To My Love | Bucky Barnes

four ; beauty

Chapter Four ; Beauty

February 14, 1935

Cara loved Valentine's Day, but she never understood why high school students still celebrated it during school. As a girl, she knew just how much she would enjoy getting a gift on such an occasion, but she wasn't naive-- that wasn't going to happen. Cara hadn't gotten a gift on Valentine's Day since grade school when you had to bring everyone something.

    Minding her own business in the back of the class, like always, Cara started a drawing. After Sandy and her gang ruined her old one, Cara took it upon herself to get a new notebook. She was lucky her little brother had one he wasn't going to use.

    "Hey Cara," Bucky said before sitting down in his seat next to her. Cara shot him a kind smile. She didn't expect him to stop talking, part of her didn't want him too, and he didn't.

    "So, are you expecting a gift from anyone, doll?"

    Hardly. "No," she answered softly.

Bucky nodded and turned around to face the front of the room.

    Miss Harding walked into the room, signalling the start of class. Cara already knew that all they would be doing that class period would be giving out presents, she didn't bother putting away her notebook. Until a little white box wrapped with a small piece of pink ribbon was placed in her vision.

    Cara lifted her gaze. Bucky sat smiling in his seat, facing her. Caras' eyes darted from him to the box and back to him. He nodded his head at the box. "Open it," he said.

    Cara put her pencil down and pulled her other arm off her lap to untie the dainty ribbon off the small rectangular box.

    Bucky was grinning from ear to ear as the ribbon fell to the desk and the box lid came off.

    Cara reached inside the box to pull out the tiny gift. It was a braclet. It had a skinny, thin array of diamonds all the way around. When placed in the light, the tiny gems sparkled and twinkled. It was a beautiful gesture.

    Caras' lips parted in shock. She was about to put it back in the box and give to Bucky, saying she couldn't take such an expensive gift, but once she saw the huge, goofy grin on his face, she couldn't do it.

    "It's beautiful," she whispered, continuing to examine every intricate detail of the bracelet. She breathed out a laugh of surprise.

    "Not as beautiful as you, doll."

    Caras' smile faded into shock, as did Buckys'. His eyes widened momentarily at the words he just spoke, but he easily relaxed when Cara continued smiling.

    "Uh-" she cleared her throat, "-lets not get carried away, Jamie." She glanced at the braclet. "Although, it, uh- it seems you already have." She chuckled a little.

    Missing Buckys' look of admiration, Cara carefully placed the jewelry piece back in the box and turned her body to face Bucky. Her smile was gone and she looked slightly concerned.

    "How much did that cost?"

    Bucky was surprised by her question. Normally when a girl was given a present, the boy would get a kiss or a hug.

    "Why?" he found himself asking.

    Caras' tongue shot out to lick her dry lips. Bucky swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Cara twiddled her thumbs.

    "Not that I don't like it, or appreciate it-- because I do, it's absolutely beautiful-- but I feel bad you spent so much money on me," she confessed.

    Bucky tilted his head and shook it slightly. How could one girl be so precious and unquestionably perfect?

    Cara furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at the brunettes' actions. But it was his words that sent her on the road to both confusion and slight annoyance.

    "I did it because you deserve it."

This was seriously my favorite chapter to write.

I seriously might just post this whole thing today.

- M I S S Y