Evelyn finished packing her suitcase on the Friday night before their flight out to Louisiana on the Saturday morning. She was stood in the bedroom, folding up clothes while Bucky lounged on the bed, holding a book in his fingertips. She frowned as she watched him, a brow arched and a sceptical stare on her face.
"Have you finished packing?" she asked from him.
"Yep," he said with a pop of his lips.
"What are you taking?"
"That," he said to her and he pointed to the bag at the end of the bed. Her eyes widened at the sight of it. Shaking her head, she headed over to it and picked it up.
"Is there anything in this?" she asked from him, feeling how light it was in her grip. Bucky chuckled and then looked to the small wheel-on case that she was busy tossing clothes into. "I mean…you may as well just put that into my case instead of bothering with the bag."
"How much more do I need?" he asked from Evelyn. "We're gone for one night. You're over-packing. Do you think that my stuff will fit in with yours?"
"I am not over-packing," she responded with a shake of her head. "I am just taking backups. I mean, what happens if you rip a skirt? You have to have a backup one. And then we don't even know what we're doing…are we going out for dinner or are we just going on a relaxed trip with no fancy dinner?"
"You're over-thinking this," Bucky responded, closing his book and placing it on his new bedside table that he had finally moved into position. "You literally ran around Riga for a few days in the same outfit. I don't remember seeing anything getting ripped then and you were in more danger there than you ever will be in Louisiana."
"And do you know how gross I felt?" she asked from him. "Just give me your bag and I can put your stuff in here. I have room. Besides, if we get this," she motioned to the case, "through as a carry on then that suit will have to go in the hold."
"Already paid to check it in," Bucky said to her.
He had hidden the box in another suitcase, not wanting it to look too suspicious as he wheeled it through an airport.
"Look at you, so organised," she said to him in a teasing tone and Bucky rolled his eyes at hearing her. He loved this side of their relationship. He loved it when they were just them with nothing to worry about.
"It has been known to happen," he replied. "So, go on then, try and get my stuff in your case. I enjoy watching you take on a challenge."
"It won't be a challenge," she responded, heading to reach over the bed for the bag. She picked it up and unzipped it, grabbing Bucky's clothes from it and placing them on top of hers in the suitcase. She adjusted some of her items, folding them up tighter and stuffing them down the sides. Closing the lid, she folded her arms and looked at him with a triumphant smirk. "Told you," she said.
"Very good," Bucky nodded, "but you're forgetting that bag over there," he said, motioning to the vanity bag on the dressing table that contained all of her toiletries. Looking to it, he heard her curse under her breath before she went to grab it. Lifting the lid once more, she placed it on top of everything. Bucky went back to pick up his book, opening the page that he had folded and holding it in his hands.
"Told you," he said to her.
"Shut up," she responded. "It will close."
"Definitely won't," Bucky retorted. "You're going to have to take some things out."
Evelyn huffed, but knew that he had a point. She went through the pieces of clothing one by one, tossing the discarded ones to the bottom of the bed as she went. Bucky kept pretending to read his book, but his gaze would often flicker off to the side to see her struggling still. He didn't know how long had passed before she leant down all of her upper body weight on the case. She grabbed the zips and fought with them until they sealed the case. She huffed once she had done, picking it up and holding it triumphantly.
"Ta-da," she said.
"Well done," Bucky said.
"Told you that I would get it to fit," she responded.
"No," Bucky retorted. "I told you that you have to take things out for it to close. You claimed that it wouldn't be a challenge."
"But did I get it to close?" she responded.
"Well, yes, but-"
"-No buts," she interrupted him.
Bucky chuckled at her as she tugged at the waistband of the black skirt she wore, adjusting it on her hips. She pulled at the white blouse tucked into it and then moved her glasses up her nose with a finger.
"You really are stubborn," Bucky could only comment.
"You're only just working this out?" she taunted him, moving to pick up her discarded clothes to hang them back in her wardrobe.
Closing his book once more, he dropped it on the mattress next to him. "I've always known," he said to her. "Besides, it can sometimes be quite endearing. You get this little scrunched up look on your face when you refuse to back down…little wrinkles forming on your forehead."
"I do not have wrinkles!" she snapped at him, abandoning her wardrobe and bending at the waist, peering into the mirror on her dressing table. She ran a finger along her forehead. "Do you know how much I spend on face cream? I should never be able to age the amount I pay."
"I've seen," Bucky responded. "And maybe not wrinkles…creases…"
"What's the difference?" she asked, making a crease in her forehead and then letting her face fall flat. "I'm only twenty-nine…I can't be getting wrinkles already."
"I wish I'd never said anything," Bucky said with a shake of his head, moving from the bed and heading around to her. "You look perfect," he said and he stood behind her. Moving to gather her hair into a hand, he pushed it over one shoulder and bent over her as she remained hunched over. He moved his hands around her waist and kissed her on the side of her neck.
"Sure, I'm not wrinkly?" she asked from him and he shook his head, still kissing along the length of her neck as he spoke and she tried not to laugh as he made the movement.
"Sure," he said against her skin.
"But will you still love me even when I am old and wrinkly?" she teased him, turning around in his grip, hands going to hold onto his neck.
"Most definitely," he said.
"Even if you're having to push me around in a wheelchair if I become doddery?"
"Certainly would," Bucky confirmed.
"And you wouldn't think of trading me in for a younger model?"
"Well," Bucky teased her, "depends on who comes along."
She went to hit against his chest jokingly and he chuckled. Shaking his head, he pulled her backwards with him, tugging her back to the bed. Switching sides, he moved so that she was under him, flopping down on the bed, Bucky bent over her, hand moving through her hair as he watched her again. She ran her hand along his chest, creasing up the grey top that he wore.
"You're doing that staring thing again," she said to him.
"Yeah," he said, knowing exactly what he was doing. He bent down, kissing her slowly, keeping the motion light to tease her gently, feeling her squirm slightly underneath him. He only pulled away as she reached for the bottom of his top. He moved his own hands to her skirt, tugging it upwards until he had it around her upper thighs, his hands roaming the bare skin underneath it as her hand ran along his stomach, finally getting underneath the top. He pulled back from her lips for a moment and she furrowed a brow.
"What's wrong?" she asked, still gasping for breath and wondering why he had stopped.
"I love you," was all he could say to her.
She smiled at him and moved her free hand to his cheek, feeling the stubble sat there as she brushed it softly. "I love you too," she responded.
Bucky nodded. He contemplated asking her right then and there, but she was already talking again.
"You sure you're alright?"
"Never been better," Bucky promised her and she nodded, lifting herself up to kiss him again and Bucky went back to focusing on her, knowing that his time would come eventually.
….
"This is so beautiful," Evelyn said to Bucky.
They had landed in Louisiana early that morning and had left their things in their hotel's luggage room considering they couldn't check in yet. Bucky had told her that Sam had a boat and that was where he suspected he would be. Evelyn arched a brow, asking him why he only suspected. It was then when Bucky admitted that he hadn't told Sam he was coming. Evelyn had said that they should text him, but Bucky preferred the element of surprise. Besides, where else would Sam be right now?
So, they had left the small case in the hotel, Bucky carrying the box with the suit in his free hand. He held Evelyn's hand tightly inside of his other hand, foregoing his gloves in the heat and figuring that he just didn't care what people thought at that moment in time. Heading down towards the docks, it was getting pretty busy, people moving around and laughing as they went. There were boats tied up and the smell of fish was fresh in the air. The dock was made from sturdy wood, a hut on one side of it with boxes of fish in ice underneath it.
"It's pretty nice," Bucky could agree with that, letting his gaze head on out over to the water in the distance. It was glimmering in the morning sun, the sight of it pretty beautiful. It also seemed peaceful, despite the bustle of the dock. The smell of salt in the air was prevalent too, taking Bucky back to trips to the seaside with his family when he had been younger. He had remembered his sisters constantly running around and causing chaos, his dad trying to calm them down and his mother sighing in exasperation. Bucky tried to look after them, but more often than not he enjoyed getting involved in their antics. He found it to be quite enjoyable to get into trouble with them
"Ever thought about leaving D.C.?" Bucky suddenly wondered from Evelyn, swinging her hand by his side. She looked up to him and shrugged.
"I guess," she said, "I always thought that I might like to move around…work in another museum…but I don't know. It would be nice to have a house one day and settle down. I love my apartment, but I don't know if it is where I want to settle down."
Bucky nodded. "I get that," he said to her.
"And you?"
"Never thought I'd stay in D.C. for long," Bucky admitted to her and she continued watching him for a few moments. "I always thought I might end up back in Brooklyn, but I guess I ended up staying longer than I thought…you know…circumstances change."
"Circumstances change?" Evelyn echoed back to him. "That sounds ominous."
"Nah," Bucky said. "I guess I've been thinking about the future a bit more than usual."
"What about it?" Evelyn wondered.
Ever since she had found the ring in his bedside drawer it was all she could think about. All she could think about was Bucky finally proposing and she was waiting for him to make the move. She lived in anticipation, but it was slowly eating her up. She just wanted to know if she had gotten the wrong end of the stick. But he had been talking about the future a lot more.
"Just where we might end up," he said to her.
Before she could ask what that meant, he was smirking into the distance at what he saw. Did he mean where they would end up together? Did he mean something completely different? But he was already chuckling and he looked down to Evelyn, giving her that lopsided smirk she had grown to love before he spoke. "Give me a second," he urged.
She wondered where he was going before he dropped her hand from his grip. She tilted her head to the side and remained stood on the spot. Bucky walked the short distance to the back of a truck and Evelyn could see Sam stood by it with a couple of other men. There was something that look particularly heavy in the back of it and they were stood around, debating how to lift it and move it out the way. Rolling her eyes, Evelyn saw Bucky pick it up without a second thought and her lips remained tugged upwards at the sight of him.
He dropped down the box with the suit in its place after he had cleared the truck.
"You're welcome," Bucky said to Sam as the other two men stepped back, clearly in awe at what they had just witnessed from Bucky. "We're here to drop something off."
"What is that?" Sam asked. "And we're?" he responded.
"Yeah," Bucky said as Evelyn finally stepped forwards, holding a hand up and waving to Sam. "Didn't think I'd be able to come and visit you without someone tagging along, did you?"
"Hey," Evelyn said as she approached Sam and he reached out, embracing her tightly for a moment before she pulled back and tossed her hair behind her shoulders. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced. I had no idea that Bucky hadn't even called ahead."
"I knew he'd be here," Bucky defended himself.
"Still, rude not to let someone know," Evelyn responded.
"So, how long you sticking around for?" Sam wondered.
Evelyn stepped back, falling to stand by Bucky's side as he motioned to the box. "Just dropping this off," he said to Sam. "You can sign for it and then we'll go. I called in a favour from the Wakandans."
"I think we can maybe spare a bit more time," Evelyn said, looking up to Bucky. "I didn't get up at two a.m. to fly out here just to get Sam to sign for a parcel and then disappear."
"Agreed," Sam said with a nod. "But things are pretty busy around here. We're fixing up the boat so I don't know how much time I can spare. I can maybe grab lunch."
"We can help you?" Evelyn said, looking to the boat.
Bucky laughed loudly then and Sam wondered if he had ever seen him smile as much before. He leant back, the noise heartfelt as Evelyn turned to glare up to him, folding her arms and crumpling the dark orange jumpsuit she wore with her white trainers. Bucky finally stopped laughing and peered down to her, shaking his head back and forth.
"Sweetheart, you can't even put flat pack furniture together. Do you seriously think you can help fix a boat?" Bucky asked from her.
"For your information, I am not entirely useless. I'm sure there's something that I can do."
"I mean, I don't want to put you out," Sam said to her.
"You're not," she said firmly. "Besides, if it helps me prove this guy," she nudged him in the stomach with her elbow playfully, "wrong, then I'll do anything."
"She's not wrong about that," Bucky agreed at the same time a loud hissing noise erupted from the boat behind them.
Sam turned around as another woman ran forwards, dressed in a red top and jeans, her hair tied into a ponytail on her head. "Sam," she called his name and Evelyn wondered if that was Sarah.
Sam moved to the boat, jumping down onto it and heading towards the pipe that was emitting what looked like steam. Bucky stepped forwards then and Evelyn wondered what he was doing before he spoke to her. "He has no idea," Bucky said.
He jumped into the boat as Evelyn stood by the woman on the edge of the dock. Bucky grabbed the tool from Sam and fixed the pipe in an instant, telling Sam what had had been doing wrong. Evelyn kept her arms folded over her chest as he fixed the pipe and she watched on with intrigue before turning to look to the woman next to her.
"I'm Evelyn," she said.
"Oh," the woman responded. "As in the Evelyn? The woman my brother spends most of his time with in D.C.?"
"Well, I wouldn't know about that," Evelyn said and the woman chuckled.
"Trust me, he talks about you often enough," she responded. "I'm Sarah, his sister."
"Nice to meet you," Evelyn said to her with a soft smile.
"Well, it's nice to put a name to the face," Sarah responded. "Although I saw you on the news one night…when you were being carried away by Captain America."
Evelyn groaned at that and nodded her head. "Never thought I'd make the news, but here we are," she shrugged her shoulders and Sam finally stopped conversing with Bucky and looked up to his sister, arms folded over his chest as he advanced towards them and Bucky loitered a step or two behind him.
"You're not harassing her already, are you?" Sam asked from his sister.
Sarah held her hands up defensively. "I never said anything."
Sam sighed and shook his head as Evelyn looked between the two siblings. "Sarah likes to poke her nose in other people's business…specifically her brother's."
"Ah!" Sarah warned him. "I just asked you who Evelyn was considering you spent a lot of time at her place. I wondered if there was something more going on considering it's been ages since you've dated anyone. That was all."
"Well, Evelyn prefers her men older," Sam said, his smirk on his face and Evelyn laughed at that, nodding her head. She couldn't entirely disagree with that point.
"Well, I know that now," Sarah responded.
"Yeah," Bucky said, "and I'm the fossil in question," he said to her, giving her a wave. "I'm Bucky."
"I've heard a lot about you too," Sarah said with a nod. "So...what are you two doing all the way out here in Louisiana? Sam told me that you lived in D.C."
"We were just delivering him something," Bucky said. "Wasn't exactly something that I wanted to post to him either."
"So this is yours?" Evelyn asked, changing the topic and pointing to the boat in front of her.
"Yep, been in the family for years," Sam said to her.
"Can I?" she asked, motioning to climb onto it.
"Hop on in," Sam said.
"Come here," Bucky said to her, holding his arms out. She rested her hands onto his shoulders and he helped lift her down onto the boat. Standing on the deck, she looked around it and moved slowly.
"How long do you think it will take to fix it?" Evelyn wondered.
"A while," Sam said to her.
"Try months," Sarah retorted. "But he's come back here and he's determined to mend it. It needs cleaning up and then we're thinking of selling it."
"Oh," Evelyn said, not having expected that.
"Yeah," Sarah said. "Well, I need to go and check on the boys. It was nice to meet you both."
"You too," Bucky responded.
"Bye, Sarah," Evelyn added on.
There was a brief moment of silence then and Evelyn looked down the boat before turning back to Bucky. She sent him a look and he watched her back for a moment, nodding his head at her. He knew what she was thinking and what she wanted. And Bucky was more than welcome to agree with her on this matter.
"Where do we begin?" Bucky wondered from Sam.
Shaking his head, Sam dropped his hands to his hips. "You don't have to," he said to them.
"No, but we want to," Bucky retorted. "Just don't give her anything that she could hurt herself with or use to break the boat instead of fix it."
"You have very little faith in my DIY abilities," Evelyn said to him, arms by her side and her gaze fixed on him, a coy look on her face as she spoke.
"What's this?" Bucky asked her, picking up the wrench that was behind him. Evelyn looked to him and lowered her gaze to the tool. Shrugging her shoulders, she bit down on her bottom lip.
"I only know what a hammer and a screwdriver are. What else do you need to put together flat pack furniture?" she wondered from him.
"See my point?" Bucky asked from Sam.
"Got it," Sam said and he moved towards Evelyn. "Evie, how about you just sand some wood down?"
"I can do that," she said and Sam offered her his arm. She took hold of it as Bucky watched them link arms and head down to the end of the boat, his arms remaining folded over his chest as he watched them go and laugh between each other.
Shrugging out of his black jacket, he left it on the side of the boat and rolled up his sleeves, deciding just to get stuck in. He knew his way around. He could see what it was that needed doing. Sam came back and checked that he was doing okay, the three of them settling into a working routine around the boat. Bucky stayed at the back while Evelyn remained at the front of it, sanding down whatever needed to be sanded down.
"Have you asked her yet?" Sam wondered as he moved onto chiselling away some rot in a piece of a wood, Bucky finishing off tightening wires.
"No," Bucky said with a shake of his head.
"Are you still going to ask her?"
"Yes," he responded.
"What're you worried about, Buck?" Sam wondered from him. "You wrote it down in your little book and clearly it means that you're thinking of doing it."
Bucky shrugged his shoulders. "You want the truth?" Bucky wondered from him, unable to believe that he was having such an honest conversation with Sam. He didn't know that he had it in him. "I'm scared."
"You're scared?" Sam checked with him.
"Terrified," Bucky nodded his head at him. "We've fought aliens, super soldiers…even seen some weird kid who could shoot web out of his hands…but none of that scares me as much as proposing to Evelyn does. I've thought about doing it a couple of times before, but always backed out…convincing myself that it's not the right time."
"It's a big commitment," Sam said to him. "I get why you'd be nervous."
"But I want to do it," Bucky responded. "I want to ask her."
"Why do I sense there is a but to that point?" Sam questioned, still chiselling as Bucky tossed the tool he held in his hands around, distracting himself for a moment.
"But am I enough?" Bucky wondered from Sam. "I still have nightmares. And so long as I have those nightmares that means a part of him…The Winter Soldier…is still in me. The things that I have done…I worry that one day she will wake up and realise that she deserves better than a man like me. She deserves someone less complicated."
"Listen, I know what you went through, Buck," Sam said to him. "I know that and I think that's something you need to work out, but you need to stop looking behind you and start looking forwards. You need to start thinking about how you can make things right, not being scared of your past and what it means for your future."
"Hard not to after everything that happened with Verity," Bucky said to Sam. "She…Evie…she still has nightmares about it. She still has nightmares, imagining what Verity would have done to her."
"And I understand that," Sam said with a nod of his head. "But the fact is that she chose to stand by you. She didn't leave you, Buck. And I think the only way she'll ever leave you is through you pushing her away because you've convinced yourself in your own head that she deserves someone better."
Bucky let out a shaky breath and shrugged. "I promised her that I wouldn't push her away from me."
"Then you need to realise that she wants you," Sam said to Bucky. "She isn't going anywhere and if she didn't accept your past then she wouldn't be stood at the front of this boat currently sanding down something that maybe doesn't need sanding down."
Bucky's lips quirked for a moment. "You didn't tell her that, did you?"
"Hey, figured it best to give her something that doesn't involve sharp edges after what you said," Sam defended himself. "But that's not the point. The point is that she loves you. Do you want a future with her?"
"Of course I do," Bucky said.
"Then stop letting your past dictate your future," Sam urged from him. "Because the only way that girl will leave you is if you keep doing that."
Bucky nodded. "Good advice," he muttered.
"Anytime," Sam said to him. "Besides, I want details on how you do it. I still can't get over the fact you can be so charming…and don't think I haven't noticed you call her sweetheart either."
"Hoped you wouldn't have picked up on that," Bucky muttered.
Sam laughed, shaking his head quickly. "Oh, I picked up on it alright," he promised him. "And don't think I won't use it against you."
"Can't wait," Bucky mumbled. "I'd best go and check on Evelyn…make sure she hasn't fallen overboard."
"It would be impressive if she has."
"Trust me," Bucky said, standing up and wiping his hands on his jeans, "if anyone could, it would be Evelyn."
He passed Sam by, silently slapping him on the shoulder as he went. Neither of them said anything to the other, a mutual understanding seeming to exist between the two of them. Bucky headed down the side of the boat to find Evelyn knelt on the ground, sanding down the side of the boat. He folded his arms over his chest and watched her work for a moment.
"You missed a spot," he joked with her and she turned around, hair flipping over her shoulders as she shot him a glare. He chuckled and edged closer to her. Standing up, she leant against the side and Bucky stood in front of her. "How you getting on?" he asked her.
"Fine," she said with a nod of her head. "What about you?"
"Pretty good," Bucky said with a nod of his head. "You're looking pretty red though."
"It's quite warm out here," she said to him. "And all this sanding is hard work!"
"I bet," Bucky said and went to stand next to her, leaning against the side. "It's pretty nice though, isn't it?"
"What, the boat?" Evelyn asked Bucky.
"Yeah," he said.
"It is," she said. "But I get the sense there's some contention over selling it."
"You picked up on that too, huh?"
"Just a bit," Evelyn replied with a nod. "Hopefully they'll work something out. It's too nice to sell, isn't it? I quite like the idea of having a boat…heading out to sea whenever…"
"You want a boat now, sweetheart?" he teased her.
"Why? You offering to buy me one?" she joked back.
He chuckled. "I think my finances might only stretch so far. I can get you one of those rubber blow up boats."
"Why am I with you if not for your money?" she responded, joking with him as he chuckled again and moved his arm around her shoulders, feeling her slip her own arm around his midriff, her head resting by his shoulder. "Have you ever been boating?" she asked him.
"Never," Bucky admitted. "Well, not for pleasure, anyway. What about you?"
"My parent's friends…Angie and Steve…they have a yacht in Florida. I used to go on it during the summer with them," Evelyn said and Bucky's eyes widened at that piece of information as he turned his gaze down to look to her and she lifted her head up to meet him. "What?"
"You just said your parent's friends have a yacht as though that is the most casual thing to slip into conversation," he said to her. "How rich are your parent's friends?"
"Millionaires, I think," she said and Bucky was about to ask if she was joking, but she didn't have that sarcastic look on her face or the teasing tone in her voice. Instead, she was pretty serious. Shrugging her shoulders, she wondered what he was thinking. "Well…I mean…mum and dad have some friends who are big in the marketing industry because of mum's links to work and dad is friends with…like…some university big wigs," she said to him. "Plus, my grandad used to be the CEO of some big building company in England. Grandma inherited what he left her. You'll meet her this summer when we go over there."
"And does she live in some castle?"
"Shut up," Evelyn responded, nudging him in the side as he laughed at the movement and then bent down, kissing the top of her head.
"No wonder your father knows the fanciest places to eat," Bucky said with a low whistle.
"But they always taught me the importance of work," Evelyn said. "There was this guy who I dated during college called Jack. His parents were so rich…and he was such a snob…I mean, seriously, the worst snob imaginable. He used to laugh at me for waitressing before college, asking why I had to work if my parents could afford my college tuition. But mum had insisted that I get a job and learn to stand on my own two feet. Grandma had made her do the exact same thing. She used to work in a shop at the weekends while she was at university."
Bucky nodded his head thoughtfully. "I cannot imagine that," he said and then brushed her hair from her shoulder with his hand behind her shoulders. "And I can't imagine you waitressing."
"Why not?" she wondered back.
"I guess I always think you're too uncoordinated…spilling drinks on people…dropping plates," Bucky shrugged his shoulders.
"Why do you think I am so uncoordinated?" she wondered from him. "Seriously, I don't know where you've gotten this image from. Is it because we went ice skating one time and I couldn't stand up?"
He laughed again at that. "Don't put that image back in my head," he urged from her.
"You really are pushing your luck today with laughing at me," she warned him.
"It was just the way that five-year-old skated past you. I seriously don't think I'll ever get over that," he said to her and she moved to stand in front of him, wriggling around in his grip as he tried to keep her to him and she squeezed his arms.
"I warned you," she said to him. "You've done enough laughing at my expense."
"I don't mean it, sweetheart," he continued, arms tight around her waist. "You know that."
"Hmm," she pouted and Bucky bent down, kissing her for a few seconds before pulling back.
"Does that make up for it?" he asked from her.
"It's a start."
"Only a start? What else do you have in mind?"
"You two hungry? Sarah's brought some lunch down with her."
Sam's voice suddenly came from behind them. Evelyn turned her head over her shoulders to see Sam stood there, three brown paper bags in his fingertips. He looked over at the couple and wondered what they had been doing before questioning if he even wanted to know.
"Definitely," Evelyn said, turning to look to Bucky for a moment, she put a hand to his chest and pushed away from him, giving him a mischievous smirk. "That's a conversation for later."
"Such a tease," Bucky complained as she bounded off to Sam and Bucky watched her go, sighing to himself and knowing that Sam had a point. He had to stop being so scared. He had to stop living in the past and move on to think about the future.
…
"Do you think that Karli will ever reappear?"
Bucky asked the question as the sun set. They had spent the entire day on the boat, working as hard as possible. The sun had begun to dip, the air turning slightly chilly. Sam had fetched three beers. Bucky wondered if he had ever seen Evelyn drink beer, knowing that white wine was her preferred drink. But she sipped on the beer anyway. Bucky had given her his jacket, draping it over her shoulders as they sat down on the bench across from Sam on the boat. Bucky's arm remained around her shoulders as she crossed one leg over the other and held her beer bottle in her hands, resting the bottom of it on her thighs.
"She's still underground, but my best bet is that she's doubling down," Sam said to Bucky.
"Any idea how you're going to deal with her?"
"Not entirely," Sam admitted.
"Well, Zemo said that there was only way to deal with her," Bucky commented, taking a drink of his beer.
"Zemo would say that," Evelyn said, rolling her eyes and laying her head back against Bucky's shoulder. "Besides, Zemo's been proven wrong before."
"Agreed," Sam said with a nod. "Does Karli deserve to get away with she's done? Absolutely not," Sam said definitively. "But that doesn't mean that we do things the way Zemo would do things. That doesn't have to be the way it goes down."
"Well, whenever she resurfaces," Bucky continued, "she's not going to come back quietly."
"We can agree on that," Sam said.
"Yeah," was all Bucky offered in response. "Listen, we should get going back to the hotel…grab some dinner."
"You know," Sam drawled, "Sarah makes this delicious herby chicken with homemade fries…she said that there would be plenty if you two wanted to swing by for dinner tonight."
"We don't want to intrude on you and your family," Evelyn said to him.
"You're not intruding," Sam promised her. "Besides, I still need to see him being all charming," he pointed to Bucky who smirked, shaking his head in mock annoyance. "Because this, right here," he waved his hand at the couple, "is still a strange image to me…him being all sweet and romantic."
"Well, what more do you want to know?" Evelyn asked from him and she took another sip of her beer.
"Oh no," Bucky said. "How much have you drunk? You get talkative when you're tipsy."
"Just one bottle," she said to him, holding it up.
"I am going to enjoy this," Sam said with a sly smirk and moved to his feet. "Come on, you two. It's just a short walk back to the house and then we can get started."
Evelyn stood up, finishing off her beer before handing Sam the empty bottle once he had held his hand out. Bucky gave him his too, letting him dispose of them before taking Evelyn's hand in his. "He's going to enjoy this too much."
"Let him," Evelyn said, "not embarrassed by me, are you?"
"Never could be," Bucky said and squeezed her hand.
Sam called for them to follow him, offering Evelyn his hand to help her out the boat. Once on dry land, she had to admit that she felt slightly uneasy. She hadn't realised how solid the ground could be. Bucky was by her side in an instant, hand going back to hers and they fell into step next to Sam, Evelyn answering any question that he asked.
They got back to Sam's house and Evelyn looked at it. It was a perfect family home. She could hear children running around and there were pictures that they had painted hung up on kitchen cabinets. Sarah was cooking in the kitchen, talking to her kids as they ran around, urging them to keep the noise down.
"Boys, we have visitors!" Sarah called out.
The boys ran back into the kitchen then, Sarah looking to them and arching her brows. "Remember your manners," she encouraged from them and they nodded their heads. "This is Evelyn," Sarah said, "and this is Bucky. They're staying for dinner."
"Nice to meet you," the boys said in unison.
"And this is AJ and Cass," Sarah said, pointing to each of her boys.
"It's nice to meet you too," Evelyn said.
"Hey, you're the woman who was on the TV!" Cass exclaimed. "We saw you with Captain America," the young boy said to Evelyn and her lips arched. "Were you being arrested?"
"Cass!" Sarah snapped at her son, giving him a warning.
"No, it's alright," Evelyn said with a chuckle. "I wasn't being arrested. But it's good to know that my fame hasn't been fleeting," she added on, looking up to Bucky and exchanging a sly smirk to him.
"I'm sorry about them," Sarah continued.
"No," Evelyn urged her again, "it's fine."
"And what is wrong with your arm?" AJ was the one to ask Bucky.
"I swear anything I say falls on death ears," Sarah complained, returning to marinading the chicken as Sam pulled out more beers and a bottle of wine.
"It's…metal," Bucky said, not entirely prepared to explain what vibranium was. Instead, he simply let them look at his arm with awe and he thought that this was better than how other people looked at it.
"Does it hurt?" AJ asked.
"Is it heavy?"
"Can you punch things really hard with it?"
"It looks like a robot's arm."
"Hey, hey, hey," Sam was the one who interrupted, giving Bucky a bottle of beer and looking to his nephews. "It's one question at a time, little men. Now, why don't you head on out and set the table on the decking?"
"But can you punch things really hard?" Cass continued.
Bucky chuckled. "You might see later," he said to them and they ran off together in awe of what he had just said.
"They're adorable," Evelyn chuckled.
"They're a lot," Sam replied, pouring her a glass of wine.
She took hold of it and looked to Sarah. "Are you sure you don't mind us staying for dinner?" she asked from her. "We don't want to get in the way."
"Are you kidding?" Sarah wondered. "I've made more than enough for four families. Besides, it'll be nice to have some proper adult conversation around here, what with living with children."
"I am here, you know," Sam said.
Sarah threw him a glance and then looked back to Evelyn. "As I said, it'll be nice to have proper adult conversation."
Bucky laughed at that and bent his head backwards, looking to the ceiling as Evelyn looked between the siblings, seeing the love and the warmth between them.
"Cold, Sarah, real cold," Sam said to his sister. "Come on, I'll show you around outside."
"Do you need a hand, Sarah?" Evelyn wondered out of politeness.
"I've got this," Sarah promised her. "You head on out. Keep him out of trouble."
"I'll do my best," Evelyn said with a soft smile.
She followed Sam outside, walking by Bucky's side as they headed to the decking that looked onto the large lawn in front of them. Evelyn kept her gaze flickering around, a smile forming on her lips at the sight of it. "This is so peaceful, Sam, I can see why you come out here when you can."
"It's nice," Sam said. "It's a good place to gather your thoughts."
"And your nephews are adorable," Evelyn said.
"I like to think so," Sam said and he took a seat in a wooden chair, Evelyn sitting to the right of him and Bucky sitting next to her, sipping on his beer as he moved down to sit down.
They all sat and spoke, all of them laughing and joking over normal life things. Evelyn divulged details of her dates with Bucky to Sam as he asked. They all ate dinner, the night falling over them and the wine and beers still flowing. The meal was absolutely delicious and Evelyn swore that she would have to get the recipe, though she doubted she could do it justice. Bucky was on his fifth beer and Evelyn her fourth glass of wine before he noted Cass and AJ playing with the shield in the lawn. He had shifted his chair closer to Evelyn's after he had seen her shiver once the sun had gone down. He moved his arm around her when she got back from helping Sarah tidy up, feeling her hand run up and down his thigh as she leant against his side, glad that the chairs had no arms.
"You okay?" she asked when she sensed him tense beneath her and Sam and Sarah continued discussing the boat again.
"Yeah," Bucky said, looking away from the kids playing with the shield.
"Hey!" Sam said. "What have I told you about playing with that?"
"We were just playing," Cass called back, but he put the shield down.
"Do they know about Captain America?" Evelyn wondered from Sam and Sarah.
"They know about Steve," Sam confirmed.
"Well…" Evelyn said. "Mind if I hold the shield?"
"Be my guest," Sam said, extending his hand.
Evelyn stood up, pushing herself away from Bucky and putting her glass of wine down on the table. She pulled his jacket tighter around her body as she sauntered over to the boys. "Do you guys have any idea how long it took to make this shield? Or how strong it is?"
"No," they said.
"Well," Evelyn began and Bucky chuckled as she sat on the floor, crossing her legs beneath her and taking hold of the shield, knowing that she was about to give the boys the talk that she had given numerous times before when she had been forced to do tours when the guides had been absent or ill.
"How many times has she done this before?" Sam wondered from Bucky who was drinking his beer again. He shrugged his shoulders and held the bottle in both hands.
"Plenty of times," he responded with a nod of his head. "She loves it…she loves kids being interested in history."
"She clearly has a way with them," Sarah added on, hearing the boys laugh at whatever it was she had just said. "So how long have you two been together?"
"Almost…fifteen months," Bucky said, trying to work it out in his head. "Well, officially, anyway."
"That's sweet," Sarah said with a nod, sitting back in her chair and folding one leg over the other. "So how did you both meet?"
"Well…at a museum," Bucky said. "Evelyn is the curator of the Captain America exhibit. We just bumped into each other there and got talking."
"He's being modest," Sam said. "You want to see the game that he has, Sarah. I'm not kidding, a flash of those baby blue eyes and that smirk and I swear my knees might go weak."
"How much have you had to drink?" Sarah questioned from her brother.
"Clearly enough," Bucky interrupted before Sam could say anything.
"He's being modest," Sam said with a wave of his hand. "Besides, Evelyn has given me enough ammunition to use to tease you for at least the next year."
"I'm aware," Bucky said, taking another sip of beer as Cass and AJ suddenly laughed once again at something Evelyn had said.
Bucky watched on as Evelyn continued talking, Cass and AJ sat either side of her. She was waving her hands around animatedly, her upper body shifting back and forth between the boys. She held the shield in her hands occasionally, moving it around and explaining more about it. She turned around after a while, sensing that Bucky was staring at the back of her. She gave him a soft smile, hair falling around her face, which was red after spending all day out in the sun.
Sam picked up on the look between the two of them as Sarah dashed inside for another bottle of wine.
"You should just ask her, man," Sam said to Bucky as Evelyn turned back to AJ and Cass. "It's almost torturing me knowing that you're going to ask her. Have you seen the way she looks at you?"
"I know," Bucky said with a nod of his head.
"Listen…just don't spend time regretting things," Sam urged from him.
"Try not to," Bucky said to him.
It was another fifteen minutes before Evelyn returned to the table, sitting back down next to Bucky who looked to her and moved to take hold of her hand. "Fancy a walk?"
"Now?" she asked him.
"Why not?" he asked from her.
"We should get back to the hotel, shouldn't we? We need a cab-"
"-Just stay here," Sam interrupted. "We've got two sofas in the living room and it's almost one in the morning. Just pick your stuff up in the morning."
"Really?"
"Yeah, now get out of here for a walk," Sam said and Evelyn chuckled.
"Thanks, Sam."
"Cheers," Bucky said and moved to his feet.
He kept hold of Evelyn's hand and Sam raised his bottle up to them, catching Bucky's eye and wondering if he was finally going to do this after thinking about it for weeks. Heading down the lawn, Evelyn pulled the jacket she wore tighter around her and Bucky realised he had to get it from her eventually. He needed what was in the inside pocket he had kept hidden.
"Look at this," Evelyn said as they stepped onto the small wooden dock that led into the water. "It's such a clear night, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Bucky said. "You were good with the boys for someone who claims they don't get children after growing up an only child."
"Well," Evelyn shrugged, "I try my best."
"Nah, you're great," Bucky said to her. "In fact…I think that…you're better than great."
"Stop it," Evelyn said, nudging him in the arm and turning red from the sun, alcohol and his comments.
"Usually I would," Bucky said to her, "but not tonight…I just need to get something though…for a moment," he said and Evelyn wondered what he was doing before he reached into his jacket that she wore. She let him feel around inside of the pocket before he pulled out a familiar looking box. How had that been in there and she hadn't even noticed it? She did her best not to freak out, not wanting to ruin the moment.
"I've thought long and hard about when to do this…how to do it," Bucky admitted, holding the box in both of his hands, both of their gazes set down on it. "I'd considered doing it at a restaurant, but I felt that was too public…I wanted to do it the other morning when you were eating pancakes…and then the other day when you were singing terribly while baking…but I've always thought that there should be this perfect moment. But I realised that any moment I'm with you is perfect," Bucky continued and he bent down onto one knee as Evelyn saw him take a shaky breath. He was clearly apprehensive. "Evelyn Elizabeth Morris," he said her full name and they both let out a laugh at that. "You are the most stubborn woman I have met. You walked into my life with that bottle of water. You kept that museum open just for me. You made me feel like I could have a place in this world, but that place is next to you, Evie. Because ever since we went for pizza that first night, I knew that I wasn't getting you out of my head."
"Likewise," Evelyn whispered back to him.
"And I can't imagine my life without you," Bucky said earnestly. "I don't want to imagine my life without you. I want to grow old with you. I want to sit on a porch and be surrounded by our kids and grandkids. I want all of that. But I want to share it with you."
He took another deep breath before he continued speaking, finally gathering the courage to speak. "So, Evelyn, sweetheart, will you marry me?"
"Yes," she said without even a moment's hesitation, barely giving him time to open the box in his hands. He laughed at that, the nerves still clear in the expression.
"Not playing it cool?" he checked with her.
"When have I ever played it cool when it comes to you?" she wondered from him and he nodded his head, pulling the ring out and slipping it onto her finger. He moved to his feet, still holding her hand as she lifted it up and glanced down at the blue stone gleaming there. "It's beautiful, Bucky."
"I saw it and thought of you," Bucky whispered, "you know, an antique."
She laughed at that and wrapped her arms around his neck, flinging herself closer to him and pressing her lips on top of his. He picked her up, arms around her waist and spinning her around. It was then when there was a sudden whooping noise in the distance. Bucky kept Evelyn dangling from the floor as they pulled back and turned their head to the side to see Sam and Sarah by the decking and furniture. Sam punched his fist into the air and cheered. Evelyn laughed at them and turned back to Bucky.
"Did they know?" she wondered from him.
"Sam had a hunch," Bucky admitted, not telling her all of the details. He wanted there to be some mystery. "Might have given it away when I got down on one knee."
"Yeah, you spent too long down there to be tying your shoelace," she said to him and he smirked.
"I don't know," he responded, "it could have been a really tricky knot to untie."
Evelyn smiled along with him before shaking her head back and forth. She leant in once again to kiss him, hand running along his cheek. "You're quite something, Mr Barnes," she said to him.
"As are you, sweetheart," he responded and went back to kissing her, longing for this feeling of bliss to stay with them for as long as possible.
...
A/N: Thanks so much to everyone reading. Do let me know what you think! More action coming up soon. I love reading your comments/thoughts so do let me know what you think!