Chapter 10: Moving Forward

"When you hold my hand, do you want to hold my heart? When you say you want me, is it all of me or just one part?" Boys like you by Anna Clendening

Bucky's pulse rushed in his ears when Anna pulled him down to her. To say it was unexpected would be an understatement, but Bucky wasn't about to stop and question anything at the moment. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Bucky pulled Ace in closer as he returned her kiss whole heartedly. His heart thudded in his chest, unable to handle how every single one of his nerves were going haywire.

Anna was the first to disengage, her hands still gripping his shirt as she pulled back from their kiss. A beautiful pink flush colored her cheeks as catcalls echoed around them. One particularly loud holler had her dropping her gaze to her hands on his shirt.

"That was," Bucky breathed out, searching for an adequate description that matched just how he was feeling.

"Overdue?" Adams chimed in from behind Bucky.

"Impulsive," Anna whispered, her gaze scanning over the soldiers surrounding them.

"I was going to say incredible," Bucky countered, his brow furrowing at Ace's hunched shoulders. If he didn't do something, she'd start pulling away from him. And if he let that happen, she'd probably start avoiding him to ease her embarrassment.

On impulse, Bucky took Anna by the hand and led her to the edge of the clearing, trying to give them as much privacy as possible while not removing them from sight altogether. He didn't need rumors of them turning disrespectful, which would most certainly happen if he took her too far away from the other soldiers. They needed to see Anna and Bucky were just talking.

"Ace," Bucky said, turning his attention towards Anna. He didn't know what to say to put her at ease, and he was terrified of saying the wrong thing.

"I can't believe I did that in front of everyone," Anna murmured, resting her hands over her burning cheeks.

"I'm glad you did," Bucky said before he realized how it could be taken. "I mean, I'm glad you did it in general, not in front of everyone," he amended, stumbling over his explanation.

"Do you think I'll ever hear the end of it from McKenzie or Adams?" Anna asked, tucking a damp strand of hair behind her ear.

"I know I won't. They'll never let me live it down that I didn't make the first move," Bucky said, shaking his head with a small smile. He'd take whatever the guys were going to give him, it was well worth it.

"I'm sorry. I was too forward," Anna murmured.

"Trust me Ace, you are anything but too forward." Bucky had never met a girl who kept him second guessing his or her emotions like Anna did.

"There you are," Dr. King interrupted, coming to stand beside them. "You're not the only one who needs a shower Stark. I need you to man the tent so I can clean up as well."

"Of course," Anna said, glancing up at James. "I'll look after any patients."

"Thank you," Dr. King said as he marched off towards the tents.

"I should go," Anna said, backing away from James towards the medical tent.

Honestly, she was relieved to avoid the awkward turn the conversation was sure to take. By kissing him, she'd made her feelings towards him quite plain. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Once the adrenaline faded she reconsidered letting her emotions show without knowing his. Discussing the kiss and the feelings behind it…she would rather gather her wits before talking with James about it.

"Ace, we need to talk about the kiss." He didn't want to pretend it didn't happen.

"We will," Anna promised. "But I can't leave the medic tent unattended." She wasn't running away, she just needed time to mentally and emotionally prepare.

Bucky watched Ace walk away, wanting to punch Dr. King in the jaw for interrupting. They had finally made a breakthrough, finally went soaring over the line they'd been tip toeing for months now, and he couldn't help but feel like they backtracked a million steps when Ace walked away. He wanted to chase after her, but he didn't want to push her. She'd said they would talk about it, and he'd give her some time before collecting on that promise.

…

Anna worked straight through the night as soldiers kept coming off the field injured. Their fellow soldiers had obviously attempted to help them, but they weren't using the techniques or the medicine appropriately as Anna had taught them. She couldn't blame them. They were in the middle of a war zone attempting a job they'd only had basic training for. What little the soldiers had done for their injured brothers had helped them survive the trip back to camp, but Anna found she couldn't save them all.

Falling onto her cot just as the sun rose, Anna slept through breakfast and the afternoon meal. Bucky had been looking for her at both meals, but the only Stark he found was Howard who took a seat beside him at lunch.

"I see they don't change the menu up," Howard commented staring down at his bowl.

"Where's Anna?" Adams bluntly asked what he knew Bucky wouldn't. After their kiss last night Adams had expected to see even more of her, until Bucky returned to the fire without Anna, looking put out.

"Sleeping. A truck full of injured soldiers came in from the fields. She spent the night trying to save them all," Howard said, glancing towards Sergeant Barnes. "I also heard she kissed you. Seems she had an eventful night all around."

"Has everyone heard about the kiss?" Bucky asked, turning towards his friends. He knew there were soldiers around when it happened, but it hadn't been the whole camp.

"It wasn't a huge secret, she did kiss you in front of half the camp already," Adams reasoned. News like that spread fast. It gave the soldiers something to talk about other than the war or home.

"I've got to talk to her before she finds out," Bucky murmured, abandoning his food.

He hadn't really thought his plan through. Stopping outside Ace's tent, he wasn't sure how to announce his presence. What if she was still asleep? What if she was dressing? He couldn't just barge into her tent.

…

Anna woke up early in the afternoon, but couldn't bring herself to get out of her cot. Instead she stared up at the tent above her, the sun so bright it cast a spotlight on the material. Both Helen and Peggy's cot were empty. As the only three girls on base, they were given one small tent to share. Anna didn't mind, but it was nice to have the tent to herself for a little while as she processed things. Something had to be done to help prevent so many soldiers going home in wooden boxes. She contemplated if more training would be worthwhile when Peggy and Helen returned with a bowl of soup for her.

"You slept through breakfast, we thought you'd be hungry," Helen said as she handed Anna the bowl.

"Thanks," Anna said, sitting up and taking the offering. Blowing on the soup she took a bite as Peggy and Helen watched from their cots.

"Why are you staring at me?" Anna asked.

"You kissed Sergeant Barnes," Helen broke, smiling widely. "Finally."

"How do you know about that, you weren't even there," Anna asked, her spoon falling into the bowl and splattering a bit of broth on her skirt.

"It's all over camp, turns out soldiers' gossip more than high school girls," Peggy said, figuring it'd be better to break the news like a swift blow.

"Considering Howard loves gossip as much as he loves women, it's not that surprising," Anna sighed, returning to eating her soup. She was hungry, and it was best to eat whenever she had the time, as she more often than not didn't have the time.

"You're not upset?" Helen asked, sharing a glance with Peggy. Anna had freaked out when rumors had spread about her and Bucky before.

"After last night I've learned there's more important things than what others say about me. Lives are at stake everyday out here. If they want to spend their down time speculating about my love life, let them."

It seemed such a little thing to get hung up on after seeing so much pain and death. These soldiers could die the next time the step onto the frontlines. If discussing her and James brought them some entertainment she wasn't about to get upset over it. Not unless it started affecting her job, which it hadn't yet.

"Are you going to leave us to speculation?" Helen asked, eyebrows raised.

"It'd probably be more interesting," Anna laughed, finishing her soup and setting her spoon and empty bowl on the ground. "We didn't get a chance to talk about it. I actually kind of avoided talking about it."

"Why?!" Helen and Peggy asked in unison.

"Well to be fair, there were injured soldiers who needed my attention more than James' did," Anna defended. "And I wasn't emotionally prepared to talk about it with him."

"You're not scared of what everyone thinks of you, but you care what he thinks of you," Peggy said, as she studied Anna. It was such a Stark reaction. Howard didn't care what the world thought of him, but for those he cared about, like Anna, their opinions meant the most.

"Is that silly?" Anna asked, playing with the ends of her hair.

"No, it's sweet," Peggy assured her. "But you can't avoid him forever. The man is drawn to you like a moth to flame."

"You're right," Anna sighed, stepping towards the wash basin. If she was going to talk with James she would at least look put together.

Washing her face and pinning back her hair, Anna smoothed out her skirt as she stood before Peggy and Helen.

"Do I look okay?" Anna asked, glancing down at herself. At Peggy and Helen's reassurances that she did, Anna took a steadying breath before exiting the tent and almost crashing into James.

"Ace," James said, looking taken off guard.

"James," Anna murmured, her hand covering her heart to try and calm it.

"We need to talk," they both said at the same time.

Glancing around, Anna grabbed James' hand and began leading him past the tents to the outskirts of the camp. If they were going to talk about last night, really talk about it, she wanted to limit the chances of them being interrupted. Stopping a few feet past the last tent, Anna released James' hand and turned to face him. She found she had no idea how to start the conversation she wanted to have, the conversation they needed to have.

Bucky wanted to hold on tighter to Anna's hand when she started pulling it away. It had felt so right in his. But he let it go. He would do what she wanted, but it had to be her decision. The last thing he wanted her to feel was pressured.

"So, I kissed you," Anna started, immediately wanting to start over. Of course he knew she kissed him.

"I remember," Bucky said with a small smile. The smile faded when he pressed on. Anna needed a forewarning about everyone knowing about it. "You should probably know words gotten around about that. The whole camp knows about it."

"I know," Anna said nonchalantly, surprising Bucky. "Peggy told me this morning."

"And you're…okay with that?" Bucky asked.

"I don't care what they think about me. Their opinions have no power over me if I don't let them," Anna responded with a small shrug.

Anna's nonchalance both surprised and relieved Bucky. He'd feared the news would make her run in the opposite direction of anything to do with him.

"So where do we go from here?" Bucky asked, letting his hopes rise a little higher.

"It's not really the ideal time to start a relationship," Anna murmured. They were in the middle of a war, with no guarantee either would survive and no promise of returning home anytime soon.

"With that mindset it might never be a good time," Bucky pointed out. Life was too short not to go for what you wanted.

"Would putting a title on it really change anything?" It's not like they could go on dates, go dancing, or do anything more than what they'd been doing.

"No, it wouldn't," Bucky admitted taking a step closer. "I'd still feel the same way about you. But shouldn't that prove why it's worth it. If saying you're my girl wouldn't change anything, wouldn't that mean we were just fooling ourselves all along?"

"And how do you feel?" Anna pressed fiddling with her skirt. She needed to hear him say how he felt. She'd practically announced how she felt to the whole camp when she kissed him.

"I like you Ace," Bucky admitted freely. "I like your moxie, your temper, your stubbornness, how smart you are, and how fiercely you care about people. You've captured my attention and I want to know everything about you."

Anna found herself smiling, keeping her gaze on her hands. Her heart beat faster at his words, and she wasn't sure how to respond to his declaration.

"Your silence is killing me Ace," Bucky said. She avoided his gaze, not saying a word after he admitted how he felt. He couldn't even guess what she was thinking inside her pretty little head.

"I don't know what to say," Anna admitted, glancing up at James. "I've never liked anyone before. Not how I like you."

"How about we talk about what this mutual liking means," Bucky suggested, more optimistic at Anna's admittance.

"For instance," Bucky said, reaching for Anna's hand and interlacing their fingers together. "How do you feel about holding hands?"

"Holding hands is nice," Anna said, enjoying the warmth of his hand wrapped around hers.

"And kissing?" Bucky asked, tucking a loose strand of Anna's hair behind her ear.

"I'm not opposed to it," Anna said, her throat dry as she glanced at James' lips.

"And me referring to you as my girl?" Bucky pressed in a whisper, afraid he might have finally suggested something Anna wouldn't take to.

"I wouldn't object to the term," Anna admitted, feeling a thrill at the idea.

"Seems like we've figured everything out then," Bucky said.

"So it seems," Anna murmured, not really wanting their conversation to end, but not knowing what else to say.

"Would it be okay if I kissed you now?" James asked, his voice deeper as his gaze flitted from her lips to her eyes.

"I didn't exactly ask permission," Anna pointed out, her stomach twisting at the anticipation his question caused.

"That's different. A gentleman always asks permission," James said with a soft smile. "May I kiss you, Ace?"

"Yes," Anna whispered, her breath catching as James' right hand rested along her jaw, his fingers hooking around her neck.

This kiss was softer, unhurried. His lips worked against hers, soft and slow, sending a whirlwind of nervous energy through her entire body. When he pulled back she let out a shaky breath as his eyes held hers in a heavy gaze.

…

They returned to camp together, their fingers entwined as James walked her to the medical tent. Before they could say their goodbyes, Helen pulled Anna into the tent. Apparently the Colonel wanted to see all medical staff inside. James ended up being pulled inside along with Anna as they had still been holding hands. He wasn't too out of place as Peggy and Howard were standing beside Colonel Phillips.

"Nice of you to join us Dr. Stark. We can finally get this over with," Colonel Phillips greeted. When his steely gaze drifted down to James and her entwined hands, she blushed, releasing her grip on his hand.

"We've just gotten word from DC. The powers that be are not happy with how many boys we're sending home in caskets, it's lowering morale back home," Colonel Phillips announced.

"If we had more funding for supplies perhaps we'd be able to do more," Dr. King interjected.

"Did I say you could speak son," Colonel Phillips challenged, causing Dr. King to cower back a little. "Didn't think so. Now there's been orders from the top brass that there should be a medical officer on the frontlines to prevent the death tolls from continually increasing."

Anna didn't really know what to think of the announcement. It made sense. Someone with medical training would be invaluable on the battlefield. However, she highly doubted they'd send more medical officers over. The army had already been having trouble getting medical volunteers overseas. Which meant either Helen, Dr. King, or herself would be going to the frontlines.

"So, do I have a volunteer or do I have to choose myself?" Colonel Phillips asked, his eyes shifting over the medical staff.

Glancing at Helen, Anna saw her face pale at the Colonel's question. Helen was terrified at the idea of going to the frontlines, with good cause. It's not like they were trained for battle. Anna didn't even have to look at Dr. King to know he was scared, and probably indignant. He'd think himself above the frontlines. He wouldn't be volunteering, and Anna hated the thought of Helen being ordered into battle. She wouldn't wish that on her friend.

"Alright, looks like I'm going to have to choose," Colonel Phillips said.

"I'll go," Anna said, causing Colonel Phillips' head to snap in her direction.

"We've got ourselves a volunteer after all. Got more balls than the boy. I like it," Colonel Phillips smiled, shuffling papers around before signing and stamping the bottom of one.

A/N: Hey everyone! It's been a hot minute since I posted in this story. It took me a while to figure out the kinks of how exactly I wanted this to flow. Hope you enjoyed the update, and hopefully I'll be able to post again soon because I hate to leave you guys hanging. Hope you're still enjoying this story! QUESTION: a few people mentioned being interested in me making this version of Anna make it to the future somehow like Cap and Bucky do. How many of you would be interested in that? Or would you rather have this story end in the past?

Onto Guest Review Responses:

Vain-gl0ry: your Private Message is turned off so I'm replying to you here. I'm stoked you're loving this story and that Anna and Bucky finally kissed. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and their kiss in this chapter just as much!

Amrawo: Your private message is turned off so I'm gonna respond to your review here. I'm glad you loved the chapter! Thanks for mentioning which ending you'd like best, I really take everyone's opinion into consideration when writing. I have ways to end this both happy and sad, so I'll have to see what everyone thinks as well as how the story flows from here.

Jo: I'm glad you enjoyed Howard and Bucky meeting :)

Kam: Hello! I'm glad I'm keeping it interesting for you by shifting between the amounts of fluff in my chapter. Hope it remains interesting.

Pam: Hey old friend :) Yes they finally kissed lol. I chose to make Howard accept Bucky because I didn't want him to be a carbon copy of Tony. He's his own person, and I enjoy writing his and Anna's dynamic. Howard and Anna are also a lot closer in age than Tony and Anna in Relentless so it made sense their relationship dynamic would differ. I'm glad you like Corporal Sanders little nuggets of conversations. I didn't plan on him being such a 'big' minor character, but I like him. Hope you enjoyed this chapter too even though there is a lot of fluff in it. I promise all the chapters won't just be fluff.

Hannah: haha I'm glad you enjoyed the kiss and I'll do my best with a happy ending. No promises as it really depends on my mood while writing. I'm not sure of bringing this Anna into the future as I already have an Anna/Bucky story set during the winter soldier time. Though this anna would be completely different. Hmm..

Rach

xoxo