𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 • 𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜

31 • Distraction

Bucky saw Steve looking at Peggy and gave a suspicious smile. He figured that maybe his best friend was finally moving on. It was a strange feeling, having been trying to get him to since they found him. Now that he actually might be doing so, Bucky felt...strange. He still wanted his friend to find love and move on, be happy, but he couldn't shake a strange, sinister feeling.

"I see your top squad is prepping for duty." Peggy added.

Bucky chuckled. "You don't like music?"

Peggy started straight up at Steve. "I do actually..." she played with her lips. "I might even, when this all over, go dancing."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Bucky said suavely.

Not taking her eyes off Steve, Peggy blinked and batted her eyes. "...The right partner." She started to walk away. "0800, Captain. Remember."

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll be there."

The two men watched as Peggy left to god knows where, swaying her hips as she left the bar.

"I'm invisible." Bucky choked out. "I-I'm turning into you, this is like a horrible dream."

Steve put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't take it so hard, maybe she's got a friend?"

Bucky snorted. "I'm not sure any friend could compare to that."

The old friends sat at the bar and ordered a round of whiskey, Bucky having finished off the last of his glass at some point.

"So," he said to Steve. "Care to explain what going on between you and agent bombshell?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "Nothing, Buck."

"Nothing, yet?"

Steve sighed. It was obvious Peggy was into him, Steve wasn't great with the ladies but even he could see she was keen. Problem was that, Steve wasn't all that keen on her. It didn't feel familiar.

"I don't have feelings for Peggy, Buck."

"That's not what it looks like to me."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come on you punk. You were giving her the eyes, and I know the eyes when I see them. It's a look I myself have mastered."

Steve sighed and swirled the whiskey in his glass. "I know I don't have feeling for her because it doesn't feel like what it did with Millie."

Bucky rested on his elbows. "To be fair Steve, Peggy isn't Millie. Maybe that's reason enough for it to not feel the same." He took a swig of his drink. "And, that being said, maybe Millie was...something else. Maybe she was your soulmate or some shit, I don't know. But...she's gone, Steve. Maybe it'll never feel like Millie again, and that's okay. It doesn't mean you don't deserve to be happy."

Steve felt a pang in his chest at Bucky's words. He knew Millie was gone, yes, but hearing other people talk about it almost made it seem more real.

"Do you think you could be happy with Peggy?"

Steve closed his eyes, trying to in-vision a life with Peggy but he couldn't. Instead, all he could think of was Millie. How she was supposed to be the one in a white dress. How she was supposed to be the mother to his children.

But Steve didn't want to be alone, god he didn't want to be alone. And he couldn't shake the feeling that he was doomed to be. He didn't want to rely on Bucky, like he did his whole life.

"I think..." Steve sighed. "I think I won't know unless I try."

Bucky placed a comforting hand on Steve's shoulders, somehow happy for his friend but also somewhat sad. "Well, I'll back you on that. You deserve to be happy, Steve."

Perhaps, Steve could be happy with Peggy.

Perhaps, they were closing the chapter of their lives that was the charming and spectacular 'Millie Mae Elliot.'

—
A/N:

One more chapter until part 3. I'm so excited to get into it!

This story is actually starting to take off with reads and it makes me very emotional, because I want to keep writing it all the time, but I'm afraid to let it go when the time comes. Of course, that's not for a little while now, but with how excited I am, I worry I'll finish it fast.

Now, I wanted your opinion on part 3. Would you rather:

A: the chapters be concise and directly correlating to the story-line
Or
B: some chapters be unimportant to the main story line, and simply added for the readers (you guys) personal reading pleasure.
Eg. Short fluff, smut, or random chapters showing character relations for no other reason.

Let me know xx

Peace and love,

-Lonah Lennox