Chapter One
1943
"Tomorrow?" I asked softly, as if questioning it over and over would make the army withdraw their assignments for the 107th infantry. Next to me sat my fiancée of six months, James Buchanan Barnes. He nodded solemnly in response to my previous question.
"We're shipping out for England in the morning." He sighed. We sat in silence for a while, our hands intertwined between us. His thumb traced soft circles over my skin. "I'm sorry, I know it means that we'll have to push back the wedding." He apologized, shaking his head. He furrowed his brow in frustration.
"Bucky, that is the last thing I want you to worry about." I said taking my hand from his and lifting his chin so he was looking at me. He gave me a soft smile before leaning forward and covering my lips with his for a soft, short kiss. He pulled away and smiled softly.
"Let's not make our last day together for a while one spent moping around. Let's do something fun." He suggested suddenly brightening the mood. I grinned and nodded eagerly. "Let's go to the Exposition Howard Stark is putting on tonight. We can invite Steve, it'll be fun." He grinned eagerly.
"Sounds like fun." I smiled back at him. "Should I call Steve?" I offered reaching for the phone.
"No, no. I'll find him. He always goes to the theater at the same time everyday to watch the news. I'm sure I'll find him there." He explained standing and grabbing his cap off the coffee table. He leaned down, seeing as I was still sitting on the couch, and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I love you." He smiled. It was a smile that reached his eyes and changed his entire face.
"I love you too." I cooed. He walked to the door, adjusting the military cap on his head. He was dressed in his uniform, as it was customary for off-duty soldiers to do, especially ones that were shipping out in a day's time.
"I'll be back soon and we can leave around seven. Is that okay?" He asked before walking out the door.
"Yes, that sounds fine." I responded. I heard the heavy wooden door to our apartment close on it's hinges followed by silence. I couldn't stand the silence, it was deafening. I wanted to seem happy for Bucky but I couldn't stand the idea of him leaving for war. It was honorable, fighting for your country, I would miss him terribly though. I wasn't going to let this bring down the mood, however. I stood and walked over to the mantle and turned on the radio. It was on a station with a trumpet-heavy, cheerful tune tinkling through the speakers. Thinking of nothing better to do I walked into Bucky and I's bedroom and opened the closet door. I began shifting through the dresses that were hung up on wire hangers. I found a black short sleeve dress with buttons on the right side of the bodice and skirt that came to just above the knee. I had bought it on a trip with Bucky to Chicago. It was going to be hard living in this apartment alone while Bucky was overseas. Everything here reminded me of him. The picture frames that littered the mantle in the living room and the walls in the entryway, all the gifts we had bought each other.
I started digging through my closet to find a pair of shoes to go with the dress I had chosen for tonight. I found a pair of kitten heels and laid them out with the dress. Once that was done I kicked my heels off and lay down on the bed, on Bucky's side. I breathed in the scent that lingered on his pillow, cherishing it. I knew it would fade soon enough and one of my last reminders of him would be gone. More of these thoughts flitted through my mind until I fell into a light sleep.
I was pulled from my light sleep by a hand falling lightly on my shoulder. I groggily opened one blue eye and saw Bucky sitting on the edge of the bed. "Hi." I yawned and sat up so my eyes met his light blue ones.
"Hi, gorgeous." He said quirking the corner of his mouth in a small smirk. He brought his hand up to my face a brushed a section of wavy brown hair out of my face. Bucky could come off as tough and somewhat cocky and confident on the outside but I knew how he really way, caring and sweet. He really only seemed to show that side of him to Steve and I.
"What time is it?" I asked with a slightly tired edge creeping in.
"About three thirty." Bucky replied glancing at the clock on his nightstand. I realized that I had wasted a few hours that I could have been spending with Bucky. I groaned and let my face fall forward into my hands. "Hey," Bucky chuckled at my melodrama. "What's wrong?" He placed a hand on my back and started rubbing soothingly.
"I wasted time that I could've spent with you." I whined, feeling stupid. Bucky simply laughed and grabbed my hand. He squeezed it reassuringly and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.
"It's okay. We still have plenty of time." He said trying to calm my nerves. I wasn't even the one that should have to be calmed. "Plus, you looked so cute when you were sleeping I didn't want to disturb you." He teased.
I used my free hand to lightly slap his arm. We both started laughing until eventually we were left in the silence, looking at each other. Bucky leaned in a pressed his lips to mine. My lips instantly reacted and started moving with his. I wrapped my arms around his neck to bring him closer and he brought his hands to my waist. We remained like this for a while until I finally pulled away and rested my forehead on his. "We should probably get ready for the Exposition. I'll go start on dinner so we can eat before we go." I stood and walked out to the kitchen. I grabbed the ingredients necessary to make chicken and started to cook.
After about an hour the dinner was finished and I placed the plates full of food on the small dining room table. I sat across the table from Bucky and we ate in comfortable silence. "Violet?" Bucky asked once he had finished his dinner.
"Yeah?" I responded once I had finished my dinner too.
"I just… want to make sure you're okay with waiting to get married. I don't exactly know when I'll be back so… I'd understand if you wanted to…" Bucky sighed but I immediately cut him off by grabbing his hands across the table.
"James Buchanan Barnes, don't ever suggest such a thing. I would wait forever if I had to." I confessed and squeezed his hand.
"Violet Brooks, I am so glad I asked you to marry me." He sighed, letting a dreamy look crawl into his expression.
"Well, I'm glad you asked." I smiled shyly. I stood from my seat and grabbed our plates off the table. After all the dishes were done I changed into the outfit I had set out for tonight. I walked out of the bedroom to find Bucky waiting, sitting on the arm of the couch. "Ready?" I asked fixing my curled hair.
Bucky looked up and quirked the corner of his mouth up in a smile. "You look beautiful." He stood and met me halfway toward the door. He wrapped his arms around my waist and gave me a short kiss.
"Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself, Sergeant Barnes." I smiled and brushed his shoulders off.
"Let's go get Steve." He grabbed my hand and led me out the door. About 15 minutes later we arrived at Steve's apartment. I felt bad for Steve. He lived alone in a small apartment outside of the city and I imagined it got rather lonely. The three of us caught a taxi to the Expositon, which was incredibly busy.
"This place is amazing." Bucky marveled at the great exhibition that was sprawled out before us.
"I heard Howard Stark is giving a special presentation in the Modern Marvels Pavilion. Let's go." I grabbed Bucky's hand and pulled him through the crowd. I looked back to see if Steve was still trailing behind us. He was close behind but struggling through the crowd.
We managed to get to the front of the crowd. Howard Stark walked out on stage with a microphone and started talking about the car that was standing behind him. He started to remove the wheels but instead of falling it started to float above the ground. A collective 'ah' rang through the crowd and I looked at Bucky to find that he was completely awestruck. A loud crash resonated through the hall and everyone's gaze snapped to the front of the presentation. The car had fallen down and I noticed that Bucky's face fell out of the corner of my eye. I chuckled slightly and squeezed his hand. He was adorable. Stark managed to make a joke out of the whole situation. He soon exited the stage and I turned to face Bucky.
"Let's go find something else to do and… where's Steve?" I paused knitting my brows together and looked around the crowd. A brief look of panic flashed over Bucky's features. A moment of sudden realization occurred and an expression that I couldn't read settled over his features.
"I think I know where he is." Bucky stated wrapping his arm around my waist and guiding me through the crowd. We started back toward the entrance but diverted to the side where there was a small building with the words 'Army Recruitment' printed on the sign hanging outside. I sighed knowing this is exactly where Steve was. We found him inside, looking at his reflection in a picture of a group of army men.
"I'll be right back. I think I should go talk to him." Bucky said releasing my hand and walking over to his friend. I lingered around the building, looking at posters hung up on the walls advertising pleas of enlistment. I managed to make out some parts of their conversation. They weren't exactly quiet in their argument.
"What do you want me to do, collect scrap metal in my little red wagon?" Steve questioned sarcastically.
"Yes, why not?" Bucky pleaded with his best friend.
"I'm not gonna sit in a factory, Bucky. Bucky, come on, there are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them. That's what you don't understand, this isn't about me." Steve explained, sounding like he was trying to keep a level head.
"All right… cause you got nothing to prove." Bucky said dismissively. They stopped talking for a while. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back." Bucky shook his head and started walking backward towards where I was standing.
"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you." Steve teased.
Bucky started walking back toward him. "You're a punk." He said sounding serious but I knew he was joking.
"You're a jerk." Steve responded, reciprocating the hug that Bucky gave him. "Be careful." Steve said watching his best friend walk away. Bucky came and grabbed my hand and we started walking out of the recruitment office. "Don't win the war 'till I get there." Steve joked. Bucky stopped and turned to face his short, blonde headed best friend. He dropped my hand and saluted. We continued walking, Bucky placing his arm around my waist. I turned and gave Steve a small wave and a smile. He returned the smile before turning away and walking back into the office. I briefly caught a glimpse of a man dressed in a dark brown suit and a striped tie. He had on a pair of wire framed glasses and was partially balding with a dark beard to contrast what little greying hair he had. He walked up to Steve and started saying something to him but that's the last that I saw before Bucky and I made it out of the pavilion.
"I worry about him sometimes." Bucky sighed.
I chuckled and rested my head on his shoulder. "I know you do. Don't worry, I'm sure he's gonna be okay."
"I'm going to miss you," I sniffed. "So much." Bucky and I were stood on the curb in front of the taxi waiting to take him to wherever it was he was going to be shipped off. I felt bad for making the taxi driver wait but then again this was the last time I was going to see my fiancée before he went to war.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I'm gonna miss you too." He smiled weakly, using the pad of his thumb to wipe a tear off my cheek. His hand remained on my cheek, not wanting to break contact. We stood like this for a moment before I stood up on my toes to connect our lips. Our lips moved in sync for a short time before I pulled away.
"I'll see you soon okay? Then we'll be getting married." He smiled down at me. I nodded and returned the smile. "I love you."
"I love you too," I whispered, afraid that if I spoke any louder I might spontaneously burst into tears. "So much."
Bucky stepped away and opened the cab door before grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
I nodded, "I'll see you soon." Bucky gave me a small smile before releasing my hand and climbing in the cab. "I love you." I said just before the door closed.
I saw him mouth I love you too just as the cab pulled away. A part of me wanted to cry seeing that yellow cab pull away, but the strong part of me was telling me not too and that he'd be back, safe and sound soon.
A/N: Thank you all so much for reading my new story! This story will be taking place in The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier and possibly Civil War when it comes out. The first ten or so chapters will take place in and around The First Avenger and then the rest of the story will be set during The Winter Solider. I really appreciate you all taking the time to read this! It means a lot! Please comment what you are thinking about this story and hopefully the next update will be out soon! Talk to you in the next chapter.
- xlovelylunax