Warning- Fluff, angst. realization.
After his parents left, Bucky was restlessly and desperately trying to call Peach on her phone.
Bucky's heart sank when he looked around the living room and noticed Peach's phone lying on the coffee table. She had left it behind in her haste to leave, and he couldn't call her to apologize.
He picked up the phone, looking at the screen. It was ringing, but of course, there was no response. She was probably already at Wanda's. He put the phone back down, feeling even more guilty and frustrated than before.
Bucky was still pacing around the apartment, unable to calm his thoughts. He couldn't stand the silence and solitude any longer. He needed to talk to someone, to get a different perspective on the situation.
He picked up his phone and called Steve, hoping he wasn't busy.
Steve sat down next to him, still in shock. "God, Buck," he said, shaking his head. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?" He sounded a bit scolding, but his eyes were filled with more concern than anger.
Bucky closed his eyes, leaning back against the couch. "Yeah, I know," he muttered. "I royally screwed up. Big time. I hurt Peach. And I don't know how to fix it this time."
Steve took a moment before responding, letting the pieces fall into place. "Wait a minute," he said suddenly, realization dawning. "Is this why you've been so...happy lately? All smiley and all that?"
Bucky looked at Steve, his expression sheepish. "Yeah," he admitted. "Peach makes me happy. She's just...she's different. She understands me, and she's so good to me, even when I don't deserve it. She has made me realize, that I don't have to be serious all the time. I can find happiness, in even smaller things in life. I don't have to be what my parents want me to be..."
Bucky ran a hand through his hair again. "But tonight, I let her down," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "I stood there like a coward and let my parents insult her right in front of me. I let her leave without saying a word. I've been a total prick."
Steve could see the pain and frustration in Bucky's eyes, and he understood. He had seen firsthand how controlling and critical Bucky's parents could be.
"Bucky," he said, his voice gentler now. "It's okay. It's never easy standing up against your parents, especially when they're like that. So...you have fallen in love with Peach, huh?"
Bucky nodded, a small, sad smile playing on his lips. "Yeah," he said hoarsely. "I have. I love her. I didn't want to, I tried so hard to not fall for her, to not get so attached."
He looked at Steve, his eyes filled with pain. "But I can't help it. She's just...she's everything I've ever wanted, but didn't know I needed. And now I've royally screwed it all up."
Steve sat silently, listening to Bucky's confession with a mixture of concern and understanding. After a moment, he asked, "Have you tried talking to her?"
Bucky shook his head, looking down at his hands in his lap. "No," he said quietly. "I couldn't. After what happened at dinner, she stormed out, and she didn't even take her phone. And honestly, I don't blame her. I wouldn't wanna talk to me either."
Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You gotta talk to her, Buck," he said firmly. "You gotta apologize and make things right. She's important to you, yeah?"
Bucky nodded, his expression one of determination now. "She is," he affirmed. "More important than anything, anyone else. I need to fix this. I need to make things right with her. Tomorrow we are getting annulled, maybe I can get to talk to her before that."
Steve clapped a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "You got this, man," he said encouragingly. "Go talk to her, and make things right. And if you mess up again, I'm gonna knock some sense into you. And seriously, STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR PARENTS!"
Bucky chuckled weakly at Steve's last words. "Yeah, I know," he said, his voice a bit steadier. "I gotta stop letting my parents get to me. But it's not easy to break a habit of a lifetime, you know?"
"I know," Steve said with a nod. "But you gotta do it, for your own sake. And for Peach's. You want her in your life, right?"
"More than anything," Bucky replied, his voice firm and resolute. "I can't lose her. And I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make things right with her. I have fallen in love with her, Steve. I need to tell her, how I feel."
Steve smiled at Bucky's determination. "That's the spirit," he said approvingly. "Go get your girl. I have faith in you. And as for your parents? I'm pretty sure you'll explode at them."
Bucky laughed, the first genuine laugh he'd had since dinner. "Yeah, I probably will. But I don't care. I've spent way too long caring about what my parents think of me. It's time I start living for myself, on my own terms."
Steve grinned, clapping Bucky on his back. "Good man. Now, you fix things with Peach, first thing tomorrow morning, and we'll see if I can come up with some strategy to deal with your parents. Now try to get some rest."
Meanwhile, Peach was pacing back and forth in Wanda's living room, the anger and frustration from the evening's events still coursing through her body. She had told Wanda everything, about the drunken marriage, the dinner, Bucky's inaction, how she had left.
As she spoke, Wanda listened, her expression one of shock and concern. She knew how much Bucky meant to Peach, and she could see how hurt Peach was by the evening's events.
"And his parents!" Peach exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I don't think I've ever met someone as judgmental and annoying as them. They act like they're so perfect, but they're just assholes. They were so rude, they just kept going on and on about how I'm not 'on their level' because I'm not rich like them or something."
Peach stopped pacing for a moment, looking at Wanda. "But you know what?"
Wanda shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips at Peach's words. She could tell how riled up she was, and she didn't blame her. Bucky's parents did sound like a handful.
"The worst part is," Peach continued, starting to pace again. "Despite all their criticism, I still think Bucky looks hot. I know, I know, it's crazy. But that haircut I gave him? Made him look adorable. And that stubble of his...it suits him."
Wanda couldn't help but laugh at Peach's frustration. "Oh man, you really have it bad, don't you?" she teased lightly. "You know this whole situation is a mess, right?"
Peach looking at her with a confuse expression, "what?" Peach then started to ramble, "I just care about him. He is different from the men I have seen in my life. He is so shy and fun when loosen up. He is a really good man, kind and I love him and I want him to be happy!"
Peach was so lost in her rant about Bucky, she didn't realize what she had just confessed. It wasn't until she said the words "I love him" that she froze, the realization of what she had just said dawning on her.
Wanda, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but burst into laughter at Peach's shocked expression. "You did not just say that," she managed to get out between laughs. "Oh my god, you hadn't realized, you love him?"
Peach blushed furiously, burying her head in her hands. "I can't believe I said that out loud," she muttered into her palms. "I...I didn't even realize I..."
She trailed off, her thoughts a jumble. She hadn't even processed her feelings for Bucky yet, and now they were confirmed. She did love him. For real.
Wanda, sensing her friend's internal turmoil, sat down beside her and patted her back. "It's okay, Peach," she said warmly. "It's okay to love him. But what are you gonna do about it?"
Peach lifted her head from her hands, her cheeks still pink. "I don't know," she said honestly. "I mean, look at the mess we're in. We got drunk and married, his parents don't even know about us, and to top it all off, we're getting an annulment tomorrow."
Wanda raised an eyebrow. "And you still love him?"
Peach sighed, sinking back onto the couch. "Yeah, I do," she said quietly, a mixture of sadness and defeat in her voice. "I fell in love with the idiot, and now I don't know what to do. I don't even know if he loves me too?"
Wanda put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "But you want him to love you back, right?" she asked gently.
Wanda squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Peach, you never know unless you try," she said gently. "You have to talk to him. Tell him how you feel, and see how he responds. But you won't know if you don't communicate."
"I left my phone at his place and I can't go back...I don't know if his parents are still there." Peach pouted.
Wanda patted Peach's back sympathetically. "Yeah, that's a bit of a problem," she said, a small frown on her face. "You don't want to run into his parents again, that's for sure. But you gotta get your phone back, right? You need it. You can use it as an excuse to go back or...maybe you can talk to him tomorrow, when you meet for the annulment."
Peach considered this for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought. "Yeah, you're right," she said finally. "I do need my phone. But going back to his apartment isn't a good idea, not with his parents being there. I don't want to deal with them again. I'll go over there, in the morning to talk to him."
Wanda nodded. "That's probably for the best," she agreed. "You'll have time to collect your thoughts and what you want to say to him. But just remember, you need to be honest with him about how you feel. You can't keep everything bottled up, it'll drive you crazy."
Peach nodded, a determined look in her eye. "Yeah, I know," she said, wiping away the tears that were now dried on her face. "It's just...I'm scared. I'm scared of his response. What if he doesn't feel the same way? Then what?"
Wanda shrugged, her voice gentle yet firm. "Then you'll have to accept it, no matter how much it hurts. But at least you'll have tried. And who knows, he might surprise you. But you won't know until you talk to him, right?"
Peach nodded, taking a deep breath. "You're right," she said, her voice a little steadier now. "I need to talk to him. I need to know how he feels, and if he doesn't feel the same, then at least I've tried, like you said. It's not going to be easy though.
Bucky couldn't sleep. The guilt about not standing up for Peach was like a weight on his chest, pressing down harder with every passing minute. He kept picturing her face, the hurt in her eyes, how she must be feeling right now.
His parents' words echoed in his head too, their disapproval of Peach, their insistence that he needed someone 'better'. But he knew he didn't want anyone else. He only wanted Peach.
Peach tossed and turned in Wanda's guest bed, her thoughts swirling in a mixture of anger and frustration. Everywhere she looked, she saw Bucky's face. His wide grin, his bright eyes, the way his face lit up when he saw her. And that thought only led back to his parents.
She muttered curses under her breath, directing all her anger and frustration at them. How they had ruined everything. How they had come between her and Bucky.
Bucky lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling in the darkened room. His mind was racing, replaying the events of the day. The almost-kiss with Peach replayed in his mind over and over, a vivid memory that sent his heart racing.
The memory of their almost kiss filled her thoughts, adding to her frustration. They had been so close to something more, something real. But his parents had come barging in, shattering the moment and leaving her feeling shattered too.
"Those assholes," she muttered, punching her pillow in anger. Why did they have to ruin everything?"
Wanda's voice suddenly rang out from the other room, startling Peach from her thoughts. "Go to sleep, Peach!" she called out firmly.
Peach groaned in response, burying her head under the pillow. Easier said than done, she thought. How was she supposed to sleep when her mind was racing like this?
Bucky kept wondering what would have happened, if he had just gone with his instincts and kissed her. Would she have accepted it? Would things have developed differently between them?
As Peach stared at the ceiling, she couldn't help but think about what the night could have been like. Bucky and her, chatting about everything and nothing. Laughing, smiling, their bodies close together. They were supposed to talk about what came next, after the annulment. Was this just going to be a one-time thing? Were they going to continue seeing each other after this?
The questions swirled in her head, each potential answer filling her with equal parts excitement and uncertainty.
Bucky couldn't stop thinking, how yhey were supposed to spent the night together, as husband and wife before the big day tomorrow.
Peach gritted her teeth, her anger flaring up again as she once again thought about Bucky's parents. "Those god-damn parents of his," she muttered, punching her pillow again. "If they hadn't ruined everything, Bucky and I would be together right now. We'd be planning for our future."
Wanda, shouted again from her room, "Yeah maybe he would have put a baby in you! For love of god go to sleep and murder his parents in your dream!"
Peach blushed furiously, her mind immediately going to places it shouldn't. But as the thought of Bucky putting a baby in her filled her mind, she realized Wanda had a point. Maybe things could have gone further tonight, if it weren't for his parents.
Her blush deepening, she yelled back at Wanda, "Not helping! And yes, I will murder them in my dream!"