The Captain's Husband

44. Secret Garden (Bucky)

"What is...all...of this?" Steve asks with a smile and a gentle laugh as he walks through the gates of the garden toward me. "This is incredible, Buck."

I smile and walk to meet him halfway, slipping my arm around him and setting my hand on his hip. He hums cheerfully, baby blue eyes lighting up as he looks around the garden and then at me.

Still in wonder, he asks me, "What on earth did you have me sent on a chase only to come here for? I would've loved to have been here to begin with."

I lead him up to carefully placed steps under an awning of natural green.

As we near the end of the breathtaking tunnel, I spot a flicker of pink and red in the flowers up ahead.

Ana and Tasha.

They're on the move.

I hope their cameras are ready.

I smile at Steve as I bring us to a quiet stop at the end of the ivy-painted tunnel.

He smiles back, eyes sparkling and cheeks pink, and he says, "This is like something out of a dream, sweetheart. How did you find this place?"

I glance around quickly in search of my next destination in the garden.

Ah, there's the bench.

I glance at Steve, who didn't notice my frantic searching.

Thank goodness.

"Do you remember the first time you left the States after Ana was born?" I ask him, carefully towing him toward the little alcove I spotted.

He nods with a smile, saying, "You called me that night and begged me to come home. She was crying and even Natasha and Wanda couldn't calm her."

"Did I tell you what happened before I called you?" I ask as we sit on the bench and slide our hands together, his hands resting gently in mine.

I brush the pads of my thumbs across the back of his hands, praying that this careful touch doesn't hurt him. He's still healing, after all.

It breaks my heart that you're fragile again, but I'd much rather walk on eggshells than hurt you. I'd also like to ask you the most important question of my life, but I don't want to throw it at you without any context whatsoever.

Steve notices me being distracted - of all things.

Dammit.

His brow furrows and his eyes darken just the slightest.

"What is it?" Steve asks softly.

I shake my head and look at him, praying that I don't look terribly nervous as I say, "That day, well before I called you, I brought Ana here." Steve raises an eyebrow, but I smile at him, and he relaxes. "I was driving around looking for a park to take her too, to tell her about all of the colors there, and about the birds in the trees...and I wound up here. She had just started walking at that point, and even though she wanted to run ahead, she held onto my fingers, and pulled me with her. Before I knew it, our little girl brought me right here, to this very spot, and her eyes lit up. She looked up at me, with those big eyes of hers, and asked me if I had brought daddy here before. When I told her that I hadn't, she made me promise that I would bring you here and ask you to marry me."

He smiles, his cheeks a deep sunset-painted pink now, and says, "You never told me that story before." Then he smirks. "You did tell her we were already married, right?"

"Yes, of course," I smile, anxiety setting in at full force now. "But she wouldn't let one thing go, you know."

He raises an eyebrow in question, "What?"

I shakily stand up from the bench, and gently pull him with me. Then, as I expertly move down to one knee, his blue eyes go wide.

"Before I say anything more, I want to ask our family if they would come out of the beautiful garden around us, and join us?" I smile.

Steve's head snaps up as Natasha, Tony, Ana, Clint, Wanda, Vision, Pietro, Bruce, Dr. Strange, Peter, Lorna, Thor, Rhodey, Sam, Logan, T'Challa, Adam, Wade, and Brookie come out of the literal garden and surround us, each one of them impeccably dressed for the next item on the schedule.

But, I have to check this one off the box first.

I look up at Steve as he asks, "Buck, what in the blue hell did you do?"

I smile as I look at Ana and say, "You remembered it, right, baby bear?"

She grins and tosses a small silver box to me, saying, "Of course I did, papa bear!"

I open the box, carefully take out a gold and silver ring that I designed myself, and pitch the box at Tony.

Then I look at Steve and say, "You had the privilege of asking the first time, but now it is mine. Steven Grant Rogers-Barnes, will you marry me and renew our vows?"