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You’re next up in line. The rusted green of a caterpillar ride passed by your vision for what you count as the seventh time. Its eyes are a little daunting, opened wide in forced excitement for who knows how long.

This ride, among others, all made up what was the most local amusement park to your high school. Funding wasn’t necessarily the best for the end-of-the-year “surprise trip” because of low attendance and grades. And whether students passed with flying colors or made it off of cheat sheets in every hidden place possible, they all had to pay the price.

Every couple had their moment, all awkwardly holding hands as the mechanical insect went around in a figure-eight. All including Steve and his latest date, whom he switches out often, but she didn’t seem to care. That was Steve Rogers, petty nerd turned buff frat captain over spring break. Any girl had won the bragging rights if he found her worthy, hence the intense make out session somehow still going as the two stepped off the ride.

Making your way into the seat, it’s only now that you start realizing the words of your best friend, Natasha, who buckles her seatbelt right next to you.

“Bad day to be that guy. Steve told me he’s got food poisoning. Poor kid.” her voice is hushed as she points over to who you can only assume is the only one looking unwell of Steve’s group. James Barnes. You heard his name around, never in good context. He was constantly getting in trouble with the rest of the boys, always holding his head low in the halls.

You hum in response, but her words make your stomach twist. Not the kind of twist that struck James—who was currently wiping sweat from his forehead like unconsciousness was near—but the kind that makes you feel some kind of odd sympathy for someone you rarely spoke to all year. You two had been paired for a project once. Chemistry. Shy smiles between trying to avoid wrecking explosive havoc at your table, accidentally brushing hands over grasping beakers.. it was all over too soon, Steve already dragging him over for lunch before you could ever start any kind of conversation.

He’s not nearly as bad as what he was made up to be by everyone else. Reckless, is what they’d considered him. You could find him sitting next to Steve in detention any day of the week, front row on Mondays for spray-paint vandalism every weekend. You never believed he did any of it, though. How he was with you, even if it was a flicker of a moment, couldn’t just completely change, could it?

“Did you catch it, too? Is it going around? Hellooo..”

You’re snapped out of your trance when your vision catches Nat’s hand moving up and down over your face. You may be more aware now, but you decide to keep playing the act just to catch a laugh.

“Remind me to hide by the cotton candy stand if you’re contagious. Going once… twice.. Earth to—”

That’s when the ride starts, clicking and jerking you two forward unexpectedly.

The creak of the caterpillar sends the two of you around, backs to the rest of the class. You can’t help but laugh when the ride stops and starts again, breaking your straight expression. A mix of the weak ride making its way up and over a curve in the tracks and the overwhelming emotion you’ve had carried all day wells up in your chest, spilling in giggles shared with Nat.

It’s best to get out of your head for now. Saying goodbye to your locker this morning already had you oddly gloomy, and as much as you were more than ready to leave whatever kind of senior year that was, you’re not quite sure if you’re ready for what’s ahead—but it certainly shouldn’t be spent thinking about your lab partner. When the ride comes to a stop, Nat unbuckles for you, helping you off the steps.

“Did you guys have fun? Sure looked like it.” quipped Steve, seeing the emotions practically painted on your face.

“What’s it to you, Rogers? You try having fun on a kids ride without your tongue down a girl’s throat for once.” you watch him laugh at your words, moving his attention back to his friends.

Your eyesight trails as well, landing on James, who had his view on you the whole time. His head falls back against the bench he was sitting on almost immediately, and you snap around to Nat.

“Ring toss, come on!” you pointed behind her where the game was, hurrying over before you let anything else disrupt what’s supposed to be the happiest day of the year.

This one looks more appealing. The red and white stripes and light bulbs that actually glow create a humble ambiance of the game, where you greet the ring handler before he hands them over to you.

“I’m gonna win that bear. Look at him!” you tell Nat, who just rolls her eyes.

“You can’t even make three rings, tops. You have to make seven.” she watches you get into tossing form, “Besides, it’s getting kind of hard to sit on your bed when all of your other stuffed animals keep staring me down with their beady little eyes..”

You begin throwing the rings when the person behind the stand counts down, and, unfortunately, it couldn’t be going worse. Every ring is hitting everywhere but the bottles—except one—and you don’t think you could get that many rings in between bottles if you tried. Nat hides a snort of a laugh, and you break too.

“You’re not helping!”

“I’m sorry! You’re right. Hand ‘em over, I want a turn.” she takes all the rings from the worker who so graciously picked them out in between every nook and cranny. A different tone of laughs picks up behind you in the meantime. Steve. Again.

“Bet you I could do that with my eyes closed.” he taunts.

“Bet you’re not the only one.” Nat speaks, and Steve walks closer to watch, his friends following behind him. You just so happened to be on the left side of Nat, and James happened to be on the right side of Steve, so you two stood nearly side by side.

“You think she’ll make it?”

It took a moment before you realized he was talking to you, voice hushed, expression as genuine as you remember in the chemistry lab. He looked less pale from his moments prior, but his hair had clearly been raked through, and the dull lavender of his tie wasn’t centered.

“I hope so..” your lips push together in a hesitant smile, which he returns promptly before staring down at his shoes. His chest collapsed under his shirt as if he was holding a breath, and both of you focused back up on Nat as she prepared for her bet.

The worker counted down again, and Nat held one hand over her eyes, the other tossing like her life depended on it. She had ten rings, and by the end of it, three had fallen. Seven made it.

“Impossible.” Steve’s group reacted in disbelief, and he was stunned. “You have to have some kind of vigilante aim.”

“Maybe I practice for days like these. A time will come where you’ll have to beat Steve Rogers for a teddy bear, and I guess you just weren’t prepared.” she takes the plush from its rack with his many other copies, waving it in front of Steve’s face.

“Don’t get cocky ‘til I’ve had my turn.” Steve snatches the rings from the employee’s hands, taking Nat’s same form before tossing away. He wasn’t necessarily bad, but four rings was getting him nowhere. Even a couple of his friends snuck away for some other game to avoid being seen with him. It seems that being a master of beer pong doesn’t really correlate in the ring toss world.

He uncovers his eyes, and you could hear James snicker with his head to the side when Steve asks, “Did I get ‘em all?”

Nat waves the bear back in his face. “Not even close.”

“Closer than her…” he searches his pants pocket while sneering in your direction, giving Nat a ten dollar bill to quit her boasting.

Her hand didn’t close.

Twenty.

But Steve snatched the bear from her hands, giving it to his date. “Buy yourself a new one.”

You could've wrestled him to the floor after seeing him take it away. The bear belonged nowhere near him, despite the smile that was stitched in black thread beneath his precious heart nose. Nat let him walk away, not missing when James glances in your direction before someone taps his shoulder and his head snaps around.

“What a jerk!” and she also doesn’t miss the way you look back at James when you speak, your words still focusing on Steve despite where your eyes stare.

“You’ve got something you wanna tell me?” she raises a brow.

“What?” you panicked quick, eyes blown wide.

“Nothing..” she decides to let it pass. For now. “Jerk, I know." 

You two had played a few more games before the teacher rounded everyone for a lunch break, which consisted of one voucher for a hotdog and a soda, where anything else would have to come out of the student's pocket. But how were you not supposed to take the offering of cotton candy when there was a stand that shaped it into the head of an animal?

"Mm. This might be the best cotton candy I've ever had.." you spoke between bites of the strawberry webs melting in your mouth. Nat watched as your cotton candy, the head of what was a unicorn, slowly becomes a regular sphere, her own blueberry rabbit losing its shape and her tongue taking the color. 

"All cotton candy tastes the same. It's just a bunch of flavored sugar." 

"Fine. It's better 'cause you bought it, then." you give her a smile before grabbing at another piece.

"You're lucky I picked up that job for some extra cash." she pinches off the mouth from her rabbit, mocking the sound of muted screams for a laugh.

You looked up to see the rest of your classmates, huddled in their own groups. Words muted between other words, discussions evident among each other nonetheless. The teacher was rested back against a bench, staring down at his lap as he waited for the students to finish up. It was a bit sad to see him sat alone despite his more friendly surroundings. A Ferris wheel, ornate with light strips along its circumference beamed bright with all sorts of colors. It was the final class ride of the day, surely reminding everyone of its presence with just one look in its direction. The sun was to set later on, early summer weather evident in the sky's pale blue even at 5 pm. 

Your observations were cut short when a familiar figure sat next to you. Had you been given more time to sit in silence, you suppose it would've gotten cut short with the volume of your thoughts. But you didn't have to worry about those for now, not when a certain someone was so quick to catch your attention. 

James. 

"This seat taken?" he asked, though the question was spoken with faux curiosity. For one, he was already getting comfortable, not settling for an answer. The 'seat' was really just the top of a bench table, where you were positioned just below him on the bench's actual seat. It was a humorous remark, lightening the mood which was bound to get low after enough time. 

His eyes met yours immediately, an occurance that has taken place more than once even with the little interaction you two have had. How they studied yours was where the real curiosity peaked, baby blues dancing along your features in a way that made you feel valued instead of invaded. He offered that same sweet tilt of his lips upwards, and without even realizing it, you had found yourself charmed by the blonde young man. 

"No.. not at all." you lost yourself mid response, but his nod of agreement makes up for your worries. 

"Good. Steve's a little… busy. Didn't want to make the situation awkward." 

You peer over his shoulder to see exactly what situation is going down. Another make out session, naturally, taking place right by the hotdog stand. Not an ounce of decency for a willing voucher-using student in sight. Once James notices your expression at the scene, he laughs, a sound just as warm as the smile he offered you moments before. In his hand was a cotton candy animal of his own. A dog. At least, that's what you can make of it. A fourth of his head was already picked off, leaving a floppy ear, one eye, and a nose, all in blueberry. Your laugh joins his, shaking your head at the whole ordeal. 

"Psst. I'm, uh.." Nat. Right. "Bathroom break. I'll be over there—" she points off to the distance, and you're about to ask exactly where, but she's already gone. After watching the eager prince arrive at your side, the bathroom is far from what she's truly left you for.

"What about the other guys?" you refer to the rest of Steve's group, usually there to accompany James when Steve turns his attention to the latest girl on his arm. 

"They're bein' reckless. A few of them snuck out for cigarettes.. wanted me to come with them." he paused to take a chunk of his cotton candy—goodbye to another ear. "Then I saw the cotton candy stand. I'd take this over that nasty stuff any day." He points to the fluffy sugar dog in his hand.

Goodbye to the nose.

"Trust me, it's not worth it." 

You ponder his last words, and he reads the confusion on your face, deciding to provide an explanation once your brows pressed together.

"Steve's a good guy. The nerd's in there somewhere. I don't think anyone's been able to find it for a while, though." his head dips closer to yours before he continues, and the movement made you feel all the more flustered. 

"Ever since the old guy—most popular the school has seen—moved to a real fraternity, Steve's been on this mission to create his own with all the senior guys. Worked well, clearly." 

You let out another small laugh at his sarcasm, seeing the faint trail of smoke from behind one of the game stands rise up, and more metaphorically, over your teacher's head. He's had to excuse the same misbehaving young men for far worse, and he was likely fully aware they were smoking at a kids carnival. He just didn't care.

"I was into it, too. For months. The whole year, almost." 

He picks more from his cotton candy, snickering through bites as he relives both semesters. 

"Sneaking beers and cigs during lunch. It was awful. I'd rather take Ms. Smiths' cafeteria food than to ever do that again."

"Burger Wednesdays?!" you let out a playful gasp, "You're joking! I pack my own lunch for her days."

"I'm serious! Whatever can get the taste of all those toxins out.. preferably forever. Never wanna feel it again." 

"It'll surely do the trick. You'll be tasting the mystery meat for weeks." you both share a laugh, and he pumps a fist up in victory.

There are a few more picks of cotton candy between you two before the conversation continues. It's a comfortable silence you find almost alarming considering how sudden it began to unfold. You study him every now and then, just making sure this isn't some kind of sick dare he got and is beginning to regret. He sits clad in a button-up and khaki pants, the pearlescent purple tie wrapped loosely around his neck a unique addition choice. Simple black sneakers are dirtied and hidden by his slacks, one size too big and held up by an equally worn out belt. 

With nothing but a paper stick in your hand, you can't use the treat that once stood on it as an excuse not to continue speaking. Something about talking to James made you more hesitant to initiate, more nervous in general. A good kind—one that got you curious to know more about the boy you saw panicked just moments earlier. You wanted to ask about exactly what had him more pale than his already light complexion when the trip first started. What had him so nervous. But with nerves, good or bad, you can't exactly control what comes next.

"Did your picture come out good for the yearbook?" 

Maybe next time.

He turns his attention back to you, body language tuned in as he leans in slightly to answer. 

"It did. Can't say the same for my license though." he reaches for a pocket on the side of his pants, hand searching and lips shifted to a confused pout when he finds nothing. "Steve must have it. Probably using my money for food, too." he hopped off the bench table to wave him over. Rogers broke the his entanglement with his date to find it in his own pocket, tossing it over with a roll of his eyes. James catches it with ease, flipping both sides open to reveal his drivers license. It's nothing far from a hilarious sight, very clearly taken on a night where events went down that weren't meant to be remembered in the morning. A serious expression adorned his face, but it was shallow, the corners of his lips twitched upwards breaking the facade. From his hooded eyes to his blonde spikes that were messier than usual, he was clearly more inebriated than anyone who let him take that picture knew. 

"I'd look better blinking." he places the license back in his wallet.

"It's not terrible!" you argue.

"Are we looking at the same picture? Look at this guy.. I can't show this anywhere." he gives you an expression of defeat.

"He's pretty cute." 

One thing about nerves? They make you truly and entirely unpredictable. It worked out minutes ago, why not now? Where you had been in that moment, feeling as though you and James were the only people that existed amidst the chaos, why couldn't it last any longer? Snapped back into reality and out of the apparent trance that caused you to utter those words, you clear your throat to continue. 

"I meant—professional. Like.. put together, and… nice." 

"Cute." he repeats, and you watch him bite the inside of his cheek to suppress a smile. 

That's the word he's been having to refrain from blurting out all conversation. It's even sweeter when you dedicate it to him.

"Maybe he doesn't look all that bad after all." James refers back to his license photo, causing you to nearly choke on air. 

"Exactly. Very…"

"Professional. Right?" 

"Right." you nod, letting out a breathy laugh. He joins in an attempt to make you feel a bit less guilty, head down and peering at his shoes. A common habit of his. Who knows what he would've said had you two been talking for longer. The possibility for further discussion was cut short when your teacher stood to round up the class. That was certainly one way to tie the bow on an exchange with the boy who was just the lab partner. 

James heard his name being called by the teacher, and when he looked up from the floor, you were already gone. His eyes caught sight your figure, navigating through the rest of the students to then pair up with Nat, who had conveniently just came back from the "bathroom" at the exact same time your encounter ended. He had too much to say with too little time. Soon enough, Steve was guiding him by the arm and into the line for the Ferris wheel.

"I leave you alone for five minutes…" Nat needed to make sure you two were first to the Ferris wheel. She could sense the emotion from an expression anywhere, especially from you. You two were just approaching the top, where she was now teasing you for your very obvious embarrassment.

"It felt like an hour." you hid your face in your hands, cheeks hot and head replaying the same moment over and over.

"Don't sweat it too much. I've slipped up before, too." she admits. Your head turns to see her instead, sincere and familiar. It helps to know she'll always be here no matter the circumstance may be. Even if that involves giving advice from 50 feet in the air. 

"I guess I'd never really thought about it—about him—before. Everything just happened so fast." the tension in your body becomes less from your inner worries and more from a natural reaction from the high rising arch of the ride.

"It was bound to happen. Remember what I told you when the year started?" she asks.

"And during pop quizzes." you prepare for the list to come, letting out a small groan.

"And all those times in the library. And during the midterm. And over New Year's—" 

"I wasn't rushing! I had the flu." you stop her.

"You were. You tried to go to the gym when you could breathe." 

She got you there. "And during finals, and prepping for prom, then graduation.. what did I always tell you?" 

"To slow down." you remember, looking over the edge of the Ferris wheel to catch sight of the progressing sunset, hues of pink and orange highlighting all that stands under its illumination when you peer below. 

"Exactly. You're always two steps ahead. I told you it was going to catch up." she watched the sunset too, words exchanging through the ambience of colors. 

"And I didn't listen." you sigh.

"Yeah. Don't blame you, though. A pretty boy is something I'd speed my senior year up for too if I knew I'd get him in the end."

"He is pretty, isn't he?" you turn back to her with a smile, tone dreamy. 

"Sure. Nice features or whatever. He's good for you." she nods, catching the gleam in your eyes from when you were first distracted by him during ring toss. "What happened to him, anyway? I thought he was sick." 

"I thought so too. But when he sat next to me and we talked, I guess it all went away." you explain, slowing your sentence towards the end as you and Nat came to the same conclusion. He was never really sick. Not really. It was just a case of nerves. 

"Oh, just kiss already!" she nudges your arm, only for you to let out a meek, "Shut upp!" 

As the Ferris wheel rolled over its peak, you and Nat shared the moment with your head on her shoulder, soaking up anything that was left to be offered. 

In the clouds of anxiety that threatened to ruin the silence, your eyes came to a shut. It was useless to let them intrude your head. Things change, people come and go, but you suppose you never anticipated how it would all happen. You had heard girls your age celebrating anniversaries with their boyfriends from middle school, others even getting engaged. That was their path. You couldn't help but wonder when you would be able to share experiences like theirs. When your path would open up. It was foolish to believe an exchange over cotton candy could be your forever, but you'd be lying if you said it wasn't a favorable thought. Sometimes the people that come to matter most were there all along.

You and Nat were lowered from your shared seat on the Ferris wheel, stepping off to couple against a wall painted with all sorts of colorfully striking images. Traditional in amusement park fashion, an optimistic clown held out a small bunch of balloons to an even more joyful horse. Swirls and shapes were placed about, completing the almost dizzying mural. Leaning against the wall, you both wait for everyone else to finish on the last ride. Once everyone has their turn, it will be time to leave the park. When Steve and his date are at the top of the Ferris wheel, your vision has to drag elsewhere to avoid seeing possibly the messiest kiss in existence. Head turned to look at Nat instead, you miss what's in front of you. Rather, who is in front of you. 

"On your twelve-o-clock." Nat whispers. Her voice dips lower, "I think I need the bathroom again." 

In your peripheral, there he was. The same boy who had snuck his way into your every thought, standing before you once more. 

"James!" you perk up immediately. He walks up to you slowly, kicking the dust beneath the soles of his shoes. His shoulders are slouched a bit forward like they were when he stood beside you earlier. This time, though, his arms didn't hang awkwardly by his sides, but were clasped behind his back. Even after he reached a suitable distance, they still didn't fall forward. His tie was straight for once, and he was the most put together you had seen all day—not the average coincidence.

He recited your name back, subtle but amiable. Like something precious on his tongue.

"Just got off the ride?" he asks afterwards, head tilting to the side.

"Yeah! Sunset's really pretty today." 

"I saw." he replies with a nod. There are prettier views before him, though, and he wasn't implying that puzzling wall behind you. 

It's quiet then, a moment where it seems something on the ground is more worthy of staring at for the both of you. 

"Fun trip?" his head comes up at the same time yours does, still trying to help you open up a bit. To find that girl who had looked at him so kindly over cotton treats. To hopefully let him into your heart the same way you had done with him. 

"Mhm. I think it was." you find your own arms folding in front of you, fingers pressing on various points along your hands as if to calm those butterflies in your stomach. 

"Me too." he stops, taking a small breath. "I guess I just kind of wish there was more time for everything." 

"Exactly! It all goes by pretty fast, doesn't it?" when you speak next, he recognizes the warmth in your tone that begins to break through.

"It does. I mean, you're movin' around all year just counting on the next day. Now that it's over, you can't help but feel a little bad for ever moping about it." 

He took the words right out of your mouth. Both of you were more similar than you thought. You couldn't have spent the year more unlike him, yet you stand there under the same regret from different routes. He now understands that his wrongs could finally make a right, and that right is looking at him now, waiting for him to make his move. 

"Missed out on a lot. Wish I could reverse it. Go back to some of my better days with better people.." he starts. He walks just a little closer, and your heart just about stops.

"Like in the lab. With you." 

Your breath hitches quietly, fingers no longer leaving patterns on your hands to distract yourself.

"You remember that?" you ask, eyes squinted in slight suspicion, but the telling upwards shape of your lips lets him know his plan is working.

"'Course I do. I was so nervous, I could barely think straight.." he huffs, "Kind of like now." 

He wasn't lying. Up close, you could see the sweat that beaded along his forehead and hear the way his breaths shook beneath the surface. So much for preparing himself before all of this.

"You weren't alone in that, then." you admit. He lets out an exhale of relief, even though you both knew how each other felt.

"You helped me out a lot after that day, y'know." 

"How so?"

"It was the first time I had ever thought about a future, I guess. Not saying I'm choosing to be a chemist or anything.." he uses humor to hopefully get himself to his point without passing out.

"More like what I want to do with my future. Or who I want to spend it with." his eyes blink and meet yours, a mix of tenderness and desperation. Hands still held behind his waist. By now, you have to believe he's hiding something back there.

"Are you asking me out, James Barnes?" your eyes now search his with longing. Waiting, ready, as if he needed to ponder his answer any longer.

"I think I am, yeah." 

He's never been more sure of a question in his life. 

"Well, I accept." that smile from before never wiped off your face, and he wouldn't have it any other way. 

"I'll call you tomorrow? Got the day all planned out for us." he watches you nod.

"Doesn't have to be 'James' all the time, by the way. 'Bucky,' works just fine. 'S what everyone else uses." 

"And you'd consider me the same as everyone else after that speech of yours, Bucky?" you ask, a playful tilt back in your voice.

"Good point. Not at all. 'James' just sounds a little professional to me." 

"'Professional?' Like your drivers license picture?" you refer back to earlier. He lets out a small chuckle.

"Yeah. He's quite the professional guy. Still prefer 'cute,' though." 

"Slow down, chem major. Make it to the date without tripping over your feet and maybe I'll make that mistake again." you tease.

"Deal." 

In all honesty, he doesn't even know if he'll be able to make it back to the bus without his legs giving out.

"One more thing…" he steps closer, where one lean could result in closer contact than you would have imagined just minutes ago. Finally, his arms come forward, the sleeves of his button-up lifted right above his forearms, lean muscles tracing your vision to what rests in his hands. A small teddy bear. 

"I felt a little bad after what Steve did to you and Natasha, so I won this one while you guys were doing bucket toss." 

"Oh, Bucky, you didn't have to do that.." you say, deciding to ease off of the jokes for now. With the way things are going, you'll have plenty more days for those. You carefully take the stuffed animal from his hands, holding it close to your chest. "Thank you." 

He watches your reaction to his gift with a loving gaze before deciding to take advantage of the minimal space between you two. The next time you look up from the bear and to his face, he places his hand on your shoulder, moves in on one side, and plants his lips on your left cheek for a soft kiss. 

When he pulls away, he makes sure to revel in the mix of shock and excitement that's sprinkled on your expression, one he can't wait to give you more reasons to have.

"See you soon?" he asks, and it's just now that you realize his hand is still on your shoulder, safe touch steadying the tension in your body. Now is not the time to fold completely. "Say something back!" you think.

"Yeah. Definitely." 

To which he lets you go with a fond smile, turning around and heading towards Steve, who just got off the Ferris wheel. The lack of weight on the shoulder where his hand was felt cold. Empty. You wanted to feel it again. But luckily, you didn't have to wait too long. 

You look back down to the little bear, still carrying his scent. Some kind of fresh and fancy cologne. He had absolutely planned this. Your reflection can be seen in its normally soulless pupils. Not as lonely as how they looked when the bear rested upon the prize racks with its friends, not now that it has a forever in the palm of your hands. You'll keep it as long as you can to fulfill that forever, a silent promise to its gifter as well. 

After a few more moments of standing against a wall, waiting for the others to finish, you decide to trail towards the bathroom. 

A minute to freshen up is necessary before your trip ends, but there's also someone you need to make sure you don't forget on your way out. 

"Nat!" you whisper, knocking on one of the stalls. You recognized her shoes from underneath, and her quick response to open the door indicates she was never going to use it anyway, simply just giving you the time you needed.

"Tell me everything. Unless you guys made out, then spare those details. Steve's shown me enough today." 

"I will," you reassure her, "Only on the bus, though. I don't want anyone hearing in here." you motion towards all the rest of the stalls. 

"And this guy?" she points to the bear in your hands, examining its proud thread smile and button nose as it’s presented to her.

"James Junior. Bucky won him for me." you hold it in front of you, the name making both of you stifle a laugh. "Romantic, isn't it?" 

"Very. Don't hold him too close, the thing's probably got love bugs all over it." she says, following you out of the bathroom.

Your teacher had begun to tally the class, just in time for you and Nat to join the small building crowd.

The park visit had officially come to an end. Trailing with Nat towards the waiting school bus, your head turned left and right, attempting to savor your surroundings. The rusted red and white stripes that decorated game stands, the scent of freshly made, overpriced snacks, and all of the rides that relished in their own kind of beauty. Broken, aged, battered beauty. Was it childish? Possibly. Despite it, your heart can't help but tug a little when you pass by that god awful looking caterpillar one more time. 

The ride back to campus was another sea of mixed conversations and sharing the final presence of one another as the graduating class. 

As promised, you had told Nat all the details about your time with Bucky. And she listened, pausing remarks of sarcasm to cherish instead. To cherish the fact that you, the girl she's rooted for since the early years of junior high, may have finally found the beginning to her happy ending. 

Young love. Puppy love. First love. Whatever it's called, you're certain you have a case of it. Sharing one last look with Bucky before heading back home, he's sure he's got it too. It's something new, something you're not sure if you'll be able to handle. It spiraled out of your control, but it opened your path. One you'll have to walk with him. One you two will walk together. It's instinct to want to know what happens next—where the road will lead—it always has been. But for the first time in a long time, the future isn't something you want to rush just yet.

୨ৎ extra yap — short ending 😞 cry 😞 .. this fic was suchh a long time coming for literally no reason at all other than that i am slow !! and i have writer’s guilt !! though i’d be lying if i said i didn’t have fun writing this. i could’ve made it so much longer. i’ve been having a rough past few days and this fic was always there for me when i needed to lay my heart down <33 i hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as i did creating it !! mwah