Chapter Text
1927:
The last day of summer was always the most fun one. You and your two best friends went to the big tree behind your parents’ house and play the whole day.
"C'mon Steve! Hurry!" Bucky shouted. "(Name)'s already there!" The boy ran the last feet until he reached you. You were already swinging from one of the branches, smiling wide. "Don't wait for me, just go on. I will catch up." You heard Steve's voice from the little path.
"Race to the top of the tree? I wanna know if you can break my record." Bucky nodded without hesitation. "But you have to come down here. No head start for you this time." He pleaded.
"Oh c'mon, I thought you are a gentleman, Bucky." You whined, then took a big swing and jumped off. He crossed his arms as you landed beside him. "I am a gentleman, but you're not a lady, besides it isn't fair. You are as good as me."
You hit his arm jokingly. "Say I'm not a lady one more time and you're gonna regret it." He rubbed his arm. "Oh I am sooo scared. You're not a lady, (Name), you don't even have a dress."
You hit him again, a bit harder. "I have a dress." You lied. "You just haven't seen me in it." Actually your mother always wanted to buy a dress for you, but you always argued with her until you didn't have to try it on.
"Okay then I want to see you in it. Show me that you are a lady and I won't deny it." He said, thinking he had won. He knew most of the time when you lied, same as you knew when he did.
You hesitated. "Tomorrow. But anyway just let us start. Okay, ready, steady, go…!" You were on the tree again before he realized that you just started the race. He mumbled something and followed you up the tree.
Of course you won, laughing at him. "You have to be faster to get me, Buck." He mimed the offended one and turned his back to you. You dangled your legs from the branch you two were sitting on, from up here you could see the first floor of your home. The window to your room was the only one facing here.
Since he learned to Bucky had always climbed up here and waved you when you were grounded again, for something that was always Bucky's idea. You had opened your window and talked with him until he had to go home.
Steve and Bucky were living in an orphanage near your home. Steve’s mother wasn't dead but she couldn't take care for him. You had met Sarah Rogers many times, she was a really great mom, nice and caring, she just hadn't the time to and money. She visited Steve at least once a week and always brought candy for all of you.
Steve finally arrived at the tree, waving at you and Buck. "Come down here!" He shouted. "No, you come up!" Bucky answered, laughing. Steve was scared of heights and would never come up here.
You pinched Bucky. "Ow!" He turned to you and pinched you back. But you didn't respond to it. "Don't be so rude, James." You said, already on your way down. You always called him by his real name when he was mean to you or Steve, although he didn't meant to offend anyone, it was just his humor.
"Hey Steve!" You jumped off the last branch. He had a black eye again, he always picked up fights. That was the way you met him and Bucky.
One day three years ago, you were seven, you walked down the street the orphanage and your home was in carrying the groceries you had bought for your mother. You were proud she already gave you such important tasks. You were the only girl your age in the block, the orphanage was a restricted boy’s orphanage, but they were allowed to go out, as long as they didn't messed with someone or ran away. You had heard shouting from one of the darker allies, around the corner. Your mother had forbidden you to go alone in one of those, but your curiosity was too big. If things would get too risky, you could still ran away.
You could see two of the older boys, living in the orphanage. They held one boy your age up against the wall. "You wanna say that again asshole?" One of the boys said. "You two would make a lovely couple. When is your wedding?" The blonde boy said, and grinned. He was puny and small, not beneficial for a bigmouth. „Guys that's normal. Same gendered love is okay. „The other one hit him again. “ Are you little bastard saying what I think you..." The boy interrupted before he could finish his sentence. "Dunno. You don't seem very bright to me." Gosh, he was asking to get beat up. You weren't sure how to react, but it was for sure that he would get seriously injured if you wouldn't interfere.
"Stop it, dickhead!" You said to the one, who was reaching out for a punch. You didn't know what dickhead meant, you had heard one of the orphanage boys saying it, but it seemed to fit. They let go of him and turned to you. “What did you say?“ Their reaction fueled your courage. They thought you were a boy. With the a little bit too big pants and the bonnet, that was hiding your long (h/c) hair, you looked like one of them. “You heard just right, pal." You said. They approached you slowly, you took a few steps back, but your back hit the wall behind you. One of them smacked the bonnet from your head. Your hair fell down to your shoulders, they looked confused while you grinned satisfied. Guys never thought that a girl had the guts to meet them face to face.
"Dude, I won't beat a girl up." The other one said. "What if a girl beats you up?" The adrenaline floated through your veins and made you cheeky. They clenched their fists.
Aaaaaaand over with the courage, you had thought.
"Hey! You wanna get in serious trouble, guys? 'Cause that's how you get kicked out." Another guy, also your age, but not as small as the blonde guy, walked up behind them. "Piss off, Barnes, that's none of your business." The boy rolled his eyes. "Guys she's the daughter of the British soldier living in the big house at the end of the street. You don't wanna get on his bad side." You had never seen him here, how could he know who you were?
The boys looked back at you. You nodded. They grunted and left, not without bumping into your savior on purpose and kicking the bags of groceries down. The content scattered all over the floor. "I could have handled it on my own, but thank you." He offered you a hand to help you up, but you got up on your own and walked over to the blonde boy. "Are you okay?" You asked. He was rubbing his arms, where the boys had hold him up. "Yeah, that wasn't the first time for me. Thanks." He smiled. The other one walked to you. "James Buchanan Barnes, at your service. But you can call me Bucky, (Name) right?"
"How do you know that? I've never seen you here." He smiled proudly. "Observation and patience." You scanned him. He had blue eyes and brown hair, one of his teeth was missing and his clothes were dirty. "Well then, how did you get them angry like that, Steve?" You looked at the blonde boy, while you picked up your bonnet and put it back on.
Now Steve smiled. "Hey (Name)." You touched the bruise. "Oh Steve, not again? Why do you always need to pick up a fight? What is with yesterday, the big guy, wasn't that enough?" Living with Steve, as his best friend, must be like having a chihuahua with aggression issues, for Bucky. He was always the one to carry the can for Steve’s fights. "Worth it." Steve said and grinned again. You shook your head. He showed you his tin soldiers. "Wanna play? You and me against Bucky?" Bucky landed beside you. "Why is it always me against you two? Maybe I wanna be in the team too!" Bucky complained, looking to you. "Alright then. You guys against me." You said. He looked disappointed, presumably he had hoped to play with you together.
You three played until evening. Then your mother came and told you to go home. "Please, mom just an hour." You begged. "Yeah, please Mrs. Clarke. Just give (Name) an hour." She smiled at Bucky. "I am sorry James, but (Name) has to help me with dinner. Say goodbye to your friends, (Name)" You pulled a face and said goodbye. You took your mother’s hand, and she guided you to your home.