CHAPTER THIRTEEN
❝ world of tomorrow ❞
AS THEY APPROACHED the enlistment center, Lucy and Bucky came to a halt when they heard the sounds of a struggle coming from a nearby alley. Still hand in hand, they shared a look. "You think that could be—?"
"I can do this all day."
Bucky groaned. "Damn it. Of course, it's him." He gave Lucy a quick kiss before telling her, "Just stay back and let me handle this, okay?"
Lucy nodded, following Bucky until they were at the entrance of the alleyway. She winced as she watched Steve try and fight back, only to be punched again and thrown to the ground of the alley.
"Hey!" Bucky intercepted, pulling the man away from Steve by the back of his coat. "Pick on someone your own size."
The man spun around and swung an arm out at Bucky. Catching the fist that was coming toward him, Bucky threw a punch of his own and knock the man straight to the ground. Lucy waved and gave him a fake smile as he scrambled to his feet and out of the alley.
"Sometimes I think you like getting punched," Bucky told Steve, staring at his best friend with a grimace on his face.
Steve got up, wiping his pants off with a sigh. "I had him on the ropes."
Lucy immediately went into nurse mode, jogging over to Steve. She cupped his cheek, running a thumb over the bruise forming on his nose. She frowned when he winced under her touch. "You okay? You're lucky you didn't break your nose."
"I'm fine," Steve mumbled, waving off her concerns. He stared past Lucy's shoulders, nervously watching as Bucky picked up the papers strewn across the ground.
"How many times is this?"
Lucy turned around, sighing at the enlistment form in her boyfriend's hands. Bucky scoffed as he read through the papers. "Oh, you're from Paramus now? You know it's illegal to lie on the enlistment form. And seriously, Jersey?"
"Steve... I thought we talked about this." As much as Lucy wanted to support Steve in what he wanted, she couldn't help but worry about what would happen if he actually got accepted. She was already worried enough about Bucky.
Steve frowned and guilt flashed through his eyes. "I know, I know."
It wasn't until then that Steve truly noticed Bucky's uniform. He looked his best friend up and down, trying not to show his obvious jealousy. "You get your orders?"
Bucky's expression grew solemn for a moment before he straightened his posture, tilting his chin up in a confident manner. "The 107th. Sergeant James Barnes, shipping out for England first thing tomorrow."
Lucy looked down at her shoes, biting the inside of her cheek. She didn't need that reminder.
"I should be going," Steve muttered, about to walk away until Bucky grabbed him by the shoulder. "Come on, man," Bucky drawled, pulling Steve to his side. "My last night! We got to get you cleaned up." Bucky threw Steve's papers to the side and took Lucy's hand instead.
"Why? Where are we going?"
Lucy handed Steve a newspaper for the Stark Expo, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "The future."
───
Fireworks erupted around the trio as they made their way to the Expo. It looked like a scene out of the future, just the way Howard Stark wanted it to be. Bucky had an arm tightly wrapped around Lucy's waist as they walked, staring up at the sky with wide eyes.
Lucy was now wearing a striking blue dress that made her blonde hair pop. She couldn't decide if she wanted to wear that dress or her red one, but she loved how the blue fabric matched Bucky's eyes.
"Why can't the three of us just go to the Expo alone? I don't think any women are gonna want to go on a date with me," Steve whined.
Lucy turned to him. "Steve, any girl would be lucky to have you!"
"Exactly," Bucky said, pointing at his girlfriend. "I don't see what the problem is. You're about to be the last eligible man in New York. You know there are three and a half million women here?"
"Well, I'd settle for just one," Steve commented, his gaze pointed toward the ground.
"Good thing I took care of that," Bucky said as he raised his free hand to wave at the blonde in the distance.
"Hey, Bucky!" She waved back, completely ignoring Lucy's presence.
Steve groaned. "What'd you tell her about me?"
Bucky shrugged, turning to his best friend. "Only the good stuff."
"Bonnie," Lucy greeted the girl, pulling away from Bucky to offer her a hug. She was another nurse at the hospital where Lucy worked.
Bonnie seemed surprised at Lucy's presence. Her brief shock morphed into faux enthusiasm as the two embraced. "Lucy! I wasn't expecting to see you here."
Lucy pulled away from her, finally understanding that Bonnie must have thought she was Bucky's date, not Steve's. Bonnie's eyes flickered between the two men in front of her, her lips curling downwards as she stared at Steve.
But being the sweet guy he was, Steve stepped forward and offered her a hand to shake. "Steve Rogers."
Bonnie shook his hand, scrunching up her nose in distaste. "Bonnie," she said flatly.
Lucy tugged on Bucky's hand, standing on her tippy toes so that she could whisper into his ear, "I don't like how she's acting towards Steve. I'm pretty sure she thought that you would be her date."
Bucky straightened up, looking between the two with narrowed eyes. He also noticed Bonnie's strange actions, frowning at the fake smile that she offered his best friend. "I think you're right. Maybe she'll realize that Steve's a good guy as the night goes on?"
Lucy reluctantly nodded, motioning for the other three to follow her. "We should head over. I think Mr. Stark is gonna come on stage soon."
Bucky kept a tight hold on Lucy's hand as they pushed through the crowds, listening to the announcements overhead. "Welcome to the Modern Marvels Pavilion and the World of Tomorrow. A greater world. A better world."
As they approached the stage, Lucy turned her head to see Steve trailing behind a bit and Bonnie standing at Bucky's other side. Bucky paid no attention to Bonnie, putting his hands on Lucy's hips and pulling her to his front.
Lucy stared in awe as Howard Stark took the stage, striding to the front and standing in front of his new car model. Bucky leaned down, whispering into Lucy's ear, "You're not gonna leave me for Howard Stark, are you?"
She huffed out a laugh and shook her head. "No way. I'm starin' at that car up there, not him. I've actually got a boy of my own at home."
Bucky pulled back. "Really? He sounds handsome."
"Mm," Lucy scrunched her nose up. "He's alright."
Bucky tickled her sides after she spoke, eliciting a laugh from her.
The cocky inventor walked across the stage, pulling in his assistant for a kiss on the lips. Applause roared across the crowd as the rest of the girls walked off stage and the music died down.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Howard announced with his signature smirk. "What if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground at all."
Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw Steve try and offer Bonnie some popcorn. Bonnie glanced at the bag, then at him, before turning back to the stage with a disgusted look on her face. Lucy frowned, about to say something before a ruckus onstage interrupted her.
The audience gasped as Mr. Stark's assistants lifted the wheels off of the car. "Yes. Thanks, Mandy." He winked at his assistant. "With Stark Gravitic Reversion Technology, you'll be able to do just that."
Howard pushed a few buttons on his controls while raising a lever. The car began to hover in the air, shocking the entire crowd.
"Holy cow," Bucky said, dumbfounded. Lucy laughed at his dumbfounded expression, clapping with the rest of the audience. Just as the entire crowd began to cheer, the car started to spark. The red vehicle came crashing to the ground, leaving a cloud of smoke in its wake.
Howard nervously laughed. "I did say a few years, didn't I?"
Everyone still cheered, impressed that he was able to get the car in the air for even a moment. Bucky took a step back, trying to catch the attention of his best friend. "Hey Steve, what do you say we treat these girls..." he trailed off when he realized that Steve's spot was vacant.
Lucy turned around, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion until she caught a glance at the enlistment posters in the distance. "C'mon," Lucy pulled Bucky away from the crowd. "I think I know where he went," she said, pointing at the poster.
───
They eventually found Steve at the enlistment center, standing in front of a mirror that gave him a preview of what he would look like as a soldier. Bucky let go of Lucy's hand, stepping forward and giving his friend a hard shove
"Come on. You're kind of missing the point of a double date," Bucky said, gesturing to Lucy. "We're taking the girls dancing."
Steve shoved his hands into his pockets. "You two go ahead. I'll catch up with you."
Bucky ran his tongue over his teeth, shaking his head with a frustrated sigh. "You're really gonna do this again?"
"Well..." Steve shrugged. "It's a fair, I'm gonna try my luck."
"As who? Steve from Ohio? They'll catch you. Or worse, they'll actually take you."
Lucy put a hand on her boyfriend's bicep, trying to pull him back. "Bucky..."
"Look, I know you don't think I can do this."
Bucky stepped forward, ignoring Lucy's request for him to stop. "This isn't a back alley, Steve! It's war."
"I know it's war—"
"Why are you so keen to fight? There are so many important jobs."
Lucy's eyes flickered between them. "Boys—"
Steve cut her off with a scoff. "What do you want me to do? Collect scrap metal—?"
"Yes!"
"In my little red wagon," Steve sarcastically finished his sentence.
"Yes! Why not?"
Steve shook his head. "I'm not gonna sit in a factory, Bucky. Come on! There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them. That's what you don't understand. This isn't about me."
Chuckling to himself, Bucky clenched his jaw. "Right. 'Cause you got nothing to prove."
Steve raised a hand, gesturing toward Lucy. "I mean, even Luce could enlist if she wanted to! She could go overseas and serve as a nurse—"
"Don't," Bucky cut him off, angry that he would even suggest that idea. He wanted Lucy as far away from the war as possible.
The three let a beat of silence pass before Lucy finally stepped between them. "Steve, we know why you want to fight and that you have the right to. We're just worried, that's all."
Steve nodded, grateful for her understanding. He stared at Bucky, waiting for him to say the same. Instead, the brunette just took Lucy's hand in his own. "C'mon, let's go dancing."
"I'll see you in the morning, then," Steve muttered, gesturing for the two to go ahead.
Lucy frowned at Steve's reluctance while Bucky just nodded. He pulled her away from the enlistment center, holding her hand tightly as they made their way to the bar.
───
The couple pushed open the door of the bar, greeted with the sight of soldiers drinking and couples dancing. Bucky and Lucy headed straight for the dancefloor.
Ever since Lucy revealed to Bucky that her father was an alcoholic, he hadn't drunk a sip of alcohol since. She told him repeatedly that he didn't need to do that, but proved her statement otherwise when she was thrown into a panic attack after being harassed by a drunk man on the street years ago.
Right as they reached the dancefloor, the upbeat tune turned to a calmer one. Only Forever by Bing Crosby began to play, fit for the Brooklyn couple who would be saying goodbye when the morning came.
Bucky pulled Lucy flush to his chest, one hand in hers and the other on the small of her back. "Did I tell you that you look beautiful in that dress?"
Lucy playfully rolled her eyes, trying to stifle a smile. "Yes. Unless I imagined the first twenty times you told me after I put it on. But thank you."
"Can't help it, honey." Bucky gave her that boyish grin that she fell in love with.
He spun her around, holding her hand in the air until they returned to their original position. Lucy leaned her head on Bucky's chest for a moment, listening to his heartbeat. "Hey, Luce?"
She hummed in response, pulling her head back to look at him.
Bucky licked his lips, nervous about what he was about to say. Or, more for the answer he was going to get. "You're not thinkin' about what Steve said, are you?"
"What did Steve say?"
Bucky sighed, staring at her intently. "About enlisting in the war as a nurse."
Averting her eyes from his, Lucy held her breath. She didn't want to lie to Bucky.
After a moment, she bit her lip, stopping her swaying to pull Bucky to a quieter spot. They ended up going out of the back door, standing under a streetlamp on the now quiet street. Standing a few feet away from Bucky, Lucy wrung her fingers together. "I would be lying if I said I hadn't considered it," she hesitantly declared.
Bucky clamped his eyes shut, running a hand over his forehead. "Lucy..."
"I know! I know you don't want me or Steve to go, but it's not like I'll be out on the frontlines—"
"You could," Bucky interrupted her. "You're a damn good nurse, Luce. They could very well send you to the most dangerous zones."
"Bucky," Lucy pleaded. "I was just thinking about it. You're going to be away, and who knows, Steve could get accepted too. I don't want to be home all alone while the only two people I care about could be dead!"
"Well, what about me?!" Bucky yelled back. "How do you think I'll feel if I don't have anything to come home to? If I have to worry sick about you every damn day because you are much closer to the war than I want you to be?"
Lucy's expression softened at his words. "I know. And I understand. But put yourself in my shoes for a moment and tell me that you don't understand where I'm coming from too."
Bucky stepped closer to her, lowering his voice. "I know. I get it and that might be the most frustrating part. I know that I'm being selfish but I just can't lose you. Because if I do, I'm gonna lose my motivation to fight for myself."
They stood for a moment, chests heaving up and down as they stared at each other. Lucy's gaze dropped to the ground and she kicked away a pebble by her foot. "I don't want to fight on your last night home," she mumbled.
Bucky closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. This was their last night together, untouched by the horrors of war. And all he had been doing was pestering Steve and Lucy about the things they were passionate about.
"Hey," Bucky took slow steps forward, wrapping his arms around Lucy and pulling her body against his. He rested his chin on top of her head and whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm just— I'm scared, Luce."
He pulled back to cup her cheek, wiping away her tears. Lucy nodded, her breaths coming out stuttered as she attempted to hold back a sob. "I just don't want you to leave."
They leaned their foreheads against one another, closing their eyes in anguish. No words could have been said that would make the situation better. Nothing could stop the inevitable goodbye that would tear them apart when the sun rose.
"I love you. Always," Bucky mumbled, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead.
Lucy leaned into his touch. "I love you too." She wrapped both arms around his neck, holding onto him like he was her lifeline. "Promise you'll come back to me?"
Bucky gave her a teary smile. "Of course I will. How could I leave my best girl behind?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the compass that Lucy gave him all those years ago. "Besides, I've got my good luck charm with me." He flipped open the top, revealing a picture of Lucy that sat on the inside of the lid.
His stomach hurt at the thought of not being able to keep his promise.
AUTHOR'S NOTE!
crying.
yep, that's literally all i have to say.
other than that, thank you for reading, babes!
<3 mal