Sunshine
Cop!Bucky X Reader
In which your best friend, Maria Rambeau goes into labour on your couch and the freeway has other plans to get you to the hospital
Warnings: Swearing, Traffic, labouring mother, fluff, cop!beefy!bucky, im suffering from intense baby fever this is pretty self indulgent, GREYS ANATOMY SPOILERS
Words: 3.5K
@nomadsgrogers i tagged you now you have to name yours and seb’s first daughter after me
Your knuckles were white with the grip you had on the steering wheels of your Jeep, the engine purring louder as you pressed your sneakered foot harder on the gas and passed several cars very illegally. You could feel the sweat beading at your temples and you heart pounding in your ears, blood rushing to them in a roar not loud enough to block out the screaming from your passenger side seat.
Maria Rambeau had come over to your house earlier that day— something not uncommon from one of your best friends, and you greeted her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek and a whispered hello to her swollen stomach. You, Maria and Carol, had served in the Airforce in your late teens and early twenties both you and Maria had left to pursue goals which were just a little closer to Earth. She had curled up on your couch, barely hiding her discomfort as you handed her an iced tea— made just the way she liked. She had just been about to lift the glass to her lips when there was a sound of rushing water and she doubled over, pain electrocuting her body so deep it felt like the marrow in her bones was frying.
You had immediately busted into action, quelling your tears of fear as you sprinted to your room for a change of clothes that may fit the very pregnant and soaked woman on your couch while yelling at her to time the spaces between her contractions.
So, you were in the jeep now, racing down the freeway and drumming your fingers over the steering wheel, shushing Maria as she tried once again to apologize for ruining your couch.
“Maria if you apologize once more I’m going to steal the birth certificate and change the name to dark roast coffee. Stop, I can get a new couch.” You bit, clenching your jaw as you swept back into the lane you were supposed to be. You thought you saw a flash of a middle finger but you genuinely couldn’t care less as the screaming woman in your car took precedence over all else.
“Did you call Carol, yet?” You asked, trying to attempt to take your friends mind off the pain rocketing through her body.
“Yeah, when you were in the bedroom. I think she screamed and swore and I’m pretty sure she said she was on her way to Brooklyn General. You know how she gets when she’s excited.” Maria smiled tiredly as the pressure lifted from her stomach. She sat back and patted the swell of her belly and looked down at it fondly. “You better calm down in there, soldier. Mama needs to get to the hospital before you meet her.”
“Yeah, and I already gotta get my couch replaced, I can’t afford to get the bloodstains out of the car.” You joked, winking over to Maria.
“I’m sorry!” She cried, laughing before gasping as the felt another contraction build in her stomach. Instead of replying you just laughed and pressed your foot harder to the gas.
___________________________
It was another five minutes of speeding down the highway when you merged onto the freeway and found yourself at your first problem.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god this is not normal!” Maria pressed her forehead against the dash and you looked over worriedly before placing your hand on her back and rubbing it in soothing circular motions.
“I’m pretty sure it is.” You hummed, noticing the there were a lot of red tail lights ahead and slowed down the jeep, flinching when you heard a low moan erupt from somewhere in Maria’s throat.
“Shut up yes it is.” She growled, biting her forearm to stifle her keens of pain. There was a moment of silence before the contraction passed and she looked over at you, eyes tired and regretful “Sorry for saying that.”
“Stop apologizing. You’re literally in labour. You could say anything and I wouldn’t be offended.” You hummed, brows furrowing as you tried to see if you could fit in the space between the cars and the blockade to see if you could bypass the traffic.
Nope.
“No, no, no. What is this traffic, are you kidding me?” Maria cried when she looked up. You pressed your lips together and pulled over as far to the side as possible. You clicked the seatbelt and looked at Maria very seriously.
“Do. Not. Leave. This car.” You said, pointing your finger in her face. Maria looked like she would like nothing more than to bite it clean off. Instead of giving your best friend the satisfaction, you opened the door and stepped out of the car.
“Y/N. Bitch! Where the fuck are you— OWWWW!” She keened and you hesitated to leave her alone. Instead of doing so, you kicked on a car door beside you and alerted the car of young adults to your presence. The driver smiled politely and turned down the music before rolling down the window and smiling.
“What’s up, Miss?” He was cute. Young, innocent, perfect for guarding a labouring soon-to-be mother.
“Y/N. Call me Y/N, please.” You dug in your bag and pulled out your wallet, giving them each as much cash as you could before asking them; “Would you mind watching my very best, labouring friend while I go and see if I can get us a ride to the hospital, please?” You begged. His eyes widened and he looked at his round friend and beautiful, but very nerdy friend before stuttering out an affirmation.
“Great, her name is Maria. I’ll be back in five minutes.” You rushed before beginning the short jog up to the front of the jam. There were a few police cars guarding the wreckage and you winced at the sight of crushed metal before running to the nearest cop car and leaning forward to rest your hand on your need and catching your breath.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” A grumbly voice sounded above you and you shot up, hands on your back and a tired smile on your face. All was very well until your eyes landed on his beautiful, gorgeous, almost offensive face. His hair was hidden with a combination of black police hat and bun, a light sprinkling of scruff on his strong jaw and crooked nose between two very intense eyes. There was a gap in his eyebrow due to a scar and his rough appearance had your knees weak.
“I— um. Yeah. I’m fine. How— how are you?” You tried to smirk and lean against the cruiser, remembering why you were there before straightening up.
“I’m fine?” He replied, a smirk on his face and eyes thoroughly amused. Sure, he had been flirted with on the job before, but not in this situation and most certainly not by someone who took his very breath away. “What can I help you with?”
Right.
“I— I have a friend back there and she is trying to stop herself from pushing a watermelon-sized human out of a space which is not watermelon sized.” You blushed as if you were in fifth grade and just hearing about the works of childbirth for the first time again. God, why did the first cop that helped her need to be a walking Adonis? A very, very amused Adonis. No way it was legal to wear a uniform that seemed to be ripping at the seams trying to keep muscles on muscles at bay.
“Jesus.” He swore, looking around and seeing that all of his coworkers were busy. “I— okay, where is she?”
_________________________
You and officer James “Bucky” Barnes, as you learned his name was, jogged back t your parked car, all three teenagers had since piled into the jeep and were trying their very best to quell the pain Maria felt shaking her to her very soul. The tiny kid looked as if he was going to explode if Maria squeezed his hand any tighter. At the sight of you, each teenager relaxed into their seats and smiled at you when you pulled open the passenger side door.
“Hey, soldier.” You smiled, wiping Maria’s curly bangs from her forehead. She looked up slowly, as if in a daze and offered you a weak smile.
“Did you know these kids are going to graduate top of their class at Midtown?” She hummed, looking back fondly at them. The pain was making her delirious and you blinked stupidly as you heard Maria’s giggles turn into a low moan of pain.
“Hey, Maria, shhh. You’re okay, you’re safe.” You pulled her head to rest in the crook of her neck and looked back at Officer Barnes who looked a little too pale to be normal. She clutched your sides, pulling your shirt up to dig her nails into the soft skin of your waist, crying low not the safe crook of your neck. He knew right now really wasn’t the best time, but he’d be damned if the sight of your waist covered in long, dark claw marks make some of the blood drain from his brain to his stomach.
Once the contraction passed, you pulled her chin so she would look at you and you spoke very slowly. The gentleness and care you showed for the people in your life made Bucky’s heart swell and he had to very much remind himself that he was, in fact, at work.
“This if Officer Barnes. He’s going to take us to the hospital, okay?” You hummed, staking her hair and smiling softly when she leaned into your touch. Seeing this side of Maira was rare, but you were living for every minute of it.
“M’kay.” You took her hand and helped her down from the car, the teens taking the hint and exiting the car, all but the small boy climbing into the old beater. Maria’s knees buckled once she tried to put weight on them, and Bucky acted swiftly, catching her and stopping her into his arms as if she weren’t a heavily pregnant woman, and, at the very most, just a toddler throwing a tantrum.
Fuck.
The boy walked to stand next to you as Officer Barnes began walking away, in the same state shock as you were right now.
“He’s like, a real-life Hollywood superhero, huh?” He muttered, patting you on the shoulder. You nodded before turning to him and wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done today. You’re a good kid— whoever raised you did a bang-up job.” You smiled, and he flushed bright red, sheepishly looking down at his feet briefly before pulling his phone from his back pocket.
“I— would it be okay if I gave you my number? I just— I wanna know what happens.” You blinked before a wide smile spread across your face, handing him your own phone and waiting for him to give it back. When he did you looked at the name and smiled.
“I’m sure she’d love to see the brave young man that held her hand in the freeway, Peter. I’ll be in touch, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
_______________________
You had all piled into the cop car quickly, Officer Barnes going to inform his Captain that he was going to take two women to the hospital before helping you both into the hard plastic seats of the back. You buckled Maria in as she went through another contraction and nodded at Officer Barnes that he was good to go.
“You buckle up, too, Doll. Need you safe.” His gaze through the rearview mirror was intense and he didn’t miss the way you flushed pink at the nickname. He bookmarked that one to use again— there was no way he wouldn’t be seeing you after this day.
The car pulled out, sirens and lights blaring as Bucky pulled out of the middle of the freeway, engine roaring as he sped his way to the hospital bay doors. Maria's contraction subsided and she slimed over to you, grabbing your hand and intertwining your fingers together.
“You’re a real life genius, you know that? In another life, I’m pretty sure you were a superhero.” You rolled your eyes at her compliment and physical affection, smiling widely and letting your eyes flicker to the rearview mirror, meeting those same blue, intense eyes once more. He seemed to smile at MAria’s comment, agreeing with her.
“I cannot wait to tell the little baby that this is how she got her way to the hospital.” You laughed, placing your hand on her belly and rubbing. Maria hummed.
“She’ll be sick of it by the time we tell it at her graduation.” Maria laughed, and you heard Bucky let out an amused huff of air through his nose.
“And her wedding.”
“And her wedding.” She replied, eyes welling up with tears. “This is really happening, isn’t it?”
“You’re gonna be a mama.” You whispered, a new kind of excitement in your eyes.
“And you’re gonna be a godmother.” She replied, the same excitement lacing her tone. Bucky’s heart damn well swelled in the front seat at the interaction. There was a pause before Maria jut her chin in the officer's direction.
“I’m pretty close to revoking Sam’s title as Godfather and giving it to this guy. He’s the real hero of the day.” She smirked, winking at you and wiggling her eyebrows.
“I don’t think he or Riley would be too happy about that— you know how much they want a little one in their house.” You laughed, nudging her shoulder but keeping her close.
“Oh, I’m sure they can wait for the next one. I’m pretty sure I’m in a little bit love with this guy.” Maria smiled at the bashful laugh she pulled from the officer. The warm smile and flustered pink on his cheeks making his hard exterior nothing more than a soft teddy bear. Or a street mutt that everyone adores.
“Me too.” You agreed quietly, winking at the man and blushing when he wiggled his eyebrows. Before you could get caught in your own feelings once more, Maria began rocking back and forth, breathing heavily and clutching your shoulder tightly as another contraction ripped her in half.
Bucky pressed his foot harder on the gas.
____________________
The cop car careened into the ER bay, and a very familiar face runs out, worry deep get in his brow at the sight of two of his closest friends in the back of a cop car. Tony Stark meets the car as it stops, opening the door to see Maria Rambeau keening in pain and you with tired, worried eyes. He nods towards the familiar officer and pulls Maria from the car and into a wheelchair. Bruce runs outside at the sight of two familiar faces and immediately starts asking questions.
“What the hell happened?” He half-shouts, meeting you and looking back at Maria who is now surrounded but the best team of doctors. Helen Cho breaks through the crowd with a smile and a wink and immediately sweeps her up further into the hospital.
“She came over and went into labour all over my couch and then we got stuck in traffic and I managed to find this Officer to help us.” You rushed, eyes darting anxiously to see if you could see Maria or Carol or anyone at all. Bruce looks back at Officer Barnes and smiles, jutting out a hand for Barnes to shake.
“Thank you, Officer. Maria is one of our people, and you helping her and Y/N means more than you know.” Bucky blushed and smiled, stepping away and watching as Bruce turned to walk back into his ER.
“Thank you, for everything, Officer.” You say, voice quiet. The toll of the day has already made your shoulders slouch and your blinks slow, but you know you have so many more hours to go before baby is here. There was no way that you would be missing your Godbaby’s birth.
“Bucky. Please, it’s Bucky.” He smiled, leaning casually on his car and crossing his arms. You lick your lips at the sight of the bulging muscles, and he subtly flexes at your reaction to him.
“You tell all the girls to call you Bucky or somethin’?” You joke, swaying up on your tip toes and back down.
‘Only the pretty ones who care too much about their pregnant friends screaming in my backseat.” He said, his voice low and rumbly and making your core tighten. You flush and your eyes dart around the ambulance bay nervously before settling back on him.
“I uh— I should go. Make sure her wife is okay, and everything.” You say, voice sad and regretful and you relish in the way his shoulders drop in disappointment.
“Yeah, you should. I’ll see you around, though okay?” He asks, watching you start to back away to the sliding doors. You smirk.
“I’ll drive a little bit faster these days then. Maybe you can give me a ticket or somethin’.” You smile and he threw his head back to let out a roaring laugh that echoes against the buildings around you. God, what you would give to drown in that sound.
“I’ll be lookin’ forward to it, Doll.” His voice is low and you can feel your face heat up under his intense stare and nickname.
“Me too, Officer.”
_____________________
It’s almost six hours later when Monica Lawson Danvers-Rambeau is brought into the world, Carol on the left side of Maria and you on the right. Monica is six pounds, 9 ounces of pure squealing baby and she is immediately the centre of the group's lives. The first baby to be born in the friend group warrants a few life-altering feelings one would think.
It’s almost midnight, and you’re curled up in one of the armchairs pressed into the corner by the window, Monica asleep in your arms. Her eyelids flutter with her very first dream and your heart feels like it's going to explode with love when you let one gentle knuckle brush her cheek as light as a feather. You could have stared at her forever, and would have too if it wasn’t for the son knock from the open door only a few feet away.
Officer Barnes stands there, a grey sweater and dark jeans adorning his body, his hair loose and tucked behind his ears and he has a pair of sunglasses to keep the rest of the strands from falling into his face. There's a large, colourful bouquet of tulips and sunflowers and babies breath in his arms and you nod your head to the table beside the bed holding the sleeping wives. You stand and walk over to him, Monica making a tiny, squeaking noise in your arms before settling back in, nuzzling her face deeper into your chest. Bucky’s heart swells at the sight.
“How’re you?” He mumbles, eyes never leaving Monica. To think she was inside his car only a few hours ago trying to escape blew his mind. She was so quiet. So peaceful now.
“I’m the best I’ve been in a long time.” You replied honestly. Life had always given you a rough hand, but this-this made everything worth it.
“That’s great to hear.” He whispered, leaning against the doorframe. You turn your head to yawn and your eyes look impossibly heavy.
“This is little Monica. You probably saved her life, you know. You got us here safe and sound. Thank you, Officer Barnes.” You hum, smiling softly, and Bucky can feel his heart rate double in pace. He clenches his jaw nervously before looking at you hopefully. The sight of his puppy dog eyes peeking through his long, dark lashes has your knees weak.
“What d’you say I wait around for as long as you need and I drive you home. We can stop at some 24-hour diner and get coffee and breakfast— I haven’t eaten in a few hours and I would like to see you some more.”
You sucked in a breath through your nose and let it out of your mouth quickly. God, he really went for the kill, didn’t he? You’d be lying to yourself if you said coffee and a beautiful date didn’t sound like the best thing in the world right now.
“The nurses are due to check up on us in a few minutes if you want to wait? I don’t wanna just leave them.” You mumble, blushing, nervous gaze softening when you look at the little pink bundle in your arms.
“She loves you already.” He smiles, gently brushing one long, thick finger over the small tuft of curly hair. She looked so much like her mother.
You smile up at him— a smile of mischief and confidence. “Well, what’s not to love, huh?”
Buckys eyes flick up to your own and your breath catches at the intensity of his stare. His moist, plump lips are turned into a small smile when he says “I can’t find anything that anyone wouldn’t.”
