Chapter 9
"How were errands with Sam?" Steve asks, entering the room and causing Bucky to look up from his laptop to smile at him.
"They were fine," Bucky replies.
"What do you mean by 'fine', Buck?" Steve asks, looking concerned and sitting next to Bucky on the bed. "Did something happen? Are you guys okay? Are you okay?"
Bucky chuckles lightly before replying, "They were just fine, Stevie, no need to worry. We just went to the supermarket and the farmer's market, then to pick up the dry-cleaning. We were going to go to the bakery and the deli, but Sam wanted us to come back since I threw up. He's so overdramatic, we didn't need to come back the tower just because my stomach got a bit upset."
"You threw up?" Steve asks, going from concerned to borderline horrified. Fuck. "Are you feeling okay now? Did something trigger it? Have you eaten enough today?"
"Steve," Bucky sighs, "we've been over this. It's completely normal for me to feel nauseous right now. Bruce said we only need to be concerned if I can't even drink water or if I start losing a bunch of weight."
"You haven't had any of those problems, right?" Steve asks, putting a hand on Bucky's shoulder.
Bucky sighs, "No, Steven, we literally had sex last night and you kept saying how much you loved how big my ass looks now. And then when we were cuddling after you mentioned how, and I quote, 'soft and cuddly' I've begun to feel."
Steve reddens before sighing and saying, "You're right, Buck, I'm sorry. I just can't stop worrying and thinking of what could happen, and that's just with normal pregnancy stuff in that book Bruce gave us, but also in our line of work I worry so much."
"You don't need to worry so much about me, punk, I can handle myself," Bucky smiles, poking Steve's shoulder. "Come, Sam told me about this Pinterest thing, and I think I want to try this maternity yoga thing. Also, look at all these cute baby things."
Bucky excitedly shows Steve his boards he made on Pinterest and some of the pins on his home page, but then he notices that Steve doesn't seem to be paying attention; he has that look on his face he gets when he wants to ask Bucky something, but he isn't sure how to approach the subject.
"What's up, Stevie?" Bucky asks, closing his laptop and sitting back on the bed.
Steve nervously looks down at his hands before sighing and saying, "Buck, you know that we've been together for a long time and I love you right?"
"Yeah, you tell me everyday," Bucky replies, not really sure where Steve is going with this.
"And I know that you've never felt pressured to give into certain things that people say need to be a certain way, and I promise you that this isn't that, since I had planned this before but then we got sidetracked and then with the excitement and everything...," Steve breaks off from his rambling and fumbles for something in the pocket of his sweatpants. He pulls out a small black box and kneels down beside the bed.
"James Buchanan Barnes, will you do me the honor of legally being together 'til the end of the line?"
Bucky actually had no idea what to say. Not that he didn't want to marry Steve, hell no, he just hadn't been expecting this. As Steve had said, he didn't feel any pressure to marry Steve; they had already been together longer than most people had been alive, a piece of paper wouldn't really change that. He and Steve had discussed it briefly back in 2015 when it was legalized, but they hadn't really thought much about it. Bucky always told himself that if Steve asked he wouldn't be speechless, he'd immediately reply hell yes before Steve could even finish, but now, as he say there with the love of his life on his knees (not in that way) in front of him, he couldn't do much more than just sit there smiling and nodding like an idiot as Steve slid the ring onto his finger.
"I love you," Bucky says, so softly it's practically a whisper, when Steve kisses his cheek.
"I love you too, Buck."
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"Okay, so let's go over this again- it's going to say 'engayged'. Get it, it's funny?"
Steve sighs at Tony's proposed engagement announcement. They had told the team the happy news (after a celebratory blowjob of course) and everyone had reacted as pretty much expected. Except for Natasha, who actually almost cried, which was unheard of for her.
"Okay, so do you want anything crazy?" Tony asks. "A hot air balloon? Arrive on an elephant? JARVIS, make sure you're getting all of this."
"Actually, we had planned on something more casual, Tony," Steve replies. "Probably just going to city hall in Brooklyn and then having some cake back here at the tower. We didn't want to burden you or anything, Tony."
"Burden me? Oh, Capsicle, you wound me!" Tony dramatically clutches his chest. "Barnes, did you have any ideas in mind? Nothing is to big or too small."
Bucky considers replying that it's fine and that Tony shouldn't worry about their wedding, but he knows how much Tony wants to give to people he cares about and how eager he looks, so Bucky simply replies, "The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens looked nice on Pinterest."
Tony grins so widely that Bucky is a little concerned for his well-being before the shorter man suddenly hugs him unexpectedly. Bucky glances at Steve and Pepper in confusion, both of whom return his confusion.
Tony then lets go, clearing his throat and patting Bucky on the shoulder, as if the hug had never happened, before asking, "Okay, so what date did you two have in mind?"
"Oh, uh," Bucky looks over to Steve.
"We actually hadn't figured out a date for a venue wedding," Steve replies. "We were just going to go to city hall next week. We've already been together for so long, so why wait more?"
"That's it!" Tony exclaims, clapping his hands. "JARVIS, contact the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and see if they have any openings for next week."
"Tony, we can't just get married next week!" Steve exclaims, rubbing rand over his face.
"Why not? Because we have a venue now?" Tony asks, to which Steve nods. "That's where you're wrong, Steven, I have several event planners who have planned larger events in a shorter time window. Barnes, what do you say?"
Bucky sees Tony's point and they're already letting him orchestrate this whole thing, so he replies, "Sure, why not?"
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"So we're really letting Tony plan our wedding next week?" Steve asks once they get back to their room.
"Only if you're okay with it," Bucky replies. "I have no problem with it, since he does have a point, but it's also your wedding too."
Steve sighs before saying, "I am okay with it. I just-"
"Feel strange letting someone else help you do something?" Bucky asks, arching an eyebrow. Steve is about to object, but then he nods. "Stevie, you know how Tony is, he just cares about us and wants to make sure we have the best time. But if you really don't want him to make the wedding next week, I'll let him know."
"I'm good with it," Steve replies after a few minutes. "You and Tony are right, why should we wait any longer when we can do it next week. I want you to be happy, and I can't wait to marry you."
"I could ask Tony to make the wedding tomorrow," Bucky suggest with a smirk.
"Shut up," Steve chuckles.
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"You want the groomsmen to wear suspenders? You're going for that newspaper boy vibe?"
It's a Monday and the wedding is set for Saturday. Bucky glares up at Tony from his StarkPad before replying, "Maybe I am. I saw it on Pinterest and thought it looked nice."
"Okay, yikes groomzilla," Tony says, putting his hands up and typing into his computer. "And you want a light teal color scheme? Like the Tiffany blue?"
"Yes, that's the color Steve and I picked out last night," Bucky replied. Steve was at a training exercise with Sam, so Bucky was meeting with Tony to go over outfits and color template, since he and Steve had discussed that the previous night and Steve said that he trusted Bucky's fashion sense more than his own. Bucky had agreed with him and joked about all of his shirts fitting him too small.
"What tuxes are you and Cap going to wear? White and black?" Tony asks.
Bucky shakes his head and replies, "Light gray and navy. He felt white and black were too cliche and the white tux would get dirty too easily."
"Yeah, that's good point," Tony says, typing some more. "Okay, so we already got the centerpieces and linens, so everything looks good. And we're still going to the bakery tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, that's the plan, unless something drastic happens," Bucky replies.
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He just had to jinx it.
Bucky was supposed to meet Tony almost an hour ago, but he had been on the floor of his and Steve's bathroom since around three in the morning. Bruce had said that according to the pregnancy book, this should his last week of morning sickness, and damn did it want to go out with a bang. Steve had been with him for the first few hours, but Bucky had noticed the smell and not having eaten starting to get to Steve, so had forced him to go and get some food and fresh air around an hour and a half ago and told him not to return for another two hours.
So who the hell is knocking on the door?
Bucky shakily rises from his position and wipes his mouth with some toilet paper before flushing. Even though he knows whoever's knocking obviously knows he's been puking, he wants to cling to that last piece of dignity. He opens the door to see Tony, who, if Bucky didn't have such heightened senses wouldn't have realized, slightly winces.
"Steve said you'd be in here," Tony says. "He was pacing around the kitchen and living room. I had to make Sam and Nat drag him out of the tower since I was afraid he was going insane. May I come in?"
"Sure, not much to lose at this point," Bucky says, noting the two ways his words could have been taken after he says them. Thankfully Tony doesn't comment. "Thanks for that whole making Steve go out. I know he means well, but sometimes he needs to look out for himself."
Tony is about to say something in agreement when Bucky suddenly gags and rushes to the toilet. He feels Tony place a hand on his back. He knows he has nothing left to throw up, but that doesn't stop the awful feeling of nausea from wrapping itself around his stomach and throat and making his head swim. He sighs before closing his eyes and resting his head on the seat. He feels Tony get up and hears the water running before Tony places something cold and wet on the back of his neck before wiping his face. Bucky opens his eyes and looks at Tony.
"Sorry," Bucky says, not used to people other than Steve fretting over him. "You're very good at this."
"Don't worry about it," Tony says, waving the apology away. "I just copy what Rhodey and Pepper have had to do for me way too many times."
"Yeah, but you're more...," Bucky searches for the word, "soft. Not in a bad way though; it's nice."
"Yeah, I guess I have been softer recently," Tony says, massaging the back of his neck. "Ever since the kid's been spending more time around."
"Where is the kid?" Bucky asks, tilting his head. The child in question, Peter AKA Spiderman, was usually at the compound on the weekends with Tony, and although he usually stayed in Tony's area of the tower, Bucky and Sam had grown quite fond of the kid and enjoyed joking around with him. Kind of like cool uncles, if you will.
"He and May are on vacation for the summer," Tony said. "T'Challa's sister, you remember Shuri, right, wanted to fly them out so they could hang out. I call him almost every day though. I mean to see how his projects with Shuri are going I mean."
"You're pretty fond of the kid," Bucky observes, without judgement as he usually does.
"Yeah, I guess. I've never had kids of my own and he's a good kid, but he probably sees me more as a mentor," Tony says, shrugging.
"That's bullshit," Bucky says. "That kid looks at you like you hung the fucking moon and not in the way that fans look at you. In the way a small child looks at their loving father who took them to get ice cream and place baseball."
"Wow, I've never thought of that," Tony says quietly. "I've never experienced something like that."
"I'm so sorry, Tony," Bucky chokes out. Tony looks up from his hands to see the former assassin with tears streaming down his face and sobbing. "I'm so sorry that I took that from you and I don't even know how you can stand to be in the same room as me let alone be so kind."
"Hey," Tony places a cautious hand on Bucky's shoulder, "hey, don't get upset. Barnes, man it's okay. I know I lashed out at you, but that, that wasn't you. You were brainwashed and tortured and forced into that. I'm not sure if I told you, but when I was kidnapped, they tortured me and forced me to do things too. And Clint and Natasha came to me to defend you and tell me about what it's like to not be control of your mind and be brainwashed like that. I was never really mad at you mostly, since you didn't know, I was really mad at Steve for a while since he knew and didn't tell me, which is something I still struggle with a bit, but I'm a pretty understanding guy and I get that he has his reasons."
Bucky isn't really sure what to say in response, since Tony just said a lot really fast to him, so he just settles for wrapping Tony in a hug.
Tony returns it.
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After Bucky and Tony's bonding session on the floor of the bathroom, Bucky felt well enough to go to the bakery with Tony and Steve, who was eager to tag along, after eating a bit of crackers and drinking some gatorade. He doesn't go all out eating the cake and dessert samples like he had planned, but Steve eats more than enough cake and desserts for the three of them and they end up settling on a nice amaretto cake with vanilla buttercream frosting. They pick out a wide variety of desserts at Steve's insistence, since Bucky was okay with just two or three, and then Tony encourages him by suggesting a chocolate fountain with a giant heart made of strawberries on the top. Bucky has never seen something so decadent in his life and he and Steve walk by the prom dress store almost every day.
"So now that we have enough desserts to feed a small country," Bucky says, pointedly looking at Steve, "where to next?"
"We need to go to the restaurant that you and Cap wanted to cater the event to see what menu items you guys want," Tony says, pulling up his list on his phone. "Then we're going to get a car."
"A what?" Steve asks, looking confused.
"A car," Tony replies simply. "It's for your send-off. You and Winter here are going to ride off into the sunset with that Just Married sign on the back of the car. Unless you want a motorcycle?"
"I think the car is nice," Bucky nods. "Stevie, what do you think?"
"Yeah the car is nice, and it's also safer for Buck and the babies," Steve says, nodding and holding Bucky's hand.
"Ah right, safety is a big factor," Tony says, quickly typing some things into his phone. "And you still want the honeymoon in Wakanda right?"
"Yes," Steve and Bucky say in unison. Tony nods and types something else before stopping suddenly.
"Okay, we're here," Tony says, leading the couple into the restaurant.