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Brooklyn, New 2018

"I'm gonna marry you someday, Carina Granado."

"Don't make promises you don't intend to keep, James."

"I won't - and that's a promise."

"A promise for a promise?"

"Yeah, a promise for a promise."

Now many years, many decades later, that promise was fulfilled. Finally, they were married. Finally.

After seventy-some years - seventy long, long years - now in New 2018, they had found each other again and were finally husband and wife.

"I take you, Carina Granado, to be my wife."

"I take you, James Buchanan Bucky Barnes to be my husband."

And that was that.

It was nothing big and flashy as they may have had back in the day, with all their family and friends. But they did have some friends there.

Steve, of course, and Sam. The rest were there in spirit.

And without the war it wasn't rushed, however, they had always hoped that when they got married, it would be after the war. However, fate had had different plans for them.

Well, now they were married after the war - long after.

A lot longer than anyone had ever intended it to be, but the fact remained: they were at long last married.

Bucky even cut his hair, and he resembled her Sergeant even more. As for her, she had stopped dying her hair blonde, so it was back to its usual dark brown after the fallout of the Avengers in 2016 and there was no longer a need for her to conceal her true identity with an alias.

"Congratulations, you two," Steve told them. "I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks Steve."

"Thanks Buddy."

"Took you long enough," Steve joked, making them all chuckle. They were all out of their time. "Peggy would have been just as happy for you."

"Oh, Steve-" Carina grasped his hand tightly. "I wish she could be here too. I would have been so lost at the end of the war without Peggy. Our friendship was an incredible blessing."

Steve smiled. "I'm glad you had each other, too."

Now for Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, they were married and got an apartment in Brooklyn. He was on his road to recovery and she had a job lined up in the new S.H.I.E.L.D.'s labs. They had everything, as far as they were concerned. Everything in the world slowly but surely reestablishing itself after what was being called 'the Blip'. Families and friends were being reunited every day like they had been, and were now moving forward with their lives.

After the wedding, upon arriving home to their new apartment, James Barnes, always the gentleman and still with that 1940s charm, swept his new wife off her feet - literally - and carried her through the front door and over the threshold into their shared apartment.

"I do believe it is our wedding night, mi amor," she said.

"I do believe it is," he agreed.

"Thank God we didn't have to wait this long to be intimate together."

He laughed, the full, hearty laugh she always associated with her Bucky. "I agree." With that, he carried her off to their bedroom, both with plans of not leaving for a while.

That had been right after Steve had left to return the Infinity Stones to their rightful times, and had then returned as an elderly man, having lived a long, full life with the love of his life. Right after he had bestowed his shield and the role of Captain America upon Sam.

Sam had accepted Steve's offering with gratefulness, but also with, Carina noticed, great hesitance. Steve had always been Captain America to Sam, and would always be.

Now, a few weeks later, Karen awoke in their Brooklyn apartment to Bucky kissing down her neck.

"Good morning, Sarge," she giggled. He had shaven recently, and only a faint layer of stubble remained, but it still tickled her skin as he continued to kiss her.

"Good morning to you as well."

She rolled onto her back from where she had been lying on her side, so that he was propped up above her and they were staring lovingly up and down at each other.

"I can't believe this is our life," she admitted.

"Honestly, me neither."

"But I wouldn't change it."

"Neither would I."

Just as they embraced again, his cell phone began to ring from where it sat on his bedside table. He ignored it, continuing to kiss her.

"It might be your therapist."

"Hope not."

"Buck."

"What? She's a hard-ass."

"She's helping you."

"I think so."

"She's helping you take direct action against your difficult - to put it lightly - past."

"Yeah, to put it very lightly."

"Are you going to answer it?"

"No."

Carina rolled her eyes. "It won't help you if you ignore it."

"I'm doing all the stuff she's asked me to do."

"Your amends list."

"Yeah..." His gaze drifted.

"Hey, look at me." She took hold of his face in both hands and turned him so that he was looking at her, holding him there. "You will get past this, mi amor. You will. And, with your list, you're bringing a lot of bad people to justice."

"I know, but, is it enough?"

"It has to be. There's not much else you can do. Hey, I think it's so great that you're doing this, seeking help, and I'm so proud of you for facing these issues head-on. It's very strong, very brave."

"Doesn't always feel like it."

"Maybe not yet, but it will. I fully support this."

"What would I do without you?"

"I don't want to think like that anymore."

"Me neither."

They embraced again, the call going to voicemail. However, moments later, it began ringing again.

"Oh, for the love of-" He grabbed his cell phone and answered without checking the caller ID. "Hello?" His face fell even further when the person on the other end of the line answered, making her smack a hand over her mouth to cover her giggles.

"Yes, I'm doing the homework. Can we call it something else? Fine, homework. Yeah, yeah - I'm not rolling my eyes. I'm not. Yeah, see you then." He ended the call and heaved a sigh, tossing the cell phone to the end of the bed lazily.

Carina was still laughing. "It was her, wasn't it."

"Yup. Confirming our appointment tomorrow."

"Good."

"And - she wants you to come along too."

So you don't have to read the 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame' trilogy to read this story, but it does set the scene for Bucky and Carina in this story. The 'New 2018' thing is cause I made it that Tony's snap reset the five years, and you also learn why Carina has lived so long as well. I just don't want anyone to be confused!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)