echoes of the past.

[ That's okay. I've been pretty swamped with work. So glad it's the weekend!]

Marie couldn't stop smiling as Bucky lead her over to the ferris wheel. Just the thought of seeing the spectacular view with Bucky while holding his hand was enough to dampen her anxiety about being up so high, at least for now. She was practically bouncing from joy the whole way over to the ride's short line. "Thanks Bucky, I'd appreciate that," Marie said. As she looked up at him it sunk in that such a handsome and kind man was actually interested in her and she felt the need to somewhat voice that. "Thanks for inviting me out on a second date, Bucky. This is really fun," Marie said in a quieter voice, suddenly feeling a bit shy.

---

Steve could hardly believe what was happening. Despite making a total fool of himself in front of a beautiful, kind woman, she was still staying with him and even offering to go on a second date with him. As much as he already wanted to take Suzy out again, the thought of having to ask her was making his insides churn again, which wasn't a welcomed feeling. Steve ran his hand through his fringe, brushing it to the side where it never seemed to stay, and took in a deep breath to try to calm himself. Thinking of what Bucky might do in this situation, Steve came up with his next move. "So was there something you wanted to do next? Something where we keep both feet on the ground?" he asked, offering a light laugh.

[I have so much schoolwork that I neglected to do over spring break so I guess that's what I'll be doing this weekend Also, ignore any typos there might be in my post for the time being...I just got my nails done and got acrylics for the first time in like forever so I'm not used to typing with them yet, haha.]

Suzy smiled. "Well, I noticed a couple of game booths earlier when we first walked in. We could always try some of those? Feet normally stay on the ground for those." She laughed quietly. She could tell that Steve was a lot less comfortable with being forward than some guys were. From what she could tell, he was nearly the exact opposite of his friend. She didn't mind though, she still thought he was a decent guy, and his nervousness was kind of cute actually. She thought it was anyway.

---

"No need to thank me, doll." Bucky told her, sending her a smile of his own. Her smile was practically contagious, and she seemed to be doing a lot of smiling so far today. That was definitely a good sign. She clearly had been having just as great of a time as he was so far, and he was hoping that that would mean a third date and maybe more somewhere in the future. "It was my pleasure, Marie. I should be thanking you for agreeing to go on a second date with me." He chuckled slightly.

[Bummer. So glad homework is a thing of the past for me ]

Marie laughed at Bucky's comment. He should be thanking her? In what world was she a better catch than he was? "Well you're more than welcome," Marie beamed at him as they approached the ride. An assistant guided them to their chair. It was the perfect size for the two of them, as if it was designed for a couple, and Marie scooted a little closer to Bucky. Then the ferris wheel clunked as it began moving them forwards and Marie jumped with fright. As she began to be lifted slowly off the ground, she reached over and took a hold of Bucky's hand, hoping she wasn't crossing a line by being so forward. She need a little bit of comfort.

---

Steve felt himself light up a bit at Suzy's suggestion. Surely he couldn't fail at playing a couple of games with her. "That sounds like fun," he said before heading towards the seemingly endless stalls of games. They all appeared to be fun, judging by the laughter and large smiles of the couples already playing, but none of the games caught Steve's eye in particular. "Is there one you'd like to try first?" he asked the redhead, hoping she would pick an easy one so he could maybe win her a prize.

[I'm such a procrastinator...like I want to cry when I get stuck doing everything in like two days, but it always somehow gets done...]

Suzy could tell that her suggestion had at least put Steve somewhat at ease. She was glad, she didn't want him to feel nervous or uncomfortable around her. "It's settled then." She smiled, starting towards where all the game stalls were. Everyone in the surrounding area seemed to be having a grand old time. They were all laughing and smiling, and just enjoying themselves. "How about the ring toss?"

---

Bucky sent a wide grin her way. He seriously was so glad that she'd agreed to go on this date with him. He was glad that she'd clearly had as good of a time as he had on their first date. He couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed himself that much on a date. He let her climb into the chair first before following suit. The door was soon closed and the ferris wheel came to life, slowly beginning to go up. He sent a reassuring smile Marie's way when she reached over and grabbed his hand. "See? It's not so bad, is it?" He asked her once they were a little way's up.

[Procrastinating is the worst. At least surely you RP when procrastinating and RPs are fun ]

Marie could feel herself tensing despite her best efforts. Her gaze was fixated on the ground below them as it was pulled further and further away from her feet. At least on the Cyclone she was too focused on being thrown around that the height hadn't really bothered her as much, but now that she was on a calm ride all she could think about was how much higher she was going to go. "No, no it's not so bad," Marie agreed before gulping, uncertain if her lie had come out convincingly or not.

---

Steve continued to scan the stalls until Suzy suggested the ring toss. He quickly weighed up the chance he had of failing and decided it was fairly low. "Sure, let's go," Steve nodded before walking over to the stall with her. He mustered up the confidence to speak with the man behind the counter and was then handed two sets of rings. Steve offered one to Suzy and gestured at their targets. "After you," he said, standing aside to let her play the game first.

[That's true! I can't wait for this semester to be over though...so many papers and projects and exams!]

Suzy knew that most people were probably into playing these games to win some sort of a prize, but that wasn't the case with her. She'd suggested it because she figured it would be fun, not because she wanted to win anything. Of course, winning a prize would be nice, but she wouldn't care if she didn't win anything at all. She smiled when he motioned for her to go first. "Alright..." Her lower lip caught between her teeth as she focused on one of the targets before tossing one of the rings. Her face lit up when the ring went around the one of the glass bottles.

---

Bucky had noticed his date tense up a little bit, though he didn't make that fact known. He wasn't the type of person to point something like that out that may or may not embarrass a person. Instead, he liked to make it known that he was there for a person, in this case Marie. He could tell that the growing distance between them and the ground was bothering her though. He gave her hand a light, reassuring squeeze. "Hey, nothing bad's going to happen. I know that it probably seems like something easy for me to say, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you, doll. I promise."

[Yeah it can get really busy and stressful! I've been really busy and tired lately and now I think something's infecting my eye so staring at a computer screen is really difficult, so I might not be that active for a while ]

Marie was staring at the ground as Bucky spoke, trying to reassure herself that it wasn't that much of a distance but failing. They just kept on going higher and higher and Marie did her best to not think too hard about it all so she could enjoy Bucky's company. "I know, I trust you," she replied but then the carriage jolted to a stop and Marie squeaked and gripped Bucky's hand harder. Once she realised it was just so other passengers could get off the ride, Marie relaxed and chuckled at herself for getting scared. "I'm sorry, that just gave me a bit of a fright," she explained, feeling her cheeks turning pink.

---

Steve watched Suzy as she bit her lip when concentrating at the ring toss. It made her look even more cute than she already was and Steve found himself wondering why such a pretty girl was sticking around him instead of finding a man who looked more like Bucky. The thought disappeared from his mind when Suzy managed to throw the ring around one of the bottles, Steve's mouth gaping from surprise. "Wow, well done," he stammered before turning to look at her. "Do you do this often?" Steve asked.

[Oh no! Eye infections are the absolute worst!]

"I used to play baseball with the boys in my apartment building when I was a kid, so I guess you can say that I have pretty good aim." Suzy told him, punctuating her words with a shrug of her shoulders. Growing up, most of her friends had been of the opposite sex. She had one or two girlfriends, but that was really it. When she started working at the diner, she met Marie, and they became close friends that way, but the blonde was one of the only girls she really felt close enough to to call her a friend. She focused her attention on the glass bottles once more before tossing her other ring, grinning when it landed around the bottle for a second time.

---

Bucky didn't dare laugh at her when it was clear that their cart jolting had frightened her. He wasn't the type of person to laugh at another's misfortunes, he wasn't a bully. "You don't have to apologize, doll." He assured her, sending a small smile her way. "I know that you probably don't want to do this, but you should really take a look at the view from up here." They were nearing the top of the Ferris Wheel now, and you could see for miles in each direction. It was quite spectacular.

Marie kept her grip on Bucky's hand tight as she took in a deep breath, reassuring herself that she was going to be okay to take a look at the view. Besides, that was the reason why she had wanted to come up here. Marie looked up and then around at the breathtaking view. Never had she been so high up and seen such a sight. It was truly magnificent and it was calming her down. Marie loosened her grip on Bucky's hand, realising that she was probably making him uncomfortable with how hard she was squeezing, and began smiling and truly enjoying the moment. "This really is beautiful," she remarked in a dazed voice.

---

Steve smiled at the thought of Suzy playing baseball with a team full of men, guessing that she fit in well and probably even had more skills than some of them. Besides, here she was kicking his butt at a simple carnival game. Steve didn't even want to take his turn next; it would be better if they moved onto another game or if Suzy played again as she was surely going to win a big prize. Steve smiled sheepishly as she made another toss. "Pretty good aim? I think you're doing very well. I might have to get you on my baseball team the next time we play," Steve remarked, considering the situation. He'd probably get teased for selecting a girl but then she would beat everyone and put them in their place.

"What? Am I going to be your secret weapon or something?" Suzy asked, her tone light and teasing. So maybe her aim was more than pretty good. She owed to the fact that she'd grown up playing baseball with the boys in the apartment building she'd lived in with her mother, just as she'd told Steve. "Two for two." She grinned, seeing her other ring had landed around the bottle as well. She moved out of the way so that Steve could have a turn. "Alright, see if you can beat that." She grinned.

---

Bucky would never make fun of Marie for being afraid of heights. It was a very common fear, and he never liked making fun of another person's misfortunes. That was just plain mean. That was just being a bully, and Bucky hated bullies. He stole a glance over to his date when he felt her grip on his hand loosen a bit. He was glad that she seemed a bit more relaxed now. "Yeah, it is." He agreed, a smile on his face, though his words weren't directed so much to the view as they were to the beautiful dame in the front of him.

Marie was quite content to stare at the view now but Bucky's soft tone caught her attention. Intrigued, she turned her head and met his gorgeous blue eyes, trying to figure out whether or not there had been a double meaning to his words. Deep down, Marie hoped that that was the case. She adored being in Bucky's presence and she didn't want their date to end.

---

Steve grinned, feeling truly happy inside at the thought of Suzy being his secret weapon. The last thing the other men would expect from him was a beautiful woman to be on his side, as well as his friend. Hell, even his date, if playing baseball would count as a date. "I think you would honestly make the best secret weapon ever," Steve admitted. He then took his turn and only managed to land one shot, but he felt as though that was a complete fluke. "How about something else?" Steve suggested, hoping his cheeks weren't too red from embarrassment.

[I had my response all typed up and then mibba decided to freeze and delete it all ]

"Well, if you're ever in need of a secret weapon, I guess I'm your girl." Suzy grinned, punctuating her words with a slight shrug of her shoulders. She wouldn't mind being his secret weapon, or his date for that matter. She was his date right now, and she certainly didn't mind it. She didn't care about Steve's appearance. Sure, he was much smaller than most of the other guys she had dated in the past, but he had a good heart and, in her books, that was what really mattered. "Alright, you can choose this time." She smiled.

---

Bucky wondered if she realized what he was referring too. Sure, the view was nice from up there, but he was more concerned about the view right in front of him. He was quite smitten with Marie already, even though they had only been on two dates so far. It kind of felt like it had been more than that. He was glad to be given the opportunity to take her on that second date. When their eyes locked, he reached up, with the hand that wasn't already clasped in hers, and cupped her face gently.

[ Good one, Mibba ]

Marie's heart skipped a beat when Bucky's hand rose to her face. Being this close, him making that move... it only meant one thing to her, and she wanted it to happen too. Marie leaned in a little, not wanting to be the one to press her lips against his first in case he thought she was unladylike. She could hardly breathe and her stomach was full of butterflies.

---

Steve could hardly believe his luck. Had some of Bucky's charm finally rubbed off onto him so he could impress Suzy? "Well would you be interested in playing baseball with me? We usually have a game every second weekend," Steve suggested, sort of expecting to be turned down. It wasn't as though he had ever invited a girl out to play a sport with him before, but he was used to women always politely turning him down, and some less politely. But then again, he held some hope that Suzy would say yes. "How about the milk bottle game? You could show me just how well you throw a ball," Steve suggested with a gesture towards another stall.

[I hate when it gets all glitchy... So, I just got back from seeing AOU again, and I'm such literal Pietro Maximoff trash that it's not even funny ]

Suzy smiled. "I might have to check my calendar...I'm a pretty busy person." Her tone was light and teasing, a soft laugh escaping her lips moments later. "I would love to, Steve." There was just something about Steve that she really liked. He seemed to have a really good heart, and he was sweet and genuine. She liked that a lot, and she was glad that Marie had convinced her to tag along today. "I throw a mean curveball." Without thinking twice about it, she grabbed his hand and started over towards the stall.

---

Bucky had leaned in a little bit, though he paused, just to be sure that this was something that Marie was okay with and something that she wanted. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable or make things awkward for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Things were going great, and he didn't want to ruin them now. When he noticed her lean in a little bit too, he had his answer. Smiling, he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips against hers softly.

[Me too, but we just have to deal with it That's awesome Was it better the second time around?]

Marie felt like everything was falling into place when Bucky leaned in further. She could hardly believe her luck that she had found a man like him and that he liked her this much. Marie enjoyed the soft touch of his lips against hers for as long as possible, wishing they didn't have to pull apart, but she still did and grinned widely, unable to hide how happy he had made her.

---

Steve's stomach dropped when Suzy said she was busy, automatically assuming the worst, but he was relieved to hear her quickly counter it with a laugh and agree to another date. He had actually found a lovely girl who enjoyed his company as well, and it made Steve feel all kinds of good on the inside. Those feelings, ones he had never experienced before, doubled when Suzy took his hand. Steve just smiled shyly and tagged along to the next game, lost in his own world of happiness as his eyes flicked between Suzy and their entwined hands.

[Yeah, I guess so, haha. And it was! Equally as painful when Pietro died though ]

Steve was great. Suzy was so glad that Marie had convinced her tag along today. Sure, maybe he was smaller than most guys she'd dated in the past, but he clearly had a good heart. She could tell that there were a lot of people who couldn't see past his outer appearance, and that saddened her greatly. This was a guy who seemed like he had a heart of gold, and there were just too many shallow people out there who didn't even take some time to get to know him. Suzy wasn't like that though. She took the time to get to know a person before making even the slightest judgement. Sending a soft smile his way, she led the way over to the next game booth.

---

Bucky felt like the luckiest man in all of New York right about now. He'd managed to find a beautiful girl with an amazing personality and sense of humor who happened to like him a lot too. The best part though, was that she had a great friend who seemed to have taken a liking to Steve. Bucky knew that setting his friend up on all of these dates was kind of getting old, but he just wanted to see his friend happy. Maybe now he would. For right now though, his attention was focused on the gorgeous blonde he had just kissed. "I've wanted to do that since I picked you up at your apartment earlier." He said, running his thumb lightly over her cheek.

[Bummer. You'd hope the blow would have been softened ]

Marie couldn't hold back her grin at the thought of Bucky wanting to kiss her all throughout this date. In a way she was glad that he had waited until now though, because a first kiss on a ferris wheel was far more unique and romantic than one in the doorway of an apartment. "Well I'm glad you waited because this is perfect," Marie said softly, staring into his eyes and enjoying his touch on her. Marie felt like Bucky was already luring her in for another kiss but she was more than happy to oblige. She had found a wonderful man.

---

Steve really couldn't focus on anything else aside from Suzy's hand in his. It just felt so nice and comforting to him, but then he briefly panicked about whether or not he was doing it right. He hadn't really impressed a lady this much before, so how we he know? But then Steve reassured himself when he saw her smile and sunk back into his feelings of joy and hoping that their date would never end. He was more than happy to walk around to every game stall with her and watch her play and win prizes.

[It doesn't ]

"They did tell us to meet them here, right?" Suzy asked Marie as she glanced around the small diner. It was a few weeks after she'd gone on that first date at Coney Island with Steve, and they'd gone on several dates since then. They were, by no means, going steady or anything like that, but things were definitely getting serious. She was happy though. Steve was a great guy, and she really liked him. She and Marie were meeting up with the boys at the diner for some egg creams. Apparently they both had news to tell them. "I wonder what they have to tell us..."

---

Bucky wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders as they walked down the street towards the diner. He could tell that Steve was upset, though, personally, Bucky was kind of glad that they'd turned down his friend's enlistment. The war was no place for his friend. He was better off staying back here in New York. "Look at it this way, Steve, now you won't have to be away from Suzy. The doll's crazy about you, she'd be upset if you were shipped off to another country to fight this war." He said, hoping to make his friend feel better.

Marie was watching people walk by the diner, but hadn't spot their dates by the time Suzy spoke. Marie looked to the clock and gave a dismissive shrug, guessing that Suzy was just anxious to see Steve again. "They're not that late, I'm sure they're on their way," she reassured her friend. "I have no idea... What do you think?" she added. Marie could only hope that the news Bucky was bringing was something good. After all of the time they had spent together lately, she was only falling more head over heels with him, and she knew she was lucky to be the girl who was receiving all of his attention. Marie could only hope their relationship was going to continue, because she was incredibly happy with Bucky.

---

Steve almost didn't want to see Suzy when he was in this mental state. His heart had been crushed by the army when they had deemed him unfit to enlist. All he wanted to do was serve his country and fight for what was right, but he couldn't. How could a man possibly be told he wasn't good enough to do that? Steve was more brokenhearted about being rejected to be a soldier than he had ever been about a girl rejecting him. "I know, I know," Steve sighed at Bucky. "But if I'm unfit to be a soldier, how am I going to be good enough to be her man?" Steve grumbled, hoping that seeing Suzy was going to brighten his spirits.

Suzy shrugged her shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine." She said. She knew that Marie was right, the boys weren't that late, and there was probably a logical explanation for their lack in punctuality. She couldn't help worrying even slightly about it though. Steve was never late, and she assumed that Bucky wasn't either. "Steve made it seem like it was something big." She honestly didn't know what the news could be.

---

Bucky frowned. "Steve..." He started. He didn't like when his friend started talking like that and put himself down. "Suzy likes you a lot. I can see it, Marie can see it, I'm pretty sure everyone in this damn city can see it. She doesn't care about stuff like that. She likes you for you, whether you're fit to be a soldier not." He could tell that this was really bothering his skinny friend. He hoped that seeing the redhead that seemed to be the object of his affections would make Steve feel a bit better. "C'mon, quit sulkin'. We have two beautiful dolls waiting for us in that diner."