Chapter One~ New York City, 1942
After taking forever to sneak out of the house and find a way to where the World Exhibition of Tomorrow was taking place, I managed to arrive wearing a dress—for once. It was a knee length dark royal blue with black lace along the neckline, my pale honey blonde hair curled slightly and my jade green eyes scanning the crowd. I ignored fella's catcalling me and others trying to ask me for 'a good time' while I continued searching for two familiar faces. When I paused to look around I noticed them; one scrawny blond and a muscular dark haired man standing next to one another. Total opposites, one wore a soldier's uniform while the other didn't. They were talking to two girls I knew, the sisters from our neighborhood and frowning made my way over.
"Steve! Bucky!" I called catching their attention and as the two fella's turned to see me, I grinned brightly hugging them each in turn.
"Hannah?" I heard Steve ask sounding utterly confused as I gave a spin saying cheekily,
"How'd I look?"
"Like a sweetheart, not the tough broad I know." Bucky teased shaking his head before taking my shoulders and gave me a hard look with those pale blue eyes. Poking his cheek teasingly I said to him,
"I see you both have dates." rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly Bucky laughed awkwardly as Connie from behind him said,
"It's not that often you see a tomboy in a skirt." frowning at her, I took a step over and crossing my arms said,
"And I wonder if you are both still heart set on Bucky here?"
"Please, like he would ever want a girl who can't even wear a dress for an hour." Bonnie replied so that it was to my surprise when Bucky wrapped his arm around my waist telling them both,
"Naw see, that there don't matter. It's the girl in the dress not the dress on the girl." with that he nodded to Steve saying,
"Come on Punk." affectively leaving both Connie and Bonnie behind while he walked with his arm around my waist, Steve right in line on his other side. Giving Bucky a smirk and pinching his cheek while giggling, he swatted my hand away as Steve said,
"There go our dates." though he didn't sound in the least bit upset about it as Bucky led us to the Modern Marvels Pavilion and World of Tomorrow while I said,
"No but a knight has to save the day remember?" making Bucky scoff and pinching my side enough to tickle me said,
"I'm no knight in armor Hannah, I'm your best friend. Besides I wasn't about to let them disrespect you like that when you could easily beat them to the ground." laughing at that, I noticed though Steve had his hands in his pockets he was smiling. This was how it always was; Bucky the tough guy with a heart of gold, Steve the smart kid who just wanted to do the right thing and myself who never let anyone walk over her. Having grown up with them from kids up until now, I knew them just as well as they knew me. The three of us had no secrets to hide from one another since we'd be through just about everything together. I'd been there when Bucky went to Training Camp for the war while Steve was home. Bucky and Steve had been with me when my father died—we just were as thick as thieves. Though it was true what the sisters said, I was the only gal here who'd probably have worn trousers like any man and not have cared. But I knew it was Bucky's last day since my mom had found out and told me, I wanted to look nice for him.
"Oh look it's that guy who thinks he can make a car fly." I noted seeing Mr. Howard Stark up on stage while Bucky and Steve stood next to me, one on either side.
"I'm sure he'll pull it off." Bucky said sounding impressed so that rolling my eyes I just said,
"Sure, and you'll buy me one when it does." so that giving me a smirk, Bucky replied,
"Yeah and a nice white picket fence for Uncle Steve too."
"Oh goodness not this again!" Steve muttered shaking his head so that batting him with my hand got him to laugh despite himself. We always teased each other like this, always had and probably always will. After a while of watching the show with Bucky's arm still around my waist, he turned to find Steve—missing. Groaning, he pulled me along and when I saw why groaned also because we both noticed the Enlisting center where Steve probably was. When he found out Bucky was going off to Training Camp, Steve instantly wanted to join up into the army. I spent days dragging him away from offices and sites where other men enlisted and here he was doing it again! Walking right over towards him Bucky let go of my waist and tapping him on the shoulders said,
"You really going to do this again?"
"Well it's a fair, I'm going to try my luck." Steve replied as I went over next to him and putting my arm around his asked,
"As Steve from North Dakota?" as he gave me a glare he said to the two of us,
"Look I know you both don't think I can do this."
"This isn't a back alley Steve its war!" Bucky told him so that as the two began bickering back and forth I rolled my eyes saying to them both,
"If I could I'd join up too, but since I'd be laughed at for just asking how do you think it's going to go Steve? I'm a gal wanting to join the army, you're a guy who though has a better shot than me won't make it either." each of them knew how I wanted to fight, or at least join to make my father proud since he'd always wanted a little boy—but got me.
"Come on there are men laying down their lives." Steve counter making me snap,
"And what a girl can't do the same? Please Steve that's a load and you know it. I got no right to do any less than any guy out there on the field. But that's not going to happen." seeing the grit determination on Steve's face I exhaled deeply and looking over at Bucky told him,
"Come on Bucky." so removing my arm from Steve's linked it instead with Bucky who told Steve,
"Don't do anything stupid until I get back."
"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you." Steve teased back making the two brothers not by blood embrace, then I gave Steve a tight hug whispering,
"Go for it." so that winking at him let Bucky lead me away and as we left Steve called,
"Don't win the war till I get there Bucky!" as Bucky saluted his best friend, I gave Steve a knowing smile before the two of us left him to go dancing. Only once on the dance floor I noticed Bucky's far off stare and sighed. Rubbing his left shoulder gently I said to him,
"He'll be fine Buck, Steve's got a hard head yes but he'll be fine."
"That don't worry me, what does is that he might get in." he told me honestly so that giving him a look I asked him,
"If I was a guy who wanted to sign up, and your best friend would you let me?" when he just stumbled over words I told him,
"See! You can't even begin to think of me as a soldier and I can fight!"
"It's not that!" Bucky told me harshly so that putting both hands on my hips asked him with one look. Looking away and exhaling deeply, Bucky turned back to me saying,
"I've always looked out for Steve and thinking I can't help him scares me."
"It scares me too, but I still want to fight and help and Steve does too. I'm limited by my gender not my health and you know that's a fact." I told him point blank making him take both of my shoulders and say,
"But if girls could go off to war like men you'd be at the lead." smiling despite myself, I said softly,
"Maybe one day, but for now I have to wait in line and wear a dress." laughing at that, Bucky took my hand and giving me a spin pulled me onto the dance floor. After at least six songs we stepped off the dance floor to get a drink and find Steve. Only we weren't able to and so left with Bucky worrying the whole way home. Upon giving him a tight hug knowing tomorrow he'd be off for Europe, I fought back tears.
"Hey now don't cry, I'll be back before you know it." he told me before doing something he never did before—kissed me as if he never wanted to let me go. The next morning when I woke up I learned that Steve, asthma head Steve had been enlisted—and broke down crying.