Disruption. | Bucky Barnes

Epilogue.

Deep breaths, inhale, exhale. Repeat.
Nat looks at me while fixing my veil and smiles softly, "you look beautiful."
I have to force back my emotions, knowing if I cry I'll ruin all the hard work put into making my face up. My hair falling in soft curls down my back, dress as perfect as I could ever find, finally I feel like how Bucky has always looked at me, beautiful.
Pepper steps in the room, fixing the back of Morgan's bridesmaid dress as she does the best to brush off her mum's help.
"I got it!" She grumbles and her eyes land on me at the same time as her mothers. "Wow!" She beams, "you look like a princess."
A mighty grin pulls at my lips, "that's the best compliment ever!" I tap her nose with my finger and Pepper wipes a tear from her eye, "you really look—incredible." Her warmth so welcomed as she embraces me in her arms.
Truly I couldn't of done this without my step-mother, the way she handles everything in her life with perfect precision meant her wedding planning abilities would top anyone I could hire.
"Champagne!!!" A sweet voice echoes behind me and I turn to see Frankie juggling a tray of champagne flutes, Wanda carefully keeping watch behind her with the largest bottle of bubbly I have ever seen.
Both of them stop as I fully turn around, Frankies eyes gloss over and she gives me the most gentle hug, Wanda copying straight after.
"Don't ruin anything!" Pepper protectively says beside me with a small laugh.
"Here's to you, girl!" Nat says as she's given the huge bottle, popping the cork and pouring the golden liquid into a flute for each of us.
"What about me?" Morgan frowns and Wanda smiles, "here" red sparks flicker from her fingers as a flute fills up in her hand, she passes it to Morgan and waits for the verdict.
"Yum! Apple juice!"
Laughter fills the room as everyone clinks their glasses before making final adjustments, my three bridesmaids perfecting their makeup and making sure their steel blue dresses are without a mark or mistake.
Pepper tries and fails to fix Morgan's much smaller, and much different dress, but my hard headed little sister is having none of it.
My eyes land on the clock and my body tenses, only two minutes to go until I walk down the aisle.
Nat notices my stiffness and softly rubs my arm, "if you want to back out, this is your last chance." Her smile is bright and beaming and my stomach settles almost immediately, a wink from Wanda maybe having something to do with it.
A knock on the door sounds, followed by "everyone dressed?"
In the finest suit I've ever seen, my father walks into the room, his gaze on his wife before all his attention turns to me, never in my life have I ever seen him speechless, but I realise there's a first for everything, as he smiles so proudly while tears fall from his eyes. Taking a small step he takes my hands in his after allowing me to wipe the water from his cheeks, "I have never been more proud of you."
As if he knows he'll set me off, he quickly stands at my side, moving his arm for me took hook my hand onto it.
"Ready?" He says quietly, "so ready." I reply, never meaning it more.
Each of the girls, Morgan and my step mother, give me a bright smile as they step out before me into the church, I can hear the sound of violins playing as they each begin their decent down the aisle. Jealous of each of them seeing Bucky for the first time until it's my turn, a squeeze on my dads arm and we walk out the small bridal room, along a short corridor and to the bottom of the aisle.

I inhale deep and look up at the end of the church, my bridesmaids just getting to the top, Bucky's head is turned away from me, and as the violins pick up a stronger tune, he and Steve turn around with the crowd to look back to me.
His eyes go over me slowly, taking in every detail of me, and it's like it's only him and I in here, my first step onto the pure white carpet and I see it, the glint in his eyes, the way his face changes, I take a quick look to his left and see Steve looking fairly similar to his best friend. They're both crying.
My dad squeezes my hand in his arm and I look beside me, tears in his own eyes, "let's go."
His encouraging words seem to seep into my skin as we begin up the aisle.
One step after the other.
No chance my eyes will go anywhere but Bucky, the connection I feel as they remain permanently on each other, intense, love so strong between us, I can feel it taking control of my body, feeling warm, glowing, like I'm on fire.
He wipes tears from his eyes as he pinches the bridge of his nose to stop them from falling, finally turning to Steve and laughing at each other, it brings the biggest smile to my face to see the interaction, and I finally allow myself to look at the faces in the crowd.
Ones I recognise, like Shuri, who I've been so excited to meet. Ones I don't know, and ones that as I see, bring me an immense amount of comfort and ease.
Sam, Bruce, Rhodey, Pietro, who I'm so grateful Bucky allowed to come, after a long conversation between the pair, where they eventually bonded over brainwashing of all things, if anyone understood Pietro, it would be Bucky. Their almost friendship they have formed in the last six months feels like we've took so many million steps forward.
Peter who sits on one side of Pepper, with his Aunt May and a young woman who I know to be MJ, he gives me the cheekiest thumbs up as he catches my eye and I brightly smile at him in return.
The last person my eyes catch before we reach the top, Irina. She looks different, well, healthy, grinning at me with love in her eyes, like a mother should look at a daughter. Only she isn't mine, and yet the admiration plastered on her face makes it feel like I am. Her and Frankie thankfully being brought back to me, my father the most grateful for all they both did, who knew a mother and daughter duo could be my fairy godmother's in a way.
Bucky and Sam spent their first few weeks here in New York keeping a careful eye on them, suspicion at an all time high, their defensiveness of me never being so strong; but realising that Irina and Frankie were as loving and protective of me as anyone else in my life.
I look back at Bucky, who's smiling through tears rolling down his cheeks, as I reach him he mouths to me.
"Wow."
Chuckling, I turn to my dad and he beams back at me, placing a hand either side of my face and kissing the top of my head.
"You got this."
He turns and sits down beside his wife, who's face is more tear stained than anyone else's.
Taking a quick once over of the crowd, my heart feels full.
As the priest stands up straight and clears his throat, I look at Bucky, my love for him indescribable, like nothing I've ever even felt before, so madly and crazily in love with him.

***

"You feeling okay, doll?" Bucky sits down beside me, his thumb gently strokes my cheek and he leans in to place a kiss on my lips when I look at him.
"Perfect." I smile, turning back to the crowd of people dancing in front of me, there's a smile on the face of everyone here, even Morgan, who has fell asleep on the large white sofa beside me, her head resting in my lap as I stroke her long, dark hair.
"There's something not perfect though," Bucky says with a frown, as if he can see into my mind, he knows me too well.
"Buck-" I begin but he strokes over my lips with his thumb, knuckles grazing my cheek.
"The part of her you knew and loved is here." He sighs, "and the rest— can't hurt you anymore."
Breathing heavily, he lifts his arm around my shoulders and I lean against him, looking up to kiss him softly.
"I love you." He smiles and I return it, "I love you."
Turning back to the crowd we watch our guests, and when he isn't looking, I sneak another look at my husband, feeling sunshine in my veins, as I know that this old man is finally mine.
Butterflies gurgle in my stomach as I watch him smile at Sam's awful dancing.
I kiss his cheek and he turns and presses his forehead to mine, taking a deep breath I whisper softly to him and let a huge toothy grin appear on his face.
"I'm pregnant."