The Captain's Husband

41. Polaris (Steve)

"Stevie, baby, are you awake?" Bucky whispers as he leans through the doorway into the room.

It's the morning following my second round of surgeries. The numbing blocks have worn off and I've been getting pumped full of morphine since midnight. Fortunately for me, my body has been healing quite rapidly, so my muscles won't be freaking the fuck out for too much longer, but unfortunately, my body has to adjust to the fact that there's surgical trauma. Cutting into muscle means lots of muscle spasms, and when bones are involved, it feels that much worse.

But, right now, I'm doing okay.

"I'm awake, love," I say softly.

Bucky smiles and comes in toting a bouquet of roses and a stuffed teddy bear, with the entire team.

My girls run past Bucky and bounce over to me, chattering away excitedly.

"You're never going to believe it, Dad! The President called me!" Ana tells me. "She's so relieved that you're okay and wanted to come visit, but she's busy preparing the army and everyone else for Thanos' next attack on the planet."

Sharon called Ana?

"Well, she actually called Bucky," Nat says. "She wanted to ask if there was anything she could do to help."

Okay, that's a little less unsettling.

"It's nothing to worry your pretty little head over, baby," Bucky tells me.

I smile as Nat and Wanda wrap me up in hugs and press kisses to the top of my head, giggling and excitedly chattering away about seeing me awake.

"So relieved that you're awake, Cap!"

"We've been so worried about how long you were going to be out cold!"

"How are you feeling? You're looking much better! There's color in your face!"

"Nat, dear, he looks lovely even when he's kicking the shit out of aliens."

"I know, Wanda, but he almost died again. The least we could do is tell him he looks like he's doing better."

"I'm just happy he's awake!"

"Steve, honey, please don't do anything so reckless again."

"Please, Steve. Your husband and daughter nearly had heart attacks."

"Wanda, I think we've given him enough motherly and sisterly love for one morning. We should go get him some hotcakes!"

"I forgot that he loves McDonalds hotcakes!"

"I'll be right back, Steve, dear! Tony, let's go!"

As they pull away from me and Nat leaves the room with Tony, Bucky comes over and gives me a quick, tender kiss, and then he says, "Sorry about them, sweetheart. They've been driving us crazy all morning."

Wanda steps back over to Vision, leaning into him with a small smile on her lips.

As Bucky sits down on the edge of the bed and presses his hand to my face, I smile and say, "It's okay, babe. They're perfectly fine."

Ana gently ruffles my hair, saying, "We're all pretty excited that you're awake."

"You're too sweet," I tell her, smiling even brighter as she presses a kiss to my cheek. "How's my baby girl?"

"She spent the night training with a not-so-distant relative," Bucky tells me.

"What do you mean?" I ask him.