Work Text:
the first time you meet her, she's fourteen, and her hair is an unpleasant shade of orange. She never smiles.
the second time you meet her, she is twenty two and she kisses you. It isn't her first kiss, but it is yours. In a way.
the third time you meet her, you put a bullet through her, and into the scientist. He is dead. You ask your handler: "Who was she. The woman in the car." He says "Freeze him."
the fourth time you meet her, you-
---
you are remembering this story backwards.
the first time you meet him you are three, with knobbly knees and your tongue fits perfectly into the hole where your front tooth used to be. You make the most beautiful slurping noise when you drink up your milk through that hole. The man on the bridge laughed, but he is not the man on the bridge yet-
the second time you meet him, he is taller. He was grown up before, but then he is bigger. You realise now that maybe that was the moment Bucky Barnes started shrinking.
the third time you meet him, he's a red dot in your vision, and you shoot but-
the fourth time you meet her, she's in a car, or
the fourth time you meet her, she breaks your visor
the fourth time you meet her, she is twenty eight, or thirty, or years escape you
the third time you meet him, he's your mission, but then
"the man on the bridge"
"wipe him"
----
the first time you meet him, he is driving the car and you have to stop him
the second time you meet him, he is flying and you have to stop him
the third time you meet him, he is trying to stop you, but you have to walk away
----
the fourth time you meet him, he looks familiar, but not familiar enough.
he says he is your friend, and
----
the fourth time you meet him, he is wearing the wings, but he is not flying. he says "you could come with me. Steve-"
but you can't let him stop you
----
the fifth time, you meet them.
---
she is smiling, and so is he, and so is he and so are you