author's note: Hello and welcome to my first marvel fic in a very, very long time. I'm fairly new to writing for marvel and I don't know everything about the MCU which is what this book is heavily based off so please be nice, I am open to constructive criticism as I'm always looking to improve my writing skills. This fic is set during Captain America: The First Avenger and it continues through to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This is also a Bucky Barnes x OC fic! That's all I really have to say, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it!

and so the story begins . . .

PART ONE: TO GO WITH GRACE

❝as world war two rages on, lillian and steven rogers find themselves almost at the center of a pivitol movement to win the war. war had never been kind to the Rogers family, it took, and it took, and it took until it couldn't take anymore. when the war finally comes for lillian rogers she doesn't have it in herself to go with grace, wherever it would take her.❞

CHAPTER ONE | 01: HOW EVERGREEN OUR GROUP OF FRIENDS

( captain america: the first avenger )

"Alright there, Rogers!"

Lillian, although she much prefers Lily, Rogers rolls her eyes at the sound of James Buchanan Barnes' voice. The young woman swears she can't go anywhere without running into the pest. She didn't hate the young man, not really, but he was always flirting with her and it was irritating at times. He was a good man, he was her younger brother's best friend and he always looked out for them but he never knew when to shut up. And she'd really rather not deal with him at this particular moment.

"Not anymore," She calls back to him, gritting her teeth.

"Aw, why not, doll, it's such a fine day out," James, although she mostly calls him Bucky on a good day, queries, he falls into step beside her. She doesn't have to look up to know that he's grinning, she can hear that stupid smug grin in the way he calls her 'doll'. He knows that she's annoyed by his very presence and he, of course, loves it.

"You're here," Lily retorts, "And even worse, you're talking to me."

Bucky chuckles lowly "You wound me, doll."

Lily looks up to glare at him fiercely "Don't call me, doll, I'm not one!"

Bucky raises his hands in surrender "Wow, alright, well someone's in a mood . . . You alright, Lils?"

She softens at the nickname.

"No," She replies and her tone is still biting but her blue eyes are brimming with tears, "No, but it doesn't matter."

He goes to say something but she notices that he's wearing a uniform, she reaches for his forearm and grasps the rough fabric "You got in."

It comes out in a hushed whisper, she's shocked but she did know that he had enlisted. Lily just didn't expect it to be so soon, or that she would feel this way about it. She swallows thickly.

"I ship out tomorrow," He replies, he sounds as he had yet to come to term with this news as well.

"Tomorrow," She echoes, her eyes burn worse, she can't believe she's crying over this. She swallows thickly again "Well, it's a shame, I guess you won't be getting that date I promised you then."

Bucky smiles wistfully "So, now it's a date, Lily, you must feel mighty sorry for me, huh?"

Lily rolls her eyes "You get to call it whatever you want, James, I do owe you for what you did."

Bucky grins "Actually, darlin', the reason I'm in this part of town is to take you on that date."

Lily quirks an eyebrow "Really?"

"It is my last night here before I have to leave, I figured there's no better way to spend it with you and Steve, of course."

"Oh," She hates that she sounds disappointed.

"I found him a date, you remember Connie," Bucky says, "Well, she wants to go, she wanted to go with me but as lovely as Connie is, you still owe me a date, Rogers. And I'm not about to let that go, a date with the Lillian Rogers."

"Careful, James, you're starting to sound as though you fancy me," Lily says teasingly.

She watches his cheeks turn a light pink and she hates that she loves it, Lily grins at him as he struggles to find a comeback.

"Perhaps I do," Bucky says, "What would you say to that, Lily."

She pauses, he's such a pest but there was something so endearing about it. He annoyed her to no end, crawled under her skin and was determined to stay there and as much as she hated herself for it, she thought she'd like it if he'd say.

"Well," She pauses, pressing a finger to her lip as if she was thinking and then said "I'd say tough luck, Buck."

He laughs boisterously, slinging his arm over her shoulder "I wouldn't expect any less from you, Lils. Although it does wound me so."

"A lot of things wound you and your fragile ego, James," Lily teases, reaching up and grabbing ahold of the hand slung of her shoulder, she'd rather die than admit she liked when he did this.

"But, I'll go with you, only because I feel sorry for you, who's going to look out for you when you're gone and keep you from doing stupid things," Lily says. Her grin grows wider as Bucky laughs again, louder and more amused, a lovely sound, although she'd never admit it.

"You could get a job as a nurse there, you're very adept at it."

"And leave Steve alone here, I don't think so."

They both laugh.

"It would hardly be two weeks before he showed up at the base as a soldier," Lily laughs and they both know it's true.

Steve had been dying to get drafted, doing almost everything to get in, the only thing keeping him from going besides his health would be Lily. It had always been her and Steve, they had never gone anywhere without the other. Steve wanted to fight more than anything but he couldn't leave his sister behind.

Lily wanted to be a nurse, to be more like her mother but there was never any openings in their area of Brooklyn. With the war there was plenty opportunities to get a nursing job but more were too far away from Brooklyn and she wouldn't leave Steve behind.

"You're right," Bucky agrees, "I don't know how he'd do it but he would."

"Speaking of Steve, we're meant to be seeing a movie this afternoon," Lily says, "Care to join?"

"Only if you insist, m'lady."

"I don't," She says flatly, "But I know my brother will be glad to see you."

"Ouch."

They both laugh again, Lily's stomach ties into knots. It's weird to think that this is the very last time they can be like this. If he doesn't come home . . . She doesn't want to think about that.

It had almost always been the three of them. At first it had just been her and Steve, the two of them through thick and thin. Of course, they had their mum but she was busy trying to keep a house over their head since their father died in world war one. Bucky joined the picture early on in Steve's childhood, Lily couldn't remember how what year, she just remembered one day Steve didn't have anyone but her and the next there was this boy hanging around with Steve following him like a lost puppy. She hadn't liked it at first but Bucky had grown on her like mould. And now it was always the three of them. It would feel unnatural not having Bucky with them, she knew Steve would hate it.

"You better come back," Lily mutters, he had to come back.

He squeezes her hand and she flushes when she realises that their fingers had become intertwined.

He opens his mouth to respond but he doesn't get a word out before their interrupted by a loud kerfuffle coming from the alleyway. They both share a look, Lily sighs exasperatedly while Bucky chuckles lowly. A kerfuffle in an alleyway usually meant that Steve was up to no good again.

"You don't know when to give up do you," a male voice taunts loudly from the alleyway.

Lily looks up to see that the alley is by the theatre, she shakes her head "Jesus, Steve."

"It might not be him," Bucky tells her as they start heading towards the fight.

"Don't give yourself false hope," Lily says dryly, "It's him, it's always him."

She's right, she's always right. It's Steve, much smaller compared to the other guy beating him up, standing there, not showing any signs of giving up. Lily rolls her blue eyes, wondering why her brother is the way that he is.

"Hey," Lily shouts, effectively distracting the brute beating the shit out of her brother.

The guy turns just in time for Bucky to grab and pull him away from Steve.

"Pick on someone your own size," Bucky says.

The guy tries to punch Bucky who dodges it with ease and throws one right back. Bucky's fist connects squarely with the guy's nose and he goes scampering away. For good measure Bucky kicks his ass and turns back to Steve and Lily.

Lily had rushed over to her younger brother's side, cursing him out for being so confrontational.

Steve had been in worse fights, he wasn't in the worst shape Lily had seen him. Still, she frets of him, pulling out a handkerchief from her purse. Lily presses it to his bleeding lip despite his protests for her not too.

"You were supposed to be seeing a movie! How did you get into a fight," Lily exclaims exasperatedly.

"I told you, he likes getting punched," Bucky says, grinning as he picks up something off the ground.

"I'm starting to think you're right," Lily replies, frowning as Steve pushes her hand away from his face.

"You were late," Steve says.

"Blame James for that, he snuck up on me and everything."

"Are you incapable of leaving my sister alone," Steve asks, looking up at his best friend who grins down at him.

"Yes," Bucky answers.

Lily laughs, ruffling Steve hair.

Her younger brother grumbles something along the lines of 'stop that' and pushes Lily away from him.

"How many times is this now," Bucky asks as he reads over the papers he had picked up.

Lily rests her chin on Bucky's shoulder to read the papers as well, Steve had tried enlisting again.

"Oh, you're from Paramus now," Bucky says sounding both amused and exasperated.

Lily gives her brother a look "You know it's illegal to lie on the enlistment form, right, Steve?"

"Jersey? Seriously," Bucky laughs.

"You got your order," Steve says looking at Bucky, clearly jealous.

Lily's stomach drops, her smile turns into a frown.

"The one-o-seventh. Sergeant James Barnes. Shipping out for England first thing tomorrow," Bucky replies.

"I should be going," Steve says, scowling as he looks forlorn.

Bucky and Lily share a look, he notices that her eyes have become glossy and he throws his arm around her shoulder.

"Come on," Bucky exclaims, "It's my last night here, I don't need you two getting weepy on me —"

"In your dreams, James," Lily says dryly, blinking rapidly. Anyone could see she was, in fact, getting weepy on him.

Perhaps, any other day, Bucky would point this out but today he lets it slide, he slings his other arm around Steve's shoulder.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," Bucky says to Steve.

"Why? Where are we going," Steve wonders, wiping at his bloody nose.

Lily hands him the handkerchief and he takes it.

"The future," Bucky replies.

Lily's eyes widen "Stark Expo?"

"World Exposition Of Tomorrow," Bucky corrects.

Lily gives him a look "It's practically the same thing, James!"

"Not to me," Bucky says, giving her shoulder a playful shake.

"You're just jealous my sister's most interested in Stark," Steve pipes in.

Bucky gives Steve a dirty look.

Lily laughs loudly "Steve, he just saved your ass, I'd watch your mouth. You're right but you don't need to say it."

"He is not right," Bucky argues, cheeks flushing.

You've spent the last four years trying to get me on a date with you, Buck," Lily points out, "Steve's right."

"I got the date didn't I?"

Steve starts sputtering "What — when — no! That's my sister, Bucky!"

"I do owe him, Steve, and it's tonight," Lily replies becoming amused at the horrified look on her brother's face. It's only a date. It's not the worst thing she and Bucky had done. "It's a double date. By some miracle he found a girl who agreed to go out with you."

Steve glares at Lily who smiles innocently at him. Bucky looks between the two siblings, and as he often wondered when he's around them, he wonders what he had gotten himself into all those years and why he had stayed around so long. He wouldn't change it for the world, he smiles as he drags them both down and out of the alleyway. But it was common knowledge that Roger siblings were more trouble than they were worth.

Luckily, Bucky thought it was worth it.

i didn't have it in myself to go with grace
and you're the hero flying around, saving face

THE AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I can't believe I've succumbed to my marvel phase again. I wrote a bucky-centric fic when I was like 14 and had just gotten into marvel, I don't think it was romantic, I really don't remember it but I think Bucky/The Winter Soldier basically adopted this little girl who would somehow sneak into his room when he was awake. Like that's all I remember from it and I know it sounds weird, it definitely made no sense back then because I knew barely anything about Marvel/MCU I was more into x-men growing up. I also know there was a BuckyxFem!OC fic I wrote but I remember absolutely nothing about it and I don't even think I published any of it.

Anyway I'm back on my Captain America bullshit, it's my comfort movie again, and I'm horny for Bucky Barnes AGAIN so here have this fic! I hope you enjoy it! I know more about Marvel know but I am by no means an expert so please be nice if I get something wrong and you want to point it out! I am open to constructive criticism as long as you're decent about it! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter please let me know what you thought of it in the comments, your thoughts/feedback means a lot to me!