Promises
"Promise you'll keep an eye on Steve while I'm away."
The look in Renny's eyes was slightly incredulous. Bucky laughed. He'd taken a chance asking her to come over to his house because he wanted to talk. When she appeared, stepping through a ring of sparks into his room, his smile was a victorious one. His mother and sister were out, so he didn't have to worry.
He'd enlisted for the army. Now he was required to go off for military training. Bucky was worried about his best friend. Steve would be on his own now. The idea didn't really sit well with the dark-haired young man.
"Don't look so down, Sunshine. You'll have the punk to worry about. You don't have to be worrying about me. I'll just be at some camp training my ass off and missing your smile."
Renny punched Bucky hard in the arm.
"Ouch!" He said, rubbing the spot she had hit. "You should consider joining up too with a hit like that." His smile widened a bit. He loved it when he could make her react. The flush that he could make out on her cheeks was pretty.
Still, he had to temper his flirting a bit. This was going to be a serious talk.
His expression turned a little somber. "Really though. Someone has to make sure Stevie doesn't forget his medicines. If he gets sick, someone needs to watch him." He sighed. "I know you do those things already but… Can you…" Bucky scratched at the back of his neck, not really knowing how to phrase what he wanted to say. "I know you're really secretive and stuff, doll, but can you stay with him? Please? Be his roommate or something."
The young woman's posture, while she was seated on the window sill, told Bucky that she was definitely mulling over his suggestion. After a few moments, she shook her head tersely.
"I'll still be around." She said vaguely.
Her shoulders drooped when Bucky turned a pleading look at her. A sigh escaped her lips, "More than I've been, I guess…" She conceded.
Trying to take advantage of her somewhat agreeable mood, Bucky spoke up again. "Steve and I are meeting up for hotdogs later." He said nonchalantly before zipping up his bag. "You know, you should really come along this time." The young man did his best not to look at her directly and fiddled with a few shirts on his bed.
Renny shrugged and walked out of the bedroom, to the living room.
"Come on, Sunshine. Please?" Bucky tried to coax. "For me?" He mock pouted.
The young woman paused.
"You're asking for a lot of favors…" She commented before she conjured a portal around herself and melted into sparks.
"You know, this isn't like you, Buck." Steve said before taking another bite of his hotdog. The blond and his best friend were on a bench by the street, close to their favorite hotdog stand.
"Hmmmm?" The dark-haired young man hummed before answering. "What're you going on about, punk?" He raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
Steve shrugged, "You've been looking around the block for the past ten minutes and you haven't noticed a single dame throwing you her hundred-watt smile."
"Not true." This time Bucky threw his own winning smile back at a pretty brunette who was looking shyly at him. She and her friend giggled. "See?" Bucky winked at the brunette. She practically swooned.
"Right…" Steve said, unconvinced, especially when he noticed that his friend's eyes were roaming again after ten seconds.
"Now… I might be assuming here, but…" Steve paused for a moment for Bucky to look at him, "Do you have a crush on Bangles?" The blond asked slyly, a hint of teasing in his voice. Even if they already knew her name, the nicknames they gave her still stuck.
"Sunshine?" Bucky raised his eyebrows, shifting in his seat and looking up at the sky for a few seconds. After he settled, he faced his friend again, "Well, she's sweet and all. But I don't know if I could go for a girl who hides those eyes under a hood all the time."
Steve didn't miss the way Bucky's eyes seemed to glint at the mention of how their guardian angel tended to hide her face. He knew his pal. Bucky definitely took Renny's shyness and mystery as a challenge. If there was something Bucky enjoyed, it was a challenge.
"Of course, Buck." Steve grinned behind a hand. "Hey, look."
A familiar hooded figure sat some distance away. She looked sideways at them, perched on a half wall by a tree.
"Just in time." Bucky stood up and brushed his pants off after throwing the paper wrapping of his hotdog into a nearby bin. "Best sunset in Brooklyn is by the bay. Thought Stevie and I would show you before I have to leave tomorrow." The young man called over his shoulder.
Steve nudged his pal and shot a glance at Renny, "Give this jerk a chance. He's trying to be nice."
Bucky started walking off with a smug smile on his face, hands in his pockets. He had an air of confidence about him that said he was sure that Renny would follow without more prompting.
Steve hopped up and jogged to Bucky, a little unsure. He was surprised when he looked back. The young woman was trailing slowly a few paces behind them.
"How'd you know she'd follow this time?" Steve whispered, almost like he was afraid if Renny heard what he said, she'd change her mind. "She rarely comes along at all."
Bucky had a smug grin on his face. "That's the trick, Stevie. I saved up most of her tag-alongs for the past few weeks, so she'd come to the docks today." He stated simply, proud that his planning ahead seemed to have worked.
The sun was close to setting when they reached the docks. To be completely honest, Renny wasn't sure what all the fuss was about. Most of the view of the bay was blocked by boats.
She must have lingered by the dockside too long, because the next thing she knew, Bucky was calling to her from the top of an old two-story warehouse. Poor Steve was doubled over beside him, huffing and trying to catch his breath.
"Hey, Sunshine!" He waved at her enthusiastically. "Look, even the punk made the climb! Get up here!"
Renny looked at the two. Bucky was grinning, and Steve managed his own wave from his position.
"Come on! You'll miss it." Bucky urged.
The young woman stepped up to the building and looked up the ladder. It wasn't too high and was nowhere near a hard climb either. Something was making her hesitant again though. There were times when a voice still whispered in the back of her mind that she should have been keeping her distance… even if she broke that rule numerous times already.
"Hey… Don't tell me… even I beat ya." Steve looked from the top of the ladder and grinned playfully. He was still huffing a bit, his cheeks red.
Renny grinned. How could she ever say no to that? Nimbly, she climbed up. Halfway to the top, she could see the rest of the bay over the boats and she paused. It was pretty with the sunlight glinting off of the water.
"You haven't seen the best part yet!" Bucky was now standing over her, leaning down with a hand outstretched. She didn't need the help, but it was a nice gesture. She grabbed the young man's hand and he pulled her to her feet on the flat rooftop. He jogged over to the other edge of the building, where Steve was already standing, looking a bit better.
Bucky gently tugged Renny into the space between him and Steve, looking out over the bay.
"Wait for it," Steve said, anticipation in his tone.
"You're gonna love it." Bucky agreed.
Renny was a bit confused, but she continued watching the sun slowly set anyway. A minute later, it touched the horizon.
Colors sparkled to life as the sunlight hit the water at just the right angle, lighting up sails, glass windows bottles, and the majority of reflective surfaces on the decks of boats in the water and at the dock.
"Wow…" Renny breathed. Yes, she'd seen her share of exceedingly beautiful sunsets and sunrises in Kamar Taj, and she'd seen them around Brooklyn and the places she'd scouted. This one wasn't impossibly alluring, but there was a certain charm to it.
The fact that she was watching it with friends… yes… Bucky and Steve were her friends even if she liked to tell herself that she'd kept herself too distant to make a proper connection. The simple fact that she was beside friends made all the colors and lights sparkle a little brighter.
Steve watched his best friend steal a glance at the dame between them. She was too preoccupied to notice. Bucky probably didn't realize it yet, but he was a little sweet on Renny, and not just because they were friends.
"Looks like it's just you and me now, Bangles." Steve said as he watched the military bus drive away. Renny stood beside him, watching too.
Before the bus turned the corner, Bucky sent one last grin and wink through the window.
Renny groaned. Steve chuckled.
"Want to go to the library?" The blond asked after most of the people started leaving. "Or the park, if you want. Take a break before you have to deal with your books again."
Steve could see the contemplative look in her eyes from under her hood. It was easy when she was two inches taller than him. She nodded.
"Can I… Can I look at your drawings?" She asked timidly after a moment.
Steve smiled. Over the years they'd gotten to know her, he and Bucky had slowly gotten her to talk- from a word or two, to short phrases, to sentences here and there. Though she spoke more to Steve and preferred to gesture with Bucky. And give him somewhat exaggerated expressions from the shadow of her hood.
"Sure, Bangles." He said cheerily, happy that Renny was still sticking with him even with Bucky gone. Part of him played on his insecurities and thought the only reason a dame like her stuck around was because of his pal. That part still felt unsure of himself, thinking that the mysterious girl would disappear because she thought a little guy like him was boring. She proved that part wrong though, always showing him that she was genuinely interested in the things he did and stuff he said.
"Ma'am." He said politely, holding out his arm.
Renny sighed at the formality and mock punched him lightly in the arm. He grinned, knowing how being formal always got a rise out of her. He and his pal did it when they noticed she was being a little too contemplative or melancholic about something.
She shook her head, before a small smile tugged at her lips. She took Steve's elbow and turned them in the direction of the park. Some fresh air and sunshine would do the young man better than staying cooped up indoors most of the time.
A/N: Thoughts? I would really love to know what you think. Good? Bad? Hopefully, I get some feedback. Still, thank you to everyone who added this story to their favorites and alerts.
