Poppies

Bucky looked at the purchase orders for the armory without enthusiasm. He needed more of the dummy rounds that they used for training. He sighed. It meant a call to Stark to let him know to get started, and that meant questioning whether they really needed to be using that many rounds, which meant that he'd retort that at least they weren't using the real rounds meant for the Skrulls and Kree, and... and... He morosely hit Stark's number. In the corridor, he could hear strains of the Beatle's "Back in the USSR" and Stark popped his head into his office.

"Really?" Bucky said, nodding toward the phone. Stark shut it off and smirked.

"Would you prefer "Happiness is a Warm Gun?" "I Am the Walrus?"'

"How about "Don't Need a Gun?"" Bucky asked dryly. "Although we need more dummy rounds. The kids are having trouble mastering them."

Tony frowned. "What's the problem? We didn't have this much trouble learning how to fire them."

"I think it's because they're so heavy. We also had the benefit of getting used to each iteration as you were developing them. They go right to this weight, and it's not easy."

"Huh." Tony sat there and cogitated. Bucky waited patiently. "Lemme try some things. Maybe a counterbalance in the stock of the rifle?" He continued to talk to himself as he got up and ambled out. Bucky smiled and finished with the ordering for the week. He stretched and yawned. Range practice was done, although of course the range remained open for anybody who wanted additional practice. He was likewise done with the day's hand to hand training and weapons training for those who used non-standard weapons. He stood up and briskly strode to the elevator.

Sam might be Captain America now, but there were definite advantages to his role as the Avengers' weapons master. He ran a proprietary eye over his motorcycle. He'd gotten the first one with the new engine Emma had made. Natasha had been jealous when she'd seen it. The guys in the garage had made it look dangerous and cool, with sleek black paint and blackened chrome. He drove home and parked in front of his house, and with the force of habit looked next door. Emma lounged on her porch swing. She smiled at him and raised her glass. "Lemonade."

"I'm going to change first," he said, and she nodded, swinging her feet down and going inside. By the time he came through the gap in their fence (easier than a gate, and the dogs could amble back and forth between the two houses as it pleased them) she'd returned with a cold glass for him.

"Fresh made," she said, and he gratefully took a long drink. He sighed. She'd added a decent slug of limoncello, and even though he couldn't get drunk, he appreciated the light burn of the alcohol in his throat. He set the swing to rocking gently and slouched down in his corner.
"How was work?"

"Same as the day before, fortunately," he said, relaxing. "Do you know what Stark's ringtone is for me?"

She looked at him over the rim of her glass, eyes bright with laughter. "I can't begin to imagine."

"Back in the USSR." She laughed.

"Would you have preferred "Love Me Do?" He shuddered.

"How was your day?" he said, changing the subject quickly. "What class did you decide to take?" he asked; she'd been taking a class or two a semester, not to study for a diploma, just because the topics were interesting.

"I've got two, actually. A seminar on Middle East archaeology and a class on World War II. I have to write a term paper in that one, can I cite you as a source?" she teased him, and he grinned.

"I like the idea of being a primary source," he said complacently. "How was lunch with Pepper?"

"Good, although it looks like she's headed for a divorce." She shook her head. "Then she said it was time I started to date again and offered to set me up with a guy she knows."

Bucky bristled. "What did you tell her?"

"That I'm not opposed to the idea of dating again, but the last guys she set me up with were..." her voice trailed off and she shook her head. He brooded into his glass.

"Would you go out with me?" he said suddenly, still quite interested in his ice cubes.

"Any time," she said promptly. "Your bedroom or mine?"

He was so startled he almost dropped the glass from nerveless fingers. "What?"

"Well, dates are for getting to know you, right? We've been friends for a long time. I know you, you know me, and I haven't managed to scare you off yet. We've had innumerable dinners together, seen a bunch of movies, been to a few plays and musicals on Broadway, killed aliens and rounded up bad guys, gone to the museums, done stuff..." She brushed her foot along his thigh. "So the next step is the bedroom, isn't it? I don't want to waste any more time. I'm not getting any younger, you know." She set down her glass and in a flash was straddling his lap. "I want to get naked with you, Buck." The way she said his nickname made it sound dirty, in the best possible way. His dick was astounded by the turn the conversation had taken but couldn't be more approving. "Is that an advanced weapons system in your pocket or are you interested too?" she purred, brushing her lips over his and putting pressure on his most neglected body part. He threaded his fingers through her hair and took control of the kiss. She moaned when his tongue quested inside her mouth, and that was enough. He broke the kiss, picked her up, almost tripped over the carpet of dogs on the porch, but recovered and carried her up to her bedroom.

He'd thought to be slow and careful with her, but it didn't work out like that. It was hot and primal and he felt possessive satisfaction when she came. He collapsed on her after he came, spent and shaking. Her legs loosened from his hips, but instead of falling away, they just slid down his, still cradling him between them. His metal arm didn't fatigue, and he thought to lever himself up a bit so he wasn't squashing her. She took advantage of this to roll him on his back and snuggled herself against him, resting her head on his shoulder and lightly stroking the metal arm with her fingers. His hands roamed her back, stroking her hair, his mind quiet and at peace. He reveled in the weight of her on him, that she was fine with his arm. Granted, she'd made it, but he'd still been a little worried. He didn't take a nap. For one thing, he didn't want to miss a moment of being with her. For another, he was still hard.... he shifted his hips slightly and felt her smile. "I love how you can go again so fast," she murmured, and sat up on him. He was fascinated by her and set to heightening her response to him as she started to move.

He was fatigued when he went into work the next day, but managed to keep his focus during training. Up in his office, he had just reset his ringtone for her to "Never Tear Us Apart," and was listening to it with a grin on his face when Peter knocked on the door. He set the phone down and gestured to the chair across his desk. "Hey, Bucky," Peter said. He was pleased that finally he'd conquered the need to say 'sir' or "Mr." before the name.

"Hey, Pete," Bucky said, looking at him curiously.

"Mom and I had lunch today after she was done in the lab, you know that emergency generator she and Tony are working on is giving her fits." He waited until Bucky nodded. "So she looks really good today, I noticed. Really happy. She's got that...sparkle back. Like life is interesting again, you know? So--I wasn't prying--I asked what was up that made her so perky." He shifted in his seat.

"What did she say?" Bucky asked casually, knowing that Emma had probably deviled the kid.

"Well, you." He cast his eyes to the ceiling. "I know she does it just for laughs..." he muttered, but at least he wasn't blushing about that anymore. "So I just wanted to come in and thank you. Took you long enough."

Bucky jerked, startled by the observation. "What?"

Peter heaved a sigh. "You've been... her paladin. Like a medieval knight. Courtly love. Pretty much since you met her. She's always liked you, but she's been gone on you for a while. She didn't want to push. In case there was something... Steve.... or you didn't feel the same."

"Well, that went both ways," Bucky murmured. Peter nodded.

"But Steve would have wanted both of you to be happy, more than anything. And you're good for her. You make her happy. She makes you laugh, which is great for the rest of us." He smirked. "And you deserve to be happy too."

"You're not worried for her?"

Peter met his eyes. "I'd bet you'd rather cut off your other arm than hurt her. But you wouldn't do that because then she'd want to make another arm and she's already halfway through the redesign of your arm. She's talking about adding some form of temperature control," he added, studying the ceiling. "Just so you know." Bucky laughed.

"It does get cold in the winter," he said austerely, nodding. "I certainly don't want my fingers to be too cold when I--"

Peter broke. "Oh, come on!" he said, covering his ears and flushing.

"--touch her face," Bucky said loudly. Peter uncurled. "Don't want her tongue to stick to my fingers."

Peter groaned and stood up. "Whatever, dude," he said, flapping his hand at Bucky. "Don't need details." He left quickly and Bucky started to laugh. He could see now why Emma liked to tease the kid. Then it struck him that Peter would be something like a stepson. He explored that, feeling pleased.

Then he shut his computer down and took the stairs down to the parking garage. He had some shopping to do. When he got home, he found Emma on the swing again, this time reading a textbook on archaeology in Iran and Iraq. He swiped her beverage; it was limeade, no booze, but still refreshing. He leaned in for a kiss, which she was happy to give, but when her hand moved up his thigh, he caught it deftly and kissed it.

"I'm going to think all you want me for is my body," he said briskly. He opened a sack and pulled out some containers of pansies, ready for planting but slightly squashed from the bag. "Pansies are for thoughts," he said, nipping her lower lip. "And I think about you a lot. I'll help you plant them. Pick a place where you'll see them a lot. Then let's get an early dinner. Gotta keep up my strength."

"I've got a pot in the garage," she said. "It'll be perfect here on the porch."

"I'll go get it," he volunteered, and brought around the heavy ceramic pot, still full of dirt. The pansies were quickly planted and she watered them in with the hose.

"Pretty," she said, putting her arm around his waist. "Thank you for thinking of me."

"You're welcome, doll," he said, then patted her butt. She smiled at him.

"I'll go get changed," she said. She came back downstairs in a pretty backless sundress with a full skirt and sandals, and they walked down to a restaurant with a patio and sat outside. After they gave their orders, she absently took his hand and held it as they discussed their days. He smiled as she described the newest hitch in the generator she was building. When the entrees arrived, she let go reluctantly. He took a small red box out of his pocked and placed it beside her forks. She looked a question at him, then opened it to see a pair of earrings, white mother of pearl shaped like orchids, with small diamonds at their hearts. Her mouth formed an "O".

"They're so lovely, Bucky," she murmured, and immediately put them in. "Do they look good?" she asked, turning to him and touching them, then his hand.

"Beautiful," he said, and enjoyed the thank-you kiss.

"God, get a room!" a couple of kids said as they passed by.

"I'm planning on it!" she said, grinning at them, and they retreated in disorder. Bucky laughed. He was pleased by the way she would occasionally touch them during their meal. They decided against dessert--she had homemade cookies at her house, which she promised to feed him at intervals. They held hands as they walked home. After she closed the door behind them, he was grateful for the full skirt of her dress as they didn't make it up the stairs right away. This night they did sleep off and on. He took his cookies to work. They rode in on his motorcycle together; she had class in the afternoon and would meet him at home. He preferred her house to his; it was cozy and welcoming and had her in it.

This quickly developed into a pattern. They'd meet at her house, have dinner there or at a restaurant (Bucky liked going out so he could be seen in public with her), and then spend the night in bed. He asked her one night if she was happy.

"Yes," she answered simply. "You make me so happy. You've given light back into my life." She kissed him, and quickly she was ready for him.

"Wait," he said rolling to the side as he remembered. "Hold that thought," he said, smirking at her when she moaned. "Where did I leave my pants?" A little exploration and he found them, then he crawled back on the bed. "Ok, doll, would you sit up for a minute?"

He'd engaged her curiosity, and she quickly sat up, kneeling with her butt on her heels. She looked at him patiently. "What is it, Bucky?"

He swallowed. "I love you, Emma. With all my heart. You fill my soul." He held out his hand, a circle of platinum with a grass-green diamond in the solitaire setting. "Will you marry me?"

She smiled and nodded as her eyes flooded. She held out her hand, trembling, and he slid it on her finger. "And just so you know, I'm not in the battle plans for the next invasion attempt," he said quietly, holding her hand. "We finished them this afternoon. I'll be in the armory, putting together resupply packages for the front-line heroes."

"I'd have understood if you were on the line," she said quietly, cupping his face in her hands. "But I'm glad you're not."

"It wasn't easy to arrange, but I want to spend a long life with you. I want there to be love and laughter, a lot of quiet, a lot of... you. In and out of bed. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you touch me, that you want me, and that you're not embarrassed to be seen with me."

"Sweetie," she said, shuffling close to him. "Who doesn't want to be seen in public with you? Because I will go kick their ass. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. Unless you're sneaking around, in which case, I will kick your ass."

"No sneaking, Emma, ever," he said.

"Well, I didn't think you would, but for heaven's sake. You're a fine man, Bucky Barnes, and I'm proud to be with you." She cradled his metal hand and kissed the palm. He smiled at her indignation, warmth filling his soul, and traced the curve of her lip. She grinned and kissed the finger. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her.

Afterward, as they cuddled together, he asked, "When do you want to get the license?"

She looked over his shoulder at the alarm clock, kissing the metal absently. "As soon as they open up later today." He grinned, a little dizzy at the speed she moved but relieved that she wanted this as much as he did.

"Wedding the day after?"

"Absolutely."

"Peter for the witness?"

"Yep."

"I'll talk to him tomorrow at the tower. Tell him that you want to have lunch with him, share some news." she beamed at him.

"Can you take a couple of days off?" she asked, snuggling tighter. "I'll cut class. Tony can live a couple days without working on the generator. It's not like he doesn't have other projects."

The next morning she was reluctant to take off her ring. "It's so beautiful," she said, studying its sparkle. "So unexpected. Just like you." He puffed up a little at the praise. She threaded it on a long chain and tucked it into her bra. The marriage license was in her purse, and they parted to go to work.

The next morning, she dressed in a full fluffy skirt with a close-fitting jacket in polished raspberry cotton, put up her hair and did her makeup, grateful the ceremony would be before it got hot. She slid her feet into pumps, straightened the ring on her finger, and picked up her purse. "Ok, I'm off," she said to Sigurd and Torburn, who waved their tails and sent congratulations. Sigurd also indicated that they'd spend the night at the other house. She laughed and went out to the Uber. At City Hall, she swept up to Bucky and Peter, sitting on a bench. Peter looked a little bewildered. "Thanks for coming, honey," she told him. Bucky stood up and she took his arm. The clerk called their names. "We're getting married, and we want you to be our witness." Before he could really process this, she tugged them into the judge's chambers. Peter was still a little stunned as the short ceremony was conducted and they exchanged plain polished wedding bands.

Afterward, he enveloped Emma in a tight hug and did a handclasp/hug thing with Bucky. "So you do still want to go to lunch, right?" he asked. It was too early for lunch, so they had brunch at Buvette to celebrate and Peter admired the ring. "I didn't know diamonds even came in colors," he said. "This is so pretty." He checked his phone. "MJ says congrats and she wants a picture of your ring, Mom." He snapped a picture. Afterward, he went back to campus and they went home. Both of them took a few minutes to email Tony that they would not be in for a couple days because they'd just been married. Bucky emailed the Avengers that he was taking a few days off but that this was not an opportunity to slack off.

When he went back to work, the news had spread. Natasha was tight-lipped when he encountered her, but Clint grinned and congratulated him. Tony clipped out, "Marry in haste, repent at leisure," to which Bucky rolled his eyes and waved him off. There was an op and several of the Avengers were away, but those who remained looked like they didn't know if they should be glad or sorry for him. Eavesdropping, he heard them talking about Emma's occasional hot temper and his own dark reputation. He smiled when he heard Peter nonchalantly dispelling the legends that he and Emma apparently had, and went back to work. He smiled more that day than he had in years and cheerfully kicked Captain Marvel's ass in hand-to-hand. He went back up to his office and noticed a folded piece of paper on the desk. Inside was a pressed pansy, one of the dark purple ones he liked best. There was a heart drawn on the paper. He smiled and checked the time. Three hours, thirty-nine minutes until he could go home to his wife.