Chapter 62: Four Little Words

The sky was just starting to lighten when Bucky woke up. He didn't know exactly what had woken him, but then he heard the tell tale signs of Steve getting ready, Luna's claws clicking on the floor as she followed his every move. He could barely get the dog to do the job she was trained for, but she lived for the mornings when Steve was here and would take her on a run. His leg must be feeling better, and Bucky assumed it had healed overnight, as his body used to do back in the day when he was dropped into war torn countries. Sometimes he still had dreams about it, the flashes blinding him even in his mind's eye. The Soldier hadn't turned away from the explosions, allowing his advanced healing to regenerate his retinas before going to complete the mission. Now, the brightest things Bucky had to deal with was the Wakanda sun and Mika's smile.

Speaking of, she looked radiant in the morning light, and as soon as the door closed behind Steve he rolled to her. She was laying on her side, her back to him, her breath even and unchanged as he gently reached up and gathered her hair in his hand, twisting it and moving it away from her neck. He kissed the newly exposed skin softly, trailing over to her shoulder as his hand slid over her waist, and she shifted and slowly started waking as he was trying to decide whether to move up under her shirt or down below her underwear.

"Good morning." she murmured, shifting back until she was pressed against his chest. Her eyes were still closed, but she smirked as she felt his body. "Someone's awake this morning."

"Physiology. Can't help it." he responded, then paused, feeling an odd sense of deja vu. Had he lived this moment before? No, no he'd dreamt it. It was so long ago that he felt like it was another lifetime completely. He let the thought go, deciding to revisit it later, as his hand traveled under her shirt to tease her.

"Bucky…" she warned, though her sharp intake of breath only pushed her chest further into his hand. He began kissing her neck again, the act sending shivers down her spine. She arched her back ever so slightly, pushing against him just enough to make him groan into her hair.

"Steve's gone on a run." he said, nipping and pinching just enough to make her squirm. She bit her lip, stifling a whine. He could feel her pulse rising, her heart thumping under his wrist.

"He could be back any minute." she replied, though she still made no move to stop his motions. He removed his hand from her chest, sliding it down her stomach with a touch so light that it made goosebumps appear down her arms. Soon, it reached the hem of her underwear, and then casually slipped beneath it.

"Better be quick then, hm?" he asked as she bit her pillow, her hair uncurling from the twist he'd put it into earlier. She wanted to respond, but he was distracting her with his ministrations between her legs. He wanted to make a quip about the payment he owed her after their wager yesterday, but all he cared about at the moment was the warmth of her skin and making more curses fall from her lips. He sat up enough to pull her underwear off, pushing her onto her stomach and situating himself between her knees. She adjusted her position with practiced ease, gasping as his arm supported her under her pelvis and he finally joined them.

With her face in the pillow, she was allowed to be as loud as she wanted as he made love to her in the early morning light, the sun finally peeking over the horizon as their movements slowed and their labored breathing began to even. Bucky rolled over onto his back, freeing her so that she could visit the washroom and freshen up, tossing a grin over her shoulder before she closed the door. He put his hand behind his head, basking in the feeling of so much goodness before they'd even gotten out of bed. Mika came back out a few moments later, choosing to squeeze back into bed on his other side to avoid where she'd just been laying. He laughed, saying he'd wash their sheets today as he tucked her in close to him.

They were quiet, laying in the afterglow and soaking up the early morning silence and the beats of each others' hearts. Out of all the good things he had nowadays, this right here was his most favorite. He pressed his lips to her head and was just wondering if she'd fallen back asleep when she shifted, looking up at him as if he'd just asked a question. For the first time in a long time, he wondered if she could read minds.

"What are you thinking?" she asked. Either she was a phenomenal actress, or he could finally lay the errant thought about telepathy to rest. He looked down at her for a moment, committing her face to memory before finally speaking.

"What do you think about getting married?" he asked, surprising even himself as the question came out of his mouth. His tone was light, curious, as if he'd just asked what she wanted for breakfast or if she wanted to go to the market that day. She raised her eyebrows, one corner of her mouth lifting in a way that told him she was trying to suppress a smile.

"Is that a proposal?" she asked wryly, trying to contain her excitement even though he could feel every muscle in body tensing in anticipation.

"Not an official one. A man's got to have a ring for that." he said, equivocating the fact that he did, actually, have a ring tucked away in the drawer. "Just a curiosity question."

"Married or not, as long as I'm with you, I'm happy." she said after a breath.

"And what's your real answer?" he asked, recognizing her equivocation. She blushed at his direct question.

"I'd love to marry you." she admitted, perking up then and giving him a challenging look. "But I can't very well say yes if it isn't official, right?"

"You're absolutely right." he replied. He thought of just doing it then, of getting up and digging into his drawer and pulling out his mother's ring, even if he hadn't gotten it cleaned up yet. He was ready to drop to one knee and ask her to be with him forever, to love him despite all the shit and the pain that he'd been through. He didn't deserve her, but she still wanted him, and he wanted nothing else in this world except for a quiet life with her. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by the front door opening, Steve's heavy steps and Luna's loud panting echoing through the house.

"Get your asses out of bed, I'm making breakfast as soon as I shower!" Steve called from across the house, making Mika and Bucky sigh.

"He needs to start giving us twenty-four hour notice before he visits." Mika commented, reluctantly removing herself from the warmth of his embrace.

"I agree." he deadpanned, his body cold from where she'd just vacated. He sighed, giving up and getting out of bed, joining Mika in the shower as they washed off the morning and made themselves presentable for the day. Steve had everything set up when they finally emerged, giving them a grin as they joined him at the kitchen table.

"Good run?" Mika asked, digging into the eggs he'd made and discovering that she was really hungry. Steve nodded.

"It's perfect weather around here. Makes it easy to get going." he replied, and she thought that he did look very relaxed for once.

"Used to he couldn't go up a flight of stairs without getting winded." Bucky said, stopping for a second as he finished his sentence. He didn't know when he'd remembered that fact; perhaps it had been just now. Steve let out a huff of a laugh, shaking his head.

"Well that's what happens when you treat asthma with cigarettes." he replied, and Mika nearly choked on her eggs.

"What?!" she exclaimed, making both men laugh.

"The '40's were a different time, Meeks." Steve said by way of explanation, as if that were all that she needed to understand.

"I guess so." she agreed, accepting this as fact and moving on. They were halfway through eating when she realized what time it was, and started shoveling food into her mouth as she walked her plate slowly to the sink, explaining with her mouth full and partially in Romanian that she was about to be late to Shuri's lab - again. Steve laughed and Bucky rolled his eyes; Mika wasn't chronically late, but she did tend to be just barely on time. She ran to the bedroom, quickly changing into a long tunic dress and shoes, and kissed both men on the cheek before bolting out the door.

"So, what's on the docket for the day? Are you gonna help me with chores?" Bucky asked, settling into his chair and sipping on his coffee. Steve scoffed.

"Absolutely not." he said. "I, uh, actually got a text from Nat this morning. She wants me to meet her and Sam in Kazakhstan."

"Of course she does." Bucky remarked, making Steve give him a half hearted grin. Bucky thought about when he first got out, first walked away from his handlers. He hadn't known what to do, and figured he could either throw himself into something familiar (killing people) or retreat into the shadows. Steve had the same choice now too, either to immerse himself in war again or to let it all go. While Bucky had chosen the latter, his counterpart was obviously choosing the former. "Be honest, are you okay?"

"Yea, everything healed up just fine overnight. Another thank you to Howard Stark." he answered, toasting the man's memory and making Bucky roll his eyes.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." he said lowly. Steve sighed, spinning his empty coffee mug and not meeting his eyes. "Listen, I'm gonna need a best man in a few months. So try not to get yourself killed between now and then, alright?"

Steve looked up then, a half grin forming on his face. "You got it." he said, a slight change evident in his demeanor. He sat up, gathering his dishes before getting up and taking them to the sink. "Thank you for the hospitality, as always. I'll be back…" he left it hanging, not knowing when he would return. Bucky almost laughed, remembering his conversation with Mika this morning.

"We'll be here." he said, deciding not to put limitations on him. He knew what it was like, to be adrift in the world, looking for a mission and having no place to call home. He may joke about how inconvenient Steve's unannounced visits were, but in reality it made him feel good to provide a home base for him. Everyone needed a place to go. Steve packed up his stuff as Bucky got ready for the day, and they exchanged succinct and manly goodbyes before he drove back towards the palace, where he'd likely parked his borrowed aircraft.

Bucky went through his morning chores as efficiently as possible, knowing that he had an errand to run later before Mika got home. The kids stopped by in the afternoon, but Bucky sent them home as soon as he was finished with his work, choosing instead to change out of his sweaty work clothes, grab the velvet box from his drawer, and go into town.

The market was busy, as it always was, instantly reminding Bucky why he avoided it. But this was something that he couldn't trust anyone else with, and he would gladly make the sacrifice. He smiled at the few people who knew him, nodding at the sellers that really knew Mika and only associated him with her. He wound through the streets, barely touching anyone as he worked his way to the little jeweler close to the heart of the market.

"White Wolf!" the older woman greeted as he ducked into her shop. No matter what he did, he couldn't escape the nickname the kids had given him. He didn't like it at first, knowing it came from his screams as his brain reorganized itself, but now he didn't mind it so much. He'd had many nicknames over the years - Bucky, Soldat, Asset - so it was just another one to add to the list. At least this one was a term of endearment.

"Hello, Yoni." he said. Though they'd never actually purchased anything from the woman, she still said hello to them any time they were around the shop. Apparently she always noticed new faced; granted, Mika and Bucky were a little easier to pick out from the crowd.

"Are you finally here to buy something, hm? Something small, something special?" she crooned, meaning lacing her words. He pulled the box from his pocket, handing it over to her for inspection.

"I'm afraid I've already got something of that nature." he responded as she cracked open the old box. His eyes drifted over the other jewelry glittering in her case; perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to get her something else to match. What was that old rhyme about weddings and good luck? Something old, something new, something borrowed-

"My, look at this!" she exclaimed, plucking the ring from its home. Yoni was not a small woman, but she handled the ring with unexpected delicacy. Bucky could see a line across the metal from where it was pressed into the velvet for so long, and he hoped she would be able to remove it.

"It was my mother's." he said, not taking his eyes off the ring. He wanted to trust her, but that was not in his nature, and hadn't been in a long time. She smiled at him.

"And you want to give it to Birdie." she said, using the nickname the kids had for her. He wondered if she knew their real names, or only the nicknames. He nodded, and she clicked her tongue in a tutting manner. "Well, it needs to shine like the stars, hm? It's very pretty, but it needs a good cleaning."

"That's why I'm here. I knew you were the one to go to." he said. In fact, there were three other jewelers in the market, but the kids loved Yoni, and so he decided she was the most reliable one. She nodded, her face glowing with pride as she smiled at him.

"Let me see what I can do. Feel free to peruse." she said, gesturing to the displays as she went into the back room. Bucky didn't like not having her or the ring within eyesight, but tried to swallow the discomfort down. There was no reason to suspect her of anything nefarious, and if all else failed, he could track her down and demand retribution. And so he browsed, keeping a weather ear out for any odd sounds from the back room. The sparkling rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets in the case threatened to overwhelm his senses, but he carefully looked over each one, if only to give himself something to do while she worked.

He paused over a set of earrings. A small, iridescent stone sat in the middle, surrounded by clear white sapphires, exquisitely arranged like two little suns shining from the case. Mika never really asked for anything, but he remembered that she used to change her jewelry quite often in Bucharest, based on her outfit or her mood. Since they'd been forced to leave quite abruptly, she only had the earrings she was wearing the night before they left. Yes, she needed something new.

It was a long time before Yoni reemerged, longer than Bucky anticipated, but she had a brilliant smile on her face as she spotted him. His mother's ring was cupped in her hand as if she held a fragile baby bird, and even from there he could see the difference in its shine. She had somehow managed to meticulously scrub off nearly one hundred years worth of wear, leaving nothing but a perfect ring.

"Just like the day it was made!" she said happily, presenting it to him. He took it, surprised at its perfection, and scrutinized it carefully. It really was nearly flawless, better than he'd ever seen it.

"Thank you, Yoni. It's perfect." he breathed. "How much do I owe you?"

"For that? Nothing. Call it a wedding present." she said with a smile. He grinned at her, then found the earrings he'd been admiring previously.

"Well, thank you for that. But I'm sure you'll want something in exchange for those." he said, pointing them out to her. She looked down her nose at the case, her smile widening as she figured out which earrings he was pointing at.

"Ah, yes. I'm afraid I can't give you those for free." she agreed. He smiled, tucking the ring back into its case as she packed up his purchase. He paid, thanked her again, and went on his way with one more box than he went in with.

Now, he was met with his real problem: how to propose.

A million different ideas ran through his head. Back in the day, it was easy; it wasn't usually a grand gesture, unless you were rich. Most of the men he knew in the Army either got married quick before they deployed, or had a shotgun wedding in the few weeks of leave with girls they'd left behind. But Mika deserved better than that.

Should he invite everyone over? Her friends, her family, everyone they knew? Or would that be too much? Something quiet, over supper? Or just the two of them, at the top of the palace, overlooking the city? Even if they'd only had the conversation this morning, and he'd only had the ring for a day, he wanted to give it to her immediately. The longer he waited, the more he felt like it was going to burn him up inside.

He continued his train of thought as he started making supper, pulling together her favorite dish that he used to make back in Romania. It was hard to find similar ingredients here, so the more traditional food that she grew up with was a rarity, but he felt like making it tonight. He was just finishing up when Mika got home, and the smile on her face as she smelled what he was cooking made the extra work worth it.

"What's all this for?" she asked, coming into the kitchen and kissing his cheek. She dumped her purse on the kitchen island and looked over the dishes, humming appreciatively.

"Just felt like doing something special." he replied. She pressed another kiss to his cheek before going to change into something more comfortable and sitting down to supper. The conversation was light, easy, and she told him about the silly things Shuri said and the big advancement she'd made in her code. It took her a few months and more than a few late nights studying, but she managed to learn a completely new coding language to be able to really work in Shuri's lab. He tried not to think about the ring, hoping he could give her the earrings and that would satiate him for the time being.

By the time twilight settled in, they were on the front porch swing, empty wine glasses on the side table and Mika tucked under his arm as they watched the orange sky fade to blue and purple. He used one leg to idly push the swing back and forth, the motion just enough to lull them into relaxation. For the second time that day, he felt totally and utterly content. That's when he remembered her words from that morning, and realized that they didn't need anything big or fantastical for their engagement. They only needed each other.

"I've got something for you." he said, breaking the silence. She sat up as he moved, her brows raising.

"Oh yea?" she asked, curious. He rarely gave gifts; it just wasn't his love language. He smiled and nodded, and went back inside without another word. She assumed she was supposed to wait there, idly swinging the bench as she waited for him to return. It felt much longer than it should take to go grab something, but he'd had to stare at the two jewelry boxes for a few minutes before deciding yes, this was the right decision. He needed to follow his gut.

He tucked the box into his hand, hoping to hide it from view as he went back out onto the porch. God, she looked beautiful in the evening light. She looked up at him expectantly, eyeing his hands and trying to see what he was hiding. Instead of settling back next to her on the porch swing, he sunk to one knee, finally revealing the box in his hand. Her hands flew to her mouth and tears welled in her eyes, but for once she was speechless.

"I know we only talked about it this morning," he started, his voice soft but sure. "But I spent months denying my feelings for you, before. Months that we could have spent together. And before that I was always drifting, not caring what happened or how much time passed." He cleared his throat, garnering his courage. He wanted to say more, to talk about how she dragged him from that abyss, about how he couldn't believe she saw what little of him was left and loved him anyway. He wanted to tell her how he'd resigned himself to a loveless, meaningless life, trying to atone for everything wrong that he'd done. But that felt like it would take too long. This proposal was not about his past; it was about their future. They'd had enough conversations about his time with Hydra. "I love you. And I'm tired of wasting time. Will you marry me?"

"Yes! Of course!" she said, the words out of her mouth the instant he finished asking. She didn't give him time to stand up or put the ring on her finger, sliding off the swing and into his waiting embrace. She squeezed him tightly before giving him four kisses in quick succession, unable to keep the smile off her face. Once her physical quota was met, she put just enough space between them for him to gently slip the ring onto her finger, the diamonds turning blue in the evening light. She gasped softly. "It's beautiful."

"It...was my mother's." he admitted, and the tears that had been on the edge the whole time finally spilled onto her cheeks. He wiped them away tenderly.

"Do you…" her voice was raspy with emotion, and she paused to clear her throat, though when she spoke again her voice wasn't that much clearer. "Do you think she would have liked me?"

"I think she would have loved you." he replied immediately. His mother would have thought Mika brash, and strong willed, and adorable. She would have thought her a perfect match for her son. "Almost as much as I do."

She kissed him again then, the metal of the ring cool against his cheek as she held his face. He clutched her to him, kissing her for just a second longer. Every moment was precious, and it was about damn time he started acting like it.

Finally, after 62 chapters, our little nuggets are engaged! Ah! Sorry this chapter was shorter than usual, it was tough to make the words work haha.

I literally can't thank y'all enough for your reviews! They seriously keep me going, and every single one is so special and awesome to me. I love hearing your feedback!

I hope you liked this chapter, please let me know what you thought!

-XM