Bucky stood in front of the mirror fixing his tie. This was by far the most stress he had ever felt in regards to seeing you. He and Steve had been in a relationship with you for eight months now. Today was the day he and Steve were going to meet your parents. He was terrified. There was no scenario he could imagine that this was going to go well. How could any decent parent approve of their daughter dating two men, one of whom was a known assassin? His stomach was in knots and he couldn't seem to get his hands to work in tandem. He couldn't get the Windsor knot he was attempting to tie to work and the more he tried to fix it the worse it got. His cybernetic fingers suddenly gripped the material tearing the tie in two.
"Fuck!" he cursed. His rage got the better of him for one brief moment and he punched the mirror. It cracked in a spiderweb pattern around his fist and pieces spilled from the frame embedding themselves in the carpet.
Steve appeared in the doorway, drawn to the sound of breaking glass. "Buck?" he said softly, testing the tension in the air.
Bucky looked over at Steve feeling helpless - like he did when he was first learning to share his body with the Soldier after he'd come out of cryo.
"What happened?" Steve asked, approaching Bucky slowly.
When he was within reach Bucky fell into him, collapsing against Steve's chest. Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky, holding onto him tightly. "What's wrong?" he whispered.
"They're going to hate me. How could they not hate me?" Bucky murmured, against Steve's chest. "Not even all of me is human."
Steve pressed his lips against Bucky's head. "Bucky, you're the best guy I know. I know going in, they're going to have their doubts. But give them a chance to know you. You know she's prepared them. They want to know us."
Bucky didn't say anything for a moment, he just focused on his breathing and the slow thud-thud of Steve's heartbeat. "What if they don't?"
Steve laughed and gave Bucky a shove. "Wouldn't be the first guy whose in-laws hated him," he joked.
Bucky let out a soft laugh and straightened out. "I better clean up this mess," Bucky said, looking at the broken glass littering the floor.
Bucky and Steve were suddenly interrupted by the sound of FRIDAY alerting them to your arrival in the building.
"Can you bring her up and just tell her we'll be a minute?" Steve said.
"Of course, Captain Rogers," FRIDAY replied.
"And can you get this mess seen to?" Steve added.
"Right away, Sir."
Steve turned and looked at Bucky. "Alright, let's get you a new tie."
You left the elevator and entered the Avenger's common room. Wanda was sitting reading on the couch, while Sam sat at the table with a pile of papers filling them out with a scowl on his face. They both looked over at you as you entered.
"Big day, huh?" Sam said, by way of greeting.
You smiled and took a seat at the table opposite Sam. "Yeah. I mean, I am sure they're gonna be fine. My parents have always just supported me and I'm not just springing it on them. They know about both of them, and so far so good. But of course, there's always that dreaded 'what if they just don't get along'?"
"I'm sure it'll be fine. Most people like them. Unless your parents are supervillains," Wanda said.
Sam laughed. "Well, Cap anyway."
"Sam!" You scolded and he laughed even harder. It was infectious. Soon all three of you were laughing and you weren't even sure why.
Steve and Bucky emerged from the stairs. Both were wearing suits. Steve's was a light grey, three-piece he had paired with a white shirt and a black tie. Bucky was in black. The suit was two-piece. Everything including the shirt and tie was black.
You got up and met them in the middle of the living room. "Oh my god. Look at you both!" you said, kissing them each on the cheek. "You know, we're meeting my parents, not going to win a modeling contract?"
"You can talk," Bucky said, his hand sliding up your side.
Steve chuckled. "You do look beautiful, sweetheart. Shall we?"
You nodded and the three of you went back outside to the car that was waiting for you. On the drive out to Rockford County, Bucky started to tense up and shift nervously in his seat. You reached over and took his hand. "You worried?"
Bucky nodded his head so subtly that you almost didn't catch it. "People don't usually like me right away."
You leaned into him and kissed the back of his hand. "I did."
Bucky didn't say anything, and you saw his brow furrow.
"Bucky. My parents raised me - and I did. They're good people. They know about us. They know about you. They just want me to be happy and they know that you and Steve make me happy. Please trust me," you said firmly.
"It's just..." Bucky started, but you cut him off.
"James. I know what you're feeling. But I need you to trust that I wouldn't do this to you if I wasn't sure."
His hands tightened around yours and he didn't fully relax for the entire drive.
You arrived at the two-story Colonial you grew up in and made your way up the front steps. Your parents opened the door even before you made it to the porch.
"There's our girl!" your father bellowed, dragging you into a bear hug.
"Hey, dad," You squeaked from within the warm confines of your father's arms.
"Now let's meet the men who are making my baby girl so happy," he said as he released you.
"Dad, mom. This is Captain Steven Rogers and Sergeant James Barnes," you said by way of introduction.
"Steve, please," Steve said, shaking your father's hand. He went to shake your mother's too but she pulled him into a tight hug.
"James," your father said, offering his hand to Bucky. Bucky shook it but didn't say anything.
You all went inside and introductions were made for the rest of your family. Your older brother and his wife and their twin sons. Your younger sister and her girlfriend. Steve was immediately set upon by the twins. They were beyond excited that you brought Captain America to their grandparents' house.
The conversation was loud and animated while dinner was being prepared. You helped your father to prepare everything while your mother set the table with your sister. Bucky stayed quiet during all of it. Steve remained near him, even as he was being used as a climbing tree by two three-year-olds, and he held a conversation with your brother and sister-in-law.
"James is quiet," your father said to you as he swept the tomatoes you'd been cutting into the salad bowl.
"He also has super hearing," you said, smiling at Bucky. Bucky looked up at you and gave you a half smile. "He's a little stressed. Sometimes his worst enemy is nazis. Sometimes it's his own head."
Your dad laughed gently. "I guess meeting the parents is stressful for anyone." He looked over to Bucky, when he spoke next he didn't raise his voice at all. He just spoke as if he was talking just to you. "There's nothing to worry about, son. We trust her and she says you're good people."
Both Bucky and Steve looked over and the warmest smile spreads across Steve's face. He put his arm around Bucky's shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.
Bucky slowly started to relax as the night went on. Soon the twins started climbing on him too. They became very fascinated by his cybernetic arm. Bucky appeared embarrassed, to begin with, but after not long he was using it to lift them both above his head and showing them both how all the parts move.
At dinner, Bucky sat between you and Steve but remained quiet - though he did engage when spoken to directly. Things were relaxed though. Conversation flowed easily. Everyone was getting along. It felt good. Like family.
Toward the end of dinner, when the kids had been put to bed, your family started asking you and the boys about your relationship. Nothing too intrusive. Where did you meet? Who asked who out? They were even interested in how Bucky and Steve ended up as a couple.
You went to the kitchen with Steve and the two of you assembled the dessert you have planned for tonight. You placed dense brownies with hazelnuts onto a plate with scoops of homemade vanilla bean ice cream on top. You placed thin chocolate domes over each stack. Dark for Steve and your sister. White for your sister's girlfriend and your dad. Milk for everyone else. While Steve finished the plating you heated cream on the stove and added grated chocolate. Steve took each plate out and placed them on the table and you came in with a tray of small jugs of the hot chocolate sauce.
"When I count to three, everyone pour your sauce onto the ball," you instructed. You counted to three and everyone poured. The chocolate balls melted under the heat of the cream, collapsing over the ice cream and brownie inside and forming a rich chocolate sauce around them. Everyone oohed and ahhed and your mother and brother both applauded.
"That was stunning, darling," your mother said. The sound in the room changed as everyone took a bite, everyone letting out their own moan of pleasure. Bucky looked at you beaming.
"So I guess it would be remiss of me to ask what direction the three of you are planning on taking? Should we expect you boys at Christmas?" your mother asked.
You aren't really sure what to say. You wanted the answer to be yes, that you'll all live long and happy lives together, but you didn't want to speak for them.
It was Bucky who spoke up. "Stevie and I have known each other since we were kids. Almost a hundred years now. I can't imagine a life where it isn't him and me. And now I can't imagine one without your daughter either. I love her so much. You have done such an amazing job raising her. She is kind, loving, brave, inspiring, and sweet. Sometimes she's the only person I want to see. So yeah... I hope we'll be here for a lot of Christmases."
You felt your heart skip a beat and you cupped Bucky's jaw and kissed him. You kissed him like he was the only one in the room. Like it was the first time you had seen him in a month. Like he was your oxygen and without him, you would cease to be. You put all your love and desire into that kiss and when you pulled away you were breathless. You leaned your forehead against his your hands still cradling his jaw. "I love you so much," you whispered.
A soft smile spread across Bucky's lips. The warmth of it reached his blue/grey eyes. "I love you too."
Your dad cleared his throat. "I don't remember raising you to be such a sap," he said.
You pulled away from Bucky and both of you laughed. Bucky scratched the back of his head and looked sheepish. "What he said. I'm in it for the long haul," you said.
"I guess we better get a bigger dining setting," your father joked.
The three of you only stayed for another hour, helping to clean up and saying goodbye before heading back to Manhattan. You decided to sleep over at the tower. You'd been doing it more and more often later. Not every day. They still came to your apartment, and you did still spend some nights alone, but that was getting rarer and rarer.
Bucky and Steve stripped off their clothes and climbed into bed as you showered. "Her family are kind of great aren't they?" Steve said.
"Yeah. I really liked them," Bucky agreed, laying down and pulling the covers up over him.
"Did you mean what you said? About not being able to see a life without the two of us?" Steve asked, climbing in beside Bucky and draping his arm around Bucky's waist.
Bucky smiled and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Yeah. I did. I love you both more than I thought I had in me anymore."
Steve cupped Bucky's jaw and kissed him softly. Their lips just tenderly caressing each other's. When they broke apart Steve smiled. "We should ask her to move in," he said.
Bucky's eyes lit up. "Really? You ready for that?"
"Yeah, Buck. What do you think? Shall we maybe take her out somewhere nice and ask her?" Steve said.
Bucky nodded. They heard the water switch off in the bathroom and they both glanced at the bathroom door and then looked back at each other. "Sounds good to me. Damn. This is happening, isn't it? We're going to do this. We're going to be a family."
"Yeah. We're keeping her," Steve agreed.
You stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. Bucky and Steve both looked up at you and smiled wickedly. "Hello, boys." You purred and dropped your towel to the ground.