"Maybe we shouldn't go out. Maybe we should stay in." Mika complained, laying on the couch. She'd gotten dressed and done her hair, but the thought of putting on heels completely derailed her.

"You already promised everyone that we'd go." Bucky pointed out. He was ready to leave, and had been for a while now.

"But it's cold outside. And I'm tired. And you actually have a night off. We should just stay in." she reasoned.

"Mika…" Bucky said, a slight warning in his tone.

"Why aren't you agreeing with me? You hate going out. You told me yourself." she said, sitting up and eyeing him suspiciously.

"I don't hate it." he said with a shrug. "Anyway, it's just supper. I can handle supper. I just hate when we go to that disgusting pub that Nicolae is obsessed with."

"It's not the pub, it's the pretty bartender that works on the weekends." Mika pointed out. She paused for a moments before letting out a loud, dramatic sigh. "Fine. We'll go. But only because there's food involved."

"Let's go then." Bucky said, standing up and moving towards the door. Mika slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag, grumbling about lousy friends with lousy plans as they made their way down the stairs.

It was colder outside than he'd anticipated, not that it really bothered him. She shivered violently, moving close to him as they walked down the street. She slipped her hand into his jacket pocket, interlacing their finger as she used his arm to partially shield herself from the wind. Luckily it was a short walk to their destination - a hole-in-the-wall French restaurant that served the best wine and souffle.

The place was silent as they walked in, which was odd. Normally it was bustling with patrons. But though the smell of delicious food still filled the air, there were no people in the seats. The lights were low, with twinkling holiday lights sparkling on the walls. These were new.

"Are you sure we're meeting them here? Looks like it's closed." Mika asked. She was beyond confused.

"This is the right place." he said.

"But no one's here. How do you know?" Mika pointed out.

"No one's here yet. I asked them to come a little later." he said. She tilted her head to the side.

"Why?" she asked. It was odd for Bucky to initiate social interactions, let alone plan entire group get-togethers.

"Your friends are wonderful. And I know you love them and want to share everything with them. But I wanted this moment to just be us." he said. He was talkative tonight, a sure sign he was nervous.

"Bucky, what's going on?" Mika asked. He let out a sigh.

"Sometimes lying is the right thing to do, so I lied to you." he said. She crossed her arms and opened her mouth to retort, but he cut her off. "If I don't say this now, I don't know when I'll get the courage to again."

That for sure stunned her into silence. "Okay." she said. He took a deep, shaky breath before looking her right in the eye.

"I'm not very eloquent, like the men in the movies." he started. "But I do love you. With everything I have. And I will love you for the rest of my days." He dropped to one knee, pulling a ring from his jacket pocket. Mika's hands flew to cover her mouth, tears already pooling in her eyes. "If you'll have me?"

It wasn't a typical proposal, but Mika didn't mind. Nothing about Bucky was typical, and she wouldn't have had this moment any other way. "Of course I will." she whispered. He smiled, standing back up and putting his arms around her, lifting her up as she reiterated her affirmations again and again. She kissed him soundly, both hands on his cheeks as he lowered her back to the ground. He slipped the ring onto her finger, her hands shaking in excitement. They kissed again, fully and deeply. When he pulled back, Mika couldn't bear to let him move far.

"So we're not really meeting the others? It was all just a ploy?" she whispered against his lips.

"We're still meeting them. I knew you'd want them here for this." he said with a Cheshire grin. He pulled away from her, letting out a loud whistle that echoed through the restaurant. Their friends and family poured from the back kitchens, Elena in the lead with tears already streaming down her face. Plates of food were brought out and set on the tables as the room filled with words of congratulations. Bucky and Mika were immediately pulled apart, as everyone tried to get in a word with them. By the time things had settled, Bucky had to fight his way back to her. Luckily, Elena saved a seat between them, so he was actually able to sit with her to eat. Mika was glowing, her smile completely blinding him as she turned to him. She knew he hated public displays of affection, so she reached for his hand under the table, giving it a light squeeze. The metal of her ring pinched his skin ever so slightly, making him smile back.

Nothing in his life had gone perfectly. Until, perhaps, tonight.