Mine (Bucky Barnes)

Thirty

I know, I know. I'm technically late, but I don't wanna hear it! Y'all got two bonus chapters last week! Work kicked my ass this weekend. But I hope this chapter makes up for it! Don't forget to vote/comment. <3 Artie

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What started out as getting "quick" statements turned into hours that passed slowly. Mirjana had to take many trips to the restroom – assisted by Natasha – and the group demolished all the snacks the redhead had brought earlier for Mirjana. Between the two super soldiers and pregnant woman, the other heroes were starving. Sam tried to convince the security guarding them to let him order a pizza, but no one budged.

Finally, Tony (who hadn't come back after leaving to speak with T'challa) sauntered back into the glass-walled room, carrying bags of take-out. T'challa and General Rhodes followed behind, also carrying more food. Sam jumped to his feet, blocking the hungry three from reaching for the food.

"Hold up! I know the three of you need more food than the rest of us normal humans, but please let us have a chance at picking what we want, first," he ordered.

Mirjana furrowed her brows in confusion. "I'm normal."

"Yeah, but you're pregnant."

"I don't..."

"You're eating for two, therefore you need more food than the rest of us." Sam paused his search of the take-out bags. "It's not a bad thing and you look great. I'm just gonna bite someone's head off if I don't get something sufficient in my stomach ya know?"

"Are you saying I eat too much?"

Everyone in the room paused. Sam froze completely, not sure how to answer Mirjana. It wasn't until she and Bucky started laughing that he let out a breath.

"Man, you can't joke with me like that!"

"Afraid Bucky was going to attack you for being mean to me?" she teased.

He snorted. "Honestly, I'm more afraid of you than I am the bionic man."

"I don't blame you," Bucky mumbled, earning an elbow in the stomach.

Sam sat on the floor with a large plate of food, leaving everyone else to dish up themselves. Tony, agitated, watched the man known as The Winter Soldier prepare a plate for his pregnant partner. Natasha chatted quietly with Mirjana while they waited. Steve surprised Natasha by bringing her a plate, cheeks turning red when she thanked him.

"Ya know, I was around to help out my sister with both of her pregnancies," Sam started a story between bites. "I always thought people were joking when they said women's hormones go crazy. Boy was I wrong."

"Were you scared of her, too?" Steve wondered. He plopped next to Natasha with his own plate stacked high with food. None of them knew what they were eating, but it smelled fantastic and they were famished.

"Hell, yeah! My brother in-law – well, ex-brother in-law, now – he dared me to eat the last of this yogurt Sarah had been craving. When she woke up and saw it was gone, she lit into me. I've never been more terrified in my life!" Sam pointed his plastic fork at Bucky. "Not even when you ripped the steering wheel out of my car in the middle of the freeway with your bionic arm!"

Bucky frowned, immediately setting his food on the floor next to him. Mirjana dropped her fork and wrapped her arm around his waist in consolation. So many nights had been spent with her assuring him of his innocence. He literally didn't have a choice, having been brainwashed and forced to do Hydra's bidding for 70 years.

There had been a few terrifying instances when he would wake up from a nightmare, swinging at invisible enemies. Once, when he accidentally punched Mirjana's jaw, he tried sleeping separate from her. They'd just found out she was pregnant. The only reason he didn't leave her was because that made her more vulnerable.