1 year, 4 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 23 hours, 11 minutes, and 42.5 seconds later
Standing at the end of the aisle,
her train trailing behind her,
a priest in front of her,
Toni took Bucky's hand in hers and spoke.
“I love you.”
“That means I would defend you with my life even if the odds were insurmountable.”
“It means I will comfort you in difficult and painful times.”
“It means I will dance and rejoice with you when times are good.”
“It means I will never betray you, never give up on you.”
“It means finding my fire when you, my loved one, is threatened, yet never waging war - only doing what is necessary for a noble defense.”
“Love says I forgive you when you err.”
“Love says though life may test me I am yours into eternity and I will never abandon you.”
“It means I will never put you in danger no matter how noble the "cause" may be.”
“Love means protecting the earth, protecting humanity, being kind to animals, but should anyone demand your life to save their own, I will tell them to rot in hell.”
“There can never be a higher calling to me than protecting and caring for those I love.”
“Love is not a concept for sheep, for sheep run at the first sign of fear; it is a concept for lions, so be brave in my love and know that I am here.”
Toni noticed just as she only had eyes for James and Winter it was more than apparent that they gazed back with just as much, if not more affection (if such a thing was possible).
No matter how many times they looked at her their eyes never seem to lose the hint of disbelief like they couldn't believe that tony loved them,
that she wouldn't disappear,
that they wouldn't just wake up from cyro and this whole thing was a dream that they would be forced to forget.
Clearing their throat, they spoke together alternating sentences.
“In your words, we are safe because they aren't just words.”
“You are there every day, every year.”
“You are there in the good times and the bad.”
“Even knowing our faults, of which there are many, you are there to listen, to defend, to love.”
“You understand our anxieties, our triggers, and the ghosts that haunt us, driving actions that are so illogical to others.”
“In return, we keep you safe with our words, our deeds.”
“We are the ones who will always be there for you, be honest with you, listen, and care.”
“We won't always have answers for you, you won't always have answers for us, but you will never be alone in your problems, and neither will we.”
“So today we will paint you a picture of our love with words, and then every day we will prove they are true.”
The smile Toni sent them through her tears of joy was breathtaking and brilliant.
They didn't need to be told twice when they finally heard the words they had been waiting for.
“You may now kiss the bride.”