The air was cool and felt like water as it glided across Rose's skin. The golden rays of sunlight that slanted into windows and fell across ponds delicately halo around her brown curls and squinted her happy blue eyes. She clutched a pale blue suitcase in one hand, and shielded her eyes with the other. Her Mary Janes clacked on the hard flat pavement as she stepped lively to her destination, a blinding smile on her face.

"Danm, now that's a dame," Bucky said, leaning back against the railing Steve was sat on, sketching the building in front of him.

Steve looked up and watched her pass right by him, her perfume, a rose and honeysuckle blend that smelt like a hot southern summer, swirled where she passed like a ghost. He watched mesmerised as she looked up, met eyes with him, blue meeting blue for a second like when the horizon of the sea and sky meet. Kissing for the first time as though it would be their last. The fabled meeting that speaks of adventure, that sailors yearn for, that poets write about, and she smiled. A different smile. A warm smile.

And then she was gone. Her blue summer dress swirling about her calves, the lines of her stockings tracing up into the skirt, drawing Steve's eyes upwards. She was curvy, but her waist nipped in just enough to give her a sweet figure in that dress. He watched her lazy curls swing behind her as she walked off.

"God, she was pretty," Steve said, his breath caught in his chest for a second. He flipped the page and put down a couple of lines as she walked away, managing to capture her retreating figure just so in the morning light.

"Normally I'd tease ya for the puppy dog look but if she yanked my chain I'd sure as hell coem running. Looked like she gave you a smile there," Bucky grinned at his friend, looking altogether too much like the card he was described as. He walked around the rail that separated the park to the street so he could lean over Steve's shoulder (not a difficult feat by any stretch of the imagination, even sitting on a high rail Steve was still a good few heads shorter then Bucky). "Nice sketch, not sure you're ma' ever taught you to look at ladies asses though,"

"Get real, she smiled the whole way here and is probably smiling the whole way home, it wasn't for me, and I doubt your mother ever taught you to be an insufferable idiot but here you are," Steve snapped his sketchbook shut and shoulder bumped Bucky with a fair amount of effort but with about as much effect as a puppy trying to tackle a larger dog.

"You're gonna have to get some confidence some time kid," Bucky said as Steve hopped off the rail and started walking.

"Sure thing, when a broad smiles at me like that for real I promise I'll have an ego bigger than your fathead,"

"That hurts me right here man," Bucky crossed his heart and stuck his hands in his pockets. "It stings,"

Meanwhile, Rose walked onwards. She pondered the boy with the pretty blue eyes for a minute, she normally liked brown eyes, and never was the biggest fan of blondes either, but there was something in the expression on his face as she walked past. He looked like he needed a smile, and so she gave him one in response to the funny little twitch his lips did. She liked the drawing he was working on too, and would have stopped to trade tips but had to get to the apartment or she'd lose the place.

Pulling her purse to the front of her she stuck her hand inside and clicked her phone on, checking the time and her notes. She had about five minutes to get to the apartment for the sale.

"Rosie! I almost left!" Stan the building manager called from his seat on the step, pulling his cap off and offering her a hand to shake.

"You wouldn't dare!" Rose laughed, grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously. She was a hugger, but people here wouldn't understand that quite yet. "So, are you ready to sign the final forms?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Stan asked, pulling the deed from his back pocket where it was curled up and stuck, dusting it off with a sheepish look on his face and patting himself down for a pen. "Danm, Margie said I should'a had it in a folder all nice like,"

"Don't you worry Stan, I don't care much," Rose pulled a pen from her shoulder purse, genty taking the papers and signing Rose Hill in a neat cursive script, flourishing at the end and blowing gently on the drying ink. "Does that mean…"

"Yes indeedy Miss! You are now the proud owner of a tiny piece of Brooklyn!" Stan checked over the document and then stuck it back in his pocket. "I'll get that to the lawyer guy tonight, here's the key. I know normally you wait till after the check clears but-"

"Stan! You're an angel from heaven!" Rose took the brass key and let its familiar weight lay in her palm for a second. Before smiling even wider and following him up to her new apartment.

It came partially furnished, it had a neat little armchair and a bed at least, but the real magic would happen when Rose used a little lick of paint and her eye for furniture (that's what she called it at least). She said goodbye to Stan, who promised to come by with her copy of the final deed and a housewarming pie from Margie in a couple days, and set about shifting things around before running into town to place some orders for furnishings and paint.

By the time evening rolled around she had most of the essentials, cooking equipment and food in the cupboards, her bathroom was decked out, and the fridge and mattress salesman had been nice enough to send her her orders the same day after they heard she hadn't anything to sleep on that night other then the bare bed.

"Now that, I think, deserves a drink." she said, looking in her fridge for a soda. As she dug around in the newly stocked cold box she heard music, drifting in from the open windows on her small balcony. She tapped her finger against the door for a second, her lip in between her teeth, but then shrugged and slammed the door shut, running to her bedroom and opening her suitcase, digging out a nice dress and some makeup. "On second thought, maybe a dance too. First week in the 40's deserves a bit of a night out!"

The dress was slightly wrinkled from being in its case, but the red shone against her skin like the roses she was named for, and her silky stocking clad feed slid into a pair of sweetly strapped black heels. She strung a small rope of pearls around her neck and pinned a bit of her hair back, leaving her fringe out and her hair to hang at her back as she pulled on a black cardigan with flowers embroidered all along it and stuffed a few bills, her key, and her phone inside it. She refused to leave the thing anywhere but on her person knowing how much havoc it could cause if anyone saw it.

Following her ears to the park she saw a dance happening. A big brass band was on stage with a crooning man holding onto the microphone. Lights were strung up in the trees and a dancefloor had been put down, couples danced on the floor and sat on picnic blankets around the stage, and a bar was set up to the back, with bachelors leaning on it as they sipped their drinks.

Rose spied the young man from earlier in a nicely pressed shirt, his hair slicked back and his hands tucked around a glass of cola as he chatted with his tall friend, who was surprisingly handsome now that Rose looked at him. She's only seen Steve at first, strange considering how much smaller he was.

"Bartender? Could I get a cola please? No ice!" Rose asked with a smile, handing him a couple coins as he grinned and started pouring.

"No ice? In this heat?" The tall man with the blond commented, leaning on the bar with his forearms as his friend looked on with a fondly disapproving look. Like he was trying to use his mind to unscrew a bottle cap he tried to subtly gesture to him to leave her alone, like he didn't think I'd look over in his direction to notice. She covered her giggle at him with her hand, before laughing out loud, making a lot of people turn to stare.

"I don't like how it waters it down," Rose replied when she calmed down, her eyes twinkling warmly.

"I didn't realize I was so much of a comedian, my name's Bucky, i'll be here all week," Rose grabbed Bucky's hand and shook, her eyes still crunched up with laughter.

"Pleasure to meet you Buck, but I wasn't laughin' at you, I was laughing at 'ya friend who looks like he's trying to decide weather to chain you a post in the back yard or just plain chuck you off a bridge," Steve, who was a little behind Bucky and heard every word, suddenly flushed a bright red just as Bucky grinned like he had just been given a present.

"Really now? That there's my friend Steve, don't let the tough guy act fool you, he's actually the sweetest guy around, ain't that right Stevey!?" Bucky steered her in his direction, so she stood directly in front of the blonde, her eyes exactly level with his. Which was novel for her, as she was used to talking to the chest of men.

"Uh, it's uh, nice to meetcha Ma'am," Steve blushed and looked into her eyes, before looking at his shoes again.

Rose stuck her hand out, directly under his nose.

"I'm Rose, but my pals call me Rosie," She introduced, Steve straightened up and held her hand, his skin was cool against her blazing warm, and he rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand.

"Nice to meet you Rose,"

"I said my friends call me Rosie…" She trailed off, seeing a peek of Steve's blinding smile for a second before it dulled, and settled into a warm grin.

"Ok, Rosie,"

"So Steve gets Rosie and heart eyes and poor 'ol Buck barely gets a how you please!" Bucky jokes, smiling ear to ear. Despite his complaints he looked like he was the one who was still holding the pretty girls hand. "And Steve, it's ok to let her go, she aint gonna run,"

Steve realised his shaking had stopped and he was just holding onto her dainty warm hand in his, it was even smaller than his, and fit so nicely he hadn't even thought about letting go. He dropped her hand like it burned him, but despite releasing his grip Rosie held on for a second longer, giving his hand a squeeze and a smile before letting go, which made him blush again.

"You aren't gonna run right?" Bucky clarified after a beat.

"Nope, just bought my own place here in Brooklyn!" Rosie crowded happily, taking her drink from the bartender and hopping up onto a bar stool, sipping from the straw with her cheeks hollowed out.

"Oh wow! Whereabouts?" Steve asked, then realizing himself he ducked his head "Uh if you don't wanna answer I get it don't feel the need to elaborate on our account I-"

"Just over there," Rosie interrupted gently, pointing to the flat with her balcony window still open, blowing the white drapes gently in the evening breeze. It looked out onto the park, and she could already see the hazy ideas for her studio coming to fruition inside.

"Oh wow that's a nice spot!" Bucky said.

"What brings you to Brooklyn Rosie? Most people move outta Brooklyn, not in," Steve joked, stepping closer from his awkward distance he had been maintaining before. The three of them now stood, in Rosie's case, sat, in a close circle.

"Well, I'm an artist! An illustrator to be precise, I do a lot of work for newspapers and journals, but I'm known for my work with Zoo's. All sorts of places hire me to draw maps, posters, books of the animals… I have a meeting with the Bronx zoo in a couple days for some work. If they like it they'll hopefully sign me for a book or two as well." Rosie stirred her drink with her straw, talking a mile a minute. Bucky looked at Steve who was watching Rosie with awe in his eyes. He was tracing the outline of her lips like he was trying to commit them to memory, and by the way his hands were twitching like they usually did when he wanted to draw. He'd only known Rosie for a hot minute, but the girl was the exact right kind of sweet for Steve, and had barely given him the time of day. He was gonna do everything he damn well could to get her and Steve on that dancefloor.

"An illustrator! And you work enough to have your own place from it! Wow, I'd never thought a gal-" Steve started talking, and Rosie's smile dropped.

"That a woman could be a professional? I'll have you know I got my degree fair and square back home in England, jus' like any man!" Steve went white. Bucky chuckled silently, and a spitfire too. If he didn't like Steve so much he'd have taken her for a spin himself.

"I- I didn't mean! I wasn't saying', I meant!" Steve started, looking like someone had just burnt his sketchbook right in front of him, and that he had forgotten to do a month of homework at the same time.

"What Steve meant to say is that he's an artist too, he's been lookin at tryin to make a career outta it himself, but has been having a hard time making money from it," Bucky smoothed things over with a low voice, seeing Rosie's shoulders drop slightly as she eased into a more relaxed posture. Steve's eyes darted from Rosie to Bucky and back again, nodding furiously.

"Yea! I'm so sorry miss I don't really watch what I say in front of pretty girls, I mean women! Pretty women! Uh- working women! No! Professionals! I uh just was so surprised you could make enough money from it- not you in particular but, ah hell i've messed this up! Not Hell! Oh shit I said it again! Not Shit! Fuck!" Steve slammed his hands over his mouth, looking at Rosie with abject mortification in his eyes, rocking back on his heels like he'd just been dealt a punch.

All was silent for a second. Even Bucky was surprised at Steve's blue language.

And then Rosie laughed so loudly she bent over.

She tried to cover her mouth but she was so loud the entire population of the bar looked over at them, shooting a dirty look her way. She turned pink and small tears started to form in her eyelashes, and it was one of the most beautiful things Steve had ever seen. He forgot himself for a second and watched, open mouthed, at the beauty laughing at him, before hanging his head and blushing deeply, preparing himself for the awkward goodbye and walk away he was gonna have to do after that social suicide.

Then he felt a small hand on his chin, tilting it upwards to look at Rosie as she wiped the tear from her eye, smudging her mascara a tiny bit in the corner.

"I thought I told ya my friends call me Rosie? Considering your impressive vocabulary I didn't think you'd forget that quick. I certainly won't be forgetting you anytime soon Steve." Rosie said with a grin.

Bucky stepped back a bit, gave Steve a thumbs up and then gestured to the dancefloor, putting his hands together like he was praying to the almighty when Steve shot him a frown.

"Sorry Rosie," He said, turning his attention back to her as she hopped off the stool.

"Don't worry you can definitely make it up to me," She said with a smirk.

"Make it up to you?" Steve jumped.

"You sound like a local, so does your friend-" Here it is, thought Steve, too good to be true, she's after Bucky's number. "I was wondering if you'd like to show me around? New girls gotta know the do's and dont's of the city right?"

"Show you around?" Steve asked suddenly, shock written all over his face. Rosie's easy grin dropped and she looked like she was suddenly nervous for the first time since she walked on over. She started to fiddle with the little pearls at her neck and worried that she'd overstepped. She'd never been to the 40's before, and while the 30's were more reserved she'd have thought asking someone to show her round wouldn't have been too heavy. This was the worst part of a new jump, the fashion and the lingo were easy after a while but the social cues were always difficult to master.

"If you don't wanna-"

"No!" Steve said, making Rosie bite her lip and step back. His eyes dropped to her lip for a second and he felt his breath hitch before shaking his head "Not no! No, I'd love to!"

"Really? I was thinkin' since you're an artist and all you could show me some good spots, we could draw together a bit-" Rosie spoke quickly then trailed off, looking at him with a smile. She normally wasn't so doe eyed with boys, much more interested in the food, culture, and music a visit had to offer, but this one had the spark.

"I'd like that." Steve said, grinning from ear to ear. Bucky waved frantically, getting some giggles from a couple girls watching him from their blankets, gesturing again to the dancefloor and dropping to his knees dramatically, his hands in a begging clasp in front of him.

"H-hey, Wanna, would you wanna- ah. Would you like ta' dance Rosie?" Steve asked, looking at her as she grinned, nodded, and grabbed his hands.

Steve sent a backwards look to Bucky who fist pumped the air as he jumped to his feet, running to the bar and striking up a conversation with a girl and grabbing her hand as Steve turned around, excitedly standing in front of Rosie as she smoothed her hair down, gave her red dress a quick twirl, letting the skirts fann out like the petals of a flower, and grinding at him.

"I'mma be honest with you Steve, I love a good dance, but I'm not exactly practiced in the hop slide to jump whatever everyone seems to be so well trained in," She gestured to the floor, where couples jived to the quick music energetically. She put a hand on his shoulder, and slid the other into his hand by his side, slowly curling the one on his shoulder into the very edges of his hair.

"I've never had much of a pair of dancing feet, but I'm willing to give it a shot if you are," Steve said quietly, putting his hand on the side of her hip gently, like he was cupping a butterfly and raising the hand of his with hers in it. The song changed to a crooner, and Rosie began to sway unconsciously to the timing of the music.

So Quarantine has me bored. I've always been half in love with Steve, and I have too much time on my hands. Guess it's time for spot of escapism! If you actually like this and want more comment, and I'll write more.

Steve stepped forwards, a small step, a half step. It was nervous and small, but it landed, and not on anyone's toes. His scuffed shoes, polished and shiny as much as he could get them towed alongside Rosie's neat black heels. And as his steps grew more confident she matched him beat for beat.