A/N: I am SO sorry for the wait for this chapter guys, holy crap. After finally getting to the verdict I experienced this weird end-of-story slump thing lol and I just COULD NOT write anything for this for the longest time. But after working on my high school reunion AU for awhile, I was able to get past my problems and FINALLY get this thing done. So yay! I am EXTREMELY happy to be done with this chapter. So, so happy lol
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH for your reviews and follows :D I love you all so much and I am just so excited to be getting down to the end here, and also amazed that we've actually gotten here lol. My ever-undying thanks to midnightwings96 for all her help and input and general awesomeness, and my thanks to you all for reading and sticking with this story to the end :D OH AND for those of you who have read my Matt Murdock/OC fic Woman on Fire, Siobhan makes an appearance in this chapter :D if you haven't read that story it's okay too, everything will still make sense :) anyway, on to chapter 68! :D One more chapter and an epilogue left after this!
The morning following the verdict, Summer awoke early with a tight, twisting knot in her gut. It was how she was used to waking up, thanks to her pre-existing anxiety being multiplied by roughly 1,000 during the trial, and for a moment or two, she was too tired and out of it to fully remember the previous day's events.
But then, after she opened her eyes and took a look around her, what she saw jogged her memory in the very best way possible. She saw both of her kids laying in bed with her, both still sound asleep and their cute faces the pictures of pure peace. Then, to her right laid Bucky, also sound asleep and apparently cuddling with Loki the cat, who was happily snoozing in the crook of his metal arm.
Then she remembered, and the twisting and turning of her gut disappeared in an instant. The trial was over. Bucky was innocent, and the American government could never try him for the Winter Soldier's crimes ever again. He had been vindicated by a jury of his peers, none of them influenced in any way by the Avengers, and he was a free man.
They were free. Summer smiled and laid her head back down on her pillow, hardly able to wrap her mind around the concept that the worst really was over and that their future was once again in their own hands. But damn if that wasn't the best problem she'd had in a long time.
Carefully, doing her best not to wake anyone up, Summer sat up and quietly slid out of bed. Once she stood up she looked back, making sure everyone was still out, and the only one who had opened their eyes was little Loki. But he merely stretched and then curled back up in a content little ball of fluff and went back to sleep, and Summer smiled to herself before heading to the bathroom.
Now that her anxiety had fallen to much more normal levels and she was no longer having to consider the very real possibility of having to change identities and disappear to central Florida, Summer even felt better physically than she had in weeks. She didn't throw up that morning and she didn't feel especially nauseous, and she took advantage of that particular blessing by getting in the shower and actually enjoying it instead of merely enduring it.
She washed her hair and conditioned it, going through her usual routine and finding herself unable to help but to smile to herself every few minutes. She was just so happy for the first time in so long, and she felt like now she could finally be properly happy for the new baby on the way - not because she wasn't happy before or that she had been afraid to raise the child without a father, because neither of those things were true. But now she would get to raise all of her kids on her own terms, and Bucky would get to watch all of them grow up before his eyes. Things would be as they had always been meant to be, and how could she not smile in the face of all of that?
That stubborn smile of hers only grew bigger when she heard the shower door open and a moment later felt strong, familiar arms - one warm and one cold - wrap around her from behind and pull her against a body that she knew better than she knew her own.
He pressed his lips to her neck softly, metal hand splayed protectively and sweetly over her belly as he murmured, "Tryin' to sneak off in here without me?"
"No," she smiled, letting her head fall back on his shoulder. "Just didn't wanna wake you up."
"I'd much rather lose sleep and be in here with you," he replied lowly, flesh fingertips turning her chin his way so he could lean down and capture her lips in a delightfully minty kiss.
She smiled into the kiss and turned slowly in his arms, pulling him forward and walking them both under the shower's generous, warm spray. He broke the kiss as the water hit his hair and cascaded down his shoulders, and the way that he grinned at Summer made her heart leap in her chest. He looked so much lighter, like he was no longer balancing the weight of the world on his shoulders, and she couldn't help but giggle a little when he pushed his now-wet hair back from his face and tugged her against him again.
His kiss was sweet, soft and happy, and when it came to an end, he opened his eyes and gently brushed his nose against hers. "You know," he murmured, quiet against the sound of the water spraying all around them, "there's something I didn't get to do last night, 'cause of the kids sleeping with us."
Arms winding around his neck and fingertips playing with the wet hair at the nape of his neck, Summer played ignorant and asked cheekily, "What's that?"
"I didn't get to thank you for everything you've done for me," he replied, the seriousness of those words taking her by surprise. "You've been... more than I ever could have asked for, through everything that's happened, and..."
She smiled and shook her head. "You don't have to thank me. I love you. I never thought twice about any of it, not once."
He smiled a little, affection and love incredibly evident in the way that he looked at her. Then he murmured deliberately lowly, "I do have to thank you, though."
And with that, he pushed her against the cool tile of the wall, and with just enough of the water still spraying over them to keep them warm, he kissed her with a quiet but unyielding passion that made her thoughts turn to mush. All this time that they had been together and all the problems and challenges that they had faced and overcome, and he could still render her utterly useless with a single kiss.
He knew just how to work her up, how to chase her tongue with his and make her moan from just his kiss before trailing his lips elsewhere. She closed her eyes as he kissed her neck, licking off the droplets of water slowly rolling down her skin, and then before she knew it he was dropping down to his knees and leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses down her torso. He kept his eyes on her all the while, love and mischief dancing in that gaze of his and making her smile and shudder at the same time.
He gently dragged his teeth over her hipbone, reaching behind one of her knees to pull her leg over his shoulder. It was her scarred leg, the one that had been crushed by a car a few years earlier, and he didn't hesitate to kiss the fading, light pink and white scars that she was used to by now. If nothing else, they matched the gunshot scar on her abdomen and the smaller scar on her forehead that the Winter Soldier - not Bucky - had given her.
The scars were all lasting symbols of Bucky's guilt, and he would forever blame himself for each and every one of them, but that didn't stop him from wanting her just the same. In reality, seeing what she had endured and how much stronger she was for it made him desire her all the more, even while always reminding him how unworthy of her he thought himself.
She held on to his hair and shoulder for balance as his kisses crept further up her inner thigh. She watched him inch closer and closer, closing her eyes once he was finally there and thanking her for her love and support in a way that she definitely wasn't gonna object to anytime soon.
By some miracle, the hot water lasted them throughout the entire long, rather enjoyable shower. It was still hot after he had taken her apart with his mouth and then got back on his feet and picked her up, his metal arm supporting her weight as he took her against the wall. It was all slow and sweet movements, languid but deep and punctuated by low gasps and quiet groans. They kissed through it all until the end, when they both reach their ends pressed forehead to forehead and wrapped in each other's arms. Then, once they had come back down to earth, they grinned at each other and stole a few more kisses as he gently set her down so they could rinse back off.
The idea that they got to have countless more mornings like this together was enough to make Summer feel more happier than she possibly ever had before. Their freedom was starting to sink in and truly feel real, and it only got better once they dressed and headed back into their room.
Adelaide was awake and currently putting little Loki the cat on her brother's head in an effort to wake him up. David simply batted the ball of fur away, so Adelaide let the kitty go and instead opted to lay down next to David and try to pry his eyes open with her tiny fingers.
Bucky and Summer watched quietly from the bathroom doorway, silly smiles on both of their faces. Their smiles then became wide-eyed expressions of awe when Adelaide took to a different tactic, peppering her brother's face with kisses until he started giggling.
It never failed to melt Summer's heart to see the bond between her two kids. They were eight years apart and didn't have a lot in common thanks to that age gap, but David adored her and Adelaide followed him around all day like a baby duck. And soon there would be a third little one running around, trailing after them both and making life more hectic but also even happier.
Speaking of that...
"We need to tell everyone today," Summer told Bucky quietly. "Steve doesn't even know yet."
"Yeah, I know," Bucky nodded. "Everybody's outside eating breakfast, by the way. Think I heard Paul's voice too, before I jumped in the shower."
"Really? Well, that's perfect then," Summer grinned, finally leaving the doorway. David was officially awake now, and Adelaide was giving herself an exuberant round of applause for her good work in waking him up.
Summer went to their dresser to dig into one of the drawers while Bucky mussed David's hair as a way of saying good morning, then scooped up Adelaide in his arms and gave her a good squeeze. She giggled and hugged him back, her tiny arms wrapped around his neck as Bucky asked Summer, "What do you have in mind as far as how to tell them?"
"Well, Natasha actually bought this the other day when she was out, and I figure..." Summer then turned around and smiled brightly as she held up a black and pink t-shirt in Adelaide's size with the words "big sister" spelled out in little pink sequins. "Adorable, right?"
Bucky laughed. "So you're gonna put that on her and take her out to eat breakfast and just wait for everyone to notice?"
She shook her head. "Nope. I'm gonna put her hoodie on over this, and then I'm gonna tell everyone that Natasha found the cutest shirt in the history of all baby shirts. Then I'm gonna set her down where everyone can see her, take off the hoodie, and watch it dawn on everyone what the shirt means."
"I like it," Bucky grinned. "Let's just leave out the part about making the baby on the roof. Tony would never let us hear the end of it."
"Well, I won't tell anyone, but Nat probably will."
Bucky sighed. "You told her?"
"... Honestly, Bucky, I tell her about pretty much every time we... do the thing," Summer said, mindful of the little ears in the room. "I mean, it's almost embarrassing how little I can hold back from her. So... yeah."
Bucky shook his head and then turned to Adelaide. "Your mama's something else, kiddo."
Summer grinned and tossed the big sister shirt at Bucky, who caught it with his free hand. "Put it on her and let's hurry up and tell everyone."
"Yes ma'am," Bucky grinned back, and Summer rocked on her heels excitedly for a second or two. Suddenly she couldn't wait to share the news, and she was nearly overflowing with excitement.
What better way to kick off the start of the rest of their lives than with some very happy news that their friends were long overdue for?
"They've finally emerged from their Batcave!"
Summer laughed off her brother, strolling into the common area with her entire little family in tow. Adelaide broke out into a sprint when she saw her uncle, jumping into his waiting arms and giggling happily. "We haven't gotten to sleep in in a very long time," Summer shrugged with a smile, watching her daughter squeeze Paul nearly to death.
Natasha, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in her hand, raised an eyebrow. "Sleeping in? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"
Grabbing a muffin from the kitchen, Tony then piped up, "Hey, leave them alone. They deserve a little time to defile each other in peace, although I don't know how they manage it with their kids sleeping in the same room."
Strolling past Bucky to the coffeemaker, Bucky replied, "It's called the shower."
"Oh, shower sex! Always fun. Unless somebody slips, then it's significantly less fun," Tony added.
Sitting next to Natasha, Sam leaned forward and noted, "You sound like you've got some experience with that."
"Suffice it to say that hotels don't always have the sticky things on the floor that keep you from slipping, and when you're trying to hold up a supermodel who's about seven inches taller than you..." Tony shrugged. "I needed three stitches."
"Okay, how about we all dial back the sex talk? Little ears," Summer said, gesturing to David as he hopped on to a chair at the table next to Wanda, his usual spot.
"It's his parents' fault," Tony shrugged, leaving the kitchen. "Walking out here with your stupid-happy faces and messed up hair smelling like sex and..." He paused next to Summer and took a whiff near her head. Furrowing his brows curiously, he guessed, "Vanilla cupcake body wash?"
"No," Summer joked, finally able to better handle Tony after knowing him for five years. "That's my edible lotion you're smelling."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh, now we're talking."
Bucky appeared at their sides with a steaming cup of coffee, casually replying, "I like to lick it off, what can I say. It's like licking the frosting off of a cupcake before you finally bite into the center."
Tony merely stared at Bucky and blinked before muttering, "Thanks. Now I'll never be able to see a cupcake without thinking of you biting into her center."
"Hey, whatever gets your engine going, man," Bucky shrugged. "Although it's less biting and more licking and suck-"
"Okay!" Summer giggled, face going up in flames. "Awesome! Now that you've explained something to Tony that I'm willing to bet he's already pretty well aware of -"
"I was just trying to be helpful," Bucky replied innocently, bringing his mug back to his lips. "Since I've been doing it longer than he's been alive."
Summer groaned and Tony asked, "You guys did that back in the forties?"
"And thirties," Bucky replied. "Well. At least I did. Can't speak for everybody."
Tony nodded. "Well, I mean, what straight man in his right mind turns down a perfectly good cupcake?"
Summer groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Exactly. And the more frosting the better," Bucky agreed.
That was the moment that Steve decided to reemerge from wherever he had been a moment before, and Tony was quick to holler, "Hey, Gramps! Come here and talk about cupcakes with us."
"Cupcakes?" Steve smiled, furrowing his brows. "Is that a euphemism?"
"He's catching on," Tony noted. "Dammit."
"Is it safe to come back over here now?" Paul asked, wandering back over and still toting Adelaide in his arms. "I heard the words 'licking the frosting' or something and I just really don't want to know."
Summer's blush deepened and Tony chuckled at his own actions, while Bucky glanced at Summer in a way that couldn't have possibly been any warmer. It was after noticing these things that Steve smiled and said, "Well, looks like things are getting back to normal."
"It's about time," Paul agreed. "No more doom and gloom around here, huh?"
"Doom and gloom has been officially cancelled," Tony nodded. "Least until the next cackling super-villain comes along to stir things up, but that's the kind of thing we're set up for. Right?"
Tony looked at Bucky as if awaiting an answer, and Bucky glanced at both him and Steve before replying honestly, "I think I should probably take a... extended vacation for awhile, until the dust settles. I don't know if I should even be on the team anymore."
"Of course you should be," Steve replied without hesitation. "I agree that we should wait awhile before you jump back in, but this is where you belong."
Bucky nodded, a quiet moment falling within the small group for a moment. Then Paul spoke up first, wondering out loud, "Why is Addie wearing a hoodie when it's like 76 degrees in here?"
Summer's eyes widened. "Oh! Because - because I have something to tell, I mean show, I have something to show everyone!"
Paul, Steve, and Tony all stared at Summer in mild concern. "... Why are you suddenly as red as a tomato?" Paul asked.
"No reason," Summer lied, stepping forward and snatching Adelaide from Paul's arms. "So Nat found a shirt the other day at a kids' store, and it's the cutest shirt I've ever seen in my life. Everybody's gotta look at it."
She then took Adelaide and plopped her right on top of the table, to which Tony asked, "Do you really need to put your kid's diapered butt on my table that costs more than most cars?"
"Yes, I do," Summer replied. "Okay, everybody. Come look at this thing."
Natasha shot Summer a grin, knowing exactly what she was doing. Wanda leaned far enough out of her seat to see, and Sam hopped down to get a better look himself. That left Steve, Tony, Paul and Bucky all standing behind Summer and watching as she unzipped the hoodie and then pulled it apart to show the shirt that laid underneath. Then she grinned like a madwoman and chirped, "Ta-da!"
What followed was dead silence. Steve tilted his head in confusion, and Tony seemed to see everything but the words and thus wondered what was so great about the shirt. But it was Paul who read the words not once, not twice, but three times before exclaiming, "Wait - big sister?!" Then he turned to Bucky. "You knocked up my sister again?!"
Bucky's grin was as bright as the smile on Summer's face. "I might have."
Steve let out a laugh then and Tony rolled his eyes in a good-natured, affectionate way. Sam was shaking his head at all of them, and Summer soon found herself pleasantly squished in one of the best hugs Steve had ever bestowed upon her.
"Congratulations," he laughed as he hugged her. "I don't know how you guys pulled this off, but..."
"Honestly, me either," Summer admitted after he released her. Then it was Paul's turn to nearly suffocate her with his arms, and as Summer felt her hormone-swollen emotions start to get the best of her, Tony gave Bucky's arm a pat and Steve gave him a hug next.
"You're sure gonna have your hands full," Steve chuckled.
"Yeah," Bucky grinned after pulling away. "And here I thought they were already full."
"You know, you keep going at this rate and you're gonna have a brood the size of Weasley's over there," Tony gestured to the ecstatic Paul.
"No," Bucky shook his head, eyes growing a bit wider. "Seven is... too much. No."
"Better start wrapping it up then, Frosty," Sam interjected, patting Bucky's shoulder next. "Or you know, make a trip to the doctor and get a lil' snip snip."
Summer quickly whipped around and said, "Nothing is getting 'snip-snipped'! Shut up, Sam!"
"I'm just saying," Sam shrugged, "unless you guys wanna multiply like rabbits -"
"Hey, kids are great," Paul interrupted. "My house is a zoo and I love it. The louder the better. It's fun."
"Are you sure it's the kids themselves that are so much fun or is it the act of making them?" Tony asked.
"Both!" Paul replied without hesitation. "Duh!"
In the midst of all the ruckus, Wanda left her seat and gave Summer a hug, then admitted, "I might have already known."
"Really?" Summer blinked. "How?"
"Well, David's thoughts can be very loud sometimes," Wanda smiled. "But I didn't say anything because I assumed that you would tell when you were ready."
"Thank you," Summer sighed, truly grateful for her consideration. "It's been a very... overwhelming couple of weeks, that's for sure."
"Hey, so question," Tony piped up, interrupting like only he could. "So considering the very large role I played in the trial going your way and all of that - like the giant check I wrote to bail your hubby out, remember that? I thought so - so keeping all of that in mind, you're gonna name this kid after me, right?"
Summer smiled uneasily. "Well..."
"Antonia's not the worst name for a girl," he went on. "And for a boy, what could be better than Anthony Stark Barnes?"
Bucky furrowed his brows. "Wouldn't that be your name if you married me?"
Tony paused and then looked at Bucky in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Any dude I married would be taking my name. Not that I plan on marrying any dudes, but -"
"Well actually, we kind of already picked out names," Summer said, suddenly feeling a bit nervous now that she was about to share them.
"That was fast," Sam chuckled.
She smiled back and said, "Well, we did some thinking and... if it's a girl, we like Rebecca Natalia. Rebecca was Bucky's little sister, and Natalia of course is for..." Summer's eyes flickered to Natasha, whose expression was uncharacteristically unguarded as real, genuine surprise flickered through her eyes. She gave Summer a little smile, Bucky too, and then while Summer still had her nerve up, she added, "And if it's a boy, Jesse because... we like it," she chuckled. "Kind of goes with David. And for a middle name... Steven."
Now it was Steve's turn to let his face light up with surprise, smiling and somewhat resembling a big happy puppy. "Really?"
Summer smiled widely and Bucky laughed quietly at how clearly pleased and touched their two friends were. Then Tony rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, yeah, fine. But I call dibs on the next baby."
Summer laughed at his persistence and then took a few steps forward to pull the billionaire into a hug that he hadn't expected. "We wouldn't be here without you," she told him. "Thank you for everything you've ever done for us. Which is a lot."
"Yeah, you're welcome, kid," he replied, patting on her the back.
"Besides," Summer grinned, drawing back, "maybe you can name a kid of your own after yourself one of these days."
"Maybe," he mused. "Stranger things have happened, right?"
"Definitely," Summer replied. "Like Pepper staying with you this long."
Tony barked out a laugh. "You've got me there, Cupcake."
Summer groaned. "Please don't tell me that's my new nickname."
"I'm trying it out," he grinned. "We'll see if it sticks."
Over the next few hours, the happy little group ate and laughed and had their first genuinely carefree time together in ages. Summer managed to eat breakfast without throwing it up and Bucky was smiling and laughing with his friends, something she hadn't seen him do in a long time, and David was also more relaxed than he'd been in months. Steve and Natasha couldn't have been happier about the name situation and they showed it - Natasha a little bit more, since most of her life she had never thought of herself as someone worthy of having anything good named in her memory. But that had changed, and it meant the world to her.
After a bit of time had passed, Summer lifted her self-imposed social media embargo and checked her Twitter feed. It was, predictably, utter insanity and chaos, with people on both sides of the trial tagging her and expressing either ardent support or ardent hatred. More than used to it by now and not caring one bit about the negative comments now that it was all over, Summer retweeted a meme that she had been tagged in - Frodo after the ring had been consumed in the fires of Mount Doom, with the caption It's done, it's finally over - as well as a handful of other posts before posting her own brief but heartfelt message of thanks to the people who had supported Bucky and herself through it all.
Life would never be the same, that was for sure. She was a real, bonafide celebrity now, and FRIDAY was nice enough to inform the room that since the verdict, Summer and Bucky had received a combined several hundred deaths threats across the Internet.
That was to be expected, of course. Bucky would probably never fall off of the radar completely in that sense, and there would always be those who felt that justice had failed and that he deserved to die for his crimes. But that was another reason why they needed to lay low until everything calmed down a bit, and neither of them had a problem with that. One could still do a lot of things while staying off the radar, like throw a luxurious and well-deserved party for the inner circle to celebrate the innocent verdict.
And that, Summer decided, was exactly what she was going to do.
The next two weeks whirled by in a pleasant, happy daze. Summer's nausea continued to ease up and she and Bucky both slept better than they had in months. The kids were extremely happy and Summer had a blast planning what she was calling their "victory party".
It was going to take place at the tower's penthouse. Though it was going to be a small affair, Summer went all out with it and bought herself a new dress that she almost - almost - didn't have the guts to wear. She told everybody to dress their best and sent out real, physical invitations to all the attendees. And for Thor, who obviously lacked a post office in Asgard, Summer opted for her usual tactic of yelling up an invitation to the sky.
The day arrived in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Before Summer knew it, it was only an hour until the little event began and she was in the bathroom, putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup while also trying not to chicken out and change dresses at the last minute.
She was nearly done when there was a knock at the door. After so long spent living with Bucky, she knew his knock and couldn't mistake it for someone else's. "Come in," she called, looking in the mirror and deciding that this was the moment of truth.
The door opened and in he went, strolling inside and looking like the picture of sex itself in a perfectly tailored all-black suit. She stared at him through the mirror, having not expected that, but then he stopped and stared at her.
Clearly, he fully approved of her choice of gown. "Holy fuck," he groaned, eyes flitting over her entire form as if they didn't know where to possibly focus first.
She turned around to face him fully, cheeks flushed with heat that she couldn't control. "Is it okay? Is it too much?"
The gown was sleeveless and made entirely of paper-thin and completely sheer material on the first layer. What parts of her body that were not visible was covered by white and silvery feathery embellishments. The embellishments were strategically placed, covering her breasts but allowing for a very plunging neckline and for the most amount of cleavage she had ever displayed in a dress. Then they wound down to cover her belly and hips and the rest of her lower half, though the back was completely sheer from the small of her back to the nape of her neck.
It was daring, to say the least.
"No," he said, swallowing against a suddenly very dry throat. "Definitely not. It's... fuck. It's perfect."
"Okay," she smiled, brushing back a lose, lightly curled piece of hair that was free from her updo. "Because I've never worn anything quite like this before, but... it's really pretty and I don't know... seemed like a good time to take a risk?"
"Don't second guess yourself," he told her, stepping closer and reaching out to carefully place his hands on her hips. He looked her up and down, eyes lingering on her unbelievably full breasts that frankly were impossible not to stare at in their current state, and then he added, "You look... more than amazing. The only problem is I don't know how I'm gonna keep my hands off you all night."
She smiled and then wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah, well, same here, with you in your black suit of sex and all."
He smirked. "Somehow I think I still have it worse."
"I don't know about that. They say a well-tailored suit to to women what lingerie is to men, so..."
"Well then, I chose well," he replied cheekily before leaning in and stealing a kiss. She smiled against his lips and kissed him back, both of them losing themselves for a moment or two until Summer smiled again and gently broke the kiss.
"Whoops," she said, wiping off a little bit of lipstick that she had gotten on his lips. "Sorry. We should get going, before we, uh... get distracted."
He grinned and nodded, "Yeah. But I've got something to show you first."
"Ooh," she smiled. "Is it a surprise?"
"It is, actually," he admitted. "See, awhile ago - before I got arrested - I was trying to figure out what to get you for your next birthday. I finally came up with an idea and I needed help from Steve and Tony, Nat too, but I finally got it done and I had it all ready. But then... you know what happened next, and after that, it just... was never the right time. You'll understand once you see what it is, but..."
Surprised at how suddenly serious he was and how serious this gift must be, Summer replied softly, "Okay."
He smiled at her. "I really hope you like it. I put a lot of work into it but there's a chance you won't like it, and -"
"I can almost promise you that I'll like it," she assured him. "Just show me. I'm dying now to find out what it is."
"Okay," he chuckled. "Walk in front of me and close your eyes. No peeking."
She laughed and did as he said, and he walked her out of the bathroom and into their bedroom. He steered her towards the bed, and once they were just a few steps away from it, he told her quietly, "Okay. Open your eyes."
So she did. And the first thing she saw when her gaze fell to the bed before her were blueprints, rolled out and laying flat on top of the sheets. She smiled in slight confusion, not quite understanding as she took a closer look at the plans. But upon closer inspection, it became clear what she was looking at.
"These are for a house," she said, taking special note of the section where a large and spacious kitchen was laid out.
"Your old house," he said, "it's gone but you still own the land. If you wanted, you could build a new house there. This house, if you like it."
She looked away from the blueprints and turned to him with the most pleasant of shock written on her face. "You want to a build a new house there?"
He took a breath and glanced at the blueprints, murmuring, "You know, nowhere ever really feels like home. Not the building at least. This tower isn't home for either of us. I know how you feel about the kids having their own space and their own home, which is why we rented our last house, but... still didn't feel like home, you know? I liked it, but..."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Summer said softly.
"But I think back to your house... your grandmother's house," he said, a slight smile curling the corner of his lips, "and even though I only spent a month there and half of that time I wanted to put a bullet in my head... I don't know. Something about it, when I look back now, feels... right, or safe. Something. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's because it's where I found you."
She smiled. "Best place you ever decided to pass out in front of."
He chuckled briefly before the smile fell off his face and his expression grew serious again. "It's my fault you lost that house. But... I figure this is our chance to start over. And we should have our own home. A real home. And if we can't find a place like that, maybe we can build it ourselves."
Tears stinging behind her eyes and threatening to destroy her makeup, Summer turned towards him and launched herself into his arms. "Oh my God," she said, holding him tight and trying her best not to cry. "This is perfect. More than perfect. I can't believe you thought of this." Then she pulled back enough to look at him with slight concern. "But do you really want to move to Virginia? Everybody's here and your job is here."
"I'm kinda unemployed right now," he pointed out ruefully. "And yeah, maybe we won't see everyone as much, but we can come up on weekends or whenever we feel like it. They can come down to us, too. You can do a lot of your work for SI from home and come up for events."
She smiled. "I'm guessing you cleared this with Tony a long time ago?"
"Of course I did," he grinned. "Got all the bases covered." Then he paused and asked, "So... is that a yes?"
"Only if you're sure," she replied. "You know I want our own house, and this is absolutely perfect. But only if you want it too."
"I do," he assured her. "I want it. And I mean it."
She then smiled so wide it nearly hurt. "Then holy frick, yes! Oh my God," she laughed happily before kissing him out of pure glee. He laughed too and kissed her back, holding her close and feeling an enormous sense of relief that after waiting so long, he had finally given her his gift and she had loved it even more than he'd thought she would.
Summer was on cloud nine. The thought of building a new home where her old one had once been had never even crossed her mind, so she didn't know how much she wanted it until Bucky had given it to her as an option. But now that he had and she had said yes, it felt perfect, like another piece of the puzzle had fallen unexpectedly into place before her very eyes.
"You give the best gifts," she said a moment later, in between a few more stolen kisses.
"Well, you set the bar high with the book you gave me my last birthday," he pointed out. "Had to give it my best shot."
"You succeeded," she giggled, kissing him again. "Like, really succeeded. I'm not sure you can ever top this one."
"Well," he responded cheekily, "guess we'll find out next year."
Less than an hour later, the party began. Or as most of the male attendants would remember it, Operation Look the Hostess in the Eye and Not at Her Chest. Each man found varying degrees of success with said operation, but Summer didn't hold it against them.
Summer, being overjoyed following Bucky's unexpected gift, was incredibly excited and happy to get the party started. Every person that she invited to the party showed up dressed in their best, and the penthouse of Stark Tower - Avengers Tower, more accurately - quickly became alight with one of the smallest but best parties Summer had ever thrown.
The kids were invited, too. David wore a little black suit that he looked adorable in while also matching his father, and Summer dressed Adelaide up in a black and silver tutu dress with a matching oversized hair bow. They were both cute enough to melt even the most stubborn of hearts, and they also happened to look like little miniature versions of their parents.
Tony arrived with Pepper in tow, both of them wholeheartedly approving of the simple but elegant decorations that Summer had added to the penthouse. Then there was Steve and Natasha, both in understated but classy matching attire that made them fit the scene perfectly, Steve in a black suit and red tie that matched Natasha's deep red floor-length gown. Esteban and Nicolo also came, of course, both looking as stylish and enviable as they ever did, and in fact, most of the folks in attendance were couples - Sam and Darcy, Wanda and Vision (who were still only recently using the "couple" label) and even Clint and a mystery woman whom Summer had never seen before.
"Hi!" Summer cheerfully greeted the archer and his date when they arrived, having no idea who the pretty brunette was. "Thank you so much for coming!"
"No, thank you. I never miss a chance to drain Tony's liquor cabinet for free," Clint grinned. "This is Laura, my wife."
At that moment, Summer and Bucky both widened their eyes to almost comical levels. "Wow, hi," Summer smiled at the woman, who she had never seen before in her life. "You're... did you say wife?!"
"We got married last year," Clint explained. "Kept it a secret for safety reasons."
"It's really nice to finally meet the two of you," Laura said. "I've heard so much about you both. All really great things, too."
"Wow," Bucky marveled, eyes flickering between Clint and his apparent wife. "This is crazy. How long did you two date?"
"Couple years," Clint shrugged.
Then Summer gasped. "Wait!" She looked at Laura and added, "You're the mystery girlfriend! I didn't think you actually existed, but you do!"
When Laura appeared understandably confused by that statement, Bucky explained, "Every time we'd go to the farm we'd see or hear some kind of reference to a woman in his life, but since there was never any evidence, we figured he was making it up."
"Yeah," Clint rolled his eyes, "because no beautiful woman could ever be attracted to me."
"Well, obviously that's not true," Summer smiled. "Wow! This is so cool! I'm so glad you came!"
"Me too," Laura replied. "And congratulations on the verdict, guys. That trial was just... unbelievable. I'm so sorry you both had to endure it."
"Thanks," Bucky nodded graciously. "We're just glad it's over."
"There's a lot of people who's still gonna want to see you burn, man," Clint told Bucky. "And people just get crazier and crazier these days. You better be careful out there."
"I will be," Bucky assured him. Then he quirked an eyebrow and said with a playful hint of sarcasm, "I didn't know you cared."
Clint rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. So where's the little monsters?"
Summer turned and, after a quick scan of the room, located the kids near Wanda and Vision. "Right over there." Then she gasped and exclaimed, "Oh my God! You don't know!"
"Don't know what? That you're pregnant again?" Clint joked.
"... Actually, yeah," Summer giggled, face going red.
Clint paused and Laura let out a happy laugh. "Wait. You're actually pregnant again? Dammit, Barnes, are you trying to turn her into a baby farm or what?"
Bucky chuckled and Summer shook her head. "No, no, it was a big surprise. A huge surprise. Literally came out of nowhere and I found out while the trial was still going on, so it was stressful, to say the least."
"Oh my God," Laura said. "You guys really have been through the ringer, haven't you?"
"More like... ten ringers," Summer chuckled.
"Well damn," Clint said. "Guess you'd better start stocking up on diapers again." Then he glanced across the room and added, "Hey, we'll catch back up with you guys in a little bit. Nat's been giving me the stink eye for the last three minutes and I'd rather not get on her bad side."
Summer laughed and bade them farewell for the time being, still hardly able to believe that the guy had been secretly married for an entire year. "Wow," she said after they'd walked away. "That's so weird. Clint's married. Why is it so weird that he's married?"
"Because he's Clint," Bucky replied dryly.
Summer considered that, then glanced back towards the main entrance and felt her excitement bubble up anew when she realized that more guests had arrived while she hadn't been paying attention. Foggy was there, looking around with an utterly starstruck expression on his face even though he really should have been used to keeping super-powered company now, and behind him was Matt and... someone Summer had never seen before.
"... Is he secretly married too?" Bucky wondered out loud.
"I don't know," Summer replied, staring unabashedly as his companion, "But she's extremely hot."
On Matt's arm was a beautiful woman with a literal mane of wild, bright red curls and blue eyes that stood out from all the way across the room. She wore a floor-length sleeveless deep green gown that shimmered under the soft lights, and as if she didn't stand out enough, there was a thigh-high slit on her gown that made her even more impossible to overlook. They were speaking to each other quietly, and then Matt placed a soft, sweet kiss on her lips that was so cute it was swoon-worthy.
Bucky glanced at Summer and found her still staring at the woman in a way that made him grin and ask, "You okay?"
She snapped her mouth shut when she realized it had been hanging open and muttered, "Do you ever like... see a really hot guy and think whoa, man, I could be super gay for that?"
"... Not really, no."
Summer gave him a skeptical look. "Never?"
"Hasn't happened yet," Bucky shrugged.
"... Well then never mind, you wouldn't understand."
Summer then steered herself and Bucky their way, happily greeting Foggy first as he was closest to them. "Hey!" Summer smiled, going in for the hug almost immediately. "Thank you so much for coming!"
"Oh yeah," Foggy said after they pulled away, a big smile on his face. "I never say no to free food or big celebrity parties. Especially since I've never been invited to a big celebrity party before." Then his eyes drifted downwards for exactly one second before immediately shooting back up as he smiled nervously. "Okay. Eye contact. Eye contact is a necessity."
Summer laughed. "Oh, it's okay. Really. They're just kinda... out there, so..."
"Yeah, but getting decked by a metal fist isn't really on my list of things I want to experience, so... thank you again for inviting us, and I will just be over here by the bar," Foggy smiled, giving them a slightly awkward thumbs-up before making his escape.
"Smart man," Bucky mused.
Then it was time to greet Matt and meet his super hot girlfriend, which Summer was incredibly eager to do. It showed on her face as she let out an almost too-exuberant "Hi!" and nearly swooned at how unfairly pretty the couple was. "Thank you guys so much for coming! And Matt, who in the world is this stunning creature that you brought?"
Matt chuckled, looking sharp and relaxed in a well-tailored gray suit and not a hair out of place on his head. "This is Siobhan, my girlfriend."
"Oh my gosh, hi," Summer beamed, reaching out to shake the woman's hand. "It's so good to meet you! You're gorgeous! Wow! I love your hair! And I'm rambling, I'm so sorry, it's just... wow!"
Siobhan laughed. "It's okay! Thank you so much. I've been dying to meet you both forever."
She shook Bucky's hand next, no fear or apprehension in her eyes, surely a result of Matt assuring her that his client wasn't the unstable violent criminal that the media liked to paint him as. Then Matt said, "I tried to keep her away from the media circus as much as I could. But this seemed like the right time to finally get to show her off a little."
They made such a gorgeous couple that Summer could hardly stand it. "Definitely! Wow. How'd you two meet?"
"Law school, actually," Siobhan replied with a bit of a laugh.
"Oh, so you're a lawyer, too?"
"Nope," Siobhan smiled. "I dropped out to go to med school. I'm a psychiatrist. And the family disappointment."
"You? Someone should have a long talk with your family, then," Summer laughed, and just then, Adelaide came sprinting over with a huge smile on her face. She'd had the biggest of baby-crushes on Matt since the first day she had ever seen him, and as evidenced by the way that she ran up to Matt and giggled through a big cheesy smile, the crush was still alive and well.
Handing his walking stick to Siobhan to hold in her free hand, Matt grinned and leaned down to scoop the little girl up into his arms. "There she is. Can't ever slip past you, can I?"
Adelaide giggled and started playing with his tie, and Siobhan looked on with both surprise and clear affection in her eyes. Summer grinned and explained, "My daughter fell in love with him at first sight. Seriously, since day one, she just turns into a big pile of giggles whenever he's around."
"And meanwhile Tony still can't even get a smile out of her," Bucky chuckled.
Then, as the adults continued to chat, a somewhat bored David wandered over to his parents, trying to find something to do. He went to Bucky's side and glanced up at Siobhan, then widened his eyes and stared for far longer than he realized. She glanced at him when she noticed and then smiled at him, at which point his eyes grew even bigger and he took a very deliberate step backwards.
Bucky glanced down at the boy in confusion for a moment before he realized what was happening. He tried not grin and glanced at Siobhan, who was trying not to look at David and further embarrass him. She smiled a little and Bucky silently chuckled.
David, at the ripe old age of almost 11, had apparently just discovered that girls were not all icky, courtesy of Matt Murdock's girlfriend. It was a rather huge milestone in his young life.
Within the next few minutes, Darcy wandered over with Sam in tow, dressed in a low-cut stunning dress of her own and toting a full glass of champagne in her free hand. "Dude," she said, "for a party with like 12 people here, this isn't bad." Then she glanced at Matt and Siobhan and, eyes lingering on the latter, she said, "Oh my God, Summer. You didn't tell me you invited a Disney princess. Matt, you're dating Merida?"
David's eyes grew even bigger. She really was a real life Merida. And he loved Brave. A lot.
Summer gasped. "Oh my God, you're right."
"See, usually people call me Merida to be annoying," Siobhan smiled, "but since you mean it in a good way, I'll take it."
"Awesome," Darcy smiled. "I'm Darcy, by the way. I'm kind of like... general assistant... person to the Avengers. Very vague job description, but you know how it is. Oh, and I'm dating this guy." She gestured back to Sam, who nodded and gave Siobhan a charming smile. "Would you like a tour of the place? Or at least like... this penthouse?"
"I... sure!" Siobhan chuckled.
"Awesome. Oh and Summer, holy crap," Darcy added as an afterthought, reaching out and poking at Summer's very visible and significant cleavage through her dress. "Are you kidding me with this? I'm distracted and I'm like, at least 70% straight. How are you not losing your mind?" she asked Bucky, who chuckled in response.
"I am. I just hide it well," he replied.
"Yeah, I'd say so. Now come on, Merida. Let's show you around."
With Siobahn having been stolen away, David could finally (mostly) breathe again. He leaned forward and watched her go, and while Summer chatted with Matt about the rumors that he and Foggy were going to be on the next Time cover - they were, he confirmed - Bucky gave David's shoulder a pat and said, "She's a pretty lady, huh?"
David looked up with sheer panic in his eyes and shook his head. He even blushed a little, and he looked so much like his mother in that moment that Bucky found him even more adorable than usual. "It's okay, you know. You don't need to be embarrassed. Guess what?" He leaned down closer to the boy, and David listened with a mixture of curiosity and embarrassment. "I started liking girls around your age, too."
David again shook his head, signing definitely to the negative regarding his feelings towards the opposite sex, and Bucky simply chuckled and mussed his hair. "It's all right. Like I said, nothing to be embarrassed about. And they're not as scary as they look." He paused, glancing across the room towards Natasha. "Well, most of them."
Meanwhile, Adelaide had successfully ripped off Matt's reflective glasses from his face and was chewing on one end of them. Summer was trying to pry them away from her when Tony walked by, took note of how cozy Adelaide was with Matt, and then declared, "You know, Cupcake, this next kid of yours better actually like me."
"I'll do my best to instill a deep love for all things Tony Stark," Summer chuckled in reply, finally getting the glasses out of Adelaide's little hands.
"Next kid?" Matt asked curiously.
"I'm pregnant," Summer admitted quietly, putting the glasses back in Matt's hand. "I've known for awhile, but I was keeping it quiet until the verdict."
"Wow," Matt replied with a small smile, slipping the glasses back on over his eyes. "Well, congratulations. Guess that's one way to make a fresh start, right?"
She smiled and nodded, Bucky rejoining the conversation and agreeing, "Yeah. No cleaner slate than a newborn baby."
"I hope you guys keep in touch," Matt told them both while Adelaide started trying to grab his nose. "Anything Foggy and I can ever help with, we're only a phone call away."
"Well, that phone of yours is gonna be pretty busy for a long time," Summer pointed out. "You guys are pretty much the most famous lawyers in the world now."
"Yeah... at least now we should be able to pay the electric bill at the office," Matt joked.
Summer laughed quietly. "Electricity is a very good thing to have. But yeah, we'll keep in touch for sure. And you and Foggy will have to meet the new baby whenever he or she gets here."
"Absolutely," Matt nodded. Then he inclined his head in Bucky's direction and added, "I'd invite you guys over to my neck of the woods, but... you've never liked Hell's Kitchen much anyway. Right, Barnes?"
Matt then grinned slightly, and Bucky stared at him in what looked to Summer like slight confusion and then sudden understanding. And she had no idea why.
"Right," Bucky nodded, those seemingly innocuous words bringing a memory from his last birthday to the forefront of his mind. He had gotten up before dawn and hit the streets, looking for a criminal or two to beat up and leave for the cops when he tracked a rapist to Hell's Kitchen. There he had met a masked vigilante who didn't exactly roll out the welcome mat for a fellow crime-fighter, and Bucky had conceded the brief scuffle with a flippant remark of I never liked Hell's Kitchen much anyway. He had never managed to pinpoint the vigilante's identity, although he did piece together that he was known as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen or, in less of a mouthful, Daredevil.
There had been more than one occasion where Bucky noticed odd things about Matt, from his footsteps that were so quiet they rivaled those of Natasha, and his ability to catch something being thrown at his face with impeccably quick reflexes and zero vision to help him. He had been far too distracted before during the trial to think on any of it for very long, but now that his mind was clearer and he able to better contemplate it all...
The sound of a sudden crack of the thunder and the entire building trembling in response broke Bucky's train of thought. Everybody froze and looked up, and Summer was the first to break out into a smile and exclaim, "Thor!"
Then she looked at Bucky excitedly and ran outside to meet him, heels and all, with David in pursuit with her. Bucky chuckled and watched her go, then glanced at Matt and said, "So... you're..."
"I still work alone," Matt replied as a way of confirmation. "Or at least I prefer to. But... I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need it, you've got someone else looking out for you guys." Then he grinned. "So to speak, anyway."
Grinning back, Bucky reached out and shook Matt's hand. "Thanks. And if you ever need some help..."
"I've got your number," Matt replied.
Meanwhile, outside on the terrace, a beam of rainbow-hued light faded away and left a blonde-haired Asgardian royal standing in its wake. Summer and David both came to a halt at that point, both smiling hugely as Thor looked around and then found them standing before him.
"Did I miss the party?" he asked with a smile, strolling towards them.
"Nope!" Summer chirped, all but running to him. "A party never starts until you show up."
Thor laughed and then scooped her up in a hug, doing the same with David after, and once all the hugs had been gotten out of the way, Thor told Summer, "Heimdall told me the good news."
Summer paused and widened her eyes. "... He told you I'm pregnant? How closely does he watch me?"
Thor furrowed his brows. "Pregnant? No... I meant the verdict." Then he flashed her a smile. "But congratulations! Even more wonderful news!"
"Oh," Summer laughed, briefly facepalming in slight embarrassment. "Right! Duh. Well, now you know all my news."
"I'm very glad to see how well everything has turned out," he said, slowly walking with her towards the penthouse entrance. "I was very worried for you and your family. It is a terrible ordeal you were put through. I'm sorry I wasn't there more often to lend my support."
"It's fine," she assured him. "Seriously, it is. You've got your own... Asgard... things to deal with. And just knowing that we had your support made a difference, it really did."
He smiled brightly at her, the human - well, Asgardian - sunshine that he was, and replied, "You and your family will always have my support, I can give you my word on that. And while I'm happy to hear that the family will be expanded, now you can't enjoy the gift I brought."
"What gift?"
He then produced a small flask out of seemingly thin air and said, "The finest aged whiskey that one will ever experience. Of course, we don't call it whiskey on Asgard, but it's the closest thing to what humans will recognize."
She made a low noise of desire in her throat and gazed at the flask wistfully. "Aw, man. No fair."
"It is very potent," he told her. "I'm not sure that you should even smell it, in your state."
"Fine," she sighed. Then her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh! Speaking of my state, is there any chance of me getting more of that... super awesome labor potion? Because it worked perfectly last time and I would really like to have another completely painless labor again. It totally beats horrible mind-numbing misery."
"Of course!" he smiled. "I will have my friend brew a new batch just for you, perhaps a larger stock this time, considering how blessed you are when it comes to fertility."
"That would be great!" Summer replied excitedly. "And by friend, do you mean... you know. Your brother's..."
"Yes," Thor smiled back. "You know, one day you truly must come to Asgard for a visit. There are quite a few people who are very eager to meet you."
"Me?" Summer asked, hardly able to believe that. "Really?"
"Of course! My constant talk of my human friends has both somewhat annoyed and fascinated my friends back home," he chuckled. "One day, when the time is right, I will formally invite you and the others for a visit."
"That... would be... beyond amazing," she said, nearly tingling with excitement just at the very thought. "Oh my God. Just... name the day and I'll be there."
Thor chuckled and agreed, and then they headed inside the penthouse. The arrival of Thor was a surefire way to bolster a party, and this time was no exception. It was also a jaw-dropping moment for Siobahn, who was dragged over to Thor by Darcy and immediately introduced. The blush on her cheeks when he kissed her hand in greeting was nearly as vibrant as the red of her hair, but of course, Thor tended to have that effect on everyone.
Paul and his big, happy family arrived awhile later, their lateness a common theme whenever they had to pack everybody up and move from point A to point B, and Summer decided that having a bunch of kids at an otherwise adult party wasn't bad at all. It was nice to see all the kids in her family together, and they all devoured the cake pops and treats that she'd had delivered specifically for them prior to the party. Meanwhile, the adults flocked around Thor trying their best to get a taste of his stash of Asgardian whiskey.
"I've warned you people before," Thor said as he poured a bit in Steve's drink, "these spirits are not meant for mortal men."
"Yeah, yeah, keep it flowing, Blondie," Tony said, impatiently holding out his own glass. "I just grew ten new gray hairs waiting for you to top me off."
Thor sighed and obliged, eyeing Pepper as he said, "I apologize in advance, Lady Pepper."
She shrugged. "I'm used to it."
Drink now in hand, Tony gave his thanks and then whirled around, making a beeline for Bucky. He was talking to Natasha and Sam, and he barely looked up when Tony whizzed by and shoved the drink in his hand with a slightly sing-song, "Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah!"
Bucky looked down at the drink suddenly in his hand and then turned his head to watch Tony wander off elsewhere, already halfway across the room. He furrowed his brows and sniffed at the drink, then glanced at Natasha and Sam before shrugging and downing half of it in one gulp.
Meanwhile, as Thor doled out the super-powered whiskey, Summer ended up grabbing a rather sadly sober ginger ale from the bar and then joining Darcy, Siobhan, Nicolo, and Esteban as they all admired their current company.
"Seriously, look at him," Darcy said as she shamelessly ogled Thor. She glanced at Siobhan and asked, "Are you looking?"
"I'm looking," Siobhan confirmed.
"He's just... yeah," Darcy sighed. "But anyway. So I've gotta ask. You and Matt."
Siobhan smiled. "Yes?"
Darcy nodded and raised an eyebrow. "He's hot."
Estsban almost choked on his drink in an effort to agree with Darcy as quickly as he possibly could. "So hot."
"I bet he's good at things. You know. Stuff. And things," Darcy said, giving an exaggerated wink.
Siobhan smiled and took a nonchalant sip of the champagne in her hand. "I definitely can't complain."
"He's so sweet," Summer added, sipping her ginger ale. "Like... seriously, I didn't used to think that guys like that even existed. Do we have all the good guys left in the world crammed into this room, right now?"
Nicolo's eyes widened. "We might."
Vision then flew around the room with no less than four kids hanging on to him, all giggling and squealing with glee, and Darcy said, "That also includes the artificial men, too, I guess."
"... What is he, exactly?" Siobhan asked.
"He is some kind of mixture of Tony's old AI JARVIS and a mind gem, whatever the heck that is, and he's made of vibranium... skin," Summer replied. "He can grow capes on demand and walk through walls and... yeah. And he's very sweet. He loves kids. And he wears sweaters sometimes."
"And him and Wanda are a thing," Darcy added. As if to solidify her point, when Vision whooshed past Wanda, he reached out a hand to her hair and sent it flying up in the wind. She turned around and smiled at him as he flew off.
"Oh," Siobhan replied. "Wow."
"We know what you're thinking," Esteban said. "Does he have a dick?"
Nicolo choked on his drink. "Oh dear God."
"Well, we've all wondered it!" Esteban shrugged. "Is he a vibranium Ken doll or is he all man?"
"But if he can just... grow a cape," Summer said, "he could probably... y'know. Make one. If he didn't already have one."
"Dude," Darcy blinked. "Adjustable vibranium dick. AVD."
"And yes, Siobhan, darling," Esteban said, "these are exactly the kind of conversations you hear in this place every day."
Siobhan laughed. "Well, there's probably never a dull moment then, right?"
Just then, as if to confirm as much, Bucky reappeared at Summer's side and slammed his now-empty glass down on the bar. Then he grabbed Summer by her waist and smiled at the others, telling them, "Excuse us."
Then, before she could fully process what was even happening, Bucky had steered them into the nearest storage closet and slammed the door shut behind them. He flipped on the light and gently pushed Summer up against the wall, looking at her with a ravenous gleam in his eye as she looked up at him in a slight daze.
"Bucky, what are you -"
"You're fucking killing me, you know that?" he growled, advancing on her and putting his hands on either side of her head, caging her in.
"... I am?"
"This fucking dress," he groaned, dropping his eyes down over her body. "This is why you wore it, isn't it? You wanted me to lose my fucking mind and drag you off somewhere to get you alone."
Summer grinned and felt her face heat up in a bright blush. "I... well... I might have hoped -"
"You're so beautiful," he groaned, brushing his lips softly across hers, and that was when she smelled the unearthly whiskey on his lips and suddenly understood.
"... Bucky, are you drunk?"
He pulled away and shook his head with a grin. "No. I'd probably have to drink four of those flasks to get drunk. But I'm a little tipsy. And it's been so long since I was tipsy, I forgot what a horny bastard it makes me."
Then he kissed her, and Summer giggled into the kiss and pulled him closer. He tasted heavenly, like the literally heavenly whiskey, and she would have been lying if she had said that she didn't thoroughly enjoy him grabbing her and dragging her into this little space just to ravish her. She could feel him hard against her leg already, the poor man, and he was groaning and kissing her so desperately that she could feel how badly he truly needed her. If he was like this just a little tipsy, she could only imagine the trouble they could get up to if he was actually fully drunk.
His lips dragging down over her neck and flesh hand delicately running over her very visible breast through her dress, he groaned helplessly, "God, I want you. Want you so bad right now, baby..."
She groaned and closed her eyes, one hand in his hair and the other on his shoulder, feeling him grind shamelessly against her. They didn't exactly have time for this, and her dress wasn't the kind that could just be pushed up and out of the way for a quick hook-up in a storage closet, but...
She grabbed his shoulders and turned them around, putting him against the wall instead. He stared at her with that slightly glazed, needy look of his, and Summer reached down to undo his belt as she said, "You can't have me until later, but... I can take the edge off for you, if you want."
"God, please," he murmured, kissing her with a sloppy passion before she carefully dropped down to her knees in front of him. He watched her the whole way down, watched her get his pants far enough down to get them out of the way, and he didn't dare tear his eyes away once her hand was wrapped around him and she was licking her lips in anticipation.
But that all flew out the window once he felt her fully engulf him in the warmth of her mouth. He dropped his head back against the wall and let out a sound that earned him a light slap on the thigh. He understood what it meant - stay quiet, there's kids out there.
He did his very best to comply.
Meanwhile, outside, as Siobhan began to wander around in search of a bathroom, she mistook the storage closet as a possible candidate for said restroom. Luckily though, before she could even get her door on the handle, Natasha put a hand on her shoulder and gently guided her away.
"You don't want to go in there, trust me," Natasha smiled.
"Oh. I thought maybe the bathroom might be in there," Siobhan said, glancing back at the storage closet in mild confusion.
"No, it's over to the left and down the hall," Natasha explained. "The only things in that room are spare glasses for Tony's bar and two people who can't make it through one of these parties without hooking up at least once. You'll get used to it."
"Oh," Siobhan chuckled in understanding. "I have to say, this is one of the most interesting parties I've ever been to."
"Well, this is fairly tame for us," Natasha replied. "I think Summer was going for a more wholesome vibe this time around. Which is ironic, considering what she's currently up to."
Then, just in front of them, David walked by with one of his cousins. He looked up at Siobhan, reddened instantly, and then cast his eyes down to the floor and nearly ran away.
Natasha glanced at Siobhan and smirked. "I think you might have just kickstarted puberty for that poor kid."
"I didn't mean to, I swear."
Then, maybe around five minutes later, the door to the storage closet opened and Bucky emerged first. He ran a hand through his hair and walked out nonchalantly, hands in his pockets, ignoring the wearily amused look Natasha shot him from the bar, where she was currently sitting. Then Summer came out next, hair considerably messier than it had been before and cheeks flushed. Her lips might have been a little swollen and redder than before as well, but she hoped nobody would notice.
Bucky wandered off to chat with Steve as Summer took a seat next to Natasha at the bar. Natasha gave her a look and then slid her a new glass of ginger ale.
"Thanks," Summer said quietly, taking the drink innocently.
"Sure. Thought your throat might be a little sore."
Summer choked on the first drink she took, then recovered as quickly as she could and said, "How could you possibly know what we were doing in there? We could have been doing anything!"
"It's pretty obvious when he walks out looking like the picture of relaxation while you're still blushing and incredibly tense," Natasha shrugged.
Summer sighed and eyed her friend wearily. "It's almost creepy how you always know everything. You know that, right?"
"Since I know everything, of course I do," Natasha smirked.
Summer chuckled and finished the rest of her drink. They still had a lot of party left to go, and she needed to stay on track.
About an hour later, with the party still thriving and carrying on beautifully, Summer decided that she needed to get something off of her chest. She hadn't planned on giving an impromptu speech, but she ended up standing up on top of the small staircase that led outside to the terrace and getting everyone's attention so she could do exactly that. Public speaking was uniquely horrible for her, but these were her family and friends and they needed to hear what she had to say.
"So..." She smiled and chuckled a bit nervously, holding a glass of water in her hand just to give her hands something to do as she tried to find the right words. "First of all, thank you guys so much - all of you - for coming. Tonight's been amazing and having all my friends and family in the same room for a night, and meeting a few new faces too... I think we all needed this after everything we've had to deal with for the last... how many months was it? I don't even know, but it felt like an eternity."
Glancing down at Bucky, who was standing at the front of the crowd with Addie in his arms, Summer smiled and went on, "We couldn't have won the trial without the support of everybody in this room. All of you played such a huge role, and even if you don't feel like you did, trust me, you did. Whether you helped watch our kids or dealt with the stupid paparazzi outside the building or... literally, everything that each and every one of you did, we wouldn't be here without you. And that goes even more so for the two best lawyers we could have ever found. Matt and Foggy, we owe you a debt that we'll never truly be able to repay. All I can say is thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
If Summer's eyes didn't deceive her, Foggy might have actually choked up a bit from those words. Matt smiled in a way that was just as equally touched, and though Summer felt tears stinging her eyes, she kept going with her off-the-cuff speech.
"You know, not too long ago - it feels like it was yesterday - it was just me and David alone in my grandma's house in Virginia. Life hadn't been very nice to us, so... it was lonely. It wasn't easy, but we made do with what we had. I thought we were gonna be stuck in that house alone forever, honestly, but then one day this... man," she grinned at Bucky, "showed up out of nowhere and changed our lives. And it's because of him that I met all of you, but... now because of all of you, me and and my kids don't have to lose him. And I can never, ever, thank you all enough for that."
Now definitely crying a little bit and feeling her heart flutter at the sight of all of all the people that she loved most gathered in front of her, some of them fighting tears of their own, Summer smiled and tried to wrap it up. "Anyway, before my crazy pregnant hormones get the better of me and I start blubbering up here like a baby... again, just... thank you all for coming here tonight, and thank you for everything you've done for us. If I could, I'd name this next baby after all of you, but I don't think they'd forgive me if I did, so... hopefully this speech makes up for that a little bit? I hope?"
Her words sparking laughter among her friends, they then gave her an impromptu round of applause that made her blush and wave them off to try to make them stop. Then she stepped down and found herself mauled by hug after hug from nearly each one of them. She was on such an emotional high from it all and she felt so incredibly happy and loved that it was simply perfect. She had needed that so very badly, and most importantly, she had finally properly thanked everyone and expressed how much they meant to her.
But there was still one thing left to do. Once she was back at Bucky's side, she called Matt and Foggy over and then asked Bucky, "You have the thing?"
He pulled out an envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to her. "Of course I have the thing."
She smiled and then turned to Matt and Foggy once they had approached. "So," she said cheerfully, "I still owe you our last payment."
She then handed the envelope to Foggy, who took it and said, "Oh, this could have waited until next week. You didn't have to worry about that right now."
"Well, no time like the present, right?" Summer smiled. "Can you open it and check if it's the right amount?"
"Sure," Foggy nodded, quickly opening the unsealed envelope and pulling the check out. After briefly scanning over the amount listed, his eyes grew to the size of enormous saucers. "Uh... there's... a couple zeros that shouldn't be here..."
Summer smiled at his reaction and explained, "Well see, you guys actually under-charge your clients and while I appreciate that you're in it for the right reasons instead of for greed... you guys gave us the rest of our lives back, and you deserve every penny of that check."
"How much is it?" Matt asked.
"It's... so... much," Foggy said, actual real tears in his eyes as he slapped the check into Matt's hand and proceeded to launch himself at Summer for a huge, almost crushing hug. "Thank you so much. You are amazing. You're a goddess." He then gave her a big kiss on the cheek, making her laugh and squirm, and then because he was just that damn happy, he gave Bucky a hug and a kiss too. Bucky endured it stiffly, rolling his eyes and then wiping off his cheek once it was over.
"Thank you guys so much," Foggy repeated. "You know, I just... I really like being able to eat and keep the water running in my apartment, and with this, I'll be able to do that and we can actually afford a decent working office. And better advertising. And better everything. I love you."
Then he hugged Summer again, and she smiled at an equally grateful Matt over his shoulder. "Well, like I said, we'll never be able to really repay you, but... I figure this will at least help, right?"
"It helps so much," Foggy gushed, pulling away. "I'm sorry. I think I have to go sit down and cry for awhile. Maybe call my mom. Yeah, I'm definitely gonna call my mom."
Summer laughed as he walked away, fishing out his cell phone to indeed call his mother. Matt chuckled and ran his thumb over the dollar amount on the check - unbeknownst to Summer, he could feel the imprint of the ink on the paper and thus read the amount - and he told her quietly, "You didn't have to do this. But thank you."
"I guess just... consider it an investment," Summer smiled. "And the only return that I need is knowing that you guys stay who you are and keep helping people that nobody else will."
"This will definitely make doing that a lot easier," Matt replied.
"Then it was worth it," Summer beamed. And then, because she just couldn't help herself, she pulled Matt into a hug and thanked him for his help for the thousandth time. Then, after another moment or two had passed, she asked, "Hey, where did Siobhan go? I haven't seen her in awhile."
Bucky glanced around the room and then paused, eyes widening in surprise before his lips curled up into a grin. "She's dancing with someone."
Bucky pointed in the right direction, and Summer then saw a sight she'd never forget. Siobhan was dancing with David, or at least trying to while he followed her lead a bit stiffly and with a face the color of her hair.
"... Your girlfriend is dancing with my son," Summer grinned to Matt, wishing that he could see for himself.
He laughed and shook his head. "She can be a bit of a heartbreaker."
Bucky quickly took a picture with his phone, just to make sure that there was evidence of this event that would stand the test of time. Siobhan noticed and smiled at them, giving them a wave, and then when David looked up and realized that they were being watched, he gulped in terror and embarrassment and shuffled around so that he was behind Siobhan and shielded from his parents' sights.
Summer sighed and shook her head. "Man, they grow up fast."
"Yeah," Bucky agreed, sliding an arm around Summer's waist and kissing the side of her head. "Guess we'll just have to keep making more."
She giggled and leaned into his embrace contentedly. "I'm okay with that." She was more than okay with that.
From that point on, the party began to wind down and the kids present started to either get cranky or get sleepy. That included Tony, who got both cranky and sleepy until Pepper took him back to their room for the night. Nicolo and Esteban left soon thereafter, followed by Paul and his entourage. Darcy and Sam also called it a night around the same time Clint and Laura did, and Vision literally flew off somewhere with Wanda in his arms. Foggy hugged Summer again on his way out with Matt, and Siobhan gave David a kiss on his cheek that very nearly made him have a stroke.
Once most everyone was gone, Thor stuck around to catch up more with Steve and Natasha, who claimed they weren't yet tired anyway. That left Bucky and Summer as the last ones to leave, taking their two little ones to bed and turning in for the night.
David was utterly beside himself and wide awake thanks to all the excitement and his life-changing epiphanies, but Adelaide was asleep before her head hit the pillow. And even though Bucky and Summer had earlier made rather detailed plans for the rest of the night, they couldn't quite outlast David, and they ended up passed out for the night long before he managed to stop staring at the ceiling and actually fall asleep as well. It was perhaps not the most exciting end to their night, but that was simply parenthood. And they wouldn't have traded it for the world.
Summer slept through the night with Bucky's left arm draped over her waist and his metal hand resting lightly on her belly. Adelaide slept in her arms, her head pillowed on the crook of Summer's arm, and David ended up falling asleep with his head dangling off the bed - appropriate, considering his world had been turned upside down.
Everything was perfect, and everything was peaceful. No nightmares came to any of them that night, and when the morning came, they all awoke happily and with stubborn smiles on their faces.
It was certainly a life that they could get used to.