A year to Remember. Part 3, The Conclusion

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Steve's not been doing well. He had his six monthiversary with Bucky last Thursday and has been more anxious than ever since. "Why is this so hard", he mumbles walking through the front. It was now Monday and the 5th day of his panic.

Not to say that their celebration was bad, Steve loved every second of it, and therein lied the problem. Steve's still beating himself over it, "why can't I figure this out", he grumbles speeding up the stairs. The elevator was too slow. "You love him, you know you love him and you want to do this but then why is it so scary!", he barks.

"Hopefully he can help".

*knock knock knock*.

Scattered footsteps are heard before the loose curled, messy teen answers it. "Mr Steve? What are you doing here?". Peter moves letting him walk in, his previous anxiousness coming with him as he paces through the dining room. "I need your help", he was gonna start digging a moat inside their carpet with his footsteps.

"Steve, please come sit", Peter is able to drag him to the couch, Steve's feet still moving and tapping the floor. He was sat, but no less anxious. "Steve", Peter starts with a calm, relaxed and welcoming voice, "I need to know what's happening before I can help".

Focusing on his breathing, quieting his body, Steve places all his focus on relaxing and stilling his feet before he starts explaining. "You know Bucky?- of course you know your Uncle Bucky you got us together, anyways, so you know how I love him?-", he pauses, realising Peter knew this well, changing his approach. "We've been together for 6 months, just celebrated that, and-"

He takes another deep breath. "I love him, so much. I know what it's like to lose him and I never want to go through that again. So I want... I want to ask him to marry me". Peter was comfortingly holding his hand with his left, using his right to massage Steve's shoulder as he spoke. At the word 'marry', Peter freezes, jaw dropping; now he was the one focusing on his breath so as to not start jumping about.

"I-it's not too quick right? You'd think he'd say yes? Is this even a good idea?", Steve airs out some insecurities before Peter can act again, tightening his hold of arm and shoulder to steal the Captain's attention. "Are you kidding?!?! He'd love that! That's amazing!". Steve relaxes, melting back onto the couch. "And no. You two are 104, have spent decades together, and you love each other. It's a great idea". That part's out of the way, Steve plotzing overjoyed by Peter's assurance, but. "Please don't tell anyone, I want it to be a surprise and also haven't planned much".

Waving Steve off, smirking, Peter replies. "I kept your asking him out, your coming out, everything secret. No one will know". Steve nods, happy with the conformation. "So, what do you need my help for?".

On his phone, he already had the answer: a list of jewellerys. "I wanted you to help me pick a ring. You've always got great advice for presents and that, and this needs to be perfect". Overjoyed times 2, Peter can't stop nodding excited. "I got a couple places around here, if you're free today?".

"Yes", Peter answers, though he realises one more issue, "but you can't go out like that". Steve was wearing one of his compression shirts, jeans, only using a pair of shades and baseball cap to hide. "You walk like that into a jewellery and it'll be on the news before you can get back to the tower. There goes the surprise".

Steve frowns at the criticism of his outfit choice, following Peter to a hallway by the back, stopping by a storage closet. "He was roughly your height, might not be the best fit but it'll work". He pulls out a box labelled with sharpie as 'Ben's old clothes'. Steve's heard of him, their peter. "Are you sure? You don't have to, I couldn't-".

"It's fine Mr Steve, you need a disguise and no one's using them. Besides, we gotta get you a ring". He's still not 100% comfortable with the idea of using Ben's clothes, worried for Peter who gave him no choice.