HEY Y'ALL! How ya doing? It's another chapter!! ITS. FINALLY. HEREEEEEEE!! I AM WAY TOO EXCITED.
Lorelei arrived at the Stark Expo, reaching the agreed upon spot.
She went over her attire once again, fixing her skirt and checking her sling-ring was in her clutch.
Running a self conscious hand over her curls, Lorelei spotted Connie and waved.
"Hi! Connie, was it?"
"Yep! That's me! You must be Lorelei."
"That's me. Have you been waiting long?"
Connie giggled nervously, "I got here a lot earlier. Was too nervous to wait at home. How do I look? Do you think Bucky will like it?" Connie asked, hand ghosting her curls exactly like Lorelei had been doing minutes before.
"You look amazing, you'll knock his shoes off." Lorelei assured.
Connie giggled again, gaze on the crowd.
Connie was definitely hooked and ready to sink her teeth into Bucky.
Lorelei wondered how Bucky was going to shake her.
Lorelei turned her gaze to the Expo, taking in the fireworks.
It had been years since she had seen fireworks in person.
The fireworks bloomed high above, casting colorful lights on the celebrating crowd below.
"Hey Bucky!" Connie exclaimed.
Lorelei whirled, spotting Bucky and Steve approaching.
Connie began eagerly talking to Bucky, quickly ignoring Steve and Lorelei.
"You came." Steve said.
The way he said it made it seem like he didn't expect her to come at all.
Lorelei took his hand and squeezed it.
"Of course I did. I wouldn't miss it for the world." she said.
"Thank you for coming." Steve said, sincerity coloring his words.
"Anytime." Lorelei said.
"You look amazing." Steve said.
"You don't look too bad yourself." Lorelei smiled.
Connie tugged Bucky forward, Lorelei following close behind.
Lorelei was starstruck.
As the group entered the Expo, Lorelei kept her head on a swivel, eager to take in all of the technology.
Even if it wasn't the technology of her time, it would be technology and science that would revolutionize the world.
Like a butterfly, Lorelei drifted from one display to another, dragging an amused Steve along behind her.
He listened patiently as she pondered on the ways that one machine or another could work, quickly proposing and dismissing theory's at a rate that dizzied the people that overheard Lorelei.
While Bucky's date Connie wasn't pleased with Lorelei's fascination and unending ramblings, the two men were hopelessly amused as Lorelei examined the displays with rapt attention.
It was Connie who dragged the group over to Howard's presentation.
Electric with excitement, the energy ramped up in the crowd when Howard Stark was introduced. Lorelei was pushed forward by people as the crowd as a whole pushed forward to see better.
As Howard introduced his car, Steve offered Lorelei popcorn from his bag. She accepted a piece with a grin.
Lorelei watched as Howard gestured to the attendants, signaling for them to remove the wheels.
Lorelei grabbed Steve's shoulder in excited anticipation, cautious of her strength.
The Soulmate link became clearer at the touch, letting the two share emotions.
Lorelei could feel Steve's surprise and satisfaction, as Steve could feel Lorelei's excitement and eagerness.
Lorelei gasped when the car began to levitate, reaching a few inches off the ground.
"Holy cow," Bucky breathed.
Lorelei couldn't agree more.
A hum was heard over the noise of the crowd, the crowd gasping as the car sparked and dropped to the ground.
The audience erupted into applause.
"I did say a few years, didn't I?" Howard chuckled.
Lorelei looked back to Steve, stopping when she saw Steve in the distance walking to the military section of the Expo.
Following at a distance, Lorelei watched as Steve approached the podium.
The light turned on, revealing a crestfallen reflection as Steve barely appeared in the mirror.
footsteps approaching, Lorelei turned to see Bucky behind her.
"Come on, you're missing the point of a double date. We're taking the girls dancing." Bucky said, nudging Steve.
"You go ahead. I'll catch up with you guys." Steve replied.
Bucky sighed, "You're really going to do this again?"
"Well, it's a fair. I'm gonna try my luck." Steve shrugged.
"As who, Steve from Ohio?" Bucky shot back, "they'll catch you, worse, they'll actually take you." Bucky leaned forward trying to convince Steve of the serious danger.
"Look, I know you don't think I can do-"
"This isn't a back alley, Steve. It's war." Bucky interrupted.
Steve didn't meet Lorelei's gaze as the two argued.
"I know it's a war."
"Why are you so keen to fight? Look at Lorelei," Bucky pointed to Lorelei, "are you gonna leave her alone? Your Soulmate?"
"Don't use me as a way to guilt him." Lorelei shook her head.
"Seriously? You're gonna support him?" Bucky stared at her in disbelief.
"Yeah I am. I have been, and I will. Whatever decision he makes I'm backing." Lorelei said.
"Bucky! Come on! There are men out there laying down their lives," Steve said, Bucky remained silent, jaw ticking, "I got no right to do any less than them. That's what you don't understand. This isn't about me."
"Right. 'Cause you got nothing to prove." Bucky replied, shaking his head.
"Hey, Sarge! Are we going dancing?" Connie called out, interrupting the trio.
"Yes we are!" Bucky replied, turning to Connie.
Sighing, he turned back to Steve, "don't do anything stupid until I get back."
"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."
Lorelei smiled.
"You're a punk." Bucky said, hugging Steve.
"Jerk." Steve replied.
Bucky turned to Lorelei.
"Keep an eye on him, will you?Try to keep him out of trouble?" Bucky requested.
"I will. Good luck out there, Sargent." Lorelei said, pulling him into a tight hug.
"See you around, Doll." Bucky called.
"Back at you, Buckwheat." Lorelei shouted back.
Bucky grinned, hands in his pockets as he turned and met back up with Connie.
They watched Bucky and Connie grow small in the distance.
Steve turned to Lorelei.
"Was that true? What you said?" Steve asked.
"Very true. All of it." Lorelei nodded. "The world needs more men like you. And I think you'll find the world needs you, more than you realize."
"Thanks. For believing in me."
"Anytime." Lorelei pulled him into a hug.
"I'll let you go. I'm gonna take a look around. Good luck, Soldier." Lorelei said with a wink.
Lorelei watched as Steve turned and walked down the hall.
Lorelei felt a jolt of surprise as she recognized Abraham Erskine.
She watched as he turned, gaze following Steve round the corner.
He turned back to Lorelei, meeting her gaze. She smiled, waving before turning and walking away.
She merged back in with the crowd, eager to take in more of the technology displayed about the Expo.
She followed the flow of the crowd, moving from one display to another.
Inevitably, the crowds converged on Howard's invention, the flying car.
She gravitated towards it, eyeing the vehicle with a keen interest, circling the car before she leaned over to take a peek at the undercarriage.
"Taken quite an interest, eh?" A voice piped up behind Lorelei.
The crowd murmured in excitement at the sight of the Howard Stark.
Lorelei straightened, meeting Howard's curious gaze.
She smiled, internally feeling a sense of comradery as she extended her hand.
In a way it felt like she was among her colleagues again.
"Of course, who wouldn't be interested in a flying car?" Lorelei asked as Howard took her hand, a bit surprised at the ravenette action as she shook his hand, "The gravitic reversion technology is quite the idea. It's a shame the technology failed when it did."
Howard hummed in agreement. "Shame."
"It's possible the higher the car goes the more the technology has to work to maintain the gravitic reversion, leading to a runaway effect." Lorelei mused, eyeing the antigrav propulsion technology located at the wheels.
"You seem to have quite the knowledge on my tech." Howard said.
"Not much, I'm more familiar with floating vehicles using magnets to levitate and move, but they don't reach that far off the ground compared to yours."
"Of course, it's my invention!" Howard said, seeming to preen under the unintentional praise.
"Say, how about I take you back behind the curtains, show you around? We could have a real fun time." Howard asked as the idea occurred to him.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm taken." Lorelei said, gaze on the crowd, "-speaking of!"
She stood tall, waving, "Steve!"
She pushed through the throng towards Steve, leaving a baffled Howard beside his prototype.
Lorelei reached Steve, a relieved grin on her face.
"So?" Lorelei asked with baited breath.
"I got in." Steve said, a disbelieving grin plastered on his face.
Lorelei grinned back, leaning down and hugging Steve. "I knew you could do it!"
Lorelei's gaze lifted, spotting Abraham once again in the distance, watching the celebrating duo.
She gave him a grateful smile, which Abraham returned.
"How about we go celebrate with a meal? Say, a burger and a milkshake?" Lorelei asked.
"Sounds good." Steve said.
"Come on, Soldier! The night is still young!" She exclaimed, pulling Steve out into the night.