1930's AU that was requested. Ella's a movie star, Steve's her manager, and she's in a secret relationship with Bucky.
…
Ella Rogers had a face that the cameras loved.
That was what the tabloids and critics said after seeing one of her pictures anyways. A face that the camera men always lingered on a second longer than needed, that left the audience missing the sweet, angelic curves of her face once the angle shifted.
Bucky always saw her pictures. He was always there at the premiers, among the wealthiest and most famous being in New York, watching the dramatic story play out on the silver screen.
He didn't always enjoy watching them, especially if it was a romance film. He didn't enjoy watching her kiss other men, even if it was fake. He didn't like the idea of another man holding her in their arms, no matter how short it was. Bucky would always catch Ella turning in her seat during one of those scenes, smirking at how apparent the jealousy was on his face.
Ella was a great actress, but there were some things from the films that weren't nearly as amazing as they were in person. The audience would never see her bright and beautiful eyes, only seeing them in dull shades of grey. They would never know that the passion she forced into her eyes was nothing compared to the real thing, how she would look at him when no one was around. Her eyes alone could tell a story.
Bucky never sat among the stars who reclined in the velvet seating, instead standing in the back against the wall. He wasn't like them, he didn't share their status. He was a chauffeur, Ella's to be exact. It wasn't a bad job, Bucky was happy just to have one. He had known Ella and her brother forever. Her brother moved on to become her manager and the two of them miraculously managed to work him into the business, even if it was only a small role.
The film came to an end. Everyone stood and applauded, Ella and her co-stars coming to the front of the theater and taking a bow. Photos were taken, people shook Ella's hand, and Steve began speaking with producers and other actors as his sister worked her almost magical charm, drawing people towards her.
Bucky went to pull the car around. Outside the theater were a large group of fans. His presence didn't spark anything, all of them speaking to one another excitedly. He got into the sleek, black car and parked it right outside, waiting patiently. He knew they had come outside when the crowd burst into excited screams. He looked to his right and saw Ella, who had just wrapped a fur coat over her shoulders, waving to her fans. She walked down the row and signed some autographs, Steve trailing behind her, still speaking to a director.
Bucky couldn't help but think about how beautiful she looked, floating down a red carpet, her golden dress shimmering in the flashes from cameras, silky hair curled and pinned gracefully at the back of her head. She looked like a million bucks.
Eventually, she looked away from her fans, meeting Bucky's eye through the window of the car, her face breaking out into a wide grin. He got out of the car and opened the door for her, holding out a hand as she stepped into the car. Bucky closed the door behind her, looking up to find Steve starting towards him.
"Get her home as soon as you can." Steve said, clapping a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "She has a photoshoot early tomorrow."
Bucky nodded. "Of course. See you tomorrow, Steve."
"See you later, Bucky."
He climbed into the car and started the engine, looking to his right to see Ella staring out the window and still waving daintily at her fans. He drove slowly, just because he knew how much it meant to the people waiting outside the theater. Eventually, he turned the corner and it was like a whole other world of still, quietness. Nothing but the sound of the wheels on the road and their breathing. Immediately, Bucky reached over and clutched her hand within his own.
"Did you like it?" Ella asked hopefully, looking at him with wide eyes.
"You know I love all your films," he said. "I just don't like seeing you with other men."
Ella rolled her eyes dramatically. "You know it's all pretend." She raised a brow, finger trailing down his arm. "Only you get to see the real thing."
Bucky smirked, eyes not leaving the road. "And I consider myself lucky."
Ella leaned over in her seat and placed a quick kiss on his jaw, noting with pleasure that his face broke out into a grin.
"And you should!" Ella said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Not just any man gets New York's most desired young lady to himself every night."
"I know." Bucky said. "Too bad I can't show you off."
"Yeah…" Ella said softly, looking down and playing with the crystals that clung to her dress. "It really is a shame…"
They couldn't be seen together, not in the way they wished to. They were from completely different worlds, the idea of a woman of Ella's status fraternizing with a man so below her socially would be a complete scandal in these times. So, they kept it a secret. No one knew save for the two of them. As far as the world knew, Ella was still single and waiting for an eligible bachelor to sweep her off her feet. Little did they know that Ella had been swept up almost a year ago.
There had always been an undeniable closeness between the pair. They grew up together and the friendship slowly morphed into something else, although they were slow to admit it. It was only after Ella's career took off did things really start to happen. The long rides in the car with only the two of them allowed something new to spark and one day, they were locking lips in the parked car.
Ella didn't know how much longer she could handle keeping it hidden. She wanted to scream to the world that she was in love with him, but that would put her career in jeopardy. She would be shunned by her peers, who only dated among the small circle. In Hollywood, her reputation was everything. She had once asked Bucky if he wanted her to tell, but he didn't want to harm her career.
They soon pulled up to Ella home. It was modest compared to some of her peers, but was still elegant and sophisticated in a way that only a person with money could have. There was an iron gate that appeared in the form of twisting vines which opened as they drove upwards.
Bucky got out and opened her door for her, the girl holding to his arm tightly as he walked her up to the door.
"You gonna come in tonight?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and biting her lip.
"Your brother said you have a shoot early in the morning."
Ella rolled her eyes. "Just another reason for you to stay! Then you wont have to drive her so early." She stood on her toes and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. "Please?"
Bucky sighed heavily at how easily he bent to her will, but didn't try to go against it as he waltzed her through the door, kicking it shut behind them.
They were both too wrapped up in one another to notice the quick flash of light and the figure huddling behind a stone pillar outside the gates, clutching their camera to their chests as tight as they could because it held tomorrow's front page news.
…
Bucky awoke early the next morning to the sound of heels on wooden floors. He slowly cracked his eyes open, rapidly blinking away the sleep that still clung to them. He looked to his right, finding the bed empty beside him. He looked a bit further, finding Ella standing before her vanity mirror, putting on a pair of pearl earrings.
"What time is it?" yawned Bucky, stretching his arms over his head.
"Early," replied Ella, looking at him fondly over her shoulder. "You know, like the time you were supposed to be picking me up?"
Bucky laughed into a pillow. "Good thing you're the responsible one."
With some urging from Ella, Bucky managed to crawl out of bed and get himself looking presentable. They shared one last quick peck on the lips before opening the door and going outside, briskly walking to the car to begin that day's adventure.
The moment they parked and Ella got out of the car, she was instantly ushered into the building by a small army of people, poking and prodding at her hair and scrutinizing her face to see if any makeup retouches needed to be done. Bucky didn't know how she handled all the fuss.
Ella answered all the questions being thrown at her as she walked through the halls. She was so focused on the people around her that she didn't even notice her brother coming up to her side until he firmly grabbed her arm.
"May I steal her for a moment?" he asked the small crowd.
There were mummers of allowance and Steve whisked her away in the opposite direction.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" asked Ella upon seeing the strange look on his face.
Steve came to an abrupt halt, shoving something into her hands.
Ella clutched the newspaper tightly, brows furrowing as she looked down and read the headline. Her eyes grew wide and her lips parted as she realized what it was.
Starlet Scandal!
Actress Ella Rogers seen in arms of unknown man.
It was a photo of her and Bucky, but his face wasn't visible, but hers sure was, and there was more love and devotion on her face in that one picture than she could muster in all of her films. Ella bit her lips and looked up at Steve, waiting for him to speak.
"What is this?" he asked. "You know you can't have a scandal this early in your career! It could end it."
"I don't see how it's a scandal…" Ella said.
"Oh, so you don't see anything wrong with an unmarried woman, however famous, inviting a random man into her home?"
"He's not just some random man." Ella argued.
Steve raised a brow, planning a hand on his hip. "Then do I know him? Is it the man you worked with on your last film? Is he an actor?"
"No and no…" Ella replied sheepishly, wringing her hands in front of her. "But you know him."
Steve sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, you can't deny that it happened there's proof right there… I guess you can end the contact between the two of you and just try and forget it ever happened…"
"That won't happen." Ella told him. "Because… that's Bucky."
Steve looked up sharply and snatched the paper out of her hands, bringing it closer to his face and studying the photo. Now that she said it, it seemed so obvious. How had he not noticed it before?
Steve spluttered a but before speaking coherently. "So was that just a one time thing or…?"
Ella shook her head. "No. It's been going on for a while. I think I love him."
This all seemed too much for Steve at the moment. If it had been in any other situation save for Ella being an actress, he would have welcomed this relationship, but the social statuses of the two made this whole ordeal more difficult.
"Steve, I'll stop acting if I need to." Ella said honestly. "I don't want a silly job getting in the way of this."
"I'm- I'm sure we can work this out somehow…" Steve said, mostly to himself. His job was to take care of his sister, it had always been that from when they were children to now in the professional world. He couldn't have her named blacked or people talking badly about her, not when she didn't deserve it.
Ella's jaw clenched in determination. "Don't worry. I'll do it."
Before Steve got the chance to question what she meant, Ella took off down the hall.
"Hey!" Steve called, stumbling after her and skidding around the corner. "What the hell are you doing?"
Ella burst back outside, Bucky just happening to be looking for her, the day's paper in his hands.
"Did you see-?" he began.
"Yes I did." Ella said, grabbing his hand tightly. "Now come with me!"
Bucky didn't have any time to question before she dragged him after her into the building. Ella knew the twists and turns of the hall, leading him to where the photoshoot she was supposed be at was set up. The people in the room seemed surprised at her sudden arrival. Bucky felt nervous having all of their eyes on him. He wished he knew what was going on in her head.
"If you want to take a picture of something," Ella announced, marching in front of the cameras. "Take a picture of this!"
She hopped slightly and threw her arms over his shoulders, kissing him suddenly. Bucky, at first startled, reacted naturally, cupping her cheeks with his palms and drawing her closer.
The small audience all gaped for a moment before they dropped the newspapers they were gossiping over to photograph the real thing for themselves. Bucky and Ella hardly noticed the clicks and flashes of the cameras, too wrapped up in one another and the relief of their relationship finally being out in the open.
Steve skidded to a stop in the doorframe, brows raising at the sight before him. It was not something that he ever expected to see, but as his best friend and his sister parted with wide grins on their faces, he realized that it was right. Soon, a swarm of people gathered around them, rapidly asking questions to get the inside scoop of the story. Ella was used to the attention and handled it beautifully, but Bucky seemed a bit awkward at first. He met Steve's gaze through the crowd, the both of them laughing and shrugging at the situation Ella had gotten them into. Still, Steve believed deep down that it would work out for them.
And he was right.
At first, this story was all over the news. Ella thought it was better to get interviewed and give the true story before any wild rumors began to circulate. People talked, of course. It was the hottest gossip of the month. There were some who raised a brow at what they considered to be a strange relationship, but most welcomed it. Bucky got used to some of the spotlight, being in a relationship with Ella meaning he was almost famous by association.
Still, the couple didn't care. They had each other, and with that, they could get through anything.
…
Hope you liked this! I'm trying to pace myself with Chasing Memories at the moment because it won't be much longer until we are caught up with the Marvel timeline. So, I'll probably just be doing a handful of oneshots for awhile just to keep writing and giving you all Bucky/Ella.
I'm also trying to get through all of the requests, so if you have any ideas, send them in. :)