Regulus tapped his phone, his fingers moving quickly as he sent the video of Sirius's heartfelt retirement ceremony with Archive to their sergeant. A few seconds passed, then his phone chimed with a familiar "ding." Regulus looked down, ready to see a simple acknowledgment, but what he saw made him freeze.

The message from their sergeant read: "Congratulations, Sergeant Black."

Regulus blinked in surprise, his heart skipping a beat as he read the words again. He turned to Sirius, his eyes wide with shock. "Sirius, when did you reach Sergeant?" Regulus asked, his voice filled with genuine surprise. "You didn't tell me!"

Sirius, who had been in the middle of casually talking with Buck, blinked in confusion, his brow furrowing. "Wait, what?" he muttered, looking at Regulus with a confused expression. "I'm… not a sergeant. At least, I wasn't told anything about it."

Regulus shook his head, holding his phone up for Sirius to see. "Well, apparently, you are. Our sergeant just congratulated you… Sergeant Black," Regulus emphasized, his tone half teasing, half incredulous.

Sirius's eyes widened as he stared at the message on Regulus's phone. "No way… they never told me," he whispered, disbelief evident in his voice. He looked down at Archive, who was now lying contentedly at his feet, and then back at Buck, as if hoping for some kind of explanation to magically appear.

Buck, on the other hand, had a grin slowly spreading across his face. He couldn't help but chuckle softly at Sirius's bewilderment. "Well then, Sergeant Black," Buck teased playfully, stepping closer to Sirius, "why don't you help me up, hmm?" His tone was light, but his eyes gleamed with a mixture of pride and amusement.

Sirius blinked again, still trying to process the information, but the moment Buck spoke, a soft smile crept onto his face. "Sergeant, huh?" he murmured, shaking his head in disbelief. "I guess they decided I deserved a promotion after all."

Buck held out his hand, and Sirius didn't hesitate. He reached out, gently pulling Buck to his feet. As Buck straightened up, he moved in close, his arms wrapping around Sirius's neck in a soft but intimate embrace.

"Congratulations, Sirius," Buck whispered, his voice warm and filled with love. He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Sirius's lips, a gesture filled with pride and affection. "My love," he added quietly, his breath brushing against Sirius's cheek as he rested his forehead against his husband's.

Sirius felt his heart swell at Buck's words, the soft intimacy of the moment making everything else fade into the background. The chaos of their day, the surprise of his promotion, the retirement of Archive—it all melted away for a brief second as he lost himself in the warmth of Buck's embrace.

Buck's hand moved gently to rest on Sirius's, guiding it down to his stomach. Their fingers intertwined, resting just where the softest of bumps was starting to show. Buck smiled, his eyes glowing with pride as he looked at Sirius. "The baby is proud of you too," Buck said softly, his voice full of tenderness as he rubbed his stomach gently.

Sirius's eyes softened at the words. His hand, resting on Buck's belly, felt a gentle shift beneath his palm. It wasn't quite a kick yet, but it was enough to remind him that their child was there, growing, full of life. Sirius's smile widened as he let out a soft breath, the reality of everything starting to settle in.

"I'm going to be a dad," Sirius murmured, more to himself than anyone else. The words, which he'd spoken before in moments of excitement and anticipation, now felt even more real, more tangible. He was going to be a father, and not just any father—a father who would be present, who would be there for every moment. A father who had fought battles and protected lives, but now had the chance to protect something even more precious.

Buck grinned, his hand squeezing Sirius's. "You're going to be an amazing dad," he said confidently. "And now you get to do it with a fancy new title. Sergeant Sirius Black, dad extraordinaire."

Sirius chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully, though he couldn't hide how much the moment meant to him. "I guess I'll have to live up to that now," he said, still feeling a bit overwhelmed by the promotion.

"You've already lived up to it," Regulus said from where he stood, his phone still in his hand, recording the tender moment. "If anyone deserves to be sergeant, it's you."

Sirius turned to look at Regulus, feeling a deep sense of appreciation for his brother's words. Regulus, who had been by his side through so much, always had a way of grounding him. "Thanks, Reg," Sirius said sincerely, giving him a small nod. "I guess we're both moving forward, huh?"

Regulus smiled back, his gaze flickering briefly to Eddie, who was standing nearby, watching the whole scene with an amused but thoughtful look. "Yeah," Regulus murmured, his voice a little quieter. "Moving forward sounds like a good plan."

Eddie, noticing Regulus's glance, raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead, he stepped forward, clapping a hand on Sirius's shoulder. "Congratulations, man," he said, his voice full of genuine admiration. "You deserve it. You've always had the leadership in you."

Sirius gave a humble shrug. "I don't know about that, but thanks, Eddie. It means a lot."

The team had gathered closer now, murmuring their own congratulations, their respect for Sirius growing even deeper after witnessing the way he'd handled everything. They knew he was more than capable of being a sergeant, even if he hadn't seen it coming.

As the moment started to wind down, Buck stretched his arms above his head, letting out a soft yawn. "Well, this day has been full of surprises," he said, leaning into Sirius with a content sigh. "First, Archive's retirement, then the baby, and now this."

Sirius chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I don't know how we're going to top today."

"We don't need to," Buck said, smiling softly. "I think we've had enough excitement for a while."

Sirius kissed Buck's forehead, his arm wrapped protectively around him. "Yeah, I'm good with just… being here. With you."

Archive, who had been lying quietly at Sirius's feet, stood up and padded over to Buck, resting his head gently on Buck's stomach as if sensing the importance of the moment. The room, once full of noise and activity, now felt peaceful, almost serene.

Sirius looked around at his family—Buck, their unborn child, Regulus, and even Archive—and felt a deep sense of contentment settle over him. He had fought battles, faced down enemies, and now, he was ready to face something far more important: fatherhood.

And he couldn't wait.