September 1938 - Brooklyn
Porter's Diner was nearing closing time as the two young friends sat at their usual booth by the wall. The brunette girl was slumped back on the dark purple seat, which matched the rest of the decor, with a book in her hands, her eyes scanning over the words she had read hundreds of times before.
Across from her, the shorter blonde boy sat hunched over the table with a charcoal pencil in his hand as he shaded in his latest drawing in his A5 size sketchbook. They were both in their own little worlds, whilst also appreciating each other's silence company.
It was dark out on the street, so the yellowish lights that hung over the heads of the remaining patrons in the diner seemed to glow that much brighter. If anyone tried to look out of the window, all they would see was a reflection of what was around them, plus the bright, flickering glow of a streetlamp or two. One of the smaller windows was left open a fraction, allowing a cooling draft to travel through to otherwise warm front-of-house.
An unwrapped muffin sat on the small plate on the table in front of the woman, a few bites taken out of the side. The jug in the middle of the table was damp with condensation from the ice which had melted into the water, and a small ring of the clear liquid was gathering on the paper napkin underneath the glass. The blonde boy had finished the sandwich he'd ordered earlier, and the empty plate held only a few crumbs as it sat at the end of the table, waiting to be taken.
The woman was so engrossed in her book, she hadn't even realised the young brunette man that had snuck up behind her and was looking at the page she was reading through.
"...'I've no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven'..." Bucky Barnes read over his best friend's shoulder. "Oh my God, you're reading that again?"
"Hey!" Elenora Madison gasped, hugging her copy of Wuthering Heights to her chest protectively. "I like it, okay?"
"Oh, I believe you," Bucky chuckled, sitting down in the booth across from her. "That book is in tatters; you've read it so much."
Elenora frowned and assessed the damaged book in her hands, grimacing at the torn and dog-eared pages. The spine was slightly worn down, as were the outer corners of the hardback cover. She looked across to Bucky, who was seeming very smug now that she had realised he was right, and she tutted, taking a bite out of her muffin with a frown.
"Ignore him, Ella," Steve Rogers spoke up from beside Bucky. "Buck, you're acting like you've read any book other than 'The Hobbit' since it came out last year."
"Damn right," Ella pointed to the blonde. "Thank you, Steve."
"That... that's different," Bucky shrugged, seeming unsure of himself as he ran his fingers through his short brown hair, pushing the thin locks away from his forehead.
"Why?" Ella asked. She leant over the table on her elbows, her chin resting on her hands as she smiled sweetly and mockingly.
Bucky tilted his head in a glare. "Because I-"
"Because what?"
"Because it's... Well, it's... oh, shut up."
"Haha!" Ella and Steve both laughed and high-fived.
The sudden loudness earned the trio a couple of side-eyed glares from the other customers in the diner. There were only two or three other occupied tables, as the place closed in thirty minutes. Still, the ambience was calming, with only the sound of inaudible chatter and a few clinking plates filling the space.
"Now, kids, what's got James here so pouty, huh?" Joe, the owner of the diner, smiled as he came over to the table and patted Bucky's shoulder.
Joe Porter was a lovely man in his late sixties. He always had a smile on his face, and he wore a dark purple apron that matched the colour of the seats in the diner. He and his wife had owned the diner for as long as the trio could remember. They used to go in pretty much every day after school, and after they graduated, it continued to be their go-to hang out spot. Ella liked it there so much, she even worked there part time.
"He was being mean about my book," Ella replied.
"Let's see," Joe picked the book off the table, holding it at arm's length as he squinted his eyes at the cover, struggling to see without his glasses. "Wuthering Heights. Again," he chuckled fondly. "You're just like Maggie, you know that? She reads the same thing over and over again too."
"See? Not just me," Ella grinned pointedly at Bucky. "Thank you, Mr Porter."
"Honey, for the hundredth time. Call me Joe," he chuckled. "'Mr Porter' makes me sound like an old man."
"You are an old man," Joe's wife, Maggie, joined them and sat down beside Ella.
Her grey hair was tied into a low bun, loose strands framing her face. The red stud earrings she wore matched the colour of the frame of her glasses, which sat comfortably on the bridge of her nose.
"Oh, I love you too, my dear," Joe kissed the top of his wife's head. "And excuse me, why are you sitting down on the job?"
"Because I'm old too," Maggie shrugged. "Now, Elenora, I think I've found a job opportunity for you."
Ella furrowed her eyebrows nervously. "Really? But I work here. Oh my God, are you firing me?"
"No, honey," Maggie chuckled. "You still have a job here. But this will be perfect for you," she seemed excited. "A friend of mine who works for the local paper mentioned that they were looking for a new column writer. I told her about you, and she wants to meet you."
Ella's eyes widened in surprise. She did a lot of writing for herself and had occasionally shown some of her stuff to others. But the idea of having a piece of work published was merely a pipe dream for her. She wrote some short stories, some poems, and some was just for fun. Just the thought of having hundreds of people seeing something she wrote made her afraid. Afraid of being judged, and afraid that her work wasn't good enough.
"I uh," the girl chuckled nervously. "I don't know, I..."
"Why not?" Bucky cut in with a smile. "You'd be great at that."
"You think?" Ella asked.
"Isn't writing what you wanna do?" Steve questioned pointedly.
"Well, yeah. But-"
"Then it's settled," Maggie clapped her hands together and stood up. "I will tell her to meet you here tomorrow noon."
"Maggie, I really appreciate it," Ella also stood up. "I just-"
Maggie glared with a look that could make grown men cower in fear. "Are you about to tell me I made a mistake telling her about you?"
"No, ma'am," Ella at once shook her head, quickly sitting back down.
"Good," Maggie sang happily. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Alrighty then," Ella chuckled sheepishly, holding her smile until Maggie was out of view behind the counter. Her laugh morphed into a whine as she pouted and hid her face in her hands. "I can't do it."
"Yes, you can," Bucky reached across the table to wrap his fingers around Ella's wrists, pulling her hands away from her face. "I know you can. I've read so much of your stuff, and it's amazing. Maggie knows that too; it's why she told her friend about you."
"Yes, but writing dumb stories for myself is one thing," Ella mumbled. "Writing a column every week to be read by hundreds of strangers? What if I suck at it?"
"Are you kidding?" Steve raised an eyebrow. "El, my mom still has that birthday card you made her when we were seven years old because the words are 'too cute to put in the garbage'."
"Yeah, and Rebecca hasn't shut up about that princess story you told her weeks ago," Bucky added fondly.
His sister was only six years old; fourteen years younger than him. Ella always had a great bond with the young girl, and it brought a smile to Bucky's face every time he saw them interact. Ella didn't have any family, so the two boys always made the extra effort to include her in anything their families were doing.
"Every night, either me or my mom try to remember it and Becca tells us we get it all wrong," Bucky continued with a chuckle.
Ella giggled and shook her head. She had always been told she had a way with words, and it seemed that even at the age of twenty, she still carried that flair she had for storytelling. A newspaper column would be a little different, but maybe she could make it work. Plus, it would bring in extra money.
She sighed and faintly smiled with a nod. "Okay."
"Okay?" Bucky raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, I'll meet the woman," Ella chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"Good," Bucky grinned proudly and sat back in his seat.
Steve looked between his two best friends with a faint smile on his face. It seemed that he was the only one out of the three of them who could see the spark between Ella and Bucky. The plan he made for himself several years ago to wait for them to figure it out on their own was becoming annoying, and sometimes (like right now) he just wanted to scream at them to at least go on a date.
"I gotta go home. Got some studying to catch up on," the blonde boy sighed as he stood up. "Oh, before I forget. My mom wanted me to check that you're both still coming over for dinner tomorrow night?"
"Wouldn't miss it," Ella smiled.
"My mom spent all of this morning making a cake for the dessert," Bucky chuckled. "So, I'd say, yes. We're definitely coming."
"Cool," Steve smiled. "Thanks guys."
"You're welcome, punk," Bucky nudged Steve's arm.
"Jerk," the blonde tutted with a light-hearted scoff. "I'll see you guys tomorrow then. Good luck with the meeting tomorrow, El."
"Thanks, Steve," Ella waved as Steve walked away, and the small bell above the door rang as he left.
Ella settled back in her seat, picking her book back up and resuming to read from where she was interrupted. She glanced up for a moment, seeing Bucky smiling at her softly, his chin rested on his palm as he tilted his head at her. He ran his hand through his brown hair, the blue in his curious eyes picking up a glare from the light above them.
She narrowed her eyes and lifted the book to cover her face, trying to immerse herself in the words and ignore the way he was looking at her. That didn't last long, as the brunette boy across from her reached over and put his finger on the top of the book, pushing it down so he could see her again.
"Okay, what?" Ella finally spoke, holding the book open on her lap.
"Why do you like that book so much?" Bucky asked.
"I don't know," Ella shrugged with a chuckle. "It's good."
"It's old."
"So? Just because something is old, doesn't mean it stops being loved. Case in point; I love this book."
"Okay, read a part to me," Bucky mused.
Ella playfully glared at him and shrugged her shoulders. "Alright."
She sat forwards in her seat, leaning over the table to look at him, as if challenging him. Bucky copied her movements, a faint smile on his face as she dramatically cleared her throat before starting to read. She didn't even have to look at the page; she practically knew the book of by heart at this point.
"... 'he shall never know I love him; and that, not because he is handsome. But because he is more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of... his and mine are the same'."
Ella's voice got quiet by the end of the sentence, finding herself unable to tear her gaze away from Bucky's blue irises. Bucky's eyes were locked to hers too, thinking over the quote she had just read to him. Something about the way she had spoken, so softly yet so matter-of-factly, was intriguing to him somehow.
"Ahem," Joe cleared his throat.
Ella and Bucky jumped away from each other at the sound, both of them trying to hide the redness of their cheeks after being lost in the moment. It was only then that they realised there were no other customers in the diner anymore; it was just them.
"Sorry to interrupt, kids," Joe said with a knowing smile. "But we gotta close up now. I know it's your night off, El, but would you guys be able to help me clear up? I'll pay ya, 40 cents each."
"Sure," Ella spoke for both her and Bucky.
"Thanks, darlin'," Joe smiled. "If you go around to the back, Maggie needs some help clearin' the kitchen."
Ella nodded and quickly got to her feet, desperate to disappear from Bucky's sight before he was able to see the redness of her cheeks after their little moment. They had shared quite a few flirty moments the last couple of years. It was all just light-hearted jokes, and never really meant anything. Tonight's moment was no different.
Well, that's what she told herself anyway.
Joe watched her run off out the back, then glanced down at Bucky with a smirk. He sat himself down beside the boy, and he clasped his hands together over the table with a sigh. Bucky looked at him with a frown, unsure of what was happening.
"Umm," the brunette boy hummed. "Hi, Joe."
"Hello, James," Joe replied. "So, when are you going to ask her out?"
Bucky's cheeks flushed bright red. "Uh, what?" he chuckled nervously. "I'm not. Ella's just a friend."
"That right?" Joe raised an eyebrow. "That's why you were just gazing into each other's eyes like a couple of love-sick puppies, huh?"
"We weren't... I'm not," Bucky stuttered, feeling his ears burning red the longer this went on for. "I don't look at her that way. She doesn't see me that way. It's not gonna happen."
"James, son," Joe sighed. "You come in here a lot with all these different girls, and sure, ya laugh and smile with most of 'em. But I have never once seen ya look at any of 'em the way you look at that girl back there."
Bucky chewed his bottom lip as he looked over to counter, seeing Ella standing in the doorway to the backroom, laughing at something Maggie was saying. Seeing her smile and hearing her laugh always seemed to make whatever bad thing he was feeling seem not so bad.
"I know," the boy finally admitted. "I just... If I went for it, and she didn't feel the same, then what? I lose one of my best friends. It'll make things awkward, then Steve will feel awkward and probably feel like he needs to pick a side. It's a bad idea."
Joe smiled sadly, understanding Bucky's fears. "Let me ask you something, son. Do you care about that girl over there?"
"Yes," Bucky nodded.
"Would being with her make you happy?"
"More than anything."
"Then get off your ass, and ask her out," Joe patted Bucky's back.
Bucky bit his bottom lip, nodding his head as he thought everything over. He caught Joe's eye and furrowed his eyebrows at the pointed look being sent his way.
"Oh, you mean like right now?" Bucky's eyes widened.
"Right now," Joe replied.
"Umm, I-I don't know..."
"You got somewhere else to be?"
"W-well, no," Bucky stuttered. "But-"
"Hey, Ella!" Joe called over.
Ella poked her head out the doorway of the kitchen. "Yeah?"
"James needs ta' ask ya somethin'," Joe beamed and stood up from the booth.
Bucky's face flushed bright red. "Joe-"
"What's up?" Ella asked, slightly out of breath as she had jogged over to the booth. She looked down at her best friend, seeing his cheeks were bright red, and he looked a little lost. "Buck, you okay?"
"Uh, yeah," the boy chuckled nervously, his fingers running over his short, light brown hair. "All good here. Are you- are you good?"
Ella narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "I'm... good, thanks. Is that what you wanted to ask me?"
"No," Bucky scratched the back of his neck and stood up to look at Ella properly. "I was just gonna ask... uh..."
"What?" Ella giggled at his stuttering. "What is it?"
Bucky took a deep breath and slipped his hands into his front pockets. "I was just gonna ask if you maybe you'd be up for uh... letting me walk you home tonight?"
Idiot.
He was so close to saying it, but as he looked at her eyes while she waited for him to hurry up and actually speak, he lost his confidence. He looked over Ella's shoulder and saw Joe and Maggie glaring at him from behind the counter, the old couple giving him a thumbs down.
"Oh," Ella finally replied, and Bucky thought he saw a flash of disappointment in her blue eyes. "Uh, yeah, that'd be great. Thank you."
"That's okay," Bucky shrugged, trying to act normal. "Just thought, you know, it's dark."
"Sure," Ella smiled tightly. "I uh, I better get back to the kitchen."
She quickly walked away without letting either herself or Bucky say anything else. Going back to the sink, she carried on washing the dishes with a disappointed frown on her face. Not because Bucky was walking her home, but because she thought he was going to ask... something else.
"Dear," Maggie sighed as she started to dry up the dishes Ella had cleaned. "Don't be sad."
"Pfft, I'm not sad. Who told you I was sad? What do I have to be sad about?" Ella fired off, scrubbing the plate she was cleaning a little too hard.
"Sweetie, you're about to scrub a hole through that plate," Maggie deadpanned.
Ella realised her arm was aching from how hard she'd been scrubbing at the plate, and she sheepishly handed it to Maggie to dry it. "Sorry."
"My darling, I just watched that entire interaction," Maggie sighed again, and Ella pouted at her. "I know you like him."
"Yeah, that's kinda the problem," Ella sighed. "You can see it, but I don't need you to see it, I need him to... Why doesn't he see it?" she whined.
"Because he's a man, and men are stupid," Maggie shrugged, like the answer was obvious. "Give it time. Eventually, James will realise how dumb he is and come running."
As if on cue, Bucky came strolling into the kitchen with a bright smile on his face as he started putting away the cleaned dishes. He avoided eye contact with Ella, and she couldn't help but frown.
The older lady was right; guys are stupid.
Maggie noticed the look the girl had on her face and decided to help her out. "Elenora, honey, why don't you help Joe clear the last few tables? James and I have the dishes."
"Yeah, okay," Ella smiled faintly, mouthing a thank you to the lady as she took off her gloves and went out into the front of the diner.
When she was sure Ella was gone, Maggie stepped over to Bucky and swatted her hand across the back of his head.
"Ow!" Bucky winced, rubbing where she'd hit him. "What was that for?"
"Sorry," Maggie shrugged. "It looked like all the sense was falling out of your brain, so I thought I'd try to knock it back in."
Bucky frowned at the old lady. "I'm lost."
"Then go find a map," Maggie rolled her eyes. "But finish the dishes first."
"Huh?" Bucky tilted his head, completely confused as to what was happening.
Maggie looked over her shoulder at the boy and sighed, realising he was never going to figure it out on his own. "Men," she muttered. "James, sweetheart, I can't stand here and spell it out for you. But think over the last few minutes and eventually you'll figure it out. When you do, you'll know how to fix it."
The woman left the kitchen, leaving Bucky Barnes very puzzled. He figured it was about what had just happened with Ella a few moments ago, but it didn't make sense why Maggie would be mad at him for that. The thumbs down from her and her husband made him think they were just disappointed in him just getting too nervous. But why do they care that much?
So, he decided against asking Ella out. So what?
Unless... she wanted him to ask her. He replayed the awkward moment from before, and remembered the way her face fell when he fumbled over his words and offered to walk her home. She was disappointed.
She wanted him to ask her out.
"Shit," Bucky realised, and mentally punched himself in the face.
He dropped the dish he was holding back into the soapy water in the sink, and bubbles splashed over the floor. Bucky swiftly walked out of the kitchen and looked around the diner, seeing Ella holding a tray of used plates.
Deciding it best not to overthink his next move, Bucky walked over to his best friend and took the tray out of her hands, setting it down on one of the tables.
"What is happening?" Ella questioned, seeming upset with him.
"Will you go out with me?"
"I-I'm sorry, what now?"
"Will you go out with me?" Bucky asked again.
Ella tilted her head. "You mean, like a date?"
"No, not like a date," Bucky shook his head. "A date."
Ella's eyes widened, and her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to figure out if she heard him right. "Uh-umm..."
"Have I misread this?" Bucky suddenly got nervous again. "I mean, I was gonna ask before, but then I didn't and then-"
"Yes."
"-Maggie hit me and..." Bucky paused. "Wait, what?"
"I said yes," Ella bit her bottom lip. "Yes, I'll go on a date with you, Bucky."
Bucky's eyes lit up, and a wide smile graced Ella's face.
"You will?" he breathed out, feeling more excited than he ever had in his life.
Ella smiled shyly and nodded her head. "I will."
"Hallelujah!" Maggie and Joe exclaimed from across the diner.
The two young adults turned and frowned at the older couple, both of whom spun and stumbled into each other, suddenly appearing to be very busy with cleaning up. Ella giggled a little, and Bucky smiled as he turned back to look at her.
"So," Ella breathed out, a pink blush going across her cheeks. "When do you wanna go?"
"Well, I'm free now," Bucky shrugged. "We could-"
"I thought you were helping us clear up," Joe called over jokingly.
His light-hearted tone didn't stop Maggie from hitting his chest with the dish cloth she was holding. "Ignore him, kids. Go."
"You sure?" Ella asked.
"Ay, Elenora," Maggie groaned. "I have already had to hit these two boys tonight. You want some too?"
"No, no," Ella quickly held her hands up. "Thank you."
"We could get ice cream," Bucky offered. "We can go to the place that does the chocolate flavour you love."
"It's triple chocolate," Ella grinned excitedly. "Okay."
"Okay." Bucky was sure he'd never smiled so widely. He held his elbow out for Ella to take his arm. "Come on then, m'lady."
"Oh, you're one a' those, huh?" Ella teased, linking her arm with his.
"If by 'one a' those', you mean a gentleman, then yes," Bucky smirked, all nerves from moments ago dissolving as they stepped out of the café and started walking to the ice cream parlour.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
The date was better than they could have imagined. The two friends fell into conversation easily, as they always had done. There was clearly a new layer to their words as they both made the effort to listen to one another. Despite them both being very aware that the dynamic was different to their usual hang outs, neither of them felt uncomfortable or awkward at any point during the evening.
After getting ice cream, Bucky getting vanilla and Ella getting chocolate, they took a walk through the park, taking the longer route back to Ella's place. They sat on the bench as they enjoyed being in each other's company. Bucky was sure he'd never been so happy as he was in that park with her.
Bucky Barnes was a lady's man. Joe wasn't wrong about him going on a lot of dates with a lot of girls around town. All through his high school years, he'd dated his fair share of girls. But Ella had been his best friend since pre-school, so when they got older and he realised he liked her as more than a friend, he held back doing anything about his feelings in fear of losing her.
But as he sat there beside her on that park bench, the streetlamps lighting up the area as he listened to her talk and laugh with him about anything and everything, he wished he could go back in time and tell his former self to go for it. Of all the dates he had been on in the past, he had never had this much fun. He had never been so shy around one person as he was with Ella. Thank God, she liked him back; he wasn't sure what he would have done if she had turned him down tonight. He didn't have to worry about that though. He got the girl, and he was planning to go way beyond just one ice cream date.
Ella couldn't stop smiling. Bucky was making her laugh more than he ever had in their lives. He seemed so happy and care-free, and that made her happy too. She'd watched him date many girls during their high school days, and it always made her heart ache to hear him go on about these other girls. When she realised she cared about him, she knew she'd never have a chance with him, as he'd never go for someone like her when he had so many options. And yet, here they were.
She was disappointed when the date had to come to an end but found herself smiling and blushing when she felt Bucky link his pinkie finger with hers as they walked along the street to her apartment.
When they reached the door to the building, they stopped walking, and Bucky sighed loudly as he stepped in front of Ella with a smile.
"I'm glad I finally asked you out," he said softly.
"I'm glad you finally asked me too," Ella giggled. "I had a good time."
"Me too," Bucky blushed. "I'll see you tomorrow, right? I'll come get you from Porter's after your interview."
"Oh god, don't remind me," Ella groaned and closed her eyes. "What if she hates me?"
"She'd be an idiot," Bucky placed both his hands on Ella's shoulders. "She's gonna love you, El. I know it."
"You know it, huh?" Ella chuckled.
"Yeah, I do," Bucky grinned. "I like you. Everyone else should too. If not, then they're idiots who don't deserve you anyway."
Ella smiled bashfully, looking down at the ground to hide the fact she was blushing. Bucky took his right hand off her left shoulder and brought his finger to her chin, gently tilting her head up to see her face.
The corner of his lips curled into a soft smile as he brushed Ella's long, dark brown hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. His palm rested against her cheek, and she leaned into his touch, finding herself unable to look away from his eyes.
"I had a really good time," Bucky whispered.
Ella giggled softly. "We said that already."
"I meant it," Bucky quickly replied.
"Bucky," Ella whispered, biting her bottom lip as she rested her hands on his sides.
"Yes, Ella?" Bucky leaned a little closer, to the point his nose was bumping against hers.
"Kiss me."
Bucky wasted no time granting her that request, closing the gap between them and pressing his lips softly to hers. The kiss was slow and light as Bucky cupped Ella's face in his hands, whilst her arms wrapped around his torso, her hands roaming up and down his back. They both smiled into the kiss as Bucky's hands moved down to hold Ella's waist, and she brought her arms up to wrap around his neck.
Ella felt fireworks going off in her heart as she melted against him. All that time she spent worrying about ruining her friendship with Bucky was almost worth it, as it led her to this moment right here. And it couldn't have been more perfect.
They pulled away after just a few seconds, both of them blushing like crazy as they caught their breath. Bucky gazed into Ella's eyes as he leant his forehead against hers, kissing the tip off her nose and making her giggle softly.
"Do you have any idea how long I've been dreaming of doing that?" Bucky whispered, his warm breath fanning across Ella's face as he spoke.
"A while?" Ella teased.
"A long while," Bucky chuckled, leaning down to trail his lips along her jaw.
Ella bit her bottom lip as she blushed. Brushing the pads of his thumbs over her cheekbones, Bucky lightly kissed Ella's forehead before taking a step back, his arms outstretched to keep hold of her face.
"I'll see you tomorrow, babydoll," he smiled softly, finally letting her go and taking a few more steps away.
Ella grinned cheekily as she kept her eyes on his whilst he walked backwards. "You gonna walk like that the whole way home?"
"Long as I can see you," Bucky shrugged coyly.
Rolling her eyes playfully, Ella sighed and opened her front door. "Night."
"Goodnight," Bucky waved.
Once the front door was closed, Bucky couldn't help his huge grin as he punched the air in victory. For years, he had built up in his head what a date with Ella would be like, believing he'd never get the chance to experience it because they were too good as friends, and she didn't feel the same way.
Oh, how wrong he was.
He was so lost in the small victory dance he was performing in the middle of the pavement; he didn't even realise the front door opening, and his date for the evening standing on the step, just watching him with a smirk.
"I can see you!" Ella sang.
Bucky suddenly froze and looked over in her direction, seeing her smirking as she leaned against the doorframe with her arms folded across her chest. He cleared his throat and straightened the collar of his jacket, tucking his hands into his pant pockets.
"I was just uh..." he chuckled, his cheeks going bright red. "Leaving."
"Yes, that is what it looked like," Ella mused. "Very sophisticated."
"I know, right?" Bucky grinned, deciding to just own the situation. "I'll have to show you my moves some time."
"I think I'd like that," Ella smiled, scrunching her nose. "It's a date."
"Okay, I am actually going to go now, or I'll never leave," Bucky laughed shyly, his cheeks turning pink again. "Goodnight, Miss Madison." He made a dramatic bow, tipping an imaginary hat.
Ella giggled at the gesture. "Goodnight, Mr Barnes."
A/N: for anyone who read the older version of this story, the first few chapters are very similar to what they were before, bar a couple of edits/cuts. The further the story goes, the more changes you'll notice. I'm just excited to get this story off the ground again :)
Let me know what you think so far!