Chapter 13: Modern Marvels

"If I didn't think you'd deck me, I'd kiss you."

I laughed as Howard took me by the hand and twirled me. I wore a light-blue dress with a black belt and a little Peter Pan collar. My hair was up in victory curls and my lips were bright red. I was a bit more dressed up than usual, but tonight was a night for celebration, after all.

We were at the Modern Marvels for Tomorrow exhibition. Howard had booked Erskine and I rooms in a local hotel for two reasons. One, because he'd finally gotten something together that could handle the power we needed and wanted to show it off, and two, because wanted to show off his exhibit.

I was pretty sure that ninety-eight percent of everything Howard did was for the purpose of showing off.

"You don't look bad yourself," I said, nodding to Howard.

This was the man from the paper, dressed to the nines in an elegant tux and Italian shoes. His hair was swept back under a top hat and a red carnation was pinned to his lapel. I could see myself in the reflection on his shoes.

"Do I ever?" Howard said, fluffing his collar cockily.

Erskine was watching the pair of us in amusement. He was dressed as he usually was, in an alarming amount of tweed, his fedora settled on his head and his glasses gleaming under all the lights of Howard's backstage dressing room. A file was tucked under his arm, which he quickly passed over to Howard.

"Thanks for this," Howard said, lifting the file pointedly. He dropped it unto a briefcase on the desk and shut the top, tapping a series of numbers on the keypad on top. "Prototype," Howard said smugly. "If you try to open it without the code then it sets off a charge inside, destroys everything including the would-be thief's hands."

"Charming," I said drily. "And I consider it a good day if my briefcase stays latched."

Howard shook his head. "That's just sad, Josie. Erskine, I think that's all the business we had planned for tonight. You still planning to check the recruiting office?"

Erskine nodded. "Ja. Who knows, maybe my perfect subject will be there? Enjoy the night off, Fraulein Josie," he added with a smile. I nodded to him.

"Gute nacht."

Erskine nodded and left the dressing room, off to hunt for his perfect experiment. Now that the rats were doing better we were starting to gear up for human testing. Howard's Vita-Ray chamber was almost done. All we needed now was a test subject, and Erskine had become fanatical about scanning the files of new recruits.

"Now, I have to go out there and present my genius, but after I'm done here, drinks back at the hotel?" Howard offered. "My treat."

"Well if it's your treat how could I say no?" I snorted.

"Good!" Howard said grandly. "Now go, have fun, enjoy the night! Just don't forget to come see my presentation," he added, brandishing a finger sternly.

"I would never," I assured him before leaving the dressing room. I dodged around one of the chorus girls, who was charging down the hallway frantically calling for her hat. I gratefully emerged into the cooler air of the exposition and peered around, looking for something to catch my interest.

I bought some cotton candy and began to wander, placing small bites in my mouth and letting them dissolve on my tongue. It had been a long time since I last had cotton candy. The State Fair nearly a decade ago, I realized as I read the placard in front of some new engine that would supposedly use less gas.

I peered into a few more exhibits, listening curiously as inventors and investors bragged about how they would change the world with their devices and discoveries. Privately I was skeptical on a lot of these ever coming to fruition – they seemed pretty out there – but then again I couldn't really judge, could I?

I glanced down at my watch and saw that it was getting close to time for Howard's presentation. I placed the last of the cotton candy in my mouth and tossed the stick into a trashcan, making my way through the crowd toward the stage. It was already getting crammed; Howard's displays were the most highly-anticipated of the whole expo.

I slipped around a couple and ducked under the arm of a man who was balancing his son on his shoulders, accidentally bumping shoulders with some skinny kid with a bag of cracker jack in his hand.

"Oh sorry, I- Steve?"

"Josie?"

I blinked at Steve in surprise before breaking into a wide smile. "It's good to see you," I said earnestly, but my eyes were darting here and there. If Steve was here than it was very likely that he had Bucky in tow.

"You too, Josie," Steve said warmly. "Although I get the feeling I'm not the one you're looking for."

I flushed at being caught looking and Steve shook his head, laughing. "I'll take you to him." He offered me his arm.

"I promised Howard I'd make his presentation," I said hesitantly, nodding in the direction of the stage. Steve raised an eyebrow.

"I'm guessing you can't tell me why you're on a first-name basis with Howard Stark of all people?" Steve ventured wryly. I shook my head sheepishly. "Well that's where our dates dragged us anyway."

"Dates," I repeated, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. "I don't want to bother you then-"

Steve looked up at me. "Trust me, Josie, he'll want to see you," he promised.

"But then why-"

"Probably more for my sake," Steve admitted, an embarrassed flush staining his cheeks. "Connie wouldn't come unless Bucky agreed to go with her friend."

"Ah," I nodded in understanding, trying not to let on how relieved I was.

I wasn't stupid. I knew I was carrying a torch for Bucky, and I knew he had some kind of feelings for me. But it couldn't happen for a lot of reasons. I was a scientist who'd be staying here and he was a soldier, probably shipping out soon, he may not even come back…

I swallowed the lump in my throat at that idea and Steve released my arm, moving to stand between a blonde and a brunette and nodding in the direction of a familiar back dressed in uniform.

"Excuse me sir, but I can't see."

Bucky moved so fast you'd have thought someone yelled 'fire.' His eyes widened and a delighted grin spread across his face as he saw me. I smiled back. His uniform looked perfect, his tie straight and the buttons shiny, but his hat was tilted to the side. It was so very Bucky.

"Belle," he greeted me eagerly. "What're you doing here?"

"Well, Howard wanted me to see his exhibition," I said, nodding to the stage. "And then I ran into a mutual friend of ours," I said, nodding to Steve, who winked at Bucky. "He thought I might like to say hello. Hello," I finished shyly.

Bucky smiled down at me warmly. "Hello Belle," he said. "It's… damn it's good to see you." His voice was a little lower, a little more breathless than usual, and if I looked closer, I could see a little bit of something flicker in his eyes.

"You too," I said replied, cocking my head. I squinted at Bucky and asked suspiciously, "What's going on?"

Bucky opened his mouth hastily, like he was about to brush it off with a 'nothing,' then closed his mouth and shrugged.

"I got my orders. I'm shipping out to England tomorrow morning," he said softly. "I'm just… glad I got to see you again."

I knew the same thought was running through both our heads, that this might be the last time we ever saw each other. I resisted the urge to hug him tightly and start cooing platitudes. It wasn't appropriate, and it wouldn't be right, not for Bucky.

I smiled slightly. "Well I'll have to start making more progress on my project. End the war, get you home."

Bucky smiled widely. "You'd end the war just for me, Josie? That's awfully sweet of you."

"Yes, well." I pinched my lips together, fighting back a smile. "Steve would miss you if you're gone too long."

"Ouch," Bucky laughed, clapping a hand to his heart. "You know how to break a guy's heart, Josie."

I smiled slightly. We were back to Josie, and I'd figured out the pattern. Belle was only for special occasions. When we were alone or when he was trying to get my attention or comfort me, occasionally in front of Steve. Out here in public I was Josie, but I knew that that the minute we stepped out of the public eye I'd be Belle again. It was…

Sweet.

"Hey Josie?" Bucky said as the music began to play, signaling the start of Howard's demo. "After this is over, you mind going for a walk with me? I wanna ask you something."

"Of course," I promised him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Howard Stark!"

I watched as the showgirls in their skimpy shorts and top hats pranced on stage in front of a cherry red car. The carnations on their lapels matched the one I'd seen on Howard's chest earlier that night.

My shoulder warmed as Bucky placed a hand on it, gently guiding me in front of him so that I could see better. Once again I had to resist the urge to deeply inhale the scent coming off his wrist, but I had to steal a quick sniff.

The girl doing the announcing traded the microphone for Howard's hat as he trotted on stage. Howard wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder and pulled her into a firm kiss before letting her twirl away with the rest of the chorus line.

Howard wiped any traces of lipstick off his mouth with a handkerchief and began. "Ladies and gentlemen, what if I told you that in a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground at all?"

The crowd gasped as the chorus line lifted away the tires from the car, revealing some kind of gleaming metal contraption bolted on underneath.

"With Stark gravitic reversion technology, you'll be able to do just that!"

Howard turned a dial on a small control board and flipped a switch. With a hum the things replacing the tires came to life and the car began slowly to lift off the ground, hovering in midair. The crowd gasped, awed, and applauded wildly.

"Holy cow," I heard Bucky breathe behind me, and I grinned. I sometimes forgot I was working with one of the brightest minds of the century. It was easy to forget Howard was a smart as he was when I had walked into the lab more than once to find he'd blown himself or someone else up fiddling with the wiring on some random machine.

The machine in the front right tire's spot began to short. The car suddenly lost its stability and crashed to the ground in a burst of sparks and smoke. The crowd gasped and cried out, recoiling from the stage, but we were all still impressed. The thing had hovered.

Howard leaned on the car in feigned casualty. "I did say a few years, didn't I?" he managed to get out.

I laughed. "Oh, I'm not going to let him forget this one for a while."

"It was impressive while it lasted though," Bucky said with a whistle. I turned around to face him.

"I was supposed to go for drinks with Howard," I explained. "Give me a second to tell him I'll be late and then we can go for that walk, alright?"

"I'll meet you beside the stage," Bucky said, and I slipped away into the crowd.

The burly man guarding the backstage area recognized me form earlier and let me pass without a fuss. I made my way through a giddy cluster of chorus girls to Howard's dressing room and opened the door to find the man himself flopped in a chair with his arm thrown over his eyes.

"Well that was really impressive," I announced, shutting the door behind me.

Howard groaned. "I don't need you trying to make me feel better, Josie, I need a strong drink and a peer group."

I winced. "Well then I have bad news. I'm going to be a little late on those drinks."

Howard sat up, looking at me pleadingly. "Josie, I need you to throw ideas around with me and keep me from getting so drunk I can't get back to my room."

"Howard, I'm not a mechanic," I explained gently. "And I ran into a friend out there. He's shipping off tomorrow and he said he wanted to talk to me."

"Ooh." Howard's eyes immediately lit up teasingly. "Well then, don't let me keep you from your midnight rendezvous, eh Josie?"

I rolled my eyes. "Howard, you're ridiculous."

"I think that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

Shaking my head I left the dressing room and made my way back to the side of the stage where Bucky was waiting, his hands in his pockets and his hat still tilted jauntily on his head. He smiled when he saw me coming and offered me his arm.

"Everything squared away?" he asked. I reached up and tilted his hat back into place.

"Now it is."

Bucky immediately tipped his hat back the way it was and grinned at me slyly. I shook my head, smothering a smile. I had never seen Bucky with his uniform on properly and I got the feeling that I never would if he had anything to say about it.

"Where did you want to go on this walk?" I asked Bucky, taking his arm. We started walking through the exhibits. I looked up and saw Bucky's eyes darting around curiously. He wasn't a scientist by any stretch of the imagination but he seemed to really appreciate the displays around him.

"There's a little park not far from here, it's usually pretty quiet at night. Figured we'd head there."

I nodded and let Bucky guide me out of the expo and down the street. The sidewalk was filled with people bustling to and from the show. Families towing along two or three children and couples walking with entwined hands moved around us.

The crowd lessened as we turned down a side street. It was starting to get dark, and the streetlights cast pools of light around us. I shivered slightly. It was starting to get colder. I wasn't looking forward to winter in Brooklyn. I barely survived shivering my way through a Kentucky winter.

"Cold?" Bucky asked me, having noticed the shiver.

"New York's colder than home," I explained. I wasn't entirely surprised when Bucky gently pulled his arm out of my grip and draped it around my shoulders, pulling my closer to his side. I blushed but huddled close to him for warmth. That smell… I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. It just wasn't fair that all Bucky had to do was stand close to me to set my head spinning.

"Here we are."

I opened my eyes. Bucky was right, the park wasn't much. A spread of grass with a couple benches scattered around, a fountain in the middle, and a slide and some swings to one side. It was empty except for an older couple sitting on a bench under a young tree, whispering among themselves.

I smiled slightly at the couple and let Bucky lead me over to the fountain. We sat on the edge of the wide base facing each other. I looked to the side and observed the statue in the middle of the fountain. I smiled slightly to see a woman in robes, a cornucopia of fruit in her arms and a maternal smile on her face.

"What is it?" Bucky asked, looking at the statue.

"Pompona," I said, nodding to the woman. Bucky stared at me.

"What?"

"It's Pompona," I explained, pointing to the cornucopia. "She was the Roman goddess of fruitful harvests, particularly for orchards and fruit trees. I just think it's a little funny that a goddess like her is in a place like this," I said, gesturing to the buildings all around us.

Bucky laughed lightly, shaking his head. "Belle, I keep spending time with you, I think I'm gonna learn more than I ever did in school."

"Ah." I dipped my head. "Sorry."

I had been called a know-it-all several times in my life. People at school back home didn't really appreciate it when I always knew the answer. It made them look bad. I remembered Peter getting fed up with me a time or two, following him around and blabbering random facts I'd read in the library that day. He locked me in the attic for it more than once, but stopped once he realized I'd just shimmy out the window and go tell dad on him.

"Don't be," Bucky insisted, tapping my chin lightly to get me to look up. "I could use a little more up here." He tapped his temple pointedly. I chuckled.

"I don't know," I disagreed. "I'm sure you know a lot of things I don't know. Like where to find the best burger in Brooklyn," I added, nudging his arm teasingly. Bucky laughed.

"I don't think I'm gonna end the war with that one." He sobered quickly. I frowned, looking at him.

Bucky wasn't a serious person. He never had been. He was all fun and teasing smiles and cracking jokes. To see him so uncomfortable and so grim… it wasn't right.

Boldly, I placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Bucky sighed. "I'm trying to decide if I have the right to ask you what I want to ask you."

I shook my head. "Bucky, just ask. You talking like this… you're starting to worry me, to be honest."

A faint flicker of Bucky's usual smile flickered across his face. "We can't have that, can we?" he mused softly. "Alright, here it goes. I want to ask if you'd mind looking out for Steve while I'm gone?"

I blinked. That wasn't what I'd expected. I thought he was worried about shipping out, fearful about going to the front… But no, that wasn't Bucky. Of course he would worry more about the people he cared about than himself, even if he was the one walking into a war zone.

Bucky kept going. "He's so determined to get into the Army, to go fight… It's crazy. You know he's tried to enlist multiple times? Five that I know of, probably more. He's lying about where he's from, which isn't exactly legal. Even if they take him, I don't know if he'd make it through basic, and god forbid he actually get shipped out… He's my best friend, has been since we were kids, and I don't like the idea of that punk getting himself in trouble or sitting around here sulking. I know you've got your secret meetings, but if you'd just stop by and check on him while you're in Brooklyn, let me know how he's doing? How he's really doing, not how he says he's doing." Bucky grabbed my hand, looking at me earnestly. "I'd really appreciate it Belle."

Even if I had planned to refuse to keep an eye on Steve, I wouldn't have been able to then. Not with Bucky calling me Belle and holding my hand and looking at me with his eyes so intense and so focused and so hopeful.

I laughed. "Bucky Barnes," I scolded. "You had me so worried, and now I find out you just want me to visit with Steve every now and then?"

Bucky shifted, running a hand through his thick hair sheepishly. It still didn't muss it. "I know I was being a little dramatic, just… well, you don't owe me anything Belle."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I don't have to owe you anything to do you a favor, I'd do it out of the goodness of my heart. Besides, I like Steve," I admitted. "He's a good guy."

"You kidding me?" Bucky scoffed. "He's the good guy."

I laughed along with him and glanced around the park. That older couple was still there, the woman leaning her head on her husbands' shoulder as he casually toyed with her fingers. They were murmuring to each other, the words carried to me on the wind. Sweet words, memories from how they met and how they got together.

"Belle, I've got another question I'd like to ask," Bucky said abruptly. I looked at him. His eyes were lingering on the couple too. He turned to look at me and asked, "Would you mind sending me a picture of you after I'm gone?"

My eyes widened. That was quite a thing to ask, especially coming from a soldier. But again I couldn't refuse him, not with him looking like that and the wind blowing his scent to me. I internally cursed myself. When had I gotten so soft that a pair of pretty blue eyes and a whiff of somebody could turn me into a pile of mush? I could practically hear my inner self snarling in distaste.

To hell with it. I liked Bucky, and if he wanted my picture, he could have it.

"I think that can be arranged," I replied quietly, looking down at my lap and fiddling with my fingers. I glanced up at him and gave a little grin. "So, anything else you want to do before you go, Sergeant?" I asked.

Bucky smiled back. "Well, I was planning on going dancing tonight…" he said leadingly.

"Were you?" I asked innocently. "That could be arranged."

Bucky stood up and offered me his hand. I took it with a smile and allowed him to tug me to my feet, pulling me into his arms. He placed a hand on my waist and I curled my free hand over his shoulder. He rocked us, making small, shuffling steps across the cobblestoned path around the fountain. I sighed and relaxed in his grip, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath of the night air.

My nose twitched. It wasn't the clean, pure air I was used to. It was riddled with pollution and city-smells, and I didn't like it nearly as much.

"What's that face for?" Bucky asked, having noticed. I opened my eyes and found him looking down at me. He gave a little spin, turning us around.

I shrugged self-consciously. This was Bucky's night, not mine. I wasn't going to dump my homesickness on him when he was about to go farther from home than I'd ever been.

"Nothing," I assured him. He looked skeptical, but gave me a little spin out anyway. I twirled out and back towards him. I noticed he pulled me a little closer than he had before and suppressed a smile at the idea. "It's just been a while since I danced with anyone."

"When was the last time?" Bucky asked curiously, dipping his chin to look down at me curiously.

I thought back. "Oh, it was probably… father and step-mother's wedding," I recalled, remembering getting passed between my cousins and uncle and twirled around the floor all night long. They apparently had some kind of game going.

I told Bucky all about it, how I was passed from smiling face to smiling face and they wouldn't let me stop dancing. I wasn't allowed to leave the dance floor the whole night until Claude finally took pity on me around midnight and sat me down, got me a drink, and rubbed my aching feet.

"Claude was always a sweetheart," I murmured. "He's over there now too."

Somehow while I'd talked I'd ended up with my head resting on Bucky's shoulder. We'd gone from dance steps to just swaying in the moonlight by the fountain. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I hadn't felt this at peace in quite a long time. It was always scrambling for an answer for the serum, always dodging around the heavily-populated areas of camp. I hadn't taken the time to stop and breathe in a while.

"If I see an Ealum, I'll let them know your send your love," Bucky offered. "Least I can do since you agreed to babysit Steve for me." I felt his chest rumble with a soft chuckle before I actually heard it.

"I'd appreciate that. I'm sorry I pulled you away from your date," I apologized, although I knew that deep down I really wasn't. This had been the best night I'd had in a long while and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

"Don't be, Belle, this is better than what I had planned for the night."

The best part was that I couldn't hear a lie. He really meant it. Bucky was glad he'd come out here with me, that we'd talked and laughed and danced. He enjoyed it just like I did. It made my heart flip and I had the sinking feeling that I was already in farther than I'd thought.