Sure enough... It wasn't much of a quicky. Bucky and Y/N ended up at their friends house a good 30 minutes later than everyone else, and it did NOT go unnoticed.
After coming out to the crowd at the gala about their relationship, they figured it was time to confess to their friend group as well.
But after Nat said, "Good God, it took you long enough. I've been waiting close to a month for you guys to finally say something." They realized that their little secret wasn't much of a secret at all.
Bucky had moaned and groaned as the boys hassled him for waiting so damn long, and Y/N and the girls immediately started talking details as they sat around the fire in Wanda and Visions back yard. The night was simple, intimate, and a great memory compared to the annoyance that happened at the ball.
All of that was quickly left in the back of their minds after they had their sweet friend group gathering. Time together like that always gave them a little reboot when the world seemed to be going too fast. Who better to slow down with than your best friends?
________________
3 Months later.
"Babe?" Y/N shouted from the front door as she came home from work.
"In my room!" he shouted back.
Bucky had been working at home more often because things had calmed down in the business. He never REALLY had to go in as much as he had to before, but being the good boss he was, he made sure to be present. Now, he was trying to find things to help with the No Soldier Left Behind center more, so it was easier to just set up shop in his room where he had a mini office to the side, and not have to worry about people distracting him.
"Hey," Y/N smiled as she leaned her head into the room.
Bucky looked up from his computer and sent her the same grin she was giving him.
"Hey gorgeous," he chuckled when she didn't come in fully. "You just going to hang out by the door, or are you going to come in and give me a 'Honey, I'm home' kiss?" he teased.
"I actually have a surprise for you," she said with a wider grin, but one that showed she was up to something. Bucky knew that smile a little too well.
"What did you do?" he questioned, slowly pushing his chair back going to stand.
"Wait! Stay right there!" she shook her head, but her hands were behind her showing whatever the surprise was was behind her back. "First, I got flowers for the week," she said, bringing a bouquet of her weekly flowers out. "One of your favorites. Baby breath, lavender, and daisies."
"Thanks sweetheart. That's sweet, but why do I feel like another boot is about to drop?" he probed, tilting his head as he put his hands on the arms rest and leaned back. He wanted to stand and go to her, but she told him to not move, so here he was.
"Well, that's the second part of the surprise..." she said tilting her head more and scrunching her nose.
Damn that nose scrunch! She knew what that did to him.
"Y/N..." he drug out.
"Just close your eyes real quick-"
"Y/N."
"Please! Please! I promise it's a good thing!"
"You said that last time and I ended up with a face mask on and my hair in two french braids."
"Don't act like you didn't like it," she scoffed with a small rolling of her eyes. "You love spa night."
"Sam found out and said I lost a piece of my man card," he crossed his arms.
"No, you gained a piece because you're secure in your masculinity unlike 99% of men out there," she countered. "Forget that for now though! Close your eyes."
"I don't know what I'm getting myself into-"
"That's the best part!" she shouted with a loud sigh. "Close your eyes or else Buck." The last part was said with a hint of a threatening tone was all it took Bucky to surrender. He put his hands up before crossing them again and doing as she asked.
He wanted to peak and he was so close to doing it, but right when he was about to break she giggled.
"Ok, open 'em!"
Bucky wouldn't have even come close to guessing what was sitting in front of him. Outstretched in her arms was a white cat with even bluer eyes than him. His hair wasn't long, but it wasn't short, and he had a big bushy tail. He looked as if he was kinda small for a cat given he wasn't a kitten.
"You got a c-"
"A cat!" she jumped, pulling the white furball back into her arms and cradling it as he purred to her.
Bucky didn't know how to react. He never had a pet growing up, and even if he were to, he imagined it would've been a dog. Not a cat. Cats always seemed so temperamental and angsty. But the way this one was looking at him made him second guess his quick judgement.
"Don't be mad. There was a girl trying to get rid of him by the shop where I usually get my flowers. She said it was either someone buy him from her, or she would have to take him to the shelter," Y/N was quick to explain. "I knew we would treat him right compared to another stranger on the street, and if someone didn't get him at the shelter they would probably put him down." The small pout on her lips and the longing look of the cat was all it took Bucky to let out his breath he was holding in and lean back in his chair.
"Ok."
"Wait... You're not mad?" she asked, turning her head to the side.
"No. You were just being you," he chuckled, standing up and placing a kiss on her forehead.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she said furrowing her eyebrows.
"All good things Sassy. I mean you being you because you constantly are trying to help people, and apparently," he looked down at the cat who gave a loud purr where she was rubbing his tummy. "Animals too."
"Awe, Buck!" she smiled, putting the cat down and jumping to hug him around the neck. "You're the best!"
"I know, I know," he laughed as he pulled her into him. "Hey, how about pasta for dinner tonight? I already have the meatballs ready to go."
"Oh, yeah. I've been craving Italian all day. It's like you know me really well or something."
"I know it's crazy, right?" he said looking down at her with a joking grin. "Come on you loon," he said, giving her a quick squeeze to the hip before walking toward the kitchen.
"I'm not a loon," she mumbled following him. "Wait!" she said jumping and bouncing on his back. He was quick to catch her and let out a laugh as he piggy backed her to the kitchen.
"A loon," he chuckled, squeezing her calves.
______
Halfway through their meal, Bucky caught Y/N looking around as if inspecting the apartment.
The cat had curled up in the chair next to him having already taken a liking to the man of the house. Bucky every once in a while giving him a scratch on his ear, but still not really sure about the pet just yet.
"Ok, what in the world are you doing?" he finally asked as she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration for the 100th time in the past 15 minutes.
"Nothing, nothing," she shook her head with a light chuckle before snagging a piece of garlic bread.
"That's not nothing. You've been in one of your dream worlds for the past 5 minutes. I can see it in your eyes," he jestered, filling their wine glasses again. "Are you redecorating the house in your head again?"
"Well..."
"Y/N you literally changed the entire layout of the living room just 2 days ago." He couldn't hold back that laugh.
"Ok, but hear me out!" she shouted, forgetting her meal and leaning forward with her leg propped up next to her. "How long do you plan on living here?"
"You mean the flat?"
"Yeah," she nodded.
"Uh, I mean I don't know. I haven't really thought about it," he shrugged, grabbing his wine and relaxing in his chair. "I own it now, so I could sell it anytime."
"Have you ever wanted to live somewhere else?" she questioned, propping her chin in her hand as she watched him intently.
"Uh," he paused really thinking about it. I guess if he had a choice he did have a place he always imagined. "Upstate New York actually. I always imagined still being close to friends, but far enough out of the city it would be quite at night. No city lights making the night sky disappear, but instead being able to point out constellations and star gaze. I would have some land, a nice big house, and hell, maybe even a place I can build on and landscape some. I've always wanted to look into that stuff."
He hadn't even realized he was rambling about his dream world, until he finally looked up at Y/N who had a soft smile painted on her lips and admiration in her eyes.
"That sounds beautiful, B," was all she said.
Bucky smiled before taking a big sip of the sweet red. "It's all a dream though. That would be a lot of work to get there, and I'm not sure something like what I want even exists."
"Who says you can't make it exist?"
He looked up at the comment and Y/N was gingerly taking a sip of her own wine as she kept eye contact with him.
"What else do you have up your sleeve today, doll?" he said with a challenging look.
"Oh, Buck. It's funny you think it's just today," she stood grabbing her finished plate and his. "I always have something up my sleeve. Every. Day." With that, she sashayed her hips to the sink with a smirk on her lips.
But Bucky was two steps behind, and as soon as the dishes were no longer in her hands, he was already picking her up.
"Tell me what's going on in that beautiful mind of yours Y/N!" he said, fake biting at her shoulder, neck, and ear getting a laughing fit out of her.
"B, put me down!" she shouted as she tried to stop laughing, but his hands were already working their way under her shirt and tickling her stomach too. "Bucky!"
"Tell me!"
"Ok, ok! Put me down!'
He relented, sorta. He placed her to sit on the island and then put his hands on either side of her thighs as he trapped her in. She wasn't leaving anytime soon if he had a say. Gently and ever so lovingly she leaned forward placing her forehead on his and smiled. Bucky loved when she did this cause it was intimate in a whole other way. It was like she was opening that mind of hers and letting him peak inside it.
"How do you feel about moving in together?" she whispered.
Bucky chuckled a little, but didn't move. "I'd say we seem to have already've done that."
"What about into your dream home? Our dream home?"
"What are you getting at Y/N/N?" he said, finally pulling back enough to see her face. He sweetly pulled some stray hair behind her ears as he kept eye contact with her.
"I mean... What if we moved in with each other for REAL and got our dream house together? How would you feel about that?" Her big doe eyes were captivating and practically asking Bucky to give them the world.
All he could do was let that lopsided grin he only gave to her, grow on his face.
"I would say that sounds like an even better dream than I could imagine."