Eleanor's P.O.V

Monday, June 26th, 1939

Could this day have gone any faster? I was standing in front of my closet, staring at all my dresses. A robe was wrapped around my body and my hair was twisted up in a bun. I had two hours to get ready for my date with Bucky. The store had been closed for 30 minutes now and I wished I was still down there helping people buy their clothes. Why did I agree to that bet? I should have realized that I would meet him again. Hell, Bucky probably got Steve to lie about it being his idea to come to the carnival and followed me. Damn, he was determined...and handsome. No, Ellie! You can't seriously like him. You don't even know him.

With that in mind, I grabbed my red and blue dresses and put them on my bed, before moving to my vanity and getting ready. As I started to put on my makeup, I heard a light knock on my bedroom door. I looked through the mirror and watched as Ava walked in.

"Hey," She said. "Know what you're going to wear yet?"

"One of those two," I answered as I motioned over to the dresses on my bed. Ava wandered over to my bed and looked down at the two dresses as I went back to doing my makeup. I took down my hair and fixed it a bit before walking over to my bed.

Ava looked between me and the dresses, before picking up the blue one and handing it to me. "It's my favorite out of the two," she said and I smiled. Ava then left the room to let me get dressed.

I slipped off my robe and stepped into my dress. After I buttoned it up, I wrapped my thin black belt around it, then slipped on my black heels. Looking in the mirror one last time, all my nerves finally hit me. Bucky isn't going to like me. I mean why would he like me...I'm just me. What if I slip up and tell him the wrong lie about my life?

The bell at the front of the shop door rang and I turned towards the sound. It's too late to back out now, and I made a deal. I have to uphold my end. Sighing to myself, I walked to the living room, where my bag was sitting on the kitchen counter. My head was down, so when I looked up and saw Bucky standing there, I stopped in my tracks.

Bucky was wearing a navy blue suit that made his eyes become even brighter than they normally were. He was also wearing a black tie and his hair wasn't slicked back, it was a bit messy, yet neat at the same time. "Wow, doll," Bucky gasped in awe at the sight of me, before he began to step toward me. "You look gorgeous." I looked down at the ground and blushed, before looking back up at him. He smiled at the sight of my red cheeks and pulled out a single red rose from behind him.

"Thank you," I said and went to take the flower from him, but he stopped me. I watched as Bucky broke the stem, then stuck the flower in my hair, like he had in the grocery store. Dear Lord, this man is charming.

"Shall we go?" Bucky asked as he held out his hand. I gave him a small, nervous smile before grabbing my purse and closing the apartment door with his hand in mine.

〜〜〜

I had my arm linked with Bucky's as we walked down the sidewalk. He wouldn't tell me what he had planned for tonight, only that it was a surprise while wearing this constant smile on his face. I don't know why he's smiling though. It's not like I didn't want him to be depressed on a date he insisted on having, but I haven't done anything to earn a smile. Hell, we weren't even talking to one another. It was like my presence made him happy, which again, made no sense.

"What are you thinkin', doll?" Bucky asked and his question snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing," I replied and looked up at the neon sign above our heads that read: Marchi's.

"One the best Italian restaurants around," Bucky commented. His hand rested on my lower back as he led me inside.

We walked up to the host and Bucky gave them his name. The host showed us to the table, placed the menus down, and told us that our waiter would come by shortly. I looked at him across the table as he read over the menu. I can't wrap my head around it. Why me? Why was he so in awe of me? I'm not special; aside from the whole time travel thing, he doesn't know that.

"Like what you see?" Bucky asked and I snapped out of my thoughts again. He had placed his menu on the table while folding his hands together. He had this boyish like smile across his face and I bowed my head as I blushed. "What's running through that pretty head of yours?"

"Nothing," I answered quietly as I scanned over the menu, but didn't really pay attention to what I was reading.

"Humor me then," He replied and I looked up at him.

"Why are you so interested?" I asked him.

"Because it's the second time I've got 'nothing' as an answer," Bucky explained. "So, humor me and tell me what random thought has captured your attention."

"Not a thought," I corrected. "More like a question." Bucky looked at me intrigued. I looked away, not wanting to keep eye contact with him, and shifted in my seat a bit. "Why me?"

"Why you?" He replied in a confused tone.

"Why ask me out? How are you intrigued by," I gestured to myself, "This?" I asked.

Bucky's eyes softened and reached out for my right hand, then tilted my chin so I made eye contact with him. "You're beautiful and different from any other girl I've met," He answered and I could hear the honesty in every word he said.

"Why because I turned down your flirting?" I laughed.

Bucky chuckled, "No, but that definitely didn't help my ego," He joked. "When you ran into Steve, you immediately caught my eye for a few reasons. You were wearing pants and a leather jacket with no shame, you seemed at home yet out of place, and lastly, you were drop-dead gorgeous," He explained. "Then the more I ran into you, I found out that a few romantic gestures and charming words weren't going to make you swoon. You were clever, strong, and determined - and when you find someone like that, how could you not ask them out?"

For the first time, I was truly speechless. So he was genuinely attracted to who I was? I dropped my head and looked at my hand in his. He was sweet and more attractive than any man Tinder or my friends tried to set me up with. The waiter walked up to us and I sat back in my seat, which made Bucky let go of my hand. I could still feel his hand around mine as we ordered our drinks and appetizers.

I looked around as the waiter left. The restaurant was beautiful and outside I saw a few couples dancing to the band that was playing. Looking back at Bucky I noticed him staring at me, but not in a creepy stalker way, it was more gentle and kind. He looked as if he was trying to memorize everything about me. The way my hair framed my face, or the way I kept blushing every time I looked at him.

"So," He broke the silence. "Tell me about yourself, doll."

"What would you like to know?"

"Your dreams and goals in life," Bucky replied dramatically and we laughed. "You said you lived in Malibu?"

"I grew up there," I answered. "My dad liked to make inventions, and sell them to wealthy investors."

"Like Howard Stark?" Bucky asked. I bit my tongue so I didn't laugh.

"Yeah," I said with a smile. "Like Howard Stark. My dad was clever, and taught me everything I know about machines."

"I guess that makes you pretty smart," He replied and looked down a bit. Bucky seemed embarrassed and I gave him a confused look. He looked back up at me and covered up whatever emotions he was feeling. I decided not to poke the bear on that subject.

Our waiter came back with our drinks and appetizers. When the waiter left again, I smiled at the soon to be sergeant across from me. "So now that you know a little of my story, what's yours?" I asked him.

"It's not that interesting to tell you the truth," Bucky replied.

"Can I maybe decide that for myself?" I wondered and he sighed.

"My mom died when I was young and I've been taking care of my little sister, Rebecca, since," Bucky begins to explain. "Although she's at boarding school right now, and sends letters to me weekly."

"She's a lucky girl," I commented. "Having a big brother like you to protect her." Bucky chuckled at my compliment. "I'm curious when you met Steve though."

"School. I stopped some bullies from beating him up on the playground and we became best friends after that," Bucky elaborated and looked down at the table. "But he's always getting himself into trouble."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Bucky looked up at me and laughed softly before sitting back in his seat slightly. "Sorry, doll. Didn't mean to bring that up. Not really something you bring up on a first date," He said, trying to change the subject.

"I don't mind," I replied softly. Bucky seemed to appreciate my kind gesture, and I think he was about to indulge my curiosity when the waiter came up to us. We ordered our food and the waiter left with a smile. I turned my attention back to Bucky. "So are you going to tell me what you meant?"

"Steve doesn't know when to quit. He doesn't like bullies, and neither do I, but I just worry about him. I think he gets it from his parents. They fought in the war and were some of the strongest people I know," Bucky explained.

"Seems like your friend is a good man," I replied.

"He is," Bucky confirmed. "Although I don't want to talk about Steve, I want to know more about you. You said you know a lot about machines."

"It's basically all my dad did with his life, but everybody's got to have a hobby, right?" I took a sip of my drink after I said that. "He taught me a majority of it, and it came fairly easy to me."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your mother like?" Bucky asked. "You haven't mentioned her yet."

"My mother is one of the strongest and kindest people I've ever known." I lightly started to play with the necklace she had given me when I was thirteen. I'm happy I wore this the day I arrived here. "She could run the entire world if given the chance, but while she always knew she loved me, it took her a while to figure out that she loved my dad."

"Wait. So when did your parents get together?" Bucky asked me.

"When I was 14," I answered.

"Sorry, but I'm confused. She raised you with your father, but didn't get with him until you were 14?" Bucky asked, making sure he heard me correctly.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized with an embarrassed laugh. "Maybe I should have mentioned that she's not my biological mother, yet is still legally my mother."

"How?" Bucky pondered.

"Before my dad became my dad, he was a bit of a playboy," I explained. "He did whatever he wanted and slept with whoever he chose, and naturally ended up getting a woman pregnant. My dad didn't know I existed until my biological mother showed up to his house a week after I had been born. She hadn't bothered to give me a name and didn't sign any of the papers that gave her responsibility over me." Bucky gave me a sympathetic look. "It doesn't bother me though. My dad wanted me and gave me the best mother on earth."

"Wow," Bucky replied. "Must have been hard to swallow when he told you that."

"It was, but it didn't change how I felt towards my dad or my mom," I explained and he nodded.

"So what are your parents up to now?" Bucky asked naturally. I opened my mouth to answer him but closed it quickly. I was about to say he's giving some form of a ted talk in the city, but then I remember I wasn't home and my dad wasn't in the city giving said speech.

"Um-" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "They died a few years ago. Car crash," I mumbled. Bucky looked at me guiltily and placed his hand over mine again.

"I'm so sorry, doll. I didn't know," Bucky apologized.

"I know," I answered. "It's not your fault. It was just fate running its stupid course." I turned my head and saw our waiter coming back with food. "Looks like the food's here," I commented and didn't move my hand from Bucky's until my dish was placed in front of me.

〜〜〜

Bucky had paid the bill, and we continued to talk, but managed to stay away from the topic of family for the rest of the night. He was leading me to our second location, which again he stated was a surprise. We walked up to a dance club and Bucky started to pull me towards the front entrance. I walked in, slightly uncomfortable, which Bucky noticed but kept a smile on his face.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Bucky asked me.

"Nothing," The second the word left my mouth Bucky turned me towards him.

"I'm starting to see a pattern here, doll," Bucky laughed.

"It's just," I looked out to the dance floor where a handful of couples were happily dancing to the jazz band playing in the back corner of the club. "I don't know how to dance," I muttered.

"What?" James asked me, having not heard me.

"I don't know how to dance," I confessed. "Give me a broken car and I can repair it in my sleep, but dancing…" I stopped talking and looked down, fiddling with my dress. I felt embarrassed and nervous about his reaction, but Bucky grabbed my hands and tilted my chin upward.

"Don't worry, darling," He said. "Just follow my lead and you'll be fine."

I gulped visibly and my heartbeat filled my ears. Why was I so nervous? Follow his lead and everything will be fine, right? I don't think Bucky is one to embarrass girls for fun, but I barely know him so I could be wrong. When I glanced down I noticed Bucky holding his hand out to me. The music had changed from an upbeat tune to a slower one. I looked up into Bucky's eyes and didn't see anything that didn't give me a reason not to trust him. It was funny that I could open up about my biological birth mother abandoning me, yet not trust him with dancing.

After I slipped my hand in his, he led me to the middle of the dance floor. Bucky twirled me around before pulling me towards him and it caused me to laugh. My hand had automatically rested on his shoulder and Bucky's right hand rested on my waist while his left held my other hand. We swayed the beat on the song and as time went on I rested my head on his chest. He was about a foot taller than me, and it allowed him to rest his chin on top of my head.

"You know," Bucky said and pulled back a bit. I did too, so I could look up at him and move my left hand to rest more on his chest than his shoulder. "You're not that bad of a dancer."

"If I knew dancing equaled swaying, I wouldn't have made such a big deal out of it," I explained and Bucky chuckled. He moved my right hand to rest on his arm and rested his left hand on my lower back. I laid my head back on his chest and closed my eyes as I let Bucky guide me as we danced to the soft jazz music surrounding us.