Work Text:
-1-
In the middle of a SHIELD debriefing, seven showgirls in vintage Captain America tour costumes precision-danced their way into the room, singing a rewritten version of "Star-Spangled Man." They gathered around Steve's chair, asking him to please marry Bucky Barnes. Steve stared at them and laughed, and when they were done, he looked at Bucky and shook his head.
"Nope."
"Damn." Bucky looked at the girls. "Thanks, ladies."
They left, wiggling their fingers and blowing kisses at Bucky as they went.
Stark gaped at him from the viewscreen. "Did you break into my trophy room, Barnes?!"
-2-
Bucky secured the final strap of Steve's parachute and checked it one more time. Explosions rocked the quinjet, ripping the cockpit from the fuselage. The jet went into a spinning dive.
"One more thing!" Bucky shouted.
Steve looked at him, wide-eyed and wild.
Bucky grinned. "Marry me?"
Steve rolled his eyes. He ran for the open belly of the quinjet.
"Nope!" he shouted as he fell.
Bucky sighed and followed him just as the jet exploded.
In his ear, he heard Nat's incredulous, "Really, James?"
-3-
Masked and faceless, they closed in on Steve. Bucky stared through the scope, waiting, breathing shallow and even. Steve was bait and Bucky hated when he was bait.
Bucky fired six shots.
Six agents went down before the last knew the first had been shot.
"I just killed six Hydra agents you didn't even know were there," Bucky whispered into his comm. "Will you marry me?"
Through the scope, Bucky saw Steve's mouth twitch.
"Nope."
"Keep the comms clear," Fury growled.
-4-
Steve was down and one of those... things... was moving for him.
"Not today!"
Bucky scooped up the shield and brought it down on the thing's neck, severing head from body and killing it in a spray of oil-like purple blood and weird sparking blue light.
Steve shoved himself up, one arm clutching his bleeding side. He winced. "Thanks."
Bucky crouched in front of him and pushed his arm away. He whistled at the blood. It was bad. Really bad. Was that bone? He felt lightheaded.
"That thing was going to eat you. I saved you. Will you marry me now?"
Steve managed a flash of amusement. "Nope."
Bucky groaned. He dragged Steve's arm over his shoulder and started to haul him up. He looked around, then whistled to catch Hawkeye's attention.
"Hey, Katniss, I could use some help over here!"
Hawkeye sprinted over, bow slung over his back. "Cap turn you down again?"
"Always," Steve grunted.
-5-
Bucky pulled at the neck of his starched white shirt, then tucked a hand into his pocket to check that the box was still there. It was.
Carol leaned close. "You're not really going through with this, are you?"
Bucky watched Steve climb the steps to the little stage at the front of the room. "Of course I am. Excuse me, ma'am."
He felt Carol's eyes on him as he pushed away from the table and made his way to the edge of the stage. Steve was giving his speech, thanking the benefactors for their generous donations, and when he caught sight of Bucky, he sighed.
Bucky grinned. "I got a question for you, Captain Rogers."
"What is it, Sergeant Barnes?"
Bucky went to his knee and whipped out the velvet box with a flourish. He popped it open and was sure to angle it so the photographers could get a good shot of the blue-steel band.
"Will you marry me?"
Steve sighed and scratched the bridge of his nose. "Nope."
Bucky sighed and picked himself up off the floor. "You've broken my heart. I'm going to have to drink a lot now. And flirt. Flirt a lot." He looked around the room.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Steve's small private smile.
+1
Bucky tucked his right hand into Steve's left and felt the shape of the gold band on his finger through their gloves. He squeezed his hand.
"Will you marry me, Steve?"
Steve looked down at him. He was sweaty, bloody, and exhausted. Bucky knew he needed to go home, sleep for twelve hours, and all he wanted was to take him away so he could do that. But the battlefield would need to be secured, Steve would have to give the statement, and even though Bucky knew Steve was dead on his feet, he'd do it.
He loved him for that.
"Sure, Buck. I'll marry you."
Bucky grinned. He dropped Steve's hand and grabbed the back of his head to pull him down into a kiss.
"It's about damned time, Rogers." Iron Man dropped to the ground in front of them and flipped up his faceplate. "When's the happy day?"
Steve glanced at Tony, frowning. "What happy day?"
Bucky squeezed Steve's hand again and started off in the direction of the sirens and flashing lights. "It was five years ago in April, Stark."
Tony sputtered. "You two have been married five years?!"