It had been a few months since Clara arrived in 1942. She had decided to move in with Bucky. The only thing was, she had to wait for him to get home to unlock the door because she didn't have her own key. Despite that, she loved it a lot. Bucky was very kind to her, and she had gotten close to Steve. Maybe it was just nature, considering her and future Steve were decent friends.
Clara had been working with Howard for quite some time. Once Howard discovered her knack for engineering, he had gone ecstatic. He was so thrilled to have someone to help him, even if he often decided to work alone. Working closely together, the two had grown quite close. They were truly great friends.
Clara sat next to Howard as they quietly worked on a project. They only sounds that we're made at the exact moment was Howard's tools clanking with the machine. That is until Howard decided to ruin the peaceful silence, "So, Clara, what do you think about time travel?" He asked. Clara, literally, choked on air. Howard had his eyebrows raised at her as she tried to recover.
"I'm sorry, did you say.. time travel?" She laughed nervously. Howard nodded seriously. "Yes." Clara chuckled and fiddled with a tool in front of her.
"Time travel is just a myth, Howard. Why are you worried about myths?" She asked suspiciously.
"Oh no reason, just a theory," Howard said casually as he leaned closer. Clara looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "And that theory is?"
"Well, That you're a time traveler, of course. It only makes since. The odd use of language at points, your truly futuristic style, your haircut, just your personality in general. So, Clara, are you a time traveler?" Howard asked. Clara avoided his eyes as she mumbled a little, 'no.' Howard flashed her a pearly white smile and leaned a little closer.
"Don't lie to me, Clara. I am a genius, you know?" Clara rolled his eyes at his boasting.
"With a big ego." Howard playfully glared at her and grabbed her hands, pulling her away from the tool she was fiddling with. He got her out of her seat and spun her around the room. Clara giggle slightly at his childish antics. "Howard, what on Earth are you doing?" She asked in between laughs. Howard twirled her in and stopped.
"Just taking a break, that's all. We've been working for hours," Howard told her.
"If you're trying to get me to admit I'm a time traveler, it's not going to work. There's nothing to admit," Clara told him.
"Clara Ridgewell, you are the worst liar I've ever seen," Howard said as he twirled her around once more. For some odd reason, she couldn't help but think about how much she wanted it to be Bucky twirling her around.
Clara sighed and disconnected the two's hands as she looked at the ground.
"Why would I lie? Time travel is just a children's story, Howie," Clara tried to get him off her trail. Suddenly, Clara got a massive headache. She gripped her head and blinked her eyes as Howard ran over quickly.
"Clara? Sweetheart, was it from the spinning?" He asked worriedly as he sat her down. Clara shook her head as she clutched her hair. Memories, from when she was a child that played in the back of her mind on a loop started to disappear, one by one. Tears formed in Clara's eyes as she realized she was starting to forget. She looked up at Howard, who help a worried expression.
"Howard, I'm forgetting," She whispered. Howard sat down next to her and grabbed her hands.
"Is it a side affect from the travels?" Clara shook her head, not thinking about what was coming for her lips.
"No, no. It's never happened before. No matter how far back I travel, I've always kept my memories," She explained. Howard nodded and searched his mind frantically for an answer.
"Maybe its a connection," He told her. Clara looked up at him with questioning eyes. "Like a personal connection. When you car deeply about somebody," He explained quietly. Clara hadn't thought of that before.
Tears fell from Clara's eyes as she tried to remember her childhood, but it just looked like a blurry screen. Howard's wiped the girl's tears and pulled her into a hug. She cried into his chest as she stared sadly at the wall. She was forgetting, which meant she wouldn't be able to remember her family, or friends. Howard felt sad, but at the same time he wished it were him to which she was deeply connected to.
Clara arrived home a bit later that night, extremely exhausted. When she arrived, the door was already unlocked, so she assumed Bucky was home. She walked in and yawned as she slipped off her shoes.
"Hey, Doll. How was work?" Bucky asked from the couch. [MARRIED. okay sorry, continue.] Clara shrugged and plopped down next to him.
"Same as usual. Howard and me actually took a break today though. It was short, but quite enjoyable." It wasn't a full lie, the first part of the break was enjoyable. Bucky's eyes flashed with a different emotion before he smiled and stuck a hand in his pocket.
"So, I got you a little something. As a.. thanks for staying present." Clara snorted at his words and shifted her body to face him. "Okay." Bucky sighed as if he were contemplating it. Clara noticed how nervous he looked and grabbed his free hand. "James, it's okay," She reassured him. That was all it took until he pulled a small box out of his pocket.
"Open it," He said eagerly. Clara let go of his hand and slowly opened the box. Inside was a gold key. Clara smiled brightly. "You didn't." Bucky nodded as her grin widened. The key was connected to a chain. Clara grabbed it and took the necklace out of the box.
"James! I love it!" She squealed before tackling him in a hug. Bucky didn't hesitate to hug her back, taking in her soft aroma. Clara pulled away, but Bucky kept a hand on her waist. Clara clipped the necklace around her neck and smiled down at the golden token on her neck. Her smile softened as her eyes went sad. She looked up at Bucky leaned in. Bucky was sure she was gonna kiss him.
It hurt when she went for the cheek instead. Bucky put on a smile as she pulled back. "Thanks, James." Bucky tipped his head as she fiddled with the necklace. "You gave me a home." Bucky thought she was talking about the apartment, Brooklyn, but she was really talking about him.
Bucky was her home.
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Sorry but the short chapter and time skip
