A/n Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing- it means a lot! I'm going to try to update once a week, but realistically it will be every week and a half or so. Hang in there though, I promise that I will update! Also, about halfway through this chapter, I switch to a "narration POV". For some reason, I can't remember what it's called, so if you know what that is, please review/message me and let me know! Most of the story will be from Y/n's POV, but every now and then I want Steve or Bucky's take so I'll switch to that "narration POV". Okay, enough from me. Enjoy :)

"Listen, I didn't mean to offend you!" Steve puts his hands up in a gesture of innocence. "All I was saying was that the movie's a bit gory and I wouldn't want you to get upset."

"Get upset," you huff in playful outrage. "Get upset! I'll have you know, Steve Rogers, that last month I applied to nursing training and I received my acceptance letter earlier this afternoon. So blood, gore, and horrors come my way! I can handle it all," you smirk at Steve over your shoulder.

Grinning, Steve stops walking. "Y/n, nursing training? That's amazing, c'mere!"

A joyful laugh bubbles from you as you let Steve throw his skinny arms around you in a weak but familiar hug. Once he lets go, you resume walking.

"Thanks, Steve. I'm really excited for it." Your playfulness returns, and you nudge Steve in his side. "Now I can finally patch you up after all those stupid fights."

He rolls his eyes. "You know, one of these days, I'm going to win one."

You smirk. "Sure, sure."

There's a pause. You exhale and try your best to seem nonchalant. "So, where's Bucky?"

Steve doesn't look at you. "He has a date."

"Oh." You play with your fingers.

Steve glances at you from the corner of his eyes. "Does that bother you?"

"No, no," you're quick to reassure him. "I just wanted to share the news about nursing training, that's all." Bucky had been going on a lot of dates recently, and it had been making you feel a bit left out. Of course you love spending time with Steve, but it's been weeks since you've seen Bucky for more than three minutes, let alone had a conversation with him.

Sensing your shift in mood, Steve kindly offers you his arm. Smiling at his gesture, you take it, looping your arm through his.

"We'll catch him at some point, don't you worry. Eventually, he'll run out of girls to chase and will have to pay attention to us!"

You chuckle. "Well, we are more interesting than most of them."

Steve shakes his head. "'Cept for that circus acrobat." He whistles lowly. "She's probably more captivating than either of us can ever hope to be."

You smirk. "In Bucky's eyes, sure."

"Hey." The voice comes from behind you. The two of you whip around, Steve instantly looking in suspicion.

"'Ey, over here, sweets." The thick Brooklyn accent is matched with a tall man leaning casually against the side of a building. He has dark hair and olive-toned skin with sharp cheekbones and a well-defined jaw. You can't help but notice how attractive he is.

"Can I help you with something?" Steve's tone is polite but firm, his hands crossed over his chest.

The man shakes his head. "Not talking to you." He jerks his head in your direction, looking you up and down. "He your boyfriend, sweets?"

Stunned by the attention and the man's forward approach, you mutely shake your head.

"And, uh," the man pushes himself off the wall and walks slowly towards you. Steve eyes him warily. "You free Friday night?"

"Yes." Your voice comes out softly. You clear your throat.

Coming to a stop right in front of you, the man grins. "Well, I'm Joe. And I'd love to take you to see a movie."

You can feel Steve's eyes on the two of you, but you keep your eyes locked on Joe's face. He's so cute. And he's talking to you!

A slow smile spreads across your face. "Well, I'd love to go." Your voice is still shy, but you manage to look him directly in the eyes when you accept his invitation.

Joe smiles and rubs his jaw. "Great. Friday, at five? I'll pick you up at…?" His voice trails off and you realize he's waiting for your address. You give it to him and point helpfully in the direction of your home.

"Alright." A lovely smile spreads across Joe's face. "I'll see you Friday at five, sweets." He inclines his head in goodbye and ambles away in the opposite direction of your apartment.

You wait until he's turned the corner to let the huge smile take over your face.

Steve slowly nods his head, looking at the ground. "First date. Big deal."

You roll your eyes. "Oh, Steve, don't be so serious all the time!" Looping your arm through his once more, you pull him to a walking pace. "This is exciting-be excited!"

Steve offers you a smile that's clearly faked, so you drop your arms and huff. "Alright, alright." Steve reaches for your arm and you smile. "I just don't know him is all, so I don't know if I can trust him."

You shrug your shoulders. "Of course you can trust him. He seems nice."

Steve looks like he wants to say something else, but then decides against it. Wanting to focus on your excitement rather than Steve's suspicion, you let it go. After five more minutes of walking, you reach your front door. You turn to face Steve, resting your hands easily on his shoulders since you're about the same height.

"Really, Steve, please don't be worried. Everything is going to be fine, I can feel it. Besides," you squeeze his shoulders playfully, "I have you and Bucky to beat him up if he turns out to be garbage."

At this, Steve throws his head back and laughs, nodding in agreement. "You do have that." He sobers a little and offers you a small smile. "Always."

You smile your thanks and tell him goodnight.

When your parents arrive later that evening, you tell them about your date. They're excited, and your mom rushes to help you put together the perfect outfit. As you twirl in front of the mirror, your dad offers you an encouraging smile.

Narration POV

It's Wednesday, and Steve and Bucky are hanging out in Steve's apartment. They throw a football back and forth, Steve dropping it more than he catches it, and chat.

"Did you have fun last night," Steve asks. "Tuesday is kind of a weird night for a date."

Bucky shrugs. "It was when she was free. The club has her working most nights."

Steve lets his arms drop and shoots Bucky a disapproving look. "A showgirl, Buck? Really?"

Bucky grins and rolls his eyes. "She's got friends, Steve, don't you worry. Besides," the ball Bucky throws hits Steve in the head, and they pause to laugh. "She's only working there until she hears back from secretary school."

"Ah," Steve nods. "Well maybe try to spend a little more time with Y/n, if you can. I think she's feeling a little left out."

Bucky scrunches up his face. "Really? I saw her just last…" but he trails off because he can't remember the last time he saw Y/n. Guilt registers on his features. "I guess it has been a while. Well hey, maybe we can do something this weekend! Yeah, Friday night we can take her to that diner she likes or something."

Steve shakes his head, tossing the football back to Bucky. "Can't. She has a date Friday night."

Bucky's eyebrows shoot up and he lets the ball hang at his side, the game forgotten. "Wait, really?" He releases a chuckle. "You're kidding."

"Nope," Steve shakes his head, walking over to the couch and taking a seat. Bucky sits opposite him in a rickety chair. "We were walking together last night and this fella-Joe's his name-stopped us and just asked her to a movie." Steve squints, remembering the encounter and his suspicions. "He was a little rude about it if you ask me, but she's excited."

"Well," Bucky chuckles and stretches his legs out. "I know what we're doing Friday night."

Steve looks at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

A mischievous glint enters Bucky's eye. "We're going on that date."

Steve shakes his head in mock humor. "Ha ha, Buck. Very funny."

"I'm serious." Looking at Bucky, Steve can see that it's true.

"We weren't invited," Steve reminds him.

Bucky makes a face. "Of course we were. It's implied." At Steve's dubious look, Bucky continues. "Often on first dates, someone-usually a brother-will chaperone. Y/n doesn't have any brothers, and her father probably doesn't have any plan to chaperone. As her two best friends, it's our job to accompany them. It's what I would do for my sister if she weren't nine."

Steve sees Bucky's logic, but he also knows Y/n. "She'll be mad when we tell her."

Bucky thinks for a minute. "We don't tell her, then."

Steve makes a noise of protest, which Bucky waves off. "Y/n is nearly a grown woman capable of making her own choices, I know. But what we don't know is literally anything about this Joe guy. Who's to say he's trustworthy?"

Bucky's got Steve there. "Alright, I'm in. What's the plan?"

{***}

"You two have fun, now!" Bucky and Steve can hear the muffled voices from outside Steve's front door.

"Have her back by eight," comes Y/n's father's best effort at a stern voice.

"Sure thing, sir," Joe responds, sounding responsible. Steve nods approvingly, but Bucky just purses his lips.

The two give Y/n and Joe a couple of minutes to get a head start and then follow. The movie theatre is only a few blocks away, so the walk is quick. Good thing, too, because it's getting cold. Bucky spots Y/n and Joe at the ticket booth and buys tickets for the same movie. Afterward, he leads Steve to the concession stand.

Steve gives Bucky a mildly exasperated look. "Really, Buck?"

"What?" Bucky grins. "It's a movie! I've got to have popcorn. You want anything?"

Acquiescing, Steve calls out an order for red licorice. Bucky nods in approval and, after receiving their snacks, the two head into the theatre. They spot Y/n and Joe near the middle and take seats a few rows behind them. Thankfully, few people are at the showing and no one sits in front of Steve and Bucky. The movie starts, and Steve lets out a quiet scoff.

"What?" Bucky glances at Steve in a mixture of confusion and concern.

"This is the movie I was advising Y/n not to see. There's a lot of blood and violence. I can't believe this guy would take a lady to see this on a first date."

Bucky dismisses this. "Y/n's tough, she'll be fine." He chuckles quietly. "Besides, she's seen enough blood come outta you. She's probably immune to it by now."

Steve joins him in the quiet laughter. "True, true."

The first half of the movie passes quickly. Y/n and Joe don't seem to interact much, although Y/n's fidgets give away her nerves. Then comes a scene where a character gets stabbed, and Joe slyly slips his arms around Y/n's shoulders. She stiffens.

Bucky scrunches up his face and chucks a handful of popcorn at the back of Joe's head, but the popcorn is too light and doesn't make it.

"Bucky, what-" Steve starts, but Bucky interrupts him.

"Give me a stick of licorice."

Sensing Bucky's next move, Steve rolls his eyes but hands over the licorice. Bucky raises his arm, takes aim, and- thwack! The licorice smacks Joe right in the back of his head.

"Hey, what the hell?" Joe whips around angrily, and Steve and Bucky hit the deck, sliding out of their chairs and to the safety of the floor.

"What is it?" The two hear Y/n's soft voice.

"Someone just...threw candy at me?" Joe's sounds so perplexed that Bucky and Steve have to work hard to hold in their laughter. A giggle escapes Steve's lips, and Bucky clamps his hand over Steve's mouth, adding a hand over his own mouth when Steve's nonplussed expression makes Bucky want to laugh even more. They spend a good ten minutes on the movie theatre floor, hoping to avoid completely ruining Y/n's date. When it seems safe enough, the two quietly sneak back into their seats.

The licorice-throwing seemed to have effectively deterred Joe from trying to put his arm around Y/n again, so the rest of the movie passes without event. By the time they leave the theatre, the temperature has officially dropped, causing Bucky and Steve to pull their jackets tighter around them. Steve groans against the chill, his 95 pounds obviously not doing him any good.

"Alright, Stevie," Bucky claps his hand against Steve's shoulder, "let's get you home."

Steve wants to protest, but can't because his teeth start chattering. Bucky speeds them up, doing his best to keep an eye on Y/n and Joe and Steve. A couple hundred feet ahead, Y/n shivers, having only her thin sweater to keep her warm. Joe obviously notices yet does nothing, which makes Bucky's teeth clench.

"Steve, did you see that? She's cold and he's just doin' nothing about it! You'd think he'd have the common decency to give her his jacket."

"M-maybe he's sc-ared to t-touch her from the licorice in-incident," Steve does his best to send Bucky an accusing look, but the effect is weakened by Steve's shaking.

Bucky jokingly slugs him across the shoulder. "Ah, you're just lashing out because you're uncomfortable. There, there, I know you support me unconditionally." Bucky grins and Steve shoots him a look.

They arrive at the apartment building, and Bucky and Steve duck around a corner across the street so they can keep an eye on the couple.

"Alright," Bucky assures, "we just have to wait for him to leave and then we can head upstairs and get inside."

Steve does his best to shrug in nonchalance. "I can do this all day."

"Sure, buddy."

Y/n and Joe reach the eighth level. Y/n moves towards the front door, but Joe pulls her to a stop.

"Uh-oh," Bucky and Steve groan in unison.

Joe pushes Y/n against the wall and places his hands on either side of her head.

"Come on, man, at least wait until you get to the door," Bucky admonishes quietly.

Joe seems to pause to say something and then leans in.

"Ugh," Steve voices his annoyance. Bucky nods in agreement.

At the last second, Y/n sidesteps and slips away, tossing a quick 'goodbye' over her shoulder before hurrying to her door and entering her apartment, leaving no room for Joe to argue or follow.

Steve and Bucky chuckle at Joe's luck as the man descends the stairs of the complex, looking frustrated. When he's gone, the two hurry up the stairs and into Steve's apartment, eager to get away from the cold.

"I don't think we need to chaperone the next date," Steve calls as he defrosts next to the heater. "Y/n seems to know what she's doing."

"True," Bucky agrees. Then, a gleam enters his eyes. "Although it was kinda fun throwing food at the guy."

Steve mockingly shakes his head. "So mature, so wise."

Bucky throws a dusty pillow at Steve's head, laughing.

Y/n's POV

"Y/n, is that you? How was your date, darling?" Your mom meets you in the living room, followed closely by your dad.

You shrug. "It was alright. If I'm being completely honest, I don't think there will be another. We just didn't seem to click all that well."

Your mom rolls her eyes and begins a lecture, working herself up more and more with each sentence. "That's how all first dates are, dear. This attitude will get you nowhere! Suppose Joe hears how you're talking right now and tells his friends? They certainly won't want to date you if they think you're not going to give them a chance. Soon all of Brooklyn knows how you are and you're twenty-two with no romantic prospects on the horizons. Oh, the embarrassment, Y/n!"

"Mother, I'm only sixteen," you interrupt. "There's plenty of time to find a husband."

But your mom is on one of her rants and you know reason is not her friend at the moment. You sigh and resign yourself to indulging her.

"It's those boys, I know it is. I should have known! It's not proper at all for a young woman to spend so much time with two grown men."

Unable to keep quiet, you cut in. "They're only six or seven years older than me, Mom! Dad's nine years older than you. And besides, I don't spend that much time with them, just when they walk me home each week." It's a lie, but your mother doesn't need to know that. Really, it's her fault for not noticing that your friend 'Candy' is a cover-up for Steve and Bucky.

Thankfully, your dad steps in to end the argument. "Okay, Loretta, let's save this for tomorrow. I think we're all tired and could use a good night's sleep."

Your mom huffs, and your dad calmly wraps her in a hug. "Don't you worry, darling. If Y/n is still unmarried when she's at the ghastly age of twenty-two-" he winks at you, "then I promise to marry her off to one of the sons of my coworkers. See? Everything will be fine."

At this, your mother calms slightly. "I need a drink."

"I will get you one," your father assures her.

Giving you a tired smile, your mom heads in the direction of her bedroom.

Your dad hugs you and ruffles your hair. "See you in the morning, kiddo."

"Goodnight, Dad."

You wait in your room until you hear their bedroom door close, and then climb out your window. The frigid air hits you and goes straight to your bones, but you do your best to creep quietly along the fire escape. When you reach Steve's window, you knock softly. When nothing happens, you knock again, louder this time. The bedroom light flicks on and you and Bucky lock eyes, each surprised to see the other. A particularly strong gust of wind blows around your dress and hair, and Bucky hurries to the window to let you in. He offers a hand and you take it, allowing him to pull you into Steve's room.

"Hey, you," you greet, pleased to finally see Bucky after weeks of no contact. "I figured it was just Steve around here."

Bucky shakes his head and leads you into the living room. "I'm crashing here tonight. It's too damn cold to walk all the way home."

"You're in the presence of a lady, watch your language," Steve is half-mocking, half-serious, and Bucky throws his hands up in surrender.

Steve scoots over on the couch so you can sit next to him, and Bucky takes the chair across from you.

"So uh," Steve coughs, "tonight was your date, wasn't it?" He won't look you in the eye. Bucky hangs his head in defeat.

"Steve, you're the worst liar I know. You shouldn't even try," you admonish.

Steve grimaces. "Oops."

"Nice going, Steve," Bucky shoots him a pointed look.

"Leave him alone, Mr. Licorice!" At this, the three of you erupt into laughter. "Really? It was an arm, Buck," you say through the laughs.

He grins sheepishly and shrugs. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

You roll your eyes. "Then I shudder to think what your bad ideas are like."

Bucky gives you a face, causing the laughter to begin again.

When you've all calmed down, Steve looks at you. "Did you at least have a good time?"

"Eh, it wasn't necessarily a bad time. I just don't really want to go out with him again."

The guys look at you, waiting for an explanation.

"He just didn't seem all that interested in me. I got the impression that he's looking for a woman who will make a quiet, obedient wife and not be a person of her own. That's not really me."

"I agree." You look at Bucky in surprise. You hadn't really expected either of them to respond. "From what I know about you, I think you'd prefer a life of excitement."

You look up, seeing the blue in his eyes. "Exactly."

Steve cuts in jokingly. "Like the army!"

Bucky huffs out a laugh. "Can you imagine!"

You shake your head. "Oh, please, no more talk about war. It's all anyone talks about right now."

"Well, with things heating up the way they are over in Europe, I wouldn't expect war talk to go away anytime soon," Steve advises.

You sigh, looking at the ground. "I just pray we don't get involved."

Steve and Bucky share a look, but they don't say anything more about it. Instead, Steve offers to set up a board game. The three of you spend the next two hours laughing, catching up, and enjoying being in each other's company. You tell Bucky about nursing training, and he's so proud and it makes you feel so good inside. Your friends are proud of you. Bucky even promises to be there Tuesday after book club and Steve offers to take you both out for french fries at your favorite diner. Life is good.

A/n I'd love your feedback! Thanks for reading :)