Chapter Text
Allison Mae Rogers hated James Buchanan Barnes.
Seeing him every day due to his being best friends with her brother, Allie found herself in more arguments than she could count. She could never keep track of how may times she had wanted to slap the stupid smirk off of his face when he spoke to her.
It was the way that when he won an argument with her, he would give that stupid smirk and seemingly mock her the rest of the evening. She in turn would give a "Humph" before holding her head up high as if he couldn't take her down a single notch.
Likewise, he hated her too. Whenever she entered a room that he was in or he entered a room that she was in, it was as if she turned her nose up and held her head away from him. He was never blind to how smart she was. He wasn't surprised when she went to nursing school and when she started her work at the local hospital. And yet, it irked him. It even sometimes seemed to piss him off.
Steve Rogers had learned to deal with living a life where his younger sister and best friend couldn't stand one another. He diffused arguments that became too heated, convinced them to let situations go when they would listen to reason, but he had found that each day that passed was another day that he became just a tad more tired and annoyed by their bickering.
All of their arguments and bitterness and hatred had stemmed from the first time they had ever met. Allie had always been used to taking care of her brother when he was being bullied. She often had to clean up his cuts and scrapes, ice his bruising cheeks, scold him even, when her older brother found himself being cornered and harassed by bullies. It was on one such afternoon that Steve found himself being beat up for his lunch money that someone new came to his defense.
"Are you alright?" the young boy had asked him.
"Yeah, I'm alright," Steve nodded as he wiped the corner of his lips, checking for any blood that may have occurred from a split lip.
"Does that happen a lot?" the boy had turned to look off in the direction that the bullies had scrambled off in after he had scared them off.
"More than I'd like it to," Steve nodded once more.
"Well," the boy turned to him with a nod of his own. "It's not anymore."
"What do you mean?" Steve's brow rose.
"James Buchanan Barnes," the boy introduced himself. "You can call me Bucky."
"Well, Bucky," Steve gave a friendly nod. "Thanks. I should get home though."
"Let me walk you back in case they try and do anything," Bucky had said and after a moment of protest, Steve agreed.
The two young teenagers walked along the sidewalks that led through Brooklyn. Steve had told him briefly about his going to school with his younger sister while Bucky told him about the high school that he attended. It was strange to the young Steve Rogers to have a popular looking boy, handsome and confident, talking to him just as plainly as his sister talked to people.
The Rogers siblings weren't the most well off of the kids that went to their school. Steve often having been picked on for his stature and health while Allie, friendly to those around her but fiercely loyal to her brother, found herself often sticking up for her older brother.
"Does your sister approve of you getting in fights?" Bucky seemed to already tease him as if they had been friends for years.
"Not exactly," Steve laughed. "I'm pretty sure she'll kill me about my lip before our mom ever even sees it tonight."
"She sounds like someone I wouldn't want to mess with," Bucky grinned.
"She's not," Steve agreed. "I would hate to be on her bad side."
As the young boys continued down the walkway leading to the front porch of the Rogers home, they failed to notice the young Allie Rogers watching them approach. All she had seen was Steve tripping slightly over a piece of pavement and Bucky catch him by the arm. But to her, it appeared like Steve was being drug to the front porch by someone much bigger than him. Fearing the worst, Allie frowned at the boy she had perceived to be a bully and took a single shoe off as she quickly made her way across the wooden porch.
"You let my brother go right now!" she demanded as she held the shoe behind her, ready to throw it at a moment's notice.
"Allie, what are you doing? Put the shoe down," Steve rolled his eyes at his sister.
"Not until this thug lets you go," she frowned, eyes narrowed as she looked at Bucky.
"Thug?" Bucky was put off by her insulting name calling.
"I told you to let my brother go," she repeated her demand. "I'm not going to ask you again."
"Allie, I tripped and he caught my arm," Steve rolled his eyes at her once more. "He didn't do anything to hurt me."
"Is that a fact?" her tone clear in her staunch belief that Bucky had done something to her brother. "He took your spare change then?" she glanced at her brother before snapping her gaze back to the handsome young man in front of her. She wasn't blind to the way that she found the stranger to be attractive. She wasn't quite sure that she had seen a boy that she thought was as pleasant to look at as the boy in front of her. But it didn't distract her from what she believed he had done. "You aren't getting any more money if that's what you're after."
"Money?" Bucky found himself completely confused as he let go of Steve's arm. "I didn't take any money. I don't need or want it."
"Sure," Allie scoffed.
"Allie, he scared off some boys that were trying to take my money. He didn't take anything," Steve defended Bucky.
"I don't trust a handsome or charming boy as far as I can throw him," she was quick to believe her brother was covering for the boy.
"You think I'm charming?" Bucky grinned.
A beat passed between the group before Allie launched the shoe directly at him. Hitting him in the jaw, the boy stumbled back a few steps before regaining his footing. His hand rubbing his jaw, he quickly looked at Allie, glaring at her.
"What the hell was that for?" he hissed out at her.
"For taking my brother's money," she had no sense of regret about her actions.
"Allison! I just told you, he helped scare off the boys trying to take my money. He was just walking me home," Steve almost sounded exhausted by his younger sister.
Looking at her brother, she paused for a moment. He looked appalled at her actions and in that moment, she realized that she had in fact thrown a shoe in the face of the innocent party. Horrified at what had happened, she quickly turned back in Bucky's direction to begin a profuse apology.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," she began.
"Save it," Bucky continued to glare.
"Well, you must know what it looked like with your hand on his arm like that," Allie began to explain.
"You know, you could be less crazy," Bucky hissed at her.
Allie was taken aback. Blinking for a moment, she looked at her brother for his defense. Instead of Steve coming to her defense, he gave a shrug as if completely agreeing with what the new boy in front of them had just said. Shocked at how her brother had chosen the side of the boy they had just met that day, Allie found herself trying to level out her breathing as she blinked back brimming tears and wiped away the ones that had already spilled against her cheeks.
Turning on her heel, she made her way into the house and sat in the living room. Pulling out her homework for school, she ignored the sounds of the boys walking inside and the setting of her shoe down in front of her. Ignoring her brother as he walked away to grab the first aid kit their mother had in the bathroom, she tried to ignore the loafers she saw in the corner of her eyes.
"Sorry," Bucky had said. "I shouldn't have said that."
"That's fine," Allie kept a calm expression as she chose to look up at him. "Like I said before: I don't trust a charming boy as far as I can throw him."
And for over a decade, the two never found themselves able to stand in each other's presence alone for more than a blink of the eye.
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Footsteps sounding down the stairs, Steve and Bucky both spared a glance in Allie's direction as she came down the stairs. She had straightened out her appearance after a late afternoon arrival of Bucky announcing that he had found dates for the three of them that evening. She didn't exactly see the benefits of any date that Bucky Barnes of all people sat her up on.
Brushing a few hairs from her face, she shooed the boys away from the mirror they stood in front of as they straightened their own appearances out. Steve simply rolled his eyes at his sister, annoyed at the way that she so easily bumped him out of the way. Bucky gave one glance up and down her body, gave a half roll of the eye, and turned on his heel to pick up his cap that he had set down while he and Steve had talked that afternoon.
"Do I look alright?" Allie hummed out as she turned to face the two.
"You look nice," Steve nodded to her. "Doesn't she Bucky?"
"Hmm?" Bucky pretended as if Allie's question hadn't even passed near his ears.
"Doesn't Allie look nice for this date?" Steve repeated. It was like wishing for a miracle in his mind as he tried to find a middle ground for the two to land on. He wasn't exactly fond of the idea of a triple date that involved the same bickering that he heard each and every day.
"She looks better than she normally does," Bucky shrugged.
"You know what James?" Allie hissed.
"What are you going to do? Throw another shoe at me?" he rolled his eyes.
"Keep acting like an ass and I certainly will," she bit out. "And now I wear heels so I can bruise your jaw and give you a black eye at the same time."
"Allie!" Steve hissed. "Stop."
"Tell this one to not be a jackass," Allie rolled her eyes in her brother's direction.
"Here's an idea," her brother rolled his eyes and looked at the two. "It's Bucky's last night and a triple date that all three of us are going on. Can you two please agree to not pick a fight tonight?"
Allie and Bucky looked at one another, keeping their eyes locked in a stare. Neither seemed to move even a single inch as they studied one another. Steve was rolling his eyes at the two, not surprised yet still annoyed at how even on a night like the one they were about to have, the two still seemed eager and ready to go toe-to-toe. Allie and Bucky both finally nodded to Steve, each making a promise to him that they would at least behave throughout the course of the date.
As it turned out, Bucky had set up a triple date for the three of them having met another group of young adults that afternoon. Deciding that the perfect destination for the date was the Stark Expo, he happily grinned to himself as he and the Rogers siblings arrived and were greeted by the other three adults. When Allie had learned of the reason for the triple date, that being Bucky's departure for the war the following morning, she didn't see the harm in going out to the Stark Expo. She may not have seen the benefit of a date he chose for her, but she certainly wasn't going to argue for a nice night out.
The highlight of her evening at the Stark Expo was when Connie had taken notice of Howard Stark's live presentation that was taking place. Allie had seen the articles about the young man, always fascinated by what she had seen about him. She had heard rumors throughout the bars in the city about he was like. A small part of her may have even wished that she could meet the man herself to see if those rumors were true.
She watched his presentation on the flying car, smiling just a bit at his smooth recovery after a snafu occurred with the vehicle in question. As Allie stood impressed with Stark, her date found himself vying for attention. Sly comments after having learned about her occupation as a nurse at the local hospital, George found himself confronted by Steve. The older Rogers sibling wasn't impressed at the gross comments directed at his little sister.
Allie found herself brushing off the comments, something that she didn't exactly ever confess to her brother that she was used to. Bucky simply watched the interaction happen before stepping in to stop Steve from getting himself into a fight. Connie and Bonnie had shared a look before they gave Allie a single glance to ask if she was okay. Allie nodded to them with a smile before gently nodding in the direction of Howard Stark, eager to go back to watching the presentation.
None of the group had noticed, but Steve had eventually slipped away from them. Bucky was the first to notice before looking to Allie to see if she had seen where Steve had gone off to. Each spinning around, Allie pointed to the Army popup exhibit that many individuals were walking past and into. Sighing to themselves, the two both dismissed themselves to go after Steve.
"He tried to enlist again today," Bucky calmly sighed and Allie found her jaw setting a bit.
Her brother's habit of falsifying enlistment forms in order to try and be sent overseas for the war was one of the only things that she could ever remember agreeing with Bucky about. They had both tried to convince him that it was a poor idea to try and that being in New York was the better option. Neither had ever gotten anywhere with the conversation.
"Lovely," she sighed. "There he is."
She pointed to her brother who was seemingly exploring the exhibit in front of him. Allie and Bucky only shared a split second of a look before walking up and confronting Steve. As Steve began to try and persuade Bucky that it was a good idea for him to continue his attempts at enlisting, Allie found herself pinching the bridge of her nose at the ongoing argument.
"Steve it's a bad idea and you know it," Allie interrupted.
"Allie, it's not," Steve defended. "If I can go and help fight, then I can help and protect you too."
"Steve, I don't need you to 'protect' me. I can take care of myself," she swallowed hard. "I need you to stop doing something that could get you arrested."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Allie's right. If you don't stop doing this, you could find yourself in jail. Then how are you going to take care of her?" Bucky agreed.
"I have no right to do any less than the men laying down their lives," Steve's tone was almost finite as he looked between his best friend and his sister.
"Right," Bucky nodded as he realized they weren't going to be able to convince the man on the matter.
"Bucky?" Connie's voice rang out to them.
Looking out the entrance to the exhibit, Allie could see the other two women and George standing together as they waited for the conversation taking place to finish. Allie frowned as she turned back to her brother and his best friend, watching as Steve told the two that he was going to continue walking around the exhibit and assured them that it was okay for them to rejoin the others.
"We'll be right there," he assured them before he looked at Steve.
Allie stood to the side as she watched the goodbye take place between the two men. Steve looked at her before she assured him that she would arrive home safely that night and that it was okay if he went to look around, and only look around, for a bit longer. As Steve nodded, said his final goodbye to Bucky, and walked off, Allie found herself gazing off at a Red Cross advertisement that sat on the wall of the exhibit. She frowned, a guilty feeling settling into the pit of her stomach, and Bucky took notice.
"What's got you acting like a stray alley cat pissed in your lemonade?" Bucky hissed at Allie as they both stood to the side for a moment.
Appalled at what he had just said to her seemingly out of nowhere, Allie turned quickly and glared up at him. She knew that it was obvious to their dates that they were in a private conversation. For a moment, she felt bad that the girls Bucky and Steve had as their dates were standing on their own. They were both sweet enough, Connie certainly being a patient enough person if she had allowed Bucky to take her as his date.
"You're disgusting," she rolled her eyes and attempted to walk away.
"I'm serious," his hand had taken hold of her arm. Instead of his grip being firm or harsh or tight, his grip was almost gentle. "You've been upset all day, even here you've looked upset more than you have happy. What is it?"
"This isn't really a conversation I'd like to have with you," she pursed her lips.
"Well too bad," he rolled his eyes. "I know how you are when all of us go out together and the way you've been tonight is not you. What is it?"
"I really don't want to talk about this with you."
"And why not? Are you going to go off and talk to Steve about it?" he seemed to huff out a bit of air as he looked at her with annoyance.
"No."
"And why not?"
"Because I don't want to talk to Steve about it," she glared with a hiss.
"And why not?" he pressed once more.
"Because it directly affects him!" she hissed.
Her glare was enough to cause him to falter for just a moment. It was the first time that he could remember in recent times that Allie had been vulnerable in front of him. The only other time he could remember was when her mother died and he'd gone to the funeral with the siblings. His grip had loosened on her arm enough that she was able to take it back. Looking at him, she quickly dropped her glance to ground and took in a deep breath.
"I was accepted to be a nurse with the Red Cross overseas. I'm leaving at the end of the month," she confessed. "So if you're over there fighting and I'm over there trying to patch soldiers up, neither one of us is going to be here to watch out for him."
"When did you find out that you were accepted?" was the only thing that passed through his lips.
Allie found herself having to take a deep breath as she attempted to steady herself. Looking back up to him, she had a frown painted across her lips. Both had seemed to find themselves lax in front of one another. Swallowing hard and biting the inside of her cheek, she gave a soft sigh.
"I found out a couple of days ago," she admitted. "I had applied through work and when I got the mail the other morning, I quickly took the letter and hid it in my room."
"And you really haven't told him?" Bucky's jaw was dropped, just a bit, enough to show his surprise.
"Were you exactly happy when you had to tell him that you were shipping out tomorrow?" she posed the question.
"In my defense, your brother put the pieces together before I even could admit it," he gave a small laugh, Allie's faint snicker humming underneath her breath.
"I'm just scared of leaving him behind," she shook her head.
"You need to tell him," he frowned at her.
"I will eventually," she rolled her eyes. "I'm going to have to."
The two seemed to grow quiet for a moment. They stood in front of one another, neither quite knowing where to move the conversation. That was until a sweet voice rang out in their direction and their dates began to beckon them back. Taking in a deep breath, the two glanced at one another once more.
"Come on," Bucky told her, his voice softer than Allie had ever remembered him being towards her. "We're all still going dancing, okay?"
"I could go for dancing," she agreed. "And a lot of alcohol."
"If I let you go home drunk, Steve will kill me," he argued with a sigh.
"He'll kill me too, but I still don't care," she retorted.
"Is George bothering you?" Bucky seemed to ask out of nowhere as they drew closer to the others. "Steve didn't seem to like the way he was being with you."
"It's nothing that I can't handle," she rolled her eyes dismissively with a small laugh.
"Are you sure?" his voice was skeptical as he almost came to a halt.
"I'm fine," she assured him. "Besides, since when have you ever cared how my date treats me?"
"Since I realized that your brother could hunt me down and kill me before the war does," he retorted, his response quick.
"Not if I kill you first," she retorted in turn, her response even quicker.
"Right," he nodded as they reached the others.
Allie seemed to find herself counting down the minutes as the date continued on. The group had found themselves at a local bar that was known as the place to go for night out when dancing. Bucky confidently led the group into the bar asking George to go with him to order drinks for each of them. Shrugging out of their jackets, the women watched as the men returned to where they sat. Allie happily took the whiskey she was handed, both Connie and Bonnie giving her confused smirks as she drank a similar order to the men.
"Not a fan of fancier drinks?" Connie gave a small laugh.
Connie's laugh was sweet and almost had an innocent air to it. Allie found herself laughing just a bit in response as Bonnie smiled at her and drank from her mixed drink. Allie shook her head softly and simply looked to her glass as she thought of a response.
"What can I say," Allie shrugged with a small grin. "I like proving that I can hold my liquor."
Connie and Bonnie looked up at the dance floor, sharing a grin with one another. Taking her friend's hand, Connie set her drink on the table beside and stood from her seat. The two women continued to smile as they looked over at the others, inviting them to join them in their venture out to dance. Bucky quickly agreed while Allie sat behind with George.
As they sat alone, Allie was aware of George coming to sit closer to her than he had before. A bit of small talk was all that took place between the two as she finished her whiskey. In the back of her mind, she thought to herself about the way that Bucky had reacted to the news of her being sent overseas to be a nurse. She didn't exactly know what she had expected, if anything, when or if he had discovered her current secret. She didn't expect him to be as gentle as he was. It was a surprise to her, even if it was one she wouldn't complain about in that moment.
"Care to dance?" George held out his hand in an invitation, drawing Allie out of her thoughts.
Allie accepted George's invitation to dance, taking his hand as they walked out to the floor. Bonnie danced with a gentleman nearby as Connie and Bucky danced with one another. While his constant comments during the date itself were quite annoying to Allie, she was at least relieved to have a decent dancing partner. That was until she felt a slipping hand behind her.
"My waist is higher than that," she said as politely as she could muster.
"I know," George nodded, a smirk sitting against his lips.
"Then act like you know," she quipped back.
"And if I don't?"
"Do you really want to find out?" she posed the question.
"A little bit, yes," he grinned.
Bucky had just turned himself and Connie around after she had gasped when noticing Allie's attempt at moving George's hand from where it had gone to rest. As Bucky noticed what was taking place, he saw Allie's frown and the way her body had started to tense up. He wondered if what he felt in the moment was what people meant when they said they saw red.
He didn't fully register the fact that he had excused himself from Connie and made his way over to where George and Allie were. He didn't even register Allie asking what he was doing as he pulled George off of her and punched him. It was only when there were gasps around them and Allie took a step back in shock that he started to realize what he had done.
"James, stop it!" Allie scolded as Bucky brought his fist up once more. "You are not getting into a bar fight on your last night here."
"Are you just going to let him grope you like that?" he seemingly roared at her as he turned to face her.
"I can handle myself perfectly fine! I have my entire life!" she bit back.
Connie and Bonnie both stood with dropped jaws, glancing at one another before taking a step back and away from the argument that brewed. As much as they may have liked Bucky and Allie as people, it was embarrassing to watch the scene unfold in front of them. Glancing up, both women noticed George standing and looking between the two that continued to seethe at one another.
"Well excuse me if I feel responsible for you tonight since your brother left for the evening," Bucky hissed.
"I am not my brother's ward," Allie stood her ground. "And I am certainly not yours either."
"Allie-" George began but both Bucky and Allie quickly turned, fire brimming in their eyes.
"Stay out of this," the two seemed to chorus after one another before turning and glaring at one another once more.
"Sarge?" Connie's voice asked as she attempted to interrupt.
"You might not be my ward but I owe it to my best friend to make sure his sister gets home without being attacked by a creep."
"And that's when I leave," George stormed out, angry at the lack of defense in his favor from Allie.
"We're leaving too," Connie said and Bonnie quickly agreed.
"Hey, wait," Bucky sighed and reached out to the women to try and stop them before they got too far. "Let me walk you two home."
"No, it's okay," Connie shook her head.
"You two need to have a talk," Bonnie added and nodded to Connie.
"Thanks for tonight," Connie gave a sad or perhaps even uncomfortable smile to Bucky. "Stay safe over there." Turning to face Allie, Connie and Bonnie tried to give her smiles. "It was nice meeting you. Tell your brother that we said bye as well."
"I will," she nodded. "You two have a nice night."
"You too," Connie smiled.
Bucky simply watched the polite interaction between the women with narrowed eyes. How three women could be cold about his actions and then turn to one another bidding good nights to the other was beyond him. Fuming at Allie, he quickly turned to glare at her after the other two had slipped through the front door of the bar.
"Now hold on. I'm responsible for what happens to you three girls," Bucky brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"The three of us women can handle ourselves perfectly fine. Connie and Bonnie made that perfectly clear by leaving the bar. I'm making it perfectly clear by telling you that I don't need you," her voice was calm as she stood in front of him. "Now, I'm leaving and you can just deal with that, too."
"I'm walking you home," he frowned.
"I don't need you to walk me home," she held her chin up high as she looked at him.
"I'm walking you home," he repeated. "That's not a question."
"No you aren't," she was determined as she took her jacket and turned on her heel.
Allie thought that she had been successful in leaving him behind when he stood in a bit of shock at her abrupt departure from the bar. She didn't even spare a second glance as the sound of her heels clicking against the sidewalk was all that could be heard. That was until another set of shoes hitting the pavement sounded off and she groaned to herself as she knew who was catching up.
"You can go away now," she told him without even looking at him.
"I'm making sure you get back home. Steve should be there by now," Bucky shrugged as his steps fell in sync with those of Allie.
"That's sweet," she mocked. "Now leave."
"No."
"God, I can't wait to not have you around," she gave a husk of laugh as she tried to pick up her pace, Bucky matching it just as quickly.
The walk to the Rogers's home seemed to be a cycle of Allie telling Bucky he could finally leave and him uttering the single word of "no". Eventually, much to Allie's relief, the shape of her home came into view and she was finally going to be able to get him to leave. While she had hoped he would turn on his heel and leave the moment she reached the steps to her front porch, she found that he had followed her all the way to the door. Sighing to herself, she came to a halt and turned to face him.
"Alright, I'm home now," she stated the obvious.
"I see that," he nodded.
"Don't get shot over there," Allie swallowed hard.
"Is this you admitting you like and need me?" Bucky grinned.
"Of course not," she rolled her eyes. "My brother needs you. Not me."
"I see," he nodded.
"Besides, I don't want to see your ass in a recovery tent on my base while I'm over there," she frowned. "You'll be doing me a favor by not getting hurt."
"And yet, now I'm tempted to get shot just to come and pester you," he smirked.
"Don't," she swallowed.
The two took in a breath as they looked at one another. Neither made a movement one way or the other. The air between them wasn't quite as tense as it typically was. It was as if a tiny crack had formed in that wall of ice that usually sat in between them. Allie was the first to take in a breath. Swallowing hard, she nodded at Bucky.
"Just, don't get yourself killed over there," her voice was soft. "You have family to return to."
"I don't have a wive or kids," he argued.
"No," she agreed. "But you have a best friend, parents, and siblings that want to see you come home safely."
"And you?"
"What about me?"
"Aren't you going to make sure that you arrive home safely?" he rocked back on his heels a bit. "You have a brother to return to."
"I can take care of myself," she nodded.
"I'm sure."
"You know, James," Allie cocked her head to the side a bit as she looked at him. "I might not like you very much-"
"Thanks."
"But regardless," she glared at his interruption. "I think we should make an agreement that we'll both make it back. For Steve's sake."
"For Steve's sake," Bucky agreed.
"Alright then," she nodded. "Goodbye, James."
"Goodbye, Allison."
And with just a momentary nod between the two, Allie went inside of her house while Bucky turned on his heel and began to walk down the stairs. At the sound of the door clicking shut, he paused for a moment and turned to face the Rogers's house once more. It was just a flicker, a brief spark that he felt. The only thing was that he had no clue what that flicker or spark or whatever it may have been was for.
Shrugging to himself with a lopsided grin, he walked back home. He may not have been ready to go and fight, but he was certainly ready to show that he could hold up his end of a promise.
Notes:
Surprise 😏
Hiya! So this is 1000% self indulgent on my part, but I really wanted to explore a different version of Bucky and Allie to celebrate the one year anniversary (as of a few days ago, ahh!!) of starting their story (which is crazy!!) This is a shorter story, but I'm excited to share a different side of these two with you.
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter Text
The next morning, Allie found that she woke up to the sound of rain pattering against her window. Remembering the evening before, she found that she wanted to go and see if Steve was okay.
Leaving her bedroom, she walked downstairs after seeing that his bedroom door was still closed. Deciding to make breakfast for the both of them, she found herself occupied and distracted before eventually hearing Steve make his way into the kitchen.
"Good morning," he yawned and stretched as he looked to her.
"Good morning," she smiled over at him. "I'm glad to see that you made it home alright," she pointed to the cabinet in order to ask for plates.
"So did you," Steve grinned and took out plates for the both of them. "What happened after I left?"
"We all went dancing," she shrugged. "George overstepped boundaries, James and I got into a fight, and he attempted to walk me home."
"George or Bucky?" Steve narrowed his eyes a bit.
"George and the girls left when James and I started fighting," she sighed. "I tried to leave, James matched my pace."
"I see," he nodded. "Do you work the afternoon or the evening tonight?"
"Afternoon."
"I'll make us dinner then."
"You are a godsend sometimes," Allie smiled over at him.
"You can list it under 'I, Allison Rogers, have the best big brother known to man'," he gave a cheeky grin in her direction.
"Big brother is a bit of a stretch," she quipped back. "Don't forget, I'm taller."
"By two inches," he sighed. "That's not much."
"But just enough to remind of it," she laughed.
"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes. "But I'm serious, I'll take care of dinner. Just try not to work too hard today, okay?"
"I'm a nurse," she smirked. "That's all I do."
"Would you let me be nice to you for once?"
"You're my brother, am I really supposed to?" she teased and plated their breakfast.
As they sat and ate, the two continued to poke fun at one another while simply enjoying the fact that they were able to sit and eat together. On days when Allie had to work in the morning, they didn't quite have those kind of moments.
Before they knew it, breakfast had been finished and Steve was quickly readying himself for the day. At Allie's confused furrow of her brows, Steve assured her that he was simply going to run errands that day. As far as he was concerned, she didn't need to know any of his plans apart from that he would be out during the day and would make dinner that night. Allie dismissed the hurried nature of Steve getting himself dressed and went to start getting herself prepared for the workday.
As that workday passed, Allie found that she knew that she needed to find a way to tell Steve about her going overseas. Whether she liked him or not, Bucky was right. She did need to tell Steve about the situation sooner rather than later. As she moved between the different rooms in the hospital, helping with different patients as she went along, she tried to think of kind ways to break the news to Steve that she would be leaving.
Even as she walked back into the house, taking off her nurse's cap and shoes, she still was stumped for how she could tell him. Would she even tell him that night? Or would she wait another day or two? She made her way into the kitchen where Steve was finishing their dinner.
"Good day at work?" he looked over his shoulder, a beaming smile greeting her.
"It was alright," she said slowly. "Good day for you?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"I see," she nodded. "Anything you want to tell me about?"
"Well, yes," he nodded. "Come get some dinner first."
"Okay," she began cautiously.
The two took their plates and placed their portions on them before turning and taking their seats at the kitchen table. Allie watched as Steve simply began to eat his meal. She watched him cautiously before she began to eat her own dinner. After a brief moment, Steve swallowed and looked back up at her.
"I don't know exactly how to say it, so I'm just going to say it really fast," he nodded to himself before looking at her. "I got listed as a 1A today."
"What?!" Allie almost stood from her seat in shock. She was surprised she didn't choke on her bite of food. "How the hell were you listed as a 1A?"
"Right place, right time, I guess," Steve shrugged. "I've been offered an opportunity. I have got to take it."
"I see," her jaw set as she looked back down at her plate. "And when would you be leaving for basic training?"
"That's the thing. I'm leaving tomorrow morning," he said softly.
"Are you serious?" she looked up quickly and her eyes found themselves narrowing at him just a bit.
"Yes," he nodded. "Look, I know it's really fast and so you and I don't have time to really figure out what's best for you here at home, but I'm sure Bucky's family will help you out while I'm gone."
"That's not what I'm thinking of," she pursed her lips a bit.
"Is it about me going and trying my luck again? Allie, it finally worked! I'm going over there and I'm doing my duty," Steve assured her.
"Is it you doing your duty, or you just trying to prove something?" she bit out.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he narrowed his eyes at her.
"Steve, our entire lives you have always tried to prove that you can take anything on. A bully tries to pick on you for being smaller? You find yourself in a fight with them. A war starts and our country gets involved? You think you need to go and get yourself killed to prove a point," she took in a deep breath. "Our entire lives I have been chasing after you to either pick up the pieces or clean you up. If you're god knows where, how am I supposed to take care of you?"
"I'll be fine," Steve's voice turned cold. "And it's not to prove a point. I'm going because it's the right thing to do."
"The right thing to do," Allie nodded. "That's what the worst part is. I'm doing what the right thing to do is, too."
"What do you mean?"
"Steve, I was accepted to be a Red Cross nurse overseas. I'm shipping out at the end of the month."
"How long have you known?" Steve's lips turned into a tight line.
"A few days."
"Does anyone else know?" he looked at her.
"Just James," she admitted.
"Bucky knows? How does he know if you two can't even stand one another?"
"Because as much as I don't like him, you're important to him too! He and I both care about what happens to you. We were both concerned last night and I mentioned it to him. He told me that I needed to tell you, which I already knew."
"So I won't even be able to contact you," Steve took in a sharp breath as he looked down. "I really will be alone."
"I will be too," she reminded him. "I won't be able to write to you. God, I won't even know where you are."
"I won't know where you're at either," he reminded her.
"Unless you become injured and are brought to my base," she thought aloud. "Which if that happens, I'll be the one to personally murder you."
"Right," he nodded.
Neither continued to eat their dinners as they simply sat back in their seats and looked to one another. It was something that seemed to just sit and weigh on their shoulders. Allie found herself looking back up at her brother.
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. I didn't want to say anything in case I wasn't accepted for it," her voice was softer than it had been before.
"You're going to be a good nurse over there. They'll need you," Steve smiled at her. "I'm sorry for lying about all of this again."
"Are you really sorry about it?" she gave him a knowing smirk.
"No, I'm not," he admitted. "But I'm sorry that I'll be leaving tomorrow. I'll miss you a lot."
"I'll miss you too," she smiled at him.
"But we're the Rogers," he assured her. "We'll make it back."
"Right. And we'll kick ass before we get back," she added.
"Right," he nodded.
The hug that she had found herself wrapped in was one of the tightest that she had ever known. As upset as she was about certain parts of their situation, she was just ready for the war to be over with so that they could all return and go back to their lives the way that they knew them. Even if that meant with the annoyances being included with the good times.
Allie just found that she wasn't quite ready for everything to change the way it was going to the next morning. The morning still came and the changes still happened, Allie finding she truly was going to need to adapt one way or another.
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The Rogers home was lonely without Steve there. Allie didn't find that she wanted to spend much time in the empty home on her own. Instead, she was often found at the local bookstores or parks. A few of the nights she decided to go out dancing, though it wasn't much fun without having her usual companions or friends.
After a long day of working from the morning into the afternoon, Allie found that the idea of going home to an empty house wasn't exactly the most appealing of thoughts. Instead, she walked down a different path that evening. It was one that led her to a family home that always seemed to bubble with the voices of parents and children: the Barnes family household.
Despite her disdain when it came to the eldest of the Barnes siblings, Allie quite liked the rest of the family. Many days, she had no idea how James Buchanan Barnes could ever be related to his siblings or even his parents. As she made her way up to the door and knocked politely, she was greeted by the warm smile of the second eldest Barnes sibling.
"Allie!" Rebecca cheerfully greeted and welcomed her in.
"Hi," Allie began as she unpinned her nurse's cap. "I'm sorry to arrive unannounced. I just didn't really want to go home just yet."
"I see," Rebecca nodded. "Are you okay? You look a bit pale."
"I'm living in an empty house after my brother decided to yet again enlist in the army and somehow managed to get sent off for training," she frowned and looked to her friend. "And I'm having to ship out with the Red Cross at the end of this month. It's not exactly the easiest of times."
"I know," the Barnes sister agreed. "At least you can come here for a break from the creaking floorboards."
"There aren't creaking floorboards in my home," Allie scrunched her nose with a laugh.
"That's not what James said," Rebecca shrugged.
"That's because he's too cocky to admit that the sound was coming from him," Allie's wit was sharp as she made her retort.
"Are you ever going to not hate my brother?" the eldest Barnes daughter sighed as she welcomed Allie into the home.
"Not likely," Allie let the words flow out in a tone that was matter-of-fact.
"Right," Rebecca's eyes rolled as she followed Allie into the house.
"Rebecca? Who was that?" the Barnes matriarch, Winnifred, walked into the room, wiping her hands with a rag as if she had just finished washing up the dishes in the kitchen. Looking in the direction of her daughter, she took notice of Allie. "Allison!"
"Hi," Allie smiled. "I was just telling Rebecca that I didn't mean to come unannounced. It's just becoming very lonely to go home."
"I can imagine," Winnifred nodded. "Come in, I'll make sure to fix you a plate of dinner. Besides, Ruth and Thomas will be excited to see you."
"To see who?" two sets of footsteps bounded down the staircase, Thomas curiously looking at his mother before looking at the door and noticing who stood there. "Allie!"
"Hi," Allie laughed as she was greeted by a large squeeze from the young boy.
"How was work today?" Ruth asked as she made her way over and also gave Allie a hug.
"Long and tiring," Allie sighed. "But I know your mom's food is going to make me feel infinitely better.
Allie was guided to the dining room with the other Barnes siblings, plates of food sitting right in front of each seat at the table. A gruff clearing of the throat sounded as the patriarch of the household, George Barnes, made his way in. He almost appeared tired until he noticed Allie and happily greeted her.
"It's good to see you, Allison," he smiled at her.
"You two have known me for the better part of twelve years. Are you ever going to call me Allie?" she teased as Winnifred walked in and set a glass of lemonade at Allie's seat.
"I think Allison is a pretty name," Winnifred dismissed.
"Exactly," George agreed.
"Alright," Allie gave a playful roll of her eyes before taking her seat at the table.
As Allie and the Barnes children had grown up, Winnifred and George had become good friends to Sarah Rogers, Allison and Steve's mother. They would often be found helping one another when it came to dinners and holidays, Winnifred often letting Steve and Allie stay at their house when Sarah worked overnight.
Being in their company, Allie always wondered what it was like to have both a mother and father at home. It always felt incredibly cheerful, even when Thomas was acting rambunctious and being scolded by his father. Allie and Steve's own father had passed long before either could even remember him. During their lives, the siblings had known far my tragedies than they had anything else, including their mother's passing. To Allie, the closest thing to the kind of family she had wished for when she was young was that of the Barnes.
The dinner was a nice distraction for Allie. It was cheerful like it always was when she was around the family. Bucky had been mentioned a few times, mainly when Winnifred mentioned in passing to Allie that she had received a letter from him when he had arrived overseas that had finally found its way to their home. Her feelings about him aside, she found that she was happy for the mother that she had a letter from her son. It made her sad to know that she wouldn't ever have that kind of reassurance from her own brother.
It may have been one evening away from the worries of her upcoming departure, but it was needed. Apart from what she had been told that Bucky had written in his letter home, the war and her future as a nurse weren't spoken about as they found their way to lounge in the living room. Instead, Thomas and Ruth told her about the end of their school year, happily chatting about how excited they were to not have to go every day for a while. Rebecca spoke about what she had been doing the past few weeks, excitedly chatting about how she was looking into possible schools to teach at. She had wanted to be a teacher for as long as Allie could remember had finally completed her coursework the previous year.
"That's all wonderful," Allie smiled at the group around her.
And that was the word she chose to use to describe her evening with the Barnes family. To describe an evening where even if she couldn't fully forget, she didn't have to speak about what was going on in the world. It was wonderful.
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On her final night in New York, Allie found herself packing the final bag that she planned on taking with her. It was raining outside, the rain hitting the windows gently. Walking downstairs and into the kitchen, Allie began to pull out what she wanted to make herself for her final dinner. Her preparations were interrupted by a knock at the front door.
A bit startled but primarily confused, Allie made her way to the door. As she opened it, she realized that all three of the younger Barnes siblings were standing in front of her. Her jaw dropped just a bit as she stepped aside to let the three in from the rain. Locks of hair had clumped against their scalps and cheeks, Thomas in particular looking chilled from the time he had been outside.
"What on earth brings you guys over here tonight?" Allie's voice was dripping in an incredulous tone.
"We didn't want you to spend your last night alone and knew that you would never accept the invite to spend the night at our house," Rebecca smiled at her.
"I wouldn't say never," Allie mumbled.
"We knew that you would say that you didn't want to be a bother. But we also know you and that you don't like being alone before something big happens," Ruth grinned.
"Alright, that's a fair point," Allie nodded. "Have you had dinner yet? I was just about to start my own."
"Let us take care of that," Rebecca looked to Ruth and the two set off into the kitchen, leaving both Thomas and Allie behind.
"Alright then," Allie blinked and smiled a bit at the nature of Rebecca and Ruth. "Would you mind helping me bring my bags down?"
"Okay," Thomas shrugged and the two set off to make Allie's life a bit easier the next morning.
Allie was shocked at how she didn't realize just how much the night with the Barnes siblings was needed. She wondered what she would have done had she not had them with her. Would she have had a simple meal before staring off into space? Would she have turned on the radio and simply lost all concentration as she tried to find some form of comfort in anything that she could.
Instead, she was happily sitting with her friends who were happy to spend the night with her. The rain still fell throughout the night, the raindrops continuing their drumming against the windowpanes. Allie tried to find a comfortable way of sleeping, but it didn't seem to come for her. Too many thoughts and ideas and worries flew and bounced around in her mind.
Walking downstairs when the others were asleep, she decided to pour herself something to drink and to sit in the kitchen while she simply tried to find something different to focus on. Despite her attempts, she seemed to still be distracted by the thoughts that raced around in her mind.
"Allie?" a voice sounded from the entryway leading into the kitchen.
Spinning around, she noticed the boy that stood in the shadows. Giving him a small smile, she tugged her robe closer to her body and turned to flick on the light. Shaking her head slightly, she took a step in his direction.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" she teased softly.
"Shouldn't you?" he quipped back.
"I suppose I should be, Thomas," she sighed. "I suppose that I should."
"Then why aren't you?" Thomas walked up to her.
"I guess the worrying about everything that's waiting for me overseas is catching up to me right now," Allie shrugged. "What are you doing awake?"
"You're leaving tomorrow," he shrugged. "Mom and Dad were talking about how you and Steve and Bucky are all gone the moment that you ship out. Mom was crying and saying she was scared."
"Did they know that you were listening?" she frowned.
"No. You and I both know that they wouldn't have said a thing if they knew I could hear it. I don't get told much."
"Well, it's going to be alright. You know that, right?" Allie placed her hand on his shoulder, rubbing softly before he looked up and seemed to study her.
"Allie, are you going to be close to the fighting while you're out there?"
"No," she shook her head. "I'll be safe."
"At least I know you will be," he sighed and pushed past her to sit at the table.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she questioned as she quickly followed and sat beside him in her own seat.
"Well my brother is out there somewhere right?" he frowned. "And, I'm never really going to know where he is. And they're never going to let me go over there."
"Thomas Barnes," Allie hissed. "You are twelve years old. You need to be here with your mom and your and your sisters. Don't you go around thinking that you worrying about James means that you need to be over there too."
"But how will I know that he's going to be okay? You're worried about your brother and your going overseas," Thomas seemed to think that he had a point, instead he was met with Allie's narrowed glare and frown.
"That's a completely different set of circumstances," Allie sighed. "Steve- well you and I both know Steve. He's resilient but he is far smaller than any of the men that'll be at his basic training. As hard as he tries and as much courage that he has, James and I were still the ones that always had to go and defend him. That is one thing I will give your brother credit for; he helped take care of my brother."
"And Bucky?" Thomas asked as he looked at her hopefully.
"He's strong," Allie shrugged. "And he's skilled. You don't need to have a worry about your older brother. He's going to come back in one piece."
"How can you be sure?" Thomas's brows came to furrow together as he looked at her.
"Thomas, are you able to keep a secret?" she leaned in a bit.
"Yes," he nodded.
"Before he left, your brother and I made a deal that we would both make it back," she whispered.
"You and my brother agreed on something?" Thomas's eyes had widened in surprise.
"Yes, we did," Allie frowned at him. "Believe it or not."
"Why did you make that deal with each other? You can't stand one another."
"For Steve," she shrugged. "Granted that was before Steve himself went on to somehow be enlisted. But regardless, your brother is far too stubborn to fail on his end of a bargain. He'll make it back."
"And you will too?"
"Of course I will," she smiled at him. "There's no way in hell that I'd ever let myself get hurt over there."
"And do you think Steve will be okay, too?"
Allie's smile slowly dissolved into a frown. Of course she wanted to believe that her older brother would make it back to Brooklyn safely. There wasn't any part of her that wanted to believe that something bad would happen. And yet, she still knew her older brother. There was a feeling that settled into the pit of her stomach like a rock. It was as if she didn't have much hope about it. Looking back at Thomas, she chose her words carefully.
"I think that Steve is going to be as strong-willed, bullheaded, stubborn, what have you as he always has been. That's not something that a war can take from him," she tried to bring the smile back to her lips.
"But do you think he'll make it home?" Thomas pressed.
"I don't just think," Allie began to fib, the feeling in her stomach being the opposite of how she truly felt about the topic. "I know he will."
"I wish this war had never happened," he mumbled and looked down at the table in front of him.
Allie swallowed harshly. She knew the sentiment. If it had been up to her, the war wouldn't have happened. She and her brother would still be living day to day in Brooklyn, his best friend constantly getting on her nerves, but life remaining the same nonetheless. The life that she had become accustomed and comfortable with. A life that didn't hold any surprises.
"I know," she nodded. "Me too."
The two sat for a moment, the heavy thought regarding the reality of the war and what it meant for their respective families seemingly sitting on their shoulders. As Thomas sat there with his worries and questions, Allie sat there almost on the verge of anger that the young boy even needed to have such worries and questions. It wasn't fair that he would be at home not knowing where his older brother was. It wasn't fair that the family had to be apart in the first place. It wasn't fair that she had no clue what would happen to her own brother.
It took a moment, but she finally swallowed and gave a small sigh. Looking back towards a clock that sat in her living room, she knew that she needed to try and get some form of sleep before the morning, and it wouldn't hurt for Thomas to get some sleep as well. Standing from her seat, she waved him on and guided him to the living room.
"I'll stay with you for a while," she assured him.
"Thank you," he gave a small smile.
A while turned into the rest of the night as Thomas fell asleep on the living room couch and Allie found herself awake throughout most of the hours that passed. In the morning, it was Rebecca who woke both Allie and Thomas. Thomas groggily stirred from where he was laying as Allie rubbed her eyes softly and looked to Rebecca. Sighing to herself, Allie stood from where she had fallen asleep and dismissed herself long enough to put herself together for her departure.
As she rejoined the others in the living room, Ruth already looked glum as Rebecca was telling Thomas to hurry so that they could get Allie to where she needed to be on time. Looking over at her friend, Rebecca gave a small sigh and sad smile.
"It's hard to believe that you'll be gone for a while," she let the words seemingly fall out on a sigh.
"I know," Allie nodded. "It feels strange that I won't be seeing you all for a while."
It was as if the words were difficult or almost impossible to find as the three waited for the sound of Thomas's footsteps briskly walking across the hardwood floors, his usual smile whenever Allie was around being replaced with the same worried expression that she had seen the previous night as she spoke to him. Ruth and Thomas were the ones to help Allie carry her bags as Rebecca went to the street and hailed a cab.
The motions were simply gone through as the bags were put into the trunk of the car, the four piling into the cab and instructing the driver of the destination. The way that the Barnes siblings helped Allie out of the cab and took her belongings in their own hands to help ease her walk to the ship she was coming to.
Throughout the midst of other women and even soldiers making their ways onto the ship, there was a young paper boy selling his papers. Deciding she would need something to keep her occupied for at least a while that day, she purchased a paper from him. Looking at the front, she could already read the headline about a mystery man saving a child. Making the mental note to read the article first after settling onto the ship, she turned back to the Barnes siblings.
"You stay safe out there," Rebecca wiped a sad tear from her eye as she sniffed and attempted to stand tall in front of Allie. "You promise me that."
"Am I now promising the entirety of the Barnes family?" Allie laughed.
The three younger Barnes siblings looked between one another and began to nod and murmur in agreement. Each looked back to Allie and gave a firm nod.
"We all expect you to arrive safely. Okay? You patch up those men and get them home, and you make it home too," Rebecca nodded.
"I will," Allie gave them each that attempt at a smile as she had given Thomas during the night as she had assured him that his brother was going to be okay. "I promise."
A silence settled over the group as each sibling took their turn to hug and hold on to Allie for a moment before the final calls for passengers to board. There was the taking off a deep breath before Allie straightened out her appearance, departing for the ship. Looking back only once to wave the Barnes siblings, she started out on what she knew would be the biggest adventure, good or bad, that she would ever know.
Notes:
I'm just saying that I missed the little Barnes siblings. That is all.
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter Text
It didn't take long for Allie to become popular on the base. She found that the other nurses were frequently inviting her out to the local town or spending their free evenings sitting around her bunk. It was a new feeling for her. It wasn't as if she didn't have any girl friends back in Brooklyn. She did. The only problem was that the only real bond she had was with Rebecca, which in turn meant that they didn't have too many nights to themselves with Bucky and Steve lurking around at one family home or the either.
Here, she was able to spend time speaking and not worrying about a boy or a man walking in and the topic having to change. She wasn't being interrupted by a man who wanted to argue about one thing or another.
And yet, despite that freedom that she found she had been craving and was excited to experience, the reality of what was happening every day on the base was not lost on her. There were already images that she feared she would never erase from her mind. There were already the thoughts of soldiers that she knew weren't going home that followed her each day.
Those thoughts constantly caused her to think of both Bucky and Steve. Where were the two? Were they safe? Were they unharmed? Would they all return to Brooklyn so that life could go back to some semblance of normal?
On one rainy autumn evening, Allie sat on her cot under the warmth of her blanket. Her bunkmates, Mary and Louise came in having just finished working in the hospital tent for the second portion of the day. They looked over at Allie with smiles as they took in the sight of her looking through a book of some kind.
"What do you have there?" Mary grinned as she unpinned the cap from her hair.
"Just the albums my friend snuck into my bag that had my books in it," Allie rolled her eyes with a laugh. "I'm looking through pictures of my family and friends."
"Really?" Louise asked. "You said you had an older brother, right?"
"I appreciate the enthusiasm Lou, I really do," Allie teased. "But my brother is the kind to sputter at the idea of a woman even remotely thinking of him."
Louise simply sat down next to Allie on her cot as she unpinned her own cap and let down her hair, massaging her scalp as she looked at the album that sat on her friend's lap. The current page was filled with images of the older Barnes siblings and the Rogers siblings sitting together at an afternoon picnic. Allie could vaguely remember the day, mostly due to the fact that it was one of the only times she could remember that she wasn't ready to kill Bucky.
"Oh, who's this?" Louise pointed at Bucky.
"James. The most annoying man you'll ever meet," Allie rolled her eyes.
"Is he?" Mary walked over and joined the two. Looking over onto the page at the man Louise was pointing at, Mary simply smirked. "I wouldn't mind if he annoyed me."
Allie simply rolled her eyes. Flipping to another page, Allie felt homesick. She wouldn't have cared if they were at the Rogers family home or if they had been at the Barnes family home. The familiarity of Brooklyn was something that she craved. Sighing at the page, she opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.
"Girls!" a voice rang out as a set of footsteps pounded against the ground outside of their bunk. All three looked up and to the flap that acted as the door when another young nurse from the base tore into the bunk. She was drenched from the rain and clutched a paper tightly in her hand. "Look who's going to be making a stop here at our basecamp."
"Who?" Allie looked over at her watching as the woman quickly made her way over.
"Captain America," the nurse seemed to swoon. "Look."
Handing the paper over to the others, they all looked at the picture in front of them. Captain America stood in a saluting pose as it listed the tour would be making a stop at their base. Mary and Louise seemed to join in the swooning while Allie felt that the face looked familiar. Realizing what the face reminded her of, she took out the old paper the day she had shipped out. She had kept it the entire time she had been overseas as a memory of home. Looking at the front page, she compared the picture of the unknown man to the image of Captain America.
"He looks quite handsome even when rugged," Mary seemed to almost purr.
Allie's eyes narrowed as her brow furrowed while she studied the images. During her time at the basecamp, she had heard small things said about Captain America. The most that she knew was that he was in America, touring around the country and putting on shows. She could imagine it may have been something that the people needed, especially with the few letters she had overheard the others on the base reading from their families.
Something seemingly clicked in the back of her mind as she realized that Captain America's face looked familiar. She hadn't spent much time learning details about him and could barely remember what she had heard that his name was.
"Hey Evelyn?" she asked as she looked between the two pictures.
"Yes Allie?" Evelyn looked over to her.
"What was his real name again?"
"Captain America? His name is Steve Rogers," she smiled. "At least that's what some of the papers I've read have said."
"Steve Rogers?" Allie mumbled.
Turning the pages of her album, she found a picture that had Steve's face largely in it. Looking between it, the front page of the newspaper, and the poster that Evelyn had brought into the bunk, she found that she quickly put the pieces together.
"I'll be damned," Allie's jaw dropped as she realized who Captain America was. "It's my brother."
"Your brother?" Mary gave a small, amused laugh. "That's absurd."
"Are you sure about that, Mary?" Louise asked as she grinned. "Allie's brother's name is Steve."
"That doesn't mean it's the same Steve," Mary gave a small shake of her head with a smile.
"My last name is Rogers. My brother is Steve Rogers," Allie looked at Mary.
"Oh my god," the realization hit Mary and she quickly took to looking between the pictures that were on Allie's lap. "It is your brother! Wow, he certainly grew a bit, don't you think?"
"I don't even want to know what he got himself involved in," Allie shook her head as if shuddering the thought away could erase whatever had taken place. "But, I'm going to see my brother!"
"That's amazing Al!" Evelyn reached over and took Allie's hand in her own. "Would you introduce us all to him?"
"Or maybe let one of us become your new sister?" Mary teased.
"None of you are becoming my new sister," Allie glared a teasing glare at the other nurses. "But I will of course introduce you to him. He's my brother."
As the nurses continued to laugh and talk about the upcoming arrival of Steve on the base when engines could be heard outside. The women looked to one another, suspecting what was happening. Their suspicions were confirmed when one of the doctors rushed into the tent.
"We're about to need all of the help that we can get," he huffed out.
"What's going on?" Louise's brow was furrowed, concern parting her lips just a bit.
"The 107th is here. It's not good," the doctor frowned before turning on his heel and leaving the tent.
All four of the women tore from the bunk as quickly as they could slip on their shoes. It didn't matter what state their appearance was in. Allie had taken off in one of her favorite day dresses. She didn't even care that mud began to splatter up and stain the hem. Rushing in, Allie remembered one detail that made her blood run cold.
"James," she muttered to herself. It didn't matter that he wasn't her friend. It didn't matter that she couldn't stand him. He was her brother's best friend and this was his regiment. He had a deal to keep with her.
Setting to work, she began cleaning up and giving stitches to a young man who seemed like the course of the past days had been haunting him. Biting her lip as she focused, his gaze didn't leave an unknown spot behind her. Frowning at him, she finally dared to speak when she began to wrap up a wound.
"Is this everyone from the 107th?" her voice was a bit softer than she may have liked it to be.
"All of us that got away," he told her.
"I see. If you don't mind me asking, is Sergeant James Barnes here?" she asked cautiously.
His gaze came away from the spot behind her as he took in what her question was. While she knew that he would probably admit what she believed the truth was, she still wasn't ready for the look she saw in his eyes. It was bitter. Sad. Almost heartbroken in the way his gaze felt as if it were fragile.
"The last I saw of Sergeant Barnes, he was ducking for his life," he shook his head as if trying to shake away the memory. "He didn't make it back with us."
"I see," she nodded her head at his response, disappointed yet not surprised that the answer that she was given wasn't that of a happy ending.
"I take it that you knew him," he looked at her.
"I did," she nodded. "He was my brother's best friend."
And now she would have to find a way to tell her brother that his best friend wasn't coming back.
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"Come on," the voice came from behind Allie as she finished putting supplies away in the cabinet that stood in front of her. "Just one little date?"
"One little date? That doesn't sound too enticing," she shrugged with a smirk.
"Alright, one big date then," the man shrugged.
"You're very insistent about this, Hodge," she turned to look at him.
"What can I say? I know you'd like it," he gave a smug smirk as she looked at him.
"Is that so?" Allie's brows rose as she gave an amused grin.
"That so," he nodded.
"Okay," she shrugged. "One date."
"That's all I need," Hodge smirked. "Tomorrow night. Wear something pretty. I'll see you later Rogers."
"Nurse Rogers," she corrected him.
"Nurse Rogers," he repeated.
Hodge left the tent and the nurses Allie had befriended with dropped jaws from shock behind in the tent. Spinning on their heels, they each brought their gaze to Allie who seemed to have anything else on her mind but what had just taken place. One of her friends seemed to be at a loss for words, but quickly found them once she had blinked and taken in some form of a breath.
"Was that one of the soldiers that came in with the 107th?" Evelyn's eyes were still widened.
"Yes it was," Allie nodded. "Gilmore Hodge."
"Are you really going on a date with him? He seems like such a fathead," Mary's nose was wrinkled at the thought.
"I patched him up the other day," Allie sighed. "He is a fathead."
"And so you're going on a date with him?" Mary laughed.
"Maybe it means a free meal for me," the Rogers sister shrugged her shoulders as she closed the cabinet she had been stocking. "Besides, what's the harm in one date?"
"What if he's lousy?" Louise's nose scrunched.
"I've dated lousier," Allie sighed.
"Like who? Was it that young man a few weeks back?" Evelyn's voice piped up.
"What? No," Allie laughed. "It was years ago. It's no one that you've met."
"It was James, wasn't it?" Mary accused with a grin. "That's why you hate him."
"It was most certainly not James!" Allie almost shrieked in horror at the thought. "But he did hate the boy that it was. My brother did too. And my mother."
"If your mother hated him, why did you still date him?" Mary questioned.
"I wanted to prove everyone else wrong," Allie shrugged as the women began to finish their tasks in the tent before leaving for the dining tent. "Turns out, I was the one who was wrong."
Mary seemed to give a small nod as she looked at Allie. Evelyn held her arms crossed against her chest as the cool air of the evening hit her. Louise looked over before deciding to change the subject to something entirely new.
"What do you think you'll do when your brother arrives?" she smiled over to Allie.
"I'll let him perform first. I want to see the real, genuine Captain America performance before he knows that I'm here," she sighed. "Then, I'll go and surprise him."
"It's hard to believe that that's tomorrow," Louise sighed. "I bet he's handsome on that stage."
"I will say it once more: none of you will be my future sister," Allie warned.
As they entered the dining tent and began to walk up for their trays, the three friends laughed at Allie's small glare. Each of them knew that the sentiment was a teasing one on both sides. Despite telling her friends to not swoon over her brother, she couldn't shake the excitement of finally seeing a familiar face once again.
Sitting down together at a table that sat at the edge of the tent, Allie found herself answering questions about what Steve was like. She didn't hold back with her stories as she told the good, and the bad, and the ugly of what life in Brooklyn had been like. The other girls began to share what their own brothers and sisters, apart from Louise who had been an only child, had been like.
Mary had two older brothers, William and Vincent who were also out fighting on the frontlines at the same time that they were in the basecamp. She had mentioned a few times that she wished she had some form of news, good or bad, just to know where they were. She had also had a younger sister and younger brother, Esther and Arnold who were far too young to be concerned with the war. According to Mary, the day that she had told their parents that she too would be overseas for the duration of the war, they had both cried in front of her as they held on to her. Esther and Arnold had been in bed at the time.
Louise was close to her mother and her father. They had recently asked her grandmother, her mother's mother, to live with them after she had been widowed the year prior to Louise leaving to be nurse. While she may not have had any siblings of her own, she had cousins that lived in the same neighborhood as her that she was able to see frequently. They had been shattered at the news that she would be leaving to go overseas.
Evelyn had one older brother named Warren and one young sister named Sadie. Evelyn's brother had health complications that prevented him from being enlisted, though not nearly as many as Steve had had before his miraculous enlistment. Warren had apparently been quite fine not going overseas and had instead started a family of his own. His wife had had their first child, a little baby boy named Henry, just before Evelyn had shipped out. Sadie was excited to be an aunt.
As Allie sat and listened to their stories, she felt a relieve in knowing that they were all going through similar experiences in life. Their families had all felt the heavy weight of sacrifice, whether it was from a son being enlisted or drafted, a daughter facing travels to go and help the soldiers that were fighting for their country, there were no guarantees. No guarantees that anyone would make it home alive. Allie knew that. James was a perfect example of it.
But she did have one guarantee. She would see her brother the next day.
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He may have looked entirely different, but Steve Rogers was still Steve Rogers. Allie sat on a bench with her friends to watch the performance being held by Steve. As she watched, she could see the bit of charm that was much needed in the war time. She could see herself enjoying going to one of his shows back home before teasing him slightly.
But this was no theatre back in Brooklyn. The look of the soldiers surrounding the area was enough to tell a person that they were a far way away from New York. The same look that told a person that they were a long way from home was the same one that told a person that they were not amused with Steve's performance.
"Come on," she muttered on her breath as she looked around at the soldiers before looking back up at Steve. "Steve, you've got this."
"I need a volunteer," Steve's voice came through the microphone. Allie winced as she heard it being said. She knew it was something that had to have excited a crowd in America, but it didn't sit well with the soldiers in the crowd.
"I already volunteered! How do you think I got here?" a voice called out, Allie's head snapping in the direction of the voice. A scowl found its way onto her face.
It didn't take long for Allie to find herself feeling the same kind of defensive that she did in Brooklyn when the crowd of men began to jeer and mock her brother. It was her big brother damn it, and you didn't mess with Allison Roger's older brother. Her hands began to ball into fists at her sides, Mary quickly noticing and grabbing one quickly to try and calm her down.
Steve seemed to crumble under the weight of the jeers, promising to see what he could do about bringing the chorus girls back onto the stage. As more soldiers called out and mocked Steve, Allie heard a voice call out that she found familiar.
"Nice boots, Tinkerbell!" Gilmore Hodge yelled out and that was enough to get Allie to stand from her seat in the back.
"Come on, guys. We're all on the same side," Steve seemed to plead at the same time he simply seemed exasperated. Allie felt her heartbreak for her older brother.
"Hey Captain, sign this!" one soldier called to the stage and pulled down his pants.
Others began to throw rotting food and anything else they could find at Steve. Allie was furious. Mary didn't put up a struggle as Allie began to make her way through the crowd that was in front of them. Steve had fled the stage, but Allie wasn't afraid to start a new scene. Reaching the man with his pants down, she pursed her lips.
"Put your pale ass back in your trousers," she bit out at him.
"Got a good look, Rogers?" he grinned over.
"Yes," she glanced to his rear. "And I can confirm it is the ugliest ass I've ever seen."
As she continued to walk past the men, she heard the snickers and laughs after she had made her comment. She only told the men to drop their tomatoes and other foods as she walked by and finally arrived at her destination. Walking over to Hodge, she kept a level head.
"Nurse Rogers," he smirked. "What brings you here? Business or pleasure?"
"Definitely not pleasure anymore," her lips began to form a tight line.
"Don't worry, it'll be back tonight," he grinned.
"Oh, but you can kiss that date tonight goodbye," Allie gave a smile that almost verged on being smug.
"And why's that?" Hodge's eyes narrowed, insulted at the seemingly sudden change in Allie's attitude towards him.
"Because 'Tinkerbell' is my big brother," she glared.
Without waiting for a single word to be uttered to her in return, Allie quickly turned on her heel. Passing by the rows of soldiers that she had become accustomed to and the nurses that she had begun to know quite well, she heard the whispers that they shared as the chorus girls fled back to the stage. It was a cacophony of sound between the opinions on what Allie had said and done and the heels of the chorus girls before music began to play once more.
She found that she had to push the feelings of that moment away as she found her way behind tents and drapes, looking for where her brother had disappeared to. It didn't take long to find the man in spangled tights that was ripping the hood off of his head. Sighing to herself, she caught up with him as quickly as she could.
"Hi Steve," Allie couldn't help but smile at the man in front of her.
Turning around in confusion, Steve's eyes widened as he took in the sight of his sister. A smile quickly replaced the frown that had been etched along his face since he had left the stage. Before Allie could even register what was happening, her brother had quickly made his way over and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"Good lord Steve!" she squeaked out as she felt herself needing to breathe.
"Sorry," he laughed as he let her down. "I'm just very happy to see you."
"I'm happy to see you!" Allie laughed as she looked her brother up and down. "But please tell me who the hell you are and what you did with my brother."
"It's crazy, I know," he nodded with a laugh.
"I'm almost afraid to ask what happened to make you this way," she rose her brow at him. "The last time I saw you, you were asthmatic and shorter than me. Now you're taller and probably in much better health."
Steve seemed to sigh with a shrug before he turned and walked over to sit down on the closest step to him. Allie followed his movement and sat down beside him without hesitating. As she read his face, she realized that thoughts must have been racing through his mind. She was patient as she waited for whatever her brother may have been thinking of telling her.
"I wanted to help fight this war," he began. "Instead, I'm doing this."
"Well, red, white, and blue does look good on you," she teased and bumped him with her shoulder.
"I'm serious," he gave a small huff of a laugh as he gave her a small, sad smile.
"I am too," she said in earnest.
"I just," he sighed as he tried to pin down the words that could express how he felt. "I just think of people like Dad. He was a brave soldier, you know? A good man. He made it back to Mom."
"He was also really sick when he returned," Allie reminded him. "He may have survived some of those attacks that happened during the war, but it cost him a great deal. Neither of us remember him."
"But he still fought for what was right," Steve sighed. "I want to do that. I want to do what's right. How can I do that if I'm just a source of entertainment for kids?"
"Did you ever think of the way that being 'a source of entertainment for kids' might be one of the best ways that you can help? Moral is a powerful thing," she smiled.
"It is," he nodded. "But I don't think it's the right thing for me to be doing."
"You might look very different, but you are still the same Steve," she teased. "Stubborn as a mule but still has a good heart. I'm glad to see that you've still got that."
"It's only been a few months since you last saw me," he laughed.
"A few months can change a person," she sighed. "But not us Rogers. We're a unique breed."
"A stubborn breed?" Steve teased.
"Exactly," she grinned. "God, I can't believe I'm really sitting with you right now. I've been so scared that something could have happened this entire time. That was until a few nights ago when my friend Evelyn tore into my bunk when I was talking with our other friends and she was holding the poster for your tour. It took me a while, but I finally realized that you were Captain America."
"It took you this long? Did you just need receive any entertainment or..?"
"I've been too busy patching up the boys over here," she sighed. "I didn't have much time to read up on everything Captain America."
"Right," he grinned.
"I think it's pretty neat though," she grinned. "How many other people get to say that their brother is Captain America? That's right. Just me."
Small patters hit against the ground and the tarps that acted as the roofs for the bunks as it began to rain. Allie sighed as she looked around and noticed soldiers and nurses making their ways to covered tents. Steve glanced up before looking down at his lap again. His sister frowned as she noticed his grimace as he wrung the hood of his costume in his hands.
"Have you continued to do art while you've been on tour?" she changed the subject.
"Uh, yeah," he nodded. "I have. Not as much as when we were back home, but I have been drawing from time to time."
"Did you bring any artwork with you here?" she smiled.
"I did," he nodded.
"Would you be willing to show me? I always did like seeing what you'd made," her smile was still kind and soft.
"I guess I could," he nodded. "I'll have to go and grab it. I can meet you back here?"
"All right," Allie nodded. "I think I'll and grab a coat from my bunk. It's bound to be too cold for me soon."
"Right," he laughed. "I'll meet you back here in a few minutes then?"
"Alright," she gave a simple nod and took off in the direction of her bunk.
The moment she walked through the flap, Mary, Louise, and Evelyn were all sat and waiting for her. Mary had her lips pursed, Louise was biting her thumb, and Evelyn was wringing her hands together. Allie simply sighed as she looked at them.
"So it's really him?" Mary asked.
"It is," Allie nodded. "I'm actually getting a coat before going back to meet with him once again."
"Do we get to come along?" they giggled.
"Maybe later. This is more of a brother and sister kind of afternoon," Allie laughed.
"Is he doing okay? Those boys were awfully mean to him," Evelyn frowned.
"He's okay," Allie nodded. "He was more distracted by some other things than those jackasses."
"Those 'jackasses' couldn't take their eyes off of you when you took after Steve," Mary gave Allie a small smirk. "You certainly know how to leave an impression on them."
"Well, my brother is one of the best people that I know. I don't take to people who don't treat him with respect," she shrugged.
"Go have fun with him," Mary smiled at her. "But we do expect to meet him soon."
"Of course," Allie grinned as she took her coat in her hands and began to put it on. Her friends all gave her smiles before she took off into the rain once more. It didn't matter that her curls became stuck her cheeks or the way that she had to violently blink to keep water from her eyes. For even just a moment, she was going to have some semblance of normal by spending it with her brother.
As she made it back to the tent that she and Steve had been talking under, she realized someone was in the middle of speaking to him. Wiping the water from her cheeks, she looked to see who it was. She vaguely recognized the woman, having seen her once or twice talking to Colonel Phillips.
"So much for a siblings evening," she muttered to herself.
The heels of her shoes alerted the attention of Steve and the woman who both turned to face her. She gave them a smile as she walked up to them. Steve quickly gestured for Allie to join them.
"This is my sister," Steve explained.
"Allie? I've heard a lot about you," the woman smiled softly. "Steve talked of you often."
"Was it always good, always bad, or a mix of both?" Allie cringed.
"A little bit of both," she grinned. "I saw your reaction out there."
"Oh," Allien nodded. "Well, what can I say? I don't date bullies."
"Date?" Steve turned to her with furrowed brows. "You were planning on going on a date out here?"
"Steve, it's not a big deal. There's a nearby town that has a bar and shops around it," she dismissed with the wave of her hand. "Besides, I can take care of myself."
"It's true," the woman nodded. "It's a nice little town out there."
"I guess I'll have to take your word for it," he grinned.
"I'm Peggy, by the way," the woman properly introduced herself.
"How do you two know each other?" Allie asked in confustion.
"The same way that I became like this," Steve gestured to himself. "There's a lot more going on in an effort to end this war than you might think, Allie. And there's a hell of a lot more going on than we thought before we departed from Brooklyn."
"With some of the stories the boys have been telling myself and the other nurses in recent days? I can believe it," she grimaced.
"In recent days? What do you mean by that?" Steve looked between Allie and Peggy.
"Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men went against him, and less than fifty returned," Peggy and explained and Allie looked down at her lap as she remembered the night that the men had arrived on their base need medical attention as quickly as they could receive it. "Your audience contained what was left of the 107th."
"The 107th?" Steve's eyes had widened, his attention flying over to Allie. "Is he here?"
Allie sat silently as she brought his eyes up to meet Steve's pleading gaze. Peggy's gaze turned to her as well, waiting to hear what she was going to say to Steve. Allie seemed to struggle when trying to find her voice. It was as if she knew she had to tell him the truth, but her lips were practically glued to one another as she tried to let the confession out.
"Is he here? Please tell me he's here," Steve pleaded.
"He's not," Allie finally spat out. "He's not here, okay?"
"He's not?" Steve's heartbreak was evident just in his eyes. "What happened to others from the 107th?"
"They were either killed or captured," Peggy blinked as she seemed to give a cautious look towards him.
"Come on," he looked at the two.
The two women followed his lead as he ran through the rain and into a tent that contained official ranking officers. It was a busy scene as papers were being typed and stacked, envelopes closing and glum faces surrounding the scene. Steve was greeted by Colonel Phillips before he quickly demanded for the list of the causalities from Azzano.
Allie stood and looked to ground as she listened to her brother plead for just one singular name: James Barnes. Listening to Colonel Phillips pushing back before informing Steve that he recognized having signed a condolence letter for James Barnes, Allie felt sick to her stomach. Thinking of the Barnes family, she knew that devastation would wreck them.
Steve pushed back as he asked for what they would be doing to rescue the captured men. The answer of simply "winning a war" didn't settle right with him. Instead, he looked at the map that sat under the protection of the tarped roof. As Colonel Phillips asked if he had somewhere to be in thirty minutes, Steve quipped that he did. Allie watched as her brother tore from the tent and quickly followed on his heels watching as he tore into the dressing room from the tour.
He wasn't slow or tedious in his packing of a bag, quickly grabbing what he could, including a helmet used by one of the chorus girls. Watching her brother going on his frenzy, she frowned.
"What exactly do you plan on doing?" she demanded.
"I'm going to do something about this. If they won't go and get these men out, I will," Steve's tone was clipped.
"What do you plan on doing?" Peggy's voice questioned as she made her own way into the tent. "Do you plan on walking all the way to Austria?"
"If that's what it takes, then yes," Steve nodded.
"Don't be ridiculous," Allie hissed at him.
"Allie, there are men in a place where we know they're at least alive. That's more than you and I can say for Bucky. I'm going," he bit out.
"Colonel Phillips is devising a strategy," Peggy argued. "If he even detects-"
"By the time he comes up with something it could be too late," Steve made his way out of the tent and to a nearby Jeep. Slinging his supplies into the back of the vehicle, he looked at the two women. "Peggy, you told me I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?"
"Every word," she nodded.
"Then you both need to let me go," he got into the driver's seat.
"I can do more than that," Peggy quickly told him.
Her idea of more turned out to be in the form of a plane that would be piloted by the one and only Howard Stark. Allie was almost starstruck when she saw the man preparing himself and checking around his plane as Steve and Peggy loaded supplies into the cabin.
"I don't believe we've met," Howard Stark smirked over at her as she almost jumped and turned to him. "I'm Howard Stark."
"Oh I'm aware," she nodded. "I saw your demonstration at your Expo. The flying car."
"I thought you looked familiar," he grinned.
"You surely don't remember that," she rolled her eyes.
"Maybe not, but I do remember that Steve mentioned that his sister would have killed him for taken part in the experiment we did when he doubled in size."
"Ah, so I have you to thank for that?" she teased.
"Partially," he grimaced. "Erskine was really the one who campaigned for your brother."
"I see," she nodded.
"Alright," he called out to Peggy and Steve who joined the two. "We can board."
The three nodded to him as he made his way over to the pilot's seat. Peggy had already boarded the plane as Steve turned to Allie to say goodbye. She, however, had a different idea.
"What do you think you're doing?" Steve glared at Allie as she began walking in the direction of the plane. She only paused a moment to turn around and look at him.
"I'm coming with you."
Notes:
Music by Cody Fry and 2WEI will forever live in my imaginary playlist of what's playing during these scenes (specifically Bucky and Allie scenes). That is all.
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter Text
"You are not coming along with me," Steve hissed at her, a finger pointed directly at her.
"Yes I am," her tone was matter of fact as she continued to walk to the plane.
"Absolutely not! I am not risking your life by taking you there with me," his voice was stern and cold.
"That's fine," she nodded. "Because you're not risking my life by taking me with you. I'm risking my life by choosing to go with you."
"That doesn't make it any better!"
"Steve, the longer you try to argue with me, the more time we waste getting this plane to Austria. Now, are you going to grow up and get in the damn cabin and accept that I'm coming with you?"
"I'm not losing you, too," Steve frowned.
"You're not losing me, too," Allie assured him. "Just let me be in the plane with you, okay? I mean, you went off and took part in an experiment that completely changed your physical appearance and abilities behind my back, so you can honestly just deal with me seating in a seat on a plane."
"Steve! We need to go now if we're going to do this," Howard called out before shutting his door.
"Fine. But you better sit in the seat and stay put," Steve's voice was low before he pushed past her and climbed into the plane.
Allie followed him into the plane and took a seat across from Peggy as Steve shut them into the cabin. It was quiet for a moment, much of the focus being on the moments that led to the plane taking off. Howard seemed cool and collected from where he was piloting the plane itself in the cockpit, the three passengers being the ones to seem like they were on edge.
She didn't listen to much of what Peggy was saying to Steve as she informed him of what was waiting for him at the factory that the P.O.W.s were being held at. Instead, she glanced to the cockpit where she could still see Howard Stark seemingly prick up his ear to listen in to what was being said. She wondered how someone could be talented at more than one thing. A civilian pilot, an inventor, a known playboy. It was all visible in the man that was braving the air that led into Hydra territory.
"Agent Carter?" he called out from the cockpit, pulling Allie from her thoughts. "If we're not in too much a hurry, I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late night fondue."
A silence settled among the group as Steve looked between Peggy and Howard. Peggy began to fidget in her seat as she looked between Allie and Steve, trying to find the best way to move on from Howard's comment. Allie bit her lip and looked down to her feet. Howard looked back once more and noticed Allie.
"Of course, you'd join us, Nurse Rogers," he gave her a once over before turning around.
Allie looked to Peggy, but both women remained silent. Steve looked between the women before looking forward into the cockpit at Howard horrified. As he began to adjust belts and straps of gear on himself, he looked to Peggy.
"Do you two... fondue?" he asked cautiously.
"Steve," Allie hissed. "Shut up."
Peggy seemed to only swallow harshly before continuing to hand over gear to Steve. Allie paid close attention as the directions and information was given. It was as if she were soaking up everything that she could. Nodding as she listened to what Peggy was saying, she made a decision within herself and leaned over Steve long enough to group herself a parachute.
"You are not jumping," Steve shook his head at Allie as he tightened the straps of his own parachute before he turned to look at Peggy. It didn't take long for him to be up and out of his seat, sitting next to the door, and giving orders to both Peggy and Stark to return to safety after he jumped.
"You can't give me orders," Peggy frowned.
"The hell I can't. I'm a captain," Steve smirked before he jumped.
Without waiting for another moment, Allie quickly began to fasten the straps around herself. Looking around, she sighed as she realized that she didn't have any way of defending herself. Peggy seemed to shake her head as she looked around where they sat for something to give to Allie.
"I'm going without defense?" Allie looked and asked.
"Yes."
"And I just pull this, right?" she confirmed as she gently held up the cord of the parachute.
"I'm not so sure that this is a good idea," Peggy warned.
"To hell with good ideas," Allie declared. "He's been an idiot since we were kids. I'm not about to let himself get killed on this one."
"Are you sure about this?" Peggy frowned.
"I'm very sure," Allie nodded. "It was great meeting the two of you. Steve was right about one thing though."
"And what was that?" Peggy questioned.
"You two need to get the hell out of here," Allie didn't wait for a response as she followed her brother's example and jumped out of the plane.
She wasn't entirely sure what she had expected the experience of leaping from a moving plane to be like. Her hair was whipping around her face as she reached out and pulled the cord, slowly lowering to the ground while praying to not be grazed or hit by a bullet. As she came to the ground and unfastened the parachute from around herself, she took notice of the nearby parachute.
"Steve," she muttered to herself.
Taking off in the direction of the soft footprints that sat in the mud and the trampled plants, she realized that she was about to have a bit of trouble locating him if she wasn't careful. Breathing as quietly as she could, she quickened her pace before she saw two guards tumbling out of the back of the trailer of a truck. Running past them, she realized that they had been knocked unconscious. Looking to the flap on the back of the trailer, she saw a familiar face with widened eyes.
"What the hell are you doing?" Steve hissed as he watched her draw closer.
"Helping you," she answered honestly.
"Damn it!" he hissed once more. "Come on. Take my hand!"
It wasn't long before Steve was leaning out of the trailer, taking Allie by the hand, and helping to pull her up and onto the truck. Allie simply straightened out the skirt of her dress as she sat down and looked to Steve. Steve was turning red as he faced her. It was one thing to have himself out and in the face of danger, it was an entirely different thing to have his sister out there.
"So, what's our plan?" she looked to him.
"Our plan?" he hissed. "You are lucky you didn't get shot."
"Big words coming from the boy who always was beat up on his way home from school because he'd always get a fight started," she rolled her eyes.
"This isn't a back alley in Brooklyn, Allison! This is the war," he frowned. "You can't possibly compare the two."
"Steve, I'm here with you, you might as well accept it," Allie shrugged.
"You can't possibly act like this isn't a big deal. This is a massive deal," Steve frowned. "You should have listened to me and stayed on the base."
"If I was on the base then you wouldn't have anyone to help you get into this factory, now would you?" she posed the question as if it were the simplest equation for anyone to work out.
"If you were back on the base, I wouldn't have to be worrying about the fact that you don't know how to defend yourself or any special training to hide from danger. You can get hurt or even killed here," Steve's worry was etched across his face. "I could lose you here."
"You won't lose me," Allie shook her head softly. "Not if you tell me what the plan is. I might not be a trained soldier, but I'll manage."
He was silent for a moment as he looked at her. He swallowed harshly before he looked down at the floor of the trailer that they sat on. Taking in a deep breath, he glanced up at her. Standing the firm facial expression on his younger sister, he nodded slowly.
"We find the prisoners and get them out of here. You follow my lead," he instructed.
"Of course," Allie nodded.
As the truck stopped, Allie sat back as Steve knocked back the agent that had opened the flap to the trailer. Watching his small wave, she joined him and accepted his help as he lifted her out of the trailer. He stood as a human shield for her at the same time that he led their charge into the factory property.
As Steve slowed around the corners of buildings and vehicles, Allie waited patiently for his instruction. It came in the form of small gestures of his hand. As she looked around them and noticed the amount of spotlights and agents that surrounded the grounds, the reality of the situation began to prick at Allie. It was as if she was fully aware of their circumstances and what she had gotten herself into at the same time that it couldn't sit with her at the same time.
"Come on," he whispered to her as they sprinted across an open patch of ground. He came to a stop in front of a tank, quickly climbing onto the front and pulling Allie up. The pattern continued until they were on the roof of a brick building, sister continuing to follow brother as they made their way back in the direction of the obscenely large factory.
They only came to slowing halt as Steve snuck them both into the building itself. Allie frowned at her skirt as it became snagged on a piece of debris. Tearing the dress from the debris, she ripped a hole in the fabric. Steve sighed as he noticed and grabbed her hand, dragging her in further.
"It's okay. We'll get you a new dress," he quietly assured her.
"I'm afraid it'll slow us down," she frowned.
"It'll be fine. It was only one snag," he reminded her with a soft nod.
"Right," she nodded in turn.
Reaching a door that led into a brightly lit room, Steve held out his hand to tell Allie to wait. Before she could seemingly blink, an agent had opened the door. Unfortunately for the agent, he had his head smashed by the door before he received a punch to the nose from Steve. Blinking at the display in front of her, she reminded herself that her brother's new strength was not something that she would be messing with anytime soon.
The two remained hidden as they made their way into the laboratory itself. They ducked in and out tall metal structures, hiding from what they could. Agents held weapons with a glowing blue hue as they paced around the area. Steve pulled out a pistol as they rounded one set of metal structures, Allie scrunching her nose a bit.
"Where the hell did that come from?" she whispered.
"From me being prepared to jump," he whispered back. "Now be quiet."
As they snuck past a table, Steve looked down to notice the glowing blue in what sat on the tabletop. It was the same blue that the weapons the agents held in their hands. Looking to Allie, he quickly took one of the objects and snuck it into a pocket for safety.
"If anything happens to me, you take that to Stark. Got it?" he looked at her.
His firm look almost scared her. He really believed that something could happen to him at any moment and as they continued further into the factory, she realized that she was beginning to believe the same. Taking a breath, she nodded. "Got it."
It didn't take them much longer to find the seemingly endless room full of cages of P.O.W.s. Allie's jaw dropped in shock at the sight. Of course she had heard stories and comments about the sort of treatment the men went through when things like this happened, but to see it in person and to the extent that it was to in front of her, she felt heartbroken.
"These poor men," her voice was soft.
"Come on, let's get a set of keys," Steve whispered as he noticed the pacing guard down the length of the room.
It was a sight to behold, the Rogers siblings walking together straight at an unsuspecting Hydra agent. Steve was the one to knock him out as Allie crawled onto the unconscious man and undid his keys from his belt. Underneath them, the men in the cage looked up at them in confusion.
"It's a woman," someone whispered in disbelief.
"Who are you supposed to be?" a man asked as he looked at Steve.
"I'm uh..." Steve trailed off for a moment before looking around. "I'm Captain America."
"And you?" the man looked at Allie.
"Miss America," she shrugged as if it were simple. "Couldn't you tell by the gorgeous gown and tiara?"
"I like her," another man with a hat said.
"See, they like me being here," she grinned at Steve.
"They're not your brother," he hissed. "Come on."
"Fine," she nodded before looking at the guard that was passed out. Thinking quickly, she took the baton off of him and held it firmly in her grasp.
Allie followed Steve where they began to unlock the different metal cages, realizing the men from the prisons. Many thanks began to pour out to the two before they reached the men that they had just been speaking to. As they all began to look to one another asking what was going to happen, Steve quickly took action in directing the men where to meet him at.
"Before we go, is there anyone else? I'm looking for a Sergeant James Barnes," Steve's voice was firm.
"Steve," Allie frowned as her voice was soft.
"There's an isolation ward in the factory, but no one's ever come back," a British soldier informed them.
"Alright. You all know where to go. Remember, get out fast and give them hell. And get my sister out of here," Steve instructed the P.O.W.s that surrounded them.
"Absolutely not!" Allie argued.
"I'm not arguing about this," he glared at her.
"Neither am I. I have a weapon in my hands, let's get going," she continued before her arm was taken in Steve's hand.
"I said that they're getting you out of here," his voice was firm with her.
"Steve, in all our lives, we have always done things together. This isn't any different. If you're going off to fight, so am I. You go off to do something stupid, so am I. You're deciding to stand up for what's right, so am I. So you really only have one option here," she glared. "So let's go."
Steve's jaw was set as he looked at her. He had to admit that she had in fact kept herself safe and together in one piece after having followed him into the facility. And she was right that they had always done things together. If there was one constant throughout the course of their lives, it was that no matter what, they had each other in everything that they did. Letting out a breath, he let go of her arm.
"Then you listen to me," his voice still as firm as it had been before. "Do not go off and do your own thing. You do as I say."
"Yes Captain," she nodded. "Unless it's completely stupid and then you do as I say."
Without another word being uttered, Allie began to walk off in the direction of the doorway. Soldiers that had been surrounding the two made small comments about Allie's determination and fiery nature in the moment. Steve looked at all of them before taking in a deep breath and following after her before going back to leading the charge.
It was chaos. Everywhere the eye looked, men were fighting. Blasts of bright blue began to blast from both the P.O.W.s and the Hydra agents. Allie had found that she was already putting the baton to use, slamming it like baseball bat into the faces of more than one agent as Steve led her away from the growing main fight.
The climbed the metal stairs that seemed to climb and connect to everything. Steve pulled out the pistol once more from the holster that seemed to be the secondary home for the weapon. He scanned the area as he continued to clear the way for himself and Allie. Large open factory floor soon became a brick hallway as Steve and Allie slowed to a walking pace. They were in the clear, but their alert was still at a high.
Exploring the hallway, they waited for any sign of anyone from Hydra, ready to fight if needed. Allie knew that Steve was just hoping to see about the isolation ward. She was almost praying that he wasn't letting his hopes rise just for them to be deflated and crushed once again. That was until she and Steve witnessed the man emerge from a room before looking at them in terror. Steve began to go after the man before a voice could be heard mumbling. The mumbling had drifted from the room the other man had darted from.
"He left someone in there?" Allie asked in disgust.
"Come on," Steve waved her on.
As they cautiously made their way into the room, both felt their jaws drop in surprise. Strapped to a table and mumbling incoherently was James Buchanan Barnes himself. Walking up to him, Steve looked at Bucky's situation in shock.
"Bucky?" he asked softly, Bucky's eyes opening and struggling to adjust before they settled on him.
"Steve?" Bucky asked before his eyes fell to Allie. "Allison?"
"Steve, get these straps off of him," Allie urged. "We're here, James."
"How are you here?" his voice was almost hazed as he looked to her while Steve ripped the straps and freed Bucky from the confines.
"I don't follow orders very well," she shrugged.
"Bucky, we thought you were dead," Steve said as he felt relief as he went to take one of Bucky's arms over his shoulders.
"I thought you were smaller," Bucky scrunched his nose a bit.
"Come on, we've got you," Allie assured him and let him lean on her with his other arm.
As Allie struggled to help Bucky with the baton still in her hand, she threw it to the side and instead focused on helping him to stand. Steve had become focused for just a seeming moment on the map that sat on the wall with pinned flags. It appeared to have one flag in each of the countries that had flags.
"Come on you two," Steve instructed as he began to lead them out to the hall.
Bucky struggled to gain his footing as the two had to seemingly drag him at the start. As they began to reach the hallway itself, he had enough footing that Steve was able to let go of him. Bucky looked to Allie, almost as if asking the question of if she was still going to help or not.
"I've got you," she nodded. "We're not leaving you behind."
"I'm surprised," he muttered.
"We had a deal," she reminded him.
"Right," he nodded. "Steve, what happened to you?"
"I joined the Army," Steve quipped.
"Right. Did it hurt?" Bucky quipped back.
"A little," Steve nodded.
"Is it permanent?" Bucky pressed on.
"So far," he received another nod from Steve.
"Boys, as cute as this exchange is, can we please get the hell out of here?" Allie rolled her eyes at the two.
Allie kept her arm around Bucky as they all began to run out into the factory. As they rounded the stairs and made it to a landing nearby, they were startled by the feelings, heat, and surprise of the explosions of parts of the factory. Allie had yelped, hiding her face in whatever was nearby. Bucky's chest happened to be the closest thing and he didn't hesitate to move his face way as he helped shield her.
"Thank you," she muttered.
"You're helping me, I'm helping you," he nodded. "I think I can make it up these stairs on my own."
"Right," she nodded and parted from him.
The two followed after Steve up the stairs and down a catwalk. Allie was behind the men for a moment before the three came to a halt as Steve was called out to from across the factory. Coming to a halt and bumping into Bucky, Allie was surprised as he steadied her and stood almost protectively nearby.
"How exciting!" a man called out from the other side. "And you brought a guest."
Allie's blood seemingly ran cold as she realized that the man was talking about her. Both Steve and Bucky found themselves glaring cautiously at the man as Bucky continued to act protectively. She didn't think she could even truly admit it to herself, but despite everything she despised about him, she was grateful to be at his side in that moment.
"I'm a fan of your films, you know," the man smiled and handed something to the man beside him. As Allie looked closer, she realized the second man was the same one from the hallway. It was the same man that left Bucky in that room. The man and Steve both began to walk towards each other on a connecting catwalk, Allie feeling herself tense at the sight. "So, Dr. Erskine managed it after all. It's not exactly an improvement, but still, it is impressive."
Allie watched as her brother didn't utter a word in return. Instead, he threw a strong punch at the man, knocking him off balance for a moment. If it hadn't been for the man next to her, she wasn't sure what her next move would have been. The only thing that she did know was that if it weren't for Bucky beside her, whatever she did would have been insane and reckless.
She couldn't focus on everything being uttered between the two men in their exchange, but she jumped as she watched the man's fist target Steve. She was relieved as she watched Steve raise his shield and the impact of the man's punch dented the metal instead of Steve himself. Steve reached for his pistol, but just as quickly as he had pulled it out, the man had punched him and knocked him off his feet, the pistol skidding and falling into the flames below. Steve was able to kick the man backwards and off balance long enough for the second man across the factory to pull a level and separate the two sides of the connecting catwalk.
Steve and the man stood apart from one another as the metal railing continued to pass by them. Bucky swallowed harshly as he took in what was happening, Allie's eyes were widened in horror. The man had began to pull at his skin, only it wasn't his skin. Peeling a mask from his face and throwing it into the flames, they were greeted with the sight of a completely red head in the image of a skull.
"You don't have one of those, do you?" Bucky asked Steve and he received a small elbow from Allie.
The man continued to taunt Steve as he and the second man made their escape. Allie took in a breath and looked to Steve for some form of explanation. He only responded with a look that said that they were talk later.
"Come on," he urged Allie and Bucky as he took off and up another set of stairs.
Steve led them up to a beam that went the length of the factory. Bucky took in a breath and nodded to himself as he realized what they were about to do. Allie blinked and swallowed.
"We'll go one at a time," Steve instructed the two. "Allie, go first."
Allie would have normally argued and told the men to go first, but in the moment, she knew her brother wouldn't put up with her arguments and that arguing could cost them precious time when it came to escaping. And so, with Bucky and Steve's help, she swung one leg over the railing before the other. Bucky and Steve both helped her to stand up straight before she found her balance.
She couldn't think of anything other than the thought of not wanting to fall. She was cautious in the way that she made her way across, but she made it across the length of the beam successfully. Bucky followed after her, but as he came along, the beam began to shudder under his weight and from the impact of explosions down below. She found herself cringing at the sight, just hoping that Bucky would make it across.
"Come on," she urged under her breath, biting her lip as he looked up at her.
Instinct took over as he kept his balance while the beam began to fully buckle. His steps quickened and he leapt to the railing that sat in front of Allie. She couldn't explain where the sudden burst of strength came from, but she grabbed hold of his arms, pulling him over the railing.
"Are you okay?" she was breathing just as heavily as he was.
"I'm fine," he nodded and swallowed hard. "But the beam."
"Shit," she muttered as she and Bucky looked across to Steve who was now stranded on the other side of the factory.
"There's gotta be a rope or something!" Bucky called out to Steve.
"No, just go! Get out of here you two!" Steve called back.
"No!" Allie refused.
"Not without you!" Bucky yelled.
They could barely make out Steve's cringe from their side of the factory. He nodded to them firmly before he moved the railing out of his way, much to Allie's amazement at his strength. He had backed up the full amount that he could before crouching into a running stance. He took off into a sprint and leapt from his side. Allie's hand flew to Bucky's, just needing the touch of someone that she knew as she waited to see if her brother made it the entirety of the way.
Bucky glanced down at her hand for a moment, but didn't say a word about it or pull his hand away from hers. Instead, they both stood their just praying that Steve made it across the length of the factory. He didn't make it over the railing, but was able to grab on tightly.
"Hold on," Bucky said. "We've got you!"
Bucky and Allie each reached over and pulled Steve over the railing. They didn't have a moment to rest as Steve urged them out of the factory, not willing to let anything happen to any of them in the fires and explosions. It wasn't much better for them when they made it outside. Everywhere they looked, fighting was still taking place.
Steve assured Bucky and Allie that they were going to be okay getting out of there, beginning to lead them in the direction that he had instructed the P.O.W.s to go in. As she followed her brother, Allie realized how funny her situation seemed in that moment. Surrounded by both P.O.W.s and Hydra agents, it fully settled with her in that moment that she was the only woman. She didn't know if that was a blessing or a curse.
Steve became separated from the two as Allie was grabbed out of nowhere and Bucky stopped as he heard her yelp. Turning on his heel, he ran back to her, determined to not let Steve's younger sister be killed after having helped Steve as far as she had. Bucky had tackled the agent to get him off of Allie, quickly becoming pinned down himself. As she took in a deep breath, Allie leapt back up, ready to defend Bucky.
Scanning the surrounding area, she saw a fallen Hydra agent with a baton. Quickly leaning down as she had earlier inside the factory, Allie took the baton from the fallen agent's hand. Holding it firmly in her hands, she didn't hesitate to swing and hit the man that had begun to pin down Bucky. Bucky watched as the baton collided against the man's face, sending him falling backwards. He waited for a moment to see if the man would regain any footing, but it was clear that he had been knocked out. Looking back up at Allie, she simply attempted to blow hair from out of her face before quickly brushing it back with her hand and looking to him.
"Are you coming or not?" she asked with a frown.
"I'm coming," he nodded. "Definitely coming."
"Alright then," she swallowed and turned to try and find her brother.
"Are you sure no one taught you to fight while you've been over here?" he asked her as they began to take off in a sprint, avoiding spots of fighting.
"I've been too busy patching your comrades up," she rolled her eyes. "I haven't had time for dates much less fighting lessons."
"And yet you just knocked that man out," he argued.
"Your point? I bruised your jaw when we first met," she pointed out. "Keep arguing this point and I might have to bruise you again."
"Now is that any way to talk to your brother's best friend?" he mocked.
"If it gets him to run faster? Yes," she mocked in return.
Bucky struggled to keep the small smirk from the corner of his lips that wanted to appear at her retort. He relied on Allie for directions to Steve, trusting that she would be able to get them caught up in little time. To his relief, but not his surprise, he was right. Allie had found Steve in the distance and had taken off as quickly as she could in his direction.
Before they could truly realize what was going on, they were being helped over the debris of the large wires of fencing and ground that settled against the ground in a seeming explosion. As Allie looked around, she realized that she recognized the men from the factory that sat at the front.
"She made it," the man in the hat grinned from where he was positioned at the top door of a tank. "And look who she brought with her."
"Welcome back, Sarge," another man smiled at Bucky.
"Are we all here?" Steve asked as he looked around.
"All of us that are going home," the man in the hat nodded.
"Then let's not waste time. Let's get back to base. Allie's going to have a shift to get to soon," Steve quipped.
And Steve didn't waste a moment as he began to lead the entirety of the group. Allie and Bucky shared a look for a moment before joining Steve. It was a different, but somehow completely refreshing moment between the three. And in that thought, none of them found that they minded the change and peace of the moment. It was welcomed.
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The morning was cool as the sound of footsteps padded against the softened ground. On the base, soldiers all around gathered to see what the footsteps were coming from as the sound grew louder and louder.
At the front of the group, Allie and Bucky walked on either side of Steve who was leading the former P.O.W.s to the base. They were greeted with expressions of disbelief and even relief as they all made their way into the camp. Bodies seemed to pour out from around the base to just see the sight of the men making their way back onto the base.
Steve led them to the heart of the camp, Colonel Phillips already standing there with Agent Carter. They came to a halt in front of them, Steve speaking in a professional manner and willingly began to surrender himself for disciplinary action before being informed that it wasn't necessary. Allie stood at his side and watched with a smirk as Steve began to speak to Agent Carter. She could have even sworn that he was flirting a bit.
"Allie!" her name made her turn in the direction of Mary, Louise, and Evelyn who didn't hesitate to run up to her and wrap their arms around her.
"Are you mad?" Louise yelled at her.
"You're all dirty," Evelyn frowned.
"You're alive," Mary shook her head with a grin.
"Where were you?" Louise chided.
"With my brother," Allie shrugged with a grin. "I couldn't let him go off on his own."
"I see," Mary nodded. "You know you can't go running off doing stupid things like that."
"That stupid thing that I did? I ended up helping to get these boys out of there," Allie smirked.
"You really went out there?" a voice called out.
Allie turned to see Hodge standing there. She straightened herself out, standing tall in front of him. He walked over and met her where she was standing. From the other side of Steve, Bucky noticed what was taking place and began to listen.
"I did," she nodded.
"You don't belong out there. That's a man's world," Hodge said. Mary, Louise, and Evelyn all bit their tongues as his words slipped from his lips.
"And yet I was there," Allie argued.
"You belong here. You're a nurse, not a soldier. Fighting is a boy's game," Hodge continued.
"A boy's game?" she asked in disgust.
"Look at you," Hodge looked her up and down. "You're dirty and cut up. You shouldn't have gone."
"Is there a problem here?" Bucky's voice came from behind Allie.
"Who are you?" Hodge tried to seem tall in front of Bucky who was just a bit taller.
"Sergeant James Barnes. Who are you?" Bucky quipped.
"Private Gilmore Hodge," he seemed to try and puff out his chest a bit.
"Well, Private," Bucky emphasized the title. "This woman right here? She saved my life more than once in that fight. And she acted as Captain Roger's second-in-command throughout the duration of it all. You may have your opinion, but it's an incorrect opinion. She belonged out there."
"Right," Hodge scoffed. "She's a nurse."
"Yes, she is," Bucky agreed. "But that's just one thing that she is. She's a soldier. Do you have a problem with that?"
Hodge seemed to scoff before taking in Bucky's stern expression. Allie held her firm stance in front of him. He looked between them before he glanced over at the other nurses who gave him the same expressions. Letting out one breath and taking in another, Hodge gave a sharp shake of his head.
"No," he almost spat.
"Good," Bucky smiled. "Now I suggest you leave Nurse Rogers alone, Private."
"Yes, sir," Hodge was sour as he stepped away and walked in the opposite direction of Allie.
Allie herself was in disbelief. She turned to face Bucky who was watching Hodge stalk off. She almost couldn't find words to let spill through her lips in reaction. Despite not being able to fully process that he had in fact defended her, she was grateful.
"Thank you," she said in confusion. "But you didn't have to do that."
"Consider it a thank you for saving me more than once," he nodded and his voice was almost sour towards her.
Allie was shocked for just a moment at the sudden seeming hostility in his reaction to her thanking him. She shook it away long enough when Bucky rallied everyone in the area to applaud Steve. Allie tried to just smile as she watched Steve take in the moment. She was proud of him. What they had been through was something that not many siblings could say that they had been through. She was proud of her big brother. As Steve turned to her when the clapping died down, he noticed the nurses behind her.
"Allie, are these friends of yours?" Steve asked as he smiled to them.
"Yes," Allie nodded with a laugh. "Meet Mary, Louise, and Evelyn. These three have been keeping me sane over here."
"Sane? That's a funny thing to call yourself of all people," Bucky scoffed to himself.
"I'm sorry we can't all be like you," she frowned at him. "I know your misogynistic playboy life is so woefully difficult."
"This 'misogynistic playboy' just defended you from a real prime misogynist. Don't make him take it back," he retorted.
"Don't forget that your mom and sisters like me better," she glared.
"That's not true," he retorted.
"I take it that this is James?" Mary asked.
"Unfortunately," Allie confirmed.
"He's not a bad guy," Steve rolled his eyes. "Ignore her."
"He's an ass," Allie retorted.
"I'm right here," Bucky rolled his eyes.
As Allie rolled her eyes in response, Mary grinned at Evelyn and Louise. The women suppressed grins as they watched the interaction. Steve seemed to just be annoyed as he usually was when it came to those kinds of interactions. As Allie looked back to Bucky to respond to him, she took in the sight of his bloodied and beaten appearance. Sighing, she looked up at him.
"Come with me," she told him. "Let's get you fixed up."
"Why should I go with you? You hate me," he retorted.
"Would you rather a nurse drooling over you and screwing up on taking care of you or me who doesn't want to deal with you more than once and will do it right the first time?" Allie rolled her eyes before keeping her gaze trained on him.
"Fair enough. Let's go," he nodded after a pause.
Allie led him from the large crowd in the middle of the base to her own bunk. As she settled into the area, she finally let go of the baton that she had still been holding onto the entire time that they had been out there.
"Here," Allie pointed to her cot. "Go ahead and sit down here."
"Is this your bunk?" Bucky grinned as he went to go and snoop the area around the cot.
"Yes it is," she rolled her eyes. "Now don't touch my belongings."
"You did invite me in here," he shrugged. "You can't really blame me for being curious."
"Being curious or being filthy?" she quipped.
"You really still don't like me, do you?" he sighed as he leaned back.
Allie didn't need to turn to him to know that his eyes were on her as she gathered small supplies that the women kept in their bunk. It wasn't much and it wasn't nearly to the medical grade that they had in the hospital tent, but it was enough for if they nicked themselves in the midst of the night. Grabbing a rag and a small jug of water she had near her cot, she walked back over to Bucky.
"Not very much," she shrugged.
"And yet you were holding on to me pretty tightly last night," he grinned at her.
"When?" she narrowed her eyes.
"In the factory," he reminded her. "When Steve was jumping."
"Ah," she nodded. "I did grab your hand, that's true. But I would have grabbed anyone's hand when that happened."
"So I shouldn't feel special?"
"You never should," she grinned. "Now, hold still."
Allie began to work quietly, cleaning the blood that sat around his ear. She was relieved as he sat there silently and allowed her to do her work in peace. She checked for cuts and open wounds, relieved, but confused, to not find anything larger than a scratch. Frowning, she leaned back just enough to look him in the eye.
"How long were you in that room?" she asked cautiously.
"I don't know," he frowned. "I don't remember."
"You don't remember?" her voice was laced in confusion. "How do you not know how long you were in there?"
"I just don't, Allison. Okay? I barely remember the moment you and Steve came in the room," his voice was sharp.
"I see," she frowned. "Well, James, the good news is that it looks like you really only needed to be cleaned up. I don't see any cuts or gashes."
"That is good news," he nodded. "What about you?"
"What about me?" she frowned.
"Are you okay? Shouldn't one of your friends check up on you?" he looked up and down the length of her body. "You frankly look like a disaster."
"Gee, how sweet. I can see what drew all of the ladies to you," she mocked.
"I just mean that you were out there fighting alongside us. You're not exactly a trained soldier or anything," he argued.
"And yet I saved your 'trained soldier' ass," she smirked.
"You're missing my point," he argued.
"Then enlighten me on what your point was?" Allie rolled her eyes.
"You're reminding me of Steve. Always willing to jump in and fight and not caring about the consequences," Bucky sighed. "I can appreciate you helping me out, but shouldn't you go and have yourself cleaned up by the other nurses?"
"I'm fine," she assured him. "I just need sleep."
"And a shower," he wrinkled his nose at her. "You're filthy."
"You're one to talk," she furrowed her brow in frustration at him. "When was the last time you bathed? You smell like ten men who haven't showered in weeks."
"I've been a little busy fighting a war," he rolled his eyes.
"And yet, I go help fight for one night and I'm being told that I'm filthy?" Allie was growing frustrated. "God, and to think I was even the slightest bit relieved to find out that you were alive."
"You were relieved?" he smirked. "Does someone actually like me?"
"No, James. I don't," she hissed.
"Then why were you relieved?"
"Because you and I had a deal. We were both going to make it back to Brooklyn for Steve's sake. You should have seen his face when he was told that your name was familiar on the list of condolence letters that Colonel Phillips signed. And besides, you have an entire family to return home to."
"How were they?" Bucky's voice became solemn. "Before you left, I mean."
"They were going through the motions," she frowned and sat down beside him. "Rebecca, Ruth, and Thomas spent the night at my house the night before I left. I haven't seen them struggle with a goodbye as much as they did that day."
"With all three of us being gone?" he asked her as he kept his eyes trained on the ground in front of himself.
"Right," she nodded. "Rebecca even snuck a photo album into my bags when I was asleep that night. It has pictures of all of us spread throughout it."
"That was nice of here," he laughed softly.
"They do miss you," Allie looked to him. "A lot."
Bucky nodded as if he was grateful for what Allie was telling him. She looked to him and for just a moment, they did seem to have another understanding. It reminded her of the night before he had shipped out. They had argued and had a fight of sorts one moment, and they were talking and coming to some kind of agreement or understanding the next. Realizing that if neither of them said anything, they would look like they were staring at one another, she swallowed hard.
"Right, well," Allie took in a deep breath and stood from the cot. "You should go and clean up."
"And what are you going to do?" he himself stood from the cot right after.
"I'll take care of myself," she smiled. "And then as soon as lunch begins I'll be in that cafeteria line."
"Right," he nodded.
Walking to the front of tent, he began to reach out for the flap that acted as a door. Allie had turned away from him and began to pull out something new to wear, preferably something that wasn't dirtied and torn from fighting and walking for many miles. The sounds of his footsteps against the ground stopped before he looked back to her.
"Allison?" his voice was almost gentle.
"Yes?" she turned around to face him.
"Thank you," he gave her a smile, one that she slowly returned.
"You're welcome."
Notes:
I finally rewatched the movies Marie Antoinette and The Fantastic Four (the 2005 version with Chris Evans). I'm just saying, I love them so much 😭
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter Text
In the incredibly short time since the P.O.W.s had arrived back at the base with Steve and Allie, Bucky found that he was bombarded with attention all over. Soldiers were asking him if he knew the pretty nurse that had gone off and seemingly gone rogue, more than one nurse began to tell him how brave her was. The attention was nothing new for him, he was used to being the center of attention, but in the moment, he found he wanted peace and quiet.
Spotting Steve at one point, he realized that despite having had nurses around him himself, he wasn't receiving nearly the amount of attention that Steve was. It was an odd feeling as he realized that maybe he didn't mind quite that much. It was something different. Walking over to his best friend, he realized that Steve wasn't keen on all of the attention all at once. Instead, he almost looked like he was begging for an excuse to escape his current predicament of multiple nurses seemingly fawning over him.
"Excuse me ladies, I have something that I'd like to discuss with Sergeant Barnes in private," Steve excused himself.
"You know, you won't have to worry about finding a way to tell them you're not interested," Bucky assured him as Steve walked up to him. "Your sister will do that for you."
"I can believe it," he frowned.
"So, was that reason you gave them an excuse or a real story?" Bucky questioned as the men walked away from the crowded spaces.
"The truth," Steve assured him.
"So, what's the thing you want to talk about?" Bucky questioned.
"That map that was in that room with you," Steve began. "Those were other bases, right?"
"Yeah," Bucky nodded as he remembered back to the room. It was hazy and it was as if he was trying to push through Jell-O while he made the attempt to remember what he could.
"Alright. Well, I want to take down those facilities," Steve swallowed harshly. "I'd need to put together a team, but I think you're my best bet to getting this thing started."
"Well, I'll be right there with you as you go after them," Bucky assured him. "But I can give the names of some of the men that I was in the 107th with and a few I met there in that base we were at."
"I'd appreciate it," Steve nodded. "I want to have a meeting with them."
"I'm pretty sure that that can be arranged," Bucky assured him.
"I don't want a huge team, just enough to get this thing done," Steve continued.
"Only soldiers?" Bucky questioned.
"What do you mean?" Steve's brow rose as the two continued to walk.
"I mean, what about medical? Do you want someone with a medical background on this team?"
"I don't think that's a bad idea," Steve seemed to sit with the idea. "Do you know of someone?"
Bucky paused as he realized that he hadn't thought that far. He wasn't quite sure that he knew of any of the P.O.W.s with a full background in medicine. And then he remembered someone that had been out there at the base fighting alongside the men that had a medical background of her own. She was a good candidate. The best if he were to be honest with himself. He would just need to plead her case.
"Allison," Bucky shrugged.
"Allie? You of all people are suggesting my sister for helping us out with this team?" Steve looked at Bucky with widened eyes. "You?"
"Yes me," Bucky looked at him incredulously. "What do you think?"
"I think you're out of your mind right now," Steve shook his head in disbelief. "You hate my sister. Why would you of all people suggest her?"
"Yeah, I hate her," Bucky spoke but he quickly remembered the way that Allie had knocked out the Hydra agent that had pinned him down and the way she had smiled at him when he thanked her. His claim to hating her almost felt a bit bitter as it sat on the tip of his tongue. And yet, he pushed away those quick thoughts in favor of the way he had felt every day for the past twelve years of their lives. "I don't like Allison, so that should tell you that she should be considered."
"I'm not having my sister out there fighting alongside us," Steve shook his head quickly. "I can't do that. I can't ask her to do that and I absolutely cannot watch her in danger. I just won't do it."
"She was with you at the facility," Bucky argued.
"That was her own doing. I kept telling her to stay here," Steve corrected. "I never wanted her there. I'm honestly still upset with her for that."
"And yet, she saved my life," Bucky reminded him. "You were off and headed in the direction that you had sent the others in. She and I were left behind. She got caught off guard and I defended her, but was quickly pinned down myself. I couldn't get up and had no weapon or anything in my hand. Steve, your little sister bent down and took one of their batons and knocked the bastard out cold with one swing."
"Buck, how would you feel if Rebecca, or God forbid Ruth, were out here and trying to fight off members of Hydra? We're meant to protect them, not put them in danger," Steve's lips pressed into a tight line as a huff of air came out of his nose in his low breath.
"I think that that's a bit extreme, don't you think?" Bucky crossed his arms across his chest. "And besides, Ruth is fourteen. There's no way in hell I'd let her be at the theater on her own, much less over here. Rebecca could defend herself if she chose to. I'm there as backup, but these women are fully able to take care of themselves."
"I'm still not willing to let Allie be in danger. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything were to happen to her in my care," Steve sighed.
"And what do you think she would do if something happened to you? Especially if she wasn't there to try and help," Bucky proposed the idea. "Your sister is wildly talented in her field. She knows what she's doing and can do things right the first time. She braved going to that facility. She braved fighting off some men that were verging on double her size. Steve, she was taking care of and cleaning up cuts on me and denied needing help for herself, and she loathes me! She is capable of this and could do so much good for a team we put together. If I can hate her and see that, surely you can too."
"Of course my sister is talented. I trust her with my life more than anyone else in the world," Steve began before pausing for a beat. "No offense."
"None taken," Bucky nodded softly, but a little offense was taken. He was going to have to remember to remind Steve that he was the better of the two between himself and Allie. But that could be done at a later time. Perhaps even on one evening while traveling to the different facilities with all of them taking part in the team. "But I'm serious, we need her. And besides, do you really think that after you going and taking part of an experiment behind our backs that she really is going to let you go off without her?"
"Well, no. She wouldn't want me to leave on my own, I know that much," Steve agreed.
"Exactly. Now, out of all of the people that you know of that are capable of being a traveling medic, would you rather have your sister or a stranger patch you up?" Bucky questioned skeptically.
"Well, I don't know if I'd exactly want my sister to have to see some of the possible injuries that she would see out there," Steve grimaced.
"Your sister is a nurse during the war. Do you think some cuts and bruises, maybe a few bullets are really going to repulse her or leave her wanting to run? She has seen some awful things, trust me, I know. I've had to watch those same awful things that she's had to patch up when they happen. It's not pretty."
"Bucky, I know you're trying to make a case for her, I'll never understand why though, but I can't let my sister be in danger constantly. I can't do that in good conscience."
"Then talk to her. Bring up the idea with her and let her decide," Bucky countered. "I think you may be surprised at how brave your little sister is. I trust her and think she can do a good job. Do you?"
Steve's lips had returned to a tight line as he took in what Bucky was saying. It did truly surprise him that of all people, it was Bucky Barnes who was suggesting the recruitment of Allie Rogers. And yet, the small part of himself seemed to pipe up in the back of his mind that Bucky was right. His sister was more than capable of handling herself and with a bit of training could do just as good of a job as the men who had gone through basic training. But she was still his little sister, and he had no desire to make that kind of request from her. He couldn't let her be in that kind of danger.
Bucky's face told him that this was something he actually believed in. It wasn't just a mere suggestion or a slight at anyone. Bucky actually believed in Allie's abilities and was advocating for her to be considered. Steve swallowed harshly and gave a sharp nod. Frowning he gave he took in a small breath that quickly became a sigh as he looked at his best friend, trying to find the words for how he felt in that instant.
"Fine," Steve finally settled on. "But you are the one that is going to talk to her about it. Not me. This is your idea so it will be your recruitment."
"Deal," Bucky shrugged. "I'll talk to her about it."
Bucky had turned around from where the two stood together as soldiers began to make their ways past the two and to the tent whose scent was strong. It was the cafeteria tent and it was lunch time. Quickly turning on their heels and joining the growing line, the two slowly made their way closer and closer to the hot meal that was laying in front of them. Nurses popped in and out of the tent around them, gawking at the two men as they spoke to one another.
The moment that Bucky and Steve sat down at one of the tables, they had a feeling that they were going to be watched from all angles. And they were right. No matter what direction a person were to turn in, eyes were glued to the two men. But just as quickly and intensely as eyes had settled upon them, they had flown to the flap of the tent. Four women had walked into the tent, the one leading the way looking incredibly exhausted. It was Allie and her friends.
"Allie, are you sure that you shouldn't just be laying down? You had an awful big adventure," Louise's voice was soft and gentle. "We could even bring you food."
"I'm fine," Allie assured them. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all. It's just the same as all of these men we see everyday. I can handle it."
"But-" Louise began but quickly cut herself off when she noticed Allie's annoyance.
Over the course of the morning since she and Bucky had parted ways, Allie's friends had been on her case over the entire ordeal. One moment they were making statements that they couldn't believe that she had been brave and stupid enough to go and do what she did. Allie felt that she kept having to defend her actions. For a brief moment, she wondered if the way she felt as she was being nagged by her friends was the same way that Steve felt when they were teenagers. She knew that they meant well and she loved and appreciated that. And yet, she wished they would just shut up about the topic.
As she made her way into the line for food, Allie was painfully aware that everyone was staring at her. Her brother was looked at as a hero for what he did. She had the sneaking suspicion that she was being looked upon as insane for going with her brother to help fight. She was a woman after all. Hodge had even said it, a woman didn't belong out there. While she may have disagreed vehemently with the idea, she recognized that it wasn't an uncommon belief among the men and even the other women at the base.
She didn't let the looks and possible comments get to her. She didn't listen as the other nurses insulted her under their breath, her friends glaring directly at the women as they would pass by them. She didn't let the men staring her down or their misogyny get to her. She continued to do what she believed was right. And in this case, helping her brother to defend the P.O.W.s was the right thing to do. Receiving her meal, along with a disapproving look, from the attendant, Allie glanced around for a free spot to sit and eat.
Steve caught her eye from across the room, gesturing to her to join them from where she was. Nodding to him and encouraging the girls to join her, they all made their ways to where Bucky and Steve sat together. Setting her tray down just across from her brother, Allie watched as the other nurses by her side filled in the spaces around them. Sitting beside her across from Bucky was Mary. And Mary had her eye on the nuisance that Steve called his best friend.
Allie caught Mary looking at him and felt a stab. She didn't quite know what the stab she felt was, but she could only assume it was from the betrayal of her close friend looking at someone she loathed with a flicker of a fire in her eye. She didn't like it. Nudging Mary as if to say that she saw, Mary rolled her eyes playfully at Allie and shook her head.
"You know, Allison," Bucky began to let a smirk grow on his face as he looked around her friends before looking back at her. As he thought of what to say, he took note of Mary sitting beside Allie and across from him. Looking Mary up and down as Allie noticed and felt the stab again, he appeared smug. "For you being so goddamn annoying, you do have some of the most pleasant to the eyes company."
"Ass," Allie hissed. "Stop staring at my friends."
"I wasn't staring," he argued.
"Tell that to your eyes," she scoffed as she began to eat her food.
"So," Evelyn piped up before any more tension could risk growing. "What's it like being Captain America?"
Startled, Steve seemed to just blink at Allie's friend. As Allie looked up at him, she and Bucky both found themselves dumbfounded that he seemingly still had difficulties in speaking to women. Evelyn and Louise seemed to ask questions to keep everyone busy and distracted in order to avoid another argument between Bucky and Allie. Mary just studied the two as they occasionally glared at one another when they made eye contact, but the way their eyes seemed to change as the other looked away.
As everyone finished their meals, the women went to dismiss themselves on direction as the men dismissed themselves in the other. Bucky frowned as he turned to Steve and excused himself for a moment. Looking back at the women, he walked over as Allie sat at the back of the moving group.
"Hey, Allison, wait," Bucky reached out and settled his hand around her arm gently. "I need to talk to you."
"You need to talk to me? Is something wrong? Are you dying? Do you need me to make sure a condolence letter gets sent off?" she teased.
"Ha, funny," he rolled his eyes. "No."
"Then what do you need to talk to me about?" her brow rose as she looked at him.
Bucky looked around at the soldiers that still had their eyes on Allie as she stood in front of him. Frowning, he nodded his head in the direction of finding privacy. Allie allowed him to pull her aside where no one could hear them. She made the assumption he was ready to argue about one thing or another with her as they stood together. Instead, she was greeted by a sigh and a Bucky who used a soft voice.
"Steve has this idea for a team," he began. "One to go after the remaining facilities that Hydra has around Europe. That map that was in the room with me when you two found me? He's going to be going after those."
"Okay," Allie nodded. "And what exactly does this have to do with me? Besides my brother being very ambitious and not speaking to me about things until much later if at all."
"Well, here's the thing. It's a specialized team. He's recruiting a group of the men that were with me in that factory. Each of them has their own fields that they excel in. The problem is, with all of us being soldiers, we're going to need someone out there that can patch us up. A mobile medic," Bucky started and at her brow raising just a bit he let out a quick breath. "Would you be that medic?"
"Me?" her eyes widened. "Me as the traveling medic?"
"Yes," Bucky nodded.
"Whose idea was that?" she was shocked.
Bucky paused for a moment before he made the confession that he was the one who had wanted to ask her to be the medic. He wasn't quite sure that he wanted her to know that he had had to work at convincing Steve about the idea. Instead, he deciding to lie about it.
"It was Steve's," he shrugged. "The problem is that he didn't want to ask you and you feel pressured to do it."
"I see," Allie nodded. "But, he didn't exactly want me to be there when we came and rescued you all. He really wanted me on this team?"
"Yes," Bucky continued to lie. "He figured that if you were to say no that it should be to me."
"Since you wouldn't want me there anyway?" she deduced.
"Something like that, yeah," Bucky almost felt a bitter taste on his tongue as he lied to her. It was an unusual feeling that he had never truly felt when speaking to her before. He told himself that he just needed to continue to ignore it. "What do you say to it?"
"You're going to need a medic. That's clear," she agreed. "The only thing is that I'm a nurse. Wouldn't you rather a doctor?"
"Well, Steve made the point that you were the most capable person he knew. I guess he has a point," Bucky shrugged. "You know your work better than most know their own. And besides, I can believe that if something is bad enough, they'll be able to bring out an emergency squad."
"I see," she nodded. "A traveling medic?"
"A traveling medic."
"I don't exactly want Steve leaving me again," she sighed. "And I suppose that I should make sure that you also stay in one piece. Your siblings will want you to return intact."
"Is that a yes?"
"It's a yes," she gave a sigh. "I'll join the team."
"Allie?" a voice called out. "Where are you?"
"Where did you go?" another voice called out and Allie immediately realized that it was her friends calling out to her.
"I should go find them," she told Bucky as she glanced in the direction of the voices.
"Steve's meeting with the S.S.R. tomorrow morning and meeting with the men tomorrow night. I'll let them know you agreed," Bucky told her and she gave him a small nod.
"Goodbye James," Allie dismissed herself.
Bucky found himself watching her leave. The bitter taste from having lied to her still sat heavy on his tongue. He was going to have to find a way to continue the lie. He didn't think that he could ever bear listening to her if she were to ever find out that the entire idea had been his own.
And so he would just pray that he never did.
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Mary and Allie stood in their bunk, glancing in the mirror that they had tried to set up in order to look at themselves in. The two women had made themselves up much nicer than they had in previous days. Having been their day off, the two women had gone to town earlier in the day to purchase nice dresses for themselves after having heard about the large gathering that the soldiers were planning on having at the tavern in the town.
Mary was striking in her red dress, her dark hair and pale skin standing out against the fabric. Allie had opted for her trusted color of blue. Her hair had been pinned back and out of her face, her freckles in full view for anyone to see when they looked at her. The hem of her dress ended just above her knees, the waist tucked in, the collar low as it revealed the majority of her collarbone. She felt beautiful in the dress and Mary was quick to remind her that she was.
"You'll have men drooling like dogs over you," Mary grinned.
"Nice sentiment, terrible analogy," Allie's nose scrunched as she looked over at her.
"My statement stands," Mary responded, her grin still remaining as she grabbed her small clutch and Allie's hands as they took off in the direction of a jeep that was headed to town with a few other nurses and a soldier who had volunteered to be the one to take them.
As the group managed to make it to the bar in the town, Mary encouraged Allie to go and see who she saw around the bar. The bar itself was filled with joyous music as the soldiers that drank happily sang along. Allie remembered as she walked into the room that her brother was holding a meeting at the bar with potential members of the team he was hoping to form.
As she walked into the bar, Allie took notice of a smirking Agent Carter that was passing by her in a very lovely dress of her own. They said hello to one another before Agent Carter made the comment that she was having to be on her way. Parting from each other, Allie looked around to see if she could see her brother. If Agent Carter had been there, she was bound to have spoken to him before she left.
Not seeing him amongst the crowd in the front seating area of the bar, she saw the doorway that led to a back room. Assuming that her brother could have possibly been back there, she made her way back. She was right. Standing at the bar were Steve and Bucky as they drank their alcohol.
A small, brief hush fell over the men around her as she walked back and towards the men. Steve and Bucky turned at the sound of a rolling silence, both having widened eyes as they took in Allie's appearance. Steve's shock quickly turned to a bit of agitation while Bucky sat confused at the pound that he felt in his chest as he took in her appearance. He decided to deduce that it was annoyance at her wanting attention.
"How did the meeting with the boys go?" she smiled at Steve.
"Allie, what the hell are you wearing?" Steve narrowed his eyes at his younger sister, ignoring her question. Bucky standing just behind him, looking Allie up and down.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she narrowed her eyes with her jaw dropping at her brother in return.
"Your dress," he hissed. "You're going to have all of the soldiers looking at you."
"I beg your pardon? Agent Carter just walked out of here in a dress just like this," Allie spat. "What's the difference between her and myself?"
"She's not my little sister," Steve lowered his voice.
"No, she's not," Allie agreed. "She's just a woman you're infatuated by, correct?"
"Allie-"
"No, Steve," she interrupted him. "I'm quite comfortable in this dress."
"Your brother's right," Bucky shrugged. "You're already getting an awful amount of attention wearing that."
"Is that so? Attention from whom?" she turned her gaze to the Sergeant.
Instead of answering her, Bucky instead took his glass from the wooden bar and took a large swig of his whiskey. Allie took in a deep breath, studying as Bucky looked her up and down once more and turned away from her.
"Allie, I need to go back and talk to the team, but do not do anything stupid," he glared.
"You know, it would be nice if you all would simply tell me that I look nice for once," she frowned at her brother's back as he disappeared into the other room. Sighing, she turned back around and turned to order from the bar. "One beer, please."
"Beer?" Bucky scoffed. "You've never had a beer."
"James Barnes, you don't know what I've had or not had," she scoffed.
"Is that so? Enlighten me," he challenged.
"Maybe another night," she rolled her eyes.
"I meant it though," Bucky leaned in, speaking in a hushed tone. "You are garnering a lot of attention."
"And if I am?" Allie took her beer from the bartender and took a large swig of the drink. She grimaced at the taste, but continued to drink the beverage in defiance. "Why would it matter to you?"
"Well, do I really want to have to listen to the complaints about how the men won't leave you alone?" Bucky rolled his eyes.
"Is it that the other men won't leave me alone or that you're now fixated on what my appearance is right now?"
"I don't care about the way that you dress," he hissed.
"Really? Because you really seem to be fixated on the topic," she shot a glare his way.
"So you don't care that a bunch of drunk as a skunk soldiers are looking you up and down and undressing the remaining fabric on your body with their eyes?"
"Ha! That's rich coming from you! Have you seen the way that you look at the women around you? I saw the way that you looked at Mary when we all ate together. It's disgusting. You are no less a pig than any other man eyeing a woman and wanting to bed her," she hissed.
"I never said that I wanted to bed anyone," he argued.
"And I never said that it bothers me that men pay attention to me," Allie retorted.
With that, she gripped her bottle of beer tightly as she went to leave the area of the bar that they were stood in. Taking in a deep breath, the frustration could be heard in her breathing as she began to walk away. She only paused in her thought for a moment as she realized she had something more to say the man.
"And another thing," Allie spun around on her heel and marched back up to him. Pointing the tip of her finger against his chest, she felt her face flush in frustration. "I don't need your input. You may be Steve's best friend and you may be a part of this team that I'm now going to be the medic for, but you have no say over my life. So you can just deal with it."
And with the simple way that she finished the conversation before it could go any further, Bucky's jaw dropped as he watched her storm off. Watching her leave the back room of the bar, he watched as she was stopped by another man. Quickly realizing who it was, Bucky felt a frustration course through him. It confused him why he was so upset about who was now standing and speaking with her, but he still knew that he felt it.
"Miss Rogers?" the man's voice sounded as if it had a bit of a smirk in it.
Looking up to where the voice had come from, Allie found herself having to blink. In the midst of all of the drunken soldiers and the nurses that were hanging off of them on their evening off, Howard Stark himself stood in front of her. He had a charming grin on his face and a bourbon in his hand.
"Oh," she sounded surprised. "Hello. Um, Allie is fine."
"Alright, Allie," he grinned. "Are you really all alone here?"
"Well, now I am," she gave a small roll of her eyes and shake of her head. "That tends to happen when I go somewhere with Steve and James."
"Where are they anyway?" Howard glanced around.
"Well, my brother and I got into a fight over the dress that I'm wearing and James agreed with him. I have no idea where my brother is and I don't care where James is," Allie's lips turned to a purse.
"I think you look ravishing," he smirked down at her.
"Ravishing?" Allie couldn't help the burst of laughter that escaped her lips. "Is that the line you use with all of the girls?"
"Only the beautiful ones," he shrugged.
"So they're all beautiful?" Allie grinned as she teased.
"Well, yes," Howard laughed.
"I see," she grinned.
From the other room, Bucky had settled back into a seat as he kept his eyes trained on where Allie spoke to Stark. She glanced over at him once, her brow furrowing at him in agitation as she stood just a bit closer to Howard. Bucky's jaw set tightly as he watched the two. He began to debate if he should have gone and gotten Steve's attention to separate the two from each other. Instead, he found himself stuck in place as he watched her press up against Howard as she leaned down and whispered to him.
Howard seemed to smirk down at her as he glanced to the bartender and ordered another round for the two. Bucky didn't know how many drinks the two had decided to order and drink before he finally pulled himself from watching them. A voice pulled him from his thoughts as he stalked back into the very back of the room he was in.
"You know, if you keep watching her, some of these girls are going to be awfully jealous," Mary spoke to him with a glint in her eye and a smirk on her lips.
"I'm not watching Allison," he defended quickly.
"I never said that the 'her' was Allie," Mary caught him with a smirk.
Bucky swallowed harshly as he realized that he had been caught by Mary. He gave her a glance up and down, realizing that it was probably the woman standing front of him in that very moment that had provided Allie with that dress that she had been wearing that evening. Mary's dress had a similar cut to the one Allie had worn, but just as Agent Carter, she too wore a vibrant red.
Mary was quite a confident woman. She had no shame in who she was or what she wore. She didn't need to be dressed professionally to feel in charge of a conversation and she didn't need to be dressed scandalously in order to catch the attention of a man. She was unabashedly herself and it seemed that that ideal had started to rub off on Allie Rogers.
"Alright. Well, what is your point?" he questioned.
"I'm saying you're not very good at hiding your frustration and what it's about," she shrugged as she ordered a drink from the bar. As she took the drink her hand once it was made, she turned back to face him. "In just the time since you all arrived back at the base, I've seen the way the two of you have looked and acted towards one another."
"And by that you mean?"
"Well, let's see. When Hodge was an ass to her you stepped in to tell him off," Mary pointed out.
"Her brother was occupied," Bucky defended.
"You didn't even look his way! You heard Hodge and intervened," Mary called him out. "And the two of you going off to the bunk alone together? Don't think one for one second that the girls and I didn't notice that because we most certainly did. And of all things, the two of you at the dining hall? You clearly have something taking place between the two of you."
"Why do you care about whatever takes place between me and her?" Bucky questioned in annoyance as he studied Mary's body language.
"I'll be very blunt with you, Sarge," Mary's playfully narrowed eyes turned sharp very quickly. "She is my best friend over here. I know how she is with the other soldiers and the way she is with them is not the way that she is with you."
"That's called seething hatred," Bucky interjected.
"That's called lust," Mary corrected him and watched for his response.
"She doesn't lust for me," he seemed more shocked than he did appalled.
"I would beg to differ," she watched him. "And you? I'm surprised you haven't tried to get her alone."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he glared.
"It means that you're jealous. You two can keep playing this game and hurt people in the process with what you see to one another and how you behave out there, but you can't keep fooling yourself forever. I won't be out there with you guys to protect Allie," she continued. "So figure out this whole thing you're feeling towards her. I can assure you that she sure as hell isn't going to be falling in love with Howard Stark of all people, so are you going to let her be charmed by him for a while or are you going to do something about it?"
As Mary walked off, Bucky simply watched her silhouette as it slipped into the crowded bar. Blinking to himself, Bucky took in what she had said to him. But she was wrong. There was nothing between himself and Allie apart from a mutual distaste. There were no feelings involved.
Bucky Barnes and Allie Rogers had never and would never lust after one another.
Notes:
She's back with some more Allie and Bucky for this story 😅
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter Text
The pounding in her head as she woke up made Allie question the entirety of her choices in life. Groaning to herself, she attempted to peer through the sliver of sight she could muster before having to scrunch her eyes shut once more. It was official: she was hungover.
A snoring to her side quickly shook the feeling of the hammer in her head and the sharpness of the light that would shine in her eyes. Quickly opening her eyes and looking down the length of her body, the blood drained from her face in horror as she realized the state that she was in. Sitting upright and looking around the room, she found her garments scattered against the floor alongside those of a man.
Slowly looking to the side as she heard a snoring in the bed beside her, she had to stop herself from shrieking in horror. Beside her was a very asleep and very nude Howard Stark. Scrambling to cover herself with the sheet, she inadvertently woke the man. Her heart pounding against her chest in a panic as her eyes were wide as she watched him, Howard only seemed to blink himself awake with a groan.
"Good morning," was all he said as he realized that he was with her.
"What the hell did we do?" Allie hissed at him.
"If I remember correctly, we slept together," he winced at the sunlight from the window as he looked towards her.
Allie felt a horrible feeling settle in the pit of her stomach as she attempted to think of the previous night. Pushing through the hangover to focus, she found she could only remember brief moments of her night with Howard. The thoughts made her flush a bright red before the memories from inside the bar began to flood back. Remembering the people that she had spoken to at the bar, she looked at him with widened eyes.
"Are you okay?" Howard's brow furrowed in concern.
"My brother cannot find out about this," Allie's face paled.
"What would happen if he did?" Howard looked at her with a blink.
"That's the thing. He's big now. I have no clue what he would do to you if he found out," she swallowed harshly. "No one can find out. The less people that can say something and tell him about this the better."
"Alright," he nodded. "He doesn't find out about this then."
"Good," she nodded. "Now, what time is it?"
Groaning as he turned to his other side, Howard glanced at his watch that sat on the table. Seemingly shrugging it off as he turned back to her, he gave a small wave of his hand.
"Nine o'clock," he seemed dismissive as he settled back underneath the sheets.
"What!" Allie's face paled once more as she began to scramble to stand, taking the sheet with her.
"It's only nine," Howard assured her.
"I should have been at the base's hospital tent two hours ago!" she hissed. "I'm always up and ready to do my job. What are they going to think when I arrive back at the base looking as if I've been in some sort of incident."
"Well, we were in some sort of incident last night," he reminded her.
Turning on her heel to face him, she quickly realized that he wasn't seeing her point. Holding the sheet tightly around herself, she walked back over to the bed. Leaning forward, she looked Howard in the eye.
"Look, Howard, you're a very nice and charming man, but you are not a woman," she frowned. "If anyone finds out about what took place here tonight? Rumors circulate, my judgement is questioned, I might even lose relationships that I thought I had. All the while, everyone only puts the label of a playboy or a Casanova on you. I have to keep my nose straight while I'm out here."
"Miss Rogers, if I did anything that crossed a line last night, I sincerely apologize," Howard began to sit upright. "I didn't mean to take advantage of you or anything of the sort."
"It's not that," she sighed as she sat down again. "I barely remember last night. Do you?"
"I remember that you are pretty damn good at kissing," he cracked a grin. "And you were pretty upset when we happened to run into each other at the bar. Was everything okay?"
"It was the same as always," she dismissed with a sigh. "I got into a bit of an argument with James and was ready to just leave."
"And that's when you and I saw each other?" he inferred.
"Yes," she nodded. "You know, you save a man's life and then he continues to comment on your attire."
"You looked fantastic," Howard's eyes narrowed as he was quick to reassure her.
"Well, thank you," she laughed. Standing up and walking to where her clothing was scattered about, she took the fabric in her hands. "If you don't mind, I'd like to put my dress back on."
"Of course," he nodded. "Did you want me to leave, or?"
"You don't need to leave," she shook her head. "But if you don't mind turning around."
"Right," he gave another nod and turned himself to face the wall.
As Allie redressed herself in the same pieces from the previous night, she found herself only sighing at herself. She had found a predicament to walk into, one that could upset a good number of people that she spent her days with. Frowning as she told Howard that he could face her again, she was quick to find that he was sympathetic towards her.
"You know, we can forget about it having happened," he suggested. "We'll come up with a story and go off of that."
"Right," she gave him a nod of her own.
"Are you sure that I didn't overstep?" he questioned as he went to stand and dress himself.
"I'm sure," she nodded. "Thank you your concern though."
As Howard stood, Allie flushed at the sight of him before turning away from him. Her eyes dropping to her hands, she cursed herself for having been impulsive the night before. That caused her to think of the entirety of the night before. And that led to her thinking about Bucky. She couldn't quite pin what she was feeling, but it was as if her body went cold.
"Allie? Are you okay?" Howard was suddenly crouched in front of her, his appearance spick-and-span as he made the attempt to look her in the eye.
"I'm fine," she lied.
"Are you sure? Is there anything that I can do?"
Allie glanced to him, shocked by his concern. It wasn't something that she was used to. Her brother was the only man that she was accustomed to having in her life that cared about her wellbeing. She certainly didn't have a gentle demeanor ever shown towards her from Bucky, and the soldiers and boys of the past that had shown interest in her had never cared if she was "okay". She found that having one that did care was a welcome change.
"Have you ever thought of someone and felt guilty? As if you've hurt them without even knowing that you would care if you did or not?" she bit her lip.
"Maybe when I was younger," he gave a soft, but not dismissive, shrug. "Is there someone that you think you've wronged?"
"I'm not sure," she frowned. "But I almost feel a sense of guilt right now."
"Well, you did nothing wrong," he assured her and came to stand in front of her, offering her his hand to stand. "If you'd allow me to, I'd like to make sure you arrive at the base safely."
"Thank you," she nodded and gently took his hand.
Before they even left the room, the two ensured that their appearances were straightened out. To his credit, Howard began to lean their conversations away from the day prior. He was conscious about how she had felt guilty, determined to distract her from that feeling. As they could see the outline of the base slowly coming into view, Allie glanced to him.
"I have a question for you," she cocked her head to the side a touch.
"Yes?" he grinned down at her, his hands having been placed in his pockets as they walked.
"While I don't foresee any incidents such as last night's happening again," she began. "With both of us taking part in this mission and being involved to some degree with the S.S.R., are we at least friends?"
"Is that something you would want?" he glanced to her. "I am a playboy after all."
"I didn't mean that as an insult," she assured him.
"I know," he laughed. "But is it something you would like?"
"I think so," she nodded. "Think about it. How often does a woman like me have the opportunity to say that she's friends with a famous inventor."
"I don't know how to tell you this, but you are kind of becoming famous yourself," he grinned. "Have you heard about the news outlets circulating with the story about you and your brother going and saving the men? Miss Rogers, you could make a friend anywhere you go, whether their famous or not."
"I'm not becoming famous," she assured him.
"You're going to be on this team, right?" he reminded her, only continuing at the nod of her head. "Well, with that, you're going to be famous. Steve is Captain America. You would have been famous from that alone."
"Right," she sighed. He was right. She was going to find herself in the public eye no matter what. "So we are friends?"
"Yes," he laughed.
The two seemed to smile as they made their way past tents throughout the base. Figures began to recognize their presence, the whispers that Allie recognized as inevitable already beginning to swirl around. A few woman looked as if they were jealous. A few men looked on in envy. And then Allie realized that two of her best friends stood with dropped jaws as she walked up to them.
"Allison Rogers!" the scolding came in the form of Mary who looked appalled at the state of Allie's appearance. "Where the hell were you?"
"I went to the bar last night," Allie reminded her.
"Where did you go? Steve was looking all over for you last night and this morning!" she hissed. "Not to mention that we were looking for you too."
"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry anyone, but I am perfectly fine," she assured her friend.
"I saw you talking to Howard Stark of all people," Mary continued.
"Hello, I'm right here. And I brought Miss Rogers back here to the base this morning," Howard interjected. "Frankly, last night she needed sleep and so I made sure that she was taken care of, as you can see. She was fine."
"Well, they're going to be livid when you get there," Evelyn frowned. "Louise is in there now and they're scrambling to try and work right now."
"Damn," Allie sighed. "Let me go and change into my uniform and I'll go straight away."
Mary and Evelyn stood with Howard as Allie disappeared towards their tent. Both women studied the man in front of them, waiting for any indication that he wasn't telling them the full truth. Deciding to take his word on what had taken place the previous evening, Mary and Evelyn quickly looked up as two sets of footsteps made their way in their direction. Steve and Bucky glanced at one another as they took in Howard's presence on the base.
"Is Allie still missing?" Steve glanced around.
"No, this one right here brought her back this morning," Mary glared at Howard.
Bucky felt a rush flow through him. He couldn't quite understand what he was feeling, but the sympathetic look he realized that Mary had begun to give him quickly convinced him that he was angry. Mary wasn't right about him wanting Allie. There wasn't a possibility of that anywhere within him. But, Allie had still caused a panic amongst the group the previous night when she had disappeared. He would settle on that being the reason for the heated rush he felt coursing over him in waves.
Allie burst out from her tent, her eyes widening at the crowd that had begun to form. Bucky and Allie's eyes met for a moment, just long enough for frustration to communicated between the two. Steve cleared his throat, startling the group at its harsh nature.
"Well, now that she's out here, Mr. Stark, could I speak with you for a moment?" Steve glanced to him.
"Of course," Howard nodded and the two men walked off to have a private conversation.
"Now that we know that you're safe, we're going to go and rest for a moment in the tent," Mary frowned at her. Evelyn followed Mary into the tent, both frowning at Allie as they passed by. For a brief moment, she felt sorry for her friends who had spent the entire evening worried about where she had gone off to.
As the stood together in silence, Bucky took in Allie's appearance. As always, she looked professional in her nurse's attire, but something about the look in her eyes stated that she could have felt anything but professionalism in the moment. His eyes studying her, he quickly took note of a purple color against her skin. Realization rushed through him, and for an unknown reason, a seeming anger and jealousy flooded through him.
"What is wrong with you?" Allie took note of the scowl on his face.
"Had a fun night?" he gauged her reaction.
"When I didn't have to be around you? Yes," she nodded, only startling as Bucky leaned forward, just barely in front of her ear.
"You might want to watch your collar," he whispered in her ear. "I can see the marks on your neck."
"I beg your pardon!" Allie hissed at him.
"I hope you had fun," he sneered. "But don't worry, I won't tell Steve."
The horror in Allie's face was plain to see. She was mortified as she realized that Bucky knew that something had happened between herself and Howard the night before. Attempting to shake away the shock and horror she felt, she simply glared at him.
"I'm not exactly sure what you think I did last night," she began. "But you can forget about that silly idea."
Before Bucky could retort, the sound footsteps interrupted their conversation. Steve came to a halt in front of them glancing between the two of them. Sighing to himself, he realized the two had been in yet another argument of some sort. Rolling his eyes quickly, he cleared his throat.
"You two do realize that you're going to be on the same team, correct?" he looked between the two.
"We're very aware of that," Bucky rolled his eyes before glaring down at Allie.
"Then the two of you should start behaving like it," Steve snapped. At the shocked expressions from Allie and Bucky, neither of whom anticipated the harsh tone to be directed suddenly at them, Steve softened a bit. "It's just that we can't have you two distracted and arguing when we have a mission in mind."
"We both know that," Allie argued. "On the field we aren't going to be focused on anything other than the mission."
"I hate to agree with her, but she's right," Bucky assured her.
"Then prove it," Steve looked at them.
"What do you mean 'prove it'?" Allie's brow furrowed.
"Bucky, you're going to teach Allie to use firearms," Steve looked pointedly at him.
"Are you sure that it has to be me?" Bucky groaned.
"Yes. You two are going to work together. Prove that you don't need babysitting," Steve's voice continued to be firm. "And besides. Bucky has the best shot out of anyone on the team. Allie, you're better off learning from him."
"Shit," Allie muttered. She knew that Steve was right, and yet she still didn't like it.
Having to spend any amount of her day around Bucky was going to be pure torture.
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"I still don't think that it needs to be the two of us in here," Allie rolled her eyes as they walked inside the shooting range together.
"Well, if I had my way, I wouldn't have to deal with you at all," he hissed. "But, I'm the best to help you at this."
"Is that right?" her eyes sharpened to a quick narrow.
"Yes, it is. Considering my rank? I'd say I'm pretty damn excellent at this," he grinned. "Oh. And did I mention I'm trained as a sniper?"
"Smug bastard," Allie huffed under her breath.
"What was that?" his smirk continue to last on his lips.
"I called you a smug bastard."
"This smug bastard is the only way you're going to be prepared for what you'll see out there. Do you have any concept of what is out there?" he hissed.
"I am very aware," she glared. "You do realize the things that I have had to see as a nurse, right? And the fact that I was there at the factory? The things I saw that night that Steve and I were there?"
"You have to be able to defend yourself. And not with just some baton you found on the body of a passed out Nazi," Bucky sighed in frustration.
"I can defend myself," she assured him.
"Have you ever fired a weapon?" he studied her. At her silence, he gave her a smug grin. "I didn't think so. Now, I will set up the target, you will stand there, and then I will show you how to use a pistol first."
Not without a roll of her eyes first, Allie crossed her arms across her chest as she allowed Bucky to do as he said he was going to do. As he began to set everything in the manner that he needed it to be in, he walked Allie over to the firearms and prepped a pistol for her. Handing it to and beginning his instructions on how she should stand, he watched as she seemed almost as tense as a stiff tree.
"Here," Bucky began as he let his hands correct how she was standing. "Don't be so tense that you're practically a machine. Recoil is a thing."
"Right," she nodded.
"Hold the pistol like this," his hands began to cover hers as he corrected the way that she held the firearm.
Allie was shocked the moment that she began to feel the electricity flooded through her. Frustrated at the sensation, she pursed her lips as she focused on the target in front of her. Bucky's warm breath as he focused brushed against her neck, the warmth of the electricity spreading throughout the entirety of her body. Trying to focus herself back in, she watched as he moved to the side and watched the target. As she shot off her rounds and he brought the target in for them to look at, he was surprised to say that he was impressed. Three of the six rounds that she had fired had been near the center of the target.
"Not bad," he admitted. "You still need work, but it's not a bad start."
"Told you that I can defend myself," she looked up at him with a smug grin.
"Right. Let's just make sure that you can keep it consistent."
As a few short weeks passed for Allie as Bucky continued to teach her to use weaponry, Allie became increasingly better at using the firearms that he would place in her hands. Allie in turn had begun to instruct the Commandos on how to patch up small wounds that she wouldn't always be able to fix herself.
Throughout her lessons with the Commandos, the other men began to notice the ways in which she and Bucky would behave towards one another. Steve would often reassure them that once they were out and on the frontlines, the two wouldn't be as snippy with one another. While no one said anything to them, many wondered if Bucky and Allie were going to be capable of being on the team with one another.
Both decided that they were stubborn enough to prove that they could.
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"Good morning, Nurse Rogers," one of the soldiers at the S.S.R. greeted as Allie walked in one morning.
"Good morning," she greeted in return with a cheery smile on her lips.
Making her way through the halls, she listened to the voices that bounced against the walls. She liked the way that everyone was more concerned about the mission in front of them instead of her private life the way that she had started to become accustomed to on the base. Everywhere she would turn on the base, whispers could be heard about her and the way that she had so easily jumped in line alongside her brother for the fights that were out there. The S.S.R. was more concerned about finishing the fights than the gossip that could take place.
Walking into a large room that she had been instructed to go to that day, she saw the figures of Steve and Bucky speaking to Howard. At the sound of her shoes clicking against the ground before she halted at the entry, all three men glanced in her direction.
"Oh, perfect," Howard commented. "Allie, I was just telling them how the uniforms were just finished a day or so ago and I can get you guys fitted for them."
"I see," she nodded and made her way in. "All three of us?"
"Well, you are the final three that I need to get fitted," Howard nodded. "I have to make sure that these work for you guys."
"Right," she nodded.
"Why don't you help Allie first," Steve suggested. "After all, she hasn't worn anything tactical before."
"I'm not helpless or hopeless you know," Allie rolled her eyes at her brother.
"I know that," he nodded. "But why don't you go ahead and get fitted with yours."
Allie agreed and followed Howard behind a curtain that he had set up in order for the three to change into their uniforms. Handing Allie pieces of her uniform, he was quick to assure all parties present that he was strictly a gentleman. Allie was grateful that her brother and his best friend couldn't see the eye roll that she gave to Howard. Howard turned his back to Allie was she undressed and only turned around once she asked for help in learning how to tighten the straps on pieces of her uniform. Howard obliged, turning around and quickly showing her.
"So, you're really going out there to fight?" Howard asked her as he tightened up the straps on her vest.
"Well, I was under the impression we already covered this topic," she grinned. "After all, you were flying the plane that I jumped out of."
"Which was honestly very terrifying to realize that you jumped out after him," he countered.
"But, I still made it out alive," she smiled. "And with some stories of my very own. As it turns out, I can knock out a Nazi."
"Is that so?" he teased.
"Yes," she nodded earnestly.
"I'll have to remember that if my lab is ever under attack," he grinned. "Alright Cap!"
"Is she ready?" Steve's voice came from the other side of the curtain.
"She is," Howard brought his hand up to her shoulder to give it a comforting squeeze. "Go show them."
Allie felt excitement as she stood in her uniform. It was a brand new feeling to be in a garment that was meant to protect her from the dangers that she would face. She was also excited to show off to her brother that she could do it. She could help fight alongside them at the same time that she could protect them from getting sick or their injuries creating severe complications.
Taking a step outside of the curtain, she faced both Steve and Bucky. Both men had been leaning against a table as they had waited, and both came to quickly stand tall as she walked up to them. Steve seemed to give a nod of approval when he took in her uniform. Bucky let his gaze roam the entirety of Allie's body, heat flushing through him.
"So?" she looked down the length of her body before glancing at the two men. "What do you two think? You are soldiers after all."
"You can move easily?" Bucky checked.
"Yes," she nodded. "And there is plenty of pocket space to hold small supplies to patch you all up if needed when out on the field. And it's warm!"
Steve grinned at his younger sister, taking the few steps towards her. "I think blue may be your color," he teased.
"Like star-spangled tights are yours?" she teased. Beside her, Bucky couldn't help but snort with a grin at her teasing. "See, even this jackass agrees."
"You aren't funny," Steve glared at her.
"Oh come on Steve, you try on your uniform now and tell me that you don't look good in the stars and stripes," she continued to tease. "This is how I'll get my sister-in-law."
"You're actually going to let a woman near him?" Bucky's brow rose.
"Of course," she nodded. "Just not the nurses. Don't ask the nurses out on dates."
"Are they the only ones that are off-limits?" Steve rolled his eyes as he continued to take in the small details of his sister's uniform.
"Yes," she nodded. "Besides, what about Agent Carter? You seemed to like her."
"Peggy?" his eyes widened.
"Well, yeah," she nodded. "Don't play dumb. I was there in the plane and I was there when the two of you were talking before you kind of found out that we were pretty sure that James was dead."
"You really thought I was dead?" Bucky's eyes narrowed at her.
"Yes, but clearly I couldn't be that lucky," Allie dismissed him, hearing his muttering of a foul name under his breath. "My brother is right here and can kick your ass."
"He's my best friend. He wouldn't," Bucky brushed off her claim.
"You can both leave me out of that one," Steve rolled his eyes. "Mr. Stark, I'm coming for my uniform next."
"You can call me Howard," Howard popped from around the curtain. "After all, I am supplying you all with these uniforms and the weapons you're going to be using."
"Right," Steve nodded.
Bucky and Allie stood in silence as they waited for Steve to appear in his uniform. Grinning up at her brother as he walked back around, she felt a sense of pride wash over her. It was difficult for her to process just how much life had changed in just the seemingly few short months since they had all left for their respective roles in the war.
Steve came to stand beside her as Bucky went and began to try on his uniform. In an unspoken moment, there was a strong sense of the pride that the three had as the reality became stronger and stronger that they were in fact going to be on a team together. The moment that Bucky had walked out from behind the curtain and joined the two, Howard came from around the curtain as well.
"It looks like they fit all of you just fine," he gave a nod of approval. "I know that they'll want to have documentation of you all in these uniforms."
Calling over to a woman nearby, he instructed for a camera to be brought over as the three were photographed in their uniforms. Allie felt a rush through her body. Every action that was taken created the feeling of finality within her. As the three went to speak with Howard, heels could be heard clicking against the ground, the echo of them growing louder and louder.
"Captain Rogers?" Agent Carter walked into the room as she took in each of the three's appearance in their uniforms. "Well, the timing of these uniforms couldn't be more perfect, Mr. Stark."
"Again, call me Howard," he sighed as he glanced over at her.
"What is it?" Steve glanced at her.
"You're going to want to have a meeting with Colonel Phillips," her lips pressed tightly into a thin line.
"We're about to go to war, aren't we?" Allie glanced at her brother.
"Call an emergency meeting with the other Commandos," Steve kept his gaze on Peggy. "Bucky, Allie, go change and meet me in the conference room."
Neither Bucky nor Allie said a single word as they quickly gathered their clothing and had changed just as the other Commandos made their way into the offices. The air was eerily calm as everyone seemed to look at each other. It was as if the confirmation didn't even need to be vocalized. It couldn't have been known for certain how long everyone simply glanced to one another before Colonel Phillips confirmed that they had found confirmation on one of the locations of Hydra's facilities.
"We leave tomorrow," Steve's voice was calm.
Allie knew what she had agreed to when she had agreed to be the team's medic. She knew what she was signing up for when had begun her lessons with Bucky to learn about the firearms. She knew what she was doing. And still, she found herself feeling a trickle of fear as she thought of it.
And even worse, she was going to have to say goodbye to the friends that she had come to love dearly. For the second time in just a seeming few months, she was having to say goodbye to a sense of comfort that she had developed.
A part of her seemed to harden at the thought.
Notes:
Yeah... So we're not going to be tame in this one. Just be prepared to buckle up 😅
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter Text
The moment that Allie arrived back to the base that evening, she dreaded the moment that she was going to have to tell the girls that she was going to be leaving. However, it seemed that the moment that she walked up to them, they seemed to already know what she would say without her even opening her mouth.
"When do you leave?" the sadness almost seemed to coat poor Evelyn's voice thickly.
"In the morning," Allie swallowed harshly. "I have tonight, but I figure my brother's going to need me for part of the packing."
"Right," Evelyn nodded.
"Do you know where you're going?" Louise's eyes seemed to widen.
"It was a little hectic in there as everyone started going their separate ways, but it sounds like the first facility that was found was the one that is supposed to be in France," she shrugged softly.
"That's one way to see the sights," Mary mumbled.
"Right," Allie gave a huff of a laugh. "The 'sights'."
Footsteps outside the tent alerted them to another's presence as a small greeting was given and Steve and Bucky were in the tent. Both looked at Allie, and she already knew that she was needed for something. Sighing, she gave a small nod. The three other women watched with frowns as Allie walked away with the two men.
"We're going over the medical equipment first and wanted you there to help us go over everything," Steve explained.
"I had a feeling that you would need me for it," she gave him a soft smile.
Howard was standing with one of the doctors that Allie frequently worked alongside in the medical tent. As Allie made her way over, she realized that they were already going through a list of supplies and assuring that they were on one of the Jeeps that had been designated for use by the Howling Commandos. As they noticed her, they gave her friendly smiles and beckoned her over so that she would know what supplies were already being sent with her.
She and the doctor checked over the items, both agreeing that she had ample supplies for whatever may come their way on the battlefield. As the doctor left after being assured that Allie was well taken care of, Howard and Allie stood together. Across the way, Steve and Bucky along with the rest of the Commandos were checking on the supplies of weaponry and provisions for their traveling.
"You know, you're going to really make a mark in history," Howard grinned. "A woman out there fighting? You're an underdog."
"I'm doing what's right," she assured him. "Helping them to do this? It's the right thing."
"And that is what makes you a good person," he smiled. "Now, listen, I'm going to be continuing my work on creating new weapons for all of you, which also means that I am going to be making sure that you have supplies as soon as I find out that you need it."
"Really?" she smiled.
"You all aren't going to be completely on your own out there. I'm always working on new technology. I mean you saw what was there at the Expo," he reminded her.
"I did," she smiled. "We're going to win this war."
"That's the plan," he nodded and with a smile of his own.
Allie took a look around herself and at the supplies that Howard had the S.S.R. had gotten for her. She was well taken care of. Smiling up to the man in front of her, she realized how relaxed he seemed at the moment. It was the last few moments for all of them before their mission really started.
"Thank you, Howard," Allie smiled as she reached up her arms and gave him a large hug.
From where he stood, Bucky felt a rush creep its way up as his neck through his cheeks through the tips of his ears seemed to turn red. He didn't understand it, but he was upset and almost jealous as he watched Howard return Allie's hug. His hand seemed to clutch into a fist before Steve pulled him from his jealousy by asking him to help put the final boxes of supplies on the Jeep.
"Allie, I think that's everything," Steve called out to her.
"Perfect," Allie called back. "I think I'll be heading back to my tent to pack my belongings then."
"Alright. I'll make sure everything is strapped in. Like I said, I should have enough supplies on here for you that you'd be able to take care of an entire army, but nonetheless, if you need any emergency supplies, you send word, and we'll make sure you get it. I'll be in close contact with new weapons when I have developments, so it won't be hard to get everyone taken care of," Howard grinned.
"You know, you're a good man," Allie grinned.
"I wouldn't go that far, but thank you," he teased. "Goodnight Allie."
"Goodnight Howard," she gave a small wave of her hand.
Saying her goodnights to the others and making her way to the tent, Allie found her friends sitting in silence. It was as if a word, any word, was said, the tension would break, and the floodgates would open in the group. Evelyn had already seemed to make herself at home for the night with a blanket and pillow on the ground.
In silence, Allie pulled her bags out and began to pack her bags. One-by-one, the other women stood and joined in helping to put dresses away, carefully placing the pictures Allie had brought together and safely away in one of the cases. As each piece of luggage found its way to the front of the tent for easy access, the women finally found something to say.
"You know, it'll be a lot quieter without you here," Louise confessed.
"It will," Evelyn nodded.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Allie looked between them.
"Well, it's certainly not something we want, that's for damn sure," Mary seemed to crack a grin as if trying to say it in a teasing manner would lighten the air around them.
"I'll miss you all," Allie looked between the three, and the tears began to well along her eyelashes.
"We're going to miss you," Louise allowed herself to cry.
In just a blink of the eye, Louise had made her way over to Allie and wrapped her arms tightly around her. In the warm embrace, another pair of arms wrapped their way around the Allie and Louise as Evelyn buried her head in Allie's back. As Allie looked across the room, her eye met Mary's.
There had been no denying that over the course of time that the women had been at the base with each other that Mary and Allie had been the two that had been the closest. They hadn't been able to explain what made them so close, but they seemed to contact in a way that Allie had never experienced with another woman outside of Rebecca Barnes back in Brooklyn. Mary was Allie's Bucky. The person who knew her the best and was never going to allow her to be in harm's way. The one who would walk with her through a trial and would tease her when the mood needed to be lightened.
Mary frowned, the sob finally finding itself breaking free as she too made her way to Allie and wrapped her arms around her. The group sat as their bodies moved with the sobs, tears staining cheeks and wetting the fabric that sat on each other's dresses. Mary was the first to attempt to straighten herself out, wiping at the tears and looking at Allie.
"You'll take care of yourself, right?" the tears continuing to brim at the edges of Mary's lashes.
"Of course I will," Allie laughed. "Do you know me to not take care of myself? I'm more concerned about keeping the boys intact."
"I bet you are," Mary teased.
"You're not going to do anything rash, right?" Evelyn's eyes widened as she glanced up at Allie.
"I can't make any promises on that," Allie laughed. "I'm a bit of an impulsive person."
"We know," Mary narrowed her eyes. "We all know."
"Geez, you sneak off after your brother to go and help find his best friend one time and everyone thinks you're crazy."
"It was insane!" Mary argued. "Completely incredible and impressive, but insane!"
"The three 'i's'," Louise nodded.
"The three 'i's'?" Allie laughed.
"Yes," Louise nodded.
"By the way, Allie?" Mary sniffed a bit.
"Yes?"
"The girls and I all went to town a while back one day when you were training," Mary seemed to choke back the tears that spilled from her eyes. "We kind of knew that you would be leaving soon, even if we didn't expect it to be quite so soon, and we wanted to make sure you had something to remember us by."
"Remember you by? I'll always remember you three," Allie assured her.
"Well, you'll remember us even better now," Mary grinned as each of the three friends hopped up and took up packaged parcels into their hands.
"Here," Evelyn placed her parcel in Allie's hands.
"What on earth did you buy?" Allie's small laugh seemed to make her three friends smile as she unwrapped the brown paper packaging.
A small box laid in Allie's hand. Carefully taking the lid of the box off, Allie found a beautiful necklace sitting inside. It was a locket in the shape of a heart. Looking up at her, Allie reached over to give her friends a hug.
"I figured that someday when you fall in love, you can put a picture of him in there," Evelyn explained. "But for now, I thought you might like having a pretty heart."
"It's beautiful," Allie assured her. "I love it."
Louise was the next to put her parcel in Allie's hands. Allie opened it carefully to reveal a beautiful glass bottle of perfume. Taking off the lid to smell the fragrance, Allie's smile grew wider. It was floral, reminding her of better days than the ones spent around soldiers who couldn't always get to a shower. Louise too found herself in an embrace from Allie.
The last parcel came from Mary. The gifts from Louise and Evelyn were placed aside, Allie already making plans for the following day to wear the beautiful locket with her day dress, and to wear spritzes of the perfume. Mary gently placed the package in Allie's hands, and as Allie undid the wrapping, her jaws dropped.
It was makeup. Allie recognized the brand names on the makeup. They were not cheap tins of makeup. Mary had gone out of her way to provide Allie with quality. A mascara tin, tubes of lipstick, rouge, color for her brows, Allie was spoiled. Jaw dropping, she looked up to her best friend.
"Mary!" Allie's eyes widened. "You really shouldn't have done this."
"I wanted to make sure that you can always look and feel your finest," Mary grinned. "Besides, I really can't imagine a more satisfying image than you looking and feeling beautiful while kicking a man's ass."
"What am I going to do without you three?" Allie cried with a sad smile.
"Win a war," Evelyn's small grin popped onto her lips.
"And when all of it is said and done, you'll find us and we'll find ways to keep in contact when we all go back home," Mary added.
"And we'll be your bridesmaids when you get married," Louise grinned.
"And that," Mary laughed.
"You three are far too wonderful," Allie smiled and quickly flung her arms around her three friends. "Thank you for being the sisters that I never had."
"Thank you for being here," Mary reminded her. "You're just as much a sister to us as we are to you."
A restless evening found its way to the women who made their attempts to sleep before finally settling together on the ground and sharing stories that they hadn't told before. A few attempts to prod at Allie's loathing of James Buchanan Barnes were made throughout the course of the night, to no avail.
Instead, when the sounds of men talking about a departure sounded from the other side of the fabric of the tent, Allie groaned and made her way to the shower unit. It was early enough in the morning that only a few people were running around the base in last minute preparations before the Commandos left and the base adjusted to having one less nurse.
Arriving back in the tent, Allie picked up the dress she planned on wearing that day and quickly dressed herself. She freshened herself up enough to look alive instead of the walking corpse that she felt she looked like with the lack of sleep that she had had. Mary offered to fix her hair, to which Allie agreed, and even added touches of Allie's new makeup to her face before helping to pack her gift to Allie away. The locket found its way to Allie's neck, just as the perfume seemed to effortlessly become a part of Allie's presence.
Steve's voice was the one quietly requesting Allie as all four women in the tent assured him that they were all awake and that he could enter. He paused for just a moment before Mary rather bluntly told him to "get his ass inside of the tent instead of talking to it like an insane person". He did so, taking in Allie's new necklace. She pointed out the gifts that the girls had gotten her, excited to show off to him.
"That was very nice of you all," he nodded. "Allie you should get your belongings to the Jeep."
"I will, give me a moment to get my shoes on," she nodded in turn.
As Allie took up her luggage and made her way outside and to the Jeep filled with luggage, Steve stayed behind to look at her friends. He wasn't exactly sure how to start the conversation, but he found himself grateful to the group of women that seemed to love his sister dearly. He had never seen her have friends that she cared about the way that she cared about Mary, Evelyn, and Louise. He wondered if, like many soldiers that she had seen, they had bonded through the moments that they shared. What they had seen and gone through together.
"Thank you," he settled on the simple statement as he looked to each of them. "I mean, for watching out for my sister. I appreciate it."
"You have a wonderful sister," Mary assured him. "She may not always show it to everyone, but she has a lot of love in her. Being in this environment can be terrifying, and yet having her here? I felt like I had a piece of home with me from the moment I met her."
"I'm glad to be back with her. She's all I've got," Steve admitted.
"She was really excited when she found out that you were coming to our base that day. She couldn't believe that her brother was Captain America," Evelyn smiled, Steve's smile growing.
"She thought you were stupid for whatever it was you did though," Mary reminded the group and Steve gave a sigh.
"That sounds like Allie," he nodded. "Well, I should rejoin the others."
"You go, we'll follow," Mary nodded. "There's no way in hell that we won't be seeing you all off."
Steve gave a small nod and made his way to the Jeeps filled with Commandos, luggage, and supplies. The Commandos and Allie all stood around the vehicles, all looking comfortable in everyday clothes. Crowds began to gather around them as they said their goodbyes to the group.
Mary, Evelyn, and Louise had caught up with the Commandos, hugging Allie tightly and reminding her to stay safe as she helped the men. As Mary glanced over, she looked Bucky in the eye. As he noticed her, it was almost as if the conversation that they had had in the bar that night was being held once again. He seemed to swallow harshly before looking away from her while the entirety of the team took their seats in the Jeep.
The humming of the Jeep was all that could be heard as they made their way away from the base. As she sat between Bucky and Steve, Allie looked at her lap where she had her hands folded. Bucky glanced over at her from the corner of his eye. She was sad, her frown plain to see on her lips. He felt guilty when he remembered that while he still had Steve, she had just said her goodbyes to her best friends for the second time in less than a year.
Glancing over to Steve, he gave a small nod to Allie. Thinking quickly, the two eliminated the silence in the Jeep. Stories were bouncing around the group before long, quickly distracting Allie as she listened, laughed, and more importantly smiled.
As she listened to the stories, Allie's hand clasped around the locket around her neck. Looking around her, she felt the weight of their situation on her shoulders. She knew that her life was officially never going to be the same.
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"Shit," Allie mumbled as she found herself accidentally breaking a tree branch as the Commandos arrived at the Hydra facility. Steve glanced back at his sister for a moment as if to scold her, her small roll of her eyes indicating that she thought he needed to just continue guiding them along the way.
Bucky walked beside Allie, his rifle close to his body as Allie's sat in their holsters. He glanced down once or twice to make sure that she continued to walk along the path. The other men in the team had started to become accustomed to Allie and Bucky constantly butting heads as they worked in the team. Dugan seemed to hold his breath as he watched the two walking side-by-side just ahead of him.
"Alright," Steve's voice was soft as the came to a halt on a hill. "You all know where you need to go."
A soft, almost silent chorus of yeses and nods sounded off between the group as they looked to him. He gave a small look to his sister as she brushed a few stray strands of hair from her eyes. As far as the plan was concerned, Steve was taking Dugan as his second-in-command inside of the facility with the other men leading an offensive attack outside. Bucky was acting as a sniper up on the hill, already setting up his sniper rifle in a position that faced the facility. Allie was instructed to remain hidden, mainly due to Steve's still being worried about his younger sister being in the way of danger.
"You stay hidden, you don't make a sound," Steve instructed. "Only show yourself if you absolutely must."
"Right," she nodded.
As the others made their way into their respective positions, Allie was left behind next to Bucky. He had begun to settle himself onto his stomach, waiting for the moment that the action down below began. Allie crossed her arms across her chest as if impatient. In the different pockets of her tactical pants, she had medical equipment. As time seemed to stretch on longer, Bucky gave a soft roll of his eyes and almost a huff of a scoff.
"You heard what Steve said, right?" he questioned as he still watched the scene below.
"Yes," she nodded.
"You know he'll be pissed if you go down there now," he continued.
"I know."
"You're going to do it anyway, aren't you?"
"Yes," Allie gave a small shrug.
"Then what are you waiting for? If you don't leave now, you'll miss the fun," Allie could have sworn that the words that had just left his lips were meant to be a gentle tease towards her.
"If only I had a baton again this time," she smirked over at him.
"If only," he nodded.
Allie took a deep breath as she looked down at the scene and battle that had just begun. Her focus became sharp as she slowly made her way down further to the fighting. She could hear the grunts and yells from men on both sides, waiting as she heard as bodies collided with the ground.
Breathing softly and silently, she felt her heart pound with anticipation. She crept closer and closer to the scene, peeking around a tree to see what was happening. She could see the fighting and the way that the Commandos were outnumbered. More importantly, she saw how her ragtag misfit group that was widely outnumbered somehow was able to take agent after agent down to the ground.
A small smile crept its way to her lips before a crunch sounded from underneath her. She looked down quickly and realized that she had snapped a branch. Horror began to flood through her as she quickly hid behind the tree. Footsteps came closer and closer as she stood in her spot, readying herself for a fight. Her breathing became faster and faster as the man from Hydra came to be on her side.
Elbow colliding with face, Allie managed to cause the man to stumble back as he grunted. She had to think fast, she knew that much. The only problem was that she needed to figure out a way to safely get around the armed man. She settled on a glance to the ground where she saw a large rock sitting not too far from her. Bending down and scooping it up, she turned to face the agent was now charging back at her.
For the second time the man's face was hit. Allie slammed the rock into his nose, hearing his cry of pain and knowing that other agents were going to know about her existence. Deciding on facing the men instead of hiding from them and having herself cornered, she decided to pull out one of her pistols. She shot the agent that had gone after her as she ran off into the clearing where the fighting was taking place.
She quickly found herself outnumbered as agents made their way towards her. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, training with Bucky leading up to their departure from the base had been a huge help. She found that was much more accurate than she would have been without the help. The only thing that shattered her growing confidence was the moment she heard her gun clicking as she realized that it was empty. She quickly patted in her pockets looking for her extra rounds or other pistol.
When she looked up, she could see an agent with his gun pointed at her. For a moment, she wondered if that was the moment. She was either about to be wounded or dead, and she didn't know which one she would have rather had in that moment. But before she could be hurt, a figure stepped in front of her and defended her. Watching the agent's body crumple to the ground, she was about to utter a thank you before realizing who had stepped in front of her.
It had been Bucky. He had left his post and was now working alongside her, defending her. She felt agitation and an embarrassment flood through her as she realized that he was choosing to stay beside her. Her face flushed as she realized that yet again, he was somehow showing that he believed that he was better than her.
In the time that they had both been with the Commandos, it had become even more apparent that Allie and Bucky did not like each other. Comments would be spat at one another each day, even if there was no real reason for them to have been hostile. Many times, the rest of the men would look to Steve as if they were begging him to end the arguments. On one occasion, Allie had made breakfast which everyone apart from Bucky had eaten. He had made a passing comment that he didn't trust the food that Allie had prepared and made his own meal, burning his food in the process.
Allie had gone on to snap at him for making comments about her food, one of the things she had prided herself on back in Brooklyn, and for having wasted supplies by going and making a new meal for himself. Each had called the other arrogant and selfish, the other Commandos groaning and pulling the two away from the other to keep them distracted. Dugan had assured Allie that her food was plenty good while Gabe had looked at Bucky and told him to just eat the last portion of the breakfast that she had made.
"Would you stop!" Allie hissed as Bucky came to be back-to-back with her.
"You need someone watching your back," he hissed back. "We need our medic to make it out alive."
"You're bringing more attention to me by being next to me!" she argued.
"Well, you're the only woman out here, it's a little hard to bring more attention to you," he countered.
Through their arguments, they were found by a few more Hydra agents. Allie's eyes widened for a moment, but it didn't take long for her to jump back into the way she had fought that night that she and Steve had found the P.O.W.s. Bucky himself was fighting off an agent as he heard the sounds of Allie reaching for her pistols.
"You know, you can take their batons if you reach for it," Bucky reminded her.
"I know that," she hissed. "I'm not stupid."
"What? I didn't say that," he hissed back. "Don't put words in my mouth."
"You know, you wouldn't have to even worry about me if you would have stayed in your position," she spat and turned to face him. "I don't need to be babysat."
"I'm not babysitting," he frowned. "I'm saving your ass from getting killed on the first mission."
"And how exactly do you think that you're doing that?" Allie paused for a moment. Behind her, an agent had taken notice of her shift of focus and decided to ambush her. Bucky quickly realized what was going on, raised his firearm, and shot the man before he could reach her. Spinning on her heel, her eyes widened at the man's limp body. Turning back to Bucky, she thought of saying thank you, but instead was frustrated that he seemed to show off once more. "I could have gone deaf!"
"Oh please," he rolled his eyes as he lowered the pistol he held. "It wasn't next to your ear. You're fine."
"Fuck you," she hissed and walked off, lowering herself down to the ground long enough to scoop up the agent's baton.
"Same to you!" he hissed at her back.
A yell from the side pulled their attention as Jim fell to the ground. He had been shot in the arm, his free and uninjured hand flying up to apply pressure. As Allie registered what had happened, she bolted across the field to him. Bucky watched as she managed to pull small supplies from her pockets as she knelt beside Jim.
"You really wanted to be the first to be patched up, didn't you?" she teased Jim.
"That was exactly what I was wanting," he nodded with a groan.
"I thought as much," she gave a small grin. "Here, let me see your arm."
Jim did as she instructed, watching the scene around them as she quickly went to work trying to give him aid on the battlefield. Her eyes would glance up as she took notice of the agents that were becoming increasingly aware of her presence on the field. Many blinked at the sight of her before jumping into action to go after both Allie and Jim. At the sight of one running at Allie, as she went to reach for her pistol, her baton, anything that she could use to defend herself and Jim, Bucky found his legs moving before his mind could catch up with the movement.
"Help him," Bucky instructed her. "I'll take care of this."
And he did just that. As Allie finished patching up Jim's arm and helped him to stand, Bucky defended her, watching her back as she worked. As soon as she had finished, she was already taking hold of her pistol and placing her back against Bucky's as she helped finish off a row of agents.
The familiar face of Steve running up to them and looking between the two before looking down at Jim on the ground was a pleasant greeting to the two. That was before his brows furrowed and he glanced at Bucky.
"Why did you leave your post?" he questioned.
"Your sister," Bucky nodded.
"I didn't need help," Allie hissed.
"Well, someone needed to watch your back with you running out here to fight," Bucky's tone was as harsh as his retort was quick.
"You came down to join in the fight?" Steve glanced at Allie.
"I'm wasted if I don't help you," Allie reminded him. "I might be a medic, but I will remind you about how I was able to fight off a Nazi or two back at that facility. I can fight, so I'm doing just that."
"We're going to talk about this later," Steve sighed. "Dugan and I are headed in, you two stay with the others out here to make sure nothing threatens our mission. You two got it?"
"Crystal clear," Allie nodded.
"We've got this. You go," Bucky nodded.
As the ground began to clear of actively participating Hydra agents, Bucky kept watch over Allie as she helped Jim up and over to a hiding spot where he could rest while they waited for the others. Bucky and Allie along with the others finished off the field while they waited to see Dugan and Steve emerge from the building.
The minutes seemed to be as long as they did short before the two Commandos emerged with men that were thrown to the ground. They had captured and defeated the facility. All that was left was destroying it. And so, they did.
Allie left that day realizing that she had done it. She had made it through her first official mission as a Howling Commando.
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Drinking and ruckus laughter filled the safehouse as they celebrated their first successful mission. While the men hadn't done much apart from taking off their jackets off, Allie had decided to change into a dress, preferring to be comfortable as the Commandos invited her to dance along to the music that came from the record player that sat in their safehouse. From where he sat with a glass of bourbon, Bucky seemed to roll his eyes at the sight of Allie.
He couldn't stop hearing Mary's words to him that night in the bar as he found himself staring at her. He was annoyed. It was as plain as that. He thought it was ridiculous that she had completely changed her outfit in order to dance around. It was unnecessary. As she parted from Gabe who had invited her to dance, Allie made her way into the kitchen. Finishing his glass, Bucky decided to go into the kitchen as well.
"You know, isn't it a bit ridiculous to dirty a dress after having been out fighting?" Bucky rolled his eyes as he grabbed the bottle of bourbon and poured himself another drink.
"Are you serious? We're celebrating taking down a facility and you're more concerned about me being in a dress right now?" she scoffed. "You really are a jackass, you know that?"
"Me? A jackass? Should I remind you who was watching your back out there? Oh, that's right," he leaned in. "It was me."
"What's going in here?" Steve walked into the kitchen.
"Ask him," Allie's cheeks began to heat with frustration.
"Are you two seriously arguing right now? God, you two need to stop always trying to find a reason to argue," Steve hissed at the two. "You're on a team with each other now. Act like it."
"We weren't fighting!" Allie argued. "We were extremely professional out there."
"And back here? The rest of us have to deal with your behavior whenever we come back after a fight out there," Steve narrowed his eyes at her. "We have to be able to focus on what our objective is. We can't be constantly walking on eggshells in an attempt to not have the two of you starting up your feud again."
"Steve," Bucky's voice almost sounded defeated as he rolled his eyes at his best friend.
"No," Steve shook his head. "You two have a conversation and figure this out. We're not dealing with you behaving like this anymore."
It was the only time that Allie or Bucky could remember Steve being angry enough about something that he became harsh with them before turning on his heel and leaving. Both almost stared at him in shock, jaws slightly dropped as they watched him leave. It was almost as if he left them flustered.
Turning around to face each other as they seemed to only be able to blink in confusion, Allie found herself clearing her throat. Thinking to herself for a moment, she decided to appease her brother for once. Turning towards Bucky, she felt herself swallow harshly before she let out a breath.
"Well, I'm not going to be friends with you," Allie frowned. "But I can be civil. Do you think you can handle that?"
"Handle that?" he rolled his eyes at her. "I can behave far better than you."
"Right," she laughed in disbelief. "Sure you can."
"Alright, well, here's the deal. I propose an amendment to our agreement we made the night before I left for the war," Bucky crossed his arms across his chest.
"What kind of amendment?" her eyes narrowed just a bit at him.
"Well, we made the deal that we would both make it back to Brooklyn for Steve's sake," he began as Allie gave a slight nod of her head. "I think that now we should put aside our differences long enough to stop Hydra."
"We're not friends," she gave him a skeptical nod.
"Right," he agreed. "Definitely not friends. But if we can agree to both make it back for Steve's sake, we can agree to work together for Steve's sake."
"That means no taunting me," she reminded him.
"And no taunting me either," he countered. "We would be teammates, we would work together effectively, but we don't have to do anything too out of the ordinary for us."
"I think I can go along with that," she tilted her head to the side.
Bucky gave a firm nod before reaching his hand out to be in between himself and Allie. She blinked for a moment before letting out a low breath and taking his hand in hers. A firm shake happened between the two in their moment of agreement before they seemed to snatch their hands back.
Allie was startled by how warm she felt Bucky's hand had been. There was almost a selfish part of her that had wished he had had his hand in hers for a moment longer. The concept and thought confused her. How could she possibly go from telling him that she still wouldn't be his friend if they got along to wishing his warmth was pressed against her.
Bucky was surprised at the heat and flush he felt in his neck as he shook her hand. It was a silly thought to him. There was nothing spectacular or unique about shaking Allie's hand, but it seemed to have linked with his like a puzzle piece. He hated to admit it, but in the days that had passed since Mary had confronted him in the bar about the way that he treated and looked at Allie, he found himself constantly questioning his own thoughts and behavior.
He hadn't spoken a word to anyone else the way that he had never been truly annoyed at Allie when teaching her how to use the firearms that had been in the shooting range. It was true that when she would be fiery and agitated, her words coming out sharp as knives in his direction, he would become annoyed with her. Yet, when it came down to being around her, he had never been upset about her being in the room.
He didn't think that Mary's idea of him desiring Allie had merit. He frankly found the thought silly. And yet, once or twice he found Allie captivating his thoughts. He wondered if there was a small part of him that actually did want to be friends with her despite both saying that reality was quite the opposite. He wondered what would happen if he were nice to her. Would she be nice in return? Or would it just prompt her to be even more agitated with him?
Allie hadn't told anyone about the way Mary had confronted her about Bucky a few nights before she left with the Commandos. The way that Mary had told her to be careful about rash judgements. Mary seemed to know her better in the short months of having become best friends than anyone else. Even Louise and Evelyn didn't seem to read Allie the way that Mary did. Allie supposed that that was a blessing and a curse in and of itself.
As Allie settled into her bed that night, happy to finally be in a nightgown instead of her tactical gear from the fight, she began to think about what Mary had said to her. It had only been a seemingly short week since she had said goodbye to the women that she had come to consider dear to her. Yet every night, just before she finally succumbed to sleep, Allie would think of Mary's talking to her.
"Allie?" Mary had asked as she brushed her hair, freeing any tangles that may have developed from her structured style from the entirety of the day.
"Yes?" Allie turned to face her, the two being the only ones in the tent as they waited for Louise to return for the evening.
"I'd like to ask you something, and I want you to be completely honest with me," Mary seemed to walk over and gently perch herself on Allie's cot beside her. Allie only raised her brow in response which Mary took as a sign to continue her question. "Why do you hate James so much?"
"What?" Allie's eyes widened. "I just do."
"But why?" Mary pressed. "You've told me that you think he's annoying, but why do you hate him the way that you hate him? Has he ever done something to wrong you?"
"He and I didn't exactly meet in the best way," Allie admitted. "He had helped my brother when it came to an incident with bullies, and when the two walked up the path to our house I assumed that he had been the bully and was bringing the trouble home. Words were exchanged and I threw my shoe at him. When I found out what had actually happened, I tried to apologize, and he instead told me to 'be less crazy'."
"How old were you at the time?" Mary cocked her head to the side.
"I was twelve. He was fourteen," Allie remembered. "I looked to Steve for help and instead he gave me the cold shoulder. I don't think that I can exactly blame him when it comes to that. After all, James was the first boy to look and be friends with him instead of view him as a target. But, when James said that to me, it made me cry. I went inside and was so hurt that when he tried to apologize, I didn't accept the apology."
"So, you two are just stubborn jackasses?" Mary's brow rose.
"Mary!" Allie hissed.
"I am just stating the facts," Mary shrugged. "I just don't understand how the two of you can be hostile towards one another when it's so clear and plain to see that you are capable of getting along. He defended you when it came to Hodge harassing you when you returned to the base with all of the soldiers. You immediately took him to patch him up after that confrontation."
"And your point is?"
"Are you sure that this entire time you've really hated him?" Mary posed the question and Allie simply blinked.
"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Allie's caution was evident as she narrowed her eyes at Mary.
"I mean, have you considered that you may be hostile because of something else? Is it something where you feel like being hostile is easier than accepting how you actually feel about him?" Mary posed.
"Mary, why are we talking about this?"
"Because I won't be there on all of those missions to listen to you vent out all your frustrations. I won't be there to help you or give you advice," Mary's sigh was heavy as she reached out and took Allie's hand in her own. "So, I'm going to give you advice now and you better listen to it."
"And what's that advice?" Allie almost seemed tired and defeated.
"I think there's more to how you feel about him than you're letting on. You should at least work together with him while you're on this team," Mary began. "You don't have to be best friends with him or anything, but I think you both are too busy trying to be right and too busy trying to avoid apologizing to the other to realize that you can in fact be friends. You both have skills that are valuable to the team. You should be focusing on that instead of the arguments."
Allie laid back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling in her room as the sounds of the men continued from down the halls of the safehouse. They seemed merry and ruckus, happy to have had a successful first mission. She knew that she now had this agreement between herself and Bucky. Was it going to make things easier? Were they going to be able to successfully continue on their missions without fighting?
Frowning at her ceiling, she found that it was restless night.
Notes:
This last semester is trying to kill me, isn't it 🥴
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter Text
Waking up in the morning, Allie found herself making her way into the kitchen. Starting a breakfast for the whole of the Commandos, she hummed softly to herself in an attempt to wake up further. Coffee began brew, something that Allie was grateful that they had even gotten their hands on to begin with.
The day ahead of them was one of rest. Allie was aware that meetings were going to be happening as each factory and facility was defeated, strategies needing to be devised as to not be predictable to Hydra. She was just happy that for once, she believed that she was going to find some form of peace.
One-by-one the men found themselves walking down and finding Allie searching through a box of supplies in an attempt to find dishes for everyone. Steve jumped beside his sister to help her find what she needed, and for both siblings, it was reminiscent of their home in Brooklyn. It was a small glimmer of comfort for a moment.
"Allie, you are too good to us," Dugan smiled at her.
"Well, considering I don't know how well you all cook? And I know for a fact that one of you," she looked around before muttering Bucky's name under her breath, "burns the food every time that he cooks."
"You should be glad he didn't hear that," Steve rolled his eyes at his sister.
"He burns food and he knows it," Allie shrugged. "His sisters told me about how their mom would constantly chase him from the room if he had offered to help cook a meal."
"It's true," Steve admitted as he looked around at the men.
"Good morning," Bucky's voice rang out as he joined the others. "What's that smell?"
"Food," Dugan grinned up at him. "Good food at that."
"Not burnt," Gabe joined in grinning at Bucky.
"You burn a meal you made for Mother's Day one time and no one lets you live it down," he mumbled as he walked over and made himself a plate.
"Allie was nice enough to cook this morning," Steve pointed out.
Bucky looked at the food, to Allie, and then around at the table. Quickly realizing that everyone at the table was waiting for his remark to the person that they knew he was constantly bickering with, he rolled his eyes in a dramatic fashion. Walking to the pan of hot breakfast, he made himself a plate and sat at the table. Eyes around the kitchen watched him take his first bites of the breakfast, Allie taking a drink of her coffee and waiting for his comments.
Slowly, Bucky realized that the room was still watching him. Frowning as he finished chewing a bite of food, he swallowed and reached for a glass of water. Tipping the glass in Allie's direction, he gave a small shrug and took a drink of water.
"She's a good cook," he spoke as he shrugged. At the continued silence, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "If you'd all stop staring at me like I grew an extra head, you could have some hot breakfast. Now eat up and leave me be."
Taking another drink of her coffee, Allie hid her smirk behind her mug. There was a satisfaction in knowing that he couldn't make a remark about her cooking. As she herself sat at the table and began to eat, she felt the gazes of the room turn to her. Her skin felt as if it were burning as she felt a course of a sense of panic hit her.
"Why is everyone looking at me now?" she frowned.
"Well, he just said that you're a good cook," Gabe smirked. "And you are, by the way."
"Yes, I heard him," her brows furrowed together. "What does that have to do with me?"
Beside her, Steve sat down with his own plate. Giving a small cough, Allie quickly turned to glare at him as she heard the word "manners" being coughed out. Bucky had glanced up and looked between Steve and Allie. Realization hit him and as he took another bite of his breakfast, a smirk of his own settled on his lips. Knowing what her brother's request was, Allie sat back in her seat and allowed a small smirk of her own paint across her lips.
"He never said it to me," she reminded the men. "I'm just 'she'."
The men watched the exchange, Gabe himself snickering in his seat. Steve turned to his sister, surprised by her reaction. Bucky kept his eyes trained on her, studying her as looked directly back at him. Sitting up taller, he took in a deep breath.
"You're a good cook," Bucky kept himself from grimacing at admitting that he liked the food that she had made and from giving a fake smile.
"Thank you," Allie grinned. She felt her satisfaction settle as she took in the smirks and snickers of the men around the table. There had been witnesses to Bucky admitting that she had made a good breakfast.
For the time being, Steve had decided to accept the interaction between the two. It had been far better than what he could have expected, especially with what he had witnessed the day before. For just a moment, he allowed himself to think back on the times they had been at odds with one another in the past. Granted, that had been most times in the past. He barely remembered a time when Allie and Bucky were not arguing. He wondered if talking to them in a calmer manner would help any more than his scolding after they had been celebrating their victory in France.
Conversation bubbled around the room, life filling the kitchen on a cold morning. Allie kept to her coffee, adding to the conversation at her leisure. Bucky kept his eyes trained on his plate of food, every once in a while glancing up and studying Allie from across the table. She was at ease, comfortable in the same way that she always was back in Brooklyn.
One-by-one, the same men that had filtered down into the kitchen to eat the food that had been cooked left the room for their bedrooms once again. Steve made a quiet promise to his sister that he would eventually come downstairs to go over strategy and travel plans with her. Allie had given him a small nod, but turned her focus to cleaning the kitchen.
Bucky looked at her for a moment before Steve stopped beside him. Leaning towards him, Steve gave him a simple request to not start any arguments when he was out of the room. Bucky assured his best friend that that wasn't anything that he was interested in that morning.
"We're adults," Bucky shrugged. "We don't need a babysitter."
"Are you sure about that?" Steve winced.
"I'm positive," Bucky rolled his eyes. "You go and do what you need to."
"Alright," and although he may have said it, Steve's expression gave away that he still felt skeptical. Still, he left the room, leaving both Bucky and Allie in the room with each other.
Watching her from where he stood, Bucky swallowed harshly as he noticed that very softly, Allie hummed to herself while she worked. That was until she finally turned and noticed him still standing across the room from her. The immediate silence was almost deafening to Bucky. After their conversation the previous night, he had thought about the night in the factory and the way Allie had defended him. Although his pride hated to admit it, he knew that he would be lying if he said that he didn't feel guilty about not properly thanking her for saving his life when they were escaping. He figured after they agreed to get along for Steve's sake was the best moment to being grateful for the gesture, even if she didn't accept it.
"Allison?" Bucky glanced over at her as she continued to clear the dirty dishes from the table.
"Yes?" her eyes flicked up to look at him for just a short moment.
"I wanted to say thank you," the words that had just a moment prior seemed so heavy now floated off the tip of his tongue.
"Thank you? For what?" Allie stood tall and let her full attention settle on him.
"For saving me that night at the factory," he swallowed harshly. "I never really thanked you for not leaving me for dead."
"I never gave you a proper thank you for defending me against Hodge when we got back to the base," Allie sighed.
"You did say thank you," he reminded her. "I remember you saying it."
"I didn't really mean it," she admitted, looking down at her shoes as if that would make it any easier to admit. "But, it was nice of you, I suppose, to tell him off like that."
"He was wrong about you," Bucky shrugged. "I saw a side of you that night in the factory that I don't know I've ever seen before. You were brave and confident, and that is something that I don't think a lot of those men could have shown in that factory."
"You thought I was brave and confident?" Allie smirked.
"Don't let it go to your head," he rolled his eyes. "Remember, we said we would get along for Steve's sake, not become best friends or anything."
"But you thought I was brave and confident," Allie grinned. "I was honestly scared out of my mind to tell you the truth."
"I was too," he nodded. "But I wasn't surprised that Steve came after all of us. And I suppose there is a small part of me that wasn't surprised that you followed after him. It was almost like that was the only way that that night could have happened."
"I'm just glad that you were there and alive," she admitted as she turned back to the dirty dishes, turning on the tap water and checking the temperature before taking the dishes in her hand and beginning to wash them.
At Allie's admission, Bucky felt warmth wash over him. She had been happy that he was okay. As okay as he could have been in the position that he had been in. He barely remembered much of that room apart from the moment he was pulled from his haze by Allie and Steve. As her back was turned away from him, he let a small smile grace his lips before it turned into a smirk that Allie happened to notice when she turned to grab another dish.
"Don't let that go to your head," she teased. "We had a deal, remember?"
"Here," Bucky walked over and grabbed a dry rag. "Let me help you."
"Really? Okay," she grinned and handed him a dish. "Now why are you helping me?"
"Call it a bonding activity," Bucky shrugged. "Maybe it'll get the others off our asses for a while."
"'Oh? They're doing something and not yelling at each other?'" Allie mocked their teammates.
"'They're washing dishes? The scandal!'" Bucky joined in the teasing.
Soft footsteps bounded down the staircase as Steve walked downstairs to find Allie and Bucky to discuss the plans that were in place following the success of their mission. As his lips parted to call out their names, he heard their voices talking. He stopped just beside the archway into the kitchen, listening in to the banter between his best friend and his sister.
"You know, Dugan told me that when you and Steve broke them out of their cells that when you were asked about who you were, you said that you were Miss America," Bucky grinned. "He said you said that with all the confidence in the world. Made him laugh."
"I could have won," she shrugged with a suppressed grin.
"Right," he nodded. "I can't imagine the shock on their faces when you were one of the two who broke them out. A woman."
"A nurse," Allie reminded him. "Although, that day, Steve had come to perform with the U.S.O. and I had been given the day off to watch him in that performance."
Steve peeked into the room to watch the two. He remembered reuniting with Allie at that base after what had happened. He was rather embarrassed that his sister had to witness that afternoon. On the other hand, he was glad that she was there. It helped him to feel less alone over on the frontlines that day.
"Do you ever wish you had been born a man?" Bucky blurted out.
"I beg your pardon?" Allie's jaw dropped, her head instantly turning towards him. From behind the archway, Steve disappeared before he could witness another argument. He had made the decision that he could talk to them in a while when things had cooled off. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, you always have jumped into a fight without hesitation. You've always been willing to defend those that need it," Bucky explained quickly, almost as if he was stumbling over his own words when looking at her appalled face. "The world isn't ready for a woman to be the one who's brave. I just... I didn't know if you ever wish that you were in a different position in life."
"Do you?" she countered as she turned off the tap and reached for a second dry rag to dry her hands.
"Do I what?"
"Wish that your position in life were different?" she explained as she studied his body language. He had stiffened a tad, seemingly guarded in the moment. "I know that you never wanted to go to war. If you had your choice, you would be back in Brooklyn with Steve and your family."
"I do wish that life was different," he admitted. "And you are right. If I could choose, we would all be back home. This war wouldn't exist, families being torn apart by it would be all together, there wouldn't be a need for the Commandos because there was no war."
"I don't wish that I were a man," Allie swallowed harshly. "I wish that we were in a world where women were taken more seriously."
"What do you mean?" Bucky watched as Allie went back to the table and sat at it, propping her elbows against the wood and picking at her nails.
"I mean that you and my brother might think that I'm brave and courageous. Other men think that I'm mad," she frowned. "Women have been put in asylums for much less than what I have done in just the last month."
"Allison," Bucky spoke her name softly.
"No, I know that I behave rashly sometimes," she admitted. "I do things that could get me into massive trouble and that sometimes the only saving grace that I have is my brother. Until you said what you said earlier this morning, I thought that you thought I was mad. Just like every other man."
"Men like Hodge think that way," Bucky assured her as he sat beside her. "Smart men? Now smart men realize that a woman can change anything that she sets her mind to. You and Agent Carter are perfect examples of that. You both can scare a grown man into acting right."
"You're being awfully nice to me right now," Allie pointed out with a sad smile.
"I can not like you and still be nice to you," Bucky shrugged.
"You still don't like me?" Allie feigned hurt.
"I didn't say that," he shrugged once more.
"Do you not like me a little less?" she teased.
"Possibly. But that might be because that really was a good breakfast," he teased and stood from his seat. Walking to the staircase that led to the bedrooms, he paused for a moment and leaned against the doorway. "You should never let anyone make you feel like you're irrational. You are brave, courageous, and far more competent than many of the men that are out on that battlefield right now. And your brother knows that too. He just gets upset that you jump into danger because you're his little sister."
"Would you be mad at your sisters for jumping into danger like me?" she glanced up at him, her eyes soft for a moment.
"Hell yeah," Bucky grinned. "But if they are anything like you when in a fight? I'd sure as hell be just as proud."
With a final gentle grin in her direction, Bucky had turned on his heel and his footsteps could be heard going up the stairs. Allie sat there puzzled as she thought about what had just taken place. It was as if the two had been writing in a journal of sorts and letting out emotions that they had both been keeping inside. It was unusual for her. It was different than what she was used to when she interacted with him.
Allie was, however, almost convinced that she liked this different.
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It had been decided that the Commandos were to be staying in the safe house that they had found in France into the new year. Allie had found that a moment of stability was welcomed by all that had been in the house together. None were keen on the idea of having to be nomads for very long, and she knew that before long, that would be their life. She had faith in her brother and the strategists that he worked with that they would make quick work when it came to defeating Hydra's bases.
In the time that they had been in the safe house, the team had worked on getting to know one another better. That included learning about each other's backgrounds in the war and about the person sitting in front of them. It was something that Allie was grateful for. It made it much clearer that they were all human beings at the end of the day. The men around them were more surprised that Allie and Bucky had fallen away from arguing than that they were all beginning to become friends to one another.
Christmas itself was soon going to be upon the Commandos. They had a week until the holiday was upon them. Allie had often found herself sad when thinking about what the holidays were like back home in Brooklyn. She would often find herself in the Barnes home as they made delicious sweet treats, even helping out to make the sweet treats when it was her day off from the hospital.
After having lost their mother, Steve and Allie found themselves more attached to one another when it came to the holidays. There was something that felt so sad while so happy when it came to things like Christmas. The two always found a way to stay cheerful, even in spite of missing the way their mother would encourage them to help her to make a Christmas dinner and would do her best when it came to gifts for her children.
At breakfast, Steve had announced to the Commandos that they would be needing a group of them to go to meet with the S.S.R. to look at what Howard Stark had been working on. The group had been excited, but Allie found herself filled with thoughts about Christmas. She knew that had the men been out on the frontlines, they would have no true way to celebrate the holiday. She wondered if there was a way that she could bring a bit of Christmas cheer to the house.
Glancing outside the window, Allie took notice of the forest. There were plenty of trees out there. Some were taller than others, some were smaller than her. She wondered what the men would say if she brought a tree inside for them to have. Thinking to herself, she made the decision to stay at the house that day.
At her announcement, the men looked at her in shock. A part of Steve thought that Allie would have wanted to join them in what they were doing that day. After hearing her assurances that she did in fact want to stay behind for the day, Steve began to insist that someone needed to stay behind with her.
As the men debated about who would stay with Allie, Jim decided to go to the cleaning supplies, tearing seven straws from the broom, each a different length. Ignoring the glare from Allie has she watched a broom being defaced, the men decided to draw straws. Deciding it was annoying to be treated like a chore in that manner, Allie decided to instead clean up the room from breakfast.
"Look's like you're staying here Barnes," Dugan's voice almost held an amusement in it.
"Looks like I am," Bucky agreed.
Bucky watched the other men as they prepared themselves for a trip and along with Allie said goodbye for the day. Deciding to make the most of his time in what he figured would be a calmer and quieter day, Bucky took to laying on the sofa in the living room. That was until after a period of time, he heard what sounded like clattering of some kind near the back door. Confused, he stood and went to look down the hall. He found Allie in her tactical pants putting on and fastening buttons on her coat.
"What do you think that you're doing?" Bucky's voice boomed from the end of the hall.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Allie continued to button her coat.
"It looks like you were about to try and leave the house without letting me know. You know, I'm meant to be making sure nothing happens to you," he reminded her.
"I don't need a babysitter," she hissed. "I appreciate having someone around since there is safety in numbers, but I don't need to be chaperoned when I do any little thing."
"Then where are you planning on going?" he crossed his arms across his chest as he walked towards her slowly.
"Outside," she shrugged. "Hence the coat I have on now."
"I'm coming with you."
"What? No," she shook her head. "You don't have to do that."
"Too bad," he shrugged as he took his coat and began to put it on himself. "I wasn't really giving you a choice. And we're going to want to grab a pistol each."
"What? Why?" she furrowed her brows at him.
"In case something happens out there? You should know better than to go outside without protection," he frowned at her.
Walking over to the wall beside the back door, Allie picked up the ax that the men had been using to chop down trees in order to use for firewood in the house's living room. Bucky's eyes widened at her as his mouth opened just a tad.
"What are you doing with that?" he sputtered.
"Protection," she mocked.
"Get a pistol," he glared.
"Fine," she huffed as she sat the ax down and opened a case of weapons, handing Bucky a pistol before taking one for herself. Both loaded their pistols before Allie adjusted her coat once again.
"Good god," Bucky sighed. "If you're like this, it's better that I do go outside with you."
Frowning, she gave a small another huff. For not liking her, he was becoming awfully attached to her hip in the moment. And that small act of being attached at her hip? It was beginning to get in the way of her plan to surprise all of the Commandos, Bucky included, with a tree for Christmas. Sighing to herself as she took up the ax in her hand once more, she silently led the way outside.
"Seriously, what the hell do you need that for?" Bucky's eyes widened. "We have plenty of firewood at the moment if that's what you're concerned about right now."
"That's not what this is for," she rolled her eyes.
"Are you planning a murder? I don't think that's the best idea when you're fighting Nazis," he laughed.
"I really didn't want you to be with me when I was doing this."
"Is it serious?" Bucky's eyes widened before scrunching as he tried to think about the possibilities that would be causing her to take an ax out into the forest.
Allie hadn't given him an answer. Instead, she remained quiet as she walked through the snow that crunched underneath her boots. Behind her, Bucky frowned at her back. He hadn't exactly wanted to accept silence as an answer, and yet he knew that in that moment, that was all that Allie would be giving him.
Trudging through the snow, Allie sized up the trees that surrounded them. Confused behind her, Bucky glanced up around the trees, curious as to what she wanted with them. Taking longer strides, he made his way to being side-by-side. Grinning down at her, he gave a sigh.
"Are you trying to stockpile firewood or something? I already told you that we have plenty," he teased.
"You think you're funny, don't you?" she glared at him.
"I do," he nodded. "But I would like to know why you decided to bring an ax out here."
Allie stopped in her tracks and turned to him. Studying his face, Bucky's grin began to fade as he looked between her eyes and the ax in her hands. Turning towards the direction of the safe house that the Commandos had been staying in, he risked a cheeky comment.
"Are you bringing me out here to murder me?"
"Ass," she muttered. "I already told you that I didn't want you to be with me out here for this."
"But why?"
Allie gave a small sigh and looked down at her feet. Bucky had shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat and cocked his head to the side to look at her. He watched as she seemed to weigh something in her mind for a moment before she took in a breath and looked back up at him.
"I wanted to bring a little Christmas into the house," she admitted. "I was going to surprise everyone with a tree, and that included you."
"Me?" Bucky felt a warmth wash over him, a small, genuine smile spreading slowly on his lips. "You wanted to surprise me too?"
"I did," she nodded. "Which was why I was hoping that they wouldn't stick one of you with me."
"But Allison, it's too dangerous to leave you here on your own. What if someone figured out our hiding spot? You know, you're our medic, but you're also Steve's sister. You're valuable."
"I'm not a piece of meat," she frowned. "Or a stupid diamond to be lorded over the enemy. And I'm not helpless you know. I can take care of myself."
"I know that," Bucky nodded. "I had the bruise on my jaw for a week when you threw your shoe at me when we first met."
"Right," Allie scrunched her nose at the memory. Neither Allie nor Bucky had truly spoken to the other about that day and how each had regretted what had taken place. The memory of her shoe colliding with Bucky's jaw always caused a horrible feeling of guilt to flood over her. Even as he stood in front of her, talking about her safety.
"What I mean is, Allison, there is safety in numbers. I will never deny that you are good at defending yourself. Hell, you saved my life," he grinned. "But, maybe it's a good thing that I'm here and the surprise was spoiled for me."
"I'm sorry," she frowned. "It honestly probably sounds stupid. We won't be here forever and I don't know if anyone feels much like celebrating."
"It's not stupid," Bucky assured her. "It's... nice. It'll help to lift spirits, even if for a day."
"Do you really think that?" she found herself frowning.
"I do," he grinned. "Now, let's go chop down a tree. Have you ever chopped one down before?"
"No."
"Then you'll learn today," Bucky grinned.
The two walked around for ten minutes debating about the different small trees that they saw around the forest. One tree was too small, another too wide. One had too many needles, another had a sad small amount. The one tree that Allie and Bucky both agreed on was just barely shorter than Allie, full of life but not overly prickly with needles. Bucky got to work taking the ax from Allie's hands and began to chop at the base of the tree.
"I'd like to try," Allie looked at the base that had begun to chip away.
"I'm just getting it started," Bucky grinned. "Come here."
"Alright," Allie made her way next to Bucky and took the ax into her own hands.
"Now, you're going to want to hold the ax here," he began as he stood behind her and lined her hands up on the handle of the ax. For a moment, he could have sworn he felt a flush of heat go through him before he dismissed the idea and continued to guide her arms in a mock swing. "Now, why don't you try."
Allie waited for Bucky to stand back and give her a nod before she focused on the tree. Swinging the ax the way he had shown her, she grinned happily as the ax made contact with the tree and chopped away the trunk just a tiny bit more. Bucky called out in approval as Allie continued to chop the tree down. It took a moment for her to get used to the swinging, but she took a step back happily as she watched the tree finally give way.
"Good job," Bucky grinned in approval.
"You think so? I really hope that the others like this idea," she bit her lip.
"They're going to. This is one of the more thoughtful things that's happened for us in a while," Bucky sighed.
"I was also thinking that maybe I could make a meal for everyone on Christmas Day," she spilled her idea to Bucky, happily telling him what she wanted to do for everyone. "Granted, I don't know how much I can afford when it comes to gifts, but I'd like to do something for you all."
"Allison, that's very nice," he smiled. "I think that the guys will..."
Bucky trailed off as he glanced up behind Allie. Confused, Allie gave him a puzzled look. As she opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, he quickly shushed her. As she went silent, she heard the breaking of what sounded like twigs and sticks in the distant. Spinning around, she felt the whipping wind of a hand flying around her. Bucky pulled her harshly to push her behind himself, taking his pistol out quickly.
"James?" she asked quietly, glancing between him, his pistol, and the forest in front of them.
"Shh," he hissed. The crunching of the ground continued in the distance. It took her a moment, but she quickly realized why he had shushed her. "The men are still going to be with the S.S.R. and it's just the two of us. If something happens, you run back to the house and call out on the radio."
While she may not have said anything in return, Allie was certain that if the crunching of sticks was someone who had found herself and Bucky in the middle of the forest, she wasn't going to run off and leave him on his own. She hadn't done it that night at the factory, and she certainly wasn't going to do that in the cold winter air.
As the crunching continued, Bucky's arm flew behind him as if to cover Allie. Heart thudding against her chest, Allie felt her eyes zoning in on the direction the noises came from. One moment passed, then a second, then a third. All at once, a stag strolled into a small clearing. Only looking at Allie and Bucky for only a moment, the stag almost seemed unbothered as it continued its track through the trees. After having held their breath, Allie and Bucky began to laugh as he lowered and ultimately put away his pistol.
"Should I let the boys know about our near death by stag?" Allie teased.
"This? This stays between you and me," Bucky grinned.
"Fair enough," she laughed. "He was a very pretty deer though."
"Pretty? Really?" Bucky scrunched his nose. "A stag is not pretty. He was very majestic."
"And that's different how?" Allie grinned.
"It just is," Bucky shrugged. "A woman is pretty."
"And a man is majestic?" she scoffed.
"Well, yeah," Bucky shrugged.
"So, does that mean that I'm pretty?" her question seemed to be like an ice cold glass of water that had been thrown at him. As he looked at her as if she had asked a trick question, and he almost believed that she had, Allie simply walked over to the tree and looked it over.
"Well, yes," he answered carefully. "But it also means that I'm majestic."
"So that's what you call arrogance," she quipped. "Now help me with this."
"After you just called me arrogant? You can carry that tree home," he huffed.
"You would have me, a dainty and 'pretty' woman, carry a tree the size of myself all alone?" she pouted.
"You're not cute you know," he frowned. "Besides, if you had done this alone? You would be carrying it all alone anyway."
"I guess it's a good thing that I'm not alone," she grinned. "Now come on. Let's get this back."
"You're lucky that I like this idea of surprising the boys," Bucky rolled his eyes harshly before walking over and grabbing one end of the tree while Allie grabbed the other.
The two had trudged their way back through the snow until they had reached the house. After a few minutes of bickering on the best way to bring the tree into the house and how to set it up in the living room, the two found themselves standing beside each other and staring at the tree. Bucky gave the tree a satisfied nod, but beside him Allie gave it a frown.
"I think this fits nicely in here," Bucky turned to her.
"It looks rather plain," she continued to frown. "I wish I had garland or tinsel or ornaments. Something to make it look less like any old tree."
Bucky looked between the tree and Allie for a moment. Thinking of Christmas at his house back in Brooklyn, he excused himself and went into the kitchen to look through cabinets. Cursing under his breath when he couldn't find what he was looking for, he made his way back into the living room.
"Come on," he called out to Allie who had gone back to frowning at the tree. "We're going to town."
"What?" she looked at him as if he had gone mad.
"I said we're going to town. Come on," he urged her.
Allie didn't argue, instead going with him through the front door and down the path that led to the town nearby. Glancing over at him, she found him looking rather determined as they reached the town itself. Looking at the windows surrounding them, Bucky narrowed in on the local store. Allie found that she couldn't think of a reason that he was taking her to the store out of nowhere. Even when he had quickly made his way around the store and back to her with a handful of supplies, she still felt puzzled.
"Popcorn, string, and needles?" she glanced up. "Are you asking me to fix something up and make popcorn to eat or?"
"Popcorn garlands," he smiled. "It's not much, but it is something."
"You know how to string popcorn garlands?" she couldn't help the small laugh that left her lips.
"I do," he nodded. "I was the one who always strung the garlands for the family tree."
"What?" Allie looked at him in shock. "Rebecca never told me that."
"She never said any different though, did she?" he grinned. "I wanted to teach Ruth and Thomas this year. Our grandma taught me after I had been a little too crazy one day and needed to be brought back down to earth."
"I see," Allie grinned. "That's sweet."
Bucky turned from Allie, a smile on his lips as he began to pay for the small supplies and ushered her back in the direction of the house. Allie stopped for just a moment as she looked at the local jeweler. Beautiful earrings and necklaces were on display, including ones with diamonds. Bucky thought of what Allie had said about herself when they were out in the forest looking for a tree. He was a bit shocked to find that her comparison of herself to a diamond made him a bit sad.
Swallowing those feelings down, he found that Allie told him a few stories of his siblings from the days between his departure for the war and her departure for the base she had been on. He was happy to know that they had been okay. He confessed that now that they were in the Commandos, he had thought of writing to them once or twice even if it wasn't the easiest for them to respond to him.
"You should," Allie looked up at him as they reached the house once again. "They would like hearing from you."
"You think?" he grinned.
"Considering they almost received a condolence letter about you? I think that they would more than appreciate hearing from their oldest son and brother."
"There was a condolence letter about me?" his face dropped.
"Yes," Allie nodded. "Steve's face when he heard about it was awful."
"And you?" he asked as he walked into the kitchen and began to set up a small work station at the table before beginning the popcorn.
"What about me?"
"When you heard about the letter. Were you a bit relieved when you thought you didn't have to deal with me anymore?"
"What?" her voice become coated in horror. "Relieved? I was upset."
"Upset?"
"Your family, Steve, our deal," she listed. "James, just because you and I haven't seen eye-to-eye the entire time we've known each other, that doesn't mean I didn't feel upset when I thought that you had been killed."
"Really?" he looked back at her.
"Yes," she nodded. "War cost Steve and myself our dad. I didn't want to see another war cost my friends their brother or my own brother his best friend. Brooklyn wouldn't have been the same without you."
"It wouldn't, huh?" he gave a small grin.
"No," she said in earnest. "I'd rather have you alive and an ass than gone."
"I'll take that as the closest thing to endearment I'll ever get from you," he grinned.
Allie gave a small huff of a laugh before she walked to the other room and took off her coat. Calling to Bucky for his own, he shrugged it off and placed it on the back of a chair. Allie thought back to earlier in the month when she had begun to think that maybe, just maybe, Bucky was a bit different than how she had always pictured him. He wasn't as bad as she always had made him out to be.
In the living room, she put a record on the gramophone that sat there. Calling out to Bucky that she would be right back, Allie went upstairs to change from her pants into a comfortable dress. Before she left the room that she had been staying in, she found that she couldn't help but stop and adjust her appearance. She wasn't sure what came over here and told her to do so, but she took the locket that Evelyn had given her and clasped it around her neck. The perfume that Louise had given her sat next to the mirror, and Allie found herself putting on just a touch of it.
Walking back downstairs, she still found herself internally confused about why she had seemingly gone out of her way when she met Bucky in the kitchen once more. At the sound of her coming back into the room, he found himself straightening up as she walked forward.
"I'm going to teach you how to thread these garlands," he smiled. "And maybe, when this whole goddamn war is over, you can teach Steve and make popcorn garlands for your tree in Brooklyn."
"Maybe," she smiled. "Now, what if I'm awful and break all the kernels?"
"Why do you think I plan on making more than one batch of popcorn?"
Allie frowned at him for a moment. At her small frown, Bucky found himself grinning. Glancing at the direction of the living room, he looked back to Allie who had began to pull out a seat at the table to sit at. Placing a spool of thread and a needle in front of her, Bucky tilted his head at it.
"Go ahead and thread that," he instructed as he turned back to the popcorn. Allie did as he had instructed and waited for him to join her. "I'll let the popcorn cool before we start threading it through. It's a little tricky if you try to grip the popcorn too tightly, but if you do it right, you get faster at it."
"Like you would any other task or project?" Allie grinned.
"Exactly," he nodded. As Allie finished threading her own needle, Bucky took a second spool of thread that he had purchased and began to thread his own needle. "I don't think it'll take long for you to catch on."
"You don't?" she gave a small smirk.
"No," he shook his head. "You catch onto things quickly. You learned how to shoot a pistol faster than some of the men that I knew in my regiment."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Don't get used to them," Bucky's lips hitched into a small smirk in her direction.
Sitting in a silence between them as the popcorn cooled, the two began to find themselves listening for the music that played in the living room. Bucky eventually asked if Allie enjoyed the records that they had at the safe house. She told him that she did enjoy listening to the music, but that she enjoyed dancing to it more than she did simply listening to it.
"I used to love being there at the dance hall," Allie grinned. "I have a lot of fond memories of it."
"When did you go to the dance hall for the first time?" Bucky began to put the popcorn in between them as he showed the way to begin threading the needle and thread through the kernel of popcorn.
"Gilbert Coon took me to a dance hall when we were dating," Allie sighed. "The times that he took me weren't exactly my favorite times going."
"That bad of a dancer?"
"You could say that," Allie felt a rock in stomach. "He wasn't exactly the kindest to me."
"He's a fathead. We all know it," Bucky rolled his eyes at the thought of Gilbert Coon.
Gilbert Coon was a handsome boy in Steve's year that had taken an interest in Allie in their early teenage years. Allie remembered swooning over an athletic boy finding her pretty and decided to start dating him. Bucky had never liked him and neither had Steve. Bucky had never uttered a word to Steve or Allie, but he had remembered Gilbert making boasts and claims in regards to Allie. He himself had never believed the things that Gilbert had said.
"You can certainly say that. I regret ever having dated him," she sighed from her seat as she continued to follow Bucky's lead in threading the popcorn garlands.
"I'm sorry for you," Bucky tried to smile at her.
"When was the first time you went to a dance hall?"
"I took a girl on a date and we happened to stop by the dance hall before the night ended," he shrugged. "It tended to be the place I took dates to."
"Apart from that dreadful triple date?" Allie teased.
"Oh, that," Bucky seemed to wince at the memory. "I'm sorry about George that night, and for how I reacted. It's just that you're Steve's little sister and for a moment I got blinded by that."
"It's okay," she assured him. "If you hadn't punched him, I certainly would have."
"Now that is something I would have loved to see," his teasing seemed much more gentle than Allie had expected.
Bucky looked at Allie as she focused on stringing her garland. Her brow had furrowed as she concentrated squarely on where her needle went. There was a small part of him that could have laughed at the way they were able to talk and not bicker or argue about something. It was a different feeling than what he was used to, and he was beginning to think that he liked it. He was beginning to see her in a different light, and it was one that he wondered where it had been before.
"By the way," he swallowed harshly. "About that comment earlier? The one where you're not a diamond to be lorded over the enemy? Well, you're right."
"I am?" she looked up at him, pausing her work to just stare.
"Yes," he nodded and continued his threading. "In more than one way."
"How?"
"Well, you're not a diamond. You're an emerald. They're harder to find, but just as precious. While it's true that you would be an easy person to use against Steve, they wouldn't stand a chance against you. You are far too skilled and far too clever for them. You would find a way out."
"I'm an emerald?" Allie thought of the vibrant green stone. She had seen them in the window of a jeweler back in Brooklyn. She had thought that they were beautiful stones.
"Yes," he nodded. "But don't get cocky. Emeralds aren't my favorite gems."
"Are you sure?" she teased.
"Very," he looked up at her. But he wasn't very sure at all, and that thought scared him. "Now, let's get these garlands finished and up on the tree."
The day had turned to late evening by the time the other men had returned to the house. Instead of finding an arguing duo in the house, they found Bucky sitting in a chair and sketching on loose pieces of paper as Allie slept on the couch. She had a blanket draped over her, one that Bucky had placed on her to keep her warm after she had fallen asleep. As the men looked to the tree in the room, they all glanced at him in shock.
"You can thank Allison when she wakes up," Bucky smiled. "It's her surprise for you all."
"She did this?" Steve glanced at his little sister who had begun to stir at the sounds of voices.
"Yes," Bucky nodded. "She wanted to surprise us all with a touch of Christmas here in the house."
"Your sister's sweet," Dugan looked over at Steve. "I think we all need a bit of this right now."
"Me too," Steve grinned.
"You're all home?" Allie began to stir and sit up.
"We are. You're going to like some of the plans that they'd like to talk to you about," Steve grinned.
"Thank you for the tree, Allie," Gabe smiled at her.
A chorus of thank you passed through the men before Allie turned to look at Bucky. He gave a small smile as she stood on her feet. Pointing to the tree, she gestured to the popcorn garlands saying, "James taught me how to string popcorn garlands." Steve looked between his best friend and his sister. It had only been a few weeks, but it amazed him at how they had gotten along just fine when they were on a team that was in a war.
"Have you all had anything to eat?" Allie's eyes widened in horror. "I can fix something up."
"Allie, let me make something," Steve smiled at her. "You rest."
"But-"
"No buts," the older Rogers sibling said.
"Come on, we'll put on more music," Dugan grinned.
And that was exactly what they did. While Steve made a relatively simple meal for the group, Dugan went through the records that were in the safe house, the rest of the Commandos saying yes or no to the different to the choices.
As the next week passed by the Commandos and the day of Christmas arrived, the group had made trips into town for portions of a Christmas-like feast for themselves and small gifts for one another. Even Bucky and Allie had gotten gifts for one another. Allie had gotten Bucky paper and pencils for drawing and Bucky had gotten Allie a book. It had been the only book in English that he could find, but he had an idea that the thought behind it would mean more than the contents of the book.
It was the first Christmas that Allie could remember that she felt warmth the entire day. It was new, and it was welcome, especially if that feeling stayed for every normal day as well.
Notes:
This bitch is finally back! Mini updates include finishing up my last semester of college and getting a MacBook that I'm still figuring out 🤪
Oh, and happy 2023!!
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter Text
As the new year began, the Commandos had found themselves in their remaining days in the safe house. The Christmas tree Allie and Bucky had brought into the house had begun to die, needles falling onto the floor. It had been disposed of when Allie had complained to Dugan that she was sick of being the only one that cleaned up the needles.
One morning, Allie took to cooking breakfast as she did each day, happily bringing out the food as she heard footsteps entering the room and a chair sliding out from the table. She turned around to see Bucky sitting down and placing paper and a pen on the table.
"What are you doing?" Allie looked over at Bucky as she began to cook breakfast.
"Well, I was thinking about what you had said. You know, about writing back home," he sighed. "Figured I should send them a letter before we leave here."
"They'll like hearing from you," she nodded.
The kitchen was filled with the sounds of sizzling food on the stove and the scratching of a pen against paper. Parting from the food for a moment, Allie started a pot of coffee, turning to grab the plates for breakfast from a cabinet. Small clinks of the utensils against the plates added to the ambience of the room, something that seemed to bring both Allie and Bucky a sense of comfort in the morning. Upstairs, doors began to open and close, thunderous sounds of men walking around sounding through the house.
"Allison?" he listened to the footsteps that threatened to pound down the stairs as he looked at her. At the hum from her lips, acknowledging him, Bucky swallowed harshly and looked to the paper he had. "Would you want to write something as well? I'd send it with mine."
"What?" she looked at him with widened eyes, placing a full plate of food in front of him.
"Well, they're your friends. And it would make sense to send them anything we wanted to at the same time," he shrugged. "I have extra paper if you want to. Just let me know."
Allie found a small smile tugging at her lips as Bucky pushed the paper and his pen to the side. She continued to fill up the plates full of food for the men as they all began to flood into the kitchen. Good mornings were exchanged, Steve jumping to help Allie as she finished setting food on the table. When she believed that no one was watching, Allie would glance at Bucky and watch him as he thought of what else he could write.
The room was warm and filled with life as the Commandos began to laugh and make jokes. Steve looked to his men and his sister throughout breakfast, happy to see that tensions had lessened over the few weeks that they had been in the location they still sat in. After breakfast, the men had all separated to go back to their rooms, some readying themselves for the day. Allie and Bucky again became the only two that remained in the kitchen.
"James?" Allie's voice was soft as she walked up to him.
"Yes?" he looked up at her glancing to the blank paper beside him. "Would you want to write home to them?"
"Yes," she nodded, I would.
"Alright," he nodded, pulling the chair out beside him for her to sit in. "Here."
Allie took the seat, thanking Bucky as he handed her a pen and placed blank pieces of paper in front of her. Grinning at her, he asked her what she would write, only receiving a small shrug of her shoulders in return. She set off to writing, Bucky glancing over her shoulder to see if he could read what she had written. Looking over at him and laughing, she told him to look at his own letter.
From the other room, Steve was preparing to leave to meet with Howard Stark and the S.S.R. regarding the current plans for where the team would be going. He heard the laughter in the kitchen, glancing in when the two weren't paying attention. It was odd, but comforting, to know that the two had found moments that they were friendly to one another. He had just wished that it had been like this back home in Brooklyn.
Allie looked over what she was writing. She had told the Barnes family about her arrival at the base, to what had taken place over the few months that she had been there, to when she had gone with Steve to rescue the men. She didn't leave anything out, apart from her night with Howard Stark. All she had written in regards to him was that she had struck up a friendship with the inventor.
Bucky didn't let her see, but he frowned at Howard's name. He didn't want to name the heat that he felt, but still he knew that he was feeling jealous. He remembered the day that Allie had had to make the attempt to sneak back to her tent at the base. He wasn't a fool and he had known what she had done with Stark, and even more, he knew that the two were nothing more than friends. Still, the feeling of jealousy persisted. He swallowed harshly as he glanced back to his own letter.
"James?" Allie looked up at him.
"Yes?" he looked back at her for a moment.
"How long do you think it will be before we get to see them again?" she was frowning as she looked to him.
"I don't know," he sighed. "God, I miss them though."
"I know," she nodded. "I guess this means we just need to send them letters each chance we get then. After all, Thomas looks up to you and would love to hear about what sort of things you get up to."
Bucky didn't say anything more, resolving to put the letters together and into an envelope. Promising he would send them off soon, the two parted and kept to themselves for the day. Allie didn't quite know why, but she found disappointed that Bucky was by himself, working on artwork as they waited for Steve to return.
The other Commandos had left for the town, offering to go and purchase food and supplies for the safe house so that Allie didn't have to. Allie had decided to sit on the couch in the living room, reading the book that Bucky had given her for Christmas. He looked up a few times and realized what she was reading, suppressing a smile.
It was the afternoon when Steve returned, waiting until the other men arrived home to tell them all about what his meeting with the S.S.R. had entailed. Allie had taken to cooking dinner while Steve gathered the men around the kitchen table.
"We're going to be traveling to Belgium," Steve began. "We'll be leaving by the end of the week."
"Belgium," Dugan mumbled before letting out a whisper. "Alright."
"The only reason why we aren't leaving this week is that Mr. Stark has been working on recruiting a collection of nurses. With us needing more soldiers, many of which will be starting by helping us when we reach Belgium, Allie is going to need more help. So, they're forming a team that will be reporting to her, some of which will begin to travel with us. They're having you meet them later this week."
All eyes turned to Allie who paused cooking long enough to look back at them. She felt her eyes widening before she let them roam to find her brother. He gave a small nod at her, the knowledge of what was going to be happening later that week settling onto her shoulders. She was going to have her own team of nurses.
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A deep breath in, and a deep breath out. Allie studied herself in the mirror as Steve knocked on the door and opened the door to walk inside. Along the wall closest to the door were the trunks Allie had for her supplies. He walked around them, coming to sit on her bed as she went over finishing touches on her appearance.
"You know, you're going to meet nurses, not appear in a public show or anything," he teased.
"I want to make a good impression," Allie looked at him through the mirror. She adjusted the way that her necklace sat, taking a deep breath and pushing a small stray lock of hair back. "It's just... Steve, how do you do it?"
"How do I do what?" he laughed.
"You take command so easily," she sighed, her footsteps leading her to sit beside him. "You just lead without trying and people follow you. How are you able to do that?"
"I... I don't know," Steve shrugged. "I just do what I know is right."
"You know, there are sometimes where I wonder how you're my brother," she frowned at her hands that came to sit on her lap. "Here you are, brave and daring. You're always ready to jump into a fight and protect those that need it. And then there's me."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he looked down at her, his brows etching together.
"I just mean that you are far braver than I could wish to be," she shrugged. "You've always been willing to stand up for what you believe in, not taking any trials or difficulties that faced you without fighting."
"You don't think that you do the same?" his smile was soft. "Allie, you've always been braver than I have."
"No," she shook her head. "I haven't."
"You're a woman," Steve grinned. "As much as I still hate that you did it, you helped me when it came to helping the boys back in November. You wouldn't leave my side until you knew that we could help them. Even the man you claimed you hated, you still saved him."
In the hall, a man came to stand just outside of Allie's room. Neither Allie nor Steve had heard him coming, and at the sound of their voices, he had paused behind the door. Bucky leaned in to listen to what they were saying, swallowing as he took in the words being exchanged.
"I didn't claim I hated him, I knew I did," Allie reminded Steve.
"Well, the two of you seem to hate each other less now," he grinned.
"You yelled at us," she argued.
"Regardless," Steve rolled his eyes playfully. "You were still the one who decided to join us."
"When James told me about the idea of having me be your medic, I was shocked," Allie admitted. "I wasn't sure you all would want me here."
"But, here you are," he grinned. "And whether I'm happy about you seeing all of this danger or not, you are brave. There is no doubt about that. You are going to go into that room today, and you are going to lead them just a well."
"Do you really think so?" she smiled at him.
"We all do," his elbow nudged hers slightly. "Me, the boys, even Bucky."
From behind the door, Bucky couldn't explain the embarrassed heat the coursed through him as he heard Steve telling Allie that he thought she would lead her team of nurses just as well as he led the soldiers. He swallowed harshly, knocking on the door before being told to come in. Allie and Steve both looked up at him expectantly.
"Stark is waiting for us in the lobby," he smiled awkwardly.
Steve and Allie shared one last glance before they stood and joined Bucky in walking down the hall. Reaching the lobby of the hotel, Allie could see Howard Stark standing tall with his hands in his pockets. He seemed to be studying the walls of the room around them. When he noticed the three walking towards, him gave them a smile.
"Good morning, Allie," Howard greeted.
"Good morning, Howard," she smiled.
"Are you ready to meet your team?" he smiled.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she nodded.
"Then let's get you over there," Howard grinned.
It wasn't a long walk to where they were needing to go, but each moment that passed somehow seemed longer than the last to Allie. She felt her heart pounding against her chest, nervous as to who would be in the room. She trusted the man in front of her, but even as they entered the building the meeting was taking place in, she found herself filled with worry. Beside her, Bucky took in the sight of her worrying. In front of her, Howard looked back and noticed her expression before he glanced up at Steve and Bucky.
"We took this time to find you the best nurses we could find," Howard assured her. "We went to the different bases, traveled to London and to New York. We think we've found you a good collection of nurses. They're skilled, they're confident, and they are ready to meet you."
"Have you two seen them?" she looked to Steve and Bucky.
"I have," Bucky nodded.
"I left it up to him," Steve told her. Her brother's gaze was studying his best friend. Allie looked between the two, before they rested on Bucky. Steve found himself glancing to the door they walked up to, allowing his sister to come to the door first.
"So they show promise?" she looked back.
"These nurses are more than capable to be of assistance to you," Howard assured her. "They're all in there waiting for you. You just need to go and introduce yourself."
"We're going to be with you," Steve assured her. "All three of us."
Allie nodded, taking a deep breath before Howard opened the door for her. She stepped inside and saw the room washed in white. It seemed that each nurse had dressed in a freshly crisp uniform, their caps pinned neatly in their hair. Allie thought of how Bucky, Steve, and Howard seemed to be the only sign of color in the world as they too stepped into the room.
Eyes flew to the door as it shut, the whispers and chattering beginning to fade away as the nurses looked to her. They seemed to have been women from every corner that Howard had looked. Allie said a quick hello and introduced herself. She turned to look at her brother, asking for a bit of guidance in beginning the meeting, but he only smiled at her. Beside him, Bucky looked at her, giving a small nod as if nudging her forward.
"I want to thank you all," Allie said as she turned around to look at the women around the room. "What you have agreed to be a part of is something important. I am sure you have all seen or have heard about my brother, Captain Steve Rogers. He has formed his team, The Howling Commandos, which I am the medic for. The mission of this team is to stop Hydra. Have you all been made aware of this agency?"
"We made sure to provide all of these lovely ladies about it," Howard commented. "They know about Hydra, the Commandos, they just need to know what you're expecting of them."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark," she nodded to him. Turning back to the group, she looked amongst the faces. "What I expect of you is to act as aid. We have already taken one facility, but thanks to Sergeant Barnes and Captain Rogers, we're aware of many more facilities that we will be tracking down, and defeating. As Captain Rogers requires more men to fight alongside him, I will require more of you to help me as medical aid. It will be different than what you are used to on the bases, but I hear that you are all more than capable of this task."
"As Nurse Rogers is already aware, you will all be supplied with the necessary equipment and medical supplies needed for this. The S.S.R. will be in charge of ensuring you are adequately supplied and protected," Howard commented.
"If we could, I would like to meet you all," Allie looked out. "I'd like to know your names, where you're from. Just as my brother has his team he knows, I would like to know my own."
Throughout the room, the women introduced themselves to her. There were the girls from London, their eyes studying Allie as she listened to them. Something about their demeanor reminded her of Agent Carter, something that she wasn't opposed to having around her. There were the girls who had been on bases, all the way from California to Missouri to Pennsylvania. As she neared the end of the women, Allie's eyes widened. Her gaze hadn't settled on the last three women until then, but she found she had to blink and glance back at Howard, Steve, and Bucky for confirmation.
"My name is Mary," Allie's lips curled into a surprised smile as she took in Mary's appearance. It hadn't been months, but Allie was sure it had been too long since she had last seen her friends. "I was placed on a base in Italy, and now I'm here."
"I'm Evelyn," Evelyn grinned up at Allie. Her eyes seemed to shine as she looked at her friend. "I was placed on the same base as Mary, and came along with her."
"And I'm Louise," Louise looked down the room of women before glancing back up to Allie. "I too was on the base in Italy."
Allie found herself glancing back again at the men behind her. Steve had a small smile on his face, yet somehow, Allie wondered if it was more of a supportive smile than anything else. Howard had his signature grin, something Allie had become accustomed to any time she worked with him or spoke to him about any details or circumstances concerning her and the team. Bucky however stood with his hands in his pockets, a suppressed grin seeming to tug at the corner of his lips. Allie's own lips pressed into a suppressed grin of her own when she looked back to the women in the room.
"Well, we've all told you who we are," Mary teased from her seat. "Are you going to tell us more about you?"
"More about me?" Allie looked at Mary.
"Is it true you helped your brother free those men?" one voice came from the back.
"And that you've been fighting beside the Commandos instead of just providing aid?" another piped up.
Allie hadn't felt flustered the way that she did then. A part of her had never regretted what she had done to help Steve and the others. Another part of her was a bit embarrassed that this was being asked when meeting her nurses for the first time. Glancing back at the men, all of whom had grins on their faces, Allie had a suspicion that she was alone in answering any questions.
"Yes," she turned around, nodding her head as she glanced to the different nurses around the room. "To both questions, yes."
"What was it like? Being in a Hydra facility without knowing what was going on?" another nurse asked.
"Terrifying," Allie laughed. "But, we were able to get those men out of there. And that's without dying trying."
"Who taught you to fight?"
"Oh, well," she glanced back at Bucky. "I might have gone into that facility without any sort of training, but before leaving the base out in Italy, Sergeant Barnes taught me to handle a gun. I suppose you could give him the credit."
Murmurs echoed around the room, before Allie found herself answering more questions about what she had been experiencing while traveling with the Commandos. Howard had been the one to suggest that the meeting come to a close, assuring the women that they should be packing and expecting word on who would be the first to go with the Commandos that night.
Around the room, the women took to chatting softly as they all grabbed their coats and bags. Behind her, Allie heard the footsteps of Howard and Steve leaving as they began to discuss logistics while Bucky followed behind them. Glancing back at where Mary, Louise, and Evelyn stood together, Allie turned back to face Bucky. He had said that he had seen her recruits. Swallowing harshly, she took off after him.
"James," Allie called out as she sprinted from the room. "Wait, James. Hold on."
"Hmm?" Bucky turned around, stopping in his tracks as he realized Allie was coming closer. "Allison? What is it? Is something wrong?"
"No," she laughed. "Nothing is wrong."
"I was going to say, I thought everything seemed to be going very well in there," he laughed. "You seemed to command that room very nicely."
"A compliment?" a laugh escaped her lips as she looked up at him. "I have to admit, I didn't expect a compliment."
"It's earned," he laughed. "For once."
"Now that's just mean," she frowned at him, a playful grin on his lips as he looked to her. "But ignoring that, I was just going to ask you about something."
"About what?"
"About the girls. You didn't seem the least bit surprised that those three were in there," Allie smiled.
"Oh. Mary, Evelyn, and Louise?" he glanced back in the direction of the room. "I was happy to see that they made it safely."
"You knew?" Allie's voice was soft as she looked up at him.
"I did," he nodded. "I thought you might like the surprise."
"Who got them here?" her grin was growing.
"They signed up, Howard asked me about it, I knew you would want them here. I made sure to put in the word that they should be among the first nurses you were sent," he shrugged with a small smile.
Allie smiled, looking back in the direction of the room she had met the nurses in. Back in that room, her friends were together and ready for whatever was going to be in front of them. Looking back at him, she felt a sense of excitement and gratefulness. She couldn't explain why or even recognize the moment that she decided to, but Allie threw her arms around Bucky in an embrace.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He was surprised. Bucky hadn't expected that the gesture of ensuring the nurses that she loved and trusted were recruited would have elicited the response that it did. Her embrace was warm, her arms squeezing tightly. His hands were slow to wrap around her in return, but he did so. Allie felt warmth as his arms wrapped around her waist.
"You're welcome," he smiled.
Parting from one another, Allie ignored the warmth that rose to her cheeks. She wasn't flushed from having hugged him. That wasn't possible. She was just grateful for what he had done for her. In the back of her mind, she wondered if this was a sign of good will between them. The James Buchanan Barnes she had known in Brooklyn never would have done something like this for her. He was different. Maybe it was the war or the Commandos or even their agreement to get along during the duration of the war and of the Commandos. In any case, she found that she was grateful for it.
The sounds of voices filled the halls as the nurses flooded out from the room they had been in. Mary, Evelyn, and Louise looked both directions before they caught sight of Allie's blonde locks. Mary looked and caught Bucky's eye, smirking in satisfaction as she took in the two standing together.
"It's so odd to see them standing and talking, not standing and fighting," Louise whispered.
"You watch," Mary whispered to the two. "They'll be all over each other before we even know what's happening. There's no way they're going to be able to hold out much longer."
"Mary!" Evelyn hissed.
"We all know it's true," Mary grinned. "Look at them. They look like they're meant to be together."
"Are you secretly a hopeless romantic?" Evelyn giggled as she leaned close to Mary.
"No," Mary shook her head. "I just... I want her to be happy. We all know what she's told us about her family and her past. She's given a lot to those around her, including us. If you two remember, none of us had friends at that base until her."
"That's true," Louise nodded, the memory of three lonely women being brought together by a friendly fourth came flashing back into her mind.
"Besides," Mary whispered to them. "Maybe we'll know a bit of peace about the whole dynamic if they went ahead and got it out of their system."
The three women found themselves grinning and laughing, standing back as they continued to watch Allie and Bucky talking together. That was until Bucky glanced up and saw the three standing and watching. Feeling a heat rise to his cheeks, he cleared his throat and focused back on Allie.
"I should get going back to the hotel."
"Right," Allie nodded and a pause settled between the two.
"You know, we don't leave this town until tomorrow," Bucky tilted his head to the side for a moment. "Come to the bar tonight."
"The bar?" Allie grinned. "Why the bar?"
"One last celebration before we move on," he shrugged. He studied her for a moment before continuing. "We may not be best friends, but..." his voice trailed off as he noticed Allie's friends all looking at him. Leaning down where Allie was the only one who would hear him, he grinned. "We're at least trying to be some kind of friends. Right?"
"Right," she nodded. She felt breathless as she looked up at him. "I'll be there."
"Good," he smiled, standing straight and turning on his heel. "First round for everyone is on your brother."
"Not you?" she grinned.
"Hell no," he looked at her over his shoulder. "Let the famous guy pay."
Allie found herself smiling as he turned back around. His tall frame seemed to walk through the hall as if he had owned it. She didn't understand why she was grinning the way that she was, but it was hard to stop. It took the clicking of heels against the floor to draw her from her thoughts. Mary seemed to only give her a knowing look, one that she went on to ignore, as the three nurses walked over to her.
"It's so good to see you," Evelyn smiled. "We've all missed you."
"You've missed me? I've missed you!" Allie's smile was bright.
"What was that all about?" Mary grinned as she looked behind Allie and down the hall that Bucky had just left.
"What was what all about?" Allie's brows furrowed in confusion as she too looked behind herself.
"You and Sergeant Barnes?" Mary's brow narrowed as she began to study Allie. "The two of you actually standing together and talking? Not arguing?"
"He was inviting me to the bar tonight," Allie began, quickly putting her hand up as she saw Mary's lips part as she began to say something. "Not for anything more than joining everyone before we leave for the next facility tomorrow."
"But he still invited you," Louise smiled, her head tilting softly to the side as she looked at Allie's still flushed cheeks. "You do have to admit, it was a rather nice and even sweet gesture."
"I wouldn't call it sweet," Allie argued. "Polite, yes."
"Well then, I suppose we should get you back to your room," Mary's lips were painted into a mischievous smirk, her arm looping through Allie's before tugging gently to lead her out of the hall.
"And why's that?"
"Well. We're going to make a man fall down at your feet tonight," Mary grinned.
"And what man are you making fall at my feet?" Allie knew the answer, but still coaxed the name to be said aloud.
"We all know that the man is going to be Sergeant Barnes," Mary continued to grin.
"Mary's convinced you two are in love," Louise whispered, a frown on her lips as she leaned in towards Allie while shaking her head at Mary.
"We are not in love," Allie snorted. "Far from it. But... He isn't as bad as I thought he was."
Evelyn, Louise, and Mary all stopped in their tracks. Their eyes were widened as they glanced to one another before their jaws dropped in surprise. Louise and Evelyn remained silent in their shock while Mary just laughed.
"He isn't as bad as you thought?" Mary grinned. "How so?"
"Well, we definitely fought towards the beginning," Allie's shoulders shrugged. "My brother was upset with us for arguing. James and I did agree in Brooklyn that we would both make it back home, and we decided to at least make the attempt to get along while on this team."
"And that's been working just fine for the two of you, hasn't it?" Mary teased.
"He helped me bring in a tree for Christmas," Allie thought for a moment. "I was trying to surprise all of them with a little bit of the holidays, but he didn't let me go out in the woods alone."
"Did the others know you were doing that?" Evelyn glanced over.
"No," Allie smiled. "Like I said, it was a surprise."
The group of women walked through the halls together, their heels clicking against the floor. Greetings passed by them, many of them being towards Allie. Howard stood at one of the desks they passed, sketches sitting in front of him and a pencil sitting behind his ear. He glanced up at the women, his charming grin growing as he nodded to them. Allie gave a small wave in his direction as they rounded the door to leave.
The day light was fading behind the horizon, the sky was a warm orange. There was still snow on the ground from a few days prior. Breaths could be seen win small puffs, cheeks becoming rosier in color as the four walked in the direction of the hotel Allie and the Commandos had been staying in.
Life still filled the world around them. Entering the hotel, the women passed by a few of the Commandos each of them greeting Allie in some form. Allie greeted them in return, only pausing when Dugan and Gabe stopped them.
"I hear you have a nice group of girls on your hands," Dugan grinned at her.
"Yes I do," Allie squeezed her friends close to her. "I have some of the best around me."
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Gabe's eyes were on one of Allie's friends in particular.
Following his gaze, she was surprised to find him looking at Mary. Mary herself was looking back at him, a smile on her lips. Allie's lips turned into a suppressed smirk as she glanced between them both. Taking in a deep breath and clearing her throat, Allie looked at Dugan.
"Girls, meet Timothy Dugan and Gabe Jones. They're two of the men on Steve's team," she began. "Boys, meet Evelyn, Louise, and Mary. They're my best friends from the base I was stationed at."
"Your brother and Barnes were pretty excited about getting these girls here for you," Dugan smiled. "I overheard them a few days back when they spoke to Mr. Stark."
"My entire team of nurses is very promising," Allie smiled. "They just allowed me to have a bit more comfort during it all."
Dugan smiled at Allie, looking to both sides of her where her friends stood. Allie noticed both Mary and Gabe keeping their eyes on one another. Louise and Evelyn glanced at Mary, grinning before looking to Allie. Finding herself smirking, Allie gently cleared her throat.
"Are you two going to the bar tonight?" Allie looked to them.
"Are you?" Gabe grinned.
"Yes," Allie suppressed her grin. "All of us are."
"Then it sounds like we'll see you ladies later," Dugan grinned.
"We'll see you then," Allie smiled and led her group of friends down the hall. "Oh! And Dugan?"
"Yes?"
"James says the first round is on Steve," she grinned.
"That sounds like a hell of a plan," Dugan called back.
Allie glanced to Mary while leading them down the hallway her room was in. Mary was taking a peek behind her, looking in the direction that Dugan and Gabe had slipped down. Allie's eyes fell to Evelyn and Louise, all of them laughing softly before Allie stopped in front of a door. They could hear the voices of the men they knew or were starting to meet throughout the halls. The sounds were merry and joyful, a nice change from some of the moments they had all seen throughout their time of being in Europe.
"Tonight will be fun," Louise smiled. "It's been a while since we were able to go and do something as a group."
"There'll be soldiers and dancing," Evelyn grinned.
"And alcohol," Mary teased. "Romance maybe?"
"For who? You?" Allie looked back and smirked at Mary.
"Or maybe you," Mary smirked at her in return.
Allie found herself rolling her eyes as she unlocked the door. As her best friends entered her room, she quietly shut the door behind her. She heard the beginning of rustling behind her, two women making the attempt to stop the third. Knowing what she would look back to see, Allie shook her head to herself. Her steps were slow before she saw Mary standing with the beautiful blue dress she had bought a few months prior.
"I'm not aiming to have a man falling at my feet," Allie reminded her.
"But you can still aim to have a nice evening," Mary grinned. "Come on. We haven't been together in what feels like years. We should go have fun tonight."
Allie simply shook her head and unpinned her cap from her hair. Placing it aside on the top of one of the trunks, Mary continued to grin up at her friend. Evelyn and Louise glanced to the makeup and perfume that sat on a smaller trunk beside the bed, looking to one another and then to Mary. Taking the dress from Mary's hands, Allie sighed.
"Alright. Let's get ready."
Notes:
Summer time is a nice time 😌
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter 10: A Dance and the Truth
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Blue fabric was brushed down by Allie. She smoothed her dress out as Mary finished zipping it up, pushing her forward to sit on her shoulders. Mary grinned at her, joined by Evelyn and Louise on either side.
"You know, I'm still not making him 'fall down at my feet'," Allie grinned.
"You don't have to," Mary shrugged with a smirk. "But I will remind you that he invited you to go."
"James is just being friendly," Allie reminded her. "He and I are trying to be friends."
"I think she means that they are finally admitting that they're friends," Evelyn smirked.
"Oh hush," Allie rolled her eyes with a playful grin. "Besides, you three should be getting into your own dresses if you're going with me."
Taking her hand, Mary nodded for Allie to take her small clutch with her as the girls led her to their own room in the hotel. Allie waited patiently as the three changed from their crisp nurse's uniforms into dresses of their own. They touched up their own hair and makeup before the four women finally made their way out to the bar.
Before they walked inside, they could hear the ruckus cheering and singing from drunken soldiers, all of them laughing as they walked inside. As the women entered, Allie found herself searching the room for Bucky. She found him standing at the bar watching her, smiling and nodding at her in greeting. The other Commandos sat at a table beckoning the nurses to join them. Allie told the girls to go ahead as she walked back to Bucky. He smiled at her as she stood in front of him.
"I see you're wearing that dress again," Bucky looked at her, his head cocked to the side.
"Yes," she nodded. "I am. If I remember correctly, you told me that I was garnering a lot of attention in this dress the last time I wore it."
"You did," he nodded. "You are again now."
"And does that make you nearly as mad tonight as it did then?" she studied his expression, the way he seemed to study her for a moment before he dared to answer.
"No," he shook his head. "It doesn't."
Allie smiled, a huff of a laugh puffing from her nose as she took a step forward to sit in the seat beside him. Placing her clutch on the bar, she went to order a drink for herself before Bucky intervened.
"She'll have a bourbon," he nodded to the bartender. Turning back, he saw her confused look. "Let me pay for it. Besides, don't you like bourbon best?"
"And whiskey," she nodded slowly. "Thank you, though. That was nice of you."
"You're welcome," he smiled as the glass of bourbon was placed in front of her.
"You know, the last time I wore this dress, I was told that I looked 'ravishing'," she grinned as she took a drink.
"By who?"
"By Howard," she shrugged.
"Right," he grimaced.
"You didn't say anything though," Allie glanced at him. "About what you think about the dress."
"I said it didn't bother me this time," he argued.
"So I see that compliments only go so far," she shook her head softly, her lips barely grazing the glass of bourbon before she heard a huff come from Bucky's lips. "What was that?"
"I think you look nice," he muttered.
"I look nice?" she laughed. "That seems like it should be high praise."
"Oh? Alright. Well, what about me? You haven't said how you think I look?" he teased.
Allie looked him up and down, cocking her head to the side as she pretended to think for a moment. Part of her wanted to say something smart to humble the man in front of her, and yet another part of her truly found him handsome that evening. She didn't think she wanted to admit that, and so she found herself trying to maintain a balance between the two sides.
"I suppose you look nice as well," she grinned. "But, don't let that go to your head. Egos are a terribly vicious thing to gain."
"Then I won't let it give me an ego," he grinned. "I'm glad you came to the bar though."
"Oh? And why is that?" she studied his eyes. She wasn't sure that she had ever realized how beautifully blue they were before.
"Because, I'll have a halfway decent dance partner," he grinned and nodded to the floor where men and women were dancing happily. "Care to go and dance?"
She took his hand as he offered it to her, impressed with how comfortable he seemed to be with her as his partner. She couldn't help the smile that painted itself on her lips, remaining there as the two danced and laughed together.
Allie wasn't sure how long they had been dancing for. She had stopped keeping track of the number of songs once they had danced taken a small break from dancing to purchase another round of bourbons for themselves. After finishing their glasses, they had danced to a few more songs before Allie found herself yawning. As he noticed her becoming tired, Bucky gave a soft smile.
"Come on," he leaned down, just enough to whisper in her ear. "Let's get out of here."
Allie looked up at him, making the attempt to ignore the slamming beat of her heart against her chest. They were surrounded by the sounds of their shoes against the dirt and rocks as he walked her back to the hotel.
"You know, you're not a bad dancer," he grinned over at her, his hands firmly in his pockets as they walked.
"Neither are you," she smiled. "Thank you for walking back with me."
"I figured you would want the rest before traveling tomorrow," he shrugged. "Besides, I think I need the sleep."
"Sleepless nights lately?" she teased.
"Something like that," he smiled.
It wasn't long before the two had made it back to the hotel. They stood together in the lobby for a moment. It was empty apart from them. It seemed that people were either at the same bar that they had come from, or were in their rooms fast asleep.
Allie studied Bucky's face for a moment. She wasn't used to seeing him as comfortable as he was in that moment. He looked peaceful and happy, if not a bit tired from the day. He studied in her in return. Her eyes were bright and blue, a tinge of grey within the blue as she looked up at him.
For just a moment, Bucky allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to give in to the idea that he did like Allie in some way. What it would be like to escort her to her hotel room. To kiss her goodnight. From that thought, he found his eyes momentarily dropping to her lips. Were they soft?
Allie found herself looking back up at him. She had noticed the movement of his eyes, but didn't say a word. She dismissed the beating of her heart to be from the way they had had bourbon together at the bar.
"I should get to my room," she said as she watched his eyes. "We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."
"Right," he nodded.
Both looked at one another for a brief moment. Neither said a word as they parted, but both seemed to look back to one another as they smiled. Allie supposed that for that evening, that was the best goodnight she could ask for.
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The Commandos had been in their newest safe house for only a week. Recruitments were being made by the S.S.R. before they would set foot near the Belgian Hydra facility. Steve had made the comment to Allie that it had been a bigger mission than originally thought, knowing that the moment they had their men, they could take the facility with no worries.
In that time, Allie had found herself in the company of her friends who asked questions upon questions of what it was like to be the nurse for the Commandos. She had tried to answer the best she could, but found that the more questions she answered, the more she realized that her friends would need to be able to defend themselves as well.
One afternoon, she had gone to Bucky himself to ask if he would help her teach her friends to defend themselves. To her relief, he had agreed and taken all four women outside to learn basic self defense. He had assured them that once they made their way back to some place such as London for S.S.R. meetings, he would take Mary, Louise, and Evelyn in to learn how to use a gun just as he had taught Allie.
After they had finished up and Allie had made the comment that she needed to start dinner for everyone, Bucky had dismissed himself to clean up. He began to walk back to the house, looking back as Allie called out to him to thank him.
"You two seem to be getting along a lot better now," Mary noted as Bucky smiled back at Allie.
"He's been really nice lately," Allie agreed. "It's been a nice change. He's been helping me around the kitchen after meals, helping me move and go through my supplies, he's even been letting me write to his family with him. His sister was my best friend growing up."
"That's very sweet," Louise smiled softly.
"Then are you going to admit you two are friends?" Evelyn teased.
"I've already said that we've been trying to be friends," Allie laughed. "But, I suppose I can now say we really are friends."
That night at dinner, Mary had told the girls that she was going to go for a walk. It hadn't taken long before Allie noticed Gabe offering to join her, adding that it was for safety in the dimming light outside. Allie looked to Bucky, tilting her head in the direction of the two as they left and smirking. He found himself leaning down to whisper to her as he helped her wash the dishes.
"Does Mary have a thing for him?" he asked with a grin.
"I don't know," Allie grinned back. "I suspect she does. Back at that hotel before we went to the bar? She and Gabe couldn't stop staring at each other when I introduced them."
"I think someone should lay off of us then," he grinned. At Allie's surprised expression, her widening eyes, Bucky gave a small roll of his own as he felt heat rush to his cheeks. "You and I both know that she's been saying things to both of us."
"She's said things to you too?" Allie's lips parted in surprise.
"Yes," he laughed. "Back before we left for France, that night in the bar before you left with Howard."
Allie cringed in embarrassment as she thought of the night. She knew that she had teased him about that night, but it felt much different hearing him tease her. Looking past Bucky into the living room where the other men were talking to Evelyn and Louise, asking them questions as Dugan turned on a radio.
"I'm still sorry about that night," Allie frowned. "About how I spoke to you."
"I'm sorry that I made you feel like you needed to leave with Howard," he joked. "Don't get me wrong, he's nice enough and a good friend to us, but Allison, he is known for being a playboy."
"Don't remind me," she muttered before she looked back to the living room, ensuring that her brother wasn't looking at them as she leaned towards Bucky to whisper. "I don't remember most of the night. I was too drunk."
"I don't need to hear about that," he frowned with his nose wrinkling. At the sound of Allie's soft laughter, he grinned at her. "By the way, I think you should know that I've kept that a secret from all of them. They don't know about it."
"Thank you for that," she smiled at him. "I don't know many men that wouldn't go around talking about things like that."
"It's your business," Bucky shrugged. "Just as whatever Mary thinks is going on between us is still your business."
Allie shook her head in amusement as she stood with him. They both turned to look at the living room, the life from their friends bubbling through the house. For a moment, Bucky looked down at her when she was still fixated on the living room. He knew that they were teasing and having their own fun, something that he had never known he could enjoy as much as he did. And yet, there was something about her that left him disappointed when he thought of how the night would have to end. He didn't know if Mary was right in some way when it came to how he felt about Allie. Even if he were to want to kiss her like he had thought of the night in the bar, he didn't think she would want the same. Frowning at the ground, he dismissed himself from the room and joined the men in the living room.
Allie found herself lonely in the kitchen when he left. It was odd to feel lonely like she did. It wasn't something that she could compare to when her friends had been back on the base when she first left with the Commandos. It was something different. There was a different quality to the way she felt when he had walked back to the others. There was a sliver of her mind that wondered if Mary had been right, but she only thought that if Mary had been right. It was only in regards to Allie's feelings.
Eventually, she found herself joining the group in the living room. The room was joyful and exciting as everyone spoke to one another, but eventually the group fizzled out as some went to bed and others remained. Allie herself had gone to her room and changed into her nightgown with the intent to go to sleep. Instead, she decided to walk back downstairs and went to the kitchen where she began to make herself a mug of hot chocolate.
Looking through the window as she mixed milk and chocolate together, she decided to go and watch the sky outside. It was still chilly from the winter air, but she hadn't had the intention of staying outside all night long. Allie sat on the back porch of the safe house simply feeling the chilled breeze against the bare skin of her ankles and feet. Her hands were secured firmly around the mug with hot chocolate that she had made, the warmth spreading along her fingertips.
Standing near a window, Bucky noticed Allie sitting alone outside. It wouldn't exactly have thrown him off if it hadn't been for the fact that she sat in her nightgown, no coat or even blanket to be seen around her shoulders. Rolling his eyes as he heard the last footsteps of the other Commandos reaching their rooms, he sighed to himself and took the few steps to the front door.
Allie heard the door creaking open behind her, but she supposed it was going to be her brother walking out to scold her. Instead, she was greeted by the footsteps of Bucky walking over and sitting down beside her. Her eyes were still trained forward, looking up at the stars through the trees in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Bucky following her gaze.
"You know, I would be lying if I said this view wasn't beautiful," Allie smiled and took a small drink from her mug.
"You're right," he agreed, glancing at her for a moment. "Aren't you cold though?"
"A little," she admitted. "But I'll be okay."
"Here," his voice came out in a small huff of a laugh.
As Allie looked over to him to ask him what he was doing, Bucky had slid his jacket off and was putting it around her shoulders. Her lips parted in order to protest the kind gesture, but he just straightened it out to sit like a cape. He gave a small smile as he looked to her, noticing her small frown.
"This way you don't give yourself frostbite," he teased.
"You don't have to give me your jacket," she insisted.
"No, I don't," he agreed. "But I want to."
His eyes watched the way her lips curled into a soft and gentle smile, her eyes dropping to the mug in her hands. She looked up at him, just under her lashes, noticing the way he was smiling down at her.
"Thank you by the way," Allie smiled.
"For what?" his brow furrowed in confusion.
"For being my friend," she smiled. "I know it sounds stupid, but I've always regretted the day we met."
"Allie," his voice was soft as he looked down at her. "I never should have spoken to you the way that day."
"I meant my apology when I said it that day," she frowned at her mug. "I just thought to myself that another boy with him, especially one so much taller and stronger, was nothing but the typical trouble."
"You were defending him," Bucky reminded her. "I was the one that was out of line."
"And I went with it," she pursed her lips. "We've been rather awful to each other in the past."
"Well, this is our new beginning then," he smiled. "We don't have to remember how we treated each other in the past. When we go home, we stay like this."
"You know, everyone will make fun of us," Allie grinned.
"Let them," he shrugged. "What do we care what they think? We never did before."
"That's true," she laughed.
Silence fell between the two as they just looked to one another. Allie wasn't quite sure how she found herself so close to Bucky's body. She wasn't even quite sure that she had ever been close enough to take in the scent of his cologne. Yet there it was, wafting in front of her nose, closer than she could have ever remembered.
On the reverse, as he looked down at her and took in a breath, Bucky could smell her perfume. He wasn't sure he'd ever truly smelt it before besides a passing waft when she was rushing off to a date. Here, it was like he was enamored. He couldn't move as he watched her eyes slowly rise to meet his. He could have sworn there was flitting movement as her eyes glanced at his lips.
If he were to be honest, his gaze dipped down to hers as well. He was painfully aware of the way he felt himself adjusting to be closer beside her. She didn't move back, only just a small bit closer. His jacket still firmly around her shoulders, he hadn't realized how attractive he could find the sight of Allie, of all the women in the world, in his jacket could be to him.
He couldn't even fully fathom how attracted he felt in the moment. Surely it had to have been the alcohol that he had consumed that evening. It wasn't the way that she shamelessly sat outside in her nightgown or the way the fabric did nothing to hide the form of her body underneath. It wasn't the way that she sat completely natural, her hair unstyled and sitting against her back apart from a few strands that moved with the wind. It wasn't the blue of her eyes that had a sparkle in them from the light that streamed down from the moon and stars. It wasn't the freckles that were sprinkled along her nose.
Allie and Bucky had known they were leaning in. Neither was a blind fool to it. Yet the moment they could feel the other's breath against theirs, warm and shallow, they realized how close they now sat next to each other. She could just barely feel the way that her lips just grazed his as she opened her mouth to utter anything. She hadn't expected to want to kiss the man in front her, but the moment that the opportunity and reality of it fully settled into her mind, she found herself a bit scared of the idea.
"I think I should go to bed," her lips grazed against his as she spoke, his trance breaking as he took in what she was saying.
"I can walk you inside," Bucky's voice was soft and gentle as he agreed. "If you would want me to, that is."
"I would," she nodded.
Finding themselves parting, both having to take in a breath as the reality of having almost kissed settled with them, Bucky stood and held his hand out for Allie to take. Helping her to her feet, he tried to ignore the way his gaze dipped down to her body once more. Allie wasn't blind to the way his eyes had roamed her body. It felt like a fire was set underneath her skin, one that she hadn't felt before, as his eyes finally came back to meet hers.
Clearing his throat, Bucky let go of her hand and turned to open the door. Allie took her mug of now cold chocolate and dropped it off in the kitchen as she looked at the few remaining lights that were lit in the house. Glancing over to Bucky who stood in the living room, she smiled to herself. It was a funny sight to her, the way that he was somehow completely relaxed and yet acting like he had so much on his mind that he couldn't share. She supposed she must have looked just the same.
"Are you going to bed as well?" her voice was soft as she walked up to him.
"Yeah, I think I am," he nodded.
"Okay," she bit her lip. "I can turn off the lights."
"It's okay, I can take care of them," he shook his head and stalked off to flip the light switch before Allie could even think of taking a step.
With the light in the room only being from the streaming beams from outside, Allie felt a thud against her chest as she looked up at him. She pushed the feeling aside as they walked up the stairs saying goodnight to each other as they reached his room. She found herself smiling as she began to walk to her room with the girls before she decided instead to walk to her brother's room.
Knocking on the door, she heard him welcome her in. He was sat on his bed while reading through files and paperwork. He seemed to have been focused on something as he gave her a small smile and asked about her day. She told him everything about the afternoon as she and Bucky had worked with Mary, Evelyn, and Louise outside.
"James said that when we get back to somewhere like London, he'll help me teach the girls how to defend themselves. We'll train them with weapons," Allie smiled. "I still can't believe that they're here."
"Well, you have him to thank for it," Steve sighed. "He's the reason all of you are here."
"What are you talking about?" Allie's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?" his face became etched in confusion.
"He's the reason all of us are here?"
"Well, yes, didn't he tell you?"
"Didn't he tell me what?"
"Allie, he came to me with the idea of putting you on this team as the medic. He was the one who came up with that. I never wanted you out here," Steve's brow furrowed.
"He told me that it had been your idea and that you didn't want to ask that much of me yourself. God, you really have never believed in me when it came to this, did you?" she glared.
"It isn't that. It's just-"
"You don't think your sister can handle herself," she scoffed.
"Don't put words into my mouth," he spat.
"I don't have to. They're already what you have always been thinking," she huffed, and with that, she left his room. She walked until she reached the door of her room, ready to open the door before she thought of what Steve had said. It had been Bucky the entire time. Sighing, she decided to go and talk to Bucky for confirmation.
Allie's footsteps padded along the the floor as she made her way to Bucky's room. She didn't pause for even a moment to think before she had placed her hand around the handle and opened it. Walking into the room without thinking of what she could be greeted with, she closed the door behind her and made her way in.
Bucky jumped as he finished taking his shirt off as he began to change for bed. His eyes widened as he realized that Allie was standing right there. He knew that if this had been back in Brooklyn, he most likely would have hissed at her for intruding. Instead, he found his eyes were glued to her once more. The way that her chest seemed to move up and down rapidly as she took in his appearance. Her cheeks tinged pink in the soft light from his lamp, and Bucky found he had a difficult time trying to find the words as he felt a thud in his chest.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked with a soft grin as he threw his shirt aside to the rest of his clothes.
"It was you," she said in shock.
"What was me?" his brow rose with his confusion.
"Me," the word left her lips in a puff of breath. "You were the one who wanted me on the team."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he feigned ignorance.
"Steve just told me," she assured him. "You convinced him to consider me. You lied when you talked to me and told me that it was Steve's idea. It had been yours."
Bucky stood and watched her as he gauged what her possible reaction would be. Was she angry that he had been the one to suggest that she be on the team? Was she angry that he had lied about it? Was she angry with him now or simply just dealing with the shock of the revelation.
"Don't deny it," she warned him.
"Alright," he nodded and swallowed harshly. "It was my idea."
"You actually believed in me?" her shock was evident.
"I've always seen your talent. Just because we never got along before doesn't mean I thought any less of your abilities."
Allie blinked up at him. He had always seen her talent. He had always seen her as her. He didn't let their disagreements or hatred stem into that part of things. She didn't quite know what to do with herself. It seemed that he didn't know what to do with himself either as he just stood and stared, blinking at her in return. Allie paused for a moment before she decided to throw caution to the wind.
Quick strides led her to being across the room in an instant. She allowed herself to give in to the desire she had had the entire evening as she reached up and grabbed Bucky's face, a hand on each cheek, pulling him down and crashing her lips into his.
He only allowed him to be shocked for a moment before he began to kiss her back. It was as if he couldn't wait any longer. Every impulse, every moment he had thought of kissing her the past few weeks had come together in an instant. He deepened the kiss, tasting her and tugging her lip as he parted to breathe. He didn't know how long they had been kissing before he backed her up against his bed, her body happily laying back as he came to be on top of her.
Beside him, Allie's knee was propped up, allowing for him to rest a hand on it as she leaned forward, holding her arm around his neck as she pulled him to continue the dance between their lips. It was only for a moment, however, as Bucky's weight pushed her back to lay on her back.
Bucky's lips traveled down to Allie's neck, his kisses warm and wet as they settled just behind and below her ear. His hand that had rested against her knee now made a journey of its own as it slid firmly down until it reached the top of her thigh. Allie gasped as she felt his warm hand so close to the juncture between her legs. Bucky pulled back at the sound of her shock, glancing down to where his hand rested.
"I'm sorry," he quickly said as he went to take his hand back.
"Don't apologize," she assured him, pulling him back in for another kiss. Parting just enough that her lips brushed against his as she spoke, she smiled. "But if we're doing this right now, don't leave marks where the others will see them."
"The only places where the others wouldn't see them would be under your gown," Bucky realized aloud.
"And your point being?" she grinned.
"Are you serious?" his eyes widened. "You want me to leave marks on you?"
"You don't have to," she began to shy away. "I was just thinking since they would see marks on my neck..."
"Are you okay with me seeing you?" he questioned. "All of you?"
"I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't," Allie assured him. "Would you be okay seeing me? All of me?"
"I-" Bucky seemed to lose his words as he let his eyes glance down to her body. He bit his lip as if he were thinking for a moment. He had barely been able to register the way that he was okay with and even wanted to be this close to her, having kissed her and let his hands roam her body with the barrier or the fabric still in place. "I think I'd rather start slowly. I want to see you."
"And what do you want to see?" her eyes were soft as she watched him carefully.
"May I?" he asked as he nodded down to her nightgown.
"Yes," she nodded.
Bucky swallowed as he sat up and aided Allie as she sat up as well. She just watched him as he lifted his hands up and placed them on either sleeve of her gown. He gently hooked his fingers underneath either side and began to pull them down. As the fabric began to gently brush against her arms, Allie felt a rush through her body as she realized that she wanted this moment in time to be happening.
She remembered the times in the past where she had been in the same spot as she was in that moment, but she had never felt the way that she suddenly found that she did when the man in front of her was Bucky. Her heart began to thud against her chest, the anticipation of the moment the fabric reached her waist and exposed her to him causing the pace to go faster and faster.
Bucky's eyes watched the fabric drop until the moment it reached her breasts. His eyes quickly snapped up to hers, his hands stopping for just a moment as he panicked. Was she only allowing him to do this as a thank you for his being the one to suggest her for the team? Was she lying about wanting the moment that was taking place in order to give him what he wanted?
Allie sensed his worries as she looked him in the eye once more. Leaning forward, she kissed him softly. "Keep going. I want this."
"I want this too," he nodded as he held her gaze for a moment longer.
Taking in a breath and swallowing, Bucky finally pulled the straps down, letting his gaze fall down to Allie's body as the fabric fell around her waist as she sat beneath him. He watched the way her chest moved up and down as she breathed heavily, quickly. His hand gently found its way to her stomach, tracing along the field of freckles that covered her.
"I never knew you had so many freckles," he teased.
"You thought I only had them on my face?" she grinned.
He smiled up at her before he gently helped her to lay on her back. His hand that had gently traced around her freckles gently found its way up to her cheek. Leaning in, Bucky kissed her softly. Beside him, her leg slowly came to be bent before she wrapped it around him. His hand moved to feel her leg, coming closer and closer to the warmth just below her waist. Dipping his head down, his body against hers, Bucky began to leave warm kisses against her collarbone.
Allie found herself allowing her eyes to close as a smile graced her lips. Bucky's warm kisses trailed down to her chest, his lips pressing against her breasts. His hand that sat against her thigh seemed to rub slowly, sensually as he glanced up to look at her. Feeling the pounding against his chest, he found himself allowing just enough space that he could reach underneath himself, his fingers coming to push the fabric of nightgown away as he reached her undergarments.
"James," she sighed, her eyes opening to meet his.
"If you tell me to stop, then I will," he assured her.
"I don't want you to stop," her eyes seemed to glaze over in desire as she looked down to where his hand laid. "Far from it."
"Okay," he nodded.
He pulled back and pulled her nightgown off, pulling her undergarments off just after. Laying in front of him was a now nude Allie. He wasn't sure he could have ever pictured her the way she looked now, the soft and subtle light from his lamp casting warm streams of light along her body.
Leaning in, he ran his hands up her inner thigh. She seemed to shiver as his fingers grazed the soft skin. He leaned back just enough to look at her center, his fingers traveling to trace the very spot he saw in front of him. Bucky traced the entrance with his finger before he slowly pushed it inside. Looking to her face, he noticed her biting her lip. Smiling to himself, he began to push and pull his finger in her before he allowed a second finger to spread her further.
His breathing became more rapid as her chest rose and fell as her breathing began to hitch. He took it as a sign that she was enjoying his touch, before her body seemed to become used to his touch. Frowning, he removed his hand from her entirely before pushing himself back and leaning down to take her in his lips.
Her fingers laced through his hair, tugging him in further as he heard the moan escape her lips. Grinning to himself in satisfaction, he let his tongue slowly start to lick a stripe, slowly moving up as he looked up to see her back arching. He pressed in harder, tasting her and reveling in the way her body bucked against him.
"Yes..." Allie's voice came from her lips softly. "James, just like that."
He smiled against her, parting long enough to look up at her as he brought his hand to her, tracing his fingers along that same line. He looked down to watch his fingers disappear in her, feeling her and feeling his own heart beat faster. As he leaned in to kiss her, her back arched, her hips bucking against his hand as if to feel more. He grinned in satisfaction. Removing his hand from the juncture between her thighs, he placed himself on top of her again, leaning in to kiss her as she pulled him down.
A knocking on the door pulled the two from their thoughts. Both looked at the wooden frame in horror as a voice sounded from the other side.
"Hey, Buck? Are you in there?" Steve's voice came through.
Quickly, Bucky helped Allie redress, smoothing her hair down and standing far apart from her as she nodded that she was okay with her brother entering the room. Bucky greeted Steve telling him to come in. Steve was in his pajamas, his eyes falling down to his sister who had her hands in her lap as Bucky's arms were crossed against his chest.
"What are you doing in here?" Steve glanced between the two.
"Well, considering that you and I just got into an argument?" Allie's brow rose at him. "I came to talk to Bucky. Privately."
"Right," Steve nodded slowly and seemed to look to his best friend for confirmation and receiving a nod of Bucky's head as his answer. "Well, I just came to ask if you two had seen Gabe or Mary. Evelyn just came to my room asking for Allie and if she had seen Mary."
"No, but I'm sure they're fine," Allie assured Steve. "I have a feeling those two are just getting to know each other. That's all."
"We'll hear the doors opening and closing before we know it," Bucky agreed.
"Alright," Steve nodded. "Allie, you'll let the girls know then?"
"I will," she nodded. "You go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning."
"Right," Steve nodded. "Goodnight you two."
"Goodnight," Bucky and Allie chorused as Steve closed the door behind him and his footsteps could be heard fading down the hall.
Both waited while holding their breath, terrified that if they were to move even an inch, Steve would be back in the room. Once the footsteps had stopped, Allie let out her breath and looked up at Bucky. She stood, slowly walking back to him.
"I um," her words were soft. "I should get back to my room."
"Right," he nodded.
Neither seemed to know what to do as they stood in front of each other. Bucky was scared of how the taste of her was still on his lips, something he found he enjoyed. He didn't think that he could admit that aloud, so instead, he found himself searching her eyes.
"We should talk about what just happened," he swallowed harshly.
"Yes, we should," she agreed. "But, let's talk about it tomorrow. We should give ourselves time to think about it."
"Okay, we talk about it tomorrow," he agreed. Glancing to the door, he closed his eyes tightly and took in a deep breath. "Can I kiss you goodnight?"
Allie's cheeks flushed, her lips parted in surprise as her eyes widened in shock. While she wasn't ready to talk about what had happened in Bucky's bed, she supposed a kiss goodnight had to be harmless in comparison. She took in a quick, deep breath.
"Yes," she nodded.
Bucky stepped forward, his hand cupping her cheek as he kissed her. Warmth seemed to spread from her head to her toes as she realized that she enjoyed it. His kiss was sweet and gentle, something that she could picture him leaving on her lips after a date or after he had taken her dancing with friends. She blinked slowly as she parted from him.
"Goodnight," she whispered.
"Goodnight," he smiled.
Slipping through the door, Allie heard it close behind her. On either side of the bedroom door Allie and Bucky stood with widened eyes as they let the events that just happened settle with them. Both seemed to take deep breaths as they realized that Mary had been right.
Notes:
May I present to the class, non-PG Allie and Bucky 💁♀️
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter 11: Two Bodies
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Allie hadn't slept that night. Instead, while the sounds of Louise and Evelyn sleeping were soft in the background after she had told them she would wait for Mary, she stared at the ceiling of their room.
Her eyes were unfocused as her fingertips came to touch her lips, remembering the feeling of Bucky's lips against hers. She had kissed him. It had been her who had made the first move. At the memory of his lips against her body, heat flushed through her. She hadn't wanted the night to stop where it had, but had Bucky wanted the same thing? Had he wanted to make love to her?
A small creak of the door pulled Allie from her thoughts. Sitting up and looking to the door, she saw Mary attempting to sneak into the room. She looked a bit disheveled as she walked in, her hands quickly and quietly taking off her heels and putting them near the door. Smirking as Mary looked up and realized she was watching her, Allie slowly got up and walked over to her.
"We were all convinced the two of you must have died with how long you were away," Allie teased.
"We got a little lost, that was all," Mary shook her head.
"You two got lost? You and I both know that I know better than to believe you two got 'lost'," Allie crossed her arms over her chest. "My only question is what exactly did you two do?"
"We went for a walk," Mary reminded her. "I promise that's it."
"Fine," Allie sighed as she walked to the window. "You can tell me when you're ready."
"Is this how you feel when I talk to you about James?" Mary rolled her eyes, walking to her clothes and changing into her nightgown. "I swear, we went for a walk. We just got to talking and got lost along the way."
"You like him," Allie smirked. "That's cute."
"He's nice," Mary shrugged.
"And handsome?" Allie teased.
"Well, yes. He is very handsome," Mary agreed. "But, that's a conversation for another time. Why are you still awake?"
"I said I'd stay awake until you came back."
"I see," the brunette nodded. "Well, you can go to sleep now seeing as I'm back."
Allie nodded and laughed, telling her friend goodnight before she herself laid back down. She still did not find herself sleeping well, instead continuing to remember Bucky's touches. She didn't know when or for how long she had drifted to sleep, but she still woke up before any of the other women. Sighing to herself, she readied herself for the day and went downstairs to cook breakfast.
The smell of food seemed to bring the house to life, doors opening and closing upstairs before one-by-one, the women and men walked into the kitchen where Allie was finishing their breakfast. As Bucky walked into the room, he met Allie's eye and smiled. She smiled at him, turning to start plating the food for the different people who had walked in.
Breakfast seemed to last forever for the two as they were surrounded. Both found that they wanted to be around the other. They were both still thinking of the night before, even as they were spoken to by their friends. It wasn't until Steve took a drink of water and cleared his throat that any plans for the day had been made by anyone.
Sighing, he told them of how there were new weapons and supplies ready for the team out in town, something that he needed help in going to look through and transport back. As Allie began to say she would make sure to have a checklist for the medical supplies as she had before, Mary, Evelyn, and Louise all looked at her in shock.
"Allie, you are always doing this. Have you had a day off from this work?" Mary looked at her with widened eyes.
"It's just picking up supplies," Allie assured them.
"Exactly," Mary pointed out and looked to Evelyn and Louise. "The three of us could go ahead and look through it and check it all in."
"Mary's right," Evelyn shrugged. "You deserve a day off."
"Steve, would it be alright if she takes the day off?" Mary looked at him.
"If you three are comfortable checking through the supplies, I would be fine with that. You've been working hard," Steve looked to Allie.
Allie remembered their conversation from the night before. The way they hadn't spoken afterwards. The revelation that Bucky was the one who campaigned for her to be with them still seemed unbelievable to her. She wondered if Steve agreeing to let her have a day off was his way of apologizing for the way she had found out.
"Then I'll take the day off," Allie nodded as she looked at Mary.
Mary seemed to smirk, almost as if she had had a reason for encouraging Allie to stay home that day. It took one look from Mary to Gabe for Allie to realize that Mary wanted her to stay home so she wouldn't bother her about Gabe. Allie had to suppress her own smirk as she realized that Mary had given her the perfect beginning to having her conversation with Bucky. As she cleaned up breakfast, she waited until they stood close enough together that she could privately talk to him.
"Do you think you could find a way to stay home today?" Allie whispered as Bucky reached around her to place a glass in the sink.
"Probably. Why?" he swallowed harshly, heat seeming to radiate between them as they stood there.
"We still need to talk," she reminded him. "And I'd rather do that if you and I are alone."
All of the air from Bucky's lungs seemed to puff out through his nose as he glanced back to the other Commandos and thought for a moment. He tilted his head to the side, looking back to Allie. Taking in a deep, thoughtful breath, he leaned in.
"Can you act?" his eyes narrowed as if he were studying her.
"Probably. Why?" she let out a small laugh.
"We're going to lie our asses off. You're already home for the day," he reminded her. "We need an excuse for me."
"Alright. Go to your room and lay down," Allie whispered looking at him standing in his pajamas. "Don't change in case someone comes in. I'll be up there in a moment."
"Yes ma'am," he nodded, going to take a step before her hand reached out and grabbed his. "What is it?"
"Pretend you're in pain," she whispered. "Not vomiting pain, maybe a headache or a backache. Something that will make it more believable."
"Are nurses supposed to help patients and soldiers fake illness?" his smirk was bright.
"When they want to have a certain conversation? Yes," she nodded. "Now go."
With one last grin, Bucky placed his hand on his back and walked back up the stairs and to his room. Allie listened to the sound of footsteps until they no longer padded against the floor on the second level. Turning her attention back to the sink, she grinned to herself and began to wash the dishes.
"Hey Allie?" Mary's voice sounded from the front of the kitchen.
"Yes?"
"Did you want anything from the store when we go? Steve was just saying that he knew we needed food on our way back. He said there was a shop in town that we could go to."
"Just normal groceries will be fine. Steve will know what I usually buy for the boys," she smiled.
"Are you going to rest?" Mary's footsteps walked up to her, seemingly studying her face.
"Something like that," Allie sighed.
"Something like that?" Mary grinned and crossed her arms across her chest. "What does that mean?"
"It means, I'll probably have to spend my time cleaning. That's all," Allie laughed.
"You are not cleaning on your day off. You are relaxing. I don't care what form that takes. Read, sleep, take a bath, I don't care. Someone else can clean for you later," Mary argued.
"Well, I appreciate that," Allie grinned.
"Do the boys even help you around this place?" Mary scoffed.
"Yes, they do," Allie laughed and nodded her head. "Steve and James seem to help the most, but I have a feeling that that has something to do with how we were all raised back in Brooklyn."
"Well, that's going to be changing around here," Mary pursed her lips.
Allie shook her head in amusement at her friend, walking over to the downstairs closet where she had kept towels and rags for the entire team. Mary's brow rose in confusion as she took in Allie's stride to the sink as she turned on the tap and soaked the rag. As Allie wrung out a majority of the water, she noticed Mary walking up to her once again.
"What is that for?" her friend furrowed her brow in confusion.
"James was just complaining about pains. I told him to go upstairs and rest. I figured I'd take him a rag to try and help ease the pain," Allie gave a simple shrug.
"I see," Mary didn't seem quite convinced, but Allie ignored the look she was given.
Instead Allie excused herself to go upstairs as Mary found herself preparing to leave for the day. Allie could hear the voices downstairs as the others were dividing the tasks that had to be completed that day. Knocking gently on Bucky's door, she gently turned the knob and began to walk inside.
"A wet rag?" Bucky propped himself up and laughed.
"Shhh! Shut up," she found herself laughing as she looked out the door before closing it slowly and coming to sit on the edge of his bed. "Now, you need to lay back and let me put this on you."
"Really? You're really going to put it on me?"
"What are you going to do if the others walk in and you're as dry as can be?" she smirked.
"Fine," he complied, laying back as Allie leaned forward to place the rag on his forehead.
Bucky found himself studying her as she placed the rag on his forehead. He could feel the beads of water running down his temples and on his pillow. Allie looked to the side, directly at his end table and cocked her head to the side. Sighing as she looked back at him, she smiled softly.
"I'll get a glass of water," her voice was soft. "It'll really complete the picture."
"I don't even know why I asked if you could act earlier," he rolled his eyes playfully. "You seem to be awfully good at it."
"I'm good at it when I have a good reason to be," she smirked. "Now act like you're sick until I come back."
"Yes ma'am," he nodded and laid back, the wet rag sending a bead of water down his face.
Grinning, Allie left the room and was greeted with Steve. Her brother had looked back at Bucky's room and back to his sister with a concerned expression.
"Is he okay?" Steve looked back to the door.
"He's fine," she nodded. "I think he just needs a day of rest. He was complaining earlier that his head was hurting and he was having some back pain. I just took him a rag to help with his headache. He'll be fine, but I don't think he should be going out to get the supplies with you all."
"You're sure he's fine? That doesn't seem like him," Steve looked at her in surprise.
"I'm sure. I'll be here if anything happens," she reminded him. "But the others are going to need you with them."
Allie walked past him and down the stairs, leaving for the kitchen where she pulled out a clean glass. Steve stood at the entrance of the kitchen, frowning for a moment before sighing. The Commandos could be heard in the other room calling for him, and as he heard their calls, Steve sighed.
"We'll see you when we get back later," Steve walked over, giving his sister a hug.
"Alright," she smiled. "Stay safe you guys."
"You too," he grinned.
Allie found herself taking the glass and turning on the kitchen tap, filling the cup as she heard the thundering footsteps of the others through the front door. Through the window, she could see them piling into the jeeps, driving off to the roads. Taking in a breath, she turned off the tap before she walked upstairs to Bucky's room. She took a deep breath as she opened the door, looking at Bucky as she walked inside.
"Are they gone?" Bucky propped himself up, taking the rag in his hand and watching as Allie closed the door behind her. She walked over and placed the glass on his nightstand, watching as he placed the wet rag beside it.
"They're gone," she nodded.
"So we're going to talk about last night?" he sat up.
"Yes," she nodded.
Allie swallowed harshly as she thought of what she could say. The memories of the previous night had been drilled in her mind since it had happened. The way his lips had felt against her body, the way he had touched her, the way his lips had felt against her heat. Bucky watched her as she walked while in thought before she paused. He realized she was starting to rock on the balls of her feet as if she were anxious.
"I can start, if you'd like?" he suggested.
"No... It's okay, I can start," she nodded to herself. "James, I did want for that to happen last night. I didn't expect it to happen, but as it was happening, I liked it."
"So did I," his heart was thudding against his chest, nerves spreading through the length of his body.
"I just... I didn't expect that I would like it with you as much as I did," Allie found herself biting the inside of her lip, nervous as she thought about the ways he had touched her. She felt warmth spreading through her, nerves becoming a bundle just below her stomach.
"Right," he swallowed harshly. "Well, I very much liked it being you. I wouldn't have expected it either, but when you were here on my bed, I don't think I have felt that before. I really didn't want to stop."
"Neither did I," she bounced between her heels and the balls of her feet as she looked at him.
Silence settled between the two as they had admitted that they had wanted the previous night to continue. Allie felt herself flushing with heat at the memory of him between her legs, wondering what it would feel like to have felt him inside of her. She felt as if her mouth was going dry at the same time that she had to swallow harshly in order to remain focused. She didn't know what to do with herself, what to do with her hands as she stood.
Bucky watched her. He remembered the soft skin he had kissed. He remembered the freckles that peppered her skin underneath her gown. He remembered the way she tasted on his lips. The way that the entire night, he could only think of her. He watched as her eyes met his. Both seemed to breathe faster as they searched the other's eyes.
"Oh, to hell with it," Allie's voice came out breathy as she strode along the length of the room.
Her hands came to rest on Bucky's cheeks as she pulled him in, kissing him as hard as she possibly could. It took him a moment to realize what was happening, but the moment that he did, he brought his hands to her waist. One began to splay against her back, pulling her in further.
There was a simple swipe of his tongue against her lips, a question of permission. She complied, allowing him to explore. Allie found herself wanting to be closer to him, pressing her body against him. His lips left hers, traveling down her neck just as they had the night before.
"Did you still want me to kiss you where they can't see it?" he teased.
"I want you to do exactly as you did last night," she breathed. "And then I want you to do more."
"I think we can do that," he grinned.
Allie found herself grinning at him as she reached to the front of her dress and began to unbutton the fabric. Bucky's eyes followed the movements of her hands, helping her as he pulled the fabric over her head for her. Her slip was silky, cool to the touch as he pushed the fabric up and over her body. His hand came to rest on her cheek, pulling her in. His lips moved against hers passionately, craving her more with each moment that passed.
Parting for a moment to catch his breath, he looked down the length of her body. In his arms, he had a woman who he had never expected to heave there. Part of him was wondering if he was dreaming his current position. If it were just a dream of what he wanted. He was glad that he could know it was real. Allie was really beginning to straddle him, pressing against him.
His hands followed the curves of her body, reaching behind her where the clasp of her brazier laid. Allie watched him, keeping her eyes on his as he felt the metal and unclasped it. The fabric quickly began fall down her arms, Bucky pulling the fabric down the rest of the way and dropping it onto the pile of her clothing.
"You are beautiful," he muttered as he looked down the length of her body. "I hope you know that."
"You think I'm beautiful?" her cheeks flushed as he looked her in the eye.
"You've always been beautiful. I'm just sorry I never told you before now," he gave a small, soft grin. "You know, I said emeralds weren't my favorite stones, but I lied. They are."
Allie's mind went back to her conversation with him that day they had gone out to chop down a tree. His words from that day, when he had shown he could be sweet and charming while remaining firm in his stance that he was not her biggest fan flooded her thoughts. She smiled at the memory.
"Thank god," she grinned. "I was beginning to think diamonds were."
"No chance in hell," he grinned. "Only emeralds for me."
"Only sergeants for me," she smirked.
At her words, his eyes widened for a moment. He studied her eyes, becoming lost in them as he found himself speechless. His head tilted to the side, his lips coming to a soft and gentle smirk. As Allie studied him, she watched a few strands of his hair fall down to his forehead. The sight was something she found she liked very much.
"You know," Bucky began as he let out a small breath. "I never really noticed how pretty your eyes are. If I look at them just right, there's a touch of grey in them. I don't think I've seen that before. I like it."
"If you keep complimenting me, you're going to find I won't know how to respond," she teased.
"That's fine," he shrugged with a small laugh. "I'll leave you speechless then."
Smirking at her, he leaned in and pressed his lips against her jaw. His lips trailed down her neck slowly, his kisses were warm and soft. It was the moment he reached her collarbone that his kisses became heated. Allie felt as he took her skin between his lips. Her heart began to beat quickly as he began to suck on her.
As he began to ready himself to kiss lower on her body, he gently rolled both himself and Allie over, laying her gently on the bed. She looked up at him as she shuffled herself to the middle of the bed. He grinned as he dipped down and kissed her chest. As his lips pressed against her sternum, he noticed the peaks of her breasts hardening.
Keeping Allie's eye, he gently kissed her left breast. Her skin was soft, goosebumps beginning to spread over her as she felt the pleasure bubbling. Taking the peak of her breast in his lips, he traced around the tip, tugging at it firmly, but not harshly, with his teeth.
"Oh!" the word escaped her lips before she could realize that she was saying it.
"Are you okay?" Bucky quickly snapped up, his eyes widening as he looked at her.
"I am very okay," she assured him. "Do that again."
"Yes ma'am," he smiled.
He shifted his focus to her breast again, tracing the pink tip with his tongue once more. He sucked on her skin, pulling at her as she ran one hand through his hair. With his hand, he reached up to her right breast. As his lips tugged at her left breast, his hand held her right breast. He cupped it, squeezing and kneading it. He could feel the tip hard against his palm, moving his hand where he began to rub it with his thumb. Together, his lips tugged one peak while his hand hand pinched and tugged the other.
Allie's head tipped back in pleasure as she relished the way he was touching her. She found that she enjoyed the way his tongue felt against her body, the sensation of his teeth pulling at her. He knew the way to elicit a response from her body without violence or roughness. He knew the way to make her body mould to him.
Bucky moved his lips from her left breast to her right breast. Allie was sure that her skin was going to be peppered in bruises, something that she didn't find that she minded. At least not when it was Bucky kissing parts of her body that no one would see anyway. Parts of her body that were invigorating to have a man touch and look at.
As his body shifted as he tugged against the peak of her breast, his hand that had not yet touched her body began to follow the curve of her body. It passed her waist and came to rest against her hip. The fabric of her underwear still against her body, Bucky traced the band of the fabric. Running his hand along the fabric, he ran his hand down the length of her center with the barrier of her underwear. He found the satin fabric was already wet.
His lips quirking into a smile around her pink peak, he played with the band before slipping his fingers inside. He touched her gently, starting with one finger tracing the line of her heat. As he traced her with his finger, his thumb found the sweet spot of pleasure. Her gasp as he began to rub circles against it told him to continue. He continued to rub her as his finger continued to trace her.
He waited for her to appear ready before his lips parted from her breast, his eyes falling down to where his hand was working. He slowly entered one finger inside, pumping slowly as she became used to his touch. He watched the way her body moved, only entering a second finger when he felt she was ready. She gasped, but nodded to him, as she felt the second finger. With his free hand, he shimmed the satin fabric down her legs.
"Take them off," Allie's eyes opened. She looked at him, and nodded in the direction of her underwear. "I want to be free."
Bucky removed his fingers, quickly taking her underwear off of her before he touched her again.His fingers began to ready her once again before he pumped them into her. She found herself bucking into his touch as he pumped his fingers faster, and more to her pleasure, harder. He began to curl his fingers up as they disappeared inside of her. Her body became warm, her legs and center feeling a fiery heat.
Allie found a bundle of pleasure bubbling just below her stomach. She was wishing for it to pool, but Bucky seemed to not allow for it. He had removed his fingers from inside of her, and before she could say anything, he brought his lips and tongue against her skin just as he had the night before.
He licked at her, his tongue circling around her heat. Her hands flew to his hair, pulling his face further into her. He hummed against her, the vibrations causing a moan to pour from her lips. Satisfied with her response, he continued to circle around her with his tongue, he began to suck at her as delicious hums continued to vibrate against her.
Allie felt as the bundle of pleasure began to grow. Bucky seemed to know exactly how to touch and taste her body. She relished in it, loving the way that he was playing with her. Before she could say anything, any way of telling him to continue, Bucky surprised her by beginning to tongue her harder. She found she liked the feeling of him pressing harder, beginning to lift her hips to him.
Bucky's hands held her hips, keeping her balanced as he pushed in further. He was taken by surprise, but not for long, when Allie began to move her body against his lips. It was movement that he found spurred him on. It didn't take much longer before the bundle of pleasure became unwound, Bucky feeling its warmth as he parted his lips from her.
He gently laid her back, reaching up and wiping at his chin before he grinned. Allie began to work on steadying her breathing as she looked to him. She swallowed before propping herself up, coming to sit in front of him. Glancing down at the bulging fabric of his pants for just a moment before looking back to his eyes, Allie took in a deep breath.
"You haven't undressed yourself," she noted.
"No," he shook his head. "I haven't."
She tilted her head to the side for a moment before her hands settled at the hem of his shirt. He smiled and nodded as she pushed the fabric up and over his head, taking it and throwing it to the side as he had done with her clothing. She reached for the belt on his pants, unbuckling it and pausing just before her hands came to the button and zipper. Bucky took note of her pause and looking to her eyes.
"You don't have to do anything that you're uncomfortable with," his voice was soft and gentle, his hand rising to cup her cheek. As she looked up at him, his thumb swiped softly against the curve of her cheekbone. "If all you want right now is for me to touch you, then so be it."
"But- what about you?" her eyes had widened. "There has to be something you want me to do."
"You come first," his lips had settled into a firm line, his eyes studying hers. "I can wait. I want you to enjoy this."
"I am enjoying this," she promised him. "It's the only time I have enjoyed this."
At her admission, his eyes widened. His lips had parted as the watched the way she went to look away. He smiled softly at her, his thumb running against her cheek again. She looked up at him, almost as if she were nervous.
"Then you tell me what you want to do," he smiled. "You are in charge."
Allie swallowed harshly, nodding as she took in what he had said. She thought for a moment. What did she want? Did she want to taste him the way that he had tasted her? Did she want to feel him against her palm? Did she want him to just take her and become connected in the same way she had wished had happened the previous night? Taking in a breath, she reached for the button and zipper on his pants. He nodded to her as she undid both, slipping them off and dropping them off the side of the bed. Her hand slowly reached out, almost as if she were cautious, to the band of his boxer shorts.
"If you are wanting to, you can," he smiled.
"Are you sure?" she looked to his eyes once more.
"I told you, you're in charge. You choose what you want to do. I know I'll enjoy whatever you decide," he smirked.
Nodding, she touched the band of the boxers, thinking for a moment before she moved her hand lower. Her palm against the fabric of his boxers, she felt the bulge against her hand. Looking up and into his eyes, she slowly began to palm him through the fabric. As she realized he had told the truth that he was going to enjoy what she chose to do, she moved her hand faster.
His eyes closed before she paused long enough to pull against the band of the boxers, slipping her hand inside just as he had done with hers. She moved her body closer to his as she felt her heart pounding against her chest. Heat coursed throughout her body as she felt the length of him against her palm. She gasped just slightly, before she wrapped her fingers around him.
She ran her hand down the length of him, surprised at how exciting it was to feel him before she had even seen him for the first time. He groaned at her touch, exciting her as she applied pressure and ran the length of him as she did so. Looking to his eyes, she leaned forward as she felt him and kissed his lips.
"You know," he breathed as he groaned from her touch once more. "I know I said you were in charge, but if I could suggest something, I'd like you to take them off."
Allie found herself laughing softly, nodding as she took her hand away and took his boxers off for him. She felt a sweet warmth as she thought of the way that they had done the same actions for one another. It was mutual and respectful, nothing happening until the other was ready for it. She enjoyed that.
She found her eyes fell upon him as she dropped the fabric to the side. It wasn't the first time that she had seen a nude man. She had been a nurse. She had had sex before. Bucky was different. She didn't understand how seeing a man nude made her feel the way that she did, but she relished in it.
She brought her hand to him once more, watching as her fingers wrapped around him once more. She watched as her hand touched him, pausing at the tip. She ran her thumb over the tip, touching him softly. Running her hand up and down his length, she applied pressure once again, watching as his eyes closed and hearing the happy hum from his throat.
"Lay back," she whispered.
Bucky did as she had instructed, laying back against the headboard of the bed. Allie found herself adjusting her body to comfortably lean in. She started by kissing the tip of his length softly, almost as if to tease. His eyes widening and his lips curling into an amused grin, he watched as she began to kiss him. He felt her lips warm and wet against his length, waiting for what she would do next.
As she kissed seemingly every inch of him, she began to leave open kisses against his skin, her tongue pressing against him. Lining herself up, she kissed the tip of him once again, this time swirling her tongue against him. She took him inside her lips, slowly but surely going back-and-forth, a little further each time as she took in more of him each time.
Her hand wrapped around him where her lips had not reached, stroking him as she continued to moan against him, allowing her tongue to follow the length of him. His hum of approval sounded above her, spurring her on to bob faster. Taking her lips off of him entirely, she kissed down it's length, reaching the bottom before placing her tongue against him. She licked from bottom to the top, swirling her tongue around him and quickly taking him into her mouth as far as she could. He gasped and his hands flew to her head, tangling in her hair as he guided her down a few times. His hands fell to his sides as he remembered the taste of her on his lips, missing the contact and heat he had felt prior.
"Allison, I want to taste you again," the words flowed from Bucky's lips before he could stop them.
Looking up the length of his body, Allie removed herself from his length and cocked her head to the side. "You do? But, what about you?"
"I have an idea," he admitted. "A way we both can have what we want right now."
"Alright," Allie nodded.
"You can say no," he reminded her. "But if you turn around when straddling me..."
"Oh," her eyes widened. "You're suggesting... that."
"You don't have to, I can wait," he shook his head. "I didn't mean to be that forward."
"No, be that forward," she smiled. Crawling and straddling his body as she sat on his abdomen, she leaned in and kissed him. "I like the idea. You seem to have a lot of good ones."
"You're sure you'd like to try it?" he studied her eyes as if they could speak. "You're not just saying that?"
"I'd like to try it," she nodded.
Scooting her body back and gently turning herself around to straddle his body with her back facing his face, she rested her hands against his thighs. His hands came up to rest on her thighs, and behind her, he swallowed harshly as he prepared himself.
"I'll keep you supported," he promised.
"I'm counting on it, Sergeant," she teased.
Leaning down, Allie took him in her lips once more. At her tongue swirling around him once more, Bucky let out a groan and pulled her to him. He licked a striped against her just as she had earlier. As he tasted her once again, he found he threw away caution. He was desperate as he suckled and seemingly slurped at her. Her legs shook from the pleasure as she took in more of his length. She groaned against him, something that seemed to cause him to lick and suck both harder and faster.
Both pushed harder and faster than they had before. Bucky's tongue pressed against the seam of her body, pushing against her as if asking permission. Allie seemed to give her permission by pressing herself against him even more. He allowed his tongue to push inside of her, her body reacting by tightening against him. He relished in the taste, continuing to tongue and lick her the way that he had been.
Allie's head bobbed up-and-down Bucky as she took him in until she couldn't take any more. When she reached that moment, she took one of her hands and wrapped it around the length that she couldn't take in her lips. She applied pressure, feeling the vibrations of his groan throughout her body and moaning around him.
Bucky was the first of the two to begin coming undone. Allie felt as his legs began to quiver, taking him as far as she could one last time, she brought her lips off of him and replaced her mouth with her hand. As he continued to tongue her and suck on her, he thrusted against her palm. He came undone, struggling to continue his work on her in a steady fashion. Allie ground herself against his chin, feeling as his hands tightened their grip on her thighs. As she participated, Bucky found it wasn't long until her own legs began to shake, her center tightening as she herself breathed heavier and became undone once more.
Panting, she laid down on her back, staring at the ceiling for a moment. Bucky sat up, looking at her for a moment. Her lips were curled into a satisfied smile, his own following her example. Looking over at him, she found herself looking up into his eyes. She didn't think she had ever looked him in the eye as much as she had in those moments.
"I can honestly say that that was a first," Allie grinned at him. Leaning in slightly, her voice dropped. "I liked it."
"I did too," Bucky nodded with a growing grin of his own.
Allie turned on her side, looking at him. She smiled, happy to watch him smile in return. He was still steadying his breath, but he seemed to study her face for a moment before speaking.
"You're still in charge," he smiled. "I know we both had wanted more last night. Did you still want that now?"
"Yes," she smiled. "I do still want that."
Bucky nodded as he propped himself up. At his movement, Allie laid down on her back once more, watching as he came to a sitting position. He studied her for a moment before taking in the state of her hair which threatened to spill into her face.
"Are you ready?" he pushed her hair from her face as he looked down her body.
"Yes," she nodded. "I'm ready."
Allie kept her eyes on him as he repositioned his body, lining himself up with her heat. He pushed in slow at first, allowing for her body to react and adjust before pushing in further. As he began to thrust in-and-out of her, he watched her smile in delight. She had been ready for that moment. Continuing his pattern of thrusts, Bucky leaned down, laying a kiss on her lips. He took her hand in his, lacing his fingers through hers as he continued to thrust further and further. The two hadn't paid attention to how long he had thrusting into her, time seeming to have stopped while they'd been together.
Laying on her back, Allie tipped her head back, her back beginning to arch as her hips snapped to Bucky's. It was electrifying to feel him inside of her. His breathing was rapid as he thrusted, the shaking of her legs spurring him on. His hands held firmly against her hips, keeping them steady as he moved against her. His hand gently moved from her hip to her center, finding the sweet spot he had touched earlier. Allie's mouth opened as she felt his touch, her breathing uneven as she felt pleasure course through her.
She was the first to let go, her voice loud as she moaned and uttered the word "yes". All it took was her moan for Bucky himself to let go, his breathing coming in pants as the warmth continued between them. He slowly began to lay beside Allie, just making out from the corner of his eye that her legs were continuing to shake. He smiled to himself as his eyes looked up.
The only sound that remained in the room was the heavy breathing of the two. Neither was covered, yet neither cared as they laid on their backs and looked towards the ceiling. They didn't know how long they had being laying beside one another for, but Bucky had eventually brought his hand up to push his hair back from his face.
Allie found herself smiling before she looked up at him. Seeing her from the corner of his eye, Bucky turned his face towards hers. At the sight of her smile, his own lips painted themselves into a grin. He watched as she slowly adjusted the way that she was laying, coming to be beside him, placing her hand on his chest. His arm came to wrap around her, letting her rest her head against him. Without speaking, Bucky found himself untucking the sheet from underneath them, covering both himself and her as they laid there.
It was silent as the two thought about what had taken place. They had both had sleepless nights the previous night, only thinking of what they had done. Both had a suspicion that they were going to have another sleepless night ahead of them. Swallowing as he thought about something Allie had said, he paused for a moment.
"Allison?" Bucky's voice was soft, his hand playing with the ends of her hair as he held her.
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you something?" his voice remained soft. "If it's too personal, you don't have to answer."
"Okay," she nodded.
"What did you mean when you said that this was the only time you enjoyed doing this?" he found himself looking down to her.
It was silent for a moment. Bucky wondered if he had overstepped. As he opened his mouth to apologize, to tell her she didn't have to answer his question and could forget he ever asked, Allie sighed.
"You already know that I don't remember that night with Howard. And frankly as much as I think he's a good friend, I have a feeling that I didn't enjoy it very much," her nose scrunched a bit. "But, back in Brooklyn, and you cannot let Steve ever know about this, but when I was young I had let a boy in school have his way with me. More than once."
"What?" Bucky's eyes widened. "But the only boy you went steady with that I can remember was-"
"Gilbert Coon," she nodded. "I made the mistake of dating him and he took advantage of it."
"That son of a bitch," Bucky spat. "I'm going to kill that bastard when we get back to Brooklyn."
"James," Allie warned. "It's not worth it, trust me, I know. I tried to break things off with him on more than one occasion, and he always threatened that he would tell people what we had done. He had threatened to mar my reputation."
"Allison, he did tell people what you had done," Bucky looked at her horrified. "None of us liked him and always believed he was lying."
"What?" Allie shot up, sitting as straight up as a pin as she looked at him. "What do you mean he had told people?"
"It was a few of us on the teams with him. You and I both know how he was. He also claimed to have been under the sheets with a few of the other girls in your class. We always assumed he had been lying," Bucky felt the blood drain from his face. "Frankly, we all felt bad that you had to put up with him. When he said what he did, I made the guys promise that it stayed between us. We didn't think you needed to deal with all of that. Especially when your mom had just passed away."
Without saying a word, Allie removed herself from Bucky and reached for the rag on the end table. Cleaning herself up, she felt her head pounding. Bucky watched as she rose from the bed and picked her garments up from the floor, redressing herself in silence. He found himself scrambling from the sheets, walking around to stand in front of her.
"I didn't say that to upset you," he assured her. "It's just, the truth just kind of slipped out."
"I appreciate that you told me the truth," she pursed her lips. "It's just embarrassing that you of all people have always known."
"I didn't know that I knew," Bucky reminded her. "Why do you think I hated him so much? Even more than your brother? I'll tell you. I didn't care that you and I weren't friends. I didn't care that you hated my very existence. You never deserved to be treated like anything other than the strong girl and now woman you have always been."
"I should have listened to you all when you said not to go on that date with him," she frowned. "I just wanted to prove that I could take care of myself, and I didn't even do that."
"No, you did," Bucky softly made the attempt to crack a grin. "I remember you had the last laugh. You gave him quite the spectacle when you broke up. If I remember what Rebecca told me, you dumped his lunch on him?"
"I did," Allie laughed at the memory. "I got in trouble for it at first. I remember that they had thought of punishing me for it, and from what I understand, someone defended me by saying that I was just acting out of grief."
"That was Rebecca," he laughed. "She told me she had to wait until she had stopped laughing at his expression to tell the staff that."
Allie looked to the ground for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed once more. Looking up to Bucky, she could see in his eyes that he was pleading for her to stay just a bit longer. From where he stood, Bucky took in Allie's dressed form and reached for his own clothes. After placing the garments on his body, he sat beside her.
"Allison," he began and offered her his hand. Slowly, she took it as he laced their fingers together and squeezed her hand gently. "You will never have to do something that you don't want to. I promise you that."
"Why are you being so kind to me about all of this?" she studied his face as he took in a deep breath.
"Because I have wanted you in my bed since that first damned bar," he admitted. "Mary was right. I wanted you. You didn't want me back, so I kept my distance."
"You were jealous of Howard then," Allie looked to their hands, the way they were laced together as if they were puzzle pieces that completed the image. "That's why you were so annoyed."
"Yes," he admitted. "It just took a little bit of time to be able to admit it to myself."
Allie found herself smiling. Leaning against his shoulder, she watched as he lifted their hands, kissing the back of hers. His lips were warm and soft against her skin, it was a feeling that she knew she could become very used to.
"You know, I think it'll take time before the others are ready for us to admit that they were right," Allie sighed.
"Let's keep it between us for right now. They know we're friends, but this can be ours for a little longer," he grinned.
"And if we want to do this when the others are around?" her brow rose as she looked up to him.
"Then we get creative," he shrugged. "There's plenty of places to do this." Allie couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. Bucky found himself smiling at her.
That evening, Bucky and Allie found themselves sitting together for dinner. The other Commandos and the girls were all pleasantly surprised to see Bucky walking around. Realizing that he seemed much cheerier that night than he had when they had left, he gave credit to Allie making him relax to his feeling better.
That night, Allie and Bucky both found themselves waiting until the others had slipped into their rooms to say goodnight to each other. Together, they turned off the lights in the house, slipping upstairs and kissing goodnight.
As Allie slipped into her room with her friends, she found herself struggling to contain her smile. Mary went on to tease her, Evelyn and Louise joining in before long. As always, Allie denied Mary's insistence about her feelings for Bucky, internally laughing at having her secret for a little bit longer.
Notes:
😏😜🫡
Until next time!
~ xoxo Alli
Chapter 12: The Sketch
Chapter Text
A few weeks had passed since the first time Allie and Bucky had given in to their desires. It wasn't the last during the time, however. They were constantly brushing into one another, tempting the other as they sat in their large group. They had snuck around here and there, kissing in private when they knew there were no prying eyes.
The other members of the Commandos remarked on more than one occasion that Bucky and Allie seemed to work nicely as friends. They didn't see the times that Bucky had his hand on her thigh at the dinner table. They didn't see when Allie would purposefully brush against him just to watch his cheeks warm and the tips of his ears turn pink. They didn't see the times they would whisper in each other's ears, teasing and extending invitations to one another.
Mary had gone on to tease Allie a number of times, though Allie questioned in her in return about Gabe. Mary brushed off what her friend would suggest, saying that Gabe was nice and nothing more. Allie wasn't convinced, telling Bucky about her suspicions and asking if he had noticed anything.
After one mission, Allie and Bucky were in a heated argument. Allie had been instructed to stay hidden and safe, something she hadn't obeyed. When he had seen her, Bucky had become furious over it. It was different now, however, watching her disobey an order. Before, he would have been annoyed that once again, Allison Rogers wasn't listening to anyone but herself. Now, he had felt a tinge of worry and fear. That was his friend. That was a woman that he cared about.
"That was completely stupid of you to do," Bucky's voice hissed at Allie as they walked into the living room of their safe house.
The Commandos and their nurses had just arrived home from another mission. Allie had leapt into action once again when she had been instructed not to. Bucky was the most irritated with her, causing comments to be made speculating if they were going to be fighting daily again.
"It was my best option in the moment," she protested and crossed her arms. "I wasn't about to let the man shoot you."
"I would have been able to defend myself," his lips were a thin line. "You didn't need to do that."
"Your back was turned," she said flatly. "You wouldn't have seen him in time. I did and because I did, you're still alive. You really should be thanking me."
"Thanking you?" his voice was incredulous as he watched her sit down on the couch. Quickly sitting beside her and dropping his voice as he heard the others making their way through the safehouse, he studied her face. "Allison, what if they had hurt you instead?"
"That's what my friends are for," she reminded him. "That's why we have a small unit of nurses. I would be fine. Besides, weren't you the one who campaigned for it?"
His jaw set and his voice was harsh. "I convinced your brother to let you be the medic. I didn't suggest for you to be out there acting like a target."
"Aw," she teased with a small smirk. "You do care."
He dropped his eyes, studying her frame for a moment. "Yes," he agreed, his eyes meeting hers. "I do. We're friends, aren't we?"
She blinked, a sudden lurch in her chest. Her voice dropped low, where only he could hear her. "I'm fairly sure that we're a little more than friends."
"Then you understand my point?" he questioned her with a sharp look.
She only met his look with an equally sharp one of her own. "I don't do well with sitting still. I didn't the night Steve came for you. I didn't on the first mission. I can promise to be careful, but I can't promise to not fight."
He thought for a moment, his eyes dropping down to the couch cushions between them. He gave her a small nod and let out a breath.
"Just," he began with a sigh. "Don't go against orders that dramatically, alright?"
"I can agree to that," she grinned at him.
Behind them, there was confused chatter from the nurses and other Commandos. None were entirely certain on what they had witnessed but were all relieved that the arguing had stopped. Slowly, the different Commandos dismissed themselves to change into more comfortable clothing. Allie and Bucky had agreed to let their argument go.
The next day, the group had spent the day in town. Howard was treating them, not a single member of the group complaining. He'd laid out plans for them to go to London. Steve would be needed for meetings, and Bucky had promised to teach the nurses how to defend themselves.
When they had been walking back to their lodging, Bucky had slowly pulled Allie to the back of the group. He talked quietly with her, telling her his plans for when they made it to London. The house they had been staying in came into view, Bucky's mind spiraling with ideas when he glanced to the woman beside him. When he was certain that no one was listening or looking, Bucky pulled her into a grouping of trees, hiding behind the biggest one.
Bucky pressed her against the tree. Her lips parted in surprise, though he pressed his own against hers as quickly as he could. With one swipe against her lips, he dominated their kiss. She couldn't say that she didn't enjoy it, loving every moment that she was melted into his touch.
Allie parted from him, turning and peeking around the tree. The others had made their way into the house, no silhouette visible from the windows. She grinned, wrapping her arms around his shoulders tightly. She pressed her body against him, warmth quickly turning to heat.
She kept her eyes on his as she lowered her voice. "Is there a special reason we're out here?" She watched as he nodded. "Are you sure you want to be out in the open?" her lips were still pulled into a smirk as she noticed his lips red and swollen.
He took a moment, his eyes dropping to her parted lips. His own lips pulled into a smirk, his head softly shaking at her. "Allison, I want you."
"Oh?" her brow rose in amusement before she realized he was serious. "Oh," she blinked. Her chest moved rapidly with her breathing. "But it's daylight and we're outside."
"And they're all inside. Besides, there's rows of trees between us and the house," he reminded her, his hand dropped down the length of her leg, reaching for the hem of her skirt. Finding it, he reached under the layers of skirt and slip, tracing up her stockings until he found the band at her waist. His fingers ran against the top of her stockings, finding her undergarments and teasing the soft skin. "Hey, if you don't want me to, I won't."
Looking over her shoulder, glancing at the house, Allie pursed her lips. Swallowing and turning back to him, she gave him a small nod. "We don't know when we'll have a house to ourselves again," she shrugged her shoulders softly.
"Mmhmm," he agreed, slowly slipping his fingers underneath her undergarments. He grinned devilishly as she gasped, tracing the sweet spot nestled between her legs. He traced the length of her, watching her warming cheeks as they flushed pink. "And I can be quick."
"Oh, I don't want you to be quick," she shook her head, squeezing her thighs shut to hold his hand in place. His grin grew as he watched her. "Take your time, Sarge."
He pulled his hand out from her skirt, reaching up for the buttons on the bodice of her dress. He unbuttoned them quickly, watching her eyes widen. The satin fabric that made up her slip was shining in the daylight that made it past the branches of trees, rising and falling with every breath she took. Bucky's eyes rose and stayed on hers as he pulled the fabric of her slip down her chest.
"You had better not get us caught," she reminded him with a warning glance.
He looked at her in mock offense. "Have we ever been caught, or even almost caught yet?"
"Yet?" her eyes widened.
He grinned, pushing the fabric of her brazier away from her breast. Looking her in the eye as he took her breast in his hand, he rubbed the stiffened pink peak. She gasped, biting her lip as she kept his eye. He kissed her, squeezing her breast in his hand. Dipping down, he took her peak between his lips, tugging at it and grinning when he heard her gasp. He snickered the moment he saw her glare.
"Relax," his lips brushed against her skin. "We're far enough out here that we'd have time before they found us."
Allie cast her eyes down, watching as his lips closed around her breast. There was a heat that coursed through her, her heart stammering as she felt the warmth of his breath against her skin. The air may have been cool to their skin, but he kept her warm.
He reached down, pulling her skirt up once again. He was quick to slip his hand back underneath the stockings and undergarments that she wore, pressing the palm of his hand against her soft skin. Still holding it firmly against her skin, he slipped his hand down, tracing her center and hearing her gasp.
He slowly ran his finger down her center, pushing into her ever so slightly as he tugged at her breast. He felt her chest push into him as he closed his lips around the pink peak once more. He pulled on it, Allie's hand flying to the back of his head. Her fingers became tangled in his hair, pushing him further into her chest. She could have sworn that he groaned, his finger pressing into her further.
"James," his name came from her lips. His lips pulled from her breast with a pop, watching as she shrugged off the bodice of her dress, pulling her slip and brazier down her chest to rest on her stomach.
His eyes widened for a moment as he looked at her. Blinking, he took a breath. He saw the small nod from her, kissing along her neck as he finally pushed his fingers into her.
She rocked into his fingers, feeling herself tighten around them when he pumped them inside. Her breathing was ragged, her cheeks flushed a bright red. He grinned as he watched her back arching, his eyes following the way her lips parted, and her chest rose and fell. He could see the goosebumps risen on her breasts, studying the way the pink skin stiffened from the cold air. He dipped down, taking one between his lips once again.
The two were grinning at one another. Had either of them been told the last spring that they were getting along, they'd have laughed in the person's face. If they were told that they were in the position that they were in, however? They'd have been tempted to curse the person out. And yet, there they were enjoying each other.
"Allie?" Steve's voice yelled out from the house. The pair startled, though Bucky's body had frozen, his hand and lips remaining where they were. "Bucky? Where are you?"
"Damn," he mumbled against her skin. With one last pull at her breast, leaving it warm and dampened as the cold air hit her skin was more, he tilted his head up. "Out here. Allison and I were just talking for a moment. We'll be in soon."
Neither looked around the tree, unwilling to give themselves away. Steve's footsteps creaked slightly from the porch, though there was no thundering sound from the steps. "Alright," he called out. "The girls were starting dinner. They wanted to make sure you were alright."
"We are," Allie called out, keeping Bucky's eye. "Like James said, we'll be in soon."
"I'll let them know," Steve called back. Bucky and Allie kept each other's eye, holding in a breath until they heard the slamming of the porch door.
Bucky took a breath in through his nose. He grinned at her, watching as she let out her breath. He looked down her body, noticing his hand remained under her skirt. He circled his thumb around the bundle of nerves, pushing his fingers into her one last time.
"I didn't think you'd actually be quick," she gasped, watching as he pulled his hand out from her skirt. His brow quirked as he dipped his head down and kissed her.
"If they hadn't started looking for us, I'd take you right here," his voice was even, and Allie realized that he was quite serious.
She took a long and ragged breath through her nose, her bare chest rising and falling. "You really were upset from that argument yesterday, weren't you?"
"Funny," he said, pulling the fabric of her brazier over her breasts, fixing her slip and rebuttoning her bodice for her. "I'll have to remember that you can make jokes."
"Well, I'm not emotionless," she gave him a mock look of offense. "You know, I'm even tempted to invite you back out here after everyone's gone to sleep."
"What, to stargaze?" he questioned with a smirk.
She gave a small shrug, turning away from him. "That's one thing to call it."
Allie straightened out her appearance, walking in the direction of the house. She could hear the crunching footsteps of Bucky behind her, sitting beside him when dinner was served that night.
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In London, Bucky had spent an afternoon with Allie and her friends. He had made good on his promise to help teach her friend how to use firearms, something all three had been hesitant about at first. As expected, however, Mary quickly caught on and enjoyed her target practice. Evelyn and Louise were proud to say they were learning to aim, though neither of them cared to use the weapons.
While Allie knew how to use firearms, Bucky brought out a few different weapons for her to practice with. He informed her that it was in case she should need something a bit more intense than a typical pistol.
Allie had been excited to share her training with her friends, proud as she realized they were gradually becoming more comfortable with the environment. She felt a bit less alone as she noticed their small smirks when they hit the target in the same spot more than once. She hated to see the afternoon draw to a close.
Bucky, however, had placed his hands in the pockets of his pants. He sidled up next to her, clearing his throat as she put away the last firearm that she had used. She cast him a small glance, her lips twitching into a kind smile of greeting.
"Hey," he whispered to her as the girls glanced down at their targets. "I know we're not going to have very long here in London."
She glanced up at him and nodded slowly. "I heard Steve talking to Dugan at breakfast. They're having to go into meetings in the next couple days before they bring us all in. They may have found another base."
"What if we let the girls go back to the house and we went for dinner?" he suggested, a small smile on his lips as he noticed her surprised look.
She blinked after a moment, her lips parting as she studied him. "Dinner? As in a date?"
The tips of his ears turned pink, his eyes dropping down to the ground. He picked at the ground with the tip of his shoe. "Well, I suppose you could call it that."
Allie's eyes narrowed at him, her head tilting as she studied him. She gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "I think that would be nice," she grinned up at him. "Even if it doesn't seem like you intended it to be a 'date'."
"Allison, do you want to go out for dinner or not?" he sighed as he looked to her.
"Yes, I'd like to," she grinned up at him.
Bucky's lips turned into a satisfied grin. Looking at her, he was amazed at the way there were times that felt heated and intense. They could barely breathe in those moments. But then there were soft moments like this. But he realized he could barely breathe in those moments either. He didn't understand it.
He knew that he liked her company. He had finally been willing to admit it to himself. He wanted her, not just physically, but he wanted her company. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to be around her. He didn't care if it was at the dinner table or sitting in the Jeep together. When he took her to dinner, ignoring the comments her friends when she said they would see them later.
They hadn't gone any place fancy. It was only a bit above the centers they had seen around. There were plenty of other patrons, but they still felt as if they were sitting privately. It was different. It was new for both of them.
"Well, thank you for dinner," she smiled at him as they sat down together. "It's nice of you."
He returned the smile, taking a small breath in. "I thought that it might be nice to do this at least once," he shrugged his shoulders. "You know, before we're on the road for God knows how long."
They sat in silence for a time, ordering their food and their drinks. Their waters had come first, something that both were grateful for. They had both been parched after the training session. Allie pursed her lips, blinking as she looked to him.
"You know, we call ourselves friends and yet I don't think we've really asked each other about ourselves," Allie thought after a moment, happily drinking her water. "I don't even know your favorite color."
"It's blue," he told her at once. His cheeks warmed as she blinked in surprise. "The same color as that dress you used to wear all the time."
"Mine's blue too," she smiled at him. "I like the color of the sky just after the sunrise. You know, when the sun is high enough that the orange and yellow disappear from the sky. That early blue."
"What about your favorite food?" he grinned, partially thinking of the meal that would be in front of them soon.
Allie smiled as her eyes dropped to the tabletop. "That diner that was near our house?" she glanced up to watch him give a small nod. "Their burgers. I love them. I'd always order them with fries and a chocolate shake. What's yours?"
"Mine?" he let out a low breath. "You know the apple pie my mom always made? I'd say that's my favorite. I know it's not a meal, but I love it."
Allie smiled at him. Thinking for a moment. "I do know that you like art. I like to read."
"I know that you've always got your nose in a book," he paused for a moment. "Did you ever read The Hobbit."
"I did. I loved it," she admitted with a small grin. "I also love Shakespeare. And love stories, as embarrassing as that may seem."
He shook his head softly. "It's not embarrassing," he gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "We've done far more embarrassing."
The two spent their dinner talking. Question after question was asked as the two learned about each other. Neither could quite believe that they were sitting and civil, eating together on what was, by all means, a date. At one comment from Bucky regarding what they had done the other day behind the trees, Allie's lips cracked into a large smile.
Her laughter bubbled as she looked at him. "Could you imagine what your family would say if they found out that we've kissed."
"I'd never hear the end of it," he closed his eyes tightly.
"And God forbid they found out anything more we did,"
His eyes snapped back open, and he pointed a finger at her. "I would be wrung and hung with laundry outside. Just so we're clear on that. They'd ask me what I did to 'poor Allie'."
She laughed aloud, watching as his horrified expression melted into amusement. "This is nice," he grinned at her after a moment. "We'll have to do this more often."
She snickered quietly. "You mean you don't want to spend all your time doing something else?"
"Hey," he shook his head at her. "You're actually nice to get to know. Let me have this one."
Her smile was soft as she watched him. "For the record," she grinned. "I enjoy this too. You're a hell of a lot sweeter than I ever thought you were. You surprise me."
He tilted his head to the side as he watched her. "I'm glad that I surprise you as much as you surprise me. It's about the only nice thing coming out of this damned war."
"I agree," she sighed and watched as he turned his attention to paying their tab. "And for the record," she continued when they could finally leave. "If we can ever do this again, I'd like it."
He stopped her outside on the pavement, studying her for a moment before he took a breath in through his nose. "Then I'll take you all the time in Brooklyn."
"You'd want to be seen with me in Brooklyn?" she grinned at him, blinking in a bit of amused shock.
"No," he shook his head and lowered his voice for her to hear. "I want to show you off in Brooklyn. You're a lot greater than I think you realize. Besides, it'd be fun to go to Coney Island or something."
She grinned, thinking for a moment. "We could go to a Dodgers game," she spoke up. "I haven't been to one in forever."
"You like the Dodgers?" he looked to her with a small blink. "Hold on, you like baseball?"
She nodded her head proudly. "Mom used to take me and Steve all the time. It was one thing she said that Dad would have done with us. She said he loved the Dodgers, the baseball games. According to her, he was excited to play catch with Steve one day."
He smiled softly at her, nudging her with his arm. "I'll take you to see them then. Normally I take Tommy, but he can manage without me."
"Alright," she gave a small smirk. "First game day when we're home, you're taking me to it, alright?"
"It sounds like a plan to me," he grinned down at her.
For a moment, Allie felt her chest growing warm. It wasn't the same warmth that she had when they were alone and wrapped up in one another. This was different. It was almost like an embrace. She felt nervous, she felt excited. His smile pulled at that warmth. She could have been convinced that he was the only other person on the paved sidewalk if it hadn't been for someone cursing under their breath about the two jerks in the middle of the pavement.
Bucky shook his head, offering to walk her back to the house. She agreed, chattering with him and asking him more questions that he was willing to answer.
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On one of their final days before the team would be on the move once again, Allie and Bucky had spent their day together. While others were making final stops and running last minute errands before their departure, Allie and Bucky had spent their time alone in his room.
The day had started innocent enough, though one small brush of Bucky's hand against Allie's side had resulted in a passionate rendezvous. She had promised to help him clean his room and help him pack his belongings that afternoon, though after they had relaxed for a time, she had taken a book from his nightstand to read as he had settled in the room's chair with a sketchbook.
He had been focused, and when Allie had glanced up, she noticed the tip of his tongue was poking from the corner of his lips. She grinned as she noticed the small detail, a warmth spreading through her as she thought about how odd it was to finally take in small details about him. Even a few short months ago, she wouldn't have believed that she would be doing so.
He was watching her from his seat, eyes roaming the bare skin of her back. She was sat up in his bed, though she hadn't taken the time to redress herself. Instead, she had relied on the wrinkled bedsheet. The sheet covered her chest, though her arms were still covered in goosebumps.
They had spent a time in silence, something that was almost wanted and welcomed more than anything else. There was no telling when the others would return, though both hoped it wouldn't be for a time. They enjoyed the silence of the room, the way that the small safehouse provided them a sense of calm.
"What are you drawing?" she brushed the hair from her face and tucked it neatly behind her ear. Bucky looked up at her entirely flustered. Her curiosity, however, was painted across her face. "What?"
"I'm not drawing anything," he shook his head, dropping his eyes to the page in front of him.
His reddening cheeks only made Allie's interest grow as she dropped the sheet from her chest and looked over at him. Her lips quirked into a smile, and she shimmied off of the bed. "Oh? Then why are you blushing?" she teased and watched his eyes furrow at her.
"I am not blushing," he argued and frowned. "I don't blush."
She made her best attempt to hide her smile, but it inevitably peeked through. She sauntered over to him, watching as he covered the drawing with his arms. Tilting her head to the side, she walked behind him and looked to the paper in his lap. She placed her hands on his arms, slowly moving them aside.
There was a moment she could only stare at the pencil drawing. She blinked as she looked to it. Bucky fidgeted in his seat, almost as if he didn't know what to expect from her.
Looking at the drawing, she felt her own cheeks growing red. A warmth spread throughout her chest, becoming all-consuming as she took in every detail that he had drawn. There was her figure, just covered by the sheet as she had been moments before. Her back was bare, the sheet draped low while still covering her chest. Her focus was to the side as she read in the drawing. Her lips parted as she looked at Bucky.
"It's very good," she managed to gasp out. She was still in shock from realizing that he had drawn her. She was now in his sketchbook.
His eyes slowly looked up to her. In spite of the time that had passed since they had begun their sneaking about, he was still baffled and surprised every time that he saw her. The way that there was no privacy between the two any longer. It was if neither of them cared what the other saw anymore. He knew what they were doing wasn't proper. He knew he would be in plenty of trouble with Steve if he ever found out. But as he looked at her, the way she was uncovered in front of him, he didn't find that he cared.
He shook his head softly. "You looked nice."
She grinned at him. "I looked nice?" she teased. "Is that what we're calling it now?"
His eyes rolled softly, and he looked down at his artwork. "Well, excuse me if I wanted to draw you."
"Have you drawn a lot of people?" she leaned her chest against his back, something that made him take a small breath. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, her arms wrapping around his own bare skin.
Bucky gave a small shrug of his shoulders as he kept his eyes on the paper. Allie's breath was warm against his skin, the tips of her fingers providing a cool, contrasting touch. "Sometimes," he let out a breath as she kissed his skin. "Never like this though."
"Oh?" she grinned, pressing her lips on his shoulder. "Does that make me special?"
"I don't know if that's the word I'd use for it," he looked over from the corner of his eye. "But this is a first for me."
Pressing her chest against him further, leaning just enough to look him in the eye, she smiled softly. "Why did you draw it?"
"I felt like it," he admitted to her. "Besides, it's a hell of a lot easier to practice drawing when you like the muse in front of you."
She thought for a moment, noticing the way he had shaded her body in the image. "Steve told me that one of the art classes you went to was life forms."
"He went to that," Bucky corrected her. "That was when I was really sick. It's why I've never really drawn anyone in that state before. You should have seen when he told me about it," he snickered and glanced to her. "His face was about the brightest red I've ever seen."
Allie grinned, picturing what exactly that conversation would have looked like. She was still looking over his shoulder to the image of her that he had drawn. It was good. He was talented. There was no disputing that he had created a piece of art. Tilting her head to the side, she thought for a moment.
"James," she came around to the other side of the chair, meeting his eye. "If you were to consider drawing me like that, how would you do it?"
Bucky tilted his head to the side, glancing over at the bed. Allie's eyes followed his, her cheeks flushing as she watched him stand. He led her over, his chest rising as he took a breath. He let the air out slowly through his nose.
Allie almost swore that her chest had swollen to its fullest size. There was no more room to hold in a breath. She felt her heart thumping against her chest, something that still amazed her when it came to the man in front of her. She didn't understand how he could make her feel the way that he did. She didn't understand how she hated every moment his hands weren't on her.
"So?" she looked up at him with a curious gaze.
"I might have you lay here," he spoke, watching as she took a breath and laid back on the disheveled sheets. His eyes roamed her, adjusting her body ever so slightly. His hands sent electricity through her, her breath hitching as she looked him in the eye.
She swallowed harshly, pushing a growing lump in her throat. "I think I sometimes forget that you enjoy art," she smiled as he studied her frame, moving her hands to be above her head. He glanced to her eyes for a moment before he went back to adjusting her. "I forget that you're very talented at it as well. And then I see drawings like that, and I wonder if you've ever considered doing something with it."
"No," he shook his head. "It's more of a hobby. I really don't know what I want to do when we go home." Allie watched him for a moment, noticing the way his eyes dropped to her body. His fingers trailed against her bare skin, his eyes blinking before he took a breath through his nose. "I'd want better lighting. Something brighter," his hand dropped to her chest. "Or more intimate. Something that did you justice."
The tips of his fingers pressed against her skin, lighting fires under each spot. She enjoyed the way he made her feel, even in a moment where they were only playing into an idea. She watched him work quietly, moving her before giving a small nod of approval.
"If I were to draw you, I'd have you lay like that," his eyes rose to meet hers. "But it would be just for me."
"Oh really?" she teased as her lips pulled into a smirk. "You wouldn't be displaying it for everyone to see?"
"God no," he scrunched his face at her in disbelief. "Which is exactly why this sketch," he walked over to his sketchbook and tore out the drawing of Allie. "Is just for me as well. I'm not letting anyone see this."
She pursed her lips and sat up. Leaning over the bed and finding her clothes, she redressed herself. "I see, you're ashamed," she teased him.
"Ashamed? Believe me, I'm not ashamed," he reminded her, walking over and kissing her. "But this is for me."
"For you?" she questioned with a small smirk.
Looking at her, studying the way she had quickly made herself presentable once more, he nodded. "For me."
Chapter 13: Aches
Chapter Text
The nurses had been sat in their makeshift medical tent, listening to the fighting that was happening below them. Bucky had been stationed nearby, protecting them from any dangers that may have risen. Allie was setting supplies out for each of the women, folding her arms against her chest as she thought. She glanced down at her side, taking a breath through her nose as she looked at her pistol sitting in its holster.
The other nurses were bundled in clothes that were a bit big, listening to their comments to one another at how official Allie looked in her uniform. There were supplies tucked into each pocket of her tactical pants, in the event that something should happen. She was praying that everything went smoothly, not wanting to be placed in a position to make rash decisions. She knew, however, that that was likely wishful thinking.
In the distance, the fighting could be heard. There were gunshots and yells, the thundering sounds of dozens of footsteps. Allie knew that her brother was leading the charge down below, having listened to his plan more than once. Near the tent, they could hear the sounds of Bucky settling against the ground, the firing of his rifle once as he found a target.
"This is stressful," Louise sighed as she pulled her coat tightly around herself. "Don't you think?"
Allie nodded softly, almost absentmindedly. "Mm hmm," she agreed with a small hum.
"Well, we all know that Steve is good with his strategies," Mary shrugged her shoulders softly. "It'll work out."
"It should," Allie agreed. "But there's always something that can go wrong."
"Nothing will go wrong," Evelyn assured her.
Before Allie could speak once more, there was a loud boom down the hill, catching the women's attention. Allie's eyes widened and she sprinted for the edge of the tent. She peeked through the fabric opening, watching as an explosion had taken place on the ground. She could see the smoke clearing, and Steve was targeted through the settling dust.
Bucky had seen him as well, aiming and firing but not having nearly enough time to eliminate each of the targets. He didn't glance in the direction of the tent for a moment, making his best attempt to continue his sniper position, but when it seemed he had decided he needed to do something different, he looked at Allie.
"Go," she whispered, pointing to the weapons she could easily put together. "They need you down there. I can protect us up here."
He only nodded, rushing to the tent long enough to grab a different firearm. He met her eye for a moment as he left, her chest filling with a sickening sensation of dread. She turned to her friends, a deep frown having etched its way onto her lips. Her face was flushed, though she wasn't certain if it was fully because of the cold or because of the worry that ignited within her. She stationed herself by the flap of the tent, keeping her eyes trained on what was going on in front of her.
Mary's lips were pursed as she watched Allie begin to chew on her lip. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet and hugging herself tightly. "Allie?" her voice was soft as she stood and walked to her friend. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Allie lied as she stared out and watched Bucky jump down in defense of Steve. The two began to fight side-by-side, protecting one another until it was mutually decided to split up. "Why?"
"Because you look like you'll be sick at any moment," Mary continued, taking her own look out to see what was happening below.
Allie only glanced to the brunette beside her, shaking her head and sighing. "He's my friend now. Of course I'm going to worry about him."
Louise and Evelyn continued to sit, huddled together for warmth. They looked to one another, still surprised by the revelation that Allie and Bucky had become friends. Watching her in that very moment, it was baffling to them to remember the few months prior that she claimed she couldn't stand the man. She cursed his very name when someone mentioned it. Now, she was standing and watching him, seemingly worried and terrified that he had jumped into the fight as well.
"He's an expert marksman," Mary reminded her. "I assume he can handle himself in close proximities."
Allie nodded her head, sighing as she turned her attention back to her friends in the tent. "He's skilled. There's a reason he was respected in his regiment. Something just doesn't feel right about what's happening. It's never been this difficult to take down a facility before."
"Maybe they're preparing their men more," Mary suggested with a small grimace. "That's what you do in war, right? Fix where your mistakes are and try to beat the other side? Maybe that's what Steve needs to do after this."
"Howard has been working with Steve about a lot of new weapons he's worked on. He has prototypes and everything," Allie agreed, turning back to the fight down below. "I just don't like seeing our men caught off guard. Remember when the 107th arrived at our base after Azzano? I don't want to see that sort of thing happening again."
"I don't see that sort of thing happening again," Mary assured her with a small smile quirking at the corner of her lips.
There was the firing of a weapon down below, catching Allie's attention as she turned to it. Bucky was grimacing in pain as he reached for his arm. Her lips had parted in surprise, eyes widening as she took note of what had happened. As he turned, Bucky yelled out in pain as a knife plunged into his shoulder.
"James!" she yelled, eyes widened and fear seeping into her.
She watched as he fell to the ground, grabbing towards a pistol sat on his hip. His hand wrapped around it, just as a foot collided with his face. Allie wasted no time running off in his direction, Mary screaming her name as she dodged gunfire. The young blonde nurse's legs carried her as quickly as they could, her body launching at the soldier who had attacked Bucky.
She grunted as she collided with him, sending herself to the ground alongside him. Bucky was dizzy as he looked up, grimacing as he grabbed at his shoulder. His eyes focused on the sight in front of him, noticing as Allie was gripping for whatever her hand could find on the ground. She reached for a rock, holding it tightly in her hand as the man from Hydra set his sight on her.
"No," he mumbled, his voice strained from the pain that seared through him. "Allison!"
She didn't look over as the man from Hydra had clambered on top of her. She hadn't waited a moment, swinging her arm with a force he hadn't expected. The man from Hydra yelled in pain as the stone collided with his temple. As his hands went to his face, Allie grabbed the pistol from his waist.
Kicking him off of herself, she scrambled backwards and pointed the weapon at him. His eyes were angry, filled with hatred. She didn't know anything about the man that set his sights on her. She didn't know his name. She didn't know if he had a family. She didn't know if he had a favorite song or favorite drink to order at the bar.
What she did know, however, was that the look in his eyes held every intention to harm her. She may have kicked him off of her, but he was quick to jump back in her direction. The moment he came an inch closer, she had pulled the trigger. He fell to the side, blood pooling out on the ground.
Bucky watched as she stared at the pistol in horror. She had ended a life. She was a nurse, and she had ended the life of an enemy soldier. Her scream was piercing, terrified as she dropped the weapon and kicked it away from her body. She pulled her knees to her chest, ignoring the chaos that surrounded her.
Grimacing, Bucky crawled over to her. He called out to her, his voice gentle as it said her name. She didn't hear him. Even as Steve and the others had officially completed the mission, Allie remained distant. He reached over, his hand barely brushing against her arm before she screamed once more.
"Hey, hey," his voice was gentle as she panicked. His hand flew to his arm, holding it tightly as he met her eye. "It's over. I'm okay. You're okay."
Allie could barely recognize any part of her body moving as she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him. Her eyes began to burn, stinging as tears brimmed her lashes. As the tears began to pool and spill down her cheeks, she could make out Bucky's uninjured arm wrapping around her waist. He was muttering against her neck that he was okay and that she was okay, an assurance she clung on to.
It took her a moment to fall back to Earth, finding the strength to stand and help Bucky up. She was patient as she guided him up to the small tent the nurses had been stationed in, telling him to sit on one of the small cots.
The other Commandos had stopped by, Mary and the girls taking care of them as Allie helped Bucky out of his soiled jacket and shirt. The blood had seeped throughout the fabric he had worn, Allie cursing under her breath.
Prepping the materials she needed, she apologized to him before she cleaned his arm and shoulder. He didn't make a sound, though she knew that he wanted to curse loudly. They were silent as she gave him stitches, closing up the wounds with as steady of a hand as she could muster.
Her friends had begun to pack away their makeshift tent, putting away supplies as Allie finished her work. Bucky watched her, holding his breath as he did so. She blinked as she muttered that she was done, taking a step away from him.
Allie was frozen as she looked at her handiwork. He was no longer bleeding, he was well on the way to recovering from the fight, but she still saw what had happened. Bucky noticed, unsure of what he could say to her. She was distracted as she remembered to find him a new shirt, helping him to gently put his arm through the sleeve.
Even the trip to their safehouse was silent. She went to her shared bedroom quietly, changing into a dress in order to go downstairs and attempt to start dinner. She found herself seeing Bucky and changing her mind. She made her way over, sitting beside him on the couch.
The house itself was far from silent. The Commandos were singing tunes in their thundering, boisterous voices and the woman were watching them with amused, though suppressed, grins. Steve was making notes of what he wanted to discuss with Agent Carter and Howard the next time that he saw them, sitting at the kitchen table to do so. But Allie and Bucky sat together in complete silence.
It was abnormal, not hearing Allie or Bucky making a quip back-and-forth about the mission. Bucky had always made some form of a comment when it came to Allie jumping into the fights. Their silence eventually drew Steve away from his notes. Standing from the kitchen table, he walked into the living room to check on the two.
Steve looked at the two as they sat side-by-side. His sister was staring off at no point in particular. She wasn't focused, she wasn't grounded. Bucky was looking at her, worry evident in his brow. Steve listened as his best friend whispered his sister's name softly, asking if she was okay.
Blinking, Allie slowly turned her attention to him and nodded. He glanced up at Steve, Allie's gaze following just after. She dropped her eyes away from her brother, certain that she was about to be scolded for having left her post to defend Bucky. She wasn't interested in a lecture, dreading the droning voice of her brother when she was still seeing the moment Bucky had been attacked playing over and over again in her mind.
But a lecture never came. Instead, Steve took a moment to look between the two. Something was different between them. It hadn't been the same bickering that they had taken part in back in Brooklyn. This wasn't the same as when Allie rebelled and went with Steve to save the men from the factory. It wasn't the same as their first missions when Allie and Bucky would bicker throughout the fight.
In his sister, he saw something different. It was a true worry. A true fear. In his best friend, he saw compassion. He saw someone trying to provide comfort. He remembered their words of having tried to be friendlier with one another. For the first time, he could think of the different light moments he had seen between the two since Christmas.
Clearing his throat, he folded his arms against his chest. "I take it that the two of you really are friends now?" he looked between the two, watching as they both met and kept his eye. They nodded slowly. "Are you okay?" his voice asked, though he wasn't certain if he was asking Bucky or his sister.
"I'm alright," Bucky nodded slowly, glancing to Allie. Giving her shoulder a small nudge, he listened to her mutter that she was okay as well. "Look, Steve," he sighed as he looked back to the older Rogers sibling. "Allison and I weren't trying to start a fight or anything out there. She came to my defense. I know that you don't like when she leaves her post, and neither do I, but—"
"It's okay," Steve shook his head, earning cautious looks from both Allie and Bucky. He let out a small sigh and thought for a moment. "I saw what he did, and I saw Allie running to help you. There's a reason we have more than one nurse, right? Allie is just better with weapons and fighting than her friends are. Besides, it's kind of nice to see that you two get along now."
Bucky took a deep breath, his attention dropping to Allie. Her gaze that had momentarily been set on her brother had slowly become distant. Neither Bucky nor Steve spoke a word as they looked at her in concern. They glanced to one another, both speechless at the state she was in. When her brother cleared his throat, Allie snapped her gaze to him. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"Excuse me," she dismissed herself from the room, slipping through the backdoor and sitting on the porch steps by herself.
Bucky glanced at the direction she left in, an internal debate bouncing in his brain of if he should go after her. Would she appreciate it? Or would she be annoyed? He cursed himself for having not known enough about her to know when she'd want his company or not. He allowed for only a few minutes to pass before he looked out through a window and saw Allie's breath visibly puffing into the chilled night air. Frowning, he stood from the couch and grabbed a blanket, walking outside and clearing his throat gently.
"It's a little cold out here, don't you think?" he questioned. She only shrugged her shoulders while continuing to look out.
"It wouldn't be the first chilly night I've spent out here," she reminded him. "I like being away from everything, even if it is just for five minutes."
He nodded, slowly walking over and looking out at the trees that surrounded the house. There was a peacefulness to the night, something he knew they all needed after a battle like the one they'd been through. Allie took a deep breath, her chest rising and holding still before she braved letting it out in a slow stream.
"So," Bucky let out a sigh as he draped the blanket around her shoulders. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"
She closed her eyes, taking the edges of the blanket in her hands and wrapping it tightly around herself. She listened to him grunting as he sat down, feeling his breath as he let a low one flow from his lips.
"I don't know," she admitted, opening her eyes to look at him. "I just, I was scared about what he was doing."
Bucky nudged her with his elbow, though he grimaced when it shot pain through his arm. "It's okay," he took a sharp breath, grabbing at his arm when he felt the lighting through it. "I was too."
Allie glanced over at him, pursing her lips as she thought. She could feel the bubbling tower beginning to form in her mind, wondering if any of the thoughts spilled out, would he understand? Would he agree? Why was she nervous to speak around him?
"Is it okay if I'm completely honest right now?" she looked at him. He gave her a small nod and she took a breath through her nose. "Alright," she began. "I don't know that I can explain it very well, but when things come to you, to how I know you now, I just worry. I worry about you. It's not the same kind of worry that I have for my brother or the boys or my friends. It's not the same kind of worry that I would have had around, frankly, anyone else. I've never felt this exact thing before."
"I think I know what you mean," he sighed, stretching out his legs to lay down the descending stairs. "It's kind of like... an ache?"
"Yeah," she nodded, blinking at the word. "It's like an ache. So, when I saw that bastard attacking you like that, I just ran. I couldn't think about anything else."
"I would have done the exact same if it was you," he admitted to her. "You know, I wish we could have had a better friendship like this in Brooklyn. Well, I guess it's more than just a friendship, but still. I'm sorry that it took a war for me to realize how great you are."
She only shook her head with a husk of a laugh. "I'm really not that great. I was horrible to you for years. I was mean, and arrogant, and self-centered. I mean, sometimes I really don't understand why you'd want to be in the same room as me."
"I could say the same to you," he reminded her. "I deserved it when you were mad at me back when we first met. I told you, I've regretted how I spoke to you since I did it that day. Allison," he paused, taking a breath in through his nose. "Allie, we're starting over. We're finally getting to know one another. That ache that you described? I feel it every damn time you're in the room. I feel it every damn time you leave. It's new for me, too."
"You just called me Allie," she blinked at him, a small smile creeping its way onto her face. "You never call me that."
"It's about time that I did," he didn't meet her eye for a moment. "I think twelve years of being that formal was a little much."
"Alright," she thought for a moment, smirking up at him. "Bucky."
He grinned at her, watching as she almost seemed unsure of using his nickname. It sounded different coming from her, but he liked the way it sounded in her voice. He liked the way it was new and warm. Everything about her, everything he was learning about her or relearning about her, it was welcome. He savored every moment of it.
"You know," he lowered his voice, glancing back to ensure that no one was suddenly at the porch, that they were all safely inside. "If you want to feel better, I have something to say that makes me look a little silly."
"A little silly?" her brow rose and she gave an amused, though half-hearted, smirk. "Do tell."
He took a breath through his nose. "Well, you know how soldiers keep pictures of their wives and girlfriends, you know, women that they're sweet on?"
"Yes," Allie's voice was filled with a questioning tone. "Why?"
"That sketch of you," he lowered his voice, whispering softly to her. "It's been in my pocket ever since that day."
Allie's eyes widened, a small smile tugging at Bucky's lips. Her mouth open and closed for a moment, her eyes beginning to blink rapidly as she thought of what to say. Glancing down at his pants pocket, her brow rose. She remembered him ripping the page from his sketchbook, embarrassed at the thought of someone seeing it.
"You've been keeping that sketch of me on you?" she questioned in a hushed tone. "Why?"
"I told you," he spoke with a shrug, though he came to quickly regret shrugging his shoulders. "That sketch is just for me. Besides, I like having it there."
Allie went quiet, hiding her face as she dropped her gaze down to the ground. She felt her chest swelling with warmth, her cheeks growing just as warm as she knew they were inevitably growing red. How he could have such an effect on her, she still couldn't figure out. Hadn't it been less than a year since they had been at one another's throat? Hadn't it been less than a year since they had still been fighting every time they were in the same room?
Now, she sat beside him after everyone else had gone to bed. Here she sat with him, enjoying the early spring evening and the cooled breeze that brushed by. Here she sat with him, having known him in the most intimate ways possible. She wasn't angry in his presence, or upset, or frustrated. It baffled her the way that he was able to make her feel seen in a manner she had never been seen before.
He was calm and quiet. He was comfortable at the same time that he was exciting and new. When she braved looking up at him, she noticed his own cheeks were flushed. It was all new for him, too. Leaning in, she reached up and brushed her fingertips against his cheek.
"You're blushing," she teased, watching as a small laugh puffed out from his lips. "Oh, that's right," she teased. "I forgot, you don't blush."
He grinned, glancing back at the house for a moment. "Well," he lowered his voice. "Maybe I was wrong. I just don't always blush."
She made her best efforts to hide her smile, knowing it was a waste as he noticed. Taking a small breath, she turned her attention back to the night in front of them. They didn't speak another word, but Allie quietly shared the blanket with him. She thought of that one word he used: ache. And as she sat beside him, that's all she felt.
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The late winter melted into early spring as the Commandos continued to travel. Neither Bucky nor Allie spoke about their conversation that night on the porch steps. Both were too afraid to speak about it again. And yet, both continued to feel the aches they had spoken about. Neither had put a name to the aching feeling, but it was there.
In April, the Commandos had found themselves with a free evening in London. They had traveled in order to meet with Howard Stark the next day but had the evening to enjoy a taste of freedom. Allie had sat in a hotel room she was sharing with her friends, resting as she listened to music drifting around the room from the radio.
The other women had gone out with the men, begging Allie to join them. The blonde had thanked them politely, rejecting the offer in favor of resting. They had promised to tell her about their adventures later, a small laugh puffing from Allie's nose.
A knock sounded at the door, startling the young nurse. Confused, she slowly rose from the bed and made her way to the door. Standing on the other side was Bucky, a rose in his hand as he stood there.
"Hi," she said in surprise, watching as he held the rose out to her. "What's this about?"
Bucky swallowed a lump in his throat. "Well, I was thinking about how we have tonight free," he started, watching as she took the flower from him, twirling it slowly and softly between her fingers. "And I was thinking about you."
"How sweet," she teased him with a small grin. "You think about me a lot?"
He shook his head at her, a soft roll of his eyes visible as he did so. "Well, I wanted to take you to dinner."
"Dinner?"
"Well, I never did anything for your birthday," he frowned, looking at the ground. He took a breath through his nose. "This is the first time that we haven't despised one another, and since we were out on missions when it was our birthdays, I thought that maybe you would want to do something nice together."
Cheeks warming at the thought, Allie gave a small nod. She invited him into the room, closing the door behind him as she made her way over to her trunk. She rummaged through her dresses, pulling out the dress she had worn twice before. She could hear Bucky's amused laughter as she stripped from her comfortable dress and stepped into the dress they had fought over what seemed so long ago.
"Just so we're clear," she began as she zipped the back of the dress up. "You like this dress now?"
He gave a small shrug. "I like it better on the floor," he mumbled, proud of himself when he saw her flushed cheeks. "Yes, I like the dress now."
She smirked in satisfaction, pulling on a pair of her heels and nodding in the direction of the door. "I'll follow you, Sarge."
His eyes rolled softly as he guided her out of the room and to a local restaurant. The two happily looked at menus and ordered food. The moment their meals had been placed in front of them, they couldn't help but exchange childish grins. They relished that it was something that they could have only dreamed of during the past few months.
They talked for a time, avoiding talk of the Commandos and their mission. Instead, they took the time to learn about one another in small ways. A few of their favorite things, memories they had outside of their fights when they were younger. Eventually, Allie looked at Bucky, and a thought sparked.
"Bucky?" her voice was soft, her fork poking at the food on her plate. A small hum sounded from his throat, and she took it as her sign to continue. "Do you think about what we talked about that night?"
"What night?" his brow rose, his hand reaching for his glass. He took a long drink as he watched her face flush.
She shook her head softly. "That night on the porch. When you told me that you have a certain sketch in your pocket."
Eyes falling to the table, grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, he swallowed harshly. "I've thought about it. Why?"
"I was just curious," her cheeks flushed. She didn't meet his eye. "It's just that it's new to know that someone can be sweet when it comes to all of this. You're my friend," she paused on the word. "Well, you're you and you keep a drawing of me with you. Back in high school, Gilbert never did that. I just..."
Her voice had trailed off, her eyes finally glancing up to see his firm expression. Swallowing a lump that threatened to form in her throat, she shook her head softly.
"I don't know that anyone has cared about me as if I were a real person before," she continued. "I was something to use, not a person to know."
"I've told you that I regret not being friends in Brooklyn," Bucky started, reaching across and placing his hand on hers. "They were all idiots by the way. Every damn one of them that."
Allie only smiled and turned her hand over. The warmth between their palms spreading to the tips of their fingers, the breath she took was short.
"Thank you," her voice was as warm as the look she gave him.
"Tell you what," he started, leaning in with a grin. He squeezed her hand in his. "When we go to Brooklyn, I'll take you somewhere nice. Somewhere fun. Coney Island, a show at the theater, the damned park. Anything you want, we'll make it all right."
"A Dodgers game," she looked him in the eye. "When we get home, I want to go to a Dodgers game."
"The Dodgers? I didn't know you like baseball," he blinked in surprise. He quickly grinned and sat back in his seat. "We'll go to the Dodgers."
She only laughed and took her hand back, finishing the meal in front of her. "You're going to be learning a lot about me, you realize that? And I'm going to learn a lot about you. It's part of the deal."
"I can't wait," his voice was soft, though Allie's red cheeks flushed brighter as he said it.
Dinner had turned into a walk, enjoying the spring evening. For just a moment, they weren't in a fight or taking down a facility. For a moment, they were able to pretend that everything in the world was alright. He guided her down the streets back to the hotel, right to her door.
Standing against the closed door, Allie looked up at him. "Did you want to come in? I know how much you like seeing this dress on the floor," she teased and watched as he grinned.
"I would, but something tells me the others will be back before we know it," he gave her a kind smile.
A small part of her was disappointed, though she understood him entirely. Bucky glanced from side-to-side, ensuring their privacy before his hand had come to rest on her cheek, pulling her in as he kissed her. It was slow, it was sweet, and it was tender. His kiss was something that left her dizzy and intoxicated. She adored it.
Saying goodnight, she watched him walk down the hall, making every attempt to suppress her grin as he looked back and saw her. Slipping into her room, she walked over and picked up the rose he had given her. Her grin never left her lips as she felt that aching feeling begin in her chest once more.
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Another day, another fight. While they hadn't found another of Hydra's facilities, the Commandos had stopped to aid in a battle that had taken place. As she often did, Allie refused to sit still and stay back. Instead, she had snuck into the battle, her friends yelling at her in the distance.
She hadn't been found out in the beginning, dodging attacks and flying bullets. She may have even found herself becoming a tad cocky at the thought. Bucky hadn't seen her. Steve hadn't seen her. The Commandos hadn't seen her. But they heard her when her lucky streak had run out.
She collapsed to the ground, clutching her side in shock. Her throat had barely allowed a strangled yelp to come out as she felt a sickening burning just underneath her hands. Her mind was blank but clouded, her thoughts unable to form as she made every attempt to realize what had happened.
She didn't know much, but she knew that she had been grazed by the shot of a gun. It had been Dugan who reached her first, staying with her and unwilling to leave her side. Allie wasn't surprised that just as she knew that Steve and Bucky would, Dugan gave her an earful as he protected her.
She grimaced and pushed herself from the ground, insisting that she was fine and telling him that it wasn't anything big. Her cheeks flushed a furious red as he reminded her that she was a nurse, someone to be kept safe a distance away. She bit her tongue, with a bit of effort, and reminded him that she had been taught how to fire a weapon.
Dugan sighed heavily. "You were taught to defend yourself in case something happened. Not so you could jump into a battle and get yourself killed."
Allie pursed her lips at him. "I can do this," she argued, and she could have sworn her brother's voice was the one coming from her. "If I know how to fight, I can't just stay back and sit around," she yelled over the sounds of gunfire. "If I sit around and do nothing, what good am I?"
"You're plenty good," he reminded her. "You don't have to put yourself in danger to be of use."
"You all gave my brother a chance, why not me?" she questioned, watching as the Allied forces in the fight had won the fight.
"Because Miss America," Dugan sighed as the yelling and gunfire had finally ended. "You'd likely become the target. No one is willing to let that happen."
Steve's face was filled with irritation when he saw his sister. Frowning at her, he clicked his tongue and glanced over at Bucky. Bucky's eyes dropped to where Allie held her side, his gaze softening when he noticed her small grimace. Steve's lips had parted, his mouth opened, but before he could scold her, the other Commandos had shouted out that they needed the nurses.
Mary, Evelyn, and Louise were fetched quickly, setting to work to take care of the other men. Steve and Dugan had parted from the group, telling them they would talk later. They had gone to take care of the other troops, bringing the injured to the medical tent that had been set up.
Bucky had waited until it was himself standing in front of Allie. Looking back, he sighed as he took note of the scene in front of them. Frowning, he turned back to Allie.
"You're like your brother," he commented, walking up to her and putting his hands in his pockets. "Every time a fight is here, you're bound and determined to be there."
"I don't need another lecture," she grumbled, not meeting his eye. "I already received one."
Bucky only shook his head. "I didn't say that I was going to lecture you," he gave a small shrug of his shoulders. Time had passed and his own arm and shoulder had healed since that battle that Allie hadn't forgotten. "I've just noticed that you're somehow always finding your way into the fight."
"You taught me what to do," she reminded him. "You taught me how to fight."
"I didn't teach you how to fight," he argued with a small grin. "I taught you better ways to fight. You've always had it in you. It's part of why I still think you're the best choice we've got."
Allie looked at him skeptically. "I know I'm not supposed to be jumping in the fights," she took a deep breath. "And I know no one will believe me, but I'm not trying to start a spectacle. I just want to do the right thing."
He nodded, gently moving her hand away from her side and noticing the blood that stained it. He clicked his tongue, lowering his voice. "I know that," he smiled at her. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but that's a Rogers family trait. There's not a doubt that you and Steve are brother and sister."
The laugh that came from Allie's lips was small as it bubbled, her lips grimacing when she felt the stinging in her side from her movement. Bucky's brows had turned up in concern, though she only shook her head.
"Why don't I take a look at that?" his voice was soft, gentle in its tone.
She only shook her head and insisted she was fine.
"Hey, you helped me when I got shot in the arm and stabbed in the shoulder," he reminded her softly, his lips quirking up. "The girls are busy with the boys. You taught us how to do some things along the way. Besides," he dropped his voice, leaning in and whispering in her ear. "It's not like I'd be seeing anything new."
"You're a jerk," she glared at him, but sighed. "Alright, I'll let you take a look."
He led her back to the team's Jeep, helping her to get in and sit in the back. He helped her from her tactical jacket, setting it aside. Her undershirt had been stained by red, torn from the path the bullet had taken. Bucky studied her side for a moment, giving her a small smile as she let out a sigh of relief. She looked down at her injury, telling him what supplies he'd need to clean and treat her wound.
He followed her instructions, quietly working as she instructed him step-by-step. Her eyes were soft as she watched him, noticing the way that his tongue seemed to poke out at the corner of his lips when he concentrated. His brow was narrowed, furrowed as he focused. He apologized when she took in a sharp breath from the discomfort, looking up in time to see the shake of her head.
Allie was uncomfortable as he bandaged her side, though she was grateful for having his help. Bucky had gone to look through their trunks, cursing under his breath as he realized Allie's personal belongings were underneath the other's trunks. Thinking for a moment, he looked to the trunks that were easiest to open. His had been at the very top.
He quietly opened it and pulled out one of his own undershirts and his jacket. Allie blinked in surprise as he helped her into his shirt. She could smell his cologne on the fabric, surprised at how her heart lurched as she wore it. She was flattered, and almost flustered as he helped her into his jacket.
"There," he said as they took a moment to sit. There was a silence between them as he took a rag and cleaned his hands. "I'll deal with Steve by the way," he grinned at her. "I think he's more upset that someone managed to nick you than he is that you wanted to help."
"I think he's pretty irritated that I wanted to help," she gave a sheepish grin. "But it's okay, he and I will both live."
Steve hadn't spoken to her after the others had eventually joined them. It had taken dinner that night for him to ask her if she was okay, telling her he didn't want her jumping into the fights out of nowhere. Allie had placated him for the time, settling into Bucky's room to angrily rant about her brother that night.
Bucky and Gabe had been placed in a room together, though Gabe had been nowhere to be found after dinner. Instead, Bucky and Allie had sat together. Allie's voice had been filled with agitation, and she admitted frustrations with her brother that she had never told Bucky before.
He sat and he listened, letting her sit beside him on the bed and as he absentmindedly began to play with the ends of her hair. Allie hadn't noticed the action. It was comforting in the moment, feeling the warmth from his body as she slowly leaned against him.
"I just want to help!" she groaned in frustration. "I don't want to sit around and twiddle my thumbs."
"I know," Bucky nodded.
"You got mad at me for the same thing, in case you've forgotten," she narrowed her eyes at him. "I seem to remember you snapping at me a couple months back for jumping into the fight to protect you."
"Well, maybe my opinions have changed a bit," he gave a ghost of a shrug of his shoulders. "I don't like seeing you in danger, but I trust you. I know that you're trying to do what you think is right."
"You know, none of this would be an issue if this damn war never happened," she grumbled under her breath. She thought for a moment, pursing her lips. "But then again, if this damn war never happened, you and I would still hate one another."
Beside her, Bucky didn't say a word. Despite a desire to deny it, he knew that she was right. Had they never gone overseas, had they never been forced to work together, the two may have continued their bitter words and arguments. He wanted to say that there would have been every possibility they would have changed. He wanted to say that there would have been every possibility that he would have kissed her out of nowhere. That he would have confessed every regret he had had to her. That he would have told her that he did truly care about her. But he wasn't convinced that that was true.
Sitting there, he understood that the war had given them the fresh start that should have happened years before. He was sitting beside her and listening to her rants because he was the one she wanted to talk to.
Allie eventually sighed, leaning her head completely against his chest. "I'm sorry," she closed her eyes and took a slow breath. "You don't need to hear me acting like a broken record."
A small puff of a laugh came from him, just through his nose. "It's alright," he told her. "It's what I'm here for." Looking over her, noticing as she moved an inch and winced in pain. "Hey, let me take another look at it."
She took a slow breath, nodding and sitting up. After their arrival home, she had changed from his shirt into one of her dresses, almost regretting it as the bodice rubbed against her bandaged wound. Bucky undid the buttons of the bodice, keeping his attention on the wound as he pulled back the bandage.
"You should have your friends look at it, too," he sighed. "I'd like to say that I cleaned it well, but I'm not sure I did."
"I'm sure you did fine," she smiled at him, her eyes dropping to his lips. Leaning in, she left a small kiss on his lips. Something gentle and sweet, something intimate and kind. "You know, you're sweet to be concerned."
He shook his head softly. "I just know that it hurts like hell to be shot," he pointed to his arm. "I'd rather you be seen by real nurses instead of someone playing pretend."
Allie's chest rose and fell, her head nodding softly as he helped her fix the bodice of her dress once more. "Alright," her lips tugged into the softest ghost of a grin. "I will."
"Here, I'll walk you back to your room," he offered, nodding his head in the direction of the door.
Walking over, Allie thanked him for his help once more, standing on the tips of her toes to kiss his cheek. They went silent for a moment, just as Bucky's hand went to reach for the doorknob. A sound came from downstairs, something unusual, and something that made them both blink.
Pausing for a moment, the two looked at one another in confusion. There were soft sighs bouncing off of the walls from downstairs. Allie blinked, leaning her ear against the door and scrunching her nose and brow together in a puzzled manner. She slowly opened the door, feeling as Bucky's chest came to rest behind her back.
They peered down the staircase, noticing figures in the living room. Lips were pressed against lips, bodies coming to sit on the dingy safehouse couch. Allie could only blink as her lips parted in surprise. She glanced up at the man beside her, noticing as his eyes dropped to hers.
"Oh my God," she whispered to Bucky. "That's Mary and Gabe, right?"
Bucky glanced around her, eyes widening as he noticed Gabe's face disappearing along Mary's body. "Get in my room," he ushered her back inside. "At least we have the decency to make sure no one is around."
"Were they doing what I think they were doing?" Allie blinked in horror, feeling as Bucky's hand ushered her back to his shared bedroom with Gabe. At his small nod, Allie's lips parted in surprise. "I knew it!"
"Knew what?" he asked as he closed the door behind himself.
She took a breath through her nose. "Do you remember that night that we first kissed?"
"Well, we did more than kiss that night, but yes, I remember," he nodded, watching as she walked over to sit on his bed. "Why?"
She pursed her lips, patting the mattress beside her for him to sit. He did so, placing an arm around her shoulders without a second thought. She didn't say a word, but the gesture sent a warm, almost fuzzy feeling throughout her body. She shook off the feeling as she took a full breath.
"Well, I was lying in bed, obviously distracted," she paused when she heard his snicker, glaring at him as she elbowed him. "Anyway," she narrowed her eyes at him. "I was distracted when Mary herself was sneaking back into the room. She was disheveled and when I asked her about it, she tried to convince me that they had just been talking."
Bucky snickered after a moment, shaking his head. "Talking, right," he looked down at her. "We do a whole lot of 'talking' as well."
"Well, I had suspected that something was there, and while I am absolutely mortified that we just saw any of it, I at least know that I was right," she grinned up at him.
"Are you going to tell her that you know?" his brow was risen.
"No," she shook her head softly. "I'll let her tell me when she's ready. We haven't said anything to anyone about us," she pursed her lips. "I think they finally believe that we really are friends though."
Bucky nodded, taking a breath in through his nose. "They do," he agreed with a small smile. "We might even be able to start doing more things with them knowing and them not get suspicious about it. Wouldn't that be nice?"
"It would be nice to be able to sit together and not have everyone questioning the motive," she grinned up at him. Glancing back at the door, she frowned. "I'm not sneaking back to my room for a while, am I?"
Bucky tilted his head to the side, his lips pulling in a grimace. "I mean, you could," he shrugged his shoulders. "You might just get a view that you weren't asking for."
She scrunched her nose in disgust at his comment. "Hand me that book over there," she nodded to his nightstand where a tattered novel sat.
He handed it over without much of a second thought watching as she opened it and began to read quietly. He smiled to himself, leaning his head back and feeling her body leaning against him comfortably. It wasn't long, however, before she had yawned and closed her eyes peacefully. He glanced down at her, his eyes softening as he realized she had nodded off to sleep.
Quietly and carefully, he sat beside her and made every effort to remember how to breathe. He tilted his head back against the wall as he thought. Things had been changing between them rapidly in the time they'd finally been friends, although he knew he couldn't quite call her his friend. Somehow, the beautiful blonde nurse had become something more than that. She went from looking at him with a lethal glare to soft and sweet, almost angelic. She left him desperate for her presence, something that was new to him.
He'd been on plenty of dates in Brooklyn. He had stowed away in alleyways, necking beautiful dames more times than he could count on his hands. But Allie? The woman who was comfortable enough to fall asleep beside him? She was the only one he'd craved. She was the only one he had given in to completely. She was the only one who could take his stream of thoughts and evaporate everything in his mind.
The time eventually came that Gabe was opening the door to his and Bucky's shared room, a satisfied smirk on his face as he closed the door behind himself. He noticed Bucky looking over with his brow risen. Allie was peaceful and asleep, a small snore coming from her.
"I didn't realize she'd be in here," Gabe blinked at Allie's sleeping figure, a puzzled feeling evident when Bucky looked to him.
Bucky took a breath, his lips tugging in a nonchalant line. "She had come to talk for a while. She was still shaken up from the last couple fights. Fell asleep before I could get her back to her room."
"Ah," Gabe nodded slowly, walking over to grab his pajamas. "Well, you might want to get her over there before Steve finds her with us."
"I will. Oh, by the way, you have lipstick on your neck," Bucky pointed out to him with a small grin.
Gabe's face filled with horror, his eyes falling to Allie as he roughly wiped at the spot Bucky had pointed to. The sergeant only found himself snickering as Gabe cleared his throat and left the room. Glancing down beside him, Bucky nudged Allie awake.
Groaning, she sat up and looked around, remembering where she was. Looking at Bucky, she covered a yawn with the back of her hand. He quietly told her that Gabe had returned to the room, watching a small smirk tug at her lips.
"I'm tempted to stay and see him myself," she grinned at him. Taking a breath, she stood from the bed. "But I think I probably should go back to my room."
Bucky nodded. He himself stood up, walking her over to the door. Thinking quickly, he pulled her in and kissed her. "Goodnight."
She gave him a small smile. "Goodnight," she looked at him one final time before slipping through the door and down the hall.
In his room, just before he changed into a pair of pajamas, Bucky took out the sketch he had of Allie. He thought for a moment, glancing back at the door. Allie's words rang through his mind. The way she believed that if the war had never happened, they never would have become friends, or rather what it was that they had become. He looked at her, drawn in pencil, her body wrapped in a sheet.
Folding it quickly and hiding it in his trunk, a thought pricked at the back of his mind. He wanted her company. He liked the moments, stolen or otherwise. He liked being around her, not simply as a friend or something slightly more. He thought of the ache he had told her about. That feeling he had whenever he was with her or without her.
He was almost certain that he was beginning to understand how he felt. But he wasn't ready to admit it to himself. And so, he didn't. Instead, he went to bed and left the light on for Gabe.
writingforfun827 on Chapter 1 Fri 06 May 2022 12:29PM UTC
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theunfabulousauthor on Chapter 1 Fri 06 May 2022 07:35PM UTC
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Lizzyanne89 on Chapter 10 Thu 18 May 2023 08:42PM UTC
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theunfabulousauthor on Chapter 10 Thu 18 May 2023 09:32PM UTC
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Vansimp on Chapter 11 Mon 22 Jan 2024 02:24AM UTC
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