"We're here live with the Avengers and their partners and friends, for the first time since the Winter Soldier was revealed." The reporter began with a too fake smile, "Mr. Barnes, how has your recovery been going?"
Bucky frowned, making the reporter suppress a flinch.
"Rogers." Bucky said.
"Pardon?"
"My last name, it's Rogers." Bucky said slowly as he turned to a wide eyed Steve.
Steve forced himself to breath as he smiled at Bucky and nodded, internally panicking because Bucky remembered they were together, which was great, but they had never married, not even in a pseudo-ceremony but who was Steve to tell Bucky that when his eyes shined so brightly at the thought?
Steve didn't really recall the rest of the interview, focused on Bucky's hand in his and planning how to convince Pepper to help him get a marriage certificate and backdate it to the 1930's. Steve was going to have to figure out just when Bucky thought they had gotten married for him to believe it.
But Steve was still grinning once the interview was finished.
'I guess we're married now.' Steve thought a little dazedly as he followed Tony from the room the interview had taken place in, Bucky's hand tight in his.
---
Pepper could only stare at Steve as she mentally repeated what he'd asked of her.
No, that wasn't enough.
"You want me to forge a marriage certificate and backdate it to 1938?" She repeated slowly.
Steve nodded, "That would be great, can you make it for March 9th, 1938?"
Pepper gaped at Steve.
"Why?" She asked.
"Well, Bucky thinks that's the day we got married." Steve said simply.
If only it was that simple.
"And you can't just tell him that you aren't married?" Pepper asked slowly as if she was speaking to a child or a sleep deprived Tony.
Steve's face scrunched up in confusion, "Why would I do that? It's not like I don't want to be married to him, if it had been legal then I wouldn't need you to get me a marriage certificate."
Pepper stared at him. She opened her mouth, closed it and stared some more.
"And your solution is to forge a certificate rather than just get married now?" Pepper finally asked.
"Well, it would have that day's date and not March 9th 1938, wouldn't it?" Steve asked, "And you don't get a new certificate when you renew vows, I checked."
Pepper sighed, the things she did for the Avengers.
"Fine, I'll try to get you a backdated marriage certificate, but I can't guarantee that I can." Pepper told Steve.
"That's great, thanks." Captain America gave her the sweetest smile as he left, and she could see how that smile had gotten Bucky Barnes where he was.
Pepper let out an unladylike snort.
It was Bucky Rogers now, she reminded herself as she began to work on Steve's request.
----
Bucky looked at Steve over the anniversary meal he'd planned, Steve's smile was wide and his eyes were shining with joy as Bucky sat down.
Bucky waited until Steve sat their dessert in front of him and the other man had taken a bite before he spoke up.
"So, I know we didn't actually get married in '38." Bucky said and watched as Steve nearly inhaled his fork.
"Uh..." Steve said as he stared at Bucky with a red face, from embarrassment or from almost choking to death Bucky wasn't sure.
"When exactly were you planning on telling me that?" Bucky asked as he took a bite of his fake anniversary dessert.
"Er..." Steve floundered.
"Or perhaps you were going to tell me that you had the lovely Miss Potts commit a felony to forge our marriage certificate?" Bucky continued sweetly.
Steve paused with a frown, "Do you not want to be married to me?" He asked softly, looking away from Bucky.
Bucky looked up from his dessert at the insecurity and wobble in Steve's voice as he spoke.
"It's not that." Bucky began, "I've wanted to marry you since you first kissed me after you nearly died that winter." Bucky told him quietly.
Steve looked at him with stars in his eyes beneath the tears, "Then why does it matter?"
"It matters, Stevie, because now we can do it right, with witnesses and the government acknowledging that we are partners." Bucky told him gently, "It matters for the millions of little boys and girls that look up to you. The ones that never dared to think you might be in love with your best friend like they are."
Steve stared at Bucky and gave him the same smile that made Bucky realize he was in love so many years ago.
"You know that Tony will make it the most lavish wedding he can get away with right?" Steve pointed out.
"His hero is getting married, he deserves it, hopefully he'll get it out of his system with us so Miss Potts can have her small wedding once she proposes." Bucky told Steve as he finished his dessert and reached for Steve's.
"You have a point, did she finally decide on a date, she asked me to make the blueberry pie Tony fell in love with when I first made it." Steve asked as he got Bucky more dessert.
"Not yet." Bucky said as he took the dessert from Steve as the man sat next to him, "You know, you never actually asked me."
Steve looked at Bucky and grinned and Bucky shouldn't have pointed that out as he watched Steve get down on one knee before him.
Steve took Bucky's metal hand and looked into his eyes, "James Buchanan Barnes, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming," Steve deepened his voice as he finished, "My bride?"
"No more Disney for you." Bucky said as he pulled Steve up to kiss him as the man giggled.
"Come on that movie was adorable." Steve said, "You liked it."
"I liked it because there was no big plot or evil." Bucky pointed out.
"That's fair. So, will you marry me?" Steve asked.
"As long as you wear the dress, sure." Bucky joked.
Steve grinned and that should have warned Bucky then and there.
Steve looked just as beautiful in a wedding dress as he would have in a suit and tie.
The reactions of the world were both hilarious and endearing, and Bucky enjoyed every moment of it, especially ruining the dress.
He frames the fake certificate Miss Potts made them and never lets Steve live it down.
--
A/n: I know it's been a bit but real life exists and with everything going on fluff is a bit difficult to write but I managed.
I hope this brings you a smile if you need one, enjoy and be safe and Happy holidays if you celebrate.
This was the original idea that I gave myself, if it inspires you to write go forth and write, just put an inspired by and maybe a related work link in case others want to read it, heck I'd probably like to read it.
Anyway, prompt was:
Fic where during Bucky's memory recovery he gets a little confused.
He remembers being with Steve but thinks they got married, (he doesn't remember it was illegal then, it's legal now) and starts introducing himself as Bucky Rogers and Steve is just like alright I guess we're married now and shrugs, while the world freaks out Steve talks Pepper into getting him a marriage license and back dating it to just before Bucky shipped out the first time.
Bucky can only roll his eyes when he remembers right and just lets it go in public but in private he never lets Steve live it down.
Also Kudos to those who got the movie reference (it was Lion King 1 1/2, the part where Timon proposes to Shenzi the Hyena as a distraction.)