Flesh and Bone ◇ Bucky Barnes ◇

Chapter I: A Waging War

Joana

In 1941, when Jo was 20, it was announced to her that America had joined the World War. When she heard this, her heart dropped into the pits of her stomach, and she almost thought her lungs had stopped working. Of the four people she cherished most in life, two were men and eligible to join the war. The thought of losing her boys was almost enough to make her heart stop. Her head spun and her eyesight blurred. It was almost too much for her to handle.
"Jo, hey, Jo." To Jo's ears, Winnie was talking through layers of glass, almost inaudible. Jo had to sit herself down.
It took a few moments for the ringing in her ears to pass and before she could see clearly again. She looked up at her sister, who had a similar expression to her own.
"They'll be okay, Jo. Bucky and Steve and strong. They can handle it." The girls embraced, clinging to each other as if they were afraid that the war might take them, too. The boys joined them for dinner that night. They were happy, full of glee as they told Grams and the girls of their ideas for joining the war. Grams laughed and told them that war wasn't pretty. Winnie attempted a few giggles, but they didn't really fool Jo, who made no attempts to laugh at the boys' ideas. She wrapped her fingers around her fork and gripped it so hard that her knuckles were beginning to turn white.
"Joana. Joana. Jo, darling, are you listening?" Jo snapped her head up and managed to smile at her Grams.
"Of course I am, Grams."
"You haven't touched your food at all. Are you alright, Honey?"
"Of course, Grams. I was just thinking."

"Jo?" The young woman lay on her stomach, stretched across her bed, reading of a book. She turned the page, obnoxiously ignoring the man at her door. "Jo, please talk to me."
Bucky sat on her bed, looking down at the back of her head, but she didn't respond. Instead, she took up humming a merry tune.
"Jo, don't be like that. I know you don't want us to go, but we can't help it. It's not our choice," Bucky said. Jo obviously had something to say, by the way she gripped her book tighter and clenched her jaw, the tune getting louder. She lifted her feet in the air, purposefully putting them in Bucky's face.
"I know you want to say something to me, just say it. C'mon, Baby Doll, don't ignore me." Bucky barely had time to finish his sentence before the book was hurled across the room and Jo was sitting up straight, her eyes filled with fire.
"Don't call me that, not now, not at a time like this."
"Then talk to me! What do you want me to say? We don't have a choice," Bucky said. Jo stood, practically leaping from the bed and landing three feet back.
"You don't have a choice to go to war, you're right, but you could be less cheerful about it! You act as if you've been waiting for this for years as if you want to leave Winnie and me." She tried to keep her voice low, her temper mild, but it was difficult for her. Her Grams always said that 'She has a temper like a hurricane, that one. A temper like her Great Grams'. This was never good for anyone when it started to flare.
"Look, Jo, I know it seems like I'm all up and ready for being a soldier, but if I admit to myself how scared I actually am, for me and Steve, I don't know how I'll handle it. I've gotta keep up appearances, Jo. I don't want to leave you, honest. If you're worried about anyone wanting to go to war, it's Steve," Bucky said, speaking slow and calmly, trying to calm her down. Jo turned her face away as tears started to gather in her brown eyes. She brushed them away quickly and slid back onto the bed, wrapping her arms around Bucky's waist. He held her close and kissed her head.
"I love you, Jo, you know that," he whispered into her hair. She nodded and clung to him tighter, shoulders shaking. "I'll come back. I always come back. I promise."

Jo wasn't allowed to join the boxing class that Bucky and Steve joined for two reasons, both of which you can probably guess. She protested that she didn't need classes to tell her how to punch things properly when Winnie asked about it. She allowed the boys to do their own thing.
That night, Winnie revealed at the dinner table that she had been accepted into the college nearby and that she wouldn't be able to work at Grams' anymore. The news was taken well with an applause and many compliments. Grams opened a bottle of wine and the five toasted to the smarts of Winifred Kegley.
"So, boys," Grams said as they settled down to eat once again, "Have either of you found a pretty girl to go dancing with yet?" Bucky and Jo glanced over at each other, to which Jo blushed and smiled lightly. That didn't go unnoticed to Winnie, who kicked her sister from under the table.
"You know I haven't, Grams," Steve said, a sheepish smile on his face. Winnie sighed quietly, to which Jo kicked her back.
"That's okay, Steve, Darling, you'll find her, someday," Grams turned to Bucky. "And you, young sir. You're handsome, why haven't you got a girl on your arm yet?"
"Well," Bucky's voice was smooth, slow, a knowing smile sent in the direction of the girl beside him. "I did find a girl."
Grams squealed with joy. Steve just smiled, being the first person the young couple told about their relationship.
"Who? Who? Oh, Mr. Barnes, you must tell us who!"
"She's a beautiful girl, Grams. Smart and dangerous. She's always got a little dirt on her face somewhere. She tells the craziest jokes and the weirdest stories. I really love her, Grams," Bucky said. Jo dipped her head, trying to use her loose strands of hair to cover her blush. Grams broke into a grin.
"She sounds lovely, you must introduce her to us someday!" The four young adults laughed, amused at the older woman's lack of perceptiveness.

"Let's go dancing!" Winnie slammed her book shut, receiving an awful glare and an exasperated 'hush!" from the librarian. Jo slowly shut her own book and laughed. Winnie knelt on the ground, giggling to herself.
"Bucky goes off to training tomorrow, I think it'll be a good way to spend the last night with your boyfriend." Winnie wiggled her eyebrows, pulling the book from her sister's lap and setting it down. Jo laughed quietly, her cheeks turning slightly red.
"Winnie...." The elder of the two twins leaped to her feet, grabbing her sister's hand and spinning her around.
"Can't you imagine, Jo? Dancing and dresses and singing? A wonderful night tonight, let's do it!" Winnie said, a bright smile on her face. Jo continued to laugh, getting louder. She couldn't deny Winnie her chance at happiness.
"Okay, okay, Winnie. We'll do it. Tonight, you, me, Steve, and Bucky, tonight we'll go dancing."

Steve wasn't too sure about it. He didn't like the idea of a crowded place with too many sweaty people, but the others had a fun time convincing him to go. The girls had no struggle finding the proper dresses. As they readied themselves, Bucky took part in telling Grams that he was taking her girls out dancing and would make sure that they got home safe and sound.
And off the four went, laughing as they walked the streets. They arrived at their destination and found endless joy as they were allowed to enter. Steve took a seat, ordering drinks, while Jo and Bucky went straight to the dance floor. Winnie and Steve happily sat at a table, laughing and talking and drinking whatever drink was put in front of them. Jo and Bucky swept across the floor, spinning and twirling and moving with graceful ease, as if they had been dancing together their entire lives. There was nothing that could break this time for them.
At one point, Jo spotted Piper, sitting with two girls on his arms and a third on his lap. He looked dead in his eyes, but a smile was on his face. She made eye contact with him and grinned, waving her hand. With a cringe, he raised his hand in response.
The night wore on. Some people left, some people came, but the group of four stayed. Steve was content with not dancing, but Winnie found many a partner to dance with her.
Finally, the band played something slow, and Jo and Bucky were standing in the middle of the dance floor, holding each other close. To them, there was nobody else there, just the other. Bucky tried to catch Jo's gaze, but Jo couldn't seem to lift her eyes for long enough to look in his eyes. As the song continued, Bucky stopped swaying and lifted Jo's chin. He leaned down towards her and pressed his lips to hers, consuming her world in absolute bliss.

She didn't want to let him go. She never wanted him to leave her again. He'd been gone for months. He missed her birthday and she missed his. It was something you never wanted to miss. She held him close to her, hands in his hair, breathing him in in hopes to remember him through his smell.
But eventually, she needed to breathe. She pulled away from him, her lips salty with tears. He brushed a piece of her hair out of her face.
"Don't worry, Baby Doll. I'll be back. I'll kill Hitler and I'll be back in no time, how's that sound?"
She laughed, a few new tears falling from her eyes. He kissed her cheeks.
"That sounds good."
He hugged her again. She didn't want him to let go.
"Write me every day," she murmured into his shirt.
"I'll do my best," he said, kissing her head.
"Don't die out there," she told him, trying to hold on for one more second. The horn from the boat blared.
"I'll see what I can do." He pulled away from her. "Don't cry, Baby Doll. I'll be back."
She nodded once, wrapping her arms around herself. He started towards the boat.
"Save some lives for me, why don't you?" She called after him. He turned back to her.
"Anything for you."
He faced forwards and stepped on to the boat.
"I love you!" She shouted, but the words were drowned out by the sound of the boat horn and the many shouts from other soldiers' loved ones. Jo didn't stay to watch the boat leave. She pushed her way through the crowd, tears rolling ceaselessly down her cheeks. She walked the cold roads alone, wanting nothing more than for her loved one to come back. She prayed, lifting her face to the grey heavens, that Bucky would come back to her. She didn't want to be alone.

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I feel like the transition at the end is a lil' confusing, so basically, the dancing thing was before Bucky went off to training and the final part is when he's actually going to war. So yeah. I hope you guys enjoyed and I would very much appreciate it if you left some constructive criticism in the comments or by PMing me. I also hope you enjoy!

Go in love,
authorsbane