𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒~ 𝐵.𝐵𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠

T H I R T E E N

Just as I walk down into the lab I witness a blast that sends Stark and his engineer flying across the room. "Write that down." He says as I run over to help him up, "are you ok?" I ask, he's a bit dazed from the blast, "I am now that you're here." I shake my head, he was fine. "Come here idiot, you've got a cut on your head." I say leading him over to a chair whilst I get the first aid kit, "sit still." I say grabbing onto his face as he constantly moves it. "The room is spinning." He tells me making me sigh, "it's not spinning Howard, try and focus on one thing it might help." I suggest as, "now try and sit still please because I'm going to get the glass out of the cut and I don't want to injure you any further." He smiles up at me, "you got it doc." Carefully I get all the glass out and then begin to clean it.

"You're good at this." He says, "thank you." I say as I put the kit away, "you should be a doctor, if you were a doctor I'd let you treat me any day." He tells me making me laugh, "my god Howard you don't stop do you?" I ask him, "hey Rosie." He calls out just as I was about to walk away, "you do know that I'm just kidding right? I respect you very much." He tells me making me smile at him, "I know Howard."

• • •

Then I watch a very angry Peggy escort Steve to the lab but she doesn't even come in, "what did you do Steve?" I ask immediately, "what? I didn't do anything." He says making my eyebrows raise, he had to have done something, then he explains what happened to Howard and I. "Fondue is just cheese and bread, my friend." Howard tells him, as I begin to laugh, "oh Steve." He shoots me a look and turns back to Howard, "Really? I didn't think..."

"Nor should you, pal. The moment you think you know what's goin' on in a woman's head, it's the moment your goose is well and truly cooked." Howard says surprising me, "oh my Howard you just said something right for once." He looks at me and shakes his head but I see the amused smile on his face. "And honestly Steven have I not taught you anything?" I ask, "no you haven't and don't you have a job to be doing?" He asks, "I'm on my break." I shrug as Howard then begins to show him the new shields.

I do eventually go back to what I was doing, for the past few days I had been fitting some of Howard's inventions into a motorcycle, it was a bit hard but interesting. I only stop when Peggy walks in, Steve then like a fool shows her the shield with a proud smile on his face, almost like he had forgotten that he'd annoyed her. She in turn then lifts a gun shoots at him and then leaves.

• • •

"Hey." I smile spotting Bucky, "hey." He grins back, "what're you doing here?" I ask him moving away from the motorcycle, he extends a hand to help me up and I take it, "I came to see the weapons." I nod, "they're over there, Howard will show you, but he just left to eat, you can wait with me." He nods and smiles at me, "you have a bit." He wipes whatever was on my face off, "so what're you working on?" He asks leaning on the motorcycle almost making the both of them topple. I quickly grab onto him to stop him falling and then the two of us laugh, "I'm making Steve a cool bike." I explain simply.

"Are you supposed to stop? I'm not being a distraction am I?" He asks making me grin, "no you're not being a distraction...well maybe a bit, but I'm almost done anyways." I tell him, "you can get back to work, I'll just wait." I do get back to work but I talk to Bucky whilst I do, he asks me questions and I answer them.

"And done." I say jumping back up, "you're amazing." He tells me in awe, "I don't even do anything, Howard comes up with all the designs, I just make the ones he doesn't have time to." He shakes his head at me, "why do you never see how amazing you truly are Rosalie?" He asks in complete seriousness but before I can say anything Howard returns.

"Hey Rosie what's going on?" He asks completely oblivious to the moment Bucky and I were having. "Bucky, is here about the weapons." I say pointing to said man, making Howard notice him, "Hey, nice to meet you, Howard stark." Bucky takes his hand with a small smile, "Bucky Barnes." Howard looks between us until it registers in his mind, "oh you're Rosie's fiancé? Congratulations, you're a lucky man." Bucky smiles at me, "don't I know it."

• • •

Steve and Bucky went out on a lot of missions, with their squad the howling commandos and I would see them off as much as I could, it wasn't easy letting them both leave like that, it was like watching a piece of your heart leave and you wouldn't know if they'd return. But I had faith in them, they would always return because they looked out for each other.

• • •

I was in the lab when I got the news, Bucky hadn't made it, he died in a train accident, they said he fell to his death. When I heard the news I fell back in shock, Howard caught me and he sat on the ground holding me in his arms as I shut down. It can't have been true he couldn't have died, he wouldn't have.

"Hey Rosie, Rosie it's ok, everything's going to be ok." Howard assures me as he cradles me to his chest. I didn't cry, I couldn't because I couldn't believe Bucky was gone and I wouldn't believe it not until I saw Steve.

• • •

Steve had been avoiding me but I caught him, and I saw the tears in his eyes as he looked at me, they told me everything I needed to know. Instantly I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

We cried there together, "I'm so sorry Rosalie." Steve cried making me hold him tighter, "Steve... Steve listen to me, this is not your fault." I tell him pulling away so I could look him in the eye, "it is." I shake my head, "it's not, it's not Steve you did your best and Bucky knows that, he wouldn't want you blaming yourself and you know it."