Shannon is hunkered over her laptop while Bucky makes coffee. They got up early to get a head start on his list and tidy up the house before the Johnsons come home tomorrow afternoon. She's in a t-shirt and jeans that are covered in holes and rips. She insists it's the style, but Bucky doesn't believe her. Her hair is piled on top of her hair while wild tendrils spill down every which way. Bucky is in a blue t-shirt with paint stains on it from the boat and black jeans. Pretty much his standard outfit for anything related to fixing the boat. Most of his clothes are ruined, but he doesn't care.
He managed to convince Sam to give him access to his login info for the database he used to dig up dirt on Will, but only after Bucky promised that he wasn't going to use it for anything nefarious. He swore up and down that he wouldn't. He just needs it to track down some of the people on his list. Only some. Others are creatures of habit, staying in the same place for years. They shouldn't be too difficult to track down with some Google searches. But some people require a bit more technological prowess than he's able to achieve alone.
"Buck, I need Sam's login information for this database."
"Username is STW. Password is his birthday."
Shannon laughs.
"You know, for a group of superheroes, you guys sure suck at keeping your online identities secure."
Bucky chuckles.
"Better than my password for everything."
Shannon quirks an eyebrow.
"Which is?"
"Password," he says with a wince.
"Bucky!"
"What?!" He exclaims. "It's easy to remember!"
"Oh, Buck," she sighs heavily. "You and my dad are way too much alike in some respects."
He kisses her on the top of the head as he hands her coffee filled with that disgustingly sweet peppermint creamer she loves so much. Even for him, the man with the biggest sweet tooth in the world, it's too much.
"I love you. Thank you for helping me."
"Of course, Buck." Shannon leans forward, squinting slightly. "Well, this database seems pretty straightforward. It just looks complicated at first glance. Who are we starting with?"
He sits down beside her and opens his book.
"Andre Rostov."
"All right." She types and hits enter. "His last known location was Moscow. Sometime in the 1980s."
"Check bank records," Bucky tells her.
Shannon frowns.
"How do I – oh! There's a tab for that! How considerate of them." She hums quietly. "Ummm... money transferred to some offshore accounts. Wow, I thought that was only a thing people did in movies..."
Bucky smiles at her innocence.
"Unfortunately, not. It's very real."
She hums softly, tapping her chin with her index finger as she squints and leans into the computer.
"It looks like the account was in the Bahamas."
Bucky takes a gulp of his coffee.
"I'll start there, then." He sighs. "I'll leave tomorrow. I promised Sam I'd help him paint the boat today."
She looks up from the laptop and tilts her head, the way she does when she wants to ask him a question, but she's not sure how to phrase it.
"On the plane. With Zemo. He said one of the names on your list was Y. Nakajima. That's Yori, right?"
Bucky's jaw clenches and he nods.
"What happened?"
"I..." A sigh. "Remember I told you about those nightmares I have about the Hotel Inessa in Russia?"
"Yeah."
"I killed Yori's son there when I was the Winter Soldier."
Shannon covers her mouth with her hands.
"Oh my God," she whispers. "And he has no idea?"
Bucky shakes his head and cradles his coffee mug between his hands.
"I've been trying to find the right way to tell him and give him closure, but I don't want to lose his friendship." Bucky fights back tears. "I know it's selfish."
She leans over and grasps his fingers.
"It's human, Buck. But you have to do the right thing."
"That's why he's last on the list. Because I'm too much of a coward to do it first."
"You're not a coward. You're owning up to actions you had no control over. That takes a lot of courage and work, and it's really fucking scary."
He wipes away a tear before it can fall down his cheek, disguising the action as an itch. She catches it, though.
"Listen. You go off and do the amending and I'll stay here. It's important that you do that part by yourself. I can keep looking for the others if you let me copy your list," Shannon offers.
"Really?" Bucky asks.
"Sure." She laughs. "It's not like I'm doing much else, Buck."
He takes a deep breath.
"Well, half the list is in New York or DC, so you'd only have to work through eleven more names. Maybe a few more if they're no longer in America." He looks up at her. "You really want to help me with all of this?"
Shannon smiles and squeezes his hand.
"We're a team, Bucky. This is what partners do for each other."
He's been waiting for the right time to ask her. Something clicks. Puzzle pieces fall into place. Here, in this kitchen, it feels like the perfect place. Alpine sleeps on the chair beside them and Ace is lying at her feet. He was going to do something huge and romantic, but sometimes the timing is just perfect. Plus, he's tired of waiting, of trying to time the exact right moment and think of the exact right thing to say to express to her how much he loves her. Bucky takes a deep breath, trying to steady his heart rate. He's been in a seemingly endless number of terrifying situations, but nothing like this. Ever. Honestly, he would much rather have a gun to his head right now. He would at least know how to handle it. If she says no, he has no idea what the fuck he's going to do.
"Shannon, can I tell you something?"
She turns to him with a smile so sweet, he swears his teeth could fall out just looking at it.
"Of course you can. You can tell me anything."
He feels like he's swallowing a wad of cotton, but he speaks anyway.
"You've changed me. I didn't think that it was possible after everything with HYDRA and all of that shit, but you did. You've been patient and loving, and more than understanding. About everything. You see me, Shannon." His eyes well up with tears. "Nobody really sees me. Not like you do."
He watches her eyes fill with tears.
"I love you, Bucky. I think I've loved you since our first date."
"I knew it," he teases.
"Shut up!" Shannon laughs.
"Which one was our first date?" He asks, pressing his nose to hers. They've always disagreed. Shannon collapses into laughter and falls into his chest.
"I don't remember. Our first lunch date."
"Okay, let's call it that," he laughs.
She kisses him. Bucky reaches down and grasps her chin, lifting it up to meet his eyes.
"You know, when I was in Wakanda getting my mind back, I never thought I would have a normal life. I never thought I would fall in love. I always thought that I was too screwed up for that after everything that happened, but it is so easy to love you, Shannon. You made it easy. Even with all of the shit that comes along with loving me, you gave me a chance. Not many people have given that to me."
Tears form in her eyes. And in Bucky's.
"I see good in you," she chokes. "You're a beautiful person, Bucky. You're generous, you're kind, you make me laugh. Sure, you're 6'3" and like 220 pounds of muscle, but there's a big softie underneath your grumpy glares and the metal arm. You care about people, and you see good in people when you don't have to. No matter what happens, I will always, always love you."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the ring, not showing it to her just yet, just holding it in his fist beneath the table. She's too busy staring at his face to notice.
He puts his closed fist on the table and stares down at it.
"I got this in Kansas the same day I got your birthday present." She reaches for the necklace and cradles the small stone gently in her fingers. "I always think I should have gotten it earlier, but... I don't know, something in that jewelry store just clicked. I know we've only been together for four months."
"Ah! Almost five."
He chuckles.
"Okay, almost five. But, I love you. We've been through so much together and it feels like I've known you my entire life." He looks up at the ceiling and takes a deep breath. "I want a future with you. I want forever."
Shannon's hands fly up to cover her mouth and she pulls back, staring at him with eyes like saucers.
"Oh my God," she whispers. "This isn't a fake-out, is it?"
He laughs.
"It's not." Bucky slides out of his chair and gets down on one knee. Shannon is already beginning to sob. "Shannon Meyers, will you marry me?"
Instantly, she bursts into tears, nodding her head quickly.
"Yes, yes, I'll marry you!"
Bucky sighs with relief. She sticks a trembling hand out and he slides the ring onto her finger. Shannon admires it and laughs. It's shaky, but bright and beautiful. Like the best song he's ever heard.
"You got an onyx stone!" She exclaims.
He grins.
"I thought it was punk rock."
"It's very punk rock!"
She giggles like a schoolgirl and throws her arms around his neck, kissing him until his lips feel like they're going numb. They're both crying, and laughing, and crying again. Bucky hasn't felt relief like this since Wakanda. Total happiness.
"I love it, and I love you," she sobs. She pulls back and looks at the ring one more time. "God, I can't fucking wait to be Mrs. James Bucky Barnes."
"You know, I've never heard a woman say that before."
She throws her head back and laughs loudly. There's a knock on the door, and Sam walks in.
"Hey, Buck are you rea —"
"SAM!" Shannon screams, pushing the chair aside with a loud squeak and running into his arms "WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!"
"What, like you and I? Because that –" He stops himself and his jaw drops He points at Bucky, who laughs and shakes his head. "OHHH! OHHHH! WHAT?! NO WAY! NO – WHAT?! YOU'RE – YOU'RE JOKING!"
"Not joking," Bucky laughs.
"HOLY SHIT!" Sam screams. Shannon steps aside and he wraps Bucky in a huge bear hug. "Congratulations, man."
"Thanks, Sam."
"Hey, I call shotgun on best man."
"You can't call shotgun on anything you want," Bucky laughs.
"Yes, I can! I'm Captain America. I call shotgun."
"Steve wouldn't use his title to call shotgun," Bucky reminds him.
"He absolutely would," Sam counters.
"Are you guys really having this argument right now?" Shannon asks, her hand on her hip.
Sam turns around and holds his hand out.
"Shannon, I got this."
"No, I got this," Bucky counters. "You're wrong."
"I'm not wrong! I knew the guy for years, and he has absolutely called shotgun. You know why? Because the rules of shotgun are simple and impartial."
"I'm going to Sarah's!" Shannon calls, opening the door.
"Nonononono!" Sam and Bucky cry in unison, both of them laughing.
She turns around, grinning.
"You two are going to fight like this at the wedding, aren't you?"
"Absolutely," they reply at the same time.
Sam snaps his fingers.
"I gotta work on a speech!"
Shannon chuckles.
"Relax, Sam. A wedding is still a little while down the road. Right, Buck?"
He nods. Sam lets out a loud, happy sigh.
"We gotta celebrate tonight. All of us."
"That works for me," Shannon laughs. "Bucky's leaving for the Bahamas tomorrow."
Sam turns to him with a raised brow.
"You're leaving your fiancée to go party in the Bahamas?" He asks, very judgmentally, Bucky thinks.
Bucky scoffs.
"No! Well, yes. Sort of. It's the list."
"Gotcha," Sam says softly. "Well, let's paint the boat and party tonight."
He wraps them both in a tight hug. Shannon coughs as she's smashed against them both. Sam squeals like a child.
"I'M SO EXCITED! MY BESTIES ARE GETTING MARRIED!"
"You can't call me that at the wedding," Bucky grumbles.
"I'm gonna call you whatever I want when the booze starts flowing," Sam reminds him. He looks at Shannon. "There's going to be booze, right?"
"Of course," she laughs.
Sam gives them one last hug before he bolts out of the house.
"I gotta tell Sarah!"
Shannon and Bucky chuckle as they watch him sprint back to his sister's place. Bucky comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. She leans into him.
"We're getting married."
"We are," he laughs.
"Holy shit..."
"I know you said you wanted things to settle down," Bucky tells her, "But..."
"No," she whispers, turning around. "I want this, Buck. I love you."
She presses her lips to his and kisses him. It's slow, passionate, and everything he's ever needed. Bucky's fingers swim through her hair, tugging out the elastic band that's holding her bun in place. He lets it fall to the floor and pulls away.
"I love you too." He chuckles softly as she presses her nose to his. "I'm so glad you said yes."
"I'm just glad you asked," she breathes.
A beam of sunlight shines through the kitchen window, illuminating everything. It's warm as it hits his back, making him smile.
"So am I."