𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜 - 𝚋𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚜

it was always you.

You Are In Love - Taylor Swift

Cara woke the next morning with a pounding headache, but the day was different. Smiling slightly, she rolled over to face Bucky, who was still asleep. Cara nuzzled her head into his sweater that she stole more than a year ago, wrapping her arm tightly around his torso. Bucky stirred slightly, pulling her closer in his sleep. He sighed slightly. Before she could fall back asleep, she was hit with a coughing attack and started violently coughing up a lung. Trying to let him sleep, she faced away from him.

"You okay doll?" Bucky's raspy voice spoke from behind her. Cara nodded, coughing even more. Bucky moved to rub her back gently, his other hand on her shoulder. "I'm gonna get you some water, okay?" Cara nodded as he left the room, appearing a minute later with a glass of water. She drank the whole thing, still coughing. Bucky felt her forehead, furrowing his brows.

"You are definitely sick." He smirked slightly, amused by her blank expression. Cara just grumbled and leaned her head forward against his chest. "C'mon, I'll make breakfast." Bucky dragged Cara to the kitchen, her following with her quilt wrapped around her shoulders. He pulled out some eggs and bread for toast, wordlessly making food. Cara just stood hugging his back. Bucky decided to hum an Ella Fitzgerald song, knowing Cara enjoyed her music. Cara smiled widely, singing softly with the song.

"Go sit down, I"ll plate it up." Bucky kissed her forehead before she sat in a bundle on the couch. He returned a minute later with two plates, two cups, and an extra piece of toast in his mouth. She immediately leaned into him after grabbing her plate.

"Did you get the letter I sent last?" Bucky asked. Cara just tilted her head.

"I have the one where you confessed to being head over heels obsessed with me?" Cara smirked slightly, making his roll his eyes and grin cheekily.

"I always am. But not that one." Bucky smiled genuinely for a moment. "You're looking at Sergeant James Barnes of the US Army." Cara gasped slightly before hugging him tightly.

"I'm so proud of you, Bucky. You deserve this." Bucky just smiled against her shoulder before pulling away.

"What do you say we go out for a bit? Get out of the house for a while to enjoy the end of the summer?" Cara pondered before nodding. Bucky smiled before digging into his food.

The air was oddly chilly, even with it being early August. The wind was crisp. The yellow knit sweater Cara wore did little to keep her warm with the wind going through the material. She reached over and leaned into Bucky. The man was a personal heater.

Both were walking in the outdoor market, but it wasn't as busy as usual with the air being colder. They walked in the same matching pace. Being out seemed to help bring Cara out of her blues a little bit, her bubbly personality coming back once again.

"Oh my god, Buck!" Cara pointed at a flower booth. "Can we go?" Cara waited for him to turn away from some gadget booth.

"You don't have to ask me sugar." Bucky just chuckled as he watched her run off giddily. Cara's eyes grazed over the flowers before an arrangement of wildflowers caught her eye. Blues and yellows tied together in the best way possible.

"The bouquet right here for the pretty lady." Bucky plucked the bouquet before pulling out his wallet to buy it. Cara just smiled widely, holding his arm.

"Thank you, Buck," Cara kissed his cheek before grabbing his bicep with one arm. Walking around a little more, they stopped in front of a nature booth. Gorgeous geodes sat in front of her.

"The big purple one is from Crater Lake." The older woman had red wire glasses and a long purple scarf. Cara hummed slightly.

"What's Crater Lake?"

"Gorgeous place in Oregon. A volcano crumbled and crashed into a basin of sort. Filled with water over time and it's the deepest lake in the US."

"That sounds awesome." Cara grazed her hands over sea glass.

"Beautiful place. There's even a small island in the center where the tip of the volcano was." The lady moved the geodes so she could see in them better.

"We should go when we're older, Buck." Bucky agreed before they walked away. Cara waved at the nice older lady.

"She was cute. I want to be a cute old lady with colorful clothes." Bucky chuckled slightly.

"I'll be the old man with the bald spot and big beer belly." He turned her around to kiss her softly.

"I want a house away from the city. Where we can have a big wrap around porch with a yellow swing and sea glass wind chimes." Cara giggled slightly when Bucky kissed her nose.

"We can spend all our days on the swing. With each other." Bucky whispered softly, his face totally relaxed. Cara reached up to kiss him. Bucky immediately returned the kiss before twirled her in the air, making her squeal.

"Buck! Put me down!" Cara laughed loudly, making Bucky let out a cheesy laugh. He set her down gently, pressing one last kiss to her cheek before they walked around a little more, when they got close the the park, Cara realized it was the park where they had their first picnic. Where he said she was all he wanted.

"I remember when I broke my lip on that sidewalk right there." Cara pointed to where they played with Evelyn and Everett. Bucky leaned down to pick a flower off the ground. A lily.

"A lily for my lily." Bucky handed Cara the flower before kissing her forehead. He looked conflicted about something. He looked stressed.

"Is everything okay?" Bucky took a deep breath before looking at Cara with a serious look in his eyes.

"I'm so in love with you Caroline Rogers." Bucky reached into his left pocket and pulled out a small white box, getting down on one knee. Cara sucked in a shaky breath.

"I remember the first time I ever saw you when I came to stay with Steve over a year ago, and I knew from the moment I met your eyes I was obsessed. Everything about you draws me to you like a magnet. I love the way you love sunrises but hate sunsets because mosquitos always eat your legs. I love the way you skip everywhere. I love how you describe everything around you as if the simplest things are special. I love how you stop to pick a flower out of the sidewalk. I love how you look at the moon every time it peeks through your window. I love everything about you and I can't imagine not spending the rest of my life with you." Cara felt hot tears stream down her cheeks. Bucky's eyes were glossy, He took in a deep breath.

"Caroline Grace Rogers," Bucky licked his lips slightly and popped open the box, but Cara was too busy looking at him. "Will you marry me?" Cara nodded profusely before wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Bucky had the widest grin she had ever seen on his face. He pulled out the dainty gold band with a small circle diamond, four tiny gems framing it to look like petals. He slipped it onto her finger before scooping her into his arms. He kissed her slowly, pouring all his emotions out. Cara felt fire in her veins as she kissed him with every ounce of her being.

So much has happened around her in the past year. Love and loss shaped her as she grew into the woman she was today, engaged to the only man she ever loved.

Bucky knew there was no way he was letting her go. He was wrapped around her finger the moment he saw her honey blonde hair and cinnamon brown eyes. She was the sun to his moon.

"I love you to the moon and Saturn."