Connie accepted Bucky's check in - the first night we were home.
He was holding me, calming me down after I had woken up shaking, sweat dripping off of me, and tears almost drowning me - the nightmare was so horrific I could barely speak - when my phone began chiming with her texts. Somehow it helped break me free from the terrors that I'd seen in the paralytic dreamworld - hearing a rapid fire pinging that I knew was coming from a place of love, even if it was a wee bit fucking overboard.
I giggled, a tired half hoarse sound, but it was still a laugh. "I'm being paged, Sergeant." The clouds of fear and concern that were casting shadows on Bucky's face started to clear. His fingers were still brushing the dampness from my face, but instead of biting his lip in worry, I could see a hint of a smile peeking out.
"Do you want me -" Shaking my head, I tried to get vertical, but I needed help - since he was hovering. A little maneuvering and we managed to get me sitting up against the headboard. "I'll go grab you a cool washcloth, and some water."
"You're spoiling me," I muttered, but he was already rushing off, after handing me my phone. A glance told me that Connie was in overprotective mama bear mode and I had a flicker of fear that I would turn into her - SHIT. Reading through her texts, as another chimed in, Bucky came back with my washcloth first - cool and fresh, he wiped my face and I shook my head. "I could handle that," raising my face up to his ministrations, he smiled down, but didn't give it over.
"I know you are fully capable," once he cleared my face free of sweat and tear stains, he leaned close and kissed me. Pulling back slightly, still close enough that I could count the flecks of grey in his blue eyes, he smiled down at me. "I happen to LIKE taking care of you."
God, what did I do to get so fucking lucky? "Wow, Bucky," he had finally managed to do it, he'd scrambled my brain. "I think you just -"
"Diverted you from your mission," he chuckled. Dropping a quick kiss on my lips, he pulled away. "Sorry, sweetheart, let me go get your water while you let Connie know I haven't finally reverted to my old ways, killed you, and somehow wearing you as a skin suit for fun." I snorted and his grin grew.
Text or call? Before I could choose, she made the choice for me, my phone rang with her ringtone - "Good morning, Mother," I rolled my eyes, but my lips were at war with my minor irritation at her, I loved her silly worrywart ass.
"Bucky said you've been sick and Sam -" I groaned and she stopped talking. "Oh GOD, what freaky ass weird disease did you catch down there in the deep ass south?"
"Nothing," I grumbled, eyes meeting Bucky's as he returned with not water, but juice. YAY. I must have looked excited because he shook his head and his grin was full blown as he offered it to me. Taking a sip I sighed in contentment. Like nectar from the gods. "I didn't catch anything, Connie, I just -" Fuck. I hadn't gone to a doctor to get it confirmed and I'd insisted that Bucky NOT tell anyone, but then again Sam kind of knew - I took another drink, stalling for time.
"BROOKE!" Connie was so loud I had to lower the phone, and Bucky's grin nearly split his face. "What the he-" muffled sounds gave me time to shoot my darling fiance a look, asking him for some direction.
"Go ahead," he leaned close and kissed my nose. "She's your Steve"
"I'm your what?!" Connie was back and she was ready to go. "Would you PLEASE tell me what is going on?"
Taking a deep breath, and handing Bucky my glass of juice so he could sit it down and take my hand, I linked our fingers and, "while I was in Delacroix, I DID get sick, but it might be a GOOD kind of sick -"
"What kind of sick is a good kind of -" her voice trailed off, like it was finally dawning on her. "OH MY GOD!" I could hear Bryn asking what was so exciting and Connie hushing her and promising everything from a Poptart to more cartoons - when it was quieter on her end she came back and sounded as breathless as she would have if we'd gone through PE and maybe that hellscape of summer camp again. "Have you taken a test?"
I put her on speakerphone, what's the point of being secretive? "A test?" Buck and I shared a look and burst out laughing. "Um, I've taken a FEW." Connie stayed quiet and I knew she was waiting for more. "They've all been positive." I swear, I was going to end up paying a priest for his services to make sure she wasn't possessed. The shrieking and yelling, my GOD! Bucky was smiling so wide that I couldn't NOT smile too, and then his fingers started twisting the ring on my left hand - OH so we were going to tell EVERYTHING at once? I raised an eyebrow and nodded at the phone. His eyes went wide. And a silent back and forth ensued. If he wanted to let her know THIS news, then he could tell her on the PHONE.
Clearing his throat, we listened as Connie was telling Bryn that she was excited because Brookie and Bucky had GOOD news, and I bit my lip. I watched as Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, Bucky, the Winter Soldier - a former assassin who had toppled regimes and assassinated countless people - mentally prepared himself to tell MY best friend that we were engaged.
"Connie," I cut through her telling Bryn that we could all have lunch or a tea party very soon. "Bucky wants to tell you something." I was TRYING not to laugh, but it was VERY hard.
"What?" She sounded distracted, clearly still reeling from the news that I had a mini Bucky or Brooke swimming around inside me - maybe. "Bucky?" He'd gone silent, that silent that only he could go. "He still there?"
"I'm still here," his fingers tighten on mine. "I wanted to tell you, WE wanted to tell you," I bit my lip. "I - We're," and then I saw something I didn't expect - "I'm taking Brooke to see Dr. Steven Strange today, she's been having some trouble sleeping. And she wants to get what we're pretty sure about confirmed." My mouth dropped open. He'd chickened out. So much for taking a bullet.
"That's great, Bucky," Connie sounded about as amazed by his announcement as anyone would be. "I'm happy you're taking care of her, she deserves that."
"Maybe after that -" he sighed. "We can all get together and have dinner." His fingers were tracing my ring again. "Celebrate things." Ah, in person, a better alternative. I shook my head and leaned over to kiss his silly ass.
"That sounds like a plan," Connie told us goodbye, Bryn her echo, and then with a round of "love you's" we signed off.
Bucky was staring at me, and I grinned up at him. "You choked," I murmured, my free hand trailing up his chest. "You were all for telling her ALL our news, and then -" I teased him and he leaned close, forehead meeting mine. "I never thought I'd see you falter."
"She'd explode if I told her over the phone," nudging my nose with his, I nodded. "I want to tell EVERYONE, Brooke. I'll write it in the clouds myself," his lips were getting closer to mine, the heat of his breath washing over my face. "Your friends are your family, Connie most of all, she should be told in person." And that was the last thing he said, word wise, until we had to get ready for my appointment with Dr. Strange.