Thank you all once again for your follows, faves and reviews!
So, in this latest instalment we will see some character development between Beth and Bucky as well as see a bit more of Sarah Rogers. Enjoy!
June 12th, 1940. Brooklyn, New York.
Steve smirked at Beth as she hopped restlessly from one foot to the other. Seeing it, she elbowed him none-too-gently in the side and he chuckled even as he rubbed his ribs.
"Enough you two" their mother called from the apartment, knowing that they'd start a brawl if left to continue.
The pair grinned at each other before returning to watch out for their friend's car. It had been almost a year since Bucky moved to the countryside to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm. The plan was for him to inherit it, but Bucky declared that he wasn't interested and was coming home instead. Steve couldn't wait to have his friend back for more company. Beth just couldn't wait to see him full stop. She had a number of friends at school, but as with Steve, Bucky was her truest friend and they missed him dearly. Finally, the sound of a car engine filtered through the air and the siblings almost knocked each other down the stairs in their scramble to greet him as the car drew to a stop. Steve was the first to reach the car, dragging a laughing Bucky into a hug. Beth wasn't far behind, though she had a momentary pause when she set eyes on him.
'Was he always so...handsome?'The nineteen year old thought to herself as she took in his broad shoulders and tanned arms.
She'd always known that he was attractive- her friends had pointed it out a number of times to her chagrin, but to her, he'd always just been Bucky. Now, however, the way his face lit up in joy as he looked over to her sent her heart into a rapid staccato. Bucky de-tangled himself from Steve and within two strides, Beth was in his arms, her head pressed against his chest as he tucked her neatly under his chin.
"Hey Bethie." He whispered, making her smile against him.
His familiar scent washed over her and she buried her face further into his chest, her heart swelling with emotion as she realised just how much she'd missed him. Above her, Bucky rested his cheek against her hair and inhaled deeply. The soft scent of vanilla he would only ever associate with her invaded his nose and his arms unconsciously tightened. They stayed in the embrace until Steve gave a small cough, forcing them apart. To Bucky's surprise, Beth had a blush spreading across her face, and she turned around to hide it from him. He glanced over at his best friend to see the smaller man giving them both a curious look. Rather than investigate, Bucky returned to Steve's side and flung an arm round his shoulder.
"I think we need to celebrate my return! Plus, we need to get Steve a girlfriend as I bet he hasn't tried any of the things I said to do!"
Steve bowed his head in shame and when she saw the teasing glint in Bucky's eyes, Beth nudged him in the stomach, making him grunt. The action made Steve let out a small laugh as Bucky rubbed his stomach.
"Watch out, Buck. Your absence has turned her violent." he warned.
Beth rolled her eyes before sticking her tongue out at her older brother, making him laugh once more. A noise from above had all three turning to see Sarah Rogers smiling down at them, arms outstretched towards Bucky, who wasted no time running to greet her. He grinned as she kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms round him.
"Hi Mrs Rogers." he said, his eyes glowing warmly.
She smiled back, motherly love shining from her eyes. Though he wasn't biologically hers, she considered him her son as much as she did Steve. When he released her to return to the siblings, she beamed at the trio. She knew her children missed Bucky terribly, despite trying to occupy themselves with other people and activities.
"Would you like to come in for a coffee?" she asked.
Bucky gave her an appreciative smile but shook his head.
"I'd love to, but I just asked these two if they want to come dancing with me and they agreed."
Sarah turned an amused glance towards her children, seeing Steve look horrified at the thought whilst Beth looked as though she was torn between laughing and hitting Bucky again.
"I see. Well then, have fun, just not too much okay?" she said with a laugh, knowing full well Bucky was prone to wandering off with whatever girl he'd danced the night away with and leaving Steve and Beth to fend for themselves.
The moment she was out of sight, Steve turned on Bucky.
"Why would you say that? Now we have to go!"
Bucky laughed loudly, ruffling Steve's hair.
"Aww, come on Steve, it might be fun this time!" Bucky argued.
Beth watched the pair fondly, shaking her head at their banter. She wasn't as opposed to dancing as Steve, in fact she rather enjoyed it. The only trouble she had was finding someone to dance with who wasn't using it as an excuse to take her home with them, and eventually, she gave up going altogether. The idea of partnering with Bucky made her stomach flutter and she had to fight another blush as she pictured his arms wrapped round her waist as he led her round the dance floor. 'Knock it off Beth, he's virtually your brother!'She mentally berated, confused about the sudden emotions she was feeling towards the young man. 'Still', she though as he and Steve grinned at each other, 'maybe it couldn't hurt to ask for one dance'. So wrapped up in her thoughts about whether to ask him to dance with her, she failed to notice when Bucky slid up to her.
"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.
Letting out a squeak of surprise, she whipped her head round to look at him.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking what to wear." She said.
"Ah, come on Beth; you'd be a knockout no matter what you wear." He claimed, failing to see how red her face turned.
Steve approached them, his perceptive eyes seeing the look on his sister's face. The inner big brother's voice in him didn't like it, arguing she was still too young for boys, and Steve was inclined to agree. It didn't matter that a number of her schoolmates were already married, some with children, his little sister was not on the market. Shaking his head, he made his way over to them.
"So, are we leaving?" he asked.
Beth gave him a wide eyed look.
"No! I need to get ready!" she cried and ran to the apartment, ignoring the exasperated look the two males shared.
Beth flung her wardrobe doors open, only to stand in front of her clothes with a crestfallen expression. Who was she kidding? She knew she didn't own anything that would make Bucky even want to dance with her, let alone knock him off his feet. A tap on the door made her jump. Hand over her heart when Sarah came in to the room holding a piece of material, she gasped.
"You scared me."
Her mother chuckled.
"I thought I'd you get ready and help you attract the attention of a certain handsome young man downstairs." She commented with a knowing smile.
Beth felt her face redden and tried to hide it by turning her attention to her wardrobe once more. She heard Sarah sink on to the bed and after a few moments of silence, Beth sighed.
"I don't know what's going on with me." she admitted, her voice sounding lost.
Sarah stood and placed a kiss on her temple.
"I know how you feel. I'm going to tell you something I've never said to you before. Your father and I knew each other a long time before we became sweethearts. He moved away and when he moved back, I couldn't believe how much he'd changed. Everything I already liked about him became amplified and suddenly, I realised that I wanted to be with him forever. It was scary; we'd been friends for so long and I was worried that one wrong decision could not only ruin any chance of love, but destroy our friendship."
"It worked out in the end though." Beth interrupted.
"Indeed it did. I will give you the same advice my mother gave me; take that chance. For all you know, the reason you've been friends so long is because God has already decided you are to be together and him being away was the time you both needed to realise it."
Beth sighed.
"There's just one problem mom. Bucky is Bucky. I don't think he's ever had a relationship that's lasted longer than a few weeks and he dances with a different girl every time he goes out."
"Maybe he just hasn't found the right partner" her mother argued.
Before Beth could reply, Sarah continued speaking.
"I know how worried you are, but now I'm going to give you my own piece of advice. Dance with anyone who asks but don't dance with Bucky. Seeing another man with his hands on you will either push him to act on his feelings for you or he truly won't mind and then you'll know where you stand. And yes, before you ask, that is exactly how I convinced your father that I was the one for him." she finished with a wink.
Beth couldn't help but laugh at the image of her mother ensnaring her father in such a way. As Sarah watched Beth's face light up, she mused, not for the first time, that the man she married would never hurt her as all she had to do was smile at them and they'd fall hopelessly in love with her all over again. In her heart, Sarah knew that man was Bucky. She'd seen the pair of them earlier and there was no mistaking the attraction between the two, however, she couldn't help but worry that by the time the man she already considered a son realised his feelings, it would be too late. So, she was going to do everything she could to help her daughter catch more than just his attention. She reached out for the fabric she'd placed on the bed and held it out to Beth.
"This was the dress I wore the day I kissed your father for the first time. I want you to wear it."
Beth didn't have time to respond as her mother left the room so she could change. When she came back in, she smiled warmly as Beth spun in front of the mirror. She smiled warmly and hugged her daughter.
"Go and have fun. The boys are waiting."
Beth found the 'boys' waiting outside where she left them and she blew a quick breath, glad she hadn't taken too long. Steve was the first to notice her and his jaw dropped, suddenly seeing his sister as a young woman for the first time. Even the big brother in him fell silent, sadly accepting she was no longer a little girl. Beside him, Bucky saw the expression on Steve's face and turned to tease him about staring at dames, only to find himself sucking in a breath as he laid eyes on Beth. Her dress was a deep blue that reached just above her knees and hugged her curves without being distasteful. She'd borrowed a pair of her mother's cherry red heels, and Bucky knew those legs would be haunting many of his dreams to come. For once, her hair was pinned up so her golden waves bounced around her face, emphasising her lips painted the same shade as her shoes. She came over to them, the smell of vanilla stronger than normal, telling Bucky she had used the perfume he'd bought her two for her eighteenth birthday. He moved to wrap his arm round her, but Steve beat him to it. Instead, he settled for linking arms with her as she dragged the pair of them down the street to their local dance hall.
The moment they arrived, every male pair of eyes fell on Beth and Bucky's jaw clenched at the number of appreciative glances she received. A pain in his palm had him looking down and he realised his fists were clenched. Confused about his reaction, he released his hands and he excused himself to go to the bathroom. Either oblivious or simply ignoring the men around her, Beth pushed through the crowd to the last empty table in the back of the room. She claimed it by pushing Steve down into one of the vacant seats and he gave her a look of appreciation. He knew that she was appointing him in charge of ensuring nobody stole their table, in turn meaning he didn't have to dance. She sat next to him, a grin on her face as Bucky slid up behind them and tapped their shoulders.
"Drink or dance first?" he asked.
Both siblings decided on drinks and Bucky disappeared into the crowd to get them. Within seconds, an attractive man strode over to the table and smiled flirtatiously at Beth.
"Would you like a dance?" he asked.
Beth returned his smile, but shook her head.
"I'm really sorry but we only just got here. Maybe later?" she replied.
Her answer surprised Steve and he fought to keep it off his face. As the man grinned and dipped his head before leaving, he leaned in closer to her.
"You never accept or partially accept an invite to dance."
Beth shrugged, smiling slightly as she watched Bucky narrowly avoid spilling their drinks over a woman as he tripped on the way back to them. She lowered her voice as he neared so he wouldn't overhear her.
"Maybe I've decided not to wait for the person I want to dance with to ask me."
Bucky finally returned to the table, cutting off any reply Steve had and placed their drinks down, giving his best friend a questioning glance.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine Buck."
Shrugging, Bucky drank from his beer and a few minutes later, accepted an offer to dance from the same woman he'd almost soaked. Beth watched him go and pushed down a wave of jealousy. Sipping from her own drink, she caught gazes with the man from earlier. Seeing her smile, he made his way over and offered her his arm. It turned out he wasn't so bad to dance with, though Beth had to stop him from stepping on her a few times as well as slap his hand away the two times he attempted to slide it lower than her waist. After he decided to move on to another woman, Beth returned to the table and Steve gave her a strange look.
"What?" she asked as she finished her drink.
"Who is it you're waiting for Beth?" he asked.
Beth placed the glass on the table but before she could speak, Bucky dropped down in the vacant seat next to her. He grinned at Steve, however his smile fell slightly as he turned to Beth.
"Have fun dancing?" he asked, his words sounding forced.
"Not really. He kept trying to step on my feet."
Bucky sniggered, a sense of relief filling him at her words. He couldn't explain why, surely he should be happy to see her have fun?
"Well, maybe you need to find someone who knows what they're doing" he commented.
She felt one of her eyebrows raise in response, and saw Steve's expression mirrored her own. 'Is he...jealous?'she mused to herself. Her mother's words rang through her mind and she gave Bucky a flirtatious smile.
"You're right." she said, standing up.
Bucky began to stand with her, thinking she was about to ask him to dance, only to sit back down in disbelief when she sauntered over to anther man at the bar, moving to the dance floor with him seconds later. His jaw clenched again as the man placed his hands on her waist and he had to fight not to go and rip them apart. 'God, what is happening to me?'he thought. Beside him, Steve realised their mother must have also seen Beth's changing feelings towards Bucky and likely had something to do with Beth's behaviour. Bucky stood to dance again with the woman from earlier, but as the evening went on, Steve noticed that the older man's gaze barely strayed from Beth. He fought a grin as he realised that it seemed Beth wasn't the only one with changed emotions, but she was the only one aware or willing to accept it. Sipping his own beer, he watched his sister as she danced with a third man, frowning when he saw her pull his hand away from her buttock.
As Beth danced, she never noticed the pairs of eyes watching her, one with amusement, the other with increasing anger as he saw her partner grow more and more hands on towards her the more he drank. Eventually, Beth found herself needing a drink and a break from him. She called out over the music to tell her partner, but as she tried to move away, his grip tightened. She tugged her arm, trying to break his grasp, but he pulled her closer to him.
"Hey sweetheart, where ya going?" he asked, voice slurring from the alcohol.
"I said I need a drink." She replied.
"Aww, gimmie a smooch first!" he shouted, pulling her closer to him.
She relaxed in his grip, allowing him to come close enough for her to swing her knee up and slam it into his groin. Two things happened; he fell to the floor with a loud yell of pain and someone slid up behind her, ushering her back to the table where Steve was watching, eyes wide.
"Are you okay?" He asked her as she sat next to him.
She nodded and watched as the man was thrown out of the club by a group of males that had witnessed the whole thing. One waved to her to let her know it was safe and she sent them all a grateful smile, her lips trembling. All she wanted to do now was go home. She wrapped her arms around herself and Steve put a hand on her shoulder. Bucky joined them with a glass of water in hand, his eyes shining with worry.
"Sorry I rushed off, I wanted to get you this. Are you okay Bethie?"
She took the water and gave a shaky smile to let him know she was fine, but he didn't miss the sheen of water in her eyes. She sighed sadly and placed the glass back on the table.
"I just wanted to dance with someone special." She admitted.
Her eyes made contact with Bucky's and he suddenly realised she'd only been dancing with the men to make him jealous. Smiling warmly at her and wanting to kick himself, he stood and offered her his hand. She took it and he pulled her gently to her feet, swaying her in time with the ballad playing in the background. As they danced, she eventually relaxed in his arms, her head resting on his chest. She felt his cheek against her hair and smiled, her arms tightening round him. As the song finished, making way for a faster paced tune, they separated.
"Feel better?" Bucky asked her softly.
She nodded and he looked down at her, his eyes resting on her lips. As if an invisible force was pushing his head down, he began to lower his face to hers until their breath began to mingle. The moment was interrupted by the woman held been dancing with all night latching on to Bucky's arm, asking him to dance again. For the first time in his life, Bucky found himself wanting nothing more than to tell her to leave so he could finish what he was about to start with Beth. Before he could act on his urge, Beth stepped away from him with a sad smile.
"You should dance with her. I think Steve's about ready to head off soon anyway and I'm pretty tired. Don't let us spoil your night."
She reached up on tiptoes and her lips pressed against his cheek fleetingly before she disappeared too fast for him to stop her and tell her she was the only thing not spoiling his night. By the time he made his way through the crowd, the table was empty, Steve and Beth gone.