Hello! Thank you for all your support on this story.
Just so you don't get confused - italics means flashback!
Before the Howling Commandos had departed for Europe for the first time, The Crown had always had the potential to be a noisy destination but, on the night of their return, the night Hermione and Bucky had finally become engaged, it was exceptionally raucous. The only times Dugan and the rest weren't singing noisily at the piano were when they were knocking back the beers. Steve was happy to pay for the drinks to keep on coming; his men deserved to enjoy themselves after a tough few weeks.
He looked them over; proud that they had achieved everything that they had set out to in the first leg of their campaign against HYDRA with barely a hiccup along the way. However, there was a good chance that Hermione was partly responsible for that. He glanced at where she was happily sat on Bucky's lap, her arm slung around the back of his neck and his hand resting comfortably on her knee. Steve was getting to know Hermione more and more with every encounter but she was still something of an enigma. However, he knew her well enough to understand that this moment, right here, was why she risked everything. She didn't want any accolades for her daring exploits into Europe, she didn't even want the men around her to know what she'd done, she just wanted to keep Bucky safe, to have him with her. And, judging by the utter contentmentermione would Her that exuded from the pair of them, the feeling was mutual.
Steve couldn't be happier for them. Truly. After weeks of unease about Bucky's relationship with Hermione, it was a relief not to have the doubts following him around like a black cloud. He could see the relief in Hermione, too, and it was nice not to see the fear and suspicion in her gaze whenever she looked at him. In fact, now that there was no hostility between the two of them, Steve saw for himself just how warm and openhearted her gaze was.
"There's your lot," the bartender announced, regaining Steve's attention. He easily lifted the tray of drinks over to their table where the arrival of more beer was met with hearty cheers.
Dugan grabbed his new pint and looked at Morita expectantly. Jim started with sudden recollection. "Oh, right, it's my turn," he murmured.
"Really, it's not necessary," Hermione objected as the men all got to their feet, meaning she was dislodged from Bucky's lap so that Morita could take his turn in raising a toast to the engaged pair.
"Now, Hermione, this is what we do when a Howling Commando gets engaged," Dugan informed her. "You don't want to stand in the way of a tradition, do you?"
"A tradition?" she repeated with a laugh. "You've only been a team for a few weeks; no one else has gotten engaged!"
"Tradition has got to start sometime, hasn't it?" Gabe argued.
"Exactly," Dugan agreed strongly. "We want to get these customs in place ready for the next time one of these untethered young men decides to trade in their freedom for a gamble on marital bliss."
"Well, when you present your case with such eloquence, who am I to argue?" Hermione replied sardonically, accepting her drink from Steve. All eyes turned to Jim and he cleared his throat loudly.
"So, I'm not sure what there is to say that hasn't been said before," he began, nodding towards Dugan, Jones and Dernier who had preceded him. "So I'm going to take a leaf out of Jacques' book and wish you both good fortune in your marriage using the language of my ancestors."
Jim's Japanese speech caused a few raised eyebrows from some of the other patrons and, of course, no one knew what he said, but that didn't stop the group from noisily raising their drinks at the end and consuming a large amount of their beverages in one go.
"So, who do you have your hopes pinned on to get engaged next?" Hermione asked Dugan as they all retook their seats. "It can't be easy for any of you to meet a potential wife when you're travelling around so much."
"C'est vrai," Jacques sighed looking woeful.
"Which is why I'm looking to our illustrious leader," Dugan said, gesturing to Steve.
"Me?" Steve chuckled. "Why do you think I'd be a good bet?"
"Why, your budding romance with Agent Carter, of course!" Dugan replied, amusement twinkling in his eyes. This announcement instigated a number of laughs from the team and Bucky snorted derisively into his beer. Steve took the teasing in good grace but Hermione looked confused.
"I don't understand why that's so funny," she said as the others continued to chuckle. "She seemed very taken with you last time, Steve," which prompted the Howling Commandos to force him to regale Hermione with the story of what had happened with that blonde private.
"…It definitely wasn't my finest hour," he concluded dryly and most of the Howling Commandos thankfully began their own conversations again.
"Has she forgiven you yet?" Hermione asked.
"The last time we met she called me by my name and not my rank," he answered, "which is progress, right?"
"Sounds like it," Hermione agreed but Bucky shook his head.
"It's not gonna make any difference what she calls you if you can't say three coherent sentences to her that aren't work related," he pointed out.
"I don't know what to say to her," Steve defended, shaking his head ruefully. "I don't know how to talk to women."
"We're not another species!" Hermione laughed and the look on Steve's face must have been particularly pathetic because her expression became sympathetic. "You talk to me without any problems."
"Yeah, but that's because…" he began to explain and then grew concerned that she might be offended by his answer.
"Because you're not trying to impress me?" she asked and he nodded. "Well, maybe that's your problem; just be yourself around her. Have you known her for some time?"
"About as long as you and Bucky have known each other," he answered. "Peggy oversaw my training before I was picked for Project Rebirth."
"Then she already knows who you are, Steve," Hermione reassured him. "I'm telling you: don't try to be someone else, just be yourself."
"You just need practise, that's all," Bucky put in. "Think about how many broads I talked to back home; you think I always said the right thing to them?" Bucky frowned at the tensed look on Steve's face and then he realised what he'd said and he turned apprehensively to his fiancée.
"I think maybe you need some more practise too," Hermione said wryly.
Bucky continued to look sheepishly at her for a moment and then he grinned. "Why – you already agreed to marry me, didn't you?"
Hermione pursed her lips together but it looked like she was fighting a smile. "Cheeky bugger," she muttered, shaking her head. She turned to Steve. "Please note that is not an advisable way to talk to a woman you like."
"Duly noted," he replied seriously.
"I can help you practise if you like," she suggested. "I can pretend to be Agent Carter or just a stranger."
"I don't know," Steve began uncertainly but Bucky interrupted him.
"Hey, if she's worth it, you've got to do whatever it takes," he insisted. "And, from what I've seen, you've got a fair amount of work to do."
Hermione put her glass down and stood from Bucky's lap, indicating that Steve should do the same. "Come on, imagine that I'm Agent Carter. What are you going to say, what are you going to do?"
Steve reluctantly stood up and tried to get into the spirit of the act. If Peggy was standing in front of him right now, what would he do?
A grin appeared on his face and he quietly said to Hermione, "Want to dish out a bit of revenge on your fiancé?" She looked at him curiously but nodded.
"Alright," she said, a smile pulling at her lips but it turned into a gasp of surprise as Steve quickly took her in his arms and turned them both to the side so that he held her in a low dip. He heard Bucky let out a whoop of delight.
"Yeah, Steve! That's more like it," he chuckled.
Hermione raised an eyebrow challengingly at Steve from where she lay in his arms and he played along, lowering his face towards hers.
A loud choking noise told them they'd finally gotten the reaction they'd sought. "Woah, woah, woah!" Bucky objected, darting out of his seat to separate the two of them as the Howling Commandos whistled and cheered them. Hermione's eyes had fluttered closed at the prospect of their 'kiss' but she opened them once she was vertical again and looked at Bucky innocently.
"That's what I want to do," Steve explained with an equally guilt-free expression as he looked at his best friend.
"Works for me," Hermione responded, extravagantly fanning her cheeks with her hand. Bucky let out a discontented grunt and Hermione laughed. "You're the one that suggested he practise."
"That wasn't quite what I had in mind," Bucky responded. "It was supposed to be conversations; not attempting to kiss my fiancée."
"Right, conversations," Hermione nodded with mock-seriousness. "Come on, Steve, let's go find a more private corner to practise in. You don't want this lot listening in to every word."
"But –" Bucky began, the arm he had around her waist tightening a little.
"It's alright, there's nothing to worry about," she interrupted, "I already agreed to marry you, didn't I?" she reminded him sweetly, parroting his earlier words back to him.
Bucky stared at her for a moment and then laughed. "Point well made," he conceded and she grinned at him.
She looked over at Steve, "Let's go."
"Wait, it's the night of your engagement," he reminded her. "You surely don't want to spend it helping me talk to women."
Hermione laughed. "I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with Bucky; I think I can spend a few minutes helping you, Steve."
Their 'few minutes' actually turned out to be well over an hour. They did act out a couple of different scenarios to begin with and Hermione gave him some good advice, but then they just engaged in general conversation – something they'd never actually done before.
That night had been many months ago now but Steve could still recall the occasion vividly.
And now he wondered whether that was the night that he'd first started to fall in love with her…
A/N Um, surprise! Thoughts?
