Take Me back to the Start | B. Barnes

16. What War takes away

1943

"This", I raise the glass of scotch, faking a sarcastic smile, "goes to the end of the world and the dying humanity. It's not like we have fully lived our lives yet, we're just, what, 24? Wait, no, I think I'm 24, Steve's like 25 and... what comes after 25? God, I'm confused. Okay, back to the topic, this goes to World War Two. Thank you, Nazis."

"Eve, you, uh, you better stop drinking." Steve clenches his teeth and tries to take away my glass but I pull back, shaking my head. While he sits at the table in the pub that we have rented for tonight, I'm sitting on it, swinging my feet in the air. "Is it because Bucky is joining the army?"

"And the worst is that you want to join too." I let out a hysterical laugh. "I'll end up being alone again- Oh, my God, I think I lost Bucky. Steve, I lost Bucky, shit."

"Did you forget that he went to the restroom like ten seconds ago?" Now he chuckles genuinely at my slightly drunk behavior. "You know that it's our duty to join the army, it is what life looks like now- serving our country. And I really want to do that, okay? I want to help, I want to be good. And that's what Bucky wants too, which is why he's gonna be trained at Camp McCoy for two months."

I take a long look at him, memorizing the exact details of his little changing. We all know each other for eight years now. Eight years full of wonderful memories until the Germans decided to start a Second World War and now everything's different. Steve changed during these years, his face has become more serious and although he's still skinny, there's this determination to fight in his eyes. The Pearl Harbor attack made him this way. "There are more ways to help our country but through death."

"I'm not saying that I'll die." He retorts sighing. "Come on, stop being so pessimistic. We're here to celebrate Bucky's goodbye before he leaves for the camp in Wisconsin. I'm sure he wants you to be happy before he's gone."

"Wisconsin." I chuckle, earning a confused look from Steve. "It sounds so funny, like 'with contents'." Then I take another sip of the glass and scrunch up my face. "That's the worst tea I've ever had."

"Eve, it's scotch. These words don't even sound similar- and don't fall off the table!" Steve warns me and I have to admit that I do feel slightly dizzy but I'm still able to walk or sit or whatever properly.

Bucky comes back from the restroom, grinning amused at me. I thought he already looked really handsome when he was 19, but he's one of those people who become even hotter when they're older. He's taller, more muscular, his jawline is now more defined, his shoulders are wider and even his eyes are more beautiful. Nothing happened between us during the time that's passed, there were sometimes these moments where it seemed like we were about to kiss, but I probably just piqued myself on it.

"I thought you were going to take her scotch away?" Bucky reminds Steve of his task. Oh, his voice got deeper too which makes him incredibly sexy. "It's your first time that you drink alcohol and after two glasses you're already drunk, canary."

"I'm not drunk." I snort with laughter when I hear my old nickname. "This tea is just really weird."

"Scotch." Steve corrects me again while Bucky takes the glass away from me, laughing.

"Enough for you today." Bucky says with a playful stern tone and I just pout as he grabs me by my waist to put me down on the chair. "Aw, are you gonna miss me when I'm gone for two months?"