Work Text
We were both young when I first saw you
I close my eyes and the flashback starts
I’m standing there
On a balcony in summer air
“Hold still, darling. Just one more petticoat.”Usually, Darcy loved an excuse to wear a pretty dress. They made her feel like she was more than a Lady, the daughter of a duke. But to attend a small ball in the country?“I hardy think I need more,” she protested. But the maid, Jane, wasn’t hearing any of it.In a few hours, Darcy was in a carriage heading to the large home of a relatively unknown earl. Rumor had it that he was extremely eccentric and had 6 handsome sons, 4 of which were on the market. Darcy wasn’t exactly looking for love, but she couldn’t say she wasn’t excited to at least see some of them.Jane was putting the finishing touches on her hair when they arrived at the estate. It was too large to call a house but too small to call a palace.One of the Earl’s sons, Lord Thor, met them at the door. “Lady Darcy,” he said, kissing her hand. He did the same to Jane, but his lips stayed on her hand for much longer. “There is an adjourning room for maids. I will escort you there,” he told Jane. She giggled, following him.That left Darcy alone at a ball she didn’t want to be at. After grabbing a few refreshments and shaking a few hands, she spotted an outdoor balcony. She headed towards it and leaned against the railing when she reached it. One thing she already loved about this place was the smell. Everyone, she decided, should appreciate the smell of country air.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
See the lights, see the party the ball gownsSee you make your way through the crowd to say helloLittle did I know…
From outside the party, Darcy had a much better view of what was going on inside. She could stare without being noticed, and it made for great people watching.There were many women twirling around to a lively beat on the dance floor, but none of them were of high standing. No, Darcy had her eyes on the Earl’s sons.The first one she noticed was standing next to the drinks table, pouring for and winking at every woman who came up to the table. Lord Anthony was known to be a flirt. However, it was rumored that a wealthy marquess wanted him for his daughter, Lady Virginia. Darcy had to laugh at the thought of prim and proper Virginia with wild Anthony. They could never be a match.In a corner, Lords Clint and Steve were standing with their respective dates: Lady Natasha and Lady Sharon. The ladies were engaged in conversation, and both men were smiling at them like they had hung the moon. She smiled sadly at the picture. Sometimes she wished she could know love like that.The youngest son, Lord Bruce, sat in a chair in another corner looking quite lonely. Darcy had always felt a bit bad for him once sure found out he was the least liked son. She thought he looked very nice and was about to make her way over to him when a man caught her eye.Lord James. The most handsome son, in her opinion. Now that she could see him, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.Suddenly, Darcy realized that he was getting bigger. Which meant he was approaching her. Relax, she thought. He’s only coming over to introduce himself.But the look in his eyes said something quite different.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said “stay away from Juliet”
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you please don’t go
And I said…
“Lord James. Hi. I’m-““Lady Darcy.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”She had heard a lot about him too. Namely that he was an even bigger flirt than Lord Anthony, which was saying something. And here he was talking to her! Darcy felt like she was in a dream.“I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Lord James led her to a staircase and they both sat down. “How on earth did you get the Viscount of Ebony to like you? He doesn’t like anyone, his wife included.”Darcy laughed. “Well, it really wasn’t that hard. Deep down he’s a big softie for science, so once I mentioned reading a book on astronomy we hit off.”James’ eyes went wide. “You read about astronomy?”“Yes,” she replied defensively. “My father’s library is very extensive and he encourages me to read everything, not just silly romances. Or whatever you think women should read.”He put his hands up. “I wasn’t thinking that at all. It’s just…not everyday you meet someone who has the same hobby as you.”Darcy’s eyes softened. “You like astronomy too?”He nodded, and from there they had a long conversation about everything from other planets to stars to whether or not astrology was real.“Why don’t you pursue astronomy? As a career,” Darcy asked. She had been dying to know since he’d mentioned it being only a hobby.James shrugged. “I don’t think anyone would take me seriously.”Darcy made sure to look him straight in the eyes and said, “I would.”“You know, your father warned us about you.” He took her hand and at her odd look continued, “He said you shouldn’t be sought after.”“That’s ridiculous.” Darcy loved her father, but shouldn’t that be her decision? “And it’s not at all true.”He smiled. “Really? Cause I’ve been wanting to kiss you this whole time.”She leaned in and said, “You can.”They met, and Darcy swore her lips melted. The kiss began as a soft, tentative one but grew deeper as they became hungrier. She reached up to play with his hair when suddenly the energy changed.James flew back on the step, breathing deeply. Before she could say a word he said, “I shouldn’t have done this to you.”Then he ran.“Wait!” Darcy cried. “I swear, you can’t just leave me here…” But her shouts were useless. He was gone.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Romeo take me somewhere we can be aloneI’ll be waiting, all there’s left to do is runYou’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princessIt’s a love story, baby, just say yes
Darcy couldn’t move from her spot for at least an hour. She didn’t dare go back inside now, her humiliation was practically written on her face.What was most confusing was that he was the one that had pursued her- so why did it hurt so much?After a while, she became angry. He didn’t get to run off like that without an explanation. Her father had always said she was extremely stubborn, and she was going to prove it.Darcy went back in and was the perfect guest, socializing with nearly everyone in the room. Then when the ball was almost over, she approached Lord Steve, who was known to be the closest brother to James.“Excuse me,” she said, giving him a demure smile. “Could you please inform your brother that someone would like to meet him on the back balcony? It’s urgent,” she added when his smile fell slightly. “I promise, I only want to talk to him.”Steve nodded. “I’ll do my best.”“Thank you.” Darcy said, then smiled at Lady Sharon as she whisked Steve away.Nearly ten minutes later, she saw a dark figure approaching her where she was standing on the balcony. She squared her shoulders and steeled herself for the conversation ahead.James’ face was neutral when he reached her. “Steve said you wanted to talk.”“I do.” Darcy took a deep breath and continued, “I don’t know what happened earlier, but I do know that you owe me an explanation. Running away like you did was awful of you. It can be in private if you’re scared of people seeing us together.”He opened his mouth to say something, but she held up her hand. “Let me finish. I know you’re probably very busy, but I’ll wait for as long as you need. Just tell me a place and time.”Darcy held her breath during the silence. It occurred to her how extremely silly this was: it was something that would happen in a fairytale book, not to her. But she needed him to say yes. He had to.After an uncomfortable amount of time, he replied. “If you’re able to sneak away tonight, I’ll be in the garden.”“I’ll be there.” She tried not to sound too giddy.He nodded, and as he was walking away she called out, “Wait! What time?”James looked over his shoulder. “Meet me at midnight.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
So I sneak out to the garden to see youWe keep quiet cause we’re dead if they knewSo close your eyesEscape this town for a little while
Five hours. Five hours until she sees him again.It’s going to be the longest five hours of her life.Thankfully, Darcy has plenty to distract herself. Dinner, then reading, then asking Jane for a little help with sneaking out. She promises to help if Darcy can help her see Lord Thor again. She agrees, excited to see where this romance between then will lead.Finally, after laying in bed for what felt like hours, Darcy heard the clock strike eleven. She crept out of bed, pulled on a respectable dress, and snuck out of the house. It wasn’t too hard to do without anyone noticing, and she was truly grateful to Jane for distracting the guard on duty.It took a while to find the garden once she reached the house, and she had to circle the house twice before finding the entrance.The gate was locked.Sighing to herself, Darcy hoisted herself up over the relatively short gate. The landing looked easy to stick, but a camouflaged branch made her ankle twist. She cursed under her breath and looked up when she heard a giggle.“Didn’t know you had a dirty mouth.” James stepped out of the shadows.Darcy did her best to glare at him, but it was hard when he looked so hot. “Were you standing there the whole time?”He smirked. “Maybe. You hurt?”She almost shook her head, but realized she could take this to her advantage. “A little. I don’t think I can walk on it.”“I’ll just have to carry you then.” In one fluid motion, James picked her up. Before she could laugh, he covered her mouth. “We need to be quiet until we get to the spot,” he whispered.She nodded, and was perfectly content to admire what she could see if the garden. And occasionally James’ face when he wasn’t looking.When they reached the “spot”, Darcy couldn’t keep her mouth shut. “So are you embarrassed of me? Is that why you ran?” As soon as the words came out, she cringed internally. What a way to start a conversation.James shook his head quickly. “No, not at all. I want to apologize for what I did earlier. It’s just… your father is very intimidating. I thought that by defying him, I would get us both into trouble, and I couldn’t bear to not see you again. Even though we only just met.”“I couldn’t either,” she said honestly. She still sensed a bit of hesitation though. “Is that it?” She asked carefully.He sighed. “Well, no. I have a fear of not living up to people. Mostly potential partners. Or their fathers.”Watching him shudder, as if reliving a bad memory breaks her heart. Darcy decided that her mission tonight is to make him forget about whatever bad relationships he’s had in the past.“Lay down,” she told him.“What?”“Just do it.” She lies on the soft garden floor and he follows suit. “Now close your eyes.”They lay like that, side by side, for a while, just breathing deeply. Then she asked him, “What would you be doing right now, if you weren’t Lord James?”“Hopefully I would still know you.” He found her hand and squeezed it, then continued, “I would tell everyone to call me Bucky. And I would be an astronomer, and travel the world to reach people about how big the universe is. But that they shouldn’t feel small, because everyone has a place.”Darcy was at a loss for words. “Wow. That was beautiful.”James shifted so that he’s looking down at her. “Can I kiss you?”She smiled. “Always.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Cause you were Romeo I was a scarlet letter
And my daddy said “stay away from Juliet”
But you were everything to me
And I was begging you please don’t go
And I said
Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
I’ll be waiting, all there’s left to do is run
You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess
It’s a love story, baby, just say yes
“Darcy!”The shout woke her from a dream in which she and James had spent the night together. Which wasn’t too far from the truth, but her dream and real life had ended very differently.She was still tired, since she hadn’t gotten back to bed until a few hours ago. “Jane, you know I’m still sleeping,” she grumbled.Jane ignored her. “Quick, get up,” she said, pulling dresses out of her wardrobe.“Can you please explain what’s going on?” Darcy knew her maid could be scatterbrained sometimes, but she really had only gotten two hours of sleep.She finally made eye contact once she had chosen a dress. “I think your father knows. About last night.”Darcy froze.“He’s called for you in his study,” she continued. “So hurry and get dressed. You know how he is when he has a temper.” Jane quickly helped put the dress on and sent her down to the study.Erik Selvig, Duke of Blighton, had many quirks that made it easy to tell what he was feeling. When his study curtains were closed, he was angry. When all his books were stacked neatly in the corner of his desk, he was thinking. When his usual violinist that Darcy loved was gone, she had done something wrong.This is how when Darcy walked into her father’s study, she immediately knew he was mad at her, and thinking of a way to punish her. Trying to lighten the mood she said, “Where’s the violinist, father?”“You know very well where he is,” her father snapped. “Let’s get straight to the point, shall we? Where were you last night?” Before she could get a word out he added, “And don’t lie. You’re very bad at it.”She blamed her lack of sleep for what she said next. “In bed.”Erik slammed his hand on the desk. “No, you were not! You were sneaking out to see one of the Earl’s sons.”“I was in bed all last night,” she said innocently. “You can ask Jane.”“Last night, early morning, who cares? You left the house without alerting anyone.” He was quiet for several tense minutes, then stood up and faced the window. “You are to stay in your room until I say you can come out. Jane will deliver your meals.”“Excuse me? I’m a grown woman! You can’t just lock me in my room like I’m a child!” As she said this, her hands formed fists at her sides.“As long as you behave like a child, I will treat you as such.”That was a low blow. “Sneaking out is not childish! If you hadn’t gone around telling lies, I wouldn’t have in the first place!” Darcy almost said I hate you, but decided that would only prove his point, so she settled for storming out of his study. Besides, she didn’t really hate him. He just didn’t understand her sometimes.It wasn’t terrible, staying in her room all day. There was always a stack of books on her meal tray, and she could knit for hours. Staring out the window and daydreaming was an option too.But she missed James —Bucky— horribly. Every time she picked up a book on astronomy, it reminded her of him. Looking outside made her remember his garden. Even when she daydreamed, it was usually about him.Jane had told her on the first day that Erik had forbidden everyone in the house from visiting the Earl’s house, and that no one from his house was allowed to even approach theirs. This was the only news Darcy heard until nearly a week had passed.“Darcy, you won’t believe it,” Jane said, rushing into her room. Her voice had taken on on a particular tone of dread that she had learned to associate with her father.“What happened,” she asked wearily.“Well, Thor asked me to meet him in town today.” Her cheeks flushed, and Darcy raised her eyebrows at that fact that she had omitted his title, but let her continue. “He told me his brother is terribly upset and won’t come out of his room. Apparently your father wrote him a scathing letter telling him to stay away from you, especially because of- of what he did in the war.” The last part was whispered.In the small country town, it was common knowledge that during the recent war, James had been taken control of and used by the opposing side. But Darcy had never blamed him for that. She thought her father hadn’t either, but she was wrong.Her blood was boiling. “I’m going to…” She couldn’t finish the sentence. “Jane, I have to tell him something. I’ll write him a letter.” She began looking through her desk drawer for a piece of paper. “What do I tell him?”“I don’t know, that you don’t agree with your father? And that you still care about him.” A voice deeper in the house called her. “Sorry Darcy, I need to go. I’ll be back later to help deliver your letter.”That left Darcy alone. She had always been bad at writing in school, but she had to tell Bucky what she was thinking. She wrote:
Dear Bucky,
I hope you are doing alright. I am horrified by what I heard my father tell you, but I want you to know and believe that none of it is true. Especially what happened in the war. But most importantly, I still care about you. I like you a lot, Bucky, and don’t know what I would do if I could never see you again. Don’t listen to my father. We can meet again, maybe not in your garden but somewhere equally as private. Please reply soon. I know it might take a while for me to get it, but I’ll wait for as long as you need.
Sincerely Yours Love,
Darcy
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Romeo, save me they’re tryna tell me how to feel
This love is difficult, but it’s real
Don’t be afraid we’ll make it out of this mess
It’s a love story, baby, just say yes
By the time Darcy had gotten a reply from Bucky, her “room arrest” was long over. She was allowed to go anywhere in the small town as long as one of the guards went with her.It wasn’t an ideal situation, but she made the best of it. She visited a few old friends, did some charity work, made an appearance at few balls. None were as fun as the first one she went to that summer.Darcy found it strange that she missed him so much. She’d only seen him twice, but had felt an unexplainable connection between them.Fate must have been on their side, because the one day she’d been allowed to go out without a guard (they’d all been sick) she ran into Bucky’s brother Lord Clint, and Lady Natasha.Before she could even say hello, he began talking. “I knew you’d be here! Bucky’s been really mopey since he got your letter. He wanted to respond but didn’t know how to get it to you. But Nat had the great idea of going into town and finding you-““For the record,” Lady Natasha interrupted, “my idea was to inconspicuously bump into you so the letter ended up in your hand, in case your father or someone else was around. The ‘yell at her for everyone to hear’ part was all him.”Lord Clint glared at her, but lovingly. “Either way, the note gets to you.” He handed her an envelope with the letters JB on in. “Make sure nothing happens to it, because we went through a lot of trouble for this.”“I won’t.” Darcy cleared her throat. “Thank you.”“No problem,” Lady Natasha replied. She leaned in and whispered, “Don’t be too hard on him. He’s doing his best.” After straightening up she added, “And he’s technically my brother, so remember that.”“Nat! Are you saying you want to get married?”She sighed. “I never said that.” Looking at Darcy she said, “Don’t forget.”Darcy gulped. “I won’t.” She would never admit it, but she had always been a little scared of Natasha. She had trained with with the top ballerina company in the country, The Red Room. Most other ballerinas looked graceful when they danced, but Natasha looked almost deadly.She couldn’t get home fast enough to read the letter. Once she was safe in her room, she locked the door and opened the envelope.
Dear Darcy,
I know the right thing for both of us to do is forget we even met. But that would be impossible, at least for me. Don’t worry too much about what your father said to me, I try not to take those things personally. I’m not sure when we’ll be able to see each other again, but when we do I know just the spot. There’s a clearing right outside of town that I go to often. It’s the only place nearby where I can see all the stars spread out in the sky. It reminds me of you, and the night in the garden. So maybe, just maybe, our stars will align and we’ll find each other there on the same night.
Thinking of you always,
Bucky
Darcy read the letter five times, then cried herself to sleep. When she woke up, it was half an hour until dinner, so she quickly wrote a note for Bucky.
Bucky,
I’m so glad we feel the same way. Everyone in the house (except Jane of course)keeps telling me to forget you, or that we were a doomed from the start, but they’re wrong. It’s hard, loving you. But I feel something, and i can’t stop. I’m not scared for us, because I know we’ll leave this mess behind us one day, when we’re together. Keep hoping for it.
Love,
Darcy
The clock struck six, and Darcy ran downstairs for dinner. But not before slipping the note to Jane to be delivered.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
But I got tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town
And I said…
It wasn’t hard for Darcy to find the spot Bucky had mentioned in his letter. Even though the town was mostly farmland, it was completely surrounded by trees. One spot had been cleared ages ago and nothing had been planted, leaving it the perfect spot for star gazing.She went at least once or twice a week, sometimes at night and sometimes during early morning. Only three times did she see Bucky, and each time was even better than the last. They talked for hours, about everything and nothing. She told him about life in city, and he told her about his family, and growing up with five brothers.The third time they met, Darcy was quite nervous. She had been thinking about something all day, but couldn’t bring herself to say it.Bucky knew her well though, and after ten minutes he could tell something was wrong. “Are you alright?” He asked.They were lying on their backs, side by side, and Darcy turned to face him. “Nothing’s wrong. I just…”. She trailed off, not knowing what to say.“Whatever it is, you can tell me.” She could tell he truly meant it.“I want you to come to my house,” she blurted out.“What?”She closed her eyes and made a face. “I don’t think you should be scared of my father anymore. And I want you to to…see my room.” It was a lame reason, but she had been itching for him to see her house. She’d pictured him there a dozen time, and she didn’t think it was fair that her father was dictating what they did in their relationship.“You’re right.” She almost didn’t hear him say it. “I should be scared of him. I’ll come.”Darcy sat up grinning. “Really?”“Yes.” He sat up next to her and kissed her forehead. “I’d do anything if it makes you happy.”Darcy spent the next week walking on eggshells, waiting for a knock on the door. The knock that would change everything.After that, it was harder to be excited. Was he actually going to come? She thought about sending another letter, but didn’t want to seem desperate. It was starting to annoy her, the fact that everything in their relationship had to be initiated by her.Soon, there were only four days until Darcy went back to the city. She’d told Bucky the date, dreading having to leave him and go back to her lessons. But now she was almost looking forward to it. At least it would be easier to forget him there.“Are you alright, Darcy? You’ve barely eaten any of your food,” her father asked. They were back on speaking terms now, but she still had a little resentment over what he’d said to Bucky.“I’m fine,” she responded.It looked like he was going to say something else, but suddenly there was a commotion in the front room. A guard rushed into the room. “Sir Erik, you’re needed right away.”“Of course.” The two exited the room, leaving Darcy alone.The silence was deafening. She had to get out of the house. “I’m going into town,” she said to no one, then left through the back door.It was nice to get some fresh air, but after walking around for only five minutes she ran into Lady Sharon.“Darcy! I’m so glad I ran into. Bucky wanted to tell you something, but-““I don’t care about Bucky anymore,” she replied, trying to look like she had made up her mind.Lady Sharon frowned. “You don’t mean that.”“I do,” Darcy said, but her voice wobbled, giving her away.
Sharon raised her eyebrows. “He wanted to say,” she continued, “that he wants to meet you in ‘the spot’ tomorrow at midnight. I don’t know what that means, but it seems important.”“Freaking midnight again?” Darcy muttered to herself, then sighed. “Alright. Tell him I’ll meet him there.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Romeo, save me, I’ve been feeling so aloneI keep waiting for you but you never comeIs this in my head, I don’t know what to thinkHe knelt to the ground and pulled out a ringAnd said…
In the end, it was Jane who dragged Darcy out of bed at eleven o clock and got her dressed. “I swear you’re still a child sometimes.”“Jane, I told you I changed my mind. I’m not going,” Darcy whined“You can’t just give up like that.” Jane grabbed a hairbrush and went to work on her hair. “If he’s making an effort, then you should too.”“You have to come too. I’m not going by myself.” She winced as Jane pulled her hair back.“Of course.”Twenty minutes later, Darcy was leading the way to the spot. “You know what? I’m not going to mope and cry,” she decided suddenly. “I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.”“That’s the spirit! Just don’t be too hard on him. He’s been going through stuff too.”That made her stop in her tracks. “How do you know that?”She turned red. “Well, me and Thor have been talking. Kind of a lot. He’s nice, I promise,” she protested when Darcy gave her a look.“Well, I guess not all the Earl’s sons can’t communicate.” They resumed their walk, and soon they were in the empty patch of land.“Whoa.” Jane tilted her head back and spun in a circle. “This is beautiful. You have to admit, this is a pretty good place to be in the middle of the night.”“Thanks.” The deep voice startled the girls. They both turned to face Bucky, who was holding a bouquet of wild daisies. “Hi, Darcy,” he said, handing it to her.“Hi yourself,” she said icily, snatching the flowers and promptly handing them to Jane. “Where the hell have you been? You said you would come.”“I did-““You don’t get to talk yet! Do you know how awful and alone I’ve felt these last few weeks? I waited and waited and waited, but you never came. Do you know how horrible that is? Well I’m not waiting forever.” She stopped to take a breath and Bucky spoke.“Darcy, I- I’m sorry. I just-““Just what?” She started to cry. “Tell me right now. Was I making this up? This…thing between us?”“No.” Bucky said sharply. “Just please let me explain.” She nodded, and he continued. “When I first met you, I thought you were perfect. There was a lot going on at home, and my dad had thrown the ball as a distraction. I did something awful to Tony, and it caused a whole division. I felt terrible about it. You made all that seem like nothing, though. I could talk to you for hours without getting tired, and I wanted to see you more.“But all I could think about was what your dad had said to me, and I couldn’t help but think he was right. Steve talked me out of that, and I asked Clint and Nat and Sharon to help with the messages. I couldn’t go myself, I was too scared after I went to your house…”“You came to my house? No,” she shook her head. “I don’t know what to think.”“Then don’t. Just listen to the rest of what I have to say.”But she couldn’t hear what he was saying. She was too focused on the fact that he was kneeling down and pulling a ring out of his pocket.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be aloneI love you and that’s all I really knowI talked to your dad, go pick out a white dressIt’s a love story, baby, just say yes
“Bucky?” Darcy could hardly hear herself, or believe that this was real. “What are you doing?”“You said you didn’t want to be away from me anymore, and that your dad shouldn’t make decisions for you. So this is the solution.”Darcy couldn’t breathe. “So we just, get married? What about my father? He wouldn’t allow it.” She told herself to be reasonable and think rationally, but the thought of being married to Bucky made her elated.“I already asked him. When I went to your house yesterday,” he said, still on one knee.She started to connect the dots. “So that’s why he was called away…oh my goodness. You must’ve been so scared.”But he shook his head. “I just walked in and asked him if I could marry you. He threw a fit, at first. But then he said he liked my spunk and if I really loved about you, I could ask.”Darcy snorted. “Spunk. That’s a funny way to put it.” Then she thought about what he said. “Wait. You said you love me.”“I do. And I understand if it’s too early for you, or if you want to wait-““No.” Darcy got down so she was eye level with him. “I’m done waiting. I want to be your wife.”He grinned. “You want to do the whole thing, with a white dress and everything?”“Yes. Of course.”Bucky smiled, and slipped the ring on her finger. Then he stood up and pulled her into a hug. “I’m so happy.”“So am I,” she said, crying into his neck. “I love you too.” She went to kiss him but was interrupted by someone clearing their throat.“I’m really happy for you guys, but maybe we should go? It’s getting cold and I’m really tired.” Poor Jane was still holding the bouquet and standing awkwardly to the side.“Aw, thanks Jane.” Darcy gave her a hug. “You can go back home. Just make sure to let father know I’m safe.”Jane raised an eyebrow. “Where will you be going?”She only smiled in response. “Hey, do you want to be my maid of honor? Or maybe we can have a double wedding,” she said slyly.All she did was glare.Bucky took her hand. “Come on, Darcy, stop hassling her. Let’s go home.”“Home.” She squeezed his hand as they began walking. “I like the sound of that.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Cause we were both young when I first saw you
Darcy’s dress ended up being a darker cream color, not white. Her father had been upset, but she hadn’t let that bother her. The cream dress was the one for her, and she was done letting him make decisions for her.She’d also opted to leave her hair in long, loose waves. Jane had lamented over that until Darcy asked her to be her maid of honor. Then she cried for hours.Looking out the window of the Earl’s (her soon-to-be father in law) house, she thought for the thousandth time about how nice it would be to get married outside. She had always hated the idea of being wed in a stuffy church. Luckily, it was a beautiful day outside and there was just the right amount of people gathered to make it feel homey.On the right side was some of her family and a few friends from the city. She was lucky to have such understanding friends who hadn’t freaked out when she told them she was marrying someone she’d only known for a few months.The left side was reserved for Bucky’s family, who Darcy had gotten to know quite well over the past few weeks. Bruce, who’d actually become her favorite brother besides Bucky, was talking to Thor. He kept glancing up at Jane, who was standing next to the makeshift altar as the only bridesmaid. Natasha and Sharon were whispering to each other, next to Clint who was making faces at Steve, on the other side of Jane. Next to him sat Tony… and Lady Virginia. Darcy sighed to herself when she saw that he had turned around and was flirting with the girl behind him, but Virginia whacked him in the arm and he immediately faced the right way. She would smack some sense into him, Darcy thought. At the end of the row was the Earl, Phillip Coulson, who was shaking his head. Most likely at his immature but lovable children.“Are you ready?” Her father’s voice shook her from her thoughts. She nodded, and he opened the door for her to walk down the “aisle”.Darcy made her way down to the altar, not feeling bad at all that her father would watch from the house. He had still voiced some concerns about them getting married, and this way he was less likely to cause a scene.Afterwards, everyone swore they didn’t see her trip. But she nearly did three times, because she got distracted looking at Bucky. He was so beautiful, and the smile on his face made her feel beautiful too. I’m marrying him. The thought made her smile, and it was thrilling to know that after today, they would spend every day of their lives together.The ceremony would forever be a blur in her memory. She could only remember Bucky’s smile, and repeating something the officiant said. Then kissing him, and the whoop from the crowd.“It’s official now, you know,” she said as they walked back down the aisle together. “You’re stuck with me for the rest of you life.”He responded by kissing her again. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” SIXTEEN YEARS LATER… Darcy made a face as she tasted the punch. “It’s way too sweet.”“No, it isn’t.” Her son was pretty good at lying, but she was better at detecting it.“It is. What did you do, Peter?”“Nothing.”A voice from another room cried, “He dumped another cup of sugar in the pitcher!”“Pam! You said you wouldn’t tell!” Peter raced off in the direction of his twin’s voice.“I’m gonna kill him,” Darcy muttered as she felt arms wrap around her waist.“You wouldn’t. In fact, you’ll probably save the whole pitcher for him,” Bucky said as he gave had a kiss on the cheek.She laughed. “You’re right.” Picking up the jug, she began to walk to the kitchen. “Do you think Sharon and Steve will bring Theo?” Their son was nearly seventeen, and just as tall as his father.“Probably. Why?”“You’re acting like you haven’t seen him making eyes at Sarah during church,” she replied, giggling.Bucky grunted. “They’re way too young to be doing anything like that.”Darcy sighed lovingly. “We were young too. When we first met.” Laughter filled the room as Peter and Pam ran in the room, chasing each other and screeching.“That we were,” he agreed, pulling her into a hug. “I like our little family.”“I like it too,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “And I love you.”“Love you too.”