Chapter Text
In 1940, Brooklyn seemed like it would be my “forever” home. My family, neighborhood, but best of all, my two best friends- James Barnes and Steve Rogers- were all I’d ever known. The three of us were inseparable- always in some kind of trouble. Me and James, or Bucky as friends called him, were always having to bail little Stevie out of the most precarious situations.
Because his heart was bigger than his brain, Steve always seemed to be in a fight with someone 8 times his size. He hated bullies and could always be found standing up for the little guy. He often forgot he wasn’t much bigger. His small frame of 5'5'' and 90 pounds didn't lend much help. His blonde hair limply hung above his ocean blue eyes. No matter the size, his clothes always appeared to hang off of him. A stiff breeze could knock him over, which Bucky and I never ceased to point out on a windy day. We would position ourselves on either side of him and joke as we "held him up" all the way to the dime store. But what Steve lacked in body, he more than made up for in mind and heart.
Bucky was always more brawn until it came to us, his friends. He, too, was smart and kind but with a short temper. He mostly liked to muscle his way out of situations. He stood at 5'9" and 260 pounds of almost pure muscle. He would let his thick, black hair grow down to just above his steel blue eyes. Always the ladies' man, Bucky easily found his own trouble. More than once, did I have to bail him out, sometimes slightly jealous of the girls that stole his attention.
I never had any problems in the dating department. Always a very pretty girl, Jamie and Steve were constantly "rescuing you" as they called it. My long, silky, dirty blonde hair and curvy body were always catching the eyes of some boy as I walked home from school with Steve and Bucky. I stood, at most, only an inch below Steve but a whole head beneath Bucky. I was always the brains of the group- top of my class from the beginning. I preferred to focus mostly on my schooling and my two best friends.
Mom and Dad were sure that when I saw color, it would surely be with either Steve or Bucky.
At the age of 16, they decided it was time to explain how the whole “soulmate” thing worked.
"Katie Bug, what colors do you see?" Dad asked, sitting back in his armchair. The look of confusion on my face must have amused my mother.
"The same colors I've always seen... just gray, black, and white," I said, shaking my head.
Mom gently took the seat beside me and began to explain, "We weren't sure if you had seen them yet... You see when you meet your soulmate, the one destiny has for you, your world will change."
I couldn't help but laugh, "Are we really going to have "the talk" right now?"
Mom and Dad laughed, shaking their heads. "No," Mom continued, "but what you see will change. The world will change to colors you've never seen before...." She trails off.
Something flickered in the corner of my mind, "Wait... what do you mean you didn't know if I had seen them yet?"
Dad smiled, taking a long draw from his pipe, "Well you do spend a lot of time with those boys."
I rolled your eyes, finally understanding where they were going with this. "Really? Jamie and Steve? The hothead and the skeleton crew? I don't think so... Besides if they were my 'soulmate,' or whatever," I quoted using my fingers, "wouldn't I have already seen colors?"
"Not necessarily," Mom explained, turning to Dad.
He sighed, "People are always growing, always changing. Just because someone isn't your soulmate today, doesn't mean that through life experiences, time, what-have-you; they won't be later." Your father fiddled with his tie, "I didn't see colors with your mother until years after we met and she had started dating someone else."
"Well, still... those 2?" I shook my head laughing, "I don't think you have anything to worry about."
Two short years later... came the draft. Steve, Bucky, and I were sitting together in my living room when we heard the news.
Bucky simply shook his head and stood up, "Well Doll... Steve... I think we all know what that means."
My heart sank as I looked at Steve. Bucky would join the army and I would be sent to help with research and Steve... Steve wouldn't qualify for the draft on his asthma alone.
It came as no surprise when Bucky came to my door in his uniform the next morning. I had to admit; he was very handsome and looked quite sharp. His often messy black hair had been clean cut and washed, his eyes shown above his clean-shaven face. His uniform fit him perfectly, showing his broad shoulders and long legs.
Suddenly, a strange expression crossed his face but vanished almost as quickly.
"Have you told Steve?" I asked almost in a whisper, avoiding his eyes.
He shook his head, "Haven't had time, he's applied in 3 different cities this morning alone."
I couldn’t help but sigh, "Same old Steve. Ready to fight the giant but can't even reach his shoelaces...."
Bucky and I chuckled while he leaned against the doorway with me purposely avoiding his gaze.
"What aren't you telling me, Doll? You won't even look at me,” he said, placing a hand under my chin and raised my face slightly until my eyes met his, “I know you well enough to know when you’re hiding something.”
"I leave tomorrow to go work for the Strategic Scientific Reserve... whatever that is. I got the letter this morning," I explained.
The look of disappointment only rested on his strong face for a moment before being replaced with pride, "Katie, you're going to do great. Might even have this war won before I leave."
Still sensing my worry, Bucky leaned in and hugged me in the way I’d always found comforting. "Meet me this Friday? Stark Expo? Maybe we can talk some sense into Steve?" He said, stepping back onto the porch.
I shook my head, "I can't. The Reserve is in Washington. I'm going to miss you guys... I love y'all."
“And we love you,” he smiled down at me.
"Jamie?" I whispered, tears forming in my eyes.
"Yes, Katie?"
"Who's gonna look out for Steve while we're gone... I may not even get to tell him I'm leaving before he gets back."
The tear finally rolled down my face before Bucky's gentle hand wiped it away.
"I'll tell him, Katie. He'll be alright," he reassured me.
I offered a small smile in agreement, "And who's gonna take care of you?"
He smiled, ignoring my question, and leaned in to kiss my cheek before leaving, "See ya, Doll."
My stomach quickly tied itself in knots... Jamie had never done that before unless trying to make some guy jealous.
The next few months are a blur. I joined forces with another researcher, Peggy. Peggy Carter was the obviously-beautiful type of girl: tall, slim-but-curvy with raven black hair. She had seen colors years ago and was living with her soulmate, Rodger. Since we would be working with all the men that came on the base, that was one of the first conversations we had when I arrived. I, of course, informed her that I hadn’t met my soulmate yet but would tell her the instant I did.
Peggy and I often had the tedious job of keeping the soldiers in line that were brought to the reserve. Being the only 2 women on the base was not all it was cracked up to be. Our jobs were to find the best candidate to create a super soldier. So far, we were less than impressed by our choices. They were either lunk-heads, bullies, or just not someone I would trust with our project. I had stayed so busy, I had very little time to think, let alone write to Bucky or Steve.
We had gone through 6 units with the end nowhere in sight. The new unit would be coming in shortly. As Peggy and I take our position on the field, the new recruits unload off the truck. I stare at the heads of the recruits, noticing a gap, making me to look down at the shoulder level of all the recruits to see the shrunken soldier swimming in his uniform. A soft gasp escapes my lips. I’d know that skeleton anywhere. I have to resist the urge to run and embrace him.
Instead, I lean over to Peggy, "That green uniform does absolutely nothing for that blonde hair." Her eyes widen as Steve comes to a stop in front of us with the other recruits.
The moment his eyes meet mine, his face lights up, "Kate?"