Steve's Diary

March 10, 1944

Dearest Diary,

Finally, it's Friday... but, this Friday, it's a whole lot more.

Bucky and I finally get to spend his birthday together and it feels so good to be able to write that down and actually mean it.

Anyway, I asked Peggy if we could skip out on group training today and she said it was fine as long as we still practiced. I'm starting to feel really good about the fact that I've told her about us being gay and all. It's liberating, even if she only is one person.

I told Bucky we were going to meet at the old, basically abandoned, gym to practice with the group. I just really hope he fell for it being that and that only.

—————

I sat on the floor and waited for him to walk in. The lights had been out and I was in my khakis and a wife beater, my hands all taped up and ready to 'practice'.

I heard his footsteps waver as if he was confused to see that all the lights were out and that no one was around or talking. Suddenly, the lights blinked on in all of their yellow obnoxiousness.

His eyes met mine.

A smile spread across his face.

"Steeeeve..." he started, his voice echoing in the otherwise empty room, as he looked around. He dropped his bag to the floor and looked back at my smiling face.

"Bucky... Happy birthday," I said, disregarding his confusion.

"Wha- Steve... where's everyone else? I- what the Hell did you have to do to get this place all to ourselves?" He went on, ignoring the birthday wishes.

"Don't worry about it," I replied, rising to my feet, remembering that one time he literally stole a truck so we could go camping upstate but refused to admit it, and just said don't worry about it.

"You're unbelievable sometimes, you know that?"

"Yea, I do," I replied sarcastically. "Now then, you ready to practice with Captain America?" I continued, slyly.

The smile never fell from his face as he approached me, leaving his bag on the floor behind him. I let my eyes scour across every inch of him... he really was perfect as he was. If only I had been like that, maybe I wouldn't have had to have been part of this whole experiment. Sometimes I really do feel like a test subject, but looking at him- that's what it takes for me to really feel better.

I tried to stand as he got closer, but he took my shoulder and kept me seated on the ground. "Stay there, I can't have you towering over me all the time, you know."

I chuckled. "That's ridiculous, but okay."

He gazed into my eyes and leaned down, his hand at my jaw, pulling me up to meet his lips ever-so-briefly. "Alright, I'm ready to fight Captain America," he admitted after he pulled away.

"I'm not so sure about that one, Buck. After all, I don't even know my own strength just yet. I don't wan-"

"Don't even say you don't wanna hurt me, it'll break my ego too much. I'm the strong one, remember?" He blurted out, not even realizing the gravity of what he'd just said.

"Oh, really?" I challenged him, seizing the perfect opportunity to do to him what he'd been doing to me all these years.

"Yes, really."

"Pick me up then. I'll swing my legs around you like we did all those times before and you'll kiss me in the air," I told him, sweetly, approaching him and getting close to his face as if I might just kiss him in a moment of overwhelming romance.