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Bucky had to hold on tightly for balance as his boyfriend jostled the keys to the log cabin they had rented out for the last week of the year for three years running.
After every Christmas Eve celebration with Natasha, her partner Clint, Rebecca, and Rebecca’s partner-of-the-moment, they both packed up some warm clothes and their gifts for each other, and made their way up to a remote log cabin where they exchanged their own Christmas presents, sat around in sweaters or fuzzy pajamas, sipped hot cocoa, and did nothing but ignore work and enjoy one another’s company.
They’d decided the getaway was far better than any other Christmas plans when the first year they were together, Steve had told Bucky, “I don’t even like parties,” and Bucky had agreed. Besides their close family, they liked things quiet and personal.
So Bucky had both his arms and legs wrapped around Steve’s shoulders and hips as Steve carried him on his back. It was tradition. Christmas time was their anniversary, and the second year they had been together, Bucky had giggled over a mug of hot chocolate and said that when he first met Steve, he kept having fantasies about Steve being able to pick him up and pin him to the wall. Steve had promptly come barreling across to Bucky, barely giving him enough time to get his cocoa to safety, before hefting him up, and spinning him around. Bucky had laughed heartily and wrapped his legs around Steve’s waist and planted a kiss on his lips. After that, Steve had picked up Bucky any time the other man needed an actual, physical pick-me-up, and on all special occasions, and occasionally just for the fun of it.
The cabin was always a special occasion and today, as Steve opened the door, it marked their fourth anniversary together.
“I was trying to think of ways to make this year extra special. We’ve both been so stupidly busy lately.”
“You’re gonna be busy here too,” Bucky told him. “I have so many plans for what we can do this week.”
Steve stepped inside, ducking to make sure Bucky didn’t hit his head on the top of the doorframe.
“This place makes me feel so-“ Bucky stopped and was about to slide down from Steve’s back to say something flirty when his words suddenly escaped him. A little, white cat had come around the corner from the kitchen and looked up at the two of them in the entryway.
“So what?” Steve asked, glancing up toward Bucky.
“Steve, there’s a-“
Bucky stopped with realization.
“Oh my god! Let me see it!”
He slid down from Steve’s back with all the grace and poise of a newborn giraffe on ice. Steve laughed under his breath and politely didn’t say anything except, “Merry Christmas, Buck,” as Bucky fell to his knees and scooped up the feline.
“Oh my god. This is the best gift ever. How did you even get one here? I can’t believe you caved on the cat thing. You said we could only get a cat if-“
He paused.
“Wait, I have to give you your anniversary gift. I know we usually wait till tomorrow, but-“ He placed the cat down with a sweet scratch to her head and stood up. He felt around in both of his jacket pockets and then his pants’ pockets front and back.
“You doing the Macarena?”
Bucky froze. “It’s in my other jacket. Hang on.”
Steve was grinning as Bucky took off back to the car to grab his other jacket and rummage through the pockets a few seconds. He shoved something into his pocket and came sprinting back.
“This isn’t your Christmas present. Your Christmas present isn’t even important compared to my new amazing kitty baby-“ He scooped her back up and nuzzled his cheek onto the top of her head. “But you said we couldn’t have a pet until we lived together and so-“
He stood in the doorway, still letting all of the cold air in and held out an envelope to Steve.
“Did you-“ Steve looked suspiciously at him. “Bucky?”
Bucky nodded toward the envelope so Steve opened it and pulled out a card.
Inside was a sweet, short message telling Steve how much he meant to him and how he wanted to spend more time with him as they moved forward in their relationship. Taped to the inside of the card was a door key.
Steve pulled the key from the inside of the card, sticking the tape back to it.
“Is this?”
“I put a hold on this wonderful place. It’s in Brooklyn Heights, lots of space and light. Hardwood floors, doorman, but if you don’t like it, we can keep looking. It has me an office and you room to paint with lots of natural lighting.”
“And it allows pets?” Steve asked, glancing back at the cat in Bucky’s arms who was wiggling her whiskers and looking curiously at them.
“Yes, it does. There’s a fee, but we can take our new baby,” Bucky said in a lovey voice as he buried his face in the cat’s soft, white fur.
“I can’t wait to see it,” Steve told him in a genuine voice. “You know what I want and you know what you’ve been looking for so if you think we’ll both be happy there, I trust you. And I can’t wait to get to come home every day to you and-“ He looked at the cat. “What’s her name?” He pocketed the key and put the card and envelope on the small table beside the door.
Bucky ran his hand along the thin, pink collar on the cat and pulled the tag around for him to read it.
“Alpine. Was that her shelter name or-“ He stopped immediately, his hand holding the tiny silver tag on the cat’s collar. Bucky’s mouth moved open and closed a few times silently. Then he glanced up at Steve.
Steve was biting his lip as Bucky’s eyes shot back down toward the collar again and then back to Steve.
“Steve-“
“Bucky?”
“Steve-“
He place the cat down very, very gently. Then sinking to his knees, he worked to take the collar off.
Steve knelt down to sit across from him, pushing the door closed with one hand as he went.
“Steve,” Bucky got the collar off and held it up so Steve took it from his hand easily. He reached and slid the gold, diamond-studded ring from the collar.
“Bucky, I think we’re both on the same page here. You want to take the next step and I want to take the next step and I thought-“
“I think so too,” Bucky agreed, breathless and quickly nodding.
Steve started laughing, nervous energy releasing in a second.
“I thought I would be more nervous, but I’m not,” he admitted. “I know how you feel about me and how I feel about you. There’s no doubt in my mind about this.”
“Mine either,” Bucky confessed. He held out his prosthetic hand and Steve slid the ring onto his finger.
“So you’ll marry me?”
“Right now. Right this minute,” Bucky agreed and he reached forward and grabbed Steve by the collar of his jacket so he could pull him forward and kiss him.
Steve’s lips met Bucky’s and he brought his hands around to cup Bucky’s face and hold him in place gently, kissing him long and sweet.
“Happy anniversary, Buck,” he whispered as they pulled apart.
“Happy anniversary, Steve.”
Bucky kissed his lips quickly again before letting go and then he pushed himself back to his feet and took a deep breath. He held out his hand as Steve got to his feet as well and watched Bucky admire the ring.
Steve reached toward and wrapped his arms around Bucky- both still in their jackets and scarves- and Bucky sank into him so Steve did exactly what he wanted and what he was sure Bucky wanted as well.
He scooped Bucky up, and mindful of their new cat, stepped forward with him in his arms, pinning the other man to the wall and letting Bucky’s legs wrap up around his waist as he kissed him again and again and again, laughing and grinning between each one.