THE FADING FALLEN ● Bucky Barnes X OC ● 18+ ● ENGLISH [COMPLETE]

Chapter 80

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Her labor was drawn out and difficult.

The epidural wouldn't do much with Emilia's rapid metabolism, so she decided against it in the first place.

The contractions were already starting relatively strongly and tormented her for several hours.Only the thought of what they would both hold in their hands after all this and the knowledge that her body was healing fast made Emilia hang on for so long.

Despite the birthing class, which was quite a mystery to him, however, Bucky still didn't know what was really ahead in reality.

Sam admittedly told him about the stories his deceased brother-in-law had experienced with the birth of Sarah's boys. He actually wanted to reassure his friend a bit, but it put him more in fear than brought him the confidence he was hoping for.

Not for a second did Bucky leave her side as the intervals seemed to grow shorter and the agony greater. At some point, the doctors advised her to perform a C-section because the baby was in an uncomfortable position.

Emilia felt that it was not the right thing to do. She trusted the feeling coming from the little one.

Bucky didn't know either and trusted as much as she did that it would all be okay. He breathed with her, massaged her tortured back and fed her ice cubes and anything else she wanted.

Until it finally went into the longed-for final phase.

As Emilia, in great pain, wished him to hell again and again for what he had done to her with the pregnancy, he feared for his healthy arm in the meantime. She had clung to it so tightly that he thought she would rip it off.

But this slight panic passed exactly when his wife begged him not to leave her side with a pitiful and sweaty face not even a second later. He suffered with her, physically as well as mentally.

It made him more than aware of how crazy her hormones went. Emilia could read his wish to help her somehow from his caring eyes, but was not able to assure him with words that everything would be fine.

It was a real emotional chaos for both of them, which suddenly changed into a thoughtful calm at the very moment when the first sounds of the new life echoed through the delivery room.

At the sight of the little healthy and powerful crying girl was reward enough for the long exhausting day.

That thoughtful calm was now on Bucky's face as well, as he thought back to the second Emilia was able to give him the greatest gift of all.

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Something wasn't right.

Emilia ran her hand over the cool bed sheet. His side of the bed was empty. Leaning on her forearm, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked at the clock.

It was almost six in the morning. Soon the sun would rise. However, there was still just darkness outside.

She knew that because of the recent mission with Sam, Bucky had been jolted from sleep by a nightmare. Even before, missions were often an extra trigger for this.

Likewise, she knew that, despite her constant concern, she couldn't stop him from doing so, nor did she want to. His unwavering loyalty to those he cared about was one of the myriad reasons she loved her husband even more.

"My... Husband."

Softly, in a whisper, it passed her lips. Still like an illusion, it seemed to her that was saying yes.