Maria hurried into her dressing room and threw her dress on a nearby desk. "This is insane." Steve spoke as he followed her in.
Maria turned around and smiled at him. "I want to do it."
Steve shook his head as he sighed. "How many people did you call?"
She shrugged before taking all of the things out of her bag. "Everyone who could get here in two hours."
The door burst open and Peggy ran in, not even noticing Steve, just her friend. They grabbed each other's hands and Peggy looked right into her eyes. "You sure you want to do this?"
Maria nodded happily while letting out a happy sigh. "I've never wanted anything more in my entire life."
Peggy pulled her into a hug and when they let go, Maria finished pulling out her hair and make up products. Peggy turned to Steve and waved him out the door. "We have a lot to do in two hours." When Peggy slammed the door in his face, he stood there for a moment and then moved to the room right next to Maria's.
Bucky was straightening out his tux and when he turned around, he smiled at Steve with a shrug. "What is going on?" Steve asked him as they both stood side by side, looking at his tux.
Bucky turned to him with a slight smile. "I can't tell you. It's a secret."
Steve rolled his eyes as Bucky clapped him on the back. "This is crazy." Steve finally laughed out as Bucky walked back to his suit, smiling like crazy. "You can't get a wedding together in two hours!"
"We're in love." Bucky told him with a shrug.
"In love or not, this idea is still insane even for the two of you."
Bucky walked up to him and put his hands on his shoulders. For the first time, Bucky had to reach up to touch his shoulders. "Sometimes, you have to do things because you love each other."
Steve watched him, beginning to get worried about why they had decided to have this wedding so quick. "Are you guys afraid something is going to happen?"
Bucky sighed and moved back to his suit, taking it off its hanger. "Maria's a little worried." He lied. "And she'd much rather us get married now when we can rather than after the war when we might not be able to."
Steve moved towards him, stopping Bucky from turning around to go put on his suit. "Nothing's going to happen, Buck." Bucky gave him a slight smile and Steve pulled him in for a hug. "I won't let that happen."
"I know." Bucky whispered as he pat his back.
"I love you." Steve told him as they pulled away.
"I love you too, bud." He told him as he pat his shoulder.
Steve shrugged with a smile growing. "I'm with you til the end of the line."
Bucky chuckled and hit his arm. "You're taking my lines now?"
"I needed something bad ass to say."
The guests found seats in the church. Bucky skipped out on having all the groomsmen and Maria on all the bridesmaids. All they needed was Steve and Peggy standing up there with them. Peggy had done Maria's make up as she did her own hair and in what seemed like very little time, they were ready for the wedding.
Maria was straightening out her dress nervously when someone knocked on the door. "Come in." Peggy called as she put the veil on her.
Steve opened the door and when he saw his sister, his mouth dropped. Her blonde hair was pulled back into an elegant loose bun and she had diamond jewelry all over. Her make up was neat and sparkly, but didn't miss out on the common red lips. She smiled at Steve once he saw her and picked her hands up as if to ask his opinion. "What do you think?"
He smiled slightly and moved towards her, taking her hands in his. He didn't think he was going to get emotional on her wedding day, but she just looked so perfect. It made his eyes water. He wasn't sure if he wanted to let her go even if he knew she was going to be with the best guy in the world. She was growing up. He didn't like it, but his baby sister was growing up. "You look absolutely gorgeous."
She smiled at him and he pulled her in for a hug. Maria also felt like this was a bittersweet moment. She was excited about finally getting married and being pregnant and having a family, but she was also sad that she was leaving all of the things about being a young adult. She was going to have to be a real adult now. She was going to have to be a grown up. Maria leaned in to hug him and Peggy walked past them. "I'll give you a moment."
When she shut the door, Maria sighed. "Steve, I'm kind of scared."
He rubbed her back, remembering moments like these from when she was a teenager, but he was never taller than her. "You don't have to be." He pulled away from her and held her arms, looking right into their matching eyes. "Because you're always going to have me."
She sighed and shut her eyes as he leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead sweetly. It was just the way her father would when she was younger. "I love you." She whispered to him.
He stroked her cheek the way their mother would and she leaned into his hand, knowing Steve got the best things from them both. "Mom and dad would have been really proud."
She opened her eyes and gave him one of the biggest smiles she had, feeling a tear began to fall out of her eye, but Steve caught it. "Ready to walk me down the aisle?"
He put his arm out and she looped hers through his. "I've never been more ready for anything in my life."
"Except joining the Army?" She joked as he opened the door for her.
He pulled her closer as they began their walk down the hall to get to the front of the church. "Shut up."
Maria took a deep breath as the church doors opened for her. All eyes went to her and everyone stood up. She looked at all of her guests, happy that so many of them could come. Howard smiled at her and she smiled right back. She was beautiful and he was happy for her, but he couldn't fight this feeling of sadness weighing him down. All of the soldiers were sitting up front, all taking off their hats for her as she walked by. She really didn't know, though. Her eyes were glued to the front. Peggy stood by Bucky, both of them watching her in wonderment.
When they reached Bucky, Steve slowly moved his arm from hers and kissed her forehead before standing on the other side of Bucky. Peggy and Steve were directly across from each other and the two slowly smiled, knowing that they couldn't be mad at each other anymore. Especially on this day.
The minister had them standing right in front of him, but their hands were still locked together. A table stood in front of the minister that had two wine glasses and a bottle. He smiled at the two who had such bright, young, excited eyes and began the ceremony. "The poet Kahlil Gibran once wrote: Love one another, but not make a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup, but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread, but not eat from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone. Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together, for the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow."
The minister turned to Bucky and smiled. "Bucky, when you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way from moment to moment. That is impossible. It is even a lie to pretend it is possible. And yet that is exactly what most of us demand. We insist on permanence, on duration, on continuity. The only continuity in life as in love is in growth, in fluidity, and in freedom, as dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in creating the same pattern."
Bucky nodded in agreement before the minister turned to Maria. She took a happy sigh and nodded excitedly, for him to tell her what he had to say. "Maria, the only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not even in hoping. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back nostalgically to what it was, not forward in dread or anticipation to what it might be. It is loving in the present relationship, accepting it as it is now. Relationships must be like islands, which one must accept for what they are here and now with their limits, islands surrounded and interrupted by the sea, continually visited and abandoned by the tide. One must accept the security of the ebb and flow of intimacy."
The minister reached out for the wine and began to pour it in both of the glasses. "The years of our lives are a cup of wine poured out for us to drink. The grapes when they are pressed give forth good juices for the wine. Under the winepress of time, our lives give forth labor and honor and love. Many days you will sit at the same table and eat and drink together. Drink now and may the cup of your lives be sweet and full to running over."
They both reached out and drank a sip of the wine then put it back down. "Now, Bucky and Maria, will you take vows here, before all of us, which symbolize the many unseated vows you have already made and will continue to make to each other throughout your relationship?"
They both nodded and he gestured to Maria. The two turned to each other and Maria took a nervous breath before beginning. "The words I say to you now are ones I have waited a lifetime to utter, words I say in love and in confidence. I see you as a strong, growing partner, the person with whom I wish to share my life. I offer you all the days before me, no matter what may come our way. I freely take you, James Buchanan Barnes, as my husband."
She slipped the ring on his finger and once she was done, Bucky looked to her, smiling at the way her eyes shinned. "I promise to stand by you, to be there when you need me, and to share the happiness and sadness of my life with you. If the secret of life is to enjoy the passage of time, then let us share our time together from this day forward. I come to this place today as a man standing alone; I will walk from it by your side. Today, I shall carry you across the threshold and enter into a new and lasting lifetime commitment. I commit myself to you, Maria Violet Rogers, as your husband."
Bucky put the ring on her finger and she gasped once it was perfectly on. He then leaned forward and removed the veil from her face and held her hands as the two waited for the final words in anticipation. "When you share a joy, it is doubled and when you share a sorrow, it is halved. You have both pledged your love to each other before these witnesses. Therefore, by the authority granted to me, I joyfully pronounce you husband and wife."
The two leaned forward and kissed as everyone erupted in applause, standing up from their seats to cheer for them. When Howard stood up, he clapped and he was happy for her even if he also felt like he was breaking inside.
Maria had planned on getting The Plaza for the reception with all the money she had made from the super soldier project, but with the short notice, they settled on another close by hotel ballroom. They both didn't care where it was, just as long as they could have fun along with their friends.
Like Maria promised, they both had their first dance to I'll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time. Maria and Steve had a brother/sister dance and now everyone was dancing. Maria smiled as she saw the girls dancing with their boyfriends and the Howling Commandos drinking and laughing too hard with Bucky and Steve. She had just got done dancing with Peggy and she was now sitting down, looking around at everyone else having fun.
A slow song began to come on and Howard approached her. "Can I steal you?" He asked as he took her hand, not even waiting for her to answer him. The two began dancing, but Maria looked everywhere but him. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" He asked her.
"I don't know." She spoke as she finally looked to him. "I'm dancing with my boss at my wedding. It's a little weird."
He shrugged. "I could fire you and take the edge off"
She smirked at him and rolled her eyes. "I don't think you'd be able to survive without me."
"I'd last." He spoke with a shrug.
"Maybe five minutes."
The two laughed and leaned into each other a little bit, sharing a moment when Maria caught herself, causing Howard to also look away. "You want to get some air?"
"Yes, please." They let go of each other that instant and moved to go sit down at her table. She shook her head as she turned to him. "That was weird."
"We were dancing." Howard spoke quickly, trying to act like it was no big deal, but they both knew what had happened out there. "It was just a dance."
"It was not just a dance." She complained. "You don't understand because you're you." He furrowed his brow at that. "And everybody knows exactly who you are and how you are with girls and all that, which is completely fine. But you're my boss and this is my wedding and we were dancing."
"I don't think it was taken like that." He told her as he shook his head, just trying to make her feel better.
"It makes me look like I'm trying to…"
"I think you're overreacting."
"And I'm wearing this huge dress." She went on as Howard continued to stare at her, knowing he had to make this seem like nothing for her. "And we were dancing-"
"Maria," He spoke, cutting her off, causing her to look at him finally. "It was just a dance."
She took a deep breath and began to think that maybe she really was overreacting. She began to smile and nodded which made Howard smile even more. "You're right."
He shrugged at her. "Of course I'm right."
"Sorry, Howard." Bucky spoke as he moved up to the two. "I need to steal her for the final dance." Howard smiled at him and nodded. He wished that Bucky was a bad guy. He wished he was someone he could hate, but he couldn't. Bucky was a really great guy and Maria really did deserve a great guy.
Maria turned to him and gave him a smile which he really enjoyed looking at. "See you at work." He nodded and Bucky took Maria's hand, guiding her to the dance floor. Howard continued to watch the two as they danced, knowing that he didn't deserve Maria. Even if his feelings were this strong, he didn't deserve her.
One of Maria's friends walked up to Howard nervously, sitting where Maria had sat before Bucky stole her. "Hi." She spoke nervously as Howard continued to stare at the two who were smiling happily and kissing each other. "I don't mean to bother you, but aren't you Howard Stark?"
Howard looked down at a glass of champagne and shrugged. "What the hell?" He picked up the glass, chugged it and turned to the girl with a winning smile. "I am. What's your name, sweetheart?"
Maria laid down on the bed as Bucky ran his hands down her body, stopping at her stomach. He slowly brought himself back down and began to place small kisses all over her stomach. He was so happy that they were finally married and that his baby was resting in her stomach. It all seemed like a dream that was way too good to be true. After years of being in love with her, it was finally clear to everyone.
Maria brought his face back to hers and began to nibble on his ear. She couldn't believe that the small crush she had on the boy who grew up across the street from her, led here. Led to a marriage. Led to a child. Led to her future. Led to pure happiness. No matter what happened, she would always love Bucky Barnes. It was like it was embedded in her. Part of her DNA. Something that would always be a part of her soul because he was her other half.
They were together. They were married. They had a baby on the way and the hopes of the future. The hope of raising their child right, becoming grandparents and growing old together. They had all this hope for a life together, but they didn't know it wouldn't work out. They didn't know that a life together as a married couple was just a dream they were clinging to that slipped through their fingers too fast.
Sorry for this late night update, I'm going to be super busy in the next few days with the job I just got and my other story Bree Stilinski is going to need to be up soon so I'm trying to crank out the rest of the chapters to this story. I hope you liked the wedding even if this chapter kind of had a dark ending. Anyways, I was thinking of starting a Melody Scribbles type thing that's full of one shots from the Melody Barnes series. Let me know if that's something you'd be interested in. Maybe I'll put a poll up. I don't know yet. I'm kind of rambling now so I'm just going to stop. Please review!