Silence Speaks (Book Two to Silence Series)

Forty

Christmas day
Loki and I were both woken by a very excited Cooper throwing our door open and jumping into the bed. "Dads! Its Christmas!" He shouted and I grabbed him, cuddling him into my chest. "Are you excited to see what Santa brought you?" He nodded happily and I slid out from under the covers. "Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go see what you got!" Cooper yelled and ran downstairs, leaving me with Loki. "I love seeing you being a dad." He mumbled and I grinned, climbing into his lap. "The same goes for you Mr. Mischief." He rolled his eyes playfully and pressed a kiss to my lips. "Dad!" Cooper shouted impatiently and I chuckled, grabbing Loki.

Loki sat in my lap when he finished passing out presents. "Open it." He urged Cooper and our son ripped off the wrapping. "What's this?" He questioned pulling out a pendant. "Its a pendant. It lights up when one of us touches our's." Loki explained and Cooper's eyes grew wide. "You'll be with me at all times?" We both nodded and he sat up, grinning. "Thank you." He climbed into Loki's arms and I moved them both so that I could hug them. "Grandpa is wanting us over for breakfast, so why don't you go get dressed and we'll clean up." Cooper squeezed out of our hug and ran upstairs. "Here." I whispered, pulling a box away from the table. "My birthday already passed." I rolled my eyes and he tore off the top. "I know you don't like bracelets much, but this vibrates when I touch mine, that way you know I'm thinking of you." I breathed out and he leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine. "I got you something too, it was more made but still." He reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a pendant similar to Cooper's. "Both pendants are infused with my magic, so that if you touch it, Cooper and I'll feel it. If I touch my heart, both will glow." I felt my eyes tear up and I put my arms around his neck. "I love you." I said shakily and he smiled, hugging me tight.

We got into the compound and Cooper ran ahead of us. "This time next year, we'll have a baby girl." I said suddenly and Loki grinned. "That we will. Cooper is going to be so protective." We stepped into the kitchen and I ran forward to steal Morgan from Tony. "Pete!" She squealed and I smiled, hugging her tightly. "Man you've got to stop stealing my kid." I chuckled and handed her to Loki. "I see you had a fun night." He pointed to my neck and I shrugged. "I don't kiss and tell. But I can say the same about you." He rose an eyebrow and I pointed to the mark he tried to hide with a shirt. He burned red and I laughed, hugging him with one arm. I pulled away to dish out hugs to everyone else. "Sage!" I called, seeing their hair from the living room. They bounded in and I hugged them, messing up their already messed up hair. "You look handsome." I complimented and they grinned. 'Thank you Pete.' They went for Loki and I looked around.

"Steveo." He turned from Tasha and I put my arm around her shoulders. "How are you feeling Nat?" She shrugged and put her hand on her belly. "Feel this." I put my hand on her barely protruding stomach and felt a sharp kick. "He definitely has Steve's strength." Both chuckled and I fished something out of my pocket. "Shuri sent this to me." I handed him a piece of metal and he looked at it closely. "Its from Bucky's old arm. She scrapped it, but she thought you'd want a piece of it to remember what he was really like in the forties. She is currently working on creating his new arm, she had him out of cryo last week. He's doing okay, he's been a bit hostile. The treatment will not start until I go back." Steve smiled and slipped the metal into his pocket. "Thank you Peter." I shrugged and looked back at my kid and husband. "I trust that you two will call when your kid is born?" They both nodded. "Great, I leave for San Fran the thirtieth. Loki, Cooper and I are going to spend New Years up there and then we head back here the second and I leave then too."

We ate and sat down for presents and hang out time. "Its weird not to have Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb here." Tony commented and I chuckled. "Shuri and I are confident they'll be here next Christmas." I pulled Loki into my side and he stretched out on the loveseat, his head going into my lap. "What's your plan? You haven't exactly been clear." Bruce pointed out and I bit my lip. "I go back the second and we'll start the treatment when I get there. I don't know the exact science behind what Shuri is doing, but think of it as she is resetting his brain. Hydra will be like a distant nightmare and Bucky will no longer feel the need to react to the words. But none of his memories or his personality will be erased. Hydra used an extreme version of shock therapy, we found traces of the damage still in his brain. He's going to get a new arm, spend some time rehabilitating, getting used to life without the fear of that life and then he'll come home. Once I know the treatment is successful, I'll come back." Steve looked at his hands. "How long will it take?" The question hung in the air and I sighed. "I...I don't know."

"Pete?" I hummed, turning away from the conversation I was having with Rhodey and Tony. "Oh." I laughed quietly and gently took Cooper's sleeping body from Loki. "Hey guys, we're going to call it a day." Loki grabbed Cooper's presents and we walked out.

"I'm going to go put him to bed." I whispered and went up the stairs. I set him in his bed and went to go move away. "Daddy?" I hummed, turning to look at him. "I love you." I smiled, running my hand through his hair lightly. "I love you too buddy." I bent over, pressing my lips to his forehead. "Get some sleep." I flicked off his light and left his room, leaving the door slightly ajar. I went back downstairs and joined Loki on the couch. He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me into his body. "Merry Christmas." He mumbled, pressing his lips to the base of my neck. I smiled, rubbing the arms wrapped around my torso. "Merry Christmas love." I tilted my head, giving him room.

"You think we could get away...f-fuck." My breath hitched and I had to bit my lip to keep from making too many noises. I wound my fingers in his hair and he bit me when I tugged. "You suck." I whined and he chuckled against my collar bone. "I don't think we should do anything on this couch." He hummed and sat up, taking me with him. He stood up, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist and his hands to grip my butt. He walked to the basement, where I kept a bed for late night lab work. He closed the door and walked down the stairs, our lips meeting in a rough kiss. He pressed me against the wall of the lab, biting my lip and his hands undoing the buttons on my shirt. He pulled off my shirt and pressed his hands against my bare chest. I undid his tie and he slipped it over his head, our kiss breaking. He pulled it over my head, tightening it and pulling me forward, kissing me hard again. I pulled my lips from his, kissing down his jaw and to his neck. "You're such a tease."