March 1941
She sat at the desk in the living room facing the window, overlooking towards the street. It was a cloudy Saturday morning as Christiane scratched her head, twiddling the pencil between her fingers. It was an English book for her English Literature class, A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare. Even though Christiane's English was near fluent, growing up with the Carter family during the summers and their mother teaching them at home after school through prononciations and spellings, she could never wrap her mind around Old English. She took notes from the play for her essay, switching between her dictionary to look up new and unknown words.
After the last scene was finished, Christiane looked out the window finally, stretching her arms in the air, taking a sip of her tea only to be interrupted by the low hum of a car's engine outside the building. The driver quickly got out rushing to open the door on the passenger side, another man with a faint mustache stepping out, waited on the street to look onto an approaching truck with Stark Industries written on the side. More men scrambled out, rolling down an up-right piano as they tactically pushed it on a make-shift ramp up the building's steps and disappeared.
She could hear the fumbling outside in the stairwell as she went to put the kettle on the stove again, before she looked out the window to see the truck driving away. Shortly, there was a knock on the door. She opened the door, looking at the man slightly shorter than her, at the same height as Anya.
"Mademoiselle Christiane, I don't believe we've ever met. I'm Howard Stark", he extended his hand out to hers to shake.
"Monsieur Stark, I've heard a great deal about you. It's good to finally put a face to the name." She was beaming to herself, finally, the famous Stark, Anya's topic of avoidance in conversations was standing at her door.
She moved her head to the side to get a better view behind him, "I see you brought a piano?"
"Please, just call me Howard." he put his hand curtly on his chest bowing a little with a smile before moving beside to show a taller man behind a piano. "This is Mr. Jarvis,"
The man curtly bowed his head, "Good day to you ma'am."
Howard continued, "Anya was telling me how you both used to play, and I had one lying around the apartment anyways and it got in the way so it's yours."
Christiane looked at him questioningly moving out of the way to let them in, "But where will it fit?"
"Don't worry about that, Jarvis will take care of it. He's a master at interior decoration." he waved his hand.
"Please take a seat. Would you like some tea?" she asked the both of them. "I've got Earl Grey and Ceylon only I'm afraid."
"Earl Grey would be nice please." Howard agreed, taking his jacket off, hanging it on the back of the chair.
"And you Mr. Jarvis?" she looked to him.
"Earl Grey would be lovely, thank you." he smiled back before rolling the piano by her as he got to moving the furniture around the living room.
Christiane put in a spoon of earl grey leaves into a teapot, setting it down on the table as she sat across Howard.
"So we finally meet," Christiane took a sip from her cup.
"Yes, I've heard a great deal about you too." he replied back.
"Is that so?"
"She's very proud of you, you know. It really tore her to have to leave you alone here. She made me promise to keep an eye out for you, make sure you were alright and safe. I've had Jarvis pass a few times with the car admittedly by the building."
"You've been watching me?"
"Just for your safety."
"Well now that we know each other, you could actually come by the door and have tea." She turned to Mr. Jarvis who had successfully put the piano just next to her desk where there was enough light from the window and was now tuning the piano.
"You too, Mr. Jarvis. I appreciate all that you've done, especially by Anya's word."
"Thank you ma'am."
"You can call me Christiane." she smiled back.
"So tell me," Howard sat back in his chair, a glint of amusement in his eyes, "Anya told me you have a fella? Need me to do any checks on him?"
She looked at him eyes wide, "Oh no no, he won't be needing any checks. Bucky's a sweet man."
"Bucky, huh? He as tall as you?" he chuckled.
"Just a little taller." she smiled to herself "Anya says she feels tiny beside the both of us."
"I can imagine, even I feel small beside you. Get the height from your parents?"
She nodded, "Papa was about 6 foot 2, abnormally tall for a Frenchman if you ask me but I suspect it's his half-Russian genes. Maman was about 5 foot 10, also abnormally tall for a Frenchwoman but I suspect it's from her Nordic genes."
"How'd you get so tall then and your big sister shorter than you?"
She smiled, shrugging, "I guess I ate all my vegetables while she fed hers to the dogs."
She turned to Mr. Jarvis who had commenced to play a chipper tune on the piano.
"Scott Joplin's The Entertainer?"
"Yes! It's quite delightful. Here," he moved to the side waving for her to come, "Come try."
She set her cup down, walking to the piano as she sat herself on the stool. It felt all too familiar to her, how just almost a year ago, she was playing piano in Paris at the bistro where Anya worked as a cook down the road before the invasion. She remembered the hours before the dinner service, the time between which Anya after her classes would wait outside school for Christiane in the Luxembourg district and walk together to the bistro. Christiane would sit in the corner doing her homework with sheets covering the wooden table as Anya would prepare the meals for the evening. When Christiane was done, she would go over to the upright piano in the corner by the bar, playing whatever sheets she could find that Thomas the bistro's pianist would stuff into the stool's compartment.
Her fingers played the first note on a key, slowly developing into a melody.
"Claire de Lune, a classic!" Mr. Jarvis clasp his hands together, smiling.
"It's been a while, I'm not so good at it anymore." she smiled to herself admitting defeat after hitting the wrong note.
"Come Mr. Jarvis, please sit, your tea's going to get cold!" she moved back to the table.
"Before I forget, I just got back from the London base, picked up a letter for you from Anya." he handed her an envelope.
"Thank you," she smiled, opening it instantly.
"You may as well write one now, I'll be flying back over to London next week. Your sister should have made it there by then. She and Peggy will be back by April I believe."
"Just give me a few minutes then!" she got up scurrying to the desk. Before she put pen to paper, she looked to the bookshelf, taking an album of photos of Anya and Christiane from their childhood, placing it beside Howard on the table.
"You may as well have a look while you're here."
Christiane took out the letter, taking it to the light at the desk, reading each word and letter of Anya's handwriting before replying back. All the while, hearing chuckled and "aw's" from Howard and Mr. Jarvis.
My dearest Anya,
I hope that you and Peggy are safe and well. Winter is still chilling us to the bones here in Brooklyn, I hope it's not too bad wherever you are. Wrap up warmly, you know how cold it could get in the countryside in March.
The famous Howard Stark, after all this time. If you do have feelings for him, let me tell you he also has feelings for you too. I'm writing this letter as he is sitting in the living room sofa drinking tea and looking at the photographs from our childhood. Yes, I know, I'll pay for that when you return.
He's very polite and even brought a piano with Mr. Jarvis. They are both quite lovely.
If you truly have feelings for this man, then hold it dear to you. But remember Loki. He may have changed as you said, I never met the man, but from all the stories you have told me of your encounters, he seems fiercely protective of you, and in some way of his own, likes and maybe loves you. But you need to make the decision of where your heart lies. Howard is physically beside you here, and Loki is a jump through space and time into another realm.
If you don't want to see him, maybe at least send a letter to him through Heimdall. Or ask Heimdall for advice. He seems like a very wise person from what you told me and what maman used to tell us. From what you told me about your gift, of seeing your soulmate, and if it is truly Loki, there is nothing in this universe that can separate you two.
There is only so much I could advice you, I wish I could help more. But whatever it is, I will always support you, and if you need to punch anyone, you know you have me to do the job.
My only question is, how far along are your feelings for Howard compared to Loki? It's not healthy to be caught up in this love triangle, Anya. To love someone is both a beautiful and dangerous thing, if your feelings are not fully-directed to one person.
Have you asked Peggy for advice?
In my honest opinion, because I know you will ask me and god forbid how long this letter may take to get to you wherever you are, but I worry about the rumors of Howard being a womanizer before he met you, and whether this is just a phase?
As for Loki, it's not right what he said, but alas is the distance between you and him, it's difficult. There's a literal whole universe between you two. That does not give him any excuse to be jealous of you being with me as your sister.
Perhaps Loki is going through some troubles of his own, but concealing it inside. Maybe he doesn't know how to express it?
Whatever it is, I know you will find the way.
As for Bucky and Steve - I'm forcing Steve to eat all his vegetables, he's stubborn about that. He got into a fight with someone and cut his lip open, but I fought the bully away. Honestly that boy is going to give me a heart attack one day. He's still working at the arts and crafts store. I think it's good for him, he has a talent in painting and drawing.
As for Bucky, he's still the sweetheart that he is. He's working at the harbor now, but still manages to make it in time to get me at the station as always. I don't know how he does it. I really hope he's not sprinting through the streets of Brooklyn just for that. But I do admit, he does sweep me off my feet, he's quite the looker and has got the charms. I think maman and Baba would've liked him very much.
Even though it's only been four months so far, it feels like it's been eternity. Maybe this is what maman talked about, love being a magical thing that seems to go by so quickly or for eternity all at the same time. How your heart quickens seeing that person, the first thing you want to do is know about their day, and how they are. He's already talked about the future, about us, is it too soon? What do you think?
I'm just curious, how did you know since the day you met him, that we'd end up together?
Give my love to Peggy. I cannot wait to see you soon. I'll be waiting by the docks.
I love you with all my heart,
Your poulette, Christiane
By 10 in the morning, Howard and Mr. Jarvis had already left, bidding to return with Anya's letter if she didn't come back to deliver it herself by then. As per usual at 10:30 on a Saturday, there was a knock on the door as Bucky brought whatever Steve and him had left in their fridge over to cook together. Steve came around 12 after he finished his morning shift at the shop.
"Aren't you looking chipper, doll." Bucky leaned in for a quick kiss on her cheek.
"Hello to you too," she smiled.
He walked into the house, hanging his jacket on the hanger, adjusting his suspenders on his shoulders. He put the basket of ingredients for lunch on the table, taking each item out.
"How's studying for your exams going?"
"I think it will turn out well, though I'm a little worried about Mathematics."
"You'll do great doll," he walked over to her, "You'll ace all your exams." Bucky beamed to himself, suddenly looking around him.
"You've moved the furniture around."
"Just here and there," she shrugged.
"There's a piano in the corner." he looked at her, scratching his head.
Christiane shrugged, as she tried to walk past him only to pull her by the arm to the piano.
"Bucky!"
"Hold on, doll, you've got to teach me!"
"Okay okay, bring up a chair, will you?"
He pulled the chair from the desk, sitting beside her intently as he watched her.
"Ma used to play the piano, she taught Rebecca how to play but I was too stubborn to learn back then. I only wish I had done it then."
She put a hand on his cheek, brushing her thumb over the light stubble before taking his right hand on the piano.
"Copy me okay?"
She played one key at a time, with Bucky following at a higher octave until he got the hang of it.
"Good! Now do it by yourself." she moved to stand as he sat on the stool. Her hands rested on his shoulders, humming along to what he played.
"What's the song called?"
"Au Claire de la Lune, it's a children's song that my parents used to sing to us to sleep."
"Can you sing it?" he asked, smiling cheekily.
She rolled her eyes before sitting beside him, "Okay, when you're ready."
Christiane softly sang the song:
Au clair de la lune
Trois petits lapins
Qui mangeaient des prunes
Comme des petits coquins
La pipe à la bouche
Le verre à la main
En disant : « Mesdames,
Servez-nous du vin,
Tout plein, jusqu'à demain matin!
Bucky smiled in triumph, putting his head on her shoulders.
"Can you play something?" he smiled to her.
"Move over," she scooted him over as he switched back to the chair.
She tried to focus on the notes of Claire du Lune, trying to remember each crescendo and note. After the first few bars, muscle memory took her as she moved with the song. Bucky looked at her, his eyes full of admiration, smiling to himself as he tucked her chin under his hand, his arm rested on the edge of the piano.
He made himself to remember that moment, the way she smiled to herself while playing, the way the sun cast a soft light through the window onto her skin, her dark brown hair. He tried to remember the song, played for the first time after so long. He tried to remember her as she looked to him when she finished, smiling to him with a twinkle in her eyes, so bright against the light. The way she reached up to his tousled hair to brush a stray hair out of his eyes. He made sure to remember it forever.