And now...the moment you've all been waiting for.
Chapter 8: The Wedding
The weather graced them with the most beautiful afternoon any of them had ever seen. A gentle spring breeze blew through the air, and the temperature remained just cool enough that Steve didn't start sweating in his tux. An outdoor venue was necessary with such a large crowd combined with Steve's immune system, and he'd been worried for weeks that rain would ruin everything. Evidently, some force of nature was on their side. He and Bucky stood in the entryway greeting their guests as they arrived. Besides their parents, their groomsfolk were the first to show. Steve had already seen their choice of wardrobe, but it still made his artist's heart glow. They managed to complement Steve and Bucky perfectly. Right off the bat, their photographer got busy. She didn't have to tell Steve to smile, not once. Steve thought it would be rather difficult to stop smiling.
When he saw Dr. Lee approach, his heart soared. The president of Gravesen offered them both sincere handshakes and his utmost congratulations. "It's not every day I get to witness the culmination of a love story like this one," he said. Steve couldn't agree more.
Right before the ceremony was due to start, their moms ambushed them. Steve briefly suffocated in her impossibly tight embrace as she told him, "I'm so happy for you." He'd already heard it a thousand times from her, but it never grew any less meaningful.
"Thanks."
"Me becoming your mother-in-law isn't going to change anything, understood?" Winnifred said sternly.
Steve nodded. "Understood."
They made their way to the altar together, Bucky holding Steve's hand. Neither let go until Steve was forced to dig through his pockets to find his notes. While he did supposedly have his vows memorized, he wanted to be sure he didn't forget anything. Steve barely heard a word the officiant said, the inside of his head echoing with endless repetitions of "I love you" as he stared into Bucky's ice blue eyes. He did recognize when he stopped reading and instructed them to read their vows. He unfolded the piece of paper and began.
"We fell in love in Paris…" he paused just long enough for the first chortles and sounds of disbelief to reach his ears, "…sounds like the opening of a cheesy romance novel, doesn't it? I may not have realized it until Paris, but I fell in love with you long before then. I fell in love with you every time you stood up for me on the playground, every time you whispered a lewd joke so only I could hear, and every time you proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that five fingers are just as good as ten." The smile that danced across Bucky's face at that last line lit up his entire face—and Steve's entire world.
"I don't know what the future holds for us, but whatever happens, I will be there, in whatever sense I can. I'll be at as many soccer games as possible, still howling like a true Commando, and I'll be a part of whatever shenanigans you and Josiah drag me into. I promise to listen, even when I have no clue what you're talking about, and to not push you away when things get rough. I've tried before and it's never gone well, because me without you is like a goal without a keeper. I can't promise you forever, but every moment I can I will share with you, Bucky Barnes. No matter how many curves or peaks or pits we may encounter, I'm with you 'til the end of the line."
~0~
Steve's vows had him nearly in tears, along with everyone listening. Bucky sniffled once and composed himself before grabbing his own notes.
"Steve Rogers…where do I begin?" Bucky shook his head. When it came to finding the right words, Steve always had him beat. That's why he made Steve go first, so as not to overshadow him after the fact. "For as long as I've known you, I've been amazed by your resilience, your humility, your compassion, your magnanimity—you have no idea how much practice it took to pronounce that last one, by the way. Nowadays, I'm enamored by it…by you. You've always given me all that is good in you, and as we enter this new phase of our lives, I promise to share with you all that is good in me, whether that means fighting every fidgety bone in my body to sit still for you to draw me, or just filling up your pill case so you don't have to worry about it.
"If there's one thing that's defined our lives to this point, it's uncertainty. But there's one thing I do know for sure: Whatever comes, we'll face it together. You stole my line, but I'm still going to say it because I mean it with my whole soul: I'm with you 'til the end of the line."
Steve's radiant smile sent Bucky's heart hammering in his chest. They pulled each other's rings out of their pockets and took turns gently sliding them onto each other's fingers. Bucky swore he could feel the words of the inscription burn themselves into him where it sat. After that, he silently willed the officiant to hurry the fuck up so he could kiss that gorgeous grin off Steve's face. When the words finally arrived, they nearly cracked foreheads in their eagerness to press closer. The cheers of the crowd compounded with the mental fireworks exploding in Bucky's head until he thought his eardrums might burst from sheer joy.
They finally pulled apart an eternity later, and Steve's expression said, "Oh my God, this is real now."
"I love you," Bucky told him. He planted a kiss right over the ring.
Steve mirrored the gesture. "Love you too."
Bucky could hear that a million times and never tire of it. He wanted this moment to last the rest of their lives. At the same time, he was ready to celebrate. Natasha popped the cork on the first bottle of champagne and they were off to the races.
He'd never witnessed so much joy contained within a space. Every person he met eyes with offered him the most genuine grin. Bucky felt more revered here than he had atop the Paralympic podium or on stage at the Espys. Except this was even better because Steve was right there with him. If he didn't need his hand to eat and drink and hug people, he would've kept it entwined with Steve's the entire evening. Instead, he settled for standing close enough that their shoulders occasionally bumped.
As everyone sat down at their assigned tables around the field, Josiah tapped a spoon against his glass to draw everyone's attention. Bucky braced himself for what was sure to be a mortifying toast. Josiah hadn't told him what embarrassing story he planned to tell, but knowing him, Bucky figured he'd reach straight for the bottom of the barrel.
"The US amputee soccer team lost the World Cup three years ago," he began. "We probably would've won, but our goalie abandoned us last minute. You heard me correctly; this man right here left his team on the eve of the biggest competition in the world. But do you know why he did it? For Steve. When Steve needs him, there is no force on this planet that could stop Bucky Barnes from being there. That right there is as profound a love as you will ever witness. Take notes, take pictures, take a leaf out of their book, because I can think of nobody more dedicated to each other's health and happiness than these two right here. Bucky, you deserve all the happiness that Steve will bring you. Congratulations."
Bucky could barely raise his glass because his hand trembled with emotion. He couldn't help it; he stood up and gave Josiah a hug. "You're the best, man," Josiah told him.
"And you're the best best man, man," Bucky countered.
As the cheers for Josiah's toast died down, Tony stood up to take his turn. Bucky released Josiah and sat back down, grabbing Steve's hand.
"How do you congratulate the person who saved your life on the happiest day of theirs?" Tony began. "Seriously, I'm asking, because I frankly have no idea how to do this." That line earned plenty of chuckles from the crowd. Tony continued, "For a long time, I never would've dreamed of having a friend who valued me enough to ask him to be part of his wedding. To not only have that friend, but have them be Steve Rogers…it's just about the highest honor imaginable. Steve, you are a legend in every sense of the word. Your kindness, your ferocity, your genuineness, far exceed those of anyone else I've ever known, but they all pale in comparison to your utter devotion to this man right here." He gestured towards Bucky. "I wish you the best for all the future has to offer. To the grooms!"
"To the grooms!" the congregation echoed, raising their glasses in unison. Bucky glanced over at Steve and noticed he was nearly in tears from Tony's toast. He gave his hand a squeeze and kissed a stray teardrop that rolled down his cheek. Josiah's stomach grumbled so loudly Bucky heard it from two seats over. Fortunately, the conclusion of the toasts meant it was time for food. Their table sat the two of them plus Tony, Natasha, Josiah, Jim, Timmy, and Gabe. Nearest them sat the rest of the Avengers and their dates plus Steve Danvers, Monica, and Maria. They sat the Bartons and the Langs together with Dr. Lee, and their parents with the other adults that they'd requested be invited. Bucky had banished the rest of the soccer team to two tables on the periphery. He could still hear them, though, and no doubt so could everyone else. Josiah occasionally wandered over to chat with them, and people constantly came up to Bucky and Steve to offer further congratulations.
For cake, they'd eventually settled on vanilla. Simple enough to hopefully please everybody. Natasha found the company that made their custom topper: two grooms, one blonde and one brunette lacking a left arm. Steve downed an extra mini dose of enzymes before they stood up to cut it. They also both thoroughly washed their hands. In addition to the actual photographer, most of their friends had phone cameras trained on them as they stood poised to shove cake at each other. Steve, the cheeky bastard, grabbed Bucky's wrist with one hand and caked him with the other.
"No fair!" Bucky spluttered, face now covered in frosting.
"All's fair in love and war," Steve replied with a shrug.
"And which one's this?" Bucky barely even tried to aim for his mouth, mostly just splattering icing on his cheek. Steve licked some of it off, but his tongue could barely reach. Within seconds, both of them collapsed into joyful laughter. Parker handed them both napkins and wet wipes. Someone else took over distributing dessert, and they returned to their tables. Bucky had never tasted something so wonderful. It tasted like how he felt whenever he looked at Steve.
~0~
Steve knew it was coming, but his stomach still twisted in knots when it came time for his and Bucky's first dance. They'd practiced almost every single day since Natasha's lessons, and his sense of rhythm had become less totally aimless. But not much less. "Come on," Bucky urged him. "It's gonna be fine."
Steve placed his hand in Bucky's and felt his ears turn red as the eyes of everyone fell on them. He rested his other hand on Bucky's shoulder and tuned them out. Nobody else existed but for the two of them. The first guitar chords of their song steadied his rapidly beating heart.
Hold your breath, don't look down, keep trying
Darling, it's okay to be scared, it's frightening
The "Don't look down" line reminded him of Natasha's constant correction of his posture, so he straightened up without diverting his gaze from Bucky's eyes.
At times it just feels like the world is trying hard to knock us down
But there's a reason that we're still here when no one else is around
Both of them had endured the world's relentless attempts to knock them down. At times, there'd been no guarantee that they'd even live to see this day. But cancer spared Bucky's life, and CF spared Steve's, for now, and this right here just had to be the reason for that.
How we've grown
Every single day I'm proud
I swear, I won't
Let anything stop us now
Grown was an understatement. They'd gone from best friends to married, and it only took them about two decades. Proud was also an understatement. When Steve thought about the two of them, or when he saw Bucky smile, an indescribable warmth that far transcended pride spread through his entire body.
I'm not a soldier
But I'll fight through our darkest of days
Get on my shoulders
And I'll carry you all of the way
The chorus that had first sold Steve on the song began, "I'm not a soldier" reminding him of his childhood dream of joining the army. Steve never joined the army, but he joined something far more important. He joined the Avengers. He joined Bucky. They'd suffered through countless dark days, and now they'd face whatever else came their way with this renewed strength reinforcing their already unbreakable bond. The second time they listened to the song, Bucky had jokingly pointed out, "I only have one shoulder, though." Steve's response had been a simple, "But I know you'd still carry me."
'Cause there's no life worth living in
If you're not with me in it
I'm not a soldier
But you make me wanna be brave
Yeah, you do
Steve had put on a brave face for so many people throughout his tumultuous life. His parents, when he was young and sick and wanted to do anything he could to alleviate their guilt. Nurses and doctors whose jobs he'd tried to make easier. Friends who'd worried more for him than Steve worried about himself. And, of course, Bucky. But with him, it wasn't just a façade. Bucky didn't just make him want to be brave, he could wash away everything else until nothing remained but courage. And love. Nothing could ever wash away love.
Through the next verse and chorus, they abandoned the traditional postured ballroom frame. They pressed themselves even closer together and Bucky rested his head on Steve's shoulder. Their footwork turned into a simple side-to-side sway.
Only we know where we're going
Every day we're gonna keep on growing
Learning from the tears and the mistakes
We're not perfect but we've come such a long way
As long as I got you by my side
I know what I wanna do in this life
One day when our kids fall in love
We can tell them that the odds were against us
So many tears and so many mistakes, but without them they never would have ended up here. With Bucky, Steve never had to wonder what tomorrow would bring. Whatever life chose to throw at them, they'd have each other. And that was enough.
~0~
Bucky never wanted to let go. Even with his head on Steve's shoulder, he could still hear happy sniffles from some of the people watching—probably their mothers. He recognized the beginning of the last chorus, and he held on tighter, his phantom arm practically burning to hold Steve against him. Luckily, his husband sensed what he wanted and increased the strength behind the arm clasped around his back.
Their song ended, and Bucky barely had a second to breathe before Jim shouted across the dance floor, "Let's pick things up!" Gabe and Josiah all but shoved them off the floor into two waiting chairs that definitely hadn't been set up like that a few seconds ago.
"What's going on?" Steve questioned.
Gabe reached out and adjusted Steve's tie, giving it a gentle pat. "You'll see," he said with a smirk. Bucky turned and tried to make eye contact with his mother to ask if she knew, but she and his dad were joining the throngs lining up on the dance floor.
"Did you plan this?" Steve asked Bucky.
"Definitely not. Did you?"
"I have no idea what's going on. Did we get wedding crashed by our own invitees?"
"Maybe." But as Bucky watched about half of the wedding party assemble in formation and Timmy signaled an obviously complicit DJ, he began to doubt that this could be considered crashing. "More likely, I think they planned this without our knowing."
"Would they really go that far?"
Natasha winked at them. "Yes." She and Tony were partnered up and standing closest to them, between Bruce and Betty and Parker and MJ.
"Hit it!" Jim called.
The distinct drums of the intro to Benny Goodman's "Sing Sing Sing" blasted from the speakers. When the trombones sounded, all eight pairs of people on the dance floor broke into a perfectly synchronized swing routine, feet tapping and hips twisting. Steve instantly started laughing beside him. Bucky was too mesmerized by their coordination to so much as breathe. Both his and Steve's parents were out there, killing it as hard as any of the younger couples. They were accompanied by Tony and Nat, Bruce and Betty, Parker and MJ, Maria and Monica, Parker's parents, and of course Timmy and Jim leading the pack. They'd pulled a stunt like this at prom, but that had been just the two of them. This was a full-blown flash mob.
"I am so glad we have friends who like jazz!" Steve told him, just loud enough to be heard over the music.
Bucky couldn't help but smile when he saw the look of pure enjoyment on Steve's face. "Me too!"
The music turned to just percussion again, and they performed a complicated formation change that completely shuffled up the partners in time for the next brass section. Both of their mothers ended up with one of the Weavers, their dads with Timmy and Jim. "When did they rehearse this?" Bucky asked.
"No idea."
Bucky's soccer teammates started cheering and clapping along from their tables. For the grand finale, they switched back to their original partners and Timmy literally flipped Jim over his shoulder, just in time for Jim to prepare and let Timmy leapfrog him. By the time the final note of the song sounded and the flash mob froze in place, the entire congregation was on its feet cheering.
Timmy and Jim led the group in taking a bow. Steve and Bucky exchanged a single glance and dashed forward to tackle them into a massive hug. "That was amazing," Bucky said. "When did you put this together?"
"You know you how asked us to be groomsmen?" Jim said breathlessly.
"Yes."
"We considered this a part of our responsibilities."
"And the rest of you?" Steve asked. "How'd you let these two drag you into this?"
"Steve, you sent me the entire invite list so I could proofread all the addresses," Sarah said. "Timmy and Jim had me send out an interest form."
"And some of us were interested," Tony concluded.
"I can see that," Bucky remarked. "I didn't know you could move like that."
"Neither did I."
"Please tell me we have that on video," Jim said.
The photographer shot him a thumbs up. Jim pumped his fist in victory. "That was our best run-through yet."
"How many times did you rehearse this?" Steve asked.
"I lost count," Timmy admitted.
"More than you practiced for yours," Natasha said.
"I can tell."
"Well, what are we waiting for, put it back on shuffle!" Jim shouted to the DJ. Steve and Bucky gladly watched people scatter back onto the dance floor. God, he loved their friends. Not everybody could say they were surprised with a coordinated flash mob at their own wedding. This day had already cemented itself in his memory as one of the best of his entire life for countless other reasons, and this merely contributed yet another.
He turned to Steve and extended his hand. "Shall we?"
"I only practiced for the one dance," Steve said sheepishly. Bucky dragged him out there anyway.
"Soldier" by James TW. I first heard this song on the Instagram story of a cancer mom I follow, she played it whenever she posted about her daughter's battle with leukemia. Some of you may have heard me mention this particular little girl before, she had avascular necrosis like Natasha, but her ankles are healed and she's now doing dance and gymnastics! I just think the song lyrics really exemplify Steve and Bucky both as individuals and as a couple, hence why I chose it as their song. Also, Benny Goodman's Sing Sing Sing is a bop and no I don't take criticism.
