The Captain, the Sergeant, and the Nurse || B. Barnes

Medic

Having spent many afternoons with the Rogers siblings, Bucky often took to following Allie around the house and asking her as many questions as he could to annoy her. There were many times that after a number of questions, she would threaten to throw her shoe at him. Sometimes she would stomp up the stairs and into her bedroom to finish her homework. Other times, his flood of questions would lead to passionate conversations or very private and personal moments between the two.

On one rainy afternoon when they were in high school, Steve and Allie's mother had an evening shift at the hospital. Bucky had decided to go home with them, wanting their company that afternoon. The three had worked on their homework, the boys helping Allie on her work they had remembered from their times of taking the courses, and Allie helping in turn for an elective that they had all taken together.

After homework was completed and the three acknowledged that they had a while before Sarah Rogers would be returning home, Allie went to go and start dinner. Bucky had called over to his home, telling his mom that he was still with Steve and Allie. He was given permission to stay until after dinner.

As Allie cooked in the kitchen, Steve sat in the living room and drew in a small sketchbook. He and Bucky had recently found their passion for art, each receiving a small amount of art supplies at Christmas. Bucky decided to join Allie in the kitchen, offering to help her cook. Thanking him but assuring him that she was fine, Allie could feel his eyes on her as he stayed in the room.

Bucky had had every intention of annoying Allie as she cooked, but as she happily continued to make soup for dinner, he found that he became curious when he noticed the way she seemed deep in thought. What thought could have possibly carried her away from the kitchen?

"Is something on your mind?" he grinned as stood beside her, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed against his chest.

"Hm?" Allie hummed as her attention came back to him.

"It's just that you look like you're in another world right now," his shoulders gave a small shrug as he grinned. "Call me curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know," she gave him her own small grin before sighing. "I was just thinking. That's all."

"What were you thinking about?"

"The future," she admitted.

"The future?" his interest had been piqued as he leaned towards her. "What exactly about the future? I didn't think you were interested in science fiction or anything."

"Funny," she scoffed, her smile still on her lips. "No, it's not that I was thinking of any one thing specifically. I just... Well, in class today one of the girls was talking about how her older sister just married this businessman, and it got the whole group of girls talking about their future husbands and what they wanted to do with their lives.

"I didn't join in the conversation, I just listened, but I have to admit that it got me to start thinking about it, you know? There's possibilities for me and they've just been on my mind this afternoon."

"What type of possibilities are you thinking about?" Bucky's curiosity continued to get the better of him as he watched Allie sigh and wipe her hands on a nearby kitchen towel.

"I mean, my future. I've been thinking about what I want to do or maybe what my life will be like. Where I'll be in ten years, you know. The looming decisions. The expectations other people have for me."

"What kind of expectations do you think people have for you?" Bucky glanced in the other room, looking at Steve who continued to keep to himself. "I mean, you've got a great brother and a great mom."