1942; Brooklyn, New York
EVELYN STARK was never late, not really. The woman was raised to be poised and proper—everything her brother certainly was not. She always made sure she walked a certain way, smiled a certain way, acted a certain way... it helped people like her, and her parents never let her forget how important it was for people to like and admire her.
With her heels clicking on the sidewalk of the well-known streets, she could feel herself growing flustered with no way to contact her brother that she would be late for the dinner. If Howard managed to get there before her, she would most definitely cry. He would hold that over her head for months. With a scowl, she pushed past a group of men in soldier uniforms, all whistling her way as she decided to take a shortcut through the nearest alley.
Walking through, she wasted no time in gripping her bag tightly and pull her cardigan over her chest at the sight of a man watching her. There was no other way, she decided; she had to walk past him. She smiled politely, her rosy red lips rising and falling quickly. As she continued down the alley, she heard the sound of flesh on flesh. Looking at the sky, she wondered why the almighty above had to put everything in her way today.
Evelyn was nearing the, no doubt, fight, so she placed the meanest look on her face as she neared them. Not being able to hide her shocked gasp at the large man pummeling the very small one, she called out, "Hey! Leave him alone!" She did not know why she was shocked—having seen the scene multiple times before.
The men paused, the smaller one's eyes widening at the woman in front of them while the larger one's lips turned up to a smirk. "Aye, princess. Why don't you walk away? This is between us."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes at the man. "I don't think I will. Now, why don't you walk away, you great big bully."
The man growled lowly, coming close to Evelyn. He grabbed her arm roughly. "I'm starting to want you to make me, princess."
The small man suddenly threw the nearest trash can lid at the bully's back. Evelyn used the distraction, twisting the bully's arm behind his back and shoving him to the ground. Once down there, Evelyn was about to walk to the blonde man she knew so well when the bully grabbed her ankle and had her fall on her knees. Turning with a scowl, she kicked his hand away with her heel having him yelp in pain just as another man walked into the alley.
Evelyn let out a breath of relief as the new man grabbed the bully and shoved him into the wall. "Hey! You like picking on guys smaller than you!?" The man noticed the woman on the ground, and a murderous look entered his eyes. "You like hurting women!? Huh!? Pick on someone your own size," he shouted in the bully's face. "Get the hell out of here!" The man kicked the bully in his rear end back the way he came.
"What were you trying to accomplish, Steven?" Evelyn growled lowly, breaths coming out ragged as she tried to catch it. The man suited in his military uniform stood before her with a scowl on his face as he noticed her clutching her ankle. James Barnes extended his hand for her with a soft smile on his face once her brown eyed gaze met his. She took it gratefully, standing shakily as she noticed the tear in her dress at her knees and the ache growing in her ankle from where the beefy man's hands had grabbed her.
"Sometimes I think you like getting punched," Bucky stated sarcastically as he turned to face Steve, helping him stand as well.
Steve noticed Evelyn reach down in confusion and grab his recruitment paper from the ground with a sad look overtaking her face. He wiped his bloody lip before saying, "I had him on the ropes," to try and keep Bucky distracted as she tried to hide the paper behind her.
Bucky noticed the paper in Evelyn's hand, reaching around her waist with a knowing look on his face before ripping it from her grip when she tried to hide it further. Mouthing, "Sorry," to Steve, he shrugged since he already knew what was coming.
"How many times is this?" Bucky asked with a scowl. "Oh, you're from Paramus now? You know it's illegal to lie on the enlistment form. And seriously, Jersey?"
Evelyn bit her lip before saying, "Buck," softly. He turned, his own gaze falling to her ripped dress. "Don't start." He nodded, remembering their conversation once before about keeping the comments to himself. Steve just wanted to partake like every able man in the war while Bucky just wanted Steve and Evelyn as far as they could be away from it. He already had one on the inside, he was terrified for Steve to enter as well.
Steve noticed his outfit finally, realizing it was his uniform. He grew sad. "You get your orders?"
"The one-o-seventh. Sergeant James Barnes. Shipping out for England first thing tomorrow," Bucky said, purposely turning his head away from Evelyn to not see her face at his words. He knew the face would be one that made him rethink every decision he had ever made.
Steve did notice her face, however. Evelyn's expression grew worried and angry all at once before she muttered in a rant, "I should be going to dinner. Late enough that Howard'll beat me there. I need to go home and change."
Bucky quickly grabbed her hand that was gesturing to her dress and said, "Come on, doll."
"I'm late for a dinner," she repeated, "and Howard's–"
"You're already late. Just miss it."
"—going to hold it over my head for the rest of my life–"
Steve grinned as they talked over one another. It happened too often.
"It won't hurt you to miss one dinner, especially to hang out with us."
"—so don't try and have me come out tonight just for you to leave me tomorrow—"
"I'm not doing this just to leave you! You know I have to go!"
"—and anyway, it's Howard's dinner before his show at the Expo, so I have to go—"
"No, you don't. How many dinners does he miss? I bet he's not even there. Come on, Lyn!"
"—oh, that's mean, Buck! He's a busy man—"
"Evelyn," Bucky groaned, covering her mouth with his hand. Steve watched the scene in amusement, leaning on the nearest wall as he ignored the pain in his jaw. He watched Evelyn narrow her eyes at Bucky as if to ask why the hell his hand was still on her perfectly makeup'd face. He still never understood why Evelyn Stark stood by their side all of these years.
The trio was the oddest of all trios. Evelyn Stark, the genius, doctor, scientist, overall wonder woman. Bucky Barnes, the badass jerk who always stood up for Steve and Evelyn, soon-to-be war hero, and overall best man. Then, Steve Rogers. What was he? A punk. He only saw himself as the scrawny best friend they tagged along because they felt bad.
The truth was far from that, of course.
They had met in 1937 in this same scene—Steve was getting beat up, of course, and Evelyn had been passing by. She hardly had any fighting background, but she would not stand for Steve being hurt. Not then. Not now. She helped him as best as she could until Bucky showed up. She invited them to her apartment to clean up out of pity and thanks, and a few days later, when she thought she would never see them again, they had found her in a bar worrying over something that seemed silly at the time. That night, they invited her to Coney Island—the rest was history.
"It's my last night!"
"Don't remind me, please," Evelyn said with a stressful glance toward him.
"Gotta get you and Steve cleaned up," Bucky said, ignoring her comment as he grabbed her waist. "You're coming, Lyn. You're my fiancée. You're required to love me and celebrate me one last night," he teased.
Steve sighed. "Buck," he whispered when Evelyn's face fell at Bucky's words.
Bucky cringed, realizing his own words as well. "Sorry." He kissed her once. "C'mon, doll. Let's go to your place. Get us all glammed up. Steve will even let you do his hair!"
Steve grinned. "What, why?"
"Where are we even going?" Evelyn asked in a deadpanned voice as Bucky pulled something from his pocket.
Bucky winked at her. "The future. Howard was planning to miss the dinner anyway. He let me know when he saw me earlier."
Handing Steve the paper, it showed Howard Stark's World Exposition of Tomorrow. Evelyn rose a brow as Bucky's excitement grew with a wiggle of his eyebrows.