Chapter Text
Steve wakes up to lips at his ear. He twitches but doesn’t open his eyes. The lips move down to his neck. That makes him smirk a little, but he keeps his eyes closed. They trail down his chest, down his stomach, and when they reach his hip, he finally cracks an interested eye.
“Oh, now you’re awake, huh?” The lips mouth against his skin. Bucky’s voice is sleep-rough and still so incredibly hot, no matter how many times Steve hears it.
“Well, you’re going somewhere good now,” Steve points out. “Don’t want to miss that.”
“Hmm…” Bucky says thoughtfully. “You think I’m going somewhere good. What if I just like your hip?”
Steve laughs. “I think I know what you like best.”
“Yes,” Bucky says solemnly. He vaults himself back up the bed and kisses Steve’s forehead. “Your beautiful mind.”
Steve cracks up laughing. “Tease,” he accuses.
Bucky pretends to be wounded. “You should be happy I want you for more than your body.”
“Oh, I am,” Steve assures him. “Wouldn’t be much payoff for you if you weren’t.”
Bucky frowns for real now. “Quit it,” he chides. He dips his head to suck at Steve’s sharp collar bone. “I,” he proclaims, moving over to Steve’s left nipple. “Happen—” he’s back down at Steve’s stomach and starts dropping feather-light kisses on every protruding rib, “to really—” He bites at the inside of Steve’s skinny thigh, “enjoy—” he noses at Steve’s dick and makes him suck in a breath, “your body.”
Steve hisses as Bucky stops talking, intent on his task now. Steve’s not completely hard, but that doesn’t deter either of them. They’ve learned to work with what they get in the moment.
“Oh,” Bucky says, popping off and making Steve whine a little. “Happy anniversary.” His grin is confusingly arousing with how goofy and in love he looks coupled with the precome on his chin and spit on his lips.
“Boy, you’re romantic,” Steve manages to find two brain cells to say.
“Mmhmm,” Bucky hums as he gets back to work.
“Happy anniversary,” Steve moans back.
Later, after they’ve both come and Bucky’s dick even manages another sort of hopeful little twitch, they revisit the sappy part of the morning.
“So,” Steve says. “It’s our one-year anniversary.”
“Is it?” Bucky feigns ignorance. “Hm. I forgot. I guess I just like to wake you up with blowjobs.”
“And I appreciate that,” Steve says fervently. “But we do have a party to go to.”
Bucky flops his head onto Steve’s shoulder, snuggling into him as the air conditioner kicks on. It’s still getting cold at night, but it’s almost noon. They’d slept in and then, well, they were a bit busy.
“We have hours until the party,” Bucky reminds Steve. “I wonder what we’ll do with all that time.”
Steve laughs. “Someone’s optimistic,” he says. Unless there’s some kind of miracle, he won’t be getting it up for at least two days, probably. Bucky smiles into Steve’s neck.
“I just wanted to cuddle,” he counters. From anyone else, it might be a line, but Bucky is actually kind of surprisingly snuggly. It shouldn’t be surprising, really, considering all the times he’d dropped his head into Steve’s lap before they were even actually together, but he’s apparently happy as a clam to take full advantage of their openly-declared love for more cuddle access.
Steve makes sure Bucky sees his hand moving before he brings it up to brush through Bucky’s hair. He still doesn’t like unexpected things coming toward his face and there are still days when he can’t take Steve touching his hair, but most days, like today, if Steve makes sure to give him fair warning, he arches into it like a cat.
“Just think,” Steve muses. “We would’ve been getting divorced today if things didn’t work out the way they had.”
Bucky snorts. “Gee, Steve, your sunny disposition never fails.”
“What?” Steve asks. “That is sunny. We’re not getting divorced.”
“This would not be a good day if we were,” Bucky says softly.
“No,” Steve agrees, thinking about what a wreck he’d be if they were. “It wouldn’t.”
Bucky tightens his arms around Steve a little. “Well, I’m glad you got your stubborn ass going, finally,” he says.
Steve groans. “Come on, how was I supposed to know you were in love with me? I mean, look at you! You’re way outta my league”
“I bought you flowers, Steve,” Bucky says, laughing. “I told you how hot you were like every single day. I ate nut cheese for you!”
“I’ve never heard you complain about nut cheese,” Steve mutters, making Bucky cackle.
“My adorable, oblivious, stubborn little hobbit.” Bucky kisses the tip of Steve’s nose while Steve scowls. “Without the hairy feet,” he amends quickly, because that’s usually Steve’s complaint. Bucky raises his eyebrows expectantly and Steve shakes his head.
“No,” he says obstinately.
“Oh, come on, Stevie, say it,” Bucky pouts. “The whole thing was your idea anyway.”
Steve rolls his eyes. “My Aragorn,” he huffs. He could point out that Bucky’s hair hasn’t grown back to Aragorn-length yet, but that would only make Bucky upset as he thought about why his hair was so short, and anyway, Steve is a huge fan of the current length Bucky’s sporting. It’s not quite to his chin, growing out after being shaved for the surgery in December, and he often frustratedly blows strands off his face because it isn’t long enough to pull back into a ponytail, but Steve loves it. He’d try to convince Bucky to keep it like this if he didn’t love the bun, too, and know that Bucky likes it better long.
Bucky’s starting to shift around restlessly now, and Steve can tell cuddle time’s wrapping up. Bucky can go completely motionless for hours—days, maybe—if he has to, but when he gets to choose, he can’t sit still for half an hour.
“You gonna go for a run?” Steve asks.
“Yeah, I think so,” Bucky says. “I already missed Gabe, though.”
“I’m pretty sure he wasn’t expecting you today of all days,” Steve points out.
“Why, Steve?” Bucky asks innocently. “What do you think he was expecting?”
Steve just rolls his eyes again while Bucky laughs at his own joke. Steve can’t help but smile. This is a good day. It’s a good morning. They slept in because they were up late watching the latest superhero movie, not because of bad dreams. The most negative thing that happened was Bucky continuously declaring loudly,
“Captain America is a way better superhero than this guy.”
Steve’s still not sure who Bucky was declaring that to, since they were watching it on DVD in their apartment.
Good days are getting more and more common these days, now that Bucky’s going to VA meetings and even regularly showing up to his individual therapy appointments instead of only going for prescription refills.
Steve’s benefitting from the increased sleep he’s getting, and the air purifier in the apartment is actually doing wonders for his breathing. Things got a little rocky around the anniversary of his mother’s death a few months ago, but he knew that was coming and warned Bucky ahead of time.
It also helped that Bucky spent two days in bed with him when it hit, even if Steve did feel guilty that he was missing class to do it. And yes, Steve got strep throat in February, but at least he hasn’t been back to the hospital since the summer.
Bucky kisses Steve’s temple and rolls out of bed. His bedhead is even more pronounced with how short his hair is, and it delights Steve to no end. Steve snuggles back down into the covers for a minute. He’s not going to fall back to sleep, but it’s nice to laze around for a bit. He’s got panels he needs to finish and storyboards to create, but he doesn’t have to do it today. He already told Nick Fury, his boss at Shield Comics, he wouldn't have anything this week because of his anniversary.
Today he gets to lie in bed and relish the incredible view of his naked husband scratching his ass as he roots around in the dresser for his running shorts.
“Did you rearrange this drawer again?” Bucky grumbles. “Shorts on the left, shirts on the right, Steve, come on.”
“I guess you’ll just have to put the laundry away yourself,” Steve shoots back. Bucky laughs, because they both know Bucky does the bulk of the laundry. Steve cleans the bathroom, so he doesn’t feel too bad.
Bucky’s got his shoes laced up and his long-sleeved shirt on, but he pauses in the doorway, turns around, and comes back to lean over Steve and drop another kiss on his lips.
“Bye,” he murmurs into more kisses. “Happy anniversary.”
Steve laughs a little. “Happy anniversary,” he says. “You’re getting sappy.”
Bucky nuzzles their noses together. “I’m allowed to. It’s my anniversary.”
Steve watches him go with a fond smile on his face. They finally got together for real almost six months ago, but Steve still has to pinch himself sometimes. It was rough going at first; they both spent a lot of time wondering if the other was really serious, if this could actually be happening, but they’re past that.
Now Steve just can’t believe how lucky he is.
Sometimes he’s still not sure he deserves Bucky—no, some days he’s sure he doesn’t deserve Bucky—but he knows he’s got Bucky either way. And he gets angry when Bucky thinks he doesn’t deserve Steve, so he knows how Bucky feels on Steve’s bad days.
Steve gets out of bed and showers before he decides to pick up around the apartment. Everything sitting out is his; Bucky is tidy and doesn’t leave his shoes in the entryway or his jacket on the back of the armchair the way Steve always does. Steve’s pretty sure he probably hoped their love would magically transform Steve into a cleaner person, but it definitely didn’t happen.
There’s a bagel already sliced and toasted and covered in peanut butter waiting on the counter, and Steve sticks it in his mouth while he carries an armful of crumpled up papers, discarded jackets, and pencils out of the living room. The door buzzes before he gets to the room. Bucky shouldn’t be back yet. Steve’s not expecting anyone.
Steve pushes the buzzer with his elbow. “Mmph?” He tries to talk around the bagel.
“Steve?” Sam asks. Steve buzzes him in, but he can’t unlock the door with his hands full. He deliberates for a minute, then drops his shoes and kicks them out of the way. They’ve been in the living room for almost a week—what’s another hour?
“Hey,” Sam greets as he comes inside, rolling his eyes when he sees Steve’s mouth full of bagel. “Well, at least you’re eating.”
Steve uses one now-free hand to pull the bagel out of his mouth. “I’ve gained four pounds this year!”
“Oh my God, I know,” Sam complains. Steve rolls his eyes back. He might have a tendency to point that out. Often.
Though not as often as Winifred does.
“Riley’s dad on your case again?” Steve asks sympathetically. Riley’s parents are visiting from Arkansas. They both like Sam, but Riley’s dad is…difficult. He’s not openly hostile, and he came to the wedding and everything, but he still thinks Sam “turned” Riley gay.
Sam blows out a breath. “Not everybody got in-laws as good as yours.” It’s the closest he’ll come to complaining about Riley’s dad.
“I know,” Steve says, trying not to sound too smug. He really won the in-law lottery. And the husband lottery, if he does say so himself, but he knows Sam won’t agree with him on that one. Steve's sure Riley's a perfectly respectable husband, probably even better than average, but he's not Bucky.
Sam flops down on the couch and turns on the TV. “I’m just going to chill for a while, okay? Do your thing.”
Steve crams the last of his bagel in his mouth. “I’ll put this stuff away,” he says, muffled and probably mostly indecipherable. “Hang on.”
Sam just looks bemused and shrugs. Steve coughs a little and Sam rolls his eyes. Steve can hear him muttering but can’t make out the words, but he knows it’s a dig on him choking. He actually puts his shoes in the closet in their designated space and puts his jacket on the hanger, then heads back out to the couch to hang out with Sam.
Bucky gets home about half an hour later, sweating and raking his hair back from his face.
“Oh, boy,” he calls out. “You cleaned up. Is that my present?”
“Happy anniversary,” Steve says. “I even put my shoes in the closet.”
Bucky pretends to be blown away, putting a hand on his chest dramatically. “Steve, am I dying?”
Steve frowns and twists around so Bucky can see it. “That’s not funny.”
“Shit, it’s your anniversary,” Sam says. “I didn’t even think of that. I’ll get out of your hair.”
Bucky waves a hand. “Can it, Wilson. We already did that part.”
“One and a half times,” Steve brags, even though for most people one and a half times is a pretty sorry stat to be bragging about.
“Okay, TMI,” Sam complains.
“I’m gonna hop in the shower,” Bucky says, stopping in the kitchen to grab a drink from his water bottle. Steve watches his throat bob as he swallows and Sam snorts.
“Seriously, I can go,” he offers.
“No, no, I can’t do anything anyway,” Steve tells him, flushing a little. Sam just nods, though. He knows enough about the medications Steve and Bucky are both on and Steve’s chronic illnesses to understand.
Steve’s phone lights up with a snapchat from Peggy. It’s a picture of Angie holding a giant lollypop, probably as big as her face. She loves England, the caption says.
Steve snaps back a picture of Sam lying dramatically on the sofa. Take him with you next time, he requests.
Steve still feels a little guilty over everything that happened with Peggy. They’ve gotten past it, and she comes to the weekly lunch with Sam and Natasha most of the time. Steve’s so grateful they’re still friends, but it’s still a little weird, navigating his friendship with her while they’re both in relationships with other people, especially since his relationship with Bucky was what changed his relationship with her. He was relieved—and then felt guilty again for that relief—when he found out her trip to take Angie to meet her parents coincided with the anniversary party.
When Bucky gets out of the shower, the three of them sit watching Animal Planet for a while, Bucky on the couch in front of Steve and Steve digging his fingers into the knots in Bucky’s neck and shoulders. After the second episode of Dog Cops, Sam stands up, shaking his head.
“I’m gonna get enough of your grossness at the party,” he says. “I’m out.”
“We are not gross,” Steve protests. “We’ve both had very hard lives.”
“We deserve to be happy,” Bucky adds.
Sam throws a pretzel at them. They should probably vacuum, because neither of them can remember the last time they bought pretzels.
They spend the rest of the afternoon the way they’ve been spending most days since Bucky’s semester ended two weeks ago: lying together on the couch, cuddling and dozing through a movie. Steve starts tickling Bucky, and Bucky threatens to give Steve a hickey in plain view in retaliation, so they call a truce. Steve does not want to show up at their anniversary party and deal with everyone seeing him with a hickey. The teasing would be relentless.
Finally, it’s time to get ready to go, and they elbow and dance around each other in the bathroom.
“You’re getting toothpaste on the mirror,” Bucky complains, the same way he does every night before bed. “Close your mouth.”
“How do you know that’s not from you?” Steve shoots back, spraying toothpaste all over the mirror. Bucky somehow manages to frown and look smug at the same time. Bucky rubs deodorant under his arms and then hands it off to Steve, who passes him the hairspray.
“I hate this hair,” Bucky grumps, wetting his comb. Steve puts his hands on Bucky’s hips and turns him around.
“I don’t,” Steve assures him, pulling him in by his belt loops. Bucky’s mouth curves up in a lopsided smile.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Oh yeah,” Steve says, leaning up to kiss Bucky.
“You want me to keep it like this?” Bucky asks, face dropping all expression. It took Steve an embarrassingly long time to realize Bucky does that when he’s hiding his emotions—he makes himself go blank so he doesn’t show how vulnerable he feels.
“I want you to keep it however you like it,” Steve tells him. “I like it long, I like it short, I even liked it shaved off.”
Bucky laughs a little. “No, you didn’t. It felt all weird and fuzzy.”
“Don’t care,” Steve says stubbornly. “If it’s you, I like it.”
Bucky snorts. “Now who’s sappy?” He’s ducking his head and smiling and it’s one of Steve’s favorite sights in the world.
“I’m allowed to,” Steve murmurs. “It’s my anniversary.”
They’re only ten minutes late to the party.
Sam raises an eyebrow when they walk out to the backyard at Bucky's parents' house. “Thought you said that wasn’t gonna happen.”
Steve blushes scarlet. “It didn’t!” He insists. All they did was make out for a while. They’ve gotten very, very good at that.
Riley is laughing at them. “You would be late to your own party.”
“We needed to make an entrance,” Bucky says.
“Oh, there you are,” Winifred says. “I was worried you weren’t coming. Go eat.”
“Ma, we’re barely even late,” Bucky points out.
“If you’re not early, you’re late,” she says loftily. “Which makes you extra late.”
Bucky rolls his eyes and groans and Steve laughs. Winifred winks at Steve and shoos them away. “Go eat!” She repeats. “I want Steve to gain another pound to make it an even five.”
“Leave Steve alone,” Bucky warns. “If I catch you stuffing rolls in his pockets again we’re gonna have a conversation.”
Winifred waves a hand carelessly. “He likes it.”
“He does like it,” Steve agrees.
Bucky gives him a look. “Don’t encourage her.”
Ann took over planning everything again—without being asked, again—so, as a result, Steve and Bucky have to sit at a table up in front of the yard, sequestered and on display. There’s a centerpiece with weird colored rocks inside that’s taking up so much space they can hardly fit their plates and cups on the table at the same time.
“The fuck is this?” Bucky asks, so nonplussed it makes Steve laugh.
“Do you think that’s candy?” Steve asks, sitting up taller to peer over the lip of the vase.
“Eat it and find out.”
“I’m not going to eat it without knowing what it is!” Steve protests. “I’m medically fragile.”
Bucky snorts. “Didn’t seem medically fragile this morning.”
Steve rolls his eyes, but he can’t help but laugh. “Why don’t you eat one?”
“You want me to put these balls in my mouth, huh?”
“Bucky, stop!” Steve laughs, knocking his elbow into Bucky.
“Don’t elbow me, I’m eating!”
“Don’t make me blush when people are watching!”
“I’m just saying, you like watching me stuff balls in my—”
“You guys are disgusting,” Natasha cuts in, making them both jump. They’d been leaning closer and closer together and hadn’t noticed her creep up, which, of course, was her goal.
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Steve complains. “We were irritating when we weren’t together, now we get together and everyone says we’re gross.”
“We just can’t win,” Bucky agrees, shaking his head.
Natasha rolls her eyes fondly at them. “I’m only going to say this once,” she starts. “And I’ll deny it if anyone asks. But I’m very happy you two got things figured out. You’re good for each other.”
Steve feels a rush of affection for her and has to stand up to give her a hug. She goes onto her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “You deserve every good thing.”
Steve’s throat is a little clogged when they pull apart, and Bucky puts a soft hand on his back understandingly.
“Clint has our gift,” Natasha says, getting back onto firmer emotional ground. “But I think he got distracted by your nephew and the pizza table.”
Sure enough, Clint and Jamie are both holding a piece of pizza in each hand and deep in conversation. They both look very serious, so they can only be discussing their hatred of vegetables again.
“Buh!” Ella declares, toddling over. She’s just over a year old now, and her chubby little legs can actually carry her pretty fast when she decides to run. She heads straight for Bucky’s lap and he obligingly scoops her up. She leans over to pat Steve’s cheek and shrieks with giggles when Bucky blows a raspberry on her tummy.
“Oh, great,” Dugan calls. “Barnes found a lady to charm.”
“Someone protect her from Cap’s wrath!” Falsworth adds. Steve has no choice but to throw one of his precious rolls at them, and Bucky offers him a high-five when it pegs Falsworth in the back of the head.
“That was impressive,” Natasha praises. “See if you can get Morita.”
“Steven!” Thor booms out, coming up to clap a hand on Steve’s back hard enough to make him fall forward a little bit. “Barnes!” He lowers his voice a little in deference to Ella, who’s watching him with giant blue eyes. “I am overjoyed to be celebrating this wonderful day with you. The day of your joining!”
Natasha presses her lips together and Steve narrows his eyes at her. He knows exactly what she’s thinking in terms of “joining.”
“Thor, it was not when they actually joined,” Volstagg points out, because Volstagg always points out things like that. Steve and Bucky hadn’t really planned to go around telling everyone the truth, but Thor had noticed their increased happiness after they really got together, so they’d told. Some of Bucky’s extended family still doesn’t know the truth.
Bucky makes a face and gestures at Ella. “Hey, baby here,” he scolds.
Thor laughs happily, and it makes Ella laugh. “But it is still when your lives became entwined,” he points out. “If not for this day, you wouldn’t have each other now.”
Steve can’t help the smile that tugs at his lips. “Well, that’s true,” he agrees, a hand resting easily on Bucky’s thigh.
“Even though Steve didn’t want to marry me,” Bucky teases.
“You didn’t want to marry me either!” Steve says defensively.
“Are you kidding?” Bucky shoots back. “You tried to bite my head off the first day we met. And the second day. I knew it was love.”
“You are such a liar,” Steve accuses. “You kept trying to get me to back out.”
Bucky laughs a little. “Just testing you. Good thing you’re so stubborn, huh?”
Steve opens his mouth to protest and say that he isn’t stubborn, but he stops. That would be a losing fight. Volstagg laughs.
“Wise decision,” he says. “Now excuse me, please. I must attend to the food before Hogun and Fandrul eat everything.”
Thor looks slightly worried. “Sif is there, too,” he reminds Volstagg. “She’ll eat more than they will.”
“I’m going to put the present on the table,” Natasha says. “Clint’s going to abandon it somewhere to get more pizza.”
“You didn’t have to get us anything,” Steve says.
“Well, I already did,” Natasha points out, smirking. “So you’re just being polite.”
Bucky laughs at the way Steve sputters. “Don’t make him choke,” he warns.
“No, I’ll leave that to you,” Natasha fires over her shoulder. Now Steve does choke, and Bucky pats his back while hooting with laughter. Ella laughs too, though she obviously has no idea why, and she reaches for Steve. They’ve gained an understanding over the past year. She doesn’t cry when he holds her, and he doesn’t wear his glasses when she’s around. It just seems cruel to show her something she wants to play with and tell her no.
“Ellie-Belly loves Steve, huh?” Bucky baby-talks. “Yeah, who doesn’t? What a face, right? So handsome.” Ella claps her hands over Steve’s face when Bucky says face and Bucky rewards her with a blinding grin. “That’s right, there’s his cute face!”
Steve’s blushing. “Stop,” he says.
“Stop what?” Bucky asks, tugging at one of Ella’s curls and making her babble.
“Stop calling me cute.”
Bucky laughs. “Why? You are cute. You’re adorable and sexy and gorgeous.”
“Bucky,” Steve protests, blushing harder and ducking his head.
“No complaining and no arguing,” Bucky admonishes. “It’s our anniversary. I get to shower you in praise today.”
“Fine,” Steve counters, bringing his head back up defiantly. “Then you don’t get to dodge my compliments either.”
“Do I ever?” Bucky asks.
“You’re smart,” Steve says immediately, and Bucky’s forehead wrinkles. Steve raises his eyebrows triumphantly. “No complaining and no arguing,” he reminds Bucky. “You’re smart and your entire body is hot as hell and there’s not one thing I’d change about you.”
It’s Bucky’s turn to blush, which is a significantly harder task than getting Steve to blush, and Steve smiles at him, feeling soft and gentle suddenly after he’d been prickly a second ago. Now he kind of gets why Bucky was doing it.
“Ella,” Becca says. “There you are. Steve and Bucky need to eat, baby girl, so you’re coming with me.”
Ella clings to Steve stubbornly, squawking angrily when Becca picks her up. “I don’t mind,” Steve says. “You can eat. I’ll hold her.”
“Are you sure?” Becca asks, already taking a few steps backward. Ella snuggles into Steve’s chest and he smiles.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he promises. He doesn’t even have to say it again before Becca’s beating a quick retreat to the food table. “We should babysit for them some night,” Steve says. He turns to look at Bucky and stops at the look on Bucky’s face. “What?” He asks.
“Nothing,” Bucky says. Steve raises an eyebrow.
“Nothing, huh?” He asks skeptically. “You just looked like you were about to cry.”
Bucky looks down at his plate, shoving some chicken parmesan around without eating it. “Nothing,” he repeats, softer this time, and Steve feels a little worry clench at his stomach.
“Buck?”
Bucky sighs. “You’ve gotten good with the kids,” he says, still not looking at Steve. “You—you want kids? Someday? I don’t think I can…” He swallows hard and shrugs. “You’re not gonna get kids. With me.”
That’s quite a bit to parse through, especially when they’re sitting in Bucky’s parents’ backyard surrounded by family and friends. Steve shifts Ella over a little so he can grab Bucky’s hand.
“Well, for starters, I’m not sure I want kids,” Steve says, which is true. Sure, he’s sort of thought about it in the abstract—Bucky bouncing kids on his lap, a squeaky little voice calling them both dad—but never really seriously. “And anyway,” Steve goes on. “If we decide we want kids, there are a lot of ways we could go about it.” He grins teasingly. “One of us doesn’t have to get pregnant, you know.”
Bucky doesn’t smile back. “I mean I don’t know if can…” He bites his lip. “I shouldn’t be raising kids, is what I mean.”
Steve takes a second to absorb that. “You think you wouldn’t be a good father?”
“I could have a flashback,” Bucky says. “I could sleepwalk. I could forget where I am.” He doesn’t say the part Steve knows worries him the most—I could hurt them.
Steve sighs and squeezes Bucky’s hand. “I’m going to say three things, and you don’t get to complain or argue,” he says, reminding Bucky of the already-in-place rule. “First, if you want kids, you would be an amazing dad, Buck, seriously. You’re patient and good and you’re already a great big brother and uncle. Second,” he says, drowning out whatever Bucky’s going to try to say. “You’re doing so much better than you were, Bucky, even better than when we met. When was the last time you even had a flashback?” He doesn’t even let Bucky answer the question. “And third, we’ve only been together like six months. Even if you count from when we got married, that’s only a year. We don’t have to decide anything now. So if this is because Uncle Edgar said some shit, I’m gonna go fight him.”
Bucky laughs a little, despite himself. “You can’t fight Uncle Edgar,” he says. “The man is seventy years old. That wouldn’t be fair.”
“It would be fair,” Steve argues. “Because I’m medically fragile.”
Bucky laughs for real now and shakes his head. “If you say that one more time today I’m going to record it and use it against you when I’m trying to keep you from doing something stupid.”
“I never do anything stupid,” Steve says with a grin. “You take all the stupid with you.”
Bucky brings their entwined hands up to his mouth and presses his lips to Steve’s knuckles. “You’re pretty alright, you know that?”
Steve laughs loudly. “You sure know how to compliment a guy.”
“Just my best guy,” he promises.
“Are you guys being lovey dovey?” Beth asks, coming over. “I’m supposed to ask how long until you’re ready for cake, but I don’t want to interrupt you.”
Bucky rolls his eyes at her. “We don’t believe in being lovey dovey.”
“You kiss like every five seconds,” Beth points out, unimpressed. She used to sigh over how cute they were, but apparently the shine’s worn off and she’s no longer enchanted. She is, after all, entering college in the fall. She’s a wise, mature woman now.
“There’s cake?” Steve asks. He doesn’t even have to wonder anymore if he’ll be able to eat it. He knows Winifred wouldn’t make something he can’t eat.
Beth giggles. “I’ll tell Ma you’re ready now. Gimme the baby.”
“What? Why?” Bucky protests.
“Because I want a turn! Clint’s hogging Jamie.”
A glance over at Clint’s table shows them Jamie on Clint’s lap, looking at his phone. They’re probably looking at pictures of Lucky. Jamie’s recently become obsessed with dogs.
Steve hands Ella over and she goes with Beth. Apparently she just doesn’t want to go with her parents. Probably because they’ll make her eat something other than blueberries, which she does not seem inclined to do anytime soon.
Bucky drapes his arm over the back of Steve’s chair and Steve leans into him a little. “This is sorta like a reception,” Bucky muses. “Presents and cake and everything.”
“And this time we actually like each other,” Steve adds helpfully.
“Yeah, today,” Bucky jokes. “Ask me again tomorrow maybe.” He wouldn’t have teased about that even a few months ago, but they both know better now.
“Okay, we’re bringing the cake out,” Winifred announces loudly. Jamie cheers. “But first we’re going to give Steve and James a special present from George and me.” She smiles at her husband, who walks to her side amiably. He hands Bucky the envelope he’s holding.
“We’re glad you two figured things out,” he says quietly, just for them to hear. “It’s good to see you both so happy.”
“You didn’t have a honeymoon after you got married last year,” Winifred reminds them. Steve cringes a little at the thought. Sure, now he’d love to go somewhere and lie around naked with Bucky, but a year ago there were few things that would have been more uncomfortable.
“So here’s your honeymoon,” George finishes. Bucky’s head snaps up.
“What?” He says.
“Open the envelope!” Bailey yells. Bucky does as he’s told and gasps.
“What is it?” Steve asks, crowding closer to see. Airline tickets. His stomach drops a little. They’re tickets to Ireland.
“Ireland,” he breathes.
The Commandos are making a huge ruckus. “Just like your damn movie!” Gabe yells.
“You can learn a real accent!” Dernier adds.
Bucky glances at Steve to gauge his reaction. Steve had a bit of a freak-out not long after they got together about how much money Bucky’s parents have given him. He’s still finding ways to give some back to them—“Technically, I broke the contract since we’re not getting divorced” he likes to point out, though it absolutely does nothing to sway them—and he gets a little prickly about them buying him things. Bucky had his own freak-out about Steve sticking around longer because of the money, like Steve was obligated to him or something. So money’s still a bit of a sensitive subject for them, even now that Steve’s making his own with his comic book.
Plus there’s the added complication about Steve’s mother and Ireland. He can already feel the sadness over the fact that they never got to go together welling up. How will he be able to look at things she saw as a child and not miss her?
But then he looks over at Bucky. Despite his apprehension, there’s excitement in his eyes, too, and Steve can tell he’s dying to go. A lot of Steve is shrieking internally, too. He’s always thought someday he’d go. His plans had always involved taking his ma, of course, but he knows she wouldn’t begrudge him this.
Bucky’s biting his lip, nervous for how Steve’s going to react, and Steve feels bad. He’s still a bit of a loose cannon sometimes, flying off the handle and getting defensive about things. He wishes Bucky didn’t have to be worried he’d make a scene in front of all their family and friends.
Steve smiles at Bucky and Bucky’s face instantly lights up. “Yeah?” Bucky laughs. Steve nods. Bucky woops and leans forward to kiss Steve, then he springs out of his chair to hug his parents. The guests all cheer and Steve gets up and gives Winifred a hug of his own.
“Thank you,” he murmurs, feeling choked up. They could have bought them tickets to anywhere, really, or at least somewhere more traditionally “honeymoon”, but they knew Ireland, specifically, would mean a lot.
“Anything for my boys,” she tells him, and his heart squeezes a little more. He really did win the in-law jackpot.
Once the cake comes out, Steve and Bucky aren’t stuck at their isolated table, and the party gets going with mingling and dancing and a whole lot of noise. It is, Steve realizes, what their reception should have been, and he feels another wave of gratitude for Winifred for putting it together.
“I have a surprise for you,” Bucky says, coming up behind Steve and wrapping an arm around his waist. “And it’s really stupid but you’re going to laugh really hard.”
“That’s no way to talk about your dick,” Steve says. Bucky laughs at him and pulls him around to the side of the house, where Dugan is waiting with a tandem bike and holding two bowties. Steve doubles over, laughing so hard he starts to wheeze.
Bucky’s grinning triumphantly. “I knew you’d laugh.”
“Did you tell him?” Steve asks Dugan. Now Bucky looks confused. Dugan’s laughing, now, too, and he shakes his head. He opens his camera case and pulls out a pack of bubble gum, and Bucky starts laughing. Their engagement pictures weren't the stereotypical kind, but they're going to take them now.
“We planned the same surprise?”
“It’s almost like you guys were destined to be together or something,” Riley says loudly.
“Oh my God,” Sam mutters. “Not this again.”
“It does seem rather fatey,” Clint agrees.
“I don’t think fate had anything to do with it,” Natasha cuts in. “It was all thanks to—”
“We know,” Morita breaks in. “You’re the one who got Steve to do it.”
“Though Winifred thought the whole thing up,” Gabe points out.
“So she should get the credit,” Dernier says.
“Shouldn’t we get any credit?” Bucky asks. “I mean, I’m the one who made Steve fall in love with me!”
“Barely,” Falsworth says. “You sure took your time doing it.”
“Hey, it’s not Bucky’s fault I was slow,” Steve defends Bucky.
“Okay, that’s kind of sweet,” Beth mutters. “Calling himself stupid to stand up for Bucky.”
“He didn’t call himself stupid,” Bailey points out. “You just did.”
“To be fair, they were both stupid,” Becca says.
“Bucky could have just said something,” Mark agrees.
“Leave them alone,” George says. “It’s their anniversary.”
“Well, they could’ve been happier sooner,” Winifred says. “But it doesn’t matter because you’re happy now!”
“I still don’t believe there wasn’t anything going on with that pie at Thanksgiving,” Ann says.
“Oh, of course there was,” Kay agrees.
Steve puts his hands on his hips and shares a look with Bucky. They have ridiculous friends and family and none of them will let them forget how long they were in love with each other without saying anything (on Bucky’s part) or even realizing it (on Steve’s).
“We got some pictures to take,” Dugan tells everyone. “Go eat cake or something.”
It’s loud with everyone gathered around, and as they all make their exit they take care to do a lot of bumping into each other and Steve and Bucky. Bucky ends up a few feet away, putting his bowtie on, and Steve can’t stop looking at him and smiling. Bucky catches him looking and smiles back, finishing the last loop on his bowtie.
I love you, he signs.
Steve doesn’t even try to fight the dopey look that overcomes his face. I love you, he signs back. Forever.
Forever plus one, Bucky one-ups him.
Steve laughs. Forever plus two.
Bucky walks over to him slowly enough that Steve gets to appreciate the view. He reaches out and straightens Steve’s bowtie. “You’re arguing with me, punk.”
“I’m agreeing with you,” Steve protests. “Well, okay, now I’m arguing with you, jerk.”
Bucky laughs a little and puts his hands on Steve’s face to pull him in for a kiss. “I love you anyway.”
“I love you, too,” Steve answers. There’s no denying they’re being lovey dovey now, but he can’t bring himself to care. He can’t believe he gets all this—this big group of people who care that he’s happy, this family that accepted him with barely the blink of an eye, and this man who loves him despite all his issues and flaws. He can’t believe it, but he wouldn’t trade it for the world.
“Hi Ma,” Steve says, brushing his fingers over the name on the headstone. “Bucky’s just parking the car and then he’ll be here. He’s got a new joke for you and I know you’re going to love it.”
He leans against her headstone for a second. “Guess what? Buck and I are going to Ireland. Can you believe it? I wish you were here to come, too, but I’m finally going to see where you grew up.”
He can see Bucky walking across the cemetery, respectfully taking care not to walk over anyone’s grave. He smiles at the sight and at the dorky wave Bucky tosses his way when their eyes meet.
“I’m so happy, Ma,” Steve whispers. “I wish you were here, but don’t worry, okay?” He waves back at Bucky. “I never thought I’d get to be this happy. But I am.” He looks down at the flowers they left last time they were here and smiles, feeling the sting of tears in his eyes but not in a bad way, the tightness in his throat from the thought of how his mother would be glad he’d found Bucky. He feels a little overwhelmed by it all, but he lets out a slow breath and relishes the comfortable, warm feeling in his chest.
“Talking about me?” Bucky asks as he walks up.
“Yeah,” Steve says, not feeling like joking. Bucky gives him a soft smile and wraps an arm around him, pressing a kiss to his temple.
“What were you saying?” He asks.
Steve leans into him and slides his arm around Bucky’s waist. “I was just telling her how happy I am.”
Bucky ducks his head a little, a beautiful uptick to his lips, and squeezes Steve a bit tighter. “Good,” he murmurs. “That’s my goal.”
“Making me happy?” Steve asks. “That’s funny, because my goal’s to make you happy.”
“Well, look at that,” Bucky drawls out. “Looks like we’re both succeeding.”
Steve tips his head against Bucky’s chin and hums a little, content. “I guess we are.”
“Let’s keep doing that, huh?” Bucky asks, muffled against Steve’s hair. Steve huffs a little at the way it tickles, but he stays wrapped up in Bucky’s arms.
“Yeah,” he agrees. “Let’s keep doing that.”