#rogers!reader

You’ve been on the run and in hiding with Bucky in Bucharest, Romania for two years. You and Bucky are at the market getting a few groceries when you two sensed that something was off. You two weren’t sure what it was, but it could also just be a feeling. As you and Bucky were about to leave the market, a vendor employee made eye contact with you for a few seconds before running away from the vendor stand. You and Bucky walked across the street to the vendor stand and looked at the newspaper that’s on the counter. Yours and Bucky’s hearts sank when you two saw the front page of the newspaper. It was you. You were being framed for something. You don’t know how you could possibly be framed for something when you were with Bucky this whole time. You looked up at Bucky with the look of fear in your eyes.

“Everything is going to be ok, doll.” Bucky softly assures.

Bucky protectively wraps his arm around you and you two made yours and his way home. Your brother was in yours and Bucky’s apartment when you two got home. Steve turns around when he felt a presence a few feet away from him. He felt relieved to see that you and Bucky are alive.

“Do you remember me?” Steve asks you.

“You’re Steve. I read about you in the museum.” You say.

“Y/N, I’m your brother, remember? You’re a year younger than me.” He says softly.

Due to how fuzzy your mind is, it took you a moment to remember that Steve is your brother.

“Stevie.” You said.

That made Steve smile. He never thought he’d hear you call him that nickname again.

“You’re here to turn me in for something I didn’t do, aren’t you?” You say, your voice shaky.

“I’m here to protect you. I know you’re innocent. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Steve says.

You let out a shaky breath. Bucky’s hand gave your hand a comforting squeeze.

“You guys know how this is going to end, right?” You say.

“It’s going to end with us protecting you.” Bucky says.

“No, it’s not. It’s going to end with me behind bars for something I didn’t do.” You say.

“No, it’s not. We’re not going to let that happen.” Steve says.

All three of you were put on high alert when a grenade was thrown through the window. Steve put his shield over it to protect the three of you from the explosion of it. The door was busted down with a battering ram and cops entered yours and Bucky’s apartment. Bucky knocked out one of the cops by slamming his head into the wall when one of them tried to grab you.

“Run!” Bucky and Steve say to you.

You nodded and ran out of the apartment. You fought anyone who got in your way. Bucky and Steve weren’t too far behind you. You ran as fast as your legs would let you. The Super Soldier serum gave you an advantage. You ran throw a hallway of the apartment complex and jumped over to the building next door, landing on the roof.

“I see your sister.” Sam informs Steve.

“Keep an eye on her please.” Steve says.

“On it, Cap.” Sam says.

You got knocked down by T’Challa who’s dressed in his Black Panther uniform. You stood up and got into a fighting position. You saw his claws come out. There’s no doubt that you’re going to walk away with some scratches from his claws. To avoid that from happening, you dodged him the best you could. You got knocked down by him again. You grabbed both of his wrists and used all of your strength to keep him from scratching you. Bucky saw and rushed over to you. He got T’Challa off of you by tackling him to the ground. Bucky stands up and helps you up. You two ran as fast as you two could to get away from T’Challa. Steve was right behind you guys. Before you guys knew it, all of you were stopped by Rhodey and the cops.

“Congratulations, Cap. You’re a criminal.” Rhodey says.

Bucky protectively holds you against him and Steve stands in front of you to prevent the cops from putting handcuffs on you.

“Step away from her, guys.” Rhodey says.

“No.” Bucky and Steve say at the same time.

“It’s ok, guys.” You say softly.

Bucky and Steve looked at you. You gave them a nod. They hesitantly stepped away from you. The second they did, you were shoved to the ground and handcuffed. It broke Bucky’s and Steve’s hearts to see. They were put into a vehicle shortly after you were handcuffed. The ride was dead silent until T’Challa spoke up.

“How long do you think you can keep your sister safe from me?” T’Challa asks Steve.

“She didn’t do it. She’s been framed.” Bucky says.

“Bucky.” Steve softly warns.

“It’s true and you know it, Steve.” Bucky says.

Steve knows it’s true. He just doesn’t want an argument to break out in the vehicle. When the vehicle comes to a stop, it’s at a facility. When Bucky and Steve got out of the vehicle, they saw you in a pod like you’re a criminal.

“Are you fucking serious? She’s not a criminal. Get her the hell out of it.” Bucky says.

“It’s for everyone’s protection.” Ross says.

“No, it’s not. You guys just want to put her in a maximum security prison for something she didn’t do.” Bucky says.

“She’s a dangerous to everyone.” Ross says.

“Never fucking say that about my sister! She’s anything but dangerous!” Steve growls.

“Sorry, Rogers. This is what’s best for her.” Ross says.

“You don’t know what’s best for my sister! Bucky and I know what’s best for her and this isn’t best for her!” Steve says.

“It’s just for precaution, you guys.” Natasha says.

Bucky and Steve scoffed at her and Ross. They were taken to a room that looks like a conference room.

“How has she been?” Steve asks Bucky.

“She has her good days and bad days. Other than that, she’s been doing good. I’ve been taking care of her.” Bucky says.

“Thank you for taking care of my sister, Buck.” Steve says.

“You don’t have to thank me, Steve. You know I’m more than happy to take care of your sister.” Bucky says.

Meanwhile, you’re still locked up in the metal pod like a criminal. Zemo entered the room you’re in. He sat down at the table that’s a few feet away from you.

“Hello, Miss. Rogers.” Zemo greets you.

You didn’t greet him back. You just started at him with narrowed eyes.

“You’re Captain America’s sister, right?” Zemo asks.

“Yes.” You answered.

Zemo didn’t stop asking you questions. You chose not to answer them. Bucky and Steve were watching on a security camera screen in the room they’re in.

“I don’t know why they called someone in to get through to Y/N. The only people who can get through to her is us.” Bucky says.

Steve nods in agreement. That’s when the power goes out. Everyone looked at each other in confusion, wondering why the power went out. Bucky and Steve were the only ones who weren’t confused. They know what’s going on. They ran to the room you’re in, only to find out that you broke free of the metal pod. Bucky and Steve saw Zemo on the floor. Steve grabs his shirt, pulling him up from the floor and shoving him against the wall.

“What the hell did you do to my sister?!” Steve asks, almost growling.

“You’ll see.” Zemo says, smirking evilly.

That’s when you came back into the room and started attacking your brother and your boyfriend. They quickly realized that you’re in Winter Soldier mode. They dodged all of the punches and kicks. They did everything they could to not hurt you.

“Y/N, this isn’t you. You have to snap out of this.” Steve says.

You didn’t snap out of it. You continued fighting them. Bucky and Steve did everything they could to get through to you. When they were finally able to get ahold of you, they took you somewhere safe, which was an abandoned warehouse. When you finally came to and you were your normal self, you already know what just happened, especially from the way Bucky, Steve, and Sam were looking at you.

“It happened, didn’t it?” You asked, referring to you being in Winter Soldier mode a little bit ago.

“Yes.” Bucky and Steve say.

You sighed and covered your face with your hands in embarrassment. You knew it was going to happen sooner than later.

“Which Y/N am I talking to?” Steve asks just to be sure.

“It’s me, Stevie.” You say.

You gave him that nickname when you two were kids. That answer was enough for Steve to know that you’re back to your normal self.

“I didn’t do what everyone thinks I did. You guys have to believe me.” You say.

“We believe you, doll. Just know that everything is going to be ok.” Bucky says.

“Is it though? Everyone thinks I murdered someone and I should be put into a maximum security prison. I don’t want to go to jail.” You say, your voice cracking and your eyes tearing up.

“You’re not going to jail. We’ll make sure of it.” Steve says.

“I’m scared, you guys.” You say.

Bucky and Steve walked over to you and hugged you. That’s when you broke down into tears. Their hearts broke for you.

“Lucky for you, you have us. You know that we won’t let anything bad happen to you.” Bucky says softly.

“I don’t know you like your brother and Bucky do, but you have me too.” Sam chimes in.

“Thank you, guys. That really means a lot.” You say.

“We’ll always have your back. You know that.” Steve says softly.

———

You were hidden safely inside of the empty airport with Bucky and Sam while Steve went to go talk to Tony. The three of you watched from the window as your brother talk to Tony. From the looks of it, it looked like it wasn’t going well. Your nerves are through the roof. Bucky held your hand, giving it a gentle and comforting squeeze. That made you smile.

“Ok. You know what, you’re going to turn in your sister whether you like it or not.” Tony says.

“I’m telling you that she didn’t do it. She’s innocent. My sister would never intentionally hurt or kill anyone.” Steve says.

“You can say that all you want, Rogers, but your sister killed someone and she’s going to jail for it.” Tony says.

“She didn’t do it!” Steve says.

Tony still didn’t believe Steve, which led to a fight. You were still safely hidden inside of the airport. Or so you thought.

“I got 3 heat signatures inside of the airport. It’s Steve’s sister, Barnes, and Wilson.” Rhodey says.

“Rogers’s sister is mine.” T’Challa says.

Steve acted fast when T’Challa made his way towards the airport. He quickly got in front of him, blocking him from getting any closer to the airport.

“Captain.” T’Challa says.

“Your highness.” Steve says.

“Move.” T’Challa says.

“No.” Steve says.

Steve did what he could to protect you and stand his ground. He’s not going to let anyone get their hands on you and throw you into a maximum security prison. Bucky isn’t going to let anyone do that either. Now, all of you are standing on the tarmac.

“What do we do now?” You asked.

“We fight.” Steve says.

You took a shaky deep breath as you, Bucky, Steve, Sam and the rest of your team walked towards Tony and his team.

“They’re not stopping.” Peter says.

“Neither are we.” Tony says.

As both teams approached each other, T’Challa had a murderous look on his face as he stared you down. He went straight for you. You used the fighting skills you learned in HYDRA to fight him, minus the killing part. You managed to dodge most of the punches he threw your way, but then he managed to grab ahold of your throat. He didn’t choke you or slit your throat with his claws. He just placed his hand there so you’d be looking him straight in his eyes. You put your hands on his chest to push him away from you.

“I didn’t kill your father.” You say.

“Then why did you run?” T’Challa asks.

You didn’t answer him. Instead, you lifted your leg to knee him in his stomach, which made him let got of your throat. That didn’t stop him from fighting you. You backed up quickly as his claws kept getting closer and closer to slicing you. You ended up tripping over something, which made you fall down. You looked up at T’Challa as he stood over you. He crouches down over you. One of his hands reached for your throat again with his claws out. Then you saw red around him. Both of you looked over at Wanda. She used her powers to get him away from you. You quickly scrambled to stand up.

“Thank you, Wanda!” You say.

“You’re welcome!” Wanda says.

You ran as fast as your legs would let you, but then T’Challa caught up to you. He jumped onto you from behind, tackling you to the ground. You used all of your strength to get him off of you. When both of you stood up, you and him stared each other down like you two were in the Wild West. You saw his claws come out and he approached you. You grabbed his arm when he tried to slice you. A sharp and pain filled gasp left your lips when the claws on his free hand slices you. You slowly looked down at the cuts on your stomach. Blood was beginning to pour out of each cut. You began to feel woozy due to how much blood you’re losing and fell down to the ground. Bucky saw and rushed over to you.

“Doll, talk to me. What’s wrong?” Bucky asks worriedly.

That’s when Bucky saw your shirt sliced and soaked with blood. His heart drops and his eyes grow wide at the sight of it. He knew T’Challa did that to you. Anger began coursing through his veins and he looked up at T’Challa with the look of anger on his face. He stood up and tackles T’Challa to the ground, throwing punches at him. Steve saw and ran over to him, pulling him off of T’Challa.

“Calm down, Buck.” Steve says.

“Don’t tell me to calm down, Steve! He badly injured Y/N!” Bucky says.

Steve looks over at you, his eyes widening when he saw a small pool of blood underneath you. Both him and Bucky ran over to you.

“Everyone stop!” Steve shouts.

Everyone stopped fighting and walked over to you to see that you’re badly injured.

“She needs medical attention.” Bucky says.

Steve couldn’t agree more. Bucky picked you up bridal style and him and Steve rushed you to the nearest hospital. Everyone went with you guys. Bucky’s and Steve’s nerves were through the roof. They know that you’re going to pull through, but they couldn’t help but think of the worst possible scenarios. Everyone was comforting them the best they could. Tony was doing research. Not just ordinary research. He was doing digging. That’s when he came across information. Information and picture proof that you’ve been framed for T’Challa’s father’s death by Zemo.

“Rogers, Barnes, you guys need to see this.” Tony says, handing them a tablet.

Bucky and Steve looked at the tablet. It’s proof that you were framed for T’Challa’s father’s death and you’re innocent, which is what they’ve been saying all along.

“We fucking told you guys that Y/N is innocent, but half of you guys didn’t believe us! Now, she could possibly die due to the injuries he gave her!” Bucky says, raising his voice.

T’Challa looks at the tablet, which tells him that you’re innocent and didn’t kill his father. He was too blinded by vengeance to see that. Now that he knows the truth, he’s done letting vengeance consume him. Now, all he feels is guilt. He doesn’t even know where to begin with his apology for badly injuring you.

“You better hope that Y/N survives this.” Bucky says to T’Challa.

A couple agonizing hours go by is when a doctor finally comes out to the waiting room to update Bucky, Steve, and everyone else on how you’re doing. Bucky and Steve quickly stood up from their chairs when they saw the doctor.

“It was touch and go for a while, but she’s fine. She’s in a patient room right now. I can take you guys to her.” The doctor says.

Bucky and Steve nodded and followed the doctor to your hospital room. You were just coming out of anesthesia when they came into the room. You smiled when you saw them. They felt relieved to see that you’re awake and doing fine.

“Hi.” You smiled.

“Hi.” They smiled back.

They walked over to you, sitting on either side of your hospital bed.

“I’m sorry that I scared you guys.” You apologized.

“You have absolutely nothing to apologize for, Y/N.” Steve says.

“The good thing is that you survived.” Bucky says.

You smiled at them.

“We have good news.” Steve says.

“What is it?” You curiously asked.

“There’s proof that you were framed.” Bucky says.

“There is?” You asked.

“Yes. Tony did some digging and found the proof.” Steve says.

“That’s relieving.” You say.

You feel relieved to know that there’s proof of your innocence, but you couldn’t help but tear up.

“Hey, what’s wrong, doll?” Bucky asks softly.

“No one believed me.” You say, your voice cracking.

“We did and now, everyone else does.” Steve says.

“Really?” You asked.

Bucky and Steve nodded. You feel really relieved to know that everyone believes you now. The three of you looked over at the door when someone knocked on it. It was the Avengers.

“Are you up for visitors?” Natasha asks.

“Of course. Come in.” You say.

All of the Avengers came into your hospital room. All of them gave you hugs and told you that they’re glad that you’re fine. Then it was T’Challa’s turn to say something to you.

“I would like to apologize for what I did to you.” T’Challa says.

You nodded, giving him permission to do so. You felt Bucky’s hand protectively tightened around yours.

“I am so sorry for what I did. I was so blinded by anger and wanting revenge. I just wanted someone to pay for my father’s death. I would never intentionally hurt or kill someone. I’m done letting vengeance consume me. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me.” He says.

“I do forgive you. I don’t blame you for doing what you did either. I probably would’ve done the same thing.” You say.

T’Challa smiles, liking how forgiving you are. He walks over to you and gives you a hug.

“So, does this mean we all have some kind of truce?” You asked, looking at everyone.

You, Steve, and the Avengers agreed to the truce, except for Bucky. He’s still not happy with T’Challa for what he did to you.

“Bucky, we all agreed to a truce.” You say.

“Yea, I know.” Bucky says.

“Are you going to agree to the truce too?” You asked.

“I don’t know, doll.” He says.

“I know what you’re thinking, honey. Yes, I could’ve possibly died from the injuries T’Challa gave me, but I didn’t. I survived it and he apologized. That’s all that matters.” You say.

You’re right and Bucky knows it. He’s just being an overprotective boyfriend, which he has every right to be.

“You’re right.” Bucky agrees. “I agree to the truce too.” He says.

“Good.” You say.

You leaned up just enough to peck his lips softly without injuring yourself any further.

“I love you.” You say softly.

“I love you too, babydoll.” Bucky says just as softly.

He rolls his eyes playfully as Steve snickers next to you while he keeps drawing. "I know that. I meant, I thought you were gonna be out with your friends tonight."

"I didn't feel like it." You dismiss him quickly, not wanting to actually say out loud that you'd rather spend his birthday with him doing nothing than go out with your friends, so you try to casually change the subject. "I thought you'd at least want to spend today with Dot."

Dot isn't actually Bucky's girlfriend, they've been on a few dates and you've seen them together a couple of times, but Bucky introduced her to you as a friend so you don't think they're that serious.

Not that Bucky ever is, girls are always all over him and he takes advantage of that. He's a ladies man.

But you try not to worry too much about his love life, not wanting to hurt yourself more than knowing Bucky will never see you like that already does.

"Well, I wanted to spend my birthday with my favorite pair of siblings. She can give me my birthday kiss tomorrow." He says with a grin while ruffling your hair.

"So... What's been going on with you lately, doll? Anything interesting happening in your life?" He asks curiously after a pause, genuinely wanting to know more about your day-to-day activities and experiences.

"I... Well, I went on my first date." You say shyly while playing with the edge of your dress.

Bucky's eyes widen in surprise, his interest piqued by your sudden confession. "First date? Who was it with? How'd it go?" He asks with what seems like excitement but mentally preparing himself to potentially become jealous or possessive no matter who you mention.

"It was fine..." You say quietly, still not looking at him. "It just wasn't... It wasn't what I was expecting..."

Bucky senses something off in your tone and expression, and immediately becomes concerned. He places a gentle hand on your knee, trying to comfort you without making it too obvious.

"What happened, doll? Did things not go as well as you hoped they would? Are you feeling okay?" He asks softly, trying to gauge whether or not you want to open up about what happened during your date and if there's anything he can do to make it better.

You don't really know how to answer his question, so you don't, simply glancing at him before looking away and shrugging.

"Tell me what happened, I'm here for you no matter what. If that guy hurt your feelings or made you uncomfortable, I'll kick his ass for sure." He promises fiercely, his protective instincts kicking into high gear whenever you seem vulnerable or upset.

You giggle weakly at his protectiveness but still don't look at him, so he takes your chin gently but firmly and makes you look at him. "Tell me what happened on your date. Was it some creep who tried to grope you or something worse? Because if he did, I swear to god I will find him and break his fucking legs."

"That's not it, Bucky." You say quickly. "It's just... He just... He wasn't..." You. He wasn't you. That's what you want to tell him, but you can't, so you sigh and shrug again. "He just wasn't my type."

Bucky knew what was your type. He knew he was your type, he has seen you ogle him countless times when he walked past you or sat near you.

He also knew that you had never shown any interest in any of the men who approached you, always dismissing them as not good enough for you. Or at least that's why he thought you did.

Glancing at Steve before looking back at you again, Bucky says quietly. "Well, that's too bad for him I guess."

"It doesn't matter, I'm not seeing him again." I say quietly, avoiding both Steve and Bucky's eyes.

Bucky's brow furrowed in confusion, he couldn't believe you were so quick to give up on a potential relationship just because the guy didn't live up to your impossible standards.

"Doll, you gotta give guys more of a chance. They ain't all as bad as you seem to think they are." He scolds you playfully, but there was also a hint of underlying irritation in his tone as he takes a long sip from his beer bottle.

You glance at him before looking away again. "So... You think I should go on another date with that guy?" You ask quietly.

Bucky thought for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of pushing you to go on another date with the mystery guy. "Yeah, actually. I mean, if you think he's worth giving a second chance, then why not? And if he turns out to be a total dud again, then at least you can say you gave it a shot. But only if you're really sure he's worth your time though. Don't waste it on some loser who doesn't appreciate everything you have to offer."

He advised you, trying to strike a balance between being supportive and challenging you to take risks when it came to relationships. "But whatever you decide, don't let me pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. You've gotta follow your heart, doll."

"You know, Stevie doesn't care this much about who I date, and he's my older brother." You tease Bucky while glancing at Steve.

Bucky snorts in amusement, "Yeah well, I'm not your brother, sweetheart, but I'm your friend and your wingman, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit back and watch you throw away a potential chance to be happy. Now come on, make up your mind already. Are you gonna give the guy another chance or not?" He pressed, playfully but determinedly.

You look at his face for a moment before looking away again and sighing. "I'm not." You say quietly but firmly. "I'm not going on a second date with that guy." You clarify.

Bucky felt his jaw tighten a little as he realized that you had completely ignored his previous suggestion and were instead deciding against giving the guy a second chance.

He didn't like the idea of you potentially missing out on something good due to your own stubbornness, but he also knew that he couldn't force you to do anything you didn't truly want to do.

"Well, fuck. Guess that settles that then," He said after a moment of silence, trying to hide his disappointment but failing miserably. "You're really gonna just throw that opportunity away? Fine, suit yourself, I guess. But don't expect me to hold your hand or anything when you get sad because you're alone. You're on your own with that shit."

"I guess I am." You say quietly before getting up from the couch and going to the window, climbing into the emergency staircase to go up to the roof, like you do most nights to watch the stars.

Bucky watches you leave, feeling a mix of frustration and concern as he realizes that you're retreating to your usual spot on the roof rather than staying and talking to him.

He wants to call after you, to make sure you're okay, but he knows better than to push you if you need time alone.

Instead, he takes a deep breath and tries to focus on the present moment, reminding himself that sometimes people need space and time to themselves.

"Fine. Have it your way," he calls after you, knowing that there isn't much else he can do in this situation. "But don't think for a second that I won't be keeping an eye on you up there. You better not try anything stupid."

You roll your eyes but don't stop, going up to the roof, that's right above yours and Steve's apartment, and sitting on the picnic blanket you and Steve use every night.

After a few minutes someone else comes to the roof and you can tell it's Steve by the light steps. "You sure you want to let Bucky alone in our apartment, Stevie? I'm afraid he might burn it down." You joke weakly without turning around to look at him, your eyes locked in the city's skyline.

Steve chuckles and you can feel him sitting down next to you. It's not the first time you sit together on the roof, everybody in your apartment building knows this is the Rogers siblings' spot.

You don't say anything and neither does Steve, and you're especially glad he doesn't say anything when he sees a tear falling down your cheek but simply wraps his arm around you as you lay your head on his shoulder.

"What's going on in your head, little sis?" Steve asks you after you stop crying.

You try to gather your thoughts, trying to find a way to make sense of everything swirling in your head. You take a deep breath before you pull away slightly and turn your head towards the city again. "What should I say?" You ask quietly.

"When?" Steve asks with a frown.

"When I love someone." I clarify looking back at him.

"You should say it." He tells you firmly. It's not the first time you've talked about this, Steve knows about your feelings for Bucky and like a good big brother he always tells you to express yourself. "You should tell him."

You sigh and look away from him and back to the New York skyline. "I don't know, Stevie..."

"Why not, Bambi?" You smile softly at his use of your childhood nickname because Bambi is your favorite book, but then you shake your head.

"Have you seen the way he looks at Dot? I have no chance with him. I'm not his type." You say with conviction.

"You really don't see it?" Steve ask, getting a little frustrated.

"See what?" You ask confusedly while looking back at him.

"The difference between you and her is that he looks at her like she's the prettiest girl in the world," Steve says and your heart sinks so you look away from him, but he still goes on. "but when he looks at you it's like... It's like maybe you're magic. He looks at you with such reverence and respect. He looks at you like if he could just have you in his arms, everything would be okay. Like if he had you, nothing could touch him. He looks at you like he just realized what love is."

Steve pauses and grabs your chin gently to make you look at him before finishing. "He loves you. Anyone can see that. You're just too blind to notice it."

Steve kisses your forehead and then gets up and goes back inside to the apartment, leaving you to think about everything he said.

You lay down on the picnic towel on the ground of the roof and look up at the stars. Could Steve be right? Does Bucky really love you back but you just haven't noticed?

If Bucky had feelings for you, certainly you would've noticed.

Yes, he's protective of you and he's always happy to have you around, but you've been friends for over a decade and he is your brother's best friend, so he probably sees you as just that. His best friend's sister.

But he never did treat you like Steve's annoying little sister.

Even when you were kids he always tried to include you in their games and literally held your hand whenever the three of you went somewhere, like the park a few blocks over.

He would always coo on you when you got any scrapes while playing and kiss your boo-boos away.

He's always been very sweet to you and he stood up for you as much as he did for Steve whenever someone bothered you.

But could that really be actual love? Or is it just affection for a girl he's known since you were little and sees as his own little sister?

You rub your eyes before putting your hands behind your head, getting comfortable while looking at the sky full of stars.

In the meantime, Bucky heard everything from the window of your apartment.

He couldn't deny the truth of what Steve had said, he did look at you with a sense of reverence and respect, like you held the key to unlocking his heart and making everything else in his life fall into place.

But he also knew that he had to tread carefully, to approach you in the right way or risk scaring you off completely.

As much as he wanted to take control of the situation and make things happen on his terms, he knew that he needed to let you come to him, to give you space to process everything that Steve told you and to allow you time to realize how much you actually mean to him.

As Steve climbs back into the window, he gives Bucky a pointed look and a pat in the back, silently encouraging him to talk to you.

Bucky takes a deep breath and then climbs into the stairs, getting to the roof but not getting any closer to you. He's determined to talk to you, but his nerves are getting the best of him.

You can hear Bucky coming to the roof and when he doesn't move closer you frown slightly but think he's just giving you a moment before sitting next to you.

When he stays put for a couple of minutes, you roll your eyes and with a small smile you say "You can come lay down next to me, if you want." Loudly enough for him to hear, your eyes never leaving the stars above you.

Bucky's heart skips a beat as he hears your invitation, and without hesitation he steps forward and drops down onto the towel beside you.

You can tell he's trying to keep his movements quiet, not wanting to startle you or disturb your peaceful contemplation.

He lays there quietly for a few moments, taking in the sight of you lying there so effortlessly beautiful, before finally speaking.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to hear those words coming from your mouth," he whispers and moves closer to you, placing one arm around your waist and resting his head on your shoulder, feeling incredibly vulnerable by the fact that you were so physically close and you were allowing him to get even closer.

"Thanks for letting me do this," he added, indicating the embrace.

"It's not the first time we've watched the stars together, Buck..." You whisper back, resting your head on his while willing your heart to stop beating so fast.

Bucky smiles softly, feeling a warm sense of contentment wash over him as he wraps his arms around you, feeling incredibly grateful for this moment of intimacy between the two of you.

He can feel the gentle weight of your body against his, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world. He listens to the sound of your breathing, feeling his heartbeat slow down as he takes comfort in your presence.

"Yeah, it's not the first time... But it feels different tonight." He whispers back, feeling a newfound confidence and boldness coursing through his veins.

He moves even closer to you, pressing his face against your neck and inhaling deeply, savoring the scent of your skin. "I've always... I've always wanted to hold you like this."

"I... I always wanted you to..." You whisper back hesitantly and bite your lip when he presses his face against your neck, almost scared to move, worried that if you do it'll ruin the moment.

Bucky feels a surge of pleasure course through his body as he hears your response, knowing that you too cherished these special moments with him.

When you don't say anything at his physical contact he continues to hold you tightly, feeling a deep sense of connection growing between you.

He presses his lips against your neck, gently kissing and nibbling on your skin, feeling a newfound desire burning within him that he had never experienced before.

He wants more than anything to take things further, to remove your clothing and explore every inch of your body with his hands and mouth, but he forces himself to remain patient and wait for your signal that you actually want something more intimate.

"You know... I've always been afraid to show you how much I really care about you," he whispers into your ear, his voice barely audible over the sound of the city below them.

"Steve thinks you love me..." You say quietly, hoping to god that your idiot brother is right for once in his life.

Bucky freezes a little, feeling a mixture of relief and surprise wash over him. He's surprised at your boldness but so relieved that the truth is finally out there.

But he also knows you well enough to know that if he wants you to truly believe that he loves you, then he has to act quickly to prove it to you and make sure that you never doubt his feelings again.

"Yeah... I do love you, Doll. More than anything else in this world. And I'm sorry that I didn't say it sooner... But I was afraid to lose you." He admits quietly, as he takes your face in his hands.

"You really mean that?" You ask quietly, a mix of hope and uncertainty clear in your voice.

"I do." He says without hesitation while he looks at your beautiful face turned towards his. "And I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I care about you."

The smile that comes to your face is so bright that it feels to Bucky like the sun suddenly came up in the middle of the night.

"I know you already gave me a birthday gift," He says, referring to the jacket you gave him this morning. "But can I ask you for one more?"

You're definitely curious about what he wants so you nod. "Sure, what is it?"

"Can you give me a birthday kiss?" He asks quietly while brushing a strand of hair aways from your face and behind your ear.

You blush a little and can't help but smile because he wants a birthday kiss from you, not Dot or any other girl, and you nod slowly as you start leaning in.

Bucky meets you halfway and when your lips touch it feels like fireworks, your stomach filling with butterflies while he brings you closer to him while deepening the kiss.

After a few minutes you both pull away for air, breathing heavily while looking at each other. "Wow." Is all he says after a moment.

You giggle and bite your lip. "Happy birthday, Bucky." You say softly and give him a kiss on the cheek before settling back against him, your head on his chest as you look up at the stars.

“You enlisted?” You hissed, pulling Bucky by the arm into an alleyway, the dark of the night sheltering you from prying eyes. “Bucky-” 

“I wanted to, Doll.” His voice was soft. “Steve’s been trying for months-” 

“Steve has never gotten past the first round of examination, you know that. I know that.” Your arms were crossed, heart racing at the thought of your lover dying on the battlefield. “Do you have a death wish?”

 “Stop it.” Bucky frowned. “My father was in the war. Your father was in the war-” 

“My father was a drunk, and an abusive son of a bitch.” You scoffed. “Why you would want to be like him, I have no clue.” 

“That’s not fair, now is it?” He raised an eyebrow. “You know how much I hated him, how much we all hated him. I want to serve my country, to protect it. You should be proud of me.” 

“Of course, I’m proud of you.” You whispered. “But I’ve already lost my mother. I only have Steve, and I can’t-” Tears threatened to fall as you clung to his suit jacket. “I can’t lose you, too.” 

“You won’t.” He smiled, his thumb gently caressing your cheek. “I’d crawl out of hell itself to get back to you.” 

“Bucky.” Your heart fluttered, leaning into his touch. “Just promise me you won’t die.” 

He laughed, nodding. “I promise, Doll.”

“What unit?” Your voice was small, a mere whisper. “What unit have you been assigned to?” 

“The 107th.” He leaned his forehead against yours. “We’re set to leave for England first thing tomorrow.” 

Tears threatened to fall from your eyes as you spoke. “Write to me. So I know you’re alive.” 

“Of course.” He nodded. “Whatever you want, Doll. I’ll do whatever you want.” 

After your brother insisted on bringing you along on his worldwide tour, you began to miss home, the simplicity, the stability. Most of all, you began to miss Bucky like crazy. 

His letters had stopped coming weeks ago, and you couldn’t help but feel nauseous even thinking about it. The mere idea of him getting hurt was enough to send you into a fit of tears. 

It was dreary here, raining nonstop as you stared out the gray wasteland. Your brother wasn’t doing much better, the two of you staying up late, talking about your purpose, about how helpless you felt. He’d talked to you about Peggy, a woman he met during the experiment that turned him into the super-soldier he was today. You could tell she entranced him, more than any girl ever had. She’d approached you two after his most recent show, sensing his disappointment, explaining to him the notable difference in this crowds spirits. 

“Your audience contained all that was left of the 107th. The rest were either killed or captured.” 

“Are you sure it was the 107th?” You blurted out. “Absolutely sure?” 

“Yes?” She questioned. “Why? What is it?” 

“Steven…” You looked over at your brother, eyes filled with tears. “Wasn’t that Bucky’s unit?” 

You hadn’t believed it at first. The colonel had said it so casually, so emotionless, you could sworn he didn’t care about his men. Now Bucky could be dead in some ditch somewhere in the middle of Europe. Tears streamed down your cheeks, fists tight with rage. 

“What about the others?” Steve insisted, refusing to give up. “Are you planning a rescue mission?” 

“Yeah, it’s called winning the war.” 

“But if you know where they are, why not-” 

“They’re thirty miles behind the lines through some of the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We’d lose more men than we’d save.” 

Perhaps it was the adrenaline, or the feeling of having nothing left to lose, because in a mere second, you were in front of the Colonel, poking your finger into his chest. “So you would rather stay back? Do you have no compassion, no empathy?” He just stared, and you scoffed. “Where’s your courage? Your bravery-” 

The Colonel raised his hand, stopping you in your tracks. His eyes, unlike when they looked at your brother, were soft, full of understanding. “I’m sure you loved Sergant Barnes very much, but I am not willing to sacrifice my troops for a handful of men. However good they may be. I’m sorry, miss, I am.” 

Maybe he did care, but you couldn’t find it in you to feel empathetic. “I don’t need your pity. And if you won’t do something about it, then we will.” Whipping around, you grabbed Steve’s hand, pulling him out of the tent. “C’mon.” 

“The last surveillance flight is back.” You looked up from the war table, watching as Peggy placed the resulting images in front of them, each and every one void of any evidence that could prove Steve was alive. That anyone in the 107th was alive. “No sign of activity.” 

“Go get a cup of coffee, Corporal.” The colonel waited until the tent was empty to speak. “I can’t touch Stark. He’s rich, and he’s the Army’s number one weapons contractor. You both are neither one.” 

“With respect, sir, I don’t regret my actions, and I don’t think Captain Rogers did, either.”  

“At least we did something.” You glared. “You would have rather sat by.”  

The Colonel whipped around, eyes wide. “Excuse me, young lady? And what makes you think I give a damn about your opinons, Agent Carter? I took a chance with you, and now, America’s golden boy and a lot of other good men are dead 'cause you had a crush.” 

“It wasn’t that. I had faith.” 

“Well I hope that’s of comfort to you when they shut this division down.” He frowned. “Now what the hell is going on out there?” 

You turned around, wiping the tears from your cheeks. “Is it-” Peggy nodded, grabbing your hand and pulling you through the crowd. “Peg, wait.” 

“What is it?” 

“I just-” You took a deep breath. “I just need a moment.” 

“Are you alright?” 

You nodded. “I’m fine, go on. I’ll catch up.” 

Your eyes were fixated on Bucky as you walked through the crowd, taking him in like it was your job. He was dirty, a little bloody, but there, there and alive. As he cheered your brother on, smiling brightly, tears fell. God, he was beautiful. 

You waited for Bucky’s eyes to reach yours, refusing to interrupt. He was celebrating, you didn’t want to take that away from him. It was nice seeing him so happy. 

You hadn’t seen him happy in so long. 

You hadn’t seen him in so long. 

Steve noticed you before Bucky had, waving you over. You grinned, hugging him tightly. “A little late, aren’t you?” 

He laughed. “I got here, didn’t I?” 

Bucky’s eyes were wide, shocked to see that his lover was here in the middle of war. Your brother let go of you, immediately finding Peggy.

You crossed your arms, eyes watery as you stood in front of the rescued soldier. “Bucky.” 

“Hi, Doll.” His voice was rough, no doubt from what he’d experienced while held hostage. 

“You’re alive.”

“I am.” He nodded, half convinced that you were a dream, a horrible illusion of the light. “You’re really here, right?” 

“Yeah, Buck.” You nodded. “I’m here.” 

His beautiful icy blue eyes welled with tears, walking forward and wrapping you in his arms. “Why are you here?”

You shoved your face into his neck. “Steve brought me along.” 

“It’s not safe over here.” He leaned his head against yours, taking in your perfume. “He should know that.” 

“I’m fine, Bucky.” You smiled to yourself. “I’m alive, aren’t I?” 

He nodded, his hand tightening around your waist. “Alright, alright. Let me look at you.” You brushed your fingers through your hair, hyper-aware of your appearance now that Bucky was staring at you so intensely. “I haven’t been-” 

“You look beautiful.” His tone was serious, the most serious you’d ever heard him. 

“Stop it.” You shoved his chest playfully. “I’m a mess.” 

“You’re here with me, that’s perfect. You also look devastatingly gorgeous.” You felt faint, his love and affection making you all warm inside. He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a crumpled letter. “I was going to send it-”

“You were busy.” You smiled, your fingers grazing his. “You don’t need to explain yourself.”

“Did I worry you?” He frowned, caressing your cheek. “Have you been crying?” 

“It doesn’t matter.” You smiled, leaning into his touch. “You kept our promise.”  

He nodded, one arm still wrapped around your waist. “I told you I’d come back to you, didn’t I?” 

You heard the rowdy soldiers from outside the bar, all too drunk for their own good. You smiled as one of them opened the door, hanging your coat on the already full rack and making your way to the back, only one goal on your mind. You hadn’t seen him since he’d returned from captivity, since you’d reunited, and you craved his touch, his attention, and most of all, his kiss. 

He looked the very model of a sergeant, his hair slick and uniform freshly pressed. You took a deep breath, straightening your posture as you approached him. 

“Sergeant Barnes.”

He turned in his seat, a wolfish smile gracing his otherwise angelic face. “Ma’am.” 

You sat beside him, waving down the bartender. “A Manhattan, please.” 

“Coming right up.” 

You looked back at Bucky, blushing as he looked you up and down, his eyes dangerous, full of something you didn’t want to address at the moment. “Where’d this little piece come from?” 

“This old thing?” You looked down at the dress, frowning. “Do you not like it?” 

“Doll…” He practically growled, pulling your chair closer, a gasp leaving your lips. “What do you say we get out of here?” 

“James.” You hissed. “I just got here.” 

“That’s fine with me. Too many of these nitwits are looking at you anyway.” 

You smiled, taking your drink from the bartender’s hand. “Let them look. I’m not interested.” 

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow. “And who are you interested in?” 

“You wouldn’t know him.” You raised your drink, taking a sip. “He’s devilshly handsome.” 

“Yeah?” He leaned in, his cologne engulfing your senses. 

You nodded. “Smart, too. And kind.” 

“He sounds like a great guy.” Bucky’s eyes left yours, landing on your lips for just a moment before looking back up. “Lucky, too.” 

“Oh, he is.” You stood up, straightening your dress. “Now, if you’ll excuse me-” 

“Dance with me.” He blurted out. “This guy can wait a couple minutes.” His hand was outstretched, waiting for you to take it. How could you not, when he looked like that?

“If you insist.” He led you to the dance floor, the band playing something nice and slow. You leaned your head against his chest, eyes fluttering shut. “I haven’t seen you lately.” 

“I tried.” He murmured. “I tried, but it was never the right time.” 

“I understand.” You swayed a moment before speaking again. “How is he?” 

Bucky sighed. “Stressed. You know him; he wants to protect everyone.” 

“Sounds like Steve.”

“I-” Bucky sounded nervous. “I wanted to kiss you. When we got back from the rescue mission.” 

“Why didn’t you?” 

“You know why.” He paused. “I wish I would have.” 

You looked up, eyes full of desperation. “You still can.” 

“Yeah?” He grinned. “Steve’s here, you know.” 

“I don’t care.” You wanted him to kiss you, to take you away and- You blushed simply thinking about it. “You wanna get out of here?” 

He nodded, pulling you off the dance floor, and grabbed his suit jacket, draping it over your shoulders. “Where are we off to?” 

“Any suggestions?” 

He hooked your arm through his, his smirk growing from your reaction. “I’ve never been to London.” 

“It’s beautiful here.” You stayed close to his side. “Peggy’s been showing me around.” 

Bucky wiggled his eyebrows. “How’s she and Steve doing?” 

You laughed. “Not much is happening. My brother is brave, but when it comes to Peggy-” You shook your head. “She’ll have to make the first move.” 

Bucky gasped, clutching his chest. “Such little faith.” 

“Do you disagree?” 

“This serum, it’s made him- bolder.” He shrugged, stopping in his tracks and spinning you towards him. “Maybe he’ll make a move, who knows?” 

“And will you?” Your heart was beating a million miles a minute, eyes drifting to his lips. “Make a move, that is?” 

“Depends.” His breath colliding with yours, your lips inches apart. “Where are we goin’?” 

You smirked, kissed him so quickly he swore it hadn’t happened, and walked away. “My apartment.” The implication of your invite hadn’t truly hit him until you were a few paces away, fishing out your keys from your pocket and unlocking your door. You looked over your shoulder expectantly. “Are you coming?” 

Bucky was on you in an instant, pushing you against the door and kissing you hard. It was passionate, full of need, of want. Full of love, of an unspoken promise to never leave you. He pulled away, breath short as he spoke. “Does that answer your question?” 

Your day had been a rollercoaster; that much you were sure of. But the last moments, the one before your brother and Bucky had left for the mission, they’d been perfect. So perfect, you hadn’t expected anything to bring you down from the high you’d felt. 

So much for believing.

Peggy and you stood in the debriefing room, as usual, waiting for any word, any sign they were okay. You paced around the debriefing room, as you always did when your boys left, fidgeting with the dog tags that Bucky had left you. You felt ecstatic from earlier, but something was off.

Something was different. 

There was this pit in the bottom of your stomach, something that had always been there, but it was growing, never settling. The adrenaline, the high you were riding on from earlier, it did nothing to ease your anxiety. If anything, it had made it worse. This had made you pace ever faster, fidgeting with your lover’s dog tags like it was the last thing you had of him. 

And when Steve walked in the room, eyes red and puffy, face sullen, you knew. You sank to the ground, all of the adrenaline leaving you instantly, dread and grief leaving you in waves. You sobbed and sobbed, one bloodcurdling cry after the other. Steve hadn’t even had the energy to comfort you, just sitting there and staring at the wall. 

The Rogers had been broken that day, shaken to their very core. 

Because Bucky was dead. 

You clutched his dog tags in your hands, curled up in his bed, hoping they would wake you from this horrible nightmare, that he would show up at your door, and you could see him one last time. 

(1950)

“Miss?” 

You ignored the boy who followed after you, almost late to your staff meeting. He was persistent, you would give him that. 

“Miss?” 

“That’s agent, to you.” You hadn’t bothered to look over at him, still walking through the hallway with purpose.

The cadet smiled. “I- I just have to say-” 

“Spit it out, will you?” You raised an eyebrow, surprised to see that ‘the boy’ was not just a boy, but a man, a tall, handsome man. Still, you showed no sign of interest.

“You’re beautiful.” 

“That is highly inappropriate.” 

“I call like I see it, ma’am.” 

You scoffed, picking up your pace. “You have no shame, do you?” 

“No, ma’am.” He was still smiling, grinning actually. “Can I take you to dinner sometime?” 

The conference room was within reach, you could see Peggy talking to Colonel Phillips. You sighed, stopping just outside of the door. “I’m sure you’re a nice man-” He nodded, and you almost laughed. “But I’m afraid I must decline.” 

“Ah.” he frowned. “He’s a lucky man.” 

Your heart twisted, nodding slowly. “He was.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

His mischievous demeanor had fallen, pity developing instead. You hated that look, when people stared at you like you were fragile, like you were about to cry at the drop of a hat. “Yes, well, it wasn’t your fault.”

“Still-” 

“Agent Rogers.” Colonel Phillips had his arms crossed, an impatient look on his face. “Will you be joining us anytime soon?” 

“Agent Rogers?” The cadet looked shocked. “Like Steve Rogers? Captain America, Steve Rogers?” 

“The very same.” The colonel tapped his foot, waiting for an answer. “I’m right behind you, sir.” You smiled gratefully, walking past the cadet without a second glance. The Colonel shut the door behind you, a strange sort of look in his eye. 

“You’re welcome.” 

You laughed. “Was that really necessary?” 

“Looked like you needed saving.” The old man grumbled. “What’s the young man’s name?” 

“I don’t know.” You weren’t lying, you had never caught the cadet’s name. “All I know is that I was late because he kept following me around.” 

Peggy raised an eyebrow. “Following you?” 

The whole room was now staring at you, and you blushed, eyes wide as you tried to signal that you did not want to talk about this here. “We’ll talk later, Peg.” 

Colonel Phillips cleared his throat. “Alright, alright, enough gabbing.” You laughed, sitting up straight. “May I start the debrief now?” 

You nodded, giving him your full attention. “Ready when you are, Colonel.” 

He’d approached you three times after that, each time slowly weakening your resolve. He wasn’t horrible; easy on the eyes, smart, and kind. 

Still, you couldn’t do it; every time you felt a twinge of interest, your mind became clouded with memories of Bucky. He’d been your one great love, everything went back to him. The way you did your makeup, your hair, your clothes - all because of him. And it wasn’t even because of him directly saying anything, he would have never said something like that. 

It was the small moments, when he told you how beautiful you looked in navy blue, so you made sure to buy more of the color. When he said he loved the lipstick you were wearing because it tasted like cherries so you bought three more of the same shade. When he told you he loved your hair wild and free, that it reminded him of your summer trips to the beach, just the two of you. 

And it was worse when you drove home every night. Brooklyn had memories of Bucky at every turn, every alley. 

Your sandwich tasted dull, partially due to the fact it was ham and cheese and partially because your appetite, like most days, had been ruined by your thoughts of Bucky. 

You neatly packed your sandwich back into your lunchbox and leaned your head back, taking in the soft glow of the spring sun.

“Agent Rogers. Mind if I sit?” You shook your head. A comfortable silence fell over the two of you before he spoke again. “Were you close with your brother?” 

“As close as you can be. He’s older than me by two years. Our father was less than kind, and Steve took it upon himself to protect me. And our mother.” You stared into the distance, reminiscing. “He was always fighting.” 

The cadet smiled. “Sounds like he was a good man.” 

“He is- he was.” 

“He would have been proud of you. Of what you’re doing.” Your eyes welled, and you nodded, not having the strength to speak. “If you need to talk, just know that I’m here for you.” He placed his hand on your knee, squeezing it quickly. “I promise it’ll get better, Doll.” 

You sighed, leaning your head on his shoulder, almost laughing at the way he tensed up. His arm tentatively went around your shoulders, pulling you closer. 

“What’s your name?” You whispered. “I just realized, I never asked.” 

“Micheal Anderson.” 

“Thank you, Micheal.” 

“For what?” He looked down, voice soft. 

“For listening.” 

He smiled, leaning his head on top of yours. “Anytime.” 

“What are you doing this Saturday?” You reached out, grabbing his hand and lacing your fingers through his. “I heard about-” 

“I’ll do anything you ask.” Michael blurted out, cheeks red. “Anything.” 

You grinned, forgetting that the last man who’d said that to you was Bucky. 

(1951)

This was a horrible idea. A horrible idea indeed. You stared down at Bucky’s dogtags, heart breaking at the sight. Bringing them up to your lips, you kissed them gently, eyes closed tightly. 

Marriage was something you’d always expected, something you always knew would happen. You also always knew you would marry Bucky. 

Or at least, you’d planned on it. 

“Where do you see yourself in ten years?” You’d whispered, legs tangled with Bucky’s beneath your sheets. The bed was desheveled, not that either of you cared. His eyes bore into yours, both of you facing each other with giddy smiles on your faces. 

“Married. Two kids, a house.” He sighed. “That’s the dream.” 

“Marriage?” You wiggled your eyebrows. “Who’s the lucky gal?” 

He frowned, pulling you closer. “You know who it is, Doll.” 

You frowned back, your hands on his chest. “Don’t tease, Bucky.” 

“I’m not.” He looked sincere. “I would never tease you about this.” His nose nudged yours, voice so fragile you thought it would break. “I love you.” 

“I know you do.” You smiled. “But you don’t really mean that.” 

“Yes, I do. I do mean that.” He pushed a hair out of your eyes, all remnants of humor gone. “I love you, and I want to marry you.” He kissed you gently, lips barely touching. “Be prepared.” 

You giggled, throwing your head back. “I’ll try my hardest.” 

He nodded. “Damn, right. You’re gonna grow old with me.” 

“Bucky…” Your eyes were watering. “You’re sappy in the morning.” 

“What can I say? You make me sappy.” His fingers bore into your hips, and you wiggled in his hold. “Now come here.” 

 “Are you ready?” 

You opened your eyes, looking over at your maid of honor. “Just a second, Peggy.” 

She smiled, giving you a look of understanding. “He would have wanted you to do this, you know.” 

“I know.” You frowned, looking back at his dog tags. “It just hurts.” 

“Of course it does.” She nodded. “Take your time, alright?” 

You stood up, taking off the dog tags and placing them in your pocket. “No need. Im ready.” 

(1957)

“One moment!” You yelled, trying not to cry from the amount of noise your children produced. “Honey!” Micheal’s head peaked out from around the corner. “Could you please take the children to the nursery?” 

He nodded, running toward your children, the toddlers screeching with delight. “Don’t let the monster get you!” 

“No, Dada, no!” Your daughter giggled, grabbing her little sister’s hand. “No!” 

“Thank you, Micheal.” You looked down at the baby in your arms, cooing at his little face. “Let’s go see your Auntie, yeah?” You smoothed your hair before opening the front door, grinning brightly. “Rebecca, please come in!” 

“You have a beautiful home.” Rebecca smiled. “I’m so glad I could come by.” 

“You’re welcome anytime.” You insisted. “Michael and I host game nights every Thursday. You should swing by.” 

“I’ll try.” You knew she wouldn’t, but you still offered. “Who’s this little one?” 

You smiled, sitting down on the couch, Rebecca sitting next to you. “I hope you won’t be upset.” 

“Why would I be upset?” Rebbeca frowned, placing a comforting hand on your arm. “You can tell me.” 

“His name…” You looked down, eyes watery. “His name is James.” Rebecca’s hold on your forearm tightened, her eyes welling with tears. “James Steven Rogers-Anderson.” 

“Oh my,” Rebecca whispered, both of you crying. “Honey-” 

“I wanted to keep him alive, here with us.” Your voice was weak, weak with grief that had never really left you. “What better way than this?” 

“He would be honored.” Rebecca reached out, James wrapping his tiny hand around her finger. “He loved you so much.” 

“I know.” You cried, smiling at your son who was babbling. “I loved him just as much.” 

(1970)

“Hail Hydra.” 

In some odd way, you wished you hadn’t heard them. You wished you had gone on ignorant, and you didn’t hear that dreaded phrase. Unfortunately, you had, and now, you had to do something about it. 

You peeked through the shelves, watching as the two secret agents left the old office, sneaking inside and carefully looking through their desks for evidence. You hadn’t expected to find anything; they may be Hydra agents, but they weren’t stupid. They’d gone this long without being caught. 

Just when you’d begun to give up hope, simply running your fingers across the edges of the desk, a hatch opened, a key falling to the ground. You smirked, picking the key up and looking around the room for a lock. “Still got it.” 

“Kiddos?” You yelled, slamming the door shut. “You guys home?” 

“Mom?” Your kids called out, not bothering to leave the living room couch. In any other circumstance, you wouldn’t have cared. This was no other circumstance. “What’s up?” 

“Time to go.” You yelled out, grabbing your backup gun from the safe. “Grab your go bags.” 

“Our go bags?” Your eldest daughter stood in front of you, frowning. “Mom, what’s going on?” 

You frowned, kissing her cheek quickly. “No time to explain, alright? Just grab your bags.” You walked into the living room, addressing your youngest daughter. “Where’s your brother, Char?” 

“He’s outside.” Her eyebrows were furrowed. “What’s going on?” 

Liz scoffed. “Can you just listen to Mom, Charlotte?” 

Charlotte rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at her sister. “You’re not the boss of-” You walked outside, smiling at your son. He was the spitting image of his uncle, sitting in his tree house alone, doodling the time away. “Honey?” You called out, your voice hoarse. “Can you come down, please?” 

He nodded, leaving his sketchbook behind. “Hey, Mom.” He hugged you quickly. “How was work?” 

“Fine.” You forced yourself to calm down. “Can you get your go bag for me?” 

He nodded. “I’ll be right back.” 

You watched as he ran inside, taking in every excruciating detail. Your daughter’s voices, the sound of your old white cat purring as she rubbed against your leg, the trees rustling, the house. 

This horrible feeling festered at the bottom of your stomach as your home fell out of view in the rearview mirror.

Because somehow you knew you wouldn’t be coming back, that that had been the last time you walked through the front door, that you saw your children at peace.

They whined when you told them you had to leave. You hadn’t blamed them, you would have done the same. 

“Mom?” Elizabeth’s voice was stern. “You have to tell us what’s going on.” 

“Please,” Charlotte added. “You forgot to say please.” 

James frowned. “Did something happen?” 

You sighed. “I can’t tell you anything; you know that. If-” Your voice broke. “If I don’t come back by tomorrow, call this number.” 

“If you don’t come back?” James crossed his arms. “Mom, what the hell-” 

“It’s gonna be okay.” You smiled, caressing his cheek. “Take care of yourselves, alright? You know what to do if things go south.” 

“Mom-” Charlotte cried. “You’re scaring me.” 

“I’m sorry, baby.” You hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry, but you have to trust me, okay?” 

Elizabeth stood strong, but you could tell she wanted to cling to you like she used to. You let go of Charlotte, holding your eldest’s hands in yours. “Liz, promise me something.” 

“Anything.” She responded, squeezing your hands tightly. “Anything, Mom. Name it.” 

“Don’t give up on your dreams. And do not go to community college just so you can take care of your father.” 

“Mom-” 

“Let me finish.” You raised an eyebrow. “You’re a smart girl, Lizzie. Your father can take care of himself, of your siblings. You are not me, and I don’t want you to be.” 

“Mom, you’re acting like you’re gonna-” She swallowed, eyes welling. “Please just stay-” 

“Promise me, young lady.” 

“I-” She nodded. “I promise.” 

“Good.” You nodded, hugging her tightly. “Good girl.” 

You’d rushed out of the door, racing down the road. You could only think of two people you could trust in this situation, and one of them was currently in London, visiting her dying mother. You grabbed your car phone, dialing the second number. 

“Hello-” 

“Fury-” 

“This is Nick Fury’s voicemail.” You groaned, waiting for the machine to beep. 

“Fury, this is Agent Rogers. Something is wrong, something is seriously-” You squinted, swerving off the road. “Shit!” A man dressed in all black leather and a mask stood in the middle of the lane, directly in your way. Crashing into the guardrail, your head slammed against the steering wheel, knocking you unconscious. 

Your head throbbed as you reached up, trying to relieve the pain. Your hands felt wet, most likely wet with your blood. Forcing yourself to open your eyes, the damage to your car was catastrophic. There was no way in hell you were going to be able to reach Fury or even escape whoever had run you off the road.

The man from the road was now stalking toward your car, and you wished you’d have hit him. Scrambling for your gun, you set off two warning shots in his direction. The man’s eyes widened, momentarily stopping his assent. You clawed at your seatbelt, pushing open the passenger side door and running onto the road. 

You’d gotten farther than you thought when a bullet ripped through your leg, your body dropping to the ground like a marionette. Tears fell like hot streams down your face, crawling on the concrete. A sob left your lips as you watched the man slowly walk toward you; he wasn’t even trying. Forcing yourself to stand, you faced him with your gun aimed straight for his head. In a millisecond, he raised his arm, blocking the bullet. It fell to the ground, crumpled like it had been made of paper. 

You shot again and again until he was right in front of you. His eyes, icy blue and numb, bore into yours, a chill running down your spine. His hand shot out, grabbing your neck and lifting you. You gasped, the air leaving your lungs the longer he held you. You clawed at his hand, but he showed no sign of pain, simply blankly staring at you. 

When the fight began to leave you, when you stopped clawing, he dropped you, your body crumbling to the ground. 

His shadow covered you, still staring at you as you struggled to breathe. You jumped up, grabbing at his mask and ripping it off his face. “If you’re going to kill me, you might as well-” The air left your lungs, and you wiped the tears from your face, squinting as if it had been a trick of the light. 

It- You coughed once more, tilting your head. It couldn’t be. 

“Bucky?” 

(1945)

“You’re being irrational.” Bucky raised an eyebrow, his smirk nowhere to be seen. 

“Well, you’re being reckless.” You scoffed, crossing your arms. “I have a horrible feeling about this mission. If you would just listen to me-” 

“Doll.” He interrupted. “We’ve done this sort of mission a thousand times-” 

“You’re not listening!” You yelled. “You don’t- I’m telling you-” 

“Tell me again then!” His arms flailed as he spoke. “Since I didn’t understand the first time.” 

“Don’t be an ass.” You glared. “They’re vengeful. You just took out all of their most important bases.” Your resolve weakened, voice cracking. “What if they take you again?” 

“Is that what this is about?” He frowned. “Doll, it’ll be alright. I won’t let them-” 

“No.” You shook your head. “And if you won’t listen to me, then we have nothing more to talk about.” 

“Don’t do this. Don’t walk away.”

“Try and stop me.” You hissed.

“Doll!” He yelled after you, almost laughing when you flipped him off. Almost. “Goddamn it.” The locker room was quiet, the rest of the Commandos already on the plane. Opening his locker, he stared at the photo he’d had framed of you two - from your first beach day.

“What’s wrong with you?” 

He jumped, shoving the photo underneath a towel. “Nothing.” He turned around, forcing himself to smile at his best friend. “Nothing at all.” 

Steve raised an eyebrow. “I know.” 

Bucky laughed, turning back toward his locker and pulling out his uniform. “Know what, pal?” 

“About you two.” Steve’s face was unreadable, Bucky determined. His, however, was fully transparent. “I’ve known for a while now.” 

“Yeah?” He prepared to get socked in the face. And now, thanks to the serum, it would hurt. “How long is a while?” 

“Two years.” Steve crossed his arms. “Is that a while to you?” 

“Steve, I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize.” He walked across the room, opening his locker. “I’m not mad, honest.” 

“Yeah?” Bucky laughed. “We were going to tell you, I swear.” 

“Buck, it’s fine.” Steve laughed, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. “I’m glad it’s you.” 

“I-” Bucky’s eyes darted towards the doorway. “I gotta go.” 

“Tell her I’m happy.” Steve smiled. “Really happy.” 

“I will,” Bucky yelled over his shoulder, running out of the locker room and past the war table, slamming her office door open. 

“Jesus, Bucky!” You gasped, clutching your chest. “You can’t just-” 

He stalked over, grabbing your waist and kissing you firmly. Your eyes widened, pulling away as you gasped for air. “What was that for?” 

“Marry me.” He whispered, kissing you again. “Marry me.” 

“Bucky!” You laughed, convinced this was a dream. “You can’t just kiss your way out of this!”

“That is not my intention, but I swear if you marry me I’ll do whatever you say for the rest of our lives.”

“What’s gotten into you?” You reached up, trying to feel his temperature.

“The ring’s at home but-” 

“The ring? Bucky, how long have you-” 

“Ever since I enlisted.” He grinned. “It wasn’t a hard decision. I love you, and I-” 

You looked into his eyes, trying to figure out if he was being serious. “Is this real?” 

“Yeah, Doll.” He nodded. “It’s real. I don’t have the ring right now, I didn’t want to lose it while I was here, but I have this as a placeholder.” He pulled his dog tags out, placing them around your neck. “Hold onto to these until I come back.” 

You grinned, eyes watery. “I don’t know what to say.” 

“Say yes.” He pulled up close, eyes desperate, fully prepared to convince you. “I wasn’t lying. Remember, two weeks ago? I want it all, the house, the kids, the dog-” 

“Or cat-”

He sighed. “Or cat. I want it. With you.” 

He was practically bouncing, nervously squeezing your waist. You giggled, reaching up to fix his hair, which had fallen out of place the first or second time he’d kissed you. “I want that too, Bucky.” 

He grinned, his hand holding your chin, bringing your mouth to his. “I’m never letting you go.” 

You laughed, kissing him between what felt like each word, your back against the wall. “You have to. You’re going to be late.” 

“Alright, alright.” He’d almost made it to the door when he turned back around, kissing you once more, the collision almost making you fall backwards. “I’ll be back.” 

You were a mess, grinning wildly and clutching his dog tags as he ran to the plane. “Come back to me in one piece, Barnes!” 

(1970)

The sky was dark, clouds hiding any source of light the moon had to offer. Her breath had left her minutes ago, eyes fixed on him. It was curious, the name she’d uttered moments before he had finished his mission. 

Bucky. Who the hell was Bucky?

The Winter Soldier tilted his head, a silver glint from around her neck catching his eye. Reaching down, he pulled the necklace from her cold frame, old dog tags and a ring hanging from the chain.

James B Barnes

32557038 T41

R. Barnes

3092 Stockton Road P

“Mission report.” The comm crackled, pulling his focus from the tag. He glanced down at the woman once more before the voice spoke again.“Soldat-” 

“On route.” He wrapped the tags around his neck, walking into the woods, police sirens approaching from the distance, their lights illuminating the road. “Mission complete.” 

epilogue

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Your mind still buzzed from the events of the evening. The warmth of family, the pride in your brother’s accomplishments, and the lingering thoughts of Bucky all swirled around you as you let the crisp night air rush through the rolled-down window. 

As you reached your house, you paused on the front porch, taking a moment to breathe as your family entered. After a moment, and collecting your thoughts, you were greeted by your dad as he was making his way up the stairs toward your parent's bedroom. 

“You okay, sweets?” your mom, Sarah, asked with a warm smile as you entered the kitchen.

“Yeah, just a lot on my mind,” you replied, offering her a small smile as you took a seat at the kitchen island. “It’s great about Steve though, he’s going to love college.” 

Your mom nodded in agreement, a proud gleam in her eyes. “He’s worked so hard for it,” she said, her voice filled with admiration before she turned her full attention to you. “It was lovely to celebrate as a family,” 

Your thought settled back to Bucky. Despite the uncertainty of your feelings, there was a part of you that couldn’t shake the complexity of the connection you felt toward him. Lost in thought, you hadn’t noticed that your mom bid you goodnight. Alone in the quiet of the house, you allowed yourself to reflect on the events of the day fully.

The memory of Bucky’s lips against yours, replayed in your mind, sending a shiver down your spine. There was something undeniably about the way he made you feel, a sense of longing that you had only read about in books. 

There was a nagging voice of doubt, mixed in with the whirlwind of emotions, in the back of your mind. What if Steve was right? What if Bucky was just playing games with you? Was the list a part of that? The thought sends a pang of uncertainty through you.

~

At lunchtime, you found yourself loitering at your locker, lost in thought. The noise and chatter of the other students faded. It wasn’t until the familiar voices of Wanda and Peter grew louder that you snapped out of your daze.

“Hey,” you greeted them as they approached. “It’s nice to see you’re both feeling better.” you couldn’t help but laugh with them as you all recalled their absence the previous day.

Their expressions grew serious as they shared a knowing look, Wanda leaned in close to you. “We want to talk to you about Bucky,” she said, her eyes searching yours for any sign of reaction. 

Your heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name, nerves began to stir in your stomach. “What about him?” you asked with caution, trying to keep your tone neutral as you surveyed the hallways. 

Wanda hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath. “We know the whole thing has been complicated between you two, especially with Steve,” she continued to whisper. “But, we wanted to assure you that his feelings for you are genuine.” 

Surprised by her words, you meet her gaze with confusion settling across your face. “How do you know?” you asked, your curiosity piqued.

Peter then leaned in, his tone matching Wanda’s. “That’s why we were at Stark’s,” he confessed, “Trust us, he cares about you more than any of us realized.” 

Before you could respond, a subtle movement caught your eye. Snapping your gaze past Wanda and Peter, you saw Bucky standing at the end of the hallway. When he noticed you watching him, he nudged his head to the side, gesturing for you to meet him in the classroom he was standing by. 

“Hey, I’ll catch up with you in the cafeteria,” you said quickly, grabbing your backpack and heading off in the direction of the empty classroom. Wanda and Peter turned to watch you walk away, they sent each other a knowing look as they caught Bucky walking into the classroom moments before you reached him. 

As you approached, your heart raced, wondering and hoping to have another encounter with him as yesterday. With a deep breath, you pushed open the door and stepped inside. Bucky stood by the teacher’s desk, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched you enter. 

“Hey,” you greeted him, trying to keep your voice steady despite the butterflies in your stomach.

“Hey, Sunshine,” he replied, his smile widening as you took a step closer to you. “I was hoping we’d get a minute.” 

Your cheeks flushed at his words, and you couldn’t help but return the smile and inch closer again to him. “Me too,” you paused for a moment, standing in front of him, locked in each other’s gaze. “Can we talk?”

Bucky’s expression softened, “Of course,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around your waist. 

Gathering your thoughts, you took a deep breath. “I just wanted to say…” your voice trembled slightly. “I’ve been thinking a lot about us, and everything that’s happened.” 

He nodded in response, his eyes never leaving yours as he listened with intent. “I have too,” he admitted, his voice quiet. “And, I want you to know that I do care about you,” 

His words sent a flutter of warmth through you, and some of the doubts and fears began to dispel. “I care about you too,” you said softly, reaching out to fidget with the chain he had hanging around his neck. “But, I need to know… can we trust each other?”

He gently began to trace patterns along the small of your back. “I understand,” he said, his voice filled with sincerity. “And, I want you to know that you can trust me, completely.” 

You released a heavy breath, relief washing over you. “Thank you,” you smiled up at him. 

Bucky returned your smile, “No, thank you,” he whispered, leaning closer to you. “For giving me a chance,”

As his lips met yours in a kiss, you felt a sense of peace settle over you. His touch was electric, sparking a fire deep within you. 

The world around you faded away, as your fingers tangled in the soft strands of his hair, deepening the kiss. You tried to savor the taste of his kips as your breaths synced in harmony. Every touch, spoke volumes, the rhythm you found together melting you against him. 

As the kiss unfortunately ended, you pulled back slightly, locking your gaze with him in a silent understanding. You knew this was where you were meant to be, in his arms. With a content smile, he rested his forehead against yours.

As the heat of the moment began to subside, Bucky pulled back slightly, his gaze a mixture of adoration and longing. “Hey,” he said, his voice that familiar soft tone he only seems to speak to you with, “Are you free tonight?”

“Yes,” you replied without hesitation, excitement coursing through you at the thought of spending more time with him. “What did you have in mind?”

His smile grew even wider at your enthusiastic response, his eyes shining with a matched excitement. “I was thinking, I’ll pick you up at the corner, and then, how about we have a movie night at my place? No one’s home, I’ll make popcorn, and build a blanket fort… we can watch any movie you like.” 

The thought of an evening spent cuddled up with him seemed, in that moment like the perfect way to unwind after a long day. “That sounds perfect,” you beamed at him, “I’d love to.” 

Bucky reached out, pushing a stray strand out of your face. Bringing his hand down to your cheek, he leaned in for a quick peak of your lips. “I’ll meet you at the corner around seven, okay?”

With a nod, you agreed on the plan, hope bubbling within you for the evening ahead. As you bid each other goodbye, stealing a few last kisses, you went your separate ways. Tonight held promises of intimate moments and the opportunity to get to know Bucky so much more. You couldn’t wait to see where the night would take you both. 

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