I don't own anything or anyone from the MCU, only my characters and any plot-points/storylines I invent for them! Thanks and enjoy!

Captain America: The First Avenger

New York City, 1942

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?"

Steve stumbled, but raised his fists. "I could do this all day."

"Hey." A familiar voice spoke from behind them. A soldier in uniform, Bucky. "Why don't you go pick on somebody your own size." Bucky grabbed the man by the shoulders and pulled him away from Steve. "Beat it!" The man obeyed and fled from the alley.

"Thanks," said Steve. "But I had him."

"Uh huh," said Bucky, not convinced as he looked at the bruise forming on Steve's cheek. "What happened this time?" Steve handed him the army enlistment form bearing the stamp stating that he had not been accepted - again.

Bucky unfolded it and shook his head. "You got turned down again?"

"Yeah," sighed Steve.

"Aw your time will come." Bucky put an arm around his friend.

"I sure hope so," mumbled Steve.

"Sure it will. And you'd better start being more careful here in the next little while cause I ain't going to be around to save you.''

"You've got a deployment?"

"Yes sir, Sergeant James Barnes of the United States Army. I leave tomorrow morning." He looked up at the clock on the front of a nearby building. "We'd better get going. I told Karen that we'd meet them at five o'clock."

"Them?"

"Yeah, she's bringing a friend. A double date."

Steve tried to hold back a sigh. "Where are we going?"

Bucky grinned. "The future."

A little while later they arrived at a large exhibition housing what could be items of the near future. There were all sorts of high technology inventions. Steve and Bucky wove their way through the crowd in search of the girls. Up ahead they found a popular section on cars where there stood two blondes. One was Bucky's girl, Karen. She saw them making their way through the crowd and waved.

"Hey Sarge," she said, running into Bucky's arms. Then she hugged Steve. "Hey Steve, glad you could come." Steve put on a smile. She saw through it though. "What's wrong?"

"He got turned down again," whispered Bucky.

Karen shook her head and put an arm around the disappointed Steve. "Aw Steve, not again." She was speaking in terms of his being turned down, but also the fact that he had faked his identification papers again, which they all knew to be illegal.

To change the subject, she turned to her friend. "This is Steve Rogers," she said. "Steve, Bucky, this is Sherry."

Bucky tipped his cap. "Hi," said Steve, putting on another smile. Sherry gave him a small half-smile and turned her attention back to the exhibition brochure she had been looking at. Steve sighed. He had guessed that, just as before, Karen's friend wouldn't be so happy that Karen got the soldier and she was stuck with the soldier's small, wimpy friend - this wasn't the first time Bucky and Karen had arranged a double date.

Brochure in hand, the group made their way through the exhibition. "Congratulations on your deployment, Sarge," said Karen.

"Why thank you," said Bucky, adjusting his cap. "And congratulations to you too and your new job."

"Thank you." She had recently gotten a job working with Stark Industries and their involvement in the war effort.

"Where are you going?" asked Sherry, obviously very interested in Bucky. Karen stood on his left side holding his hand and she stood to his right. Steve walked along behind.

"Overseas to England," answered Bucky. "I leave in the morning."

"Promise me you'll be careful," said Karen, giving Bucky's hand a squeeze. Although she was very proud and happy for him, she was understandably very nervous.

"I promise."

"Really, Bucky, this is war." She suddenly sounded very serious.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I promise you, Karen Granger, that I will be careful. But only if you promise that you'll write to me."

"As long as you write back." Karen was all smiley again. "I'm going to miss you." Bucky smiled and kissed her cheek. She playfully took off his soldier's cap and placed it on her own head and began to imitate him. "Yes, that's me, Sergeant James Barnes of the United States Army, at your service."

"And now," came a voice over the speaker. "Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for: a special presentation by Stark Industries, led by none other than Howard Stark himself!"

"Oh come on, it's starting!" cried Sherry. She, Karen, and Bucky hurried off to join the crowd standing before the stage, Steve following behind. Howard Stark came out onto the stage and the crowd cheered.

"There he is! Oh you're so lucky you get to work for him!" Sherry said excitedly.

"Well, I may work for his company, but I've never actually met him before. Seems full of himself to me."

"Alright Steve,'' said Bucky when they had seen all the exhibition had to offer. "Let's go and take the girls danc-" When he turned around, Steve was gone. He hadn't gone far though. He was at the entrance to the exhibition, looking at the many posters promoting enlisting for the army. "Hey, you're kind of missing the point of a double date," said Bucky coming up behind him. Steve didn't answer, but continued to stare at a poster saying: Do your part; Serve your country!"Come on," said Bucky. "We're taking the girls dancing."

"You go ahead." Steve's gaze was still locked on the poster. "Spend some time with Karen before you go. Besides, that friend of hers would much rather dance with you."

Bucky sighed. "Steve you can't keep doing this. You know its illegal to fake your ID. You've tried to enlist four times and you've been turned down every single one of them. Isn't there something you can do here at home and not on the battlefield? There's plenty of jobs for the war effort-"

"Bucky there are men laying down their lives everyday and I have no right to do any less than them." There was a pause.

"Hey Bucky." Karen came over. "Everything alright? Are we still going to go dancing?"

"We sure are," answered Bucky, wrapping her up in a hug.

"What about you Steve?" she asked.

"I might catch up with you later."

Bucky turned back to his friend. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"I'll have Karen to look after me," said Steve. "And besides, how could I? You're taking all the stupid with you."

Bucky smiled. "You're a punk."

"You're a jerk." The friends hugged. Then Steve watched the three walk away before heading inside the enlistment station.

"Alright," said Bucky, clapping his hands together. "First to the future now to dancing. Where should we go?"

"You know, I think I might head home," said Sherry. "I'm feeling kind of tired, but you two go on ahead."

"Are you sure?" asked Karen.

Her friend nodded. "Yeah. And besides, you two should spend some time together before you go," she said, nodding towards Bucky.

"Alright, well I'll see you soon. Glad you could come tonight."

"Yeah me too, thanks." They hugged. Sherry waved to Bucky. "It was nice meeting you. Good luck at the front," she called as she descended down the building's front stairs.

"You too. And thanks." He gave her a friendly wave back and soon she disappeared down the street.

Hand-in- hand, Bucky and Karen walked down the street in the opposite direction. "So I guess it's just us," said Bucky. "So much for our double date. Not that I'm too disappointed," he then added with a smile.

"Poor Steve," said Karen. "He's just so determined to do his part. Usually they would be looking for men like that, but with all his health issues I guess it's just-" Her words trailed off and she shook her head.

"Yeah." Bucky sighed. "I worry about him sometimes." Then he smiled and squeezed her hand. "But come on, it's my last night in town, and I promised my girl I'd take her dancing. Let's go!"

I really need to watch this movie again, so good! I'm also a huge history nerd and World War II is my main interest, so I love that this movie combines two of my favourite things: history and superheroes! I've also written Karen into some of the Agent Carter storyline (Season One, I haven't seen all of Season Two yet - I know I'm so behind!) she and Peggy having bonded over the loss of the men they love in the war and being the only women in their workplace. I hope you enjoyed, thanks so much for reading! :)