Chapter Text
“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.”
“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” Steve responded embracing Bucky.
“And you Y/N…” Bucky said stepping back and looking down at you with a smile. “You keep an eye on this punk. Maybe he’ll take more notice of you than he does of me.”
You let out a chuckle. “You know it’s usually the big brother that looks out for the little sister not the other way around. I don’t know how I’ll keep him out of trouble without you.”
“Yea well you’re only a year younger so you’ve got more experience than me in dealing with Steve, Y/N.”
His smile faltered slightly as if interrupted by a thought before the his smile quickly reappeared. Unnoticed to either of you Steve had stepped back and took an interest in inspecting a recruitment poster he’d already read nearby.
“You know Bucky I-“ you began before words seemed to fail you. You looked down at your shoes fighting back emotions welling up.
Bucky placed and hand gently on your shoulder. “Hey, hey doll. No need for tears, what did I tell you I’ll be back before you know it and me, you and Steve can go out. Maybe Coney Island like last time? Although, not sure Steve could take the Cyclone again”. He gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze and kept it there.
You let out a soft laugh but it didn’t hold its usual liveliness and looked up at him with tears threating to spill over. “I’ll miss you, Buck.” You said softly. “Promise you’ll write to me. Come back to us in one piece.”
“You know I will. I promise.” He said drawing you into a hug. “You know I’ll m—”
“Bucky! Are we still going dancing?” A slightly impatient woman’s voice called from nearby.
Bucky looked back over his shoulder in the direction of the voice. You removed yourself from his hug and discreetly wiped your eyes. “Go on Bucky, your date is waiting and I know your mother told you it was rude to keep a lady waiting”. You smiled softly.
He looked between you and the woman waiting on him. His eyebrows knit together slightly before he exhaled a sigh. “You could come with us. I know how much you like to dance.”
“Oh, you don’t want your best friend’s sister tagging along and ruining your night. I’m sure your date wouldn’t appreciate it either. Go on and enjoy your last evening in New York!” You said with a forced smile, jokingly pushing his arm.
“I thought we were friends too?!” He jested “You know I don’t mind Y/N. Besides Steve- “
Steve seemed to have finished his inspection of the poster and moved back to look at both of you.
“Someone has to stay to watch Steve. I haven’t forgotten my orders Sergeant!” You smiled. “You better not forget yours!”.
“No Ma’am!” He grinned making a mock salute. “I’ll write every day.” The three of you laughed before Bucky put both his arms around you drawing the three of you into a group hug. “See you both soon. Okay?”. You squeezed into his side and closed your eyes trying to write the moment into your memory.
Bucky withdrew walking back down the steps to his date, looking back to you and Steve over his shoulder and giving you a wave and signature smile before disappearing from view. Soft band music played in the distance intermingled with the hustle and bustle of the Expo. A silence came over you and Steve. You wrapped your arms around your torso before turning around back to the pavilion. Steve turned after you and placed a gentle arm around your shoulders in a small gesture of comfort. He wanted to say something, like he had so many times but he thought better of it and the both of you continued side by side in silence.
Bucky cut through the crowd hand in hand with his date who was telling him excitedly about the music in the club they were going to. He glanced back over his shoulder, over the crowd, catching a glimpse of Steve wrapping his arm around you as you both disappeared out of his view for the last time.
---
Steve’s arm had left your shoulder as he took enlistment forms from an older nurse at the desk. You would normally would’ve tried to dissuade Steve from his attempts at enlisting. You had often argued about it but you knew that Steve’s heart was in the right place and you could never stay mad at him for long. Catching the sympathetic look that the nurse gave Steve while his head was down filling in the application form, you sat yourself down with a sigh in one of the many chairs in the waiting area. “I’ll wait here for you Steve, then we can go home”.
There was no reason to fear the result from Steve’s fifth attempt should be any different from before. Anyone could see from a quick glance at Steve wasn’t the ideal candidate for a soldier. Steve looked back as the nurse guided him away to the room where the men awaited inspection by the doctors giving you a nervous smile and small wave but you weren’t looking at him.
You had sat yourself in a chair in the corner of the waiting room which was almost empty. From there you could see a young man stepping up in front of a mirrored recruitment advertisement and making a mock salute. A young woman looped an arm around his, giggling, “C’mon Soldier, let’s go dancing!”. The man looked back at her, placing his hands on her waist and planting a kiss on her lips. You looked away, instead staring squarely ahead at the wall in front of you with a frown trying to push your thoughts out of your head. After a while you glanced at the clock behind the nurse’s desk briefly and you wondered what was taking Steve so long. The other occupants of the waiting room had long since left and the noise of the Expo outside had died down. The faint sound of the wireless radio at the desk floated across the waiting room.
“Next up tonight another tune from the very talented Mr. Sinatra…” A voice from the wireless faded into the background.
You leant back in the seat, looking down at the hem of your dress pulling on a loose thread. You had worn your best dress this evening and even Steve had commented before you left together to meet Bucky on the apparent extra effort you’d made for the occasion. You had scoffed at Steve saying he didn’t know anything about ladies’ fashion and how you were looking forward to the Stark Expo. Steve had said nothing more. Not even when he noticed you smooth out your dress and quickly adjust a pin in your hair just as Steve waved to Bucky who was waiting for you both at the entrance.
The quiet music enveloped your thoughts.
‘Close to you, I will always stay
Close to you, though you’re far away…’
Unbid emotions began to well up inside you again.
‘You'll always be near, as though you were here by my side
No matter where in my dreams, I'll find you there’
Tears began to prick at your eyes as the song continued. Despite your best efforts to filter out the words drifting across the room, you couldn’t.
‘Wherever you go, my heart will go too
What can I do?’
You emitted a sniffle trying to contain the tears, but one defeated you and streaked down your cheek. Reaching in to your bag you retrieved your handkerchief and tried to dab the evidence away.
‘If you knew the joy you bring
How my hungry heart would sing
If only we could be close to you’.
Steve appeared in the doorway beside the nurse’s desk beaming from ear to ear as he handed the nurse his form. Looking across the waiting he saw your solitary figure dabbing your eyes. A frown developed on his face.
“Thank you Mr. Rogers.” Steve turned back to the nurse holding his form “Uh ...We’ll be seeing you soon.”
You looked up, hastily shoving the handkerchief back in your bag and putting on a smile and walking up to Steve. Steve wanted to say something as he saw the slight red colour present around your eyes but could only muster a “Hey, are you okay Y/N?”.
“Of course, I’m okay Steve.” You said a little overzealously. “Are you okay? Can we go home now?”
He tried to contain a smile but he beamed back at you, “I got it Y/N! I got accepted!”
Close to You - Frank Sinatra ( link )