And so, the apartment became full of conversation, laughter, snippets of funny memories, with a good meal, before the quartet ventured out into the city, finding intact places where shops and such are still going, to give strength, hope, and such to the people of the city, having a day of learning to be a bigger family with Steve in mind.
While Peggy was taking up a bit of grocery shopping with Amanda, Harrison helped Steve to a good jewelry shop where he found a humble yet beautiful anniversary wedding ring, and then by that night, Harrison and Amanda went to a quiet and intact inn, keeping safe as much as they could be, barely on the rim near the base, for Peggy's sake, and then to their surprise, Colonel Phillips gave them news about the Rangers, and that a squadron of Rangers might be at the usual pub near the base, though he was half sure if Bucky Barnes is with this particular squadron, for they are barely starting shore leave themselves, having done a mission.
Peggy glanced at Steve, "You're nervous, luv...", as they strolled to their new favorite pub since she introduced him to the place last night, and Steve exhaled, "You heard Phillips. He might not be here, yet if he is...Would he actually recognize me, with all of this? And then to damn my luck, I'm stuck tomorrow with Phillips, to learn the details about my mission more or less and leaving the morning after tomorrow...".
"Oh, Steve, you said you two are practically brothers, and you two had been through thick and thin all your lives. He will recognize you, and yes, I'm sad that you'd not have more time to get to know my parents tomorrow once more, but know this, I can get Bucky to spill stuff about you...After all, I never got to know any embarrassing kid stories about you, and this is my chance.", with a mischievous smirk.
"They're gonna be sadder than embarrassing...", Steve told her. "Like I've told you before, growing up was hell with my body being a wreck...".
"Maybe... still, I'm sure there's one or two of those stories that would fit the bill.", Peggy kissed his cheek. Steve chuckled, "You know, I think you're right...After all, there was quite a few good days here and there...Despite being sick in bed often, Bucky always found a way to cheer me up like games and such...".
"See? I bet there was an embarrassing kid story when you tried to play marbles too hard or sneaked something during card games...", Peggy smiled, and Steve blushed, knowing that Bucky would definitely say something about that.
They soon got to the pub's entrance, and Peggy squeezed his hand, "Even if he might not be there, we can always play darts and dance a bit, but definitely no drinking this time...I am not going to repeat this morning again if I can help it.", with a blush.
"Wouldn't look good to Phillips if we did show up hungover.", Steve chuckled as he glanced around. Obviously, the pub had a few GIs as well as some British troops mingling with a few colonial men, they obviously recognized them as Canadian troops.
"Any sign?", Peggy asked. Steve looked around before hearing a familiar laugh, and his breath caught as he knew that laugh, for it was his male best friend and brother, and replied, "This way...", as he walked on, leading Peggy, and in a corner of the pub, there was a poker game with a British troop, a GI, a Canadian troop, and an American troop.
There was some scruff, and a bit of a war worn appearance, but it was definitely James Buchmann Barnes, and he's dressed in the civvies appearance of a Ranger, laughing as he played a few cards, "Alright, gentlemen, I bet five candy bars if you can land a couple of kings or even an ace.".
"Oh, come on, how about a whiskey bottle?", replied one of his poker rivals, and Bucky snorted, "Is that a bet?".
The rival smirked, "If you can land a full house in a couple of turns, my friend.", and Bucky laughed, "Oh, now you're making it interesting!", swiping a card from the pile, smirking as he glanced at his cards, not definitely a full house in Steve's view, yet Bucky's keeping a poker face.
Steve chuckled as he watched to see if Bucky might back down from his bluff or face a brutal defeat. Unless, of course, the cards suddenly turned to his favor. A few seconds of waiting and a player bailing out, left Bucky down to his rival. Steve could see the next card that Bucky had was just one card away from pulling a full house.
Bucky grinned lightly, "How about a bit of a raise, my friend?", and the rival raised an eyebrow, "Go on.", and Bucky replied, "Well, I hear that your group got lucky with a load of coffee grounds off the Nazis. How about a pound for my team?".
The rival whistled, "I see. And what will you offer me if I win this round?", and Bucky smirked, "I might not afford a whiskey bottle, but I can do a round of shots on the house, on my tab, for your comrades and yourself, and of course, the five candy bars, through you might have to split halfsies on those candy bars. So, is that a deal?".
"You clearly want to lose. You're on.", the rival chuckled as Steve could tell that Bucky was now worried that he might have jumped in too far if the next card didn't go his way. The next card was flipped; and Bucky somehow pulled it off as it was exactly the one he needed.
The rival then smirked, laying down his cards, "Two kings, one joker, and an ace.", and Bucky whistled, "Not bad, but will this do?", and laid down his cards, "A prime full house. Don't feel so bad, my friend, you're smart, but not smart enough to know when you're down.", smiling brightly.
The rival groaned dramatically, "You damn drive a hard bargain and a risk taker. But good game. I'll get that whiskey bottle and the pound of coffee grounds to ya tomorrow, unless you want another round?".
Bucky smiled, "I might be a risk taker, but I ain't going another round if I can help it. Besides, the guys will never let me live it down if I brag about it.".
Steve smiled brightly as he remembered a day where Bucky bragged, and Steve's mom had lectured him out after a good talking-to by Bucky's mom, and he gave a hearty laugh, "Bucky's right. He pouts if he gets caught bragging, and believe me, my brother is scared of his mom if he risks too far.", seeing Bucky freeze in shock, hearing that familiar laugh and voice behind him.
"No way...", Bucky muttered as he stood up and turned around, expecting to see Steve and look down at him... only to turn and having to look up a bit to see Steve. "What the fuck?", Bucky whispered as the man was completely stunned while Steve chuckled.
"A bit of a long story there, before you ask... but nice to see that you're still alive, Bucky.", Steve smiled. Bucky looked at him for a long moment before realizing that the blue eyes and that blonde hair is the same, and he laughs, "Stevie-o!", slapping his shoulder heartily, "How the hell are you doing?".
Steve smiled brightly, "Pretty good. Been almost a year since I last saw ya back home. If ya ain't busy, wanna catch up? I have someone to introduce.", as he knew that Peggy is a bit farther back behind them, waiting to be introduced.
Bucky grinned, "I sure am curious to hear what you did.", before glancing back at his rival, "I'll get the stuff tomorrow. I am busy now to catch up on shit with my brother.", with a nod before leaving and following Steve, "You ain't a runt anymore...Ya signed up, huh?".
"Let's say that it took a lot of time, training, and some steroids. I ain't saying much as I can't reveal this to a Ranger inside a pub, even if you're my best friend and brother, Bucky.", Steve shrugged sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand, the glint of his ring.
Bucky raised an eyebrow, "You're engaged, huh? Say, can this person be that Eva you were mooning over? Can't blame you for being old-fashioned.", with a smirk, thinking that Steve was shy and taking things slow as he was that type of guy, even after being boosted up of stuff that made his own best friend, well, an impressive man of stature and strength.
"Wrong on both counts, well, half right with the second one there.", Steve told him as Bucky gave him a look as he chuckled before walking over to Peggy. "Bucky, I want you to meet Peggy... my wife.", he told him. Bucky's jaw nearly hit the floor, hearing that.
Peggy giggled as she smiled, "I think you're going to break him many times tonight, Steve.", as Steve kissed her on the cheek lovingly and tenderly, and he chuckled, "He's going to think that it's all a dream until he wakes up in the morning and sees me.".
"Ah, giving him the couch, since we can invite him to the apartment and talk all night.", Peggy nodded before looking at Bucky, "Forgive my husband. He has become a bit of a prankster, rubbing off on me, and of course, his confidence boost doesn't hurt either. And I apologize for not being truthful back there on that day. I was Eva, yes, but that was my disguise for I was a recruiter for one of the departments from the army. Of course, I never expected that I'd find love with the sweet, cute guy who is determined to make a change somehow, either sketching an enemy and a map for the army or fighting every day to prove himself, and I saw him grow up into the incredible, brave guy who's standing in front of you, and I love him for who he is, past and present and future.", as she looked at Steve proudly and warmly, intertwining their hands with their rings glinting.
"I'm sorry, I'm... a mess right now...", Bucky said. "Yeah; I get that this might be more complicated than when her parents found out about us. At least they never knew me before and aside from the marriage, that was the only real radical thing involving her life.", Steve chuckled.
Peggy chuckled, "That's for sure.", and Bucky exhaled, "You got beer or something at your apartment? I think I'd like to be invited, and besides, this pub is rather busy at times.".
Steve nodded, "Naturally. Come on.", as he slapped his best friend's back gently yet heartily, watching his strength, and Bucky was shocked to feel that confident and strong gesture, as when Steve attempted to do that while he was sickly and puny, it was rather lackluster in a way, though he really tried.
Bucky followed the couple out of the pub, and he can see the love between the couple that it was crystal as clear that Steve is entirely smitten with his wife, and a beautiful woman to boot!
Much wasn't said until they got back to the apartment when they closed the door and Bucky finally spoke again, "Seriously, what sort of steroids did they give you, man? This ain't normal...".
"Well, Bucky, the type of steroids that if I told you, I'd have to kill you.", Steve chuckled as Bucky rolled his eyes, "Jeez, has to be all top secret then... well, I can't blame ya for that, still sucks not knowing...".
Steve smiled softly, "I can still tell you our story, right, Peggy?", with a gentle squeeze of her shoulder, and Peggy giggled, "Oh, yes, and I'll butt in with my account of things too, luv. Bet you he will laugh when we recount of memorable days at basic training, like Hodge.".
"Oh, totally.", Steve laughed, and so, the couple told their story to Bucky, subtracting some things here and there including Atlantis, of course, while they made dinner and had some beer/tea, with Bucky listening in awe, joy, and curiosity.
Bucky then saw Steve being some of his old self, like blushing, as Bucky recounted some embarrassing and hilarious kid days, with Peggy laughing and giggling as she listened.
"And this punk had this innocent pout, claiming that the jerk had ruined his math book when he poured those frogs into everyone's bags, and everybody was agreeing, as the frogs were sliming their books too. The jerk tried to protest, claiming that he didn't do it, but considering that he was the class clown, he got into the corner, wearing the cone hat, all because he called Steve's sketch of a frog family ugly! You might get away with most of everything, but oh, you can't get this punk upset if his sketches got name-called, or even worse, somebody calling out his mama.", Bucky recounted with a grin.
Peggy laughed as Steve rolled his eyes, "Well, in my defense, he was going too far with things there. Took us a few weeks to get things cleaned up with bags and such...".
Peggy smiled, "But it was worth it, eh? Being rebellious for once, hmm?", looking at Steve and he sheepishly chuckled, "I suppose it was worth it...Bucky even asked me for a sketch of a frog with the bully's face.".
"And I kept it in a shoebox along with other stuff we did as souvenirs in my room!", Bucky laughed, and Peggy giggled, "Oh, wow, you were lucky, Steve. Sure, you had bad days, but those good days...I wish I was there. Don't get me wrong, boarding school was nice and all, but it wasn't chaotically wonderful like your school days...".
Bucky smirked, "You two would have been really cute as swell! And I think I might be teasing you two with that song. Steve and Peggy sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, and then comes marriage, and a baby stroller!", and the couple blushed so red, smiling as they can strangely imagine that, if Peggy had moved with her family in case if Harrison had decided to flee to better pastures after the first war 20 years ago.
Peggy smiled, "We could have had so many adventures like I wanted...", and Steve smiled wryly, "Good point...But either way, I'm glad I met you that night, and I never regretted it since, for I got someone to be my family, no offense, Bucky. You will always be my brother in all but blood, but it's a bit different, you know?".
"Oh, I know, how do you think I've felt about missing everything?", Bucky asked. "Like being your best man, for starters.".
"Well, from the way I heard it, you saw quite a bit of your own action yourself. How bad was Dieppe?", Steve asked. Bucky replied, "Honestly, not too bad from where me and the other Rangers were. We and those British commandos battalion got our job done quick and fairly painlessly; the Canadians assaulting the town itself is where everything went to hell.".
Peggy frowned, "It must have been horrible...We heard that it was 2,000 lives lost or more...", and Bucky sighed deeply, "It's not determined fully as of now since the war isn't done yet, but it seems that at least 3,000 and some change has been killed, wounded, or captured...".
Steve exhaled deeply, "Shit...So many families ruined...and for what? For a damn war because of some Germans' grudge on Jews, and control of everything like tyrants?", and Peggy went to rub his arm, stroking it softly, and Steve gave her a small smile.
Bucky said, "Never thought I'd hear you curse. First time for everything, I suppose.", and Steve gave a bittersweet chuckle, "You might be surprised more often...I wish I wouldn't kill anybody when I go out, but...I could have to, in self-defense and all...".
"And that makes you a good man, Steve. You will pray for those men, good or bad, and that is something even other people think they don't deserve, and that's an honorable thing.", Peggy kissed him on the cheek, and Bucky replied, "She's right. Even if you were puny, you never meant bad intentions for those bullies in those alleys, and you always find a point to back that up as they were kids. But now, those Nazis, they ain't kids, and they wouldn't go easy on you, Stevie-o. And if my team happens to come upon you and all, I'll back you up, eh?", with a smile.
"I certainly hope so, I have no idea where they're going to send me. Odds are that I might be inserted into occupied Europe to help cause havoc with the resistance groups; do whatever it takes to give Berlin a headache when it comes to occupation.", Steve said.
"And hopefully, we'll get a chance to come along too on any of those missions; my team's already being talked about the spearpoint for Ranger raids like the Commandos.", Bucky responded with a nod.
Peggy widened her eyes, "That sounds big.", and Bucky nodded, "Yep. Think of it as a secret-ops team.", with a hum. "Makes sense.", Peggy nodded in understanding, and Steve glanced at the clock, "Wow, we talked for three hours straight.".