Asylum

Shock

As Valentina gave her testimony, Steve grew increasingly furious. He couldn't believe that despite everything, that after all the testimonies against her, the former director of the hospital would deny her negligence and her mistreatment of other omegas.

He was almost certain that Valentina would be found guilty, but that did not prevent the unpleasant moment of spending time in front of her during the trial. Watching her glare defiantly at Bucky as she spoke, as if she was going to rip him to shreds if she wasn't surrounded by a group of cops.

"Mr. Rogers and I had a connection, I thought we were falling in love. It was the intrigues of James Barnes that separated us."

That was the kind of thing they were forced to hear in the final days of the trial. Steve had to tell himself over and over again that it was all about to end.

Bucky tried to appear calm in front of Steve and rarely complained (not about getting up early for the trial, nor about being in front of Valentina), but his scent made it clear that he wanted to speed up time as much as his alpha did.

The day the judge sentenced Valentina to 30 years in prison, Bucky took a deep breath of relief that moved Steve and forced him to hug the omega tightly, bury his nose in his brown locks, and then place a kiss on his temple.

"You're a true hero, you know?" Bucky whispered as they left the courthouse.

"I just did what anyone would do to help someone who he lo..." Steve was suddenly quiet. He didn't know if he should continue his sentence, but before he had to decide, Bucky started laughing and kissed him on the lips.

*****
*****

A month after the trial ended, Steve and Bucky agreed to meet their new group of friends at a coffee shop to find out how things were going.

The blond came straight from work, along with Peggy and Clint. Jane and Darcy, who had become roommates, were already waiting in the cafeteria. Maria Hill, who had become quite close to them, arrived about 20 minutes later.

The group spent some time joking and small talk, but Steve got worried when he looked at the clock: almost an hour had passed and Bucky hadn't arrived.

The brunette was supposed to get a medical checkup before the meeting, but the clinic really wasn't that far from the cafeteria. Steve was feeling really nervous, and was grabbing his jacket to go out looking for his omega when he came through the door.

Without saying anything, Steve ran to him and hugged him tightly, then kissed him intensely. Bucky looked a little taken aback.

"Are you okay? I was really scared, I thought something happened to you."

"No, Steve, I'm sorry," Bucky replied softly as he cupped the alpha's face in his hands. "I'm really sorry, I should have told you I would be late."

"Are you sure everything's okay? You look a little pale."

"Steve, can you put your 'protective alpha' mode aside for a moment, just for a moment?" Darcy exclaimed to tease Steve and the others laughed around him. Bucky gave him a soft smile and the blond sat back down.

Over coffee, Jane and Darcy congratulated Steve on the success of his article on the hospital experience. In recent weeks many colleagues had done the same, not only because of the courage that the blond had shown and the positive effect that the story had on the lives of many people, but because of his talent as a writer. Still, Steve kept blushing whenever someone brought it up. Before publication, he was afraid of being seen as unprofessional for falling in love with Bucky.

"I never doubted that story was a great idea," Peggy said proudly, only to earn sarcastic looks from her friends. "What?! I didn't!"

Jane had met with Dr. Banner, who now worked in his own clinic. It was a difficult job because there were still many prejudices to overcome regarding mental health (especially when it comes to omegas), but both were happy to work in something they loved and several patients began to place their trust in them.

Darcy had decided to go back to school and contacted his family again. Until now, everything was peaceful, because her parents were very worried and sorry for the place where she ended up hospitalized. They still had a long way to go to settle their differences, but this time they were willing to fight for her daughter.

Life hadn't changed much for Clint or Peggy, but both had shown a genuine interest in befriending Jane, Darcy, and Bucky. In fact, that was one less worry for Steve. The blond had been afraid that Bucky would have trouble adjusting after everything he'd been through, but he had apparently underestimated how charming the omega could be with people.

However, in the almost 5 hours of conversation they had that evening, Bucky had kept quiet much of the time. He responded to teasing and showed interest, but often seemed lost in thought.

Steve and Bucky walked hand in hand to their apartment. The blond didn't dare ask the omega what was wrong. He didn't even know if he was being over the top. Even so, they barely got to the living room, he didn't resist anymore.

"What happened this afternoon? Are you okay?"

Bucky was startled. "What? No, what do you mean? I'm fine. Why do you ask? Really, I'm fine."

"Uhm, if everything was fine, you wouldn't have to reaffirm it so many times. What happened?"

Bucky snorted. "So you don't trust me? Are you saying you don't trust me? You should be embarrassed, Steve," he said as he started to walk towards the room, ready to run away from the conversation.

The alpha held him by the waist with one hand and pulled him close to his body. "Come on, Buck. You can trust me. Please."

This time Bucky had no excuses. "Stevie, I... I'm not ready to talk. I don't know if you... I'm not ready." A couple of tears gathered in his eyes.

Steve hugged him. "Sweetheart... it's okay. I'm sorry."

"No, Steve." Bucky's scent showed his anguish and it broke Steve's heart. "I just don't know if you're ready to hear this."

"What's the matter?" Now Steve was the one who was really worried. Had something bad happened to him? He had done something to make the brunette upset or feel unsafe?

This time Bucky hugged him tightly. "I think you should seat."

Steve obeyed him and looked at him expectantly.

"I'm not sure how to tell you this because I haven't had much time to process it and... I know you won't react badly or get angry but I'm afraid you're scared and you're not ready and..."

"Buck..."

"I'm pregnant."

"Sweetheart..."

Steve scrambled up from his seat and before Bucky could speak again, he kissed him hard and lifted him off the ground in a hug. When they parted, Bucky looked at him in confusion.

"Your scent... you're not distressed."

"Why would I be? There is no one in the world I would want to be with more than you, and... I couldn't dream of anything better than having a family with you."

"Are you crying?"

"Of course I'm crying." Steve laughed. "God, I love you so much."

"You finally said it," Bucky said before leaning in to kiss him again. "You'll be the best dad."