The Third Soldier 〰 Bucky Barnes ON HOLD

Chapter 4

"Don't do anything stupid until I get back"

"How can I? You're takin' all the stupid with you"

"You're a punk"

"Jerk. Be careful...Don't win the war 'till I get there"

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I walked back in Steve's room when he called for me. He was dressed in the same trousers as before, but had a plaid shirt on and brown shoes. His tall and broad figure stood in front of the massive window as his shadow cased over his bed and his arms crossed over one another. After not seeing him for almost 70 years, I almost forgot what he looked like. I walked up to his right side and mirrored his actions, looking at the new New York that had been built since 1945. There was more colour, more lights, more and taller buildings, more people walking the streets, none of them noticing the two of us stood watching them.

"Have you missed this?" Steve asked. "Have you missed New York?"

"I was too asleep to miss it, but now I'm seeing it, it feels like I've been gone longer then 70 years" I replied.

"A lot of things have changed"

"Yeah, lots" I sighed and continued to look at the sights. He crept away after a few minutes and walked over to his bed. I turned around and saw the mattress sink as he sat down on it sighing. His hand ran over his face and through his hair as he mumbled something inaudible. The room fell silent after he stopped mumbling and neither of us had anything to say.

"I'll leave you alone for a bit" I said after a few minutes while walking towards Steve's door.

"Okay, I'll see you later" he said with his head in his hands.

"Don't wait to see me too long, though. I don't want to lose you as well." I left Steve alone to give him some space and too adjust to what our new lives would be. When I returned to my room, I lied down on my bed. My head rested and sunk into the soft, white pillow and my bare feet settled on top of the covers. Instantly, my hands went over my head and supported my head away from the pillow. I thought about what had happened since Steve and I unfroze. I thought about what happened before we all joined the army, Steve being small and weak, Bucky being a flirt and a charmer. I thought about what would happen in the future. What would me and Steve do now that we have no one, but each other, left?

Thousands of questions floated around in my head and I soon fell asleep. I could've been out minutes or hours, but when I finally woke up, it was to someone banging very loudly at my door. I huffed, got up and walked over to the door. It creaked as I pulled it open and a red-eyed Steve appeared after it. It didn't take me long to register his teary eyes and pull him into a hug. His massive arms were wrapped tightly around my small waist, as mine wrapped around Steve's neck, his face buried in my shoulder. We walked further into the room and I shut the door quite loudly. I quickly sat him down on my bed and, after I did so, he placed his head back into my neck. The muffled cries slowly decreased as he calmed down in my embrace.

"Hey," I pulled him out my shoulder, "what's the matter?"

"I jus-just had a th-thought about...about..." he stuttered, "about Peggy. What if she's still alive? Will she want to see me again?"

"Of course she'll want to see you again. You still owe her a dance" I smiled at him, trying to bring some light into his dark moment.

"Yeah, I know. But what if, at the minute, she's lying on her death bed and we can't see her before she goes?"

"I don't know Stevie," he smiled at the name, "Peggy's a fighter, she won't die. Not yet"

"I hope she doesn't. I couldn't stand not seeing her after all these years. I bet she still thinks we're dead"

"She might, she might not. Who knows?"

"Huh," he sighed loudly with sitting up properly, "do you still love Bucky? Even though he's dead?"

"Of course I do, I've always loved Bucky. And you"

"Then, I should still love Peggy even if she dies?"

"You can love Peggy as long as you like, just remember she's probably married and has children, maybe even grandchildren" I reminded him.

"Yeah, she's probably does. With her intelligence, good looks, brains, kindness, who wouldn't want her?"

"I don't know Steve, I don't know." We fell silent after that. I think Steve was remembering about Peggy again. His eyes teared up but only a few fell. He didn't make any noise; he cried in silence. I, however, was thinking about Bucky. Probably the same things Steve was thinking about Peggy: how amazing he was, how smart he was, how kind he was, how perfect he was. I wish he was still alive, but then again, he'd probably be married with a few kids running around everywhere. If I remember how much of a charmer he was, he would have had a girl on his arm every week after Steve and I 'died'.

"Charlotte?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember your mother and father?"

"Only my dad, but then again, I was too young to remember any big details about him"

"I remember us three going to my mothers funeral. Bucky offered for us to sleep at his, and put the cushions on the floor like when we were younger. I said no. I said that I'd be alright, but I wasn't, was I?"

"No," I shook my head, "you were crying almost every night after her death, but I came and looked after you. Our rooms were right next to each other, remember?"

"We sleep in each other's beds all the time" he smiled at the fond memory.

"Yes, I remember" I agreed.

"Do you remember how your father died?"

"No, not really"

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Will Charlotte remember how her dad died? Or will someone have to remind her?

-MrsEvanStan 💕