Bucky's Anchor

Chapter 43 - A Future Together

Bucky's POV

The air was thick with the smell of dust, sweat, and burnt metal as the sounds of the battle died down. My heart was still pounding, not from fear or exhaustion, but from the simple fact that we had survived. I stood there for a moment, looking at the wreckage and chaos around me, but my mind was somewhere else—on her.

I had to find Emily.

My body moved before my brain fully caught up, my legs carrying me across the rubble-strewn ground, past broken shields and fallen enemies. My eyes scanned the faces of those around me, but none of them mattered. All I wanted was to see her face, to know that she was okay. Every second that passed without finding her felt like a lifetime.

"Emily!" I shouted, my voice raw with panic.

I saw Steve up ahead, leaning on his shield, bruised and battered but alive. I nodded to him, but I couldn't stop to talk. There was no time for that. I pushed through the crowd of people, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.

Then, I saw her.

She was standing near the edge of the battlefield, her arms wrapped around herself as if she was trying to hold herself together. Her eyes were wide, scanning the area, searching for something—searching for me.

"Emily!" I called out again, this time louder, more desperate.

Her head snapped in my direction, and the moment our eyes met, everything else faded away. I didn't care about the battle, or the fact that we had just faced down an army of impossible proportions. I didn't care about anything except getting to her.

I ran to her, my feet pounding against the ground, and before I knew it, I had her in my arms. I pulled her close, lifting her off the ground as she wrapped her arms around my neck. For a second, we didn't say anything. We just held each other, both of us shaking from the relief of having survived.

"I thought I lost you," I whispered against her hair, my voice cracking with emotion.

"I'm right here," she said, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into my chest. "I'm here, Bucky. We made it."

I pulled back just enough to look at her, my hands framing her face as I wiped away the tears that had started to fall. "I love you," I said, my voice steady even though my heart was racing.

"I love you too," she whispered, her fingers clutching the fabric of my jacket like she was afraid to let go.

And in that moment, I knew what I had to do. I knew that this was the right time—the only time.

---

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my nerves. My heart was pounding, not from fear of rejection but from the weight of the moment. This was something I had thought about for so long, something I had dreamed of, but now that the moment was here, it felt so much more real. More terrifying.

I took a deep breath and stepped back slightly, still holding onto her hands. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she looked up at me, her eyes filled with concern.

"Bucky?" she asked softly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," I said quickly, my voice trembling slightly. "Everything's perfect."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small, simple ring that I had kept hidden all this time. It wasn't much, but it meant everything to me. It was a symbol of everything we had been through, of the life I wanted us to build together.

Emily's eyes widened when she saw the ring, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes again, and my heart swelled with love for her.

I dropped to one knee, my hands shaking as I held the ring out to her. My throat felt tight, but I forced the words out anyway, needing her to hear them.

"Emily," I began, my voice thick with emotion. "You've been my light in the darkest times. You've been the one person who has always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. You've given me hope, you've given me love, and I don't want to spend another day of my life without you by my side."

She was already crying, her hand still pressed to her mouth as she stared down at me, but I kept going.

"I want to spend every moment of my life with you," I said, my voice trembling. "Will you marry me?"

---

I saw the tears streaming down her face, and for a moment, I thought maybe I had said the wrong thing, that maybe I was asking too much. But then she dropped to her knees in front of me, her hands clutching mine as she sobbed.

"Yes," she whispered through her tears. "Yes, Bucky. Yes, I will."

My breath left me in a rush, relief flooding through me. I pulled her into my arms again, holding her as tightly as I could. I felt her shaking against me, and I realized that I was shaking too. But this time, it wasn't from fear or exhaustion. It was from happiness. Pure, unfiltered happiness.

"I love you," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I love you so much, Emily. I don't even know how to put it into words. You've saved me in ways I didn't even know I needed saving."

She pulled back just enough to look up at me, her eyes still glistening with tears. "You saved me too," she said softly, her fingers brushing against my cheek. "I never thought I'd find someone like you, someone who could make me feel safe and loved all at once."

I swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. I had been through so much—so much pain, so much loss. But somehow, in the middle of all that darkness, I had found her. She was my light, my hope, my reason for fighting.

"I promise," I said, my voice steady despite the tears in my eyes. "I promise that I'll always love you, that I'll always protect you. No matter what happens, no matter what we face, I'll be right here with you."

She smiled through her tears, her fingers tangling in the fabric of my jacket. "I know you will," she whispered. "And I'll be right here with you too."

---

We stood there for a moment, just holding each other, letting the weight of the moment settle over us. The world around us felt distant, like it didn't even matter anymore. All that mattered was this—the two of us, standing together, ready to face whatever came next.

I pulled back slightly, my hands still resting on her shoulders as I looked down at her. "Are you sure?" I asked softly. "I mean, I know this is... a lot."

She laughed through her tears, shaking her head as she wiped at her eyes. "Bucky, I've never been more sure of anything in my life," she said. "I want this. I want you."

I couldn't help but smile at that, my heart swelling with love for her. I reached down and slipped the ring onto her finger, my hands still trembling slightly. It fit perfectly, and as I looked up at her, I saw the same love reflected in her eyes.

"I love you," I said again, the words feeling so natural, so right.

"I love you too," she whispered, leaning up to press her lips against mine.

The kiss was soft, sweet, and filled with all the love and hope we had for our future. It wasn't just a promise—it was a beginning. A new chapter in our lives, one that we would write together.

---

I never thought I'd get here. To this moment, where I could ask the woman I love to spend the rest of her life with me. But here we were, standing together, ready to face the future. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like everything was going to be okay.