Nothing major. Just a small gathering with a few familiar faces, some friends and agents, and good food. Maybe a few games, some music and conversations. Bucky only agreed because you batted your eyes and promised that you wouldn’t overdo it. 

As if he could ever say “no” to you. 

“You could smile a bit more, you know,” Steve teased, handing him a beer. 

He scoffed, the bottle cool against his warm hand. “I am smiling,” he argued.

His general demeanor had improved since you came into his life. He liked to think he smiled more than he scowled most days. Well, at least he smiled more when you were around. Or when he thought of you, which was all the time.

So, yeah, his demeanor was much better. 

“You only smile like that when you look at or think about your wife,” Steve pointed out, like he knew exactly what he was on his mind.

Bucky’s gaze softened immediately when he heard you laughing, watching you from where you stood a few feet away. 

You were glowing.

A pregnancy glow, yes, combined with something warmer. The dress you picked somehow flowed while showing off the shape of your body perfectly. Your smile lit up your face and you had a hand on your belly like you’d done for weeks now without thinking. It was beautiful. 

You were beautiful. 

“Can you blame me for having a smile just for her?” Bucky asked.

“Not at all,” his best friend replied. 

You shifted your weight before you took a seat, your smile brighter when you spotted Bucky watching you. He never strayed far from you. Didn’t even sip the drink in his hand. He had his eyes on you like you were the only thing in the world that mattered. 

You and Sprout. 

Pride flickered through his chest when his gaze dropped to your belly. His wife and his baby. His family. 

Everyone was waiting on you hand and foot. At least, they tried to. The moment someone tried to bring you a drink or food, he stepped in. He couldn’t help himself. Once you were taken care of, he went back to his spot. The perfect place to keep an eye on his surroundings since some old habits died hard.

And you just smiled, soft and bright. 

Steve nudged him with his shoulder. “You deserve this, you know.”

Bucky swallowed hard. It didn’t always feel like he did. The past liked to seep into his mind at unexpected moments and make the world look a little darker. Depending on the day, he’d either hug you close or take you to bed to drown out the noise. Sometimes both.

And no matter what, you made the world look brighter again.

“So, you’re saying I deserved to knock up my wife?” he joked to deflect. 

The blonde snorted. “Yeah, that’s what I’m saying,” he said, giving him a small smile. “Also saying you deserve this life.”

His chest tightened when you laughed at a joke Sam made, your head tipping back slightly and your hand going back to your belly. There was no fight to worry about. No past to haunt him. Just small precious moments like this. 

His lips twitched upward when you found his gaze again, your love for him burning bright in your eyes.

He did deserve this kind of life.

“Thanks, punk,” he mumbled, clinking their bottles together.

“Jerk.”

You turned your attention back to Sam and Bucky pushed off the wall to move closer before a voice stopped him.

Something low and careless.

“Is that chair gonna break? Jesus Christ, she’s fucking huge. How many are in there?”

The thought of domesticity and peace left Bucky’s mind, replaced by something cold and dangerous. 

You were blissfully unaware that some prick had just insulted your beautiful body, still smiling and enjoying yourself. As you should be. You only deserved good things. No one else around you seemed to notice the change in the atmosphere either.

But Steve stiffened out of the corner of his eye. He heard it. They both heard it. 

Super soldier senses really were handy at times.

Ice took over the blue of his eyes, his head slowly turning to look at the fucker stupid enough to open his mouth and even breath the same oxygen as you. A new agent with a very punchable face who wore too much cologne. There was a good chance that you kept your distance for that very reason since some smells still overwhelmed you. The snickering prick certainly wasn’t a friend of his or yours. He was only “invited” because someone else thought it would be good for him to hang out outside of work. 

That wouldn’t happen again. 

“Better snag a brownie before she stuffs her face with the whole tray.”

My wife can have all the fucking brownies she wants, you fucking piece of shit.

The bottle in his hand began to crack. It would shatter if he kept squeezing. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself.

Not yet.

“You know that’s Barnes’s wife, right?” The asshole’s friend shifted uncomfortably. “She’s really nice, and he’s… well, he’s pretty protective of her.”

Bucky’s gaze flicked back to you, much softer, before looking at the soon-to-be-dead fucker again.

No. Can’t kill the guy. I have a wife and kid to think about.

The prick had the nerve to laugh. “So? Does that give her a pass to look like a whale?”

…He’s fucking dead.

Steve took the cracked bottle from his hand. “Want me to handle him?” he asked, his voice low. 

He exhaled through his nose. Steve didn’t like bullies. Never had. But he knew why he was asking instead of just stepping in and taking care of it.

Because you were his wife. His to defend. His to love and care for. 

This was his fight.

“I got this,” he replied, subtly nodding to where you were sitting. “Just keep an eye out for a minute?”

Steve nodded in understanding, positioning himself to block your line of sight without looking too obvious. 

Bucky took deliberate steps toward the table, his movements controlled and measured. His jaw tightened the closer he got, his fingers itching to toss the guy out with his bare hands. He wouldn’t cause a scene out of respect for you. 

But he wasn’t going to stay silent. 

The atmosphere shifted the second he got to the table, the chatter ceasing immediately. 

The prick, of course, had the nerve to smile. 

“Hey, man! You-”

“You got something to say about my wife?” he asked, his voice as cold as his stare. 

The man’s eyes widened, maybe from shock that he was overheard or that he was being confronted. “I… What?”

Had no problem using your words seconds ago, asshole. 

“You were talking about her.” Bucky tilted his head slightly, his eyes flat and unreadable. “My wife.”

The air shifted more, something cold settling over the surroundings as the guy sputtered to come up with an excuse. 

“Say it again,” he ordered, placing his hands on the table and leaning down to his eye level. He made sure there was no warmth in his expression. “Where I can really hear you.”

The idiot swallowed and looked to his friend for help and found none; his friend was suddenly very interested in the beer in his hand. “Um… Barnes, I-”

“My wife, the love of my life, is carrying my child. Our child.” His lip raised in a small snarl and he leaned in enough that Agent Asshole had to back up. “And you think you can sit here and make fun of her? You think I won’t do something about it?”

“I-It was a bad joke,” he tried to reason.

Reasoning only worked with people when they were in a forgiving mood. 

He wasn’t. 

“Oh, now it’s a joke? You think you’re funny?” He smiled with no trace of friendliness behind it. It was likely how a wolf looked baring their teeth before sinking them into their prey. “You think I’ll laugh while you crack ‘jokes’ about my wife?”

The prick looked like he was a heartbeat away from pissing himself, which made Bucky question the hiring process for agents. This sort of “interrogation” was nothing. Child’s play. 

Then again, how many agents could say they had the former Winter Soldier in their space?

“I-I really didn’t mean-”

“Don’t.” His voice dropped even lower. “Don’t insult my intelligence.”

He glanced back and saw Sam looking his way, his eyes narrowing when he sensed the tension. Steve subtly shook his head. There was no reason to intervene. He was still in control.

Barely.

But you were still smiling, which was the important thing.

“You know what I see when I look at her?” he asked rhetorically, his chest tight. “I see the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

He smacked his hand on the table hard enough to make the bottles rattle and the guys flinch. 

Sam, thankfully, chose to tell another joke at the same time and Steve cackled so the noise at the table wouldn’t draw your attention.

I really do have good friends. 

“I’ll say it again. She’s carrying our baby. She’s uncomfortable and exhausted and guess what? She still walks into a room smiling and thinks of others first. And you sit here and act like she’s something to mock when she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” His jaw clenched even as his heart swelled with pride. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

The guy shrank lower as every word washed over him.

Good.

Bucky stared at him for another long moment before something colder settled into place behind his eyes.

“Get up, Chet,” he ordered.

“Chet’s” mouth fell open. “That’s not my-”

“I know what your name is, and I don’t care,” he cut him off, straightening up. “Because you don’t respect my wife, so I refuse to respect you.”

A bright shade of red passed through his cheeks before he paled. 

As someone who was stripped of his own agency for years, identity mattered to Bucky. Basic decency mattered. So, maybe it was a little petty to call him by the wrong name, but it was also a good way to put him in his place by letting him know he didn’t matter.

Chet, as his name was Chet to him now, got to his feet on shaky legs. “Sorry.”

“I’m sure you are sorry now, but it’s a little too late for that.” 

Bucky clamped a hand on the back of his neck. To just about anyone looking over, it would’ve looked casual. Almost friendly. But they would’ve missed the firm squeeze. 

“Move.”

The prick didn’t need to be told twice.

He guided him away from the table and made sure to smile as he did so. He shot his friend a quick glare for good measure, but at least he stuck up for you. That was the only reason he didn’t make him leave, too. 

The chatter continued behind him, but he barely noticed it over the sound of Chet’s pounding heart and his own blood roaring loudly in his ears. But then he heard your laughter and he took a deep breath, picturing your loving smile and hand on your belly. 

It kept him from snapping completely.

Once they were in the driveway, Bucky shoved him forward. Hard. He stumbled, but somehow managed to stay on his feet. He wished he could punch him for good measure, but he seemed like the type of coward who would cry and call the cops. 

Even if they let him off with a warning, he didn’t want to add any stress to your plate.

“Christ, man,” Chet muttered.

“You stay the fuck out of my house and never come back,” Bucky said, his voice low and lethal as he stepped forward. “And don’t you ever disrespect my wife again.”

Chet nodded quickly. Too quickly. “I won’t.”

Bucky looked every bit like the Winter Soldier wrapped in civilian clothing when he added, “You’ll never speak about her like that again. You’ll never look at her like that again. And you sure as hell will never come near my family again.”

“I understand,” he swore, his voice cracking.

“Good.” Bucky’s nostrils flared as he looked him over one last time, disgust curling in his stomach. “And the next time you come across someone pregnant, maybe try showing them some goddamn respect.”

He looked down at his feet, avoiding his gaze and swallowing any excuse he had left to give.

Fucking coward. 

Bucky pointed toward the street. “Get the fuck out of my sight.”

The idiot practically ran to his car. 

Bucky glared as he drove down the street, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck once he disappeared. He exhaled the remainder of his anger through his mouth, his hand moving through his hair. There was nothing to be upset about anymore. Agent Asshole was gone and now he could get back to you.

Where he belonged. 

The second he walked back to the yard, his eyes found you automatically. 

Still smiling, safe, and his.

He grabbed a couple of brownies from the tray before he walked over, giving Steve and Sam two nods. One to let them know everything was fine. The other to thank them for shielding you from that display.

They nodded in return. 

You were his wife and family, but you were their family, too. 

“There’s my handsome husband. I wondered where you went off to for a minute.” You smiled up at him when he approached, his heart skipping a beat. “You okay?”

Bucky stared at you in awe. 

God, she’s so fucking beautiful it makes my chest ache.

Up close, your glow was even brighter. You looked at him like he put the sun in the sky just for you. He would if he could. And your belly moved slightly under your hands, and he wanted to feel Sprout move, too. 

“I should be asking you that,” he replied, his brows furrowing. “Are you okay? Are you thirsty? Hungry?”

He observed you carefully, looking for signs of discomfort or fatigue. The conversation with Chet and kicking him out didn’t take very long, but it felt like hours now being apart from you. Steve and Sam had been watching over you, but it wasn’t the same. 

“I’m just fine,” you assured him, and he knew you weren’t just saying that for his benefit. “But you didn’t answer my question,” you added teasingly. 

Always thinking of me. 

“Yeah,” he murmured, gentler than he had spoken all day. “Everything’s fine now.”

You studied him for a moment, sensing something underneath the surface. He didn’t falter under your gaze. There was no need to. 

“Everything’s fine now, which means it wasn’t fine before,” you guessed. 

Bucky sighed. He should’ve known you’d feel that something was off. You were too intuitive for your own good. That was one of the things he loved about you. And part of him loving you was trying to protect you from harm, physically, mentally, or verbally. 

But there was also no hiding from you, even when he did his best to shield you. 

“Just… needed to throw some trash out,” he said carefully. 

It was true. 

Chet was trash. 

“That’s one way of putting it,” Steve muttered into his drink, making Sam snort. 

Before you could question him further, he set the brownies down and crouched slightly in front of your chair so he could rest a hand gently over your belly. He didn’t chastise Sam for snapping a photo, and he didn’t care who saw him like this. The two of you were his world and he wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. 

“Hey, Sprout,” he murmured, his entire expression softening. “You behaving for your mama?”

The baby kicked almost immediately beneath his palm.

He smiled wide, making him temporarily forget about the dickhead he just  threw out. 

“Sprout’s just fine, too,” you promised, placing your hand on his, your gaze thoughtful. “You sure you’re okay?”

He leaned up slowly, pressing a kiss to your forehead. He remembered sitting on the couch and comforting you after the mean voice in your head made you doubt that you’d be a good mom. And how you didn’t think your stretch marks were pretty but he thought they were so beautiful. You were so strong and inspiring. His wife. The mother of his child. 

He wasn’t about to ruin your fun and relaxing afternoon by telling you what happened. 

But as much as he wanted to protect you, he would tell you later once everyone left because he refused to keep secrets from you. There was a good chance you’d cry. Not because of the cruel words spoken or hormones, but because he stuck up for you so fiercely. He would always stick up for his family. 

And if you wanted him to punish Chet even more, he’d do it without question.

That was how much he loved you. 

And he’d take you to bed later, kissing and touching every inch of you he could. He’d make you feel beautiful and cherished if any of your insecurities began to surface. He’d silence any mean voice in your head, hopefully for good, the same way you drowned out the horrors he experienced and made him feel loved. 

I love you both so much. 

“Yeah, sweetheart,” he whispered, glancing down at your stomach with so much love. “I’m better than okay.”

We all deserve to have someone in our corner. Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

When Hannah, the manager’s assistant texted that they’re going through every floor with polite introductions, everyone in your office started shifting like debutants about to be picked up for marriage. Instinctively dragged into their buzz, you stuffed the rest of the cupcake into your mouth and quickly swiped any crumbs off your blouse. 

You were curious. Just that. Wondering how old and grumpy the stuffy representative would be. Or maybe they’d be a cutthroat, cold shark who clearly searches for weaknesses to weed out. Whoever they were, it could be telling of what awaited your workplace.

What you didn’t expect - what nobody expected - was a whole group to walk in with the current director. 

Four men. Each so much different from the other, they could as well come from not only different departments, but completely different businesses. 

At the front, a tall, dark blonde with neatly trimmed beard, dressed impeccably like a billionaire CEO might, with glasses atop his nose. Right next to him an even broader man, with thick beard and longer hair, who treated his suit casually - two buttons of his shirt undone, no tie. 

The other two Alphas were a step behind them, though didn’t appear to be any less sure of their power. One looking more like an old money advertisement model, with his neatly combed hair and clean shaven face; looking bored out of his mind. The other a cheeky blonde in biker leathers, with an easy, flirty smile. 

So different. Yet something about them spoke of unity. 

Your curious mind wanted to assess and find threads stitching them together. The answer came to you rather fast. So obvious, it was annoying you didn’t think of it on the spot. 

They were a pack. 

They mingled near the entrance at first, greeting the first few people, so you had quite a distance to take in all the details. But the longer you watched them, the more convinced you were they were Alphas. All four of them! 

It was rare. If a pack even had an Alpha, there was one, two at most. These four were like a new discovery in your tame world. Either their pack was a really big one, with ten people at least, or they were so intense no Beta or Omega lasted with them. 

The air in the office grew hotter. You felt drops of perspiration form at the back of your neck. Slowly, you breathed out through your mouth, attempting to slow the pace of your heart. 

You didn’t usually get nervous much, but maybe the prospect of standing in front of four Alphas at once was a little overwhelming for your Omega instincts. Eyes glued to them, you followed every move they made forward. Your heart rate increased as they shortened the distance.

They weren’t even that close to you when suddenly the blonde one turned his head, his eyes falling directly on you. 

That’s when you felt it fully. The prickle of a needle right through your heart, then a strong pull urging you to rush forward. Straight into his arms. 

He straightened, if that was even possible, becoming taller and bigger. Next to him, the other three Alphas followed suit, each gaze landing on you. Drilling through you. 

“No,” you muttered under your breath, “no, no, no, no.” 

You couldn’t see how the rest of the office acted. If they even noticed what was going on. The director seemed to cluelessly follow the other Alphas as they changed their route and strode towards you. 

You were smart, you knew what was happening. Even though you never expected it in your life. For years you convinced yourself you would never actually want it to happen!

As wonderful the tales and movie plots made it look, reality wasn’t as easy. It could be lovely, if someone gave themselves a chance to simply form connections and fall in love without waiting for the magic click. Because that click was a rarity, even if so many hoped for it.

Packs formed from friends; pairs deciding to bond together for the sole reason of satisfying that primal instinct to have a pack. Family was the first form of a pack one got to grow up in, then it all depended on connections made and risks taken. 

What people dreamt of, however, was the natural matebond. 

That moment when you feel the undeniable pull toward certain people and once it locks into place there’s no power to leave it. Not without hurting yourself and your mates in the process. 

Honestly, it was quite scary, if you looked at it critically. 

What if that matebond snapped into place for a group of really awful people? What if one of them was an Alpha and your Omega instincts would go haywire, overriding your senses and changing you from an independent woman into a helpless, dumb doll?

You tried not to exaggerate, but you knew a few Omegas who joined a pack with an Alpha in the structure and the change was visible. They didn’t seem to mind, beaming like lunatics as they talked about cooking meals and getting pregnant, but it rang alarm bells for you. 

Maybe you spent too many years being on your own. There was an attempt to start a pack with your former partner, a calm Beta, Nick, but your relationship simply dissolved. Without hate and regrets. From what you knew, he was now happily mated into a small pack of three Betas and two Alphas. 

You were happy on your own. 

With an attachment to your family pack, you learned to sate that need for pack time with regular visits and hugs. Otherwise, you found joy in your life. Not just contentment, though you knew many silently judged you for it, pitying you for what they thought was lying to yourself. Many considered a woman your age as way past the time to become a part of a pack, so you should take whatever was offered. 

At nearly forty, you didn’t care for their opinion. Nor did you entertain foolish dreams of one day bumping into a matebond and having your life flipped upside down. 

So when it happened, you felt dread as hundreds of awful outcomes came to your mind. 

You had to brave through it, you thought. Spine of steel, polite smile, and a reasonable refusal. 

These four were businessmen, they dealt with data and risk analysis on a daily basis. Surely, it wouldn’t be hard to convince them there was nothing to explore with you, despite some inner instinct calling out to follow it. 

“Gentlemen.” You greeted them when the director introduced you. 

Right after introducing you, he took a step back, which was enough indication that others realized what was happening. Maybe they didn’t know it for sure, but could suspect it. And stare in wonder, since not everyone got a chance to see matebonds in real life. 

“I’m sure you will trust in our current employees and appreciate the work they already do.” You opted for redirecting any thoughts they might have towards the actual reason for their visit.

After all, they came here to oversee their new business. Not for you. It would be for the best to keep it at that. Best for you and your comfortable, independent life. Best for them and whatever grandiose life they led. 

“Steve.” The blonde one trusted his hand for you to take. “You call me Steve.”

“Mister Rogers.” You deliberately used the last name with which the director introduced him to you. 

Though your voice quivered as his fingers enclosed around yours, a wave of warmth and excitement skipping through the nerve endings in your body.

“We got a stubborn one,” the one introduced as Ari Levinson grinned. 

“I am driven when it comes to work. Some could call it stubborn, I guess,” you smiled politely. 

Don’t fall for the inviting smile and so many muscles to explore!, you reprimanded yourself inwardly. 

“Why bother playing it professional when all your coworkers are already ogling us like a spectacle, suspecting we’re matebonds that just found each other?” Ransom tilted his head slightly. 

You watched him take a step to the side, coming a little closer from your left. A minor move, all within the boundaries of respectable space. At a first glance. But your senses sharpened, attuned to them more than you ever did your surroundings. 

That’s when you realized Ari was already flanking your right. Judging by the smooth, stealthy moves of the youngest one, Johnny, he was about to circle around Ransom and come nearer your back. Though still seemingly leaving you space.

With Steve in front of you, a warm wall of muscle and calm determination, you recognized their tricky attempt to have you caught between them. 

Their intent didn’t appear malicious, rather driven by instinct. Perhaps they sensed your plan to cut them out and flee from the clutches of the uninvited bond. Or, maybe, it was their own need to get to you as close as possible. 

“Office workers love gossip.” You shrugged. “And I am a professional. Which is why we should postpone the conversation regarding this unexpected development.” 

You swiped your gaze over each of them before settling on the Alpha in front of you. Not knowing how their dynamic worked, if it was balanced between all four, or if one took a marginal lead, you simply chose the one right in front of you.

“Continue with your agenda of the day, as I will with my work. I finish at four. There’s a nice place nearby called Buttery. We can meet there and talk about this inconvenience over food.” 

“Inconvenience.” Steve repeated the word, his blue eyes darkening slightly. 

But he didn’t argue with you right away. Didn’t snarl. It struck you suddenly that you didn’t fear him being angry with you for disregarding the matebond, but felt heavy for potentially disappointing him.

Which was, in your eyes, another proof that this whole matebond needed to be snuffed before it developed further. 

“Alright.” He nodded, eyes not once leaving your face. “We’ll be there.”

It was hard to look away from him, but you forced yourself to drop your gaze and quickly retreated back and right into the small office you had in the right corner of the floor. Locking yourself within the glass walls didn’t help much, as it didn’t make the yearning in your chest go away. 

You rubbed at your chest, willing away the pitiful patter of your heart, as well the sudden cold that seemed to brush over your skin without the Alphas overwhelming presence.

Grabbing your personal calendar, you sat down at your desk and started scribbling down potential solutions to the sudden problem, preparing yourself for that dinner meeting as if it was a business negotiation. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ 

“She’s like a deer in headlights and you just let her run away.” Ransom frowned, glaring at the door behind which you disappeared. 

It irked him that you removed yourself from their space so quickly. Annoyed him even more that he still felt someone’s eyes on his own ass. As if he’d be interested in anyone when he was bonded. 

Beside him, Steve was composed, but the vibration of his barely contained need to rush after you and claim you were pulsing in waves.

“She’s an Omega who just got matebonded to four Alphas. At once.” Steve pointed out, not the least bothered by his packmate’s displeasure. “We can’t fully rip her out of her comfort zone, even if it gives her time to strategize on putting up defences.”

“She’s gonna fight it, isn’t she?” Ari’s mouth curved in a smile. 

He kind of liked the idea of having to work for you to melt into them, to come up with ways to sweep you off your feet. There were some that came to mind right away when he watched you saunter in those tight pants and flowy blouse.

“Most likely.” Steve gave him a knowing look. “And we’re going to push back.”

“How hard?” Ransom perked up at that. 

He wasn’t very patient. In some areas, he could delay, but bonding was a sensitive sphere for him. The need to cut himself off from his family as much as he could and build a pack of his own, one where he wasn’t treated like the worst pest and burden, was boiling in his veins. 

Ari squeezed his shoulder in a short comfort. 

“Depending on how far she tries to run with her denial.” Steve turned to them, face set with that determination he had a few seconds from deciding on a masterplan. 

“Which is why you’re going to get all her private information, Johnny. Address, if she drives a car, social media. Don’t overstep with the family. Ran, deal with that Buttery place. We don’t need loud chaos and snooping when approaching the topic.”

“Ari, contact the designer. Have the corner guest bedroom ready for an Omega. Two weeks tops.” 

“You’re going to deal with the boss?” Ari asked him in return. 

“Not yet.” Steve shook his head. “We don’t know her career plans. Maybe she really likes it here, then there’s no point in taking that away from her. If that’s the case, we’ll take it to the HR and PR on how to approach the fact a mid level worker is matebonded to the owners of the company.” 

He had a suspicion you’d claim to love your work, even if that wasn’t true, only to avoid changing anything more in your life. Or to avoid discovering you might want to do something else entirely, which they could make happen. 

It was a new territory. For all of the Alphas. 

When the bond snapped into place as each of them met, they had no need to fight it. Each for their own reasons. 

Ransom might’ve been the most distrustful at first, but he leaned on the gains, which let him open up to fully form deep bonds with each of them. Johnny never fought it in any way. Ari took everything in stride, as well. Steve… he could never step away from responsibility.