Give Up Your Heart Left Broken

Aubree laughed softly. "It's fine, honestly." She assured him. It really didn't bother her anymore. She'd just been in a pissy mood earlier. If she hadn't been, it probably wouldn't have bothered her nearly as much as it did. "And I wasn't going to take no for answer." She smiled. She really couldn't believe that he'd planned on walking. And on the highway at that. "I don't need any right now, but I'm might take you up on that offer later on. I have all my stuff in my car, so just get yours from your room and we can head out."

---

Steve nodded. "When was the last time you saw them?" He asked her curiously. He could see why it would be tough, not getting to see her family all that often. He was sure that she wasn't the only one here in the city who didn't get to see their family much. "My story? I'm actually from Brooklyn. I served in the army, and came back two years ago." He wasn't technically lying. He just left out a few minor details...yeah, minor. Could anyone really blame him though? She hadn't mentioned anything yet, so he wasn't so sure if he wanted her to know just yet.

James nodded, "if you're sure, ha ha you weren't going to take no, I wonder how that would have gone" he thought about that for a moment, James wasn't sure how much he would walk for if he did decide to walk, it's easier to stay low that way. James stood up and grabbed his bag, "all right, I brought mine here with me, I don't have a lot of stuff," he really didn't need anything just necessities like clothes, shoes, that sort of thing. He smiled at her "when you're ready, I'm in no hurry"

Evelyn thought about it for a minute, "it's been almost a year, too long I think, I'm planning on seeing them soon" she nodded then looked back when he started talking. Evelyn nodded as she listened to Steve, "Oh okay, that's really cool. Do you ever think about going back?" she wondered where they were going, it seemed they were walking in circles. Which she didn't mind she just enjoyed his company, "so, what do enjoy doing? like outside of work? like for me personally I love art so I paint quite a bit"

"I've been told that I'm a very stubborn person, so I would have gotten you to agree eventually." Aubree told him with a slight grin. She wasn't afraid to admit that she was a stubborn person. She knew that she was, and she knew that some people thought that she was a pain in the ass sometimes because of it, but it was just who she was. "Alright, well, we can head out now then, I guess." She hadn't had much stuff with her either. She never traveled with a crazy amount of things. She didn't have many personal belongings. Only a few. "Come on. My car's just over there." She started off down the sidewalk to where she had parked a few hours before.

---

Steve nodded. "So you don't get to see them very often I'm assuming?" He asked her curiously. He hoped that she didn't think that he was asking too many questions. He just wanted to get to know her a bit better. Wasn't that the point of talking and spending time with them? You got to know them better with more time that passed? "I've thought about it. I don't know if I would go back or not though." He told her honestly. Things were just different now. And the war that he had fought in ended decades ago while he was still asleep. He left that part out though. "I dabble with drawing sometimes. I'm not really that good. And, since coming back home, I've sort of just been catching up on everything that I missed while I was gone."

James chuckled, "you don't say? Well if it makes you feel any better, they say the same about me, I'd like to say I'm more persistent than stubborn" James could see that she was rather stubborn but only because she wanted to do things on her own. James followed Aubree out to her car with two bags in his hand, "I promise I'm not a psycho" he joked as they walked together, like he would try to do anything to the girl. She was far too nice and she could kick anyone's ass if they tried something. At least that's the vibe he got from her, "any ideas on where we're headed then?"

Evelyn shook her head, "no, once or twice a year if I'm lucky, which is Thanksgiving and Christmas but other than that I'm working every day" she smiled softly. "I don't mind though, I like helping children, people in general but I love kids, sometimes I volunteer at animal shelters, I'd like to play with the animals" Evelyn hadn't opened up to a guy like this in ages and it was nice, not just letting them talk. "Oh, where have you been stationed at?" Evelyn felt comfortable with Steve, something about him made her feel safe and like she could trust him with her life, she wasn't sure what but it was something.

"That's exactly what a psycho would say and what they would want me to believe." Aubree teased, letting out a soft laugh soon after. She knew that he wasn't some psycho. He didn't exactly give off the psychotic sort of vibe. Not in the slightest. And she honestly didn't think that she had much to worry about. She didn't think that he was going to hurt her, although she was sure that she would have been able to hold her own if something were to happen. There was a lot more to her than the eye could see. "Not in the slightest." She grinned, walking over to her car and getting in, starting it up.

---

"I think that that's good and bad." Steve told her honestly. "Bad because you hardly ever get to see your family, but good because it really makes you cherish the time you have with them when you do get to see them." He was assuming that that was how it worked anyway. She seemed like she really liked being with her family whenever she got the chance to. He had lost both of his parents within a few years. After that, Bucky was pretty much the closest thing to family that he had. And he'd thought that he'd lost him too. "When did you realize that this was something you wanted to do?" He asked her curiously, glancing over to her as he walked. "I was in Europe for a while..." He knew that his answer was sort of vague, and he hoped that she wouldn't dwell too much on that fact.

James laughed and shook his head, "you're right, then I am one" he teased right back. He knew that if he tried something Aubree would kick his ass, not that he would try anything, James wasn't that kind of guy. He was a flirt but he wasn't sleezy. James put his bags in the back of the car and got into the passenger seat after shutting the door and smiled, "wherever the road takes us I suppose that sounds good" he yawned softly, "if you want I can drive when you don't feel like, seems fair since you're giving me a ride and all"

Evelyn nodded in agreement, "True, I hope I get to see them more this year," Evelyn sighed softly as they continued walking and she did notice that he didn't talk very much about himself, most of the attention was on her. She didn't mind but it was a little strange, "I think it was my senior year of high school, I lost my best friend to cancer, and I told myself I would help people that I wanted to do something she'd be proud of" she nodded, "It seems like my life is filled with a lot of death and sadness, almost as if its out to get me, most people would just give up but I want to keep trying," she bit her lip and smiled softly at him. "Europe sounds fun, I did a year abroad once I believe it was Ireland, I enjoyed it" Evelyn looked at him, "you want to get some ice cream? I really need something cold right"

Aubree laughed. "I knew it." She grinned. She found that talking to James was easy. She was honestly kind of glad that they'd gotten to talking back at the diner. He wasn't anything like she had expected him to be, though that was clearly in the good sort of way or else she probably wouldn't have offered to let him hitch a ride with her. "I couldn't agree more." It wasn't like she had any major leads to go off of right now, and even if she did, she couldn't, and probably wouldn't explain the whole situation to James anyway. Not when she'd only just met him. Although, if she had a lead, she doubted that she would get anywhere with it anyway. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." She smiled.

---

"I'm sure you will." Steve assured her. He didn't know that she definitely would, but if she really missed them as much as she claimed to, he was sure that she would make more time to go visit and be with her family. "I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I'm sure that she's proud of everything that you've done and of the person you've become." He offered her a small smile. He was beginning to find that they had a lot more in common than he had originally thought. All of this brought him back to when Natasha had been asking if there had ever been anyone special and how his response had been something along the lines of finding someone with the same amount of life experience. Sure, what he had gone through and what Evelyn had went through were two completely different things, but there were still some similarities. Small ones, but they were still there. "And that's exactly what you should do. And it's probably what everyone would expect you to do too, but you're clearly proving them wrong already." He admired the strength and determination she clearly possessed. He was sure that there were a lot of people out there who would have given up already. "Only if I'm buying." He grinned. He was going to insist on paying for her ice cream, and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

James smiled at her and closed his eyes, "you read me like a book huh?" he chuckled. Aubree wasn't as cold as he thought she would be the first night he had 'met' her she was different, she must have relaxed around him. Which was nice, he wasn't a bad guy James just did horrible things because he was being brainwashed and every night he would regret everything, he just hoped that this would blow over soon. He was tired of hearing bad news all day every day. James thought for a moment then looked over at Aubree, "so tell me more about you"

Evelyn smiled and nodded, "Oh I intend to see them more this year" Evelyn sighed softly, "it's all right, I'm not going to let that put me down, I'm one of those overly optimistic people" Evelyn continued walking and thought of all the bad incidents that had happened to her. It was awful but she was going to stay strong, for her family. She smiled at him, "I sense that if I say no, you'll buy it for me anyway, am I right?" she giggled. Evelyn did wonder why he was sorta quiet, he didn't really talk about himself much, maybe because he was selfless and wanted to learn more about her, but it was strange that he didn't share much with her.

Aubree laughed. "You're not fooling me." She didn't know why she was so comfortable around him. It normally took her a while to warm up to a person, and she was usually pretty distant, and sometimes even cold, until she did. But she'd only been talking with James for a couple of hours now. And that was about the same amount of time since they'd officially met. It was strange to say the least. "There really isn't much to tell." She told him honestly. "What do you want to know?"

---

"That's good." Steve said, referring to both of her statements. It was good that she planned on seeing her family more this year and that she wasn't going to let people put her down. Both very good things actually. He smiled over at her. "That's exactly what's going to happen." He chuckled. He didn't know if this was a date or not, but regardless of whether or not it was, he was still going to pay for her ice cream. Sure, it didn't cost much, but he wasn't going to let her pay. He would have insisted on paying for her regardless of what it was that she wanted.

James laughed, "I didn't think i was fooling you" he hasn't been this comfortable with anyone in awhile,seventy years to be exact. He looked over at Aubree, "there's always something to say" he grinned and yawned again. He should really sleep for at least a couple of hours. "Anything, whatever you feel comfortable sharing with me, it's obvious you like to travel, any other likes dislikes?" he asked. James was trying to make this trip more interesting and what better way then getting to know Aubree.

Evelyn giggled, "I had a feeling that it might happen" usually most guys these days only paid for their own things so when he offered she was a little surprised but Steve wasn't like the other guys in the city maybe even state. He was genuinely sweet and kind and she liked that about him, as they walked to the nearest ice cream parlor she noticed people staring she felt a little awkward. Evelyn didn't think anything of it, "so, any hobbies?" Evelyn thought about it and to her this felt like a date she wasn't sure about him but she would keep thinking it was, well if it ends with a kiss and I'm not saying it will, but any kiss of any kind, it's a date.

Aubree laughed. "Good." She smiled. Some might say that she'd made a rather reckless and stupid decision in offering to let him hitch a ride with her. She didn't see it that way though. Sure, maybe getting to know him a bit more first would have been ideal, but she wasn't about to let him walk along the highway until he could catch a bus or get a cab or something in another town. And it wasn't like he seemed like a psycho or anything either. "Whatever I feel comfortable sharing with you..." She knew that there were some things that she wasn't willing to share, just things that she didn't really share with anyone regardless of who they were. "I like a lot of things. I've always loved rainstorms. Roller coasters are awesome. I've always enjoyed a good book that constantly keeps me guessing until the very end. I dislike cold weather, people who clearly got their driver's license off the back of a cereal box, and liars. I hate liars."

---

"Well, I'm glad that we're both on the same page here." Steve chuckled. He was sure that some of the things he did, his gestures amongst other things, were seen as a bit old fashioned today, but it was sort of just who he was. It was how he was raised. And he knew that most morals and other things had changed since he'd last been awake nearly seventy years ago, but it wasn't likely that he would mold himself to how society was today. This was who he was, and who he would always be. Once they reached a nearby ice cream parlor, he walked ahead of her a bit so that he could open the door for her. He'd noticed people staring, he hadn't exactly tried to dress like he was incognito or something. He was sort of surprised that no one had come up to him yet, and he wondered if Evelyn had noticed the people staring. "I like to read. Like I mentioned earlier, I draw sometimes though it's mainly just a couple of sketches here and there, and they really aren't that great anyway." He told her.

James wondered why she had let him tag along, she didn't seem like she'd let just any stranger ride with her. Maybe she knew he was harmless, yeah, harmless. Well, now he really was, taking a breather from the real world. This was like a road trip for both, he hoped she didn't feel too weird about it or regret her decision, not that he would argue with Aubree or anything. James enjoyed her company; he listened to what she was saying and nodded, "I don't think I've ever been on a roller coaster not that I remember" he chuckled, seeing how they weren't really invited way back and joining the army, being frozen for the last 70 years. James had missed quite a bit of history, "I have noticed people don't know how to drive" he laughed, "or it seems that way because they don't know how to use their signals," James turned down the window so he could get some air.

Evelyn couldn't help herself but smile, she was all smiles today and it was because of this person she just met. It was weird that someone could turn her life upside down in an instant, she watched him opened the door for her. She never had someone hold the door opened for her, it was a sweet gesture of Steve to do, "well thanks" she smiled as they walked in, avoiding eye contact with the people gazing their way, "oh right, I enjoy indulging myself in reading too," she looked through the glass to see all the flavors. "Hmm...I'm very indecisive when it comes to flavors. I think I'll have a waffle cone with one chocolate scoop, chocolate is my weakness" she laughed. "Well, most girls anyway," Evelyn looked at Steve and beamed, "I should show you some of my artwork, I think it's all right" she suggested.

The thing was, Aubree usually didn't do things like this. She usually didn't offer to let random people hitch rides with her. But something had made her decide to let James. It was strange and kind of out of character for Aubree but she supposed that everyone had their fair share of out of character moments throughout their lives. "You've never been on a roller coaster before? They're great. A complete adrenaline rush." She said. "I seriously don't know how half of them got their licenses. It's terrible." She shook her head in disbelief.

---

Steve smiled. "You're welcome." He said before following her inside. Gestures like that, holding the door open for a woman, were sort of just second nature for him. He didn't think twice about doing things like that. He was sure that some guys nowadays wouldn't even consider doing something like that, but he wasn't most guys. In fact, he was anything but that. "Get whatever you want. Like I said earlier, it's on me." He assured her. "That would be great actually. I would love to see some of your work."

James shook his head "no I haven't always been busy or it never really dawned on me really" he always wanted to ride one though they seemed fun and the adrenaline rush was always great. James shrugged "luck I suppose what else could it be?" He chuckled, James thought for a minute "maybe you and I can take a pit stop and ride some coasters" he suggested laughing a bit. James was used for Hydra for most of his memories and he wanted
To forget everything and what better way than to distract himself with a good time. Alongside a pretty girl of course, Aubree was someone he could really see himself getting along with. Someone he had
Similar interests with.

Evelyn looked at Steve and grinned "you're really sweet, thank you. Just one scoop please" she turned her attention to the cashier."I mostly do landscapes well cityscapes since I live in New York but sometimes I go to beaches or lakes and sit and paint. It's relaxing" she nodded, Evelyn was really enjoying her time with Steve, he was thoughtful and kind and sweet. "Did you want anything?" Evelyn watched the person grab a scoop and place it on the waffle cone. They did notice who was in front of them and smiled widely "you know I've always wanted to meet you, it's a pleasure and an honor" Evelyn turned to look at Steve a little confused.

"Or bribery. I'm sure that some DMV workers will pass a person, regardless of how bad they are at driving, if someone slips them a twenty or something." Aubree said. Some people were just that shallow. Hell, she knew a girl in high school who had worn the shortest possible skirt and lowest cut tank top that she owned the day of her road test and she'd miraculously passed. A week later, she somehow hit a parked car. Clearly she shouldn't have had her license yet. "That could be fun actually." She said, laughing softly. Maybe letting James hitch a ride with her hadn't been a bad idea. Not that she thought it was in the first place, but she was beginning to really think that it had been a good idea. Maybe she just needed someone to distract her from this whole search she'd been going on for the last couple of years. Maybe it would be good for her.

---

"No need to thank me." Steve assured her with a smile. And he really meant what he said. He really didn't think that what he was doing was a big deal. It was just how he'd been raised. Always open the door for a woman. Never let her pay. Just all of those chivalrous things that it seemed most men didn't believe in anymore. "You'll definitely have to show me some of your work sometime." Now he had an excuse to see her again. And he was honestly really glad. He knew that, whenever he spoke to Natasha next, she probably wouldn't believe him when he told her that he'd actually gone out with a pretty girl. She'd been trying to get him a date with various women for a while now, and he'd always claimed that he was too busy or just made up some other sort of an excuse. But now he was beginning to think that this could be good for him. Maybe he needed to talk a step back from looking for Bucky for the time being and just enjoy life. He looked to the girl behind the counter when they spoke, mustering up a small, polite smile. He knew that his cover was essentially blown now, not that he'd been trying to be secretive about his identity anyway. He still didn't know if Evelyn knew who he was or not, though he was guessing, based on the confused expression on her face, that she didn't. "You wouldn't be the first person to say that to me. I'm really nothing special, but thanks anyway." He said modestly, giving his shoulders a slight shrug.

James chuckled, "that would not surprise me one bit, people would do anything with bribery or sex" James always thought people were pathetic to bribe someone for something they could easily get by working hard, people these days were just lazy. He looked at Aubree and smiled, "yeah? maybe we should stop by one of these days, I could really use the fun" he chuckled. He was glad she decided to let him hitch a ride with Aubree. James hummed softly and looked at Aubree, she was sure stunning, "if you get tired of driving you let me know and I'll take over okay?" he wanted to be as helpful as he could be.

Evelyn nodded, "of course, whenever you have free time when we both to actually" she nodded. Evelyn stared with a confused face back from Steve to the girl who seemed flustered now, "I know, but you saved my friends and family and I just wanted to say thank you, anyway, I should get back to why you're here" she laughed nervously, "so what did you need?" the girl asked. Evelyn felt stupid, she should probably know who he was but was more confused than anything. Of course she had been too busy to keep up with the news and when someone tried to talk to her about it, she always had to leave. She grabbed her cone and thanked the girl, leaving her a tip. She looked at Steve, "you're not just a solider are you?" she asked smiling.

"Some people are just that shallow, I guess." Aubree laughed softly. She would never understand what went through people's minds sometimes. She honestly didn't understand people period. So many of them were so shallow and inconsiderate and rude. All a majority of them cared about was themselves. "Maybe we should." She agreed, smiling slightly. She could honestly really use the fun too, and a bit of a distraction. She doubted that the lead that she'd gotten the day before would get her much of anywhere anyway. "Alright, I'll definitely let you know."

---

Steve smiled at her. "Sounds good." He said. So, he still didn't know if this was a date or not, but he definitely had an excuse to see her again. That was a good sign, right? His attention was still sort of focused on the girl behind the counter. He could tell that she was a bit flustered now, though he didn't say anything of it. "In that case, you're welcome." He smiled at her. He always liked hearing that he'd helped someone out. It meant that what he had done hadn't been all for nothing which was honestly how he'd sort of felt when he learned that Hydra hadn't died out like he'd thought it had. He told her what he wanted and paid for both his and Evelyn's ice cream before walking over to an empty table with her. "Not exactly, no..." He said sheepishly.

James nodded, "looks like we're at the shallow end of the pool" he laughed, "sad isn't it? oh well, not everyone is like that, sometimes you have to keep digging until you find that diamond" he shrugged, "cheesy? perhaps but you can't deny that it's true" James often thought about how he missed the forties yet something about the modern world really caught his attention. It wasn't the technology, it was just there was less racism and hatred towards people. I guess where some of the good qualities faded through the years other bad qualities faded as well, he was glad about that. "Where would you like to stop first then?" he asked grinning.

Evelyn smiled brightly at him, "I knew there was something different about you, I mean it's good, when you talked to me yesterday, no one's cared enough about a stranger to talk to them. I mean sure there's quite a few, but most would have just kept walking" she said sadly. "It's sad I know, I tried talking to someone once because they were upset or something and they um.. they told me to go to hell or something along those lines. I was just trying to help, honestly" she shook her head at that disbelief of some people. Evelyn took a seat and bit her lip, "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to or don't feel comfortable, I won't look at you any different. I see you as a good person doing good things for people and I admire and respect that" she told him.

"It is kind of sad, but you're right. Not everyone is like that. They're just few and far between." Aubree said. She knew that there was still people out there who weren't all about appearances and the material items of the world. And she also knew that not all people were shallow and narcissistic, but the ones who weren't just seemed to be a lot harder to find than those who were. "I don't think there's much around here, so we could just head west and go from there." She wasn't sure if they'd be making it to their first stop, wherever that was, today or not. Not that she was in a rush to get anywhere anyway so it didn't really matter to her.

---

"Well, now you know that all people aren't like that." Steve told her with a small smile. He knew that he wasn't exactly most people, and he really hadn't been exaggerating when he told her that the day before, but he was glad that she could see that there was still some hope in people today. "It's not that." He shook his head. "It's just...kind of hard to explain I guess you could say? And it's kind of a long story..." He really didn't know where to begin. He didn't exactly go around telling people his life story. Most people knew about him, and some had even been told stories about him. It was all still kind of strange.

"Sure we could go wherever you'd like," anywhere but New York was fine with him, the farther the better, he knew he would have to see Steve eventually and James wasn't sure if he's prepared for that or how prepared he will be once he sees Steve again. Awkward, weird and more awkward, James wondered why Steve didn't hate him or have some kind of disappointed in him after all that's happened. He tried not to think about it so often, he missed him there was no doubt about that, but he was going to face him after that disaster. Not yet. "So where is the best theme park located?"

Evelyn nodded, "I've always had hope for people" she licked her cone and smiled softly. Evelyn looked at Steve and nodded, "well, I don't know about you, but um I've got all day" she blushed a little. God, you're such a horrible flirt. What was that about? Not only that but people are kind of watching. Stop. Right now just stop. He has stunning eyes though. She bit into her ice cream and looked back up at him, she felt like such an ass, it's been quite awhile since she's embarrassed herself in front of an attractive guy. Evelyn cleared her throat, "well, you don't have to tell me everything, not in one date" damn it. You are just a mess today. Getting all nervous and rambling. Stop he probably thinks you're crazy now.