echoes of the past.

Suzy followed the others out of the apartment building, waiting on the sidewalk as Bucky hailed them all a cab. She glanced over to Steve when he spoke. "Marie didn't really tell me much about you either." She told him. Granted, it didn't seem like Marie had know much about him to tell her, but that was besides the point. "I'm a waitress at the same diner as Marie, that's how we know each other, and I'm actually originally from Toms River, it's in Jersey. I moved here with my mom when I was a kid." She explained moments before Bucky managed to successfully hail them all the cab. She followed suit and climbed on in.

---

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Bucky told her with a smile as he led her out of the apartment building, holding the door open for her like the true gentleman that he was. He walked over to the edge of the sidewalk and threw his arm out so that he could catch the attention of one of the cabbies driving by. It didn't take him very long to do so, and a cab was pulling up to the side of street moments later. "Ladies first." He said, sending a charming smile Marie's way as he opened the back door for her. Once everyone was inside, he told the cabbie where they were going. About twenty or so minutes and some small talk later, he was fishing some money out of his wallet to pay the guy, being sure to give a little extra for the tip before they all got out of the car. "You girls are definitely in for a treat today." He said as they all walked over to the ticket booth.

During the car ride to Coney Island, Marie couldn't stop thinking about what Bucky had said. She already knew that she wouldn't mind sharing many of her first times with him, but she tried to not think about that so her cheeks wouldn't flush and she could contribute to their conversations properly. Marie appreciated Bucky's chivalry, opening doors for her and paying for the cab, but as they approached the ticket booth she couldn't help but dig into her handbag for cash to pay for her own ticket. She knew that Bucky was no Howard Stark, so she was more than happy to pay for her ticket. "I'm sure we are! How many times have you been here?" Marie wondered, having only saved enough money herself to visit once but not go on many rides. Her grin hadn't left her face, incredibly excited about exploring Coney Island with her friends.

---

Steve got out of the cab last and trailed behind the other three for a few moments as he tried to process what was happening. His best friend had actually managed to set him up with a beautiful woman who was actually interested in talking to him. The ride hadn't been as awkward as he had expected, and Suzy was giving him information about herself, something most women were reluctant to talk about. Even more optimistic than earlier, Steve forced himself to catch up to Suzy and he gave her a small smile as they neared the ticket booth. "I'll pay for your ticket," Steve offered as he pulled out his wallet, his voice rather quiet because of how nervous he was.

Suzy was actually already kind of enjoying herself. Maybe it was because she hadn't exactly set the bar very high after how the other dates Marie had set her up on had ended, she didn't really know for sure though, but that at least definitely had something to do with it. Steve seemed like a decent guy so far, and she found him easy to talk to. Once they arrived at Coney Island, she followed the others out of the cab and towards the ticket booth. She glanced over, smiling when Steve caught up to them. She was somewhat surprised when he offered to pay for her ticket. "Oh no, you really don't have to do that..." She said. She didn't want him to feel obligated to pay for her ticket or anything, no one was really made of money in this day and age unless they were Howard Stark, but the gesture was a sweet one nonetheless.

---

"Steve and I try to come a couple of times a year." Bucky explained to Marie as they neared the ticket booth. He would like to come more often, he always had a good time here at Coney Island, but he wasn't made of money, and the tickets to get in weren't exactly the cheapest. He supposed that he wouldn't enjoy it as much as he seemed to every single time if he went more often though, so maybe things were better off the way that they were. "I've got your ticket." He told her once they got on the line to buy tickets. He'd asked her out on this date after all, and what kind of a man would he be if he let her pay for anything today, really?

"You're so lucky," Marie gushed, wishing she had managed to save up more money to frequent the place like Bucky did, although she did enjoy spending her small amount of earnings on activities in town too. Besides, at least today was going to be even more fun as she explored the place with Bucky, experiencing rides and games for the first time. Marie smiled as she looked down, pleased that he had offered to pay for her ticket as it proved that he really was a gentleman. "It's all right, Bucky, neither of us are made of money, I can pay for my own," Marie countered sweetly, honestly trying to be polite and not rude. She still hesitated when it came to handing over her money, wondering if Bucky was going to insist that he paid, even though she didn't mind either way.

---

Steve gave a shrug, trying to act casual and cool about it but then realising he hadn't thought the whole situation through yet. He didn't know how to come across as a confident man like Bucky did, which wasn't going to help convince Suzy that he should be paying for their date. "No, it's all right, it's the least I can do," Steve insisted, adding in his mind that she deserved the ticket to be free since she was being forced to tag along with him for the day. Surely Suzy would rather be spending her time with someone else. Steve tried to shake that thought from his head as he handed over the money and received two tickets in return, smiling at Suzy and gesturing for her to lead the way to whatever activity she wanted to do first.

Suzy smiled. "Alright, if you're sure..." She said. She really did think that it was a sweet gesture, and if he was insisting on paying, she wasn't going to argue with him. She watched as he paid for both of their tickets. He really did seem like a decent guy. If he wasn't, he probably wouldn't have even offered to pay for her ticket, but he had, and that was just a really good sign. Suzy thought so anyway. She walked through, wondering what they should go on first. There was so much to do. "The line for the Cyclone doesn't seem so bad right now..." She'd heard Bucky and Marie talking about it on the cab ride over.

---

Bucky smiled. "Because I've been here a couple of times, or because I'm here with a doll like you?" He asked. "Personally, I'd say it's the latter of the two." Maybe he was laying on the charm a little thick right now, but he couldn't really help it. He liked Marie a lot, and he was kind of known as a bit of a smooth talker. He definitely knew how to talk to women, something that Steve wasn't so great with most of the time. "I insist." He told her, sending a smile her way before he turned and paid the guy for both of their tickets. "Looks like those two are headed towards the Cyclone, did you want to go on too?"

Marie laughed at Bucky's compliment. Sure it wasn't the most original comment, but he had said it so smoothly and genuinely it was making her heart flutter. Marie realised that she was truly the lucky one, at Coney Island on a date with Bucky, but she decided to keep that to herself. "You are too sweet," she decided to say instead, not trying to hide her big smile from the compliment. Marie tucked away her money back into her handbag, promising herself that she was going to spend it on the next date she went on with Bucky. Assuming he wanted to go on another date with her, of course. She thanked him for paying for her ticket and then followed Bucky's gaze to spot Suzy and Steve, smiling at how they were standing kind of close to each other. "I would love to! Come on!" Marie exclaimed, grabbing Bucky's hand and pulling him forwards so they could catch up to the other two and ride the Cyclone as a group.

---

Steve realised that the smile on his face wasn't fading. Paying for Suzy's ticket had actually made him feel good about himself after seeing the way she had reacted. And now she wasn't straying from him as he had expected, either by sticking to Marie's side or finding another man to spend her day with. Steve made a motion to stand a little closer to Suzy as he looked around the busy area, his gaze settling on the line to the Cyclone when Suzy mentioned it. His stomach dropped as he looked up at the impressive structure, wishing she hadn't suggested it. It looked terrifying, but he couldn't let his date know that. Determined to impress her and be more brave, Steve nodded. "Yeah, let's try that one first," he agreed, hoping he wouldn't regret his decision later.

Suzy smiled. "Alright, lets get on the line before it starts getting long." She said. She was honestly kind of glad that she'd agreed to let Marie drag her on this date with her. While she hadn't exactly gotten to know Steve just yet, she was normally a pretty good judge of character, and she could kind of just tell that he was a good person. She wasn't the type of person who judged a book by it's cover, she liked to get to know who they were, and so far, he'd been nothing but kind and was even a gentleman and paid for her ticket, that was really big in her eyes.

---

Bucky smiled widely when he heard her laugh. He was glad that she found him funny, and that she hadn't taken his comment the wrong way or anything. Some girls didn't like when he got all flirty, most of them did, but some just didn't like the forwardness. That didn't really seem to be a problem with Marie though, and he was glad. He chuckled slightly when she grabbed his hand and tugged him along so that they could catch up with Steve and Suzy. "Starting off big, are we?" He asked as he and Marie got on line right behind their friends.

Marie gazed up at the Cyclone ride, watching a carriage full of people whizz past as they cried out with joy. She couldn't wait to be up there too, to feel the wind rushing past her and laughing alongside Bucky. Marie ran a hand through her hair, hoping it wouldn't get too messy from the ride and she would still look pretty enough for the rest of the date. Marie looked back down and smiled at Suzy, hoping she wasn't bored with Steve, but then it sunk in how far she had to tilt her head just to look back to a normal level. Her eyes shot back upwards and Marie realised just how high the Cyclone was going to take her. She leaned in a little towards Bucky. "You might have to hold my hand on the ride. It's higher than I thought, I might get scared," she commented, hoping Bucky would take the opportunity to be closer to her.

---

Steve followed Suzy into the line of the Cyclone, his anxiety only getting worse as he watched a carriage fly past carrying a bunch of screaming people. He couldn't tell if they were shouting out of fear or excitement, and it worried him that he would be one to cry with terror and embarrass himself in front of Suzy. He didn't want to do that, in fact, Steve was quite fond of the idea of impressing Suzy. Now he was wishing he had asked Bucky for some advice before the date. At the sound of Bucky's voice, Steve turned around to see that the other two had caught up to them. He gulped at Bucky's remark, the reminder that the ride was full of large twists and dips only making him more nervous. "Yeah, may as well get it over with," Steve replied with a short nervous laugh, stepping forwards as the line got shorter.

Suzy was excited. She and Marie never really had the opportunity to come to Coney Island, money was tight in this day and age and it was rare that either of them had a day off on a nice enough day to go anyway. And she was already having a good time today. The day was still pretty young, and she didn't know Steve very well just yet, but he definitely seemed like a nice guy, and she was honestly glad that she allowed Marie to convince her to tag along. "We're next!" She said, grinning slightly as the next group got on, leaving them at the very front of the line.

---

Bucky glanced down at her, grinning slightly. "I'll protect you, doll. You have nothing to worry about at all." He assured her. He certainly didn't mind that she'd moved a bit closer to him now, and he definitely wouldn't mind having her close to him on the ride. Really, he was sort of dumb if he didn't seize that opportunity. He glanced over to Steve when he spoke. He could tell that his friend was nervous, but he didn't want to call him out on it or anything and embarrass him in front of Suzy. He just wanted his friend to have a good time today, and so far that seemed to be the case. He definitely didn't want to ruin that.

Marie smiled at Bucky's comment. His offering to protect her was sweet, and Marie had a feeling that Bucky was the kind of guy who would not only be able to, but want to, protect her from other things in life too. As the line shortened and then they were allowed through, Marie found herself feeling a little anxious, though she thought it was mostly from the excitement of finally getting to ride the Cyclone. Uncertain of what to expect, she stuck by Bucky's side as they approached the train.

---

Steve unwillingly fell quiet as he waited in the shrinking line for the ride. He was trying his best to look normal in front of Suzy, like a real man that she could possibly date, and getting nervous and fidgeting wasn't going to help his cause. He had to tackle this silly ride like a man. Steve gave his best smile to Suzy when she mentioned they were next, and then focused on trying to calm his tossing nerves. He wasn't successful by the time they were ushered through and given a seat in the first carriage. Steve slid in first and hoped that Suzy would not only want to sit with him, but would sit a little closer than normal. He felt like Suzy was the only thing that was going to get him through the Cyclone's twisting ride.

Suzy wasn't a very judgmental person. She knew that a lot of people were closed minded, but she liked to think that she wasn't one of them. Steve seemed like a decent guy and, sure he was smaller than most guys were, but so what? That was no reason not to like or be interested in him. He'd done nothing that would make her want to do that, and she was having a good time today, so far, and she hoped that things continued as such. She grinned when it was their turn to get onto the ride, making her way up to the first carriage with Steve. She slid in after him, not minding so much that they were fairly close to each other at all.

---

"Come on, doll." Bucky led her up to the second carriage, allowing her to slide in first. Once she had, he followed suit. "You're going to love this one." He told her. "And like I said before, if you get scared, I'll protect you." He sent a charming smile her way. He had no problem protecting her and giving her some moral support if she got scared or anxious while they were on the ride. It was a great opportunity for him actually. He supposed he was in her good graces, and that she liked him, if she even wanted him to protect her and hold her hand and stuff like that. He hoped for that to still be the case after today as well.

Steve gave Suzy a tiny smile as she took the seat next to him, pleased that she had although it made him feel even more nervous. He didn't really know what to expect from the Cyclone, but he hoped he would be able to handle it. The carriage began moving forwards and Steve tried his hardest to not grip onto the safety bar for dear life, but he couldn't help it once the ride got to its full speed and began throwing him around the corners. As the ride took them plunging towards the ground, Steve felt his stomach being left up in the air behind them. His grip tightened and he focused on trying to calm himself, clamping his mouth shut until the ride slowed where they had started. Steve pulled the safety bar away and ran towards the trash bin by the queue of people, shoving his head inside and emptying his stomach into it. Feeling better, Steve slowly rose and avoided the shocked stares of the queued people, wondering how he was going to face his date now. There was no chance Suzy was still going to like him after that performance.

---

Marie smiled as Bucky allowed her to sit first, like a true gentleman. Everything about him was so charming and polite, she couldn't help but feel at ease in his presence. "I just hope we don't go too high," she said as the ride began to shift forwards. Once they had gained speed, Marie found herself screaming with joy, just like everyone else on the ride. She laughed at the rush of air and the funny sensations the ride made her body feel, especially when they suddenly started heading downwards. As they pulled in to stop, Marie felt disappointed. She grabbed Bucky's hand and beamed up at him. "You're right, that was fun! Let's go again!" she said before a fast movement caught her eye. Steve was running away from the carriage and then he sunk his head into a trash can. "Oh my..." Marie breathed, pitying him for the embarrassment he had to have been suffering. "Maybe we shouldn't go again..." she said.

Suzy sent Steve a small smile in return. She didn't realize that she'd made him feel more nervous or anything like that, she was sort of oblivious to that kind of thing. For the most part anyway. She honestly didn't know what to expect from the Cyclone either. So many people ranted and raved about it though, so that's why she'd suggested going on it first when she noticed that there wasn't much of a line at all. From what she'd heard, that was a very rare occurrence. She wasn't so sure that she liked being thrown around or anything like that though. She didn't have any vertigo or motion sickness problems, but being thrown around like that, well, she supposed it just wasn't her thing. She turned to say something to Steve once the ride had stopped, frowning though when he bolted from the carriage and over to the nearest trash can. She wasn't upset, she just felt bad. Hearing Marie, she looked over to her friend and her date. Clearly they'd had a much better time on the ride. "You two can go again if you'd like. I've got this covered." She told them before making her way over to where Steve was currently emptying the contents of his stomach, a concerned expression on her face. "Are you alright? Wait, that was a really stupid question...you're obviously not...you could have said something if you weren't sure about the ride, you know." She stopped herself, realizing that she was rambling.

---

"Don't tell me you're scared of heights." Bucky said, chuckling slightly. "It doesn't go too high though, so I don't think that'd be much of a problem if you were." He was known for being a bit of a charmer and just a ladies man in general. Talking to women came easily to him, unlike Steve, he just always seemed to know when to say what and how to say it too. It all sort of just came naturally for him. As the ride started, he looked over to his date, sending a smile her way. "Feel free to hold onto me if you get scared." He told her. That didn't seem to be necessary though. He could easily tell that she was having just as much fun as he and pretty much everyone else on the ride was having. "I had a feeling you'd like it." He got out of the carriage, waiting for her. He turned to see if Steve and Suzy wanted to go a second time, frowning when he saw his friend rush over to the nearest trash can. He was about to agree with Marie and say that it wasn't the best idea, when Suzy assured them both that she'd take care of Steve and they could go again if they wanted to. "Did you want to go a second time or go on something else?" He asked Marie.

Marie remained in her seat, just staring at Steve in shock. She felt so sorry for him and couldn't even begin to imagine how embarrassed he must be feeling. But at least Suzy was being considerate towards him. Not like she expected anything less of her, but she felt like it was just what Steve probably needed right now to make him feel better. Eventually Marie turned her attention back to Bucky, who was still being such a kind gentleman towards her. She smiled at him, despite having had her mood dampened by Steve's misfortune. "I wouldn't mind going again, if you think Steve will be okay," Marie said, uncertain if it was rude to leave Steve in such a state. But she did want to try the Cyclone again, and actually remember to hold Bucky's hand this time so she could be closer to him.

---

Steve was really surprised to hear Suzy talking to him. If anything, he had expected Bucky's comfort, not support from a girl he met an hour ago. It only made him feel even worse that he had thrown up. He had been trying to impress her and now he was probably going to have the acidic odour of vomit hanging around him for the rest of the date, if Suzy decided to stick around. Realising he couldn't hide anywhere and had to face his date, Steve sheepishly turned around and gave a weak smile to Suzy to try to show her that he was okay now. "I'm feeling better now. I could do with some water," Steve replied, no longer finding any point in trying to act more manly for her. She had already seen him at his worse now. "You wanted to go on the ride so of course I had to accompany you, you're my date," he reasoned quietly, wondering why Suzy hadn't just deserted him already.

Suzy offered him a small smile. "Lets go get you some water then." She said. She had no intention of deserting him or anything like that. She wasn't about to make a big deal out of nothing. This was probably embarrassing enough for Steve as it was, and she certainly didn't want to make matters worse. Sure, they'd literally just met an hour ago, but that didn't mean she was going to be an inconsiderate jerk towards him or anything like that. He'd been nothing but nice to her, and he really did seem like a decent guy, and she wasn't about to make a mountain out of an ant hill. "We could have gone on something else." She told him. "I wouldn't have minded."

---

"Honestly, I think he'd rather not have all of us go over there and check on him." Bucky told her. Bucky had always been there to take care of Steve, but something told him that his friend was already embarrassed enough as it was, and it looked like he was doing alright. "I think your friend's doing a better job than I would actually." He chuckled softly, as his gaze shifted back from where the redhead was talking to his friend and over to his date. "We can meet up with them again in a little while if you'd like."

Suzy offered him a small smile. "Lets go get you some water then." She said. She had no intention of deserting him or anything like that. She wasn't about to make a big deal out of nothing. This was probably embarrassing enough for Steve as it was, and she certainly didn't want to make matters worse. Sure, they'd literally just met an hour ago, but that didn't mean she was going to be an inconsiderate jerk towards him or anything like that. He'd been nothing but nice to her, and he really did seem like a decent guy, and she wasn't about to make a mountain out of an ant hill. "We could have gone on something else." She told him. "I wouldn't have minded."

---

"Honestly, I think he'd rather not have all of us go over there and check on him." Bucky told her. Bucky had always been there to take care of Steve, but something told him that his friend was already embarrassed enough as it was, and it looked like he was doing alright. "I think your friend's doing a better job than I would actually." He chuckled softly, as his gaze shifted back from where the redhead was talking to his friend and over to his date. "We can meet up with them again in a little while if you'd like."

Marie took another look at Steve and Suzy to reassure herself that they were fine together and didn't need her or Bucky's help. "It looks like they're okay," she said with a nod, agreeing with Bucky. "How about you take me on some more rides, since they won't be going on any more, and then we go and find them to play some games together?" Marie suggested. She didn't want Steve's accident to dampen the mood and ruin their day. The least they could do was cheer him up and still have some fun, especially since it was such a rare thing for the two girls to go to Coney Island. All Marie wanted to do was spend the whole day smiling with Bucky.

---

Steve sheepishly smiled back at Suzy. He hadn't expected her to offer to stay with him after such an embarrassing event, and yet here she was, being kind and wanting to get him some help. "I think I, uh, saw a drinking fountain on our way here. Maybe we could go there?" Steve suggested as he began walking. He really needed to put something back into his stomach to help it settle down, and water seemed like a good plain option that his body shouldn't reject. He kept his gaze low as he shuffled past the people still in the line for the Cyclone. "Really? I'm sorry then, I should have said something, and now I've probably ruined your day," Steve said, wishing he hadn't said it the second the words came out of his mouth. He hadn't intended on making himself look weak, he just wanted to apologise to Suzy.

Suzy wasn't like a lot of people out there. She wasn't so quick to judge like so many of them were, and she liked to think that she has fairly good intuition as well. Steve seemed like a decent guy, and she wasn't about to let something that was incidental ruin their date. Yeah, she was starting to accept the fact that she was enjoying herself, and that she was kind of really glad that she'd agreed to tag along today. "Alright, the water fountain it is." She said, sending him a small smile. "Ruined my day? What makes you think that you ruined my day?" She punctuated her words with a raised eyebrow.

---

Bucky nodded. "Yeah, it does." He said. He was glad that things seemed to be going alright for Steve. He just wanted his friend to meet a nice girl who wasn't going to judge him for his outer appearance. Clearly Suzy didn't seem to be that way at all, something that he was kind of really thankful for. "That sounds good to me." He told her, sending a smile her way. "Were there any other rides you really wanted to go on?"

Marie paused and thought hard about what else she had really wanted to do at Coney Island. There were so many different rides and activities, she was beginning to wonder if they would have enough time in their day to do them all. Her face lit up at the thought of one particular ride she had seen a flyer for. "Oh, what about the ferris wheel? I heard the view is absolutely beautiful," Marie suggested with a hopeful smile. Although she was concerned the ride would take her too far up above the ground for her liking, Marie knew that Bucky would comfort her and that she would be safe.

---

Steve got the water fountain in his sights and felt himself relaxing. He couldn't wait to have something to help settle his stomach so he could continue the date, since Suzy was apparently interested in staying with him for the rest of the day. "Because I threw up in front of you, after being on a date with you for such a short time... It's not the best way to make an impression on a doll," Steve explained before taking a nice long drink. The cool water cleansed the vomit from his body and produced a calming sensation in his stomach, just what he had wanted and needed.

[Sorry for the delay...I've been binge watching The Flash, and that's the only excuse I have...]

Suzy shrugged her shoulders. "It's not a big deal, honestly. And it's not your fault that you got sick. I'm not going to base my feelings on our date off of something that was incidental." She told him, a small smile gracing her lips. She wasn't about to hail a cab and go back home or anything like that. She was going to spend the rest of the afternoon with Steve and enjoy herself without letting any minor setbacks get in the way of that happening. "If you're really worried about it, you'll just have to make it up to me another time." She smiled at him.

---

Bucky loved seeing her face light up the way that it just had. Really, he just loved seeing her smile. It brightened up her entire face and made her look even more gorgeous. "If you want to go on the Ferris Wheel, we'll go on the Ferris Wheel." He told her, smiling as he led her in its general direction. "And if you're still worried about heights, don't worry. I'll be there to hold your hand." He added, almost as though he could sense her worrying about it.