Different as Night and Day (Winterfalcon)

The Beautiful Catastrophes Collides

*about a year ish later*

Bucky and Sam were content. They had gotten through dating, Bucky was going to the therapy (he was supposed to go to in the first place but they had gotten a bit busy if ya couldn't tell) and eventually bought a small vacation house down in Louisiana. Bucky didn't want to leave the compound all together; it had become too much of a home, but Sam convinced him to get a vacation home.

The scratching of a pencil against paper is heard, and in the Falcon's bedroom there's someone writing.

Bucky was like midnight. Dark, mysterious, yet also had its own charm and allure. Cold and filled with shadows, to some Midnight is lonely. But to others it's like paradise. Everything feared yet to just the right people he was everything like home.

Sam was the midday. Hot, fiery, yet hardworking and perseveringly kind. Human; knowing the daily struggles and sharing them with his peers in earnest. A definite contrast to Midnight's lone icy shadows; Midday is the bright sunny gaze cast on the masses.

Tony and Steve had finally started dating a little after it calmed down in the compound. They stopped the awkward sneaking off and half dating. Sam had to look at it like this: if Bucky was Midnight, Sam was Midday...

Then Steve Rogers was Morning; light, polite, and overall optimistic as always. That time between the rising sun just before responsibility tolls, the time of bliss. A breathe of fresh air in a crowded room. The energy and reason to rise.

And if Steve was Morning then Tony was like Evening. Parties, formal, everything set perfectly on a dining table. But he also had the wilder side. Clubs and thrumming electric music. And the kinder side he only let the loved ones see, sitting at home at Evening just watching a movie.

Natasha was the ever changing Twilight. Dusk. Sometimes the purple painted sky held storms and clouds of thunder, other times it was clear and kind. It was dangerously illusive: it was there one minute and the next it's gone. On the drop of a dime it could be calming, the next it was distant.

Clint was the lazy time between Morning and Midday. The kickstart of the day, but not full throttle like Midday. Not enough kindness to be light morning. The in between that wasn't quite lazy, just precisely goofy. A genuine laugh, humor in the barely up sunshine.

Bruce and Thor eventually quit the sneaking around. They announced it a little after Tony and Steve announced that they were dating.

Thor was the thunder. The storms. The calm before a hurricane, sunny skies and joy. Dangerously electric when the conditions were right.

But Bruce was the rain; kind and gentle yet it would pour buckets and belt anybody caught in the storms. The rain didn't always bring storms, sometimes it had rainbows and sunshine. But when it was just right; the heavens would cry.

Wanda was like the dawn. Caught between blissful morning joy and midnight's cold familiarity. She was torn and hadn't yet found something for herself. Her magic made her drift to darkness, but she herself wanted to be in the light of day-

"You comin Sammy?" The voice broke Sam out of his journaling, he closed the small book gently.

"I'm comin. Don't you dare burn the compound down all because of a measly cake!!" Sam got up from his bedroom, walking down the hall. He found a basically buzzing super soldier with an adorable frilly apron. Sam had told the ex-assassin a million times he didn't want anything. But did the stubborn cyborg listen? OF COURSE NOT.

"But it's your birthday!! And I know my way around a kitchen thank you very much." Bucky waved the spoon at the Falcon, a grin playing on his lips.

"Yeah yeah I know but-" before Sam could finish the elevator dinged, and out spilled the rest of the Avengers. Tony had bags of presents and Thor's voice boomed "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON OF WILL!!!"

Sam rolled his eyes but thanked everyone all the same.

Steve and Bruce each gave him a gentle pat on the back. Nat squeezed him into a rib crushing hug. Thor wasn't far behind, and if Sam didn't know any better he'd swear he heard a snap crackle or pop in his chest. Tony just gave an awkward nod, the billionaire and The Falcon had never been close.

Wanda gave him a sisterly hug. She had been having a rough few days, but refused to talk to  anyone except Nat or Clint. She looked better, but the witch was still down and it was obvious.

Eventually present opening time rolled around, after drinking games and other activities of course.

The last one to go was Bucky.

Thoughts mulled in Sam's brain. What could he have gotten?

He didn't let it bother him, he heard the elevator ding. The Falcon turns his head instinctively, but no one was there?

Sam turned back around, to find a kneeling Barnes. A delicate band in an open little black box rested in his hands.

The Falcon's breath was caught in his throat. Not the bad kinda of panic or anxiety caught; the surprised and overjoyed caught.

"Bucky..." Sam breathed the man's name, the ex-assassin simply laughed.

"Samuel Wilson. Gods I had a speech and like this whole essay I was supposed to repeat." He laughed again, looking down. When his eyes came back up they had a sapphire fire that Sam could only tear up at; because he knew that fire was for him.

"I'll just say what I think and feel. Sam you're everything to me. You saved me from so much and helped me be me again. I've come so far from the mindless soldier I was and it's all because of you. You're the reason I get up in the mornings. You're the reason I'm still alive today. " Bucky paused. A nostalgic tone glazed over his voice.

"My ma always used to tell me not to live for anybody. Don't let somebody be the only person you're alive. It's not right. Find somebody to live with. Don't complete somebody you complete yourself; find somebody who compliments you. And I did both. I found somebody who I want to spend the rest of my over-extended life with. I found somebody who compliments me and makes me better. And you do all of those things and more." His eyes had teared up and Sam could feel his own blur.

"So here I am. Getting on one knee and asking you, Sammy, will you marry me?"

Everything was silent. That same moment time gave Sam and Bucky so long ago. That same pause the world gave them for the original confession. The silence and awe in the raw confession ripped from the depths of a love stricken soul.

Sam finally let out the breath that had been caught in his throat. Overwhelming waves of passion and love rushed out of him in a single word:

"Yes." He breathed out the word, sounding breathless and the tears broke out of his eyes.

"Yes. Yes you cyborg idiot of course I'll marry you!!" Bucky got up, putting the band gently on his finger. Sam rushed him, hugging his fiancé, the Avengers were all clapping. Wanda had an actual smile, filled with joy as she talked to Nat about suits and wedding plans. Tony was looking at Steve, a far away planning gaze that nobody questioned. Steve was clapping rapidly, happy for his two best friends.

Bucky pushed back for a minute, but just gave himself enough space to pull Sam in for a kiss. It wasn't passionate and fiery, but it wasn't chaste and simple. It was complex and utterly amazing.

It was love.

Their love.

The catastrophically beautiful love that had spun Sam and Bucky together. The spiraling and eternally growing love, the love they'd nurtured, the love that had grown through every storm or flame they'd endured.

The beautiful catastrophe; of Samuel Wilson and James Buchanan Barnes.

(A/N: might need to edit this for mistakes but I guess this is it. Tysm for reading it's still odd to me that somehow this is decent writing?!?! But anywayzzzz: thank youuuuuu 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖 I might write another Domestic Avengers series which'll be random scenarios of everybody but mostly SamBucky ofc. But thanks for reading and I'll always take any suggested prompts/feedback. This is weird that this is it but I'm glad to know some people liked it.)

Alas, this is where it ends I suppose. I wish every single one of you astonishing readers a wonderful day/week/year whateva. Idek I'm bad at these lol

-Jymsin