn and pull away. "Sorry, just forget it. I don't what came over me, I just-"
He's cut off by Sam moving and suddenly, Sam's bed which was once across the room, is now pushed in next to his, making a mocked-up too small for two guys around 6ft tall double bed situation as Sam climbs in and pulls Bucky towards his chest, putting his head against his collarbone and an arm under his back.
Bucky, already feeling rather hazy, just sighs in contentment and buries his nose into Sam's neck and that's how they've stayed for the last 3 months or so. They don't get around to talking about it, both men know they most likely should, but it's just a lot of things to approach at once and given their veteran statuses and former hate for eachother, neither of them are great talkers, especially in private and about their feelings, as that counsellor found out quite early on in their partnership. They just..coexist, somehow.
Of course, this discovery didn't slow Bucky down, not Sam. Not did the stowaway, as Bucky liked to refer to his steadily increasing stomach as time went on. They still were on mission, they had a job to do, that was the bottom line. No exceptions.
Eventually, however, it had to come to a stop and that brings Sam back to the present once more, where they've "stopped" for 2 months, 7 weeks longer than they were supposed to, because good ol' American Man (fuck him, he didn't deserve the title of Captain America) decided in his "infinite wisdom" to do something stupid.
Lying low in a small 2 bedroom near his sister's place was not planned, but they made it work and it seems given the way Bucky's now moved from the kitchenette to the living room and is holding one of their couch cushions like it's some warmonger's head, they'll have to make this, whatever "this" is and what's about to likely happen in the next 24 hours, work as well. At least he's good at doing something.
Bucky's starting to sweat, but he knows that he doesn't want him to notice, so he pays it no mind despite his Alpha practically screaming at him to do something more. This is Bucky. Bucky is a vet. He's a vet. Bucky is stubborn and he damn well knows it.
Cleaning up his breakfast and Bucky's half-eaten one is a quiet affair and soon, he returns from washing up with a blanket he's snagged from the linen closet and cozies up with him on the couch to monitor him on the low as the TV plays some soap in the background, counting in his head how long the Omega clenches up before relaxing and the numbers are quite low.
Sliding down like he was falling asleep to keep up the ruse (honestly, if this show he has little interest in right now keeps going the way it's going, he just might), he rests his head on Bucky's stomach and wraps his arm around it gently, feeling movement under the skin with a silent chuckle as Bucky just lies back and huffs, eyes closed.
It only takes about 2 more hours before Sam can't hold himself back anymore. "What's that, the 3rd contraction in the last 30 minutes? You're gonna tear that pillow apart at this rate."
He says it gently, as not to catch Buck off guard, but it still makes him freeze.
"Hey-" Sam pulls himself up on his other arm to look into Bucky's now steely, but worried eyes. "-I've known you've been in labor for a while. I saw Sarah in both of hers with the boys as I was on leave when they were ready. I know the signs." He placed his own hand over Bucky's which is holding the mentioned pillow with a white knuckle grip. "I know you don't think you got this, but you do. We do. We got this."
It takes a few breaths before Bucky's shoulders drop and he lets out a grunt, metal hand cupping his stomach as the pain starts up again, burning his insides as it has been for hours now. "It fucking hurts."
"I know, Sarah said it sucked pretty bad, but given she's a Beta, you can only take it with so much truth. Apparently, it hurts more when it comes to Omegas." Sam's hand falls to Bucky's back, which he leans into as he talks, body clenched. "Does it hurt as bad as everything else you've been through, though?"
He's trying to distract him and he knows it, he's just trying to help. "Don't know, head's a bit foggy right now. Ask me later, when this is over. Just...be here."
Sam nods, the direction loud and clear and it's not long before Bucky's knees are trying to leave from out underneath him as he stands, arm cradling his stomach as he hisses.
He feels Sam come around his person and lift an arm over his shoulder and he murmurs something that sounds like 'bedroom', but Bucky's too gone to care properly.
He knows no hospital would help them. His reputation and identity proves that over time.
He feels his back come into contact with something soft and he sinks into it quite heavily, head aching as his body feels like it's being pulled through a sieve. It's almost as bad as being shot or when his arm was removed, but he doesn't voice that to Sam.
Eventually, the pain lessons and his sights clear, finding himself in their bedroom, his "safe place" as Sam and his counsellor calls it. He doesn't admit it, but the small space with only a bed, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe feels better than a whole apartment to him.
For the first couple of months before he was paired with Sam and put on missions, he slept on the floor and didn't do things like sitting at tables or cooking or talking to people. Typical Omega things just didn't come naturally to him, even when he was a kid. After all the things HYDRA made him do to people, he didn't know if, in some way, he really /could/ be redeemed after committing all those horrific acts under duress.
However, all of that seems to be coming to the surface as only a few minutes after Sam's escorted him to the bed, he's up and pushing, the pain from reopening all the wounds he thought he'd scabbed over and what he's doing making his knees quiver as he does so.
Sam's hand is on his thigh and he's talking, but he can't really hear what the Alpha's saying over the sound of his own brain screaming at him, a few tears finally falling as a gush of fluid leaves his body and floods out onto the mattress beneath him. There's a moment, where he's gasping for air and looking at the white ceiling above him, he just wants to leave. Just put this in the back of his mind and never come back, but he feels Sam's hand on his chin pulling him back down and it grounds him to the point where the bed frame suddenly breaks from his grip on it, but he doesn't care as he hears a shout, either from him or maybe Sam, before the weight on his hips is gone and there's now a new weight on his torso.
Prying his eyes open, he's faced with a tiny, screeching little beast in a green towel with dark hair in his arms, hand reaching out blindly towards his face covered in a small amount of blood. He didn't expect them to be so small and he's immediately worried he'll hurt them somehow, given everything he usually touches ends up killed or broken. He doesn't even remember his or Steve's siblings being this small when they came into the world and it /scares/ him, seeing this tiny new being that he hadn't expected.
Sam can see this (of course he can, it seems he sees everything) and pushes the whimpering being a little closer. "Seems she's got a voice as loud as you."
"She?" Bucky murmured to which Sam nodded, a small smile on his face as the new dad looked down at his now daughter, the baby still making small noises with her little fists squashed up to her face, looking a little angry in a way from having to leave her first home, not unlike her Dad before her. "Well, hey there doll. Took your time, didn't you?"
"She certainly did." Sam draped himself over his back, the Alpha's scent soothing Bucky's worries just a little. "Almost 2 days. You'd hope she's not one of those people who end up being late to literally everything." Bucky had to snort at that. "Nah, she's not Steve's."
That makes them both chuckle to themselves before a small gentle smack of protest to Bucky's collarbone brings their attention back to the little one, who now settled against Bucky's chest in the crook of his neck and shoulder, thankfully quiet as she calms down from what she'd just been through, lips pouting and making Bucky's heart flutter.
He doesn't know what might happen from here. What he'll name her, what Sam and he are now after all of this, what his life will be like now- it's all in the air.
The emotion that causes for him comes and goes in waves, just like his nightmares once used to be and ever the soldier, Bucky just lets himself sink into Sam's arms as the sky and water starts to turn pink with the setting sun outside, closing his eyes with a hum.
Tomorrow was going to be a very new day.