Sappy Anniversary
[image ID: an aged clip of steve and bucky laughing. /.end ID]
masterlist
18+
wc: 5.4k words
warnings: soo cheesy. baby gets picked up and kissed so many times🤭
a/n: i hope you guys like this! i tried looking up a canon date for steve and bucky's anniversary, maybe like when they first met but i couldn't find anything! so we're going to pretend it was in june when they went to coney island for the millionth time and bucky asked steve to be his forever, okay?🫶
pairing: stucky x gn!little!reader
summary: it's your daddies' anniversary, and you have a lot of surprises for them.
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If anyone were to walk into your room at the moment, they would see you working on something very important. You sat hunched over your table, staring determinedly at a stack of paper. The crease between your brows seemed to be ironed on. A bright pen with six different ink chambers flew across the pages, making the occasional pit stop between your teeth.
The onlooker might assume that you’re working on a project with a strict deadline looming over your shoulder. Maybe something for school, or perhaps you decided to help Steve with some paperwork.
With your level of focus, the onlooker wouldn’t even be on your radar. Not even the tempting sounds of your little friends playing outside could’ve distracted you. If they prodded and asked a few times, maybe they’d get the answer they were looking for. You were making a very special work of art for Steve and Bucky, and you needed all your concentration for the task.
You put the finishing touches on your card. A 3D sticker here, a little sparkle there. Satisfied with your work, you carefully tucked the card into a desk drawer. It was perfect timing, as Bucky chose that exact moment to open your door.
“You’re awake already, baby?”
You turned and made grabby hands towards your surprised baba. He picked you up and littered your face with kisses, a common greeting in your little family.
“Is Dada making breakfast?”
“Yes he is, but before we go down there Baba needs your help with something.” He paused and raised his eyebrows before switching to a whisper. “Do you remember how I was telling you about my surprise for Dada?”
You nodded eagerly.
“I’m doing it tomorrow. Tomorrow is a big day for us daddies, and I need to make it extra special for Dada. So today I need you to keep him occupied while I set things up. I would take you with me but he’ll love having extra baby time and someone has to keep him busy so he doesn’t figure out the surprise.”
“I can do that, Baba! I can ask him to go to the park with the shops today.”
“That’s perfect, baby. You’ll keep him there all day no problem. Thank you so much for helping Baba.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “Now do you think you can keep this all a secret from Dada? It won’t be long. You can tell him all about this tomorrow when you help me reveal the surprise.”
You grinned. If only he knew that you were already keeping your own present a secret from both Dada and Baba! “I can keep a secret! Natty told me how she keeps secrets on missions. She said to have a pretend secret to think about instead of the real one. Because if you think about the real one too much you’re gonna say it out loud.”
“Such a good listener, bubba. You’re going to do so good today. Now let’s go eat so you have energy for your mission.” He kissed your forehead, then carried you to the kitchen.
Steve leaned against the counter as he drank his coffee.
“There are my loves. Good morning sweetie, how did you sleep?” Steve set down his mug to take you from Bucky’s arms.
“Good, Dada.”
He removed a stray fleck of glitter from your shirt collar. “I was surprised you didn’t wanna sleep in daddies’ bed last night.”
“Um, I wanted to sleep with Ellie-phant and she doesn’t like to be smushed by daddies.”
Steve chuckled. “Well I’m glad you got some good sleep anyway, and tell Ellie I’m sorry for squishing her.”
He put you in your seat at the table and plated your food with a sippy cup of juice. Breakfast went on as usual, with your daddies chatting about their plans for the week. Normally you’d chime in, but today your mind was preoccupied with two big secrets. Bucky and Steve weren’t too worried. Sometimes you’d get small and need all your focus to use your fork and spoon. They just paid attention to when you needed to be fed or have your food cut up smaller.
“I have some reports to finish, but bubba was telling me that they wanna go to the outlet mall today,” Bucky said, breaking your silent spell.
“Yeah, Dada! Can we go? Please?”
Steve chewed his omelet thoughtfully before swallowing the bite and nodding. “Sure. I have a couple of errands to run in that part of town anyway. We can go to the mall after.”
You nodded happily, sharing a secret smile with Bucky once Steve looked away.
After breakfast, Steve helped you get ready while Bucky washed the dishes. Your baba helped you buckle into your car seat, gave you lots of goodbye kisses, and waved the car goodbye until you and Steve were well out of sight.
“It’s just me and you now, pumpkin,” Steve said.
“Mhm! Where are we running today, Dada?”
“Running? Oh, the errands. Well, we’re not actually running anywhere, baby. Dada just has to stop by a store before the mall.” He gave you a sweet smile through the mirror.
“What store?” you asked, curiously.
“I’ll tell you in one moment, honey.” Steve pulled into a parking lot, unbuckled his seatbelt, and turned to face you once the car was parked.
“You know how tomorrow is a big day for daddies?”
You nodded excitedly, already having an idea of where this was going.
“Well I got Baba a super special, one-of-a-kind present, and we’re putting on the finishing touches today. I’m glad you could come with me today, baby. Your special touch is just what this gift was missing.”
You giggled and clapped your hands excitedly as Steve rounded the car. He unbuckled your seatbelt and gave you a big kiss before carrying you on his hip.
The two of you headed towards a quaint little shop. It was so small that you would hardly notice it among its large, neighboring buildings. You wondered if your dada’s shoulders could fit through the doorway.
Steve gently pushed open the door. A small bell chimed, alerting the store owner of your presence. An older man approached, making light conversation with Steve before going to a room in the back. You didn’t catch any of the conversation, too enamored with the shop’s decoration. Nearly everything was made of wood or metal. A few small plants were scattered about, softening the rigid materials and their lines. Next to a vintage cash register sat a daisy in a hand-painted pot. The walls were littered with shelves and hooks displaying old items that had been restored to their former glory.
The real star of the establishment was the bay window next to the front door. Strings of vine bordered the frame. Well-loved pillows cushioned the seat. The glass was clouded by dirt, but there was a small section towards the bottom that was sparkling clean. Next to the clear window was an orange cat.
“Dada,” you whispered. “Is a kitty.”
“Oh there’s no need to whisper, little friend. Goose takes her naps here all the time while I’m woodworking. She dreams with the saw running no problem.” The store owner came back with a small box and placed its contents onto the workbench behind you.
“Hi, mister,” you said shyly. “Her name is Goose?”
“Yep,” he said, popping the “p”. “She just showed up one day and decided that was her spot. As far as I’m concerned, she owns the building.”
“Wow.” You stared at the cat in wonderment while your dada and the old man talked about the items on the table.
Steve gently squeezed your hand to get your attention. “It’s your time to shine, sweetie.”
You snapped out of your trance, now ready to help with anything he needed. You turned and saw a circular compact on the table alongside some jewelry.
“Do you remember Dada’s compass, baby?”
You nodded.
“This is a matching one for Baba.” Steve flipped open the compact to reveal the compass and a tiny photo of your family. “It’s almost done, but I wanted to carve a special note on the back, and I think one from you would be perfect.”
With a warm smile, the old man handed you a slip of paper and a pencil. “Write whatever you want on this paper and I’ll carve it into the compass. It’ll look just like you wrote it yourself.”
You thought long and hard about the words you wanted immortalized onto Baba’s gift. After a few attempts, you perfected your lettering. True to his word, the man carved your message, making it look exactly like your handwriting. You and Steve left the shop with a small bag containing your precious gift.
“Thanks again, Stan!” Steve said as he was out the door.
You waved Stan and Goose goodbye until you were well away from their sights.
~
Steve kept you entertained at the outdoor mall for the rest of the afternoon. Besides the usual clothing shops, the mall also had a playground, water fountain, and a store just for little gear.
The trip started off at the playground. Steve chased you around the various structures, roaring like a monster and trying to scoop you up. He nearly caught you by reaching a hand through the jungle gym, but you climbed up and out of his grasp. Your Dada finally captured you at the end of a slide, prompting you to go down all of the slides so he’d catch you.
When you’d had enough of the playground, Steve took you to the food court for a little snack and smoothie to cool down. You ended the trip with a visit to the little-gear store. Steve let you pick out a new paci and bottle! This was all positive reinforcement so that you kept the visit to Stan’s a secret from Bucky, of course.
~
While you and Steve were having your special Dada and baby time, Bucky was pacing the tower, ensuring that everything was ready for tomorrow. After his twentieth phone call of the day, he flopped onto your plush living room couch. His work was done. All the months of planning would show tomorrow when he unveiled the surprise. He couldn’t wait to see your faces when it happened.
~
Gentle hands caressed your cheeks, waking you from your slumber.
You huffed, swatting away the tender touch.
Steve laughed. “Good morning, sweet angel,” he said softly. “Don’t you wanna get up? It’s-”
“IT’S DADDIES DAY!” you interrupted. You threw the covers off, grabbed Steve’s hand, and led him to the bathroom so he could help you get ready. You were vibrating with excitement. After the mall yesterday, you were exhausted and fell asleep soon after dinner. Now, you had all of your energy back and then some due to your excitement. And with the big day being here, you didn’t have to keep your secrets any longer.
Steve was extra cautious when getting you ready like this. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally poke you with the toothbrush or comb and sour your mood. You hadn’t even finished putting your arms through your shirt when the front door opened.
“I’m home!” Bucky called.
You ran to him, fixing your shirt along the way.
Upon hearing your excited giggles and hurried footsteps, Bucky opened his arms so he could pick you up.
“Raah!!” Your Baba let out a dramatic war cry as he lifted you in the air and attacked your face with kisses.
“Good mornin’, Baba!” you sang.
“Good morning to you, baby.” He looked around to make sure Steve wasn’t in the room. “Are you ready for Dada’s surprise?” he whispered.
You nodded, giggling with excitement.
Steve sauntered into the room with your sneakers in hand.
“Baby, who’s the handsome fella that’s holdin’ ya?” he teased.
You giggled. “Is Baba!”
“Yeah and who’s the pretty boy who’s got your shoes?” Baba continued.
“Das Dada!”
Your daddies greeted each other with a kiss as if they hadn’t seen each other just an hour earlier when they first woke up.
“I got us breakfast.” Bucky gestured to a large paper bag on the counter. “We have to eat quickly, though. I have something planned for today.”
Steve raised his brows. “Oh do you now?”
You nodded vigorously. “Is a surprise!”
Your dada gave a shocked laugh. “You know about this too, baby?”
“Mhm! But I’m not gonna say any more! Hurry! We gotta eat!”
~
A stack of pancakes and heaps of scrambled eggs later, you and Bucky were leading a blindfolded Steve onto the roof of the tower.
“No peeking, Dada!”
Steve chuckled. “I won’t!”
“Okay, Stevie. You can look in three, two, one!”
The blindfold was lifted.
Steve squinted slightly to acclimate to the light
Once his vision adjusted, his mouth parted in shock as he took in his surroundings. It was a faded memory come to life. Every inch of the roof had been transformed to look like Coney Island, or at least as much of it that could fit on the New York building. There were a few rides, carnival games, a ball pit, food trucks, and a glorious ferris wheel. They even went as far as to recreate the vintage signs for all of the attractions.
“Buck, this is–I, I don’t even know what to say.”
You tugged on Steve’s shirt and whispered, “You can say tank you.”
That caused a laugh from your daddies.
“This doesn’t even begin to cover it, but thank you, Bucky.”
Your baba pretended to be unbothered. He gestured flippantly. “Oh, pshh. This was nothing. I didn’t even know you liked these rides that much.”
He set aside the “too cool” demeanor for a genuine smile. “Anything for you, Steve. Happy anniversary.”
They shared a heartfelt hug and kiss before being interrupted with shouts from behind the row of games.
“I think that’s enough, lovebirds!”
“Can we come out now?”
“We’ve been squished back here for so long!”
Bucky shook his head.
“Alright, come out you guys.”
As if they were leaving a clown car, all of the avengers stumbled out from one of the game tents. A few of them let out exaggerated stretches and groans while the others waved hello and picked grass off of their clothes.
“You guys knew too?” Steve asked, astonished.
“Of course we did,” Nat replied.
“Yeah, you think Buck did all of this himself? We had to teach him how to check his email first,” Sam joked.
Bucky rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I called in a couple favors.”
Thor clapped him on the back. “Sergeant Barnes was adamant that we kept all of this a secret.”
You nodded, “It was really hard not tellin’ you, Dada.”
Steve removed his heart eyes from Bucky to gaze adoringly at you. He picked you up and showered you with kisses.
“I can’t believe you guys did all of this.”
“Well believe it, Rogers. I set aside a much needed pool upgrade for this to happen.” Tony crossed his arms pridefully, before winking at you.
Steve pulled you and Bucky in for another hug before shouting, “Who’s ready for some rides?”
~
All of you were going to need ice packs with how hard your cheeks hurt from smiling so hard.
The day began with the giant swings. Everybody got their own swings, and you were of course seated in the same row as Steve and Bucky. The machine had you all swinging at different times, which led to your screams of glee every time you whizzed past one of your beloved caregivers.
Next up was the teacups. Your daddies let you spin the wheel first, at your insistence. Once your arms got tired, Steve secured you in his lap as Bucky went all in with stirring your family. It was a good thing that Bruce gave you anti-dizziness gummies before the rides. Steve was sure that your brains would all be mush if Bucky spun for any longer than the allotted time.
After shuffling off the ride, your dada decided that he needed a break from the adrenaline rushes. He led the way towards a photobooth that he’d seen on the way to your first ride. You guys took so many photos; one right after you got off the ride with your crazy hair, another because Steve said he wanted more family photos for his desk, then another because Bucky said his whole plan with the photobooth was to get new pictures for wallet, and then a final one because hey–you wanted a memento of this special day too.
Something decadent had you sniffing the air like a puppy once Baba opened up the photo booth. He chuckled.
“Do you wanna check out what smells so good?”
You nodded and took your daddies’ hands, letting your nose lead the way. The search led you to a line of food trucks. There was mostly carnival food, but some of the trucks also had food that you were used to eating at home. It all sounded wonderful to your rumbling belly.
Some of the Avengers had already beaten you to the food, letting you know with their empty paper trays and excited recommendations of various fried concoctions. You were feeling particularly brave that day, so you did some of the ordering yourself. Bucky dutifully held you up to the window as you politely requested cheesy tots, funnel cake, fried oreos, and pink lemonade. You were already feeling proud of yourself, but that increased tenfold when Steve and Bucky cooed their praises.
When the first truck had completed your order, Bucky set you down and requested that you help Steve with carrying the food to a table while he waited for the rest of your provisions. You carefully walked to the rest of the Avengers with your lemonade, carrying the bucket-like container with two hands. Steve followed behind with an armload of goodies and a dopey grin. As soon as your lemonade was safely on the table, you excitedly chatted with the Avengers about the rides and photobooth. Bucky was taking a little longer than expected with the rest of the food, but you insisted on waiting for him. Your friends kept you entertained, though. Sam talked a big game about how many plushies he was going to win. Tony countered his bet with a wager of his own, and you were so excited to see their showdown. Natasha said she’d surely win you the biggest plushie at the water gun booth, and no one but Clint dared to contest her.
You looked up at Steve.
“Dada, are we gonna play the games too?”
“Of course, sweetie pie. We can go after we eat, but I don’t know where Baba is.”
He looked around for his partner, but was drawn back to the table when he heard you gasp. You were staring at Thor with horror and amused fascination as he stuffed an entire funnel cake into his mouth. Steve was so distracted by the scene that he didn’t notice half of his friends had mysteriously disappeared.
You cackled loudly, doubling over when Thor attempted to smile with his stuffed cheeks. Steve sighed and shook his head, immediately confining you to his lap with your hands in his when he saw you staring intently at your own funnel cake. You giggled, knowing what was going to happen next and feeling satisfied with keeping Steve occupied with your mischief.
He looked at his longtime friend, feeling both exasperated and amused.
“You’re a terrible influence.”
Thor merely shrugged, sending you a wink while he swallowed his massive bite.
It was then that Steve noticed his missing teammates. Before he could question it, all but one of the lights dimmed down. Following a line of trees stood Bucky under the last remaining light. He was wearing a tuxedo and had his hands shyly tucked into his pockets. He looked like a prince anticipating his true love’s arrival. Sensing your cue, you slid off of Steve’s lap and said that Baba was waiting for him.
He slowly stood up, walking towards Bucky in a trancelike state. He was confused. Was he dreaming? Was this really all for him?
As he reached his lover, all of their memories together came rushing towards him. From playing together as kids, to stealing kisses in dark alleyways, and now saving the world together with a sweet baby and a family at home. Tears shone in his eyes.
“Buck, what is all this?”
Not wanting to answer the question quite yet, Bucky took Steve’s hands in his.
He began shakily, “Steve, you are the greatest man I’ve ever known.” Bucky paused, needing to catch his breath. “You have been since the first day I met you. I love you as the scrawny kid I met in Brooklyn, I love you as the kid who didn’t know how to back down from a fight, I love you as Captain America, I love you as our baby’s Dada.”
He looked at you after that last one, smiling and continuing after you gave him a thumbs up.
“I love you, Steve. And I know you’ve never asked for more in our relationship, but I wanted to make things official.”
Bucky got down on one knee, causing sparkling streams of tears to cascade down both his and Steve’s cheeks.
“Steven Grant Rogers, will you marry me?”
Your dada nodded profusely, repeating “yes, yes, yes” through a veil of tears. He used their joint hands to pull Bucky up for a kiss. As their lips met, fireworks went off and the other Avengers appeared, popping little confetti cannons and shouting their congratulations.
Thor hoisted you up on his shoulders, reciting an Asgardian chant for love and fortune as he carried you to your daddies. Needing to celebrate this moment with you, Steve immediately took you into his arms, and Bucky wrapped himself around the both of you. The others quieted down, conversing to the side to give your family some privacy.
Steve was looking at you as if you were the most precious thing in the world.
“You knew about this, didn’t you baby?”
You nodded proudly. “And I didn’t say anything about it!”
He chuckled, holding you closer to his chest. He looked at Bucky with stars in his eyes.
“This was perfect, Buck.”
~
The rest of the day was lovely. As promised, you got to eat the food you’d picked up earlier. The funnel cakes were a bit soggy by the time you got to them, but that made it all the easier to shovel half of the cake into your mouth when Steve was turned away. Powdered sugar got all over your cheeks and Steve made you spit it out for a more reasonable bite, but it was worth it to see your baba cackle with laughter.
The carnival games were a blast! Tony upgraded the equipment to give the super soldiers and trained marksmen more of a challenge. While you got to play normal balloon darts, Bucky’s version of the game had moving balloons the size of dimes and with triply thick walls. With your combined points, you were able to get a new plushie.
You ended the day with the ferris wheel. The first time, you went in a cart with Sam, Peter, and Wanda. It was definitely chaotic, and your protective Baba almost didn’t let you. Luckily, Steve was able to calm him down. Sam offered to let Bucky borrow redwing to keep an eye on you, but Bucky declined with a grunt.
Giggles and “ooh’s” filled the cart as you went in a circle. It was still sunny, so you could see the whole city for miles. Wanda had plenty of questions about the city and Peter was happy to answer. Although, he often got lost in his vast and wide-ranging knowledge. Many of his answers were sidedtracked with rants about how awful some buildings were at holding a web.
Sam provided an unofficial audio tour of the city, listing all the buildings that Peter and the other Avengers had crashed into.
“You were there too, Sam.”
“Yeah, but I went AROUND the massive glass tower. You see how that works?”
The second time, you went with Thor, Natasha, and Loki. Your dada absolutely would not have allowed you to get on the contraption with the trickster had it not been for Natasha. Loki was always nice to you, though. He much preferred you to be in awe of his magic, rather than afraid of it. As the cart made its round, Loki cast an illusion to make it look like the lid of your cart disappeared. You had a much better view of the city thanks to him. Natasha still kept a firm hold on your hand, though. Thor offered to liven up the experience with a little thunder, but that idea was quickly shot down by the other two grown ups. Instead, Loki cast more illusions to make the city full of glittering sparkles and dreamy hues.
You rode the ferris wheel for a third and final time with your daddies. They knew you had an affinity for “saving the best for last”, so they waited at the bottom of the ferris wheel as you had your fun. You wanted them to enjoy the ride too, but they were a bit nervous about not being able to help you if they were stuck on the ride in a different cart. Besides, they were enjoying the quiet moment with just the two of them sitting on a nearby bench.
The sun was setting as you all sat down. It was like you unlocked another view of the city with purple skies and bright lights. You enjoyed the view for a moment, then rested your head on Bucky’s side. He pulled you into his lap and wrapped an arm around you.
“You feeling sleepy, honey?”
You nodded, then reached out for Steve’s hand. He was sitting on the other side of the cart, both of your daddies were simply too big to sit side by side. He took your little hand and gave it a kiss.
“You had a long day, huh bubba?” Steve cooed.
“Daddies’ was longer,” you yawned.
Both of your caregivers chuckled.
“We’ll go home after this ride, okay?”
You nodded. “And then we get cuddles?”
Bucky and Steve shared a look of adoration, unable to handle your sweetness.
Your baba kissed the crown of your head. “Yes, baby. You’ll get so many cuddles tonight.”
~
By the time the ferris wheel finished its rotation, you were fast asleep in Bucky’s arms. He carefully exited the ride. The other avengers met you at the rooftop’s entrance to say goodnight and congratulate your daddies.
Sam clapped Steve on the back, bringing him in for a hug as he auditioned for the role of his best man. While the others playfully argued with Sam, Natasha slyly found herself at Bucky’s side. She cooed at your sleeping form, then shared a look with your Baba, knowing that her role as his best woman was secure.
Once you all got home and prepared for bed, you sat on the sofa, not quite ready to let the day end. A Pixar movie played on the TV, but no one was paying attention to it.
The three of you were enjoying the quiet as your brains processed the wonderful day.
Bucky removed himself from the cozy nest to refill your daddies’ water glasses and your sippy cup. While he was out of earshot, you tugged on Steve’s sleeve and whispered in his ear.
“Baba get his surprise now?”
“Do you think it’s a good time?” Dada asked.
You nodded enthusiastically.
“Okay,” he kissed your forehead. “I’ll be right back.”
Bucky returned with the drinks.
“Where’s Dada?” he asked, setting the cups down.
Unable to keep another secret, you simply shook your head, covering your mouth with your hands. A few giggles slipped out, leading Bucky to make a gentle attempt at prying your hands away. When you didn’t relent, he resorted to tickling you.
“Where’s Dada, huh? You don’t wanna tell Baba? Is he hiding in your ribs? Or under your chin?”
Squeals of delight filled your home as Bucky exploited your most ticklish spots.
“Dada! Help!”
Steve came back into the living room with the gift back tucked behind his back.
“What do we have here?”
Bucky ceased his movements, trapping your arms by your sides.
“Your little accomplice wouldn’t tell me where you snuck off to.”
As Steve approached the couch, Bucky helped you sit back up and fixed your tousled hair. He balked at the gift bag being handed to him.
A surprised laugh left his lips.
“What’s this?”
“Open it,” Steve grinned.
Doing as he was told, your baba reached into the bag and revealed a velvet box with a compact inside. Bucky opened the compact, his eyes widening when he saw the compass and the photo. He looked at Steve and gave him a hug and kiss.
“Thank you, Stevie.”
Bucky turned the compass in his hands, inspecting every inch and admiring Stan’s handiwork. His fingers brushed along the engraving on the back and he turned the piece over. Perfectly scrawled in your handwriting was the message “Love you and Dada forever!” followed by a heart.
Bucky pulled you into his lap and rained kisses all over you like he’d done in the morning. “You little sneak, how’d you keep secrets from both your daddies today?”
You giggled, loving the feeling of accomplishment, then let out a gasp.
“Almost forgot! I have one more!” you hopped off Bucky’s lap and ran to your room, grabbing the card from yesterday before returning.
Steve gently accepted the card from your hands. Your daddies cooed at the picture you’d drawn on the front: the three of you were holding hands over a background of rainbows, glittery stars, and hearts. Inside the card, you’d carefully written a sweet message to your caregivers. You looked away as they read it, feeling shy about your emotional outpour. You didn’t have to sit like that for too long, though, because as soon as they finished reading, your daddies brought you onto their laps for a group hug as they thanked you for the card.
“This is beautiful, baby.”
“We’re so lucky to have a little sweetheart like you.”
Steve leaned back, trying to gauge your and Bucky’s reactions.
“I know we’ve had a long day full of surprises, but I’ve got one more thing and I promise it’s the last trick up my sleeve.”
After seeing the interest on both of your faces, Steve pulled out a small box from behind the couch and gave it to you to open. Inside was your own version of the dog tags that your daddies wore. You had three tags: one with your name on it, one with Steve’s, and one with Bucky’s. Beside your gift were two additional tags with your information so your daddies could add you onto their chains.
Bucky helped you put on your new necklace while Steve put on the new additions to his and Bucky’s. They had traded tags with each other a long time ago when they first promised to always come home. Now, you were all matching.
“Thank you, Dada. Thank you, Baba.”
“Of course, sweetie.”
“Anything for you, bubba.”
“Can it be your anniversary every day?”
Your daddies laughed.
Steve cradled your face in his hands. “You really had fun today, huh?”
“Mhm. Love daddies and love everyone lovin’ daddies too!”
“It won’t be our anniversary every day, but you’ll be here to celebrate with us every time. Because you’ll love us forever, right?” Bucky asked.
You nodded. “And you love me forever too?”
Your daddies nodded.
“Forever.”
“Forever and ever.”
~
The three of you snuggled happily on the couch, enjoying this private moment with your little family. You had dozed off, but your daddies were still awake. Bucky was the one to break the silence.
“Where’d you get the compass from, Stevie?”
“Stan’s shop in Queens. Maria connected me to someone selling parts of a World War II fighter jet. Stan was the only one willing to work with the material.”
Bucky let out a low whistle. “Lotta trouble to go through for a guy like me.” His words were teasing, but his lovestruck eyes revealed how grateful he was.
Steve thought about teasing back. He could’ve brought up the hundreds of hours that Bucky spent planning for the rooftop Coney Island proposal; the laughable hypocrisy in it all. He even could’ve mentioned the years he spent searching for Bucky after he was out of the ice, not knowing how much of his lover’s heart was still left in the man. But he settled for the truth.
“You’re worth it.”
