|1| Promise Me ✦ {Bucky Barnes}

Prologue: Come What May

"'Hey, Maddie!' Steve waved from the other side of the club. I whipped my head toward the other side of the bar.

"'Steve! Bucky!' I shouted back, waving over happily. They walked over to where our table was, and I quickly stood up and put each of my arms around the back of my two friend's necks in an embrace. That was before I told them both off for being late.

"'Took you long enough to show!' I scolded them.

"'Sorry, Doll. We just took a wrong turn, that's all. Happy Birthday, Dottie,' Bucky excused, with a smile on his face. He was lying. He knew this club, he had been here many times before. I didn't know if it was just my gut feeling, but for some reason, the expression of charm on his face that he had didn't seem to reflect the emptiness his eyes carried. Something wasn't right, but I thought it best not to ask until we were in private.

"For the remainder of the night, we danced and drank and laughed. I had a great time, and my friends had an even better one. But I couldn't shake the feeling I had about Bucky. After some of my friends had gotten a little too drunk, Steve agreed to take them home, while Bucky walked me home. As we strolled the bustling streets of the City, we just chatted away, but I didn't want to say anything until we got to the quieter parts near Brooklyn. It was nice, taking in the cool mid-March air. Finally, I dared to bring it up.

"'Hey, Bucky?' I asked.

"'Yeah, Maddie?' He replied with a smile.

"'I wanted to ask you earlier, but I never got the chance to. What was bothering you tonight?' He stopped walking for a minute and sighed.

"'You caught that did you?' His smile faltered as he looked to the floor. I nodded in response as I turned to face him, 'you know, to most people, I'm not easy to read, but you're always able to see right through me,'

"'Just lucky I guess,' I chuckled softly, 'in all seriousness though, what's wrong?'

"'Maddie-'

"'Don't do that, just tell me,'

"'A notice came for me today,' his shoulders tensed as he vaguely began. Oh no... 'It was from the government-' oh god no- 'Maddie, I don't know how to say this, but-' don't say it, please don't- 'I've been drafted.' He said it. Silent tears fell from my eyes when he said it. Until today, I was lucky. Lucky that none of my friends or family members had been drafted. But now, one of the people I loved the most in my life, was going off to war, 'please don't cry, doll,'

"'How could I not? I know you never wanted this,' I seethed through tears, 'you don't deserve this! This isn't right!'

"'It was bound to happen eventually, doll. I've everything they want in a soldier, and I didn't volunteer-' he tried to make it better. Make me feel better. But I wasn't having it.

"'When do you leave?' I almost whispered.

"'I start training in three days,' he replied, Three days?! 'Until I'm stationed somewhere, I can visit from the base in New Jersey on some weekends. It'll be a while before we're sent off anywhere,' he took my hand comfortingly, 'I only have one favour to ask,'

"'Anything,' I replied.

"'Try to keep Steve out of trouble for me, will ya?'

"'I'll try my best, but you know him; he's not gonna stop,' we both faced the reality that at some point, some idiot physician would let him enlist and he'd get himself killed.

"'I know, I know,' Bucky sighed, 'We should get you home, I know Ruth will worry,' he stated. He quickly flipped the charm back on, and we continued walking until we got to my small house on the outskirts of Brooklyn. Bucky's house wasn't far from mine, just a couple of blocks over; that's why he always walked me home.