Trying Your Luck - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 67: Parties and Short Goodbyes

Sam claps him on the shoulder and squeezes gently. It's reassuring.

"We'll get there, Buck."

Shannon and Sarah emerge from the house with drinks in their hands. She hands Bucky a beer while Sam gives her a hug, picking her up and twirling her in the air. Shannon giggles as he sets her down.

"I think you're more excited about this engagement thing than we are," she tells him.

Sam laughs.

"It's been a rough month. I think we could all use a little bit of happiness right now."

He's right. The past little while has felt dark and unsure, even with Shannon by his side. It's not over yet, but Bucky can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Finally. After 80 goddamn years, he can see peace within his grasp. Bucky plans to make it permanent. No more running from fight to fight. He deserves a place to settle down, to create a legacy, and a family of his own. It's what Steve got to do. Why should he be denied the same kind of happiness and stability? It's taken him 80 years to figure out what he deserves. All he has to do is reach out and take it. He stares at Shannon as she's immersed in conversation with Sarah. She scrunches up her nose and giggles as Cass runs up to hug her, his skinny arms wrapping around her waist. Shannon's arm immediately wraps around his shoulder and she pulls him in for a tight hug while Sarah tells her a story. Bucky smiles, remembering a conversation with Steve at Stark Expo.

"You're about to be the last eligible man in New York. You know there's three and a half million women here?"

"Well, I'd settle for just one," Steve replies.

As his eyes linger on Shannon, he can't help but feel butterflies in his stomach. The best kind.

"Me too, Steve," he whispers.

Except with Shannon, it's not settling. He deserves her. He always has. If he had met her in '43, he would have given up on the army and chased her anywhere. Bucky always wondered what it would feel like to feel the kind of devotion that Steve felt for Peggy. He understands now. He'd give it all up for Shannon.

The party is quiet but filled with joy. Bucky can let loose here. He can laugh and joke and finds stories to tell that don't revolve around him stabbing anyone. At least not on purpose.

He tells stories about Steve from their youth – like the time they went to Coney Island and stuffed their faces with cotton candy, doughnuts, ice cream, and soda. Bucky forced Steve to ride the Cyclone, knowing he couldn't handle it despite talking a big game all the way there and chickening out at the last minute. Steve threw up everywhere, much to the chagrin of the rest of the ride's patron's Bucky was the only one who managed to make it out of Steve's line of fire in time and helped his very nauseous best friend all the way home.

Or the time they went back out to Coney Island beach to light off fireworks and, instead, found two very cute girls who were nursing a flask of whiskey and wanted to go skinny dipping. They were gorgeous. Tall, curvaceous, with thick wavy blonde hair and soft lips.

"Oh my God," Shannon laughs. "What happened?"

"Steve couldn't swim," Bucky confesses. "So we didn't go."

"Awwww!" She groans. "You poor thing."

"I know," Bucky laughs. "They were cute, too."

Sam and the others laugh. Shannon giggles softly.

"God, I would have loved to meet him," she says softly.

"He was the best of us," Bucky murmurs as he takes a sip of his beer.