echoes of the past.

Marie began fiddling with the edge of her skirt as she tried to think of what both the men could possibly have to tell them. Now that Suzy had raised the issue, it was beginning to bug her. Suddenly she gasped and grinned at her friend. "Do you think Steve is going to ask you to go steady? Do you think you'll finally be an official couple?" Marie gushed, incredibly excited about the possibility of that happening for her friend. She wanted nothing more than for the two to be happy, and Marie could see that they made each other very happy.

---

Steve listened to his best friend talk and Bucky's words truly began to lift Steve's spirits. He began thinking to himself that surely if Suzy could like him despite all of his flaws, she would still like him even though he was rejected a position in the army. Maybe not going to war and having a life with Suzy wouldn't be so bad after all... "Yeah, yeah you're right, Buck, sorry. I just want to do right by her," Steve said, crossing his fingers that Suzy wouldn't be disheartened by his failure.

Suzy noticed the sudden change in her friend's demeanor. She mulled over what her friend suggested, her face lighting up at the thought. Is that what this was about? Was Steve really going to ask her to go steady with him? That's when it happened. A flash of a conversation in her mind. It was night time, she was walking down the sidewalk of one of Brooklyn's many streets, hand-in-hand with Steve. She was laughing about something that he had just said when he stopped suddenly, turning to ask her a question. He was visibly nervous, she always thought it was cute when he got nervous. He was asking her to go steady. She, of course, said yes, and then they were kissing. She couldn't help smiling at the thought, because that was what she assumed it was. Her imagination getting the best of her as she pictured Steve actually asking her to go steady. "I don't know...do you think that's what this is about? I mean, I would love to, he's a great guy, but I don't know." The smile remained on her face though.

---

Bucky could tell that his words had lifted his friend's spirits a bit. He knew that Steve was still kind of bummed about this whole thing, but Bucky was sure that Suzy wouldn't care about any of this. She was one of the few girls who seemed to not care about his friend's flaws. She liked Steve for who he was, and not being cut out for the army wasn't likely to change how she saw him. Bucky didn't think so anyway. He would be shocked if he was wrong. "I know, Steve, but Suzy's a great girl. She's not going to care if you were rejected by the army. She likes you for you." He said. "C'mon, we shouldn't keep them waiting any longer." He led his friend across the street to the diner.

Marie grinned as she watched the dazed smile come over her friend's face. It was so nice to see Suzy so happy because she had finally found a great guy amongst all of the crap ones. "I guess not... Why would he ask in front of Bucky and I?" Marie countered. "And what would Bucky's news be then? I don't know," she said with a sigh, hoping that whatever news they were bringing was truly good so the joyous smile would stay on her friend's face.

---

Steve sighed and tried to tell himself to calm down and that Bucky was right. Bucky was always right, especially when it came to woman. Steve didn't know much, so he had to believe that Bucky was right about Suzy. He followed Bucky into he diner and headed straight over to the redhead, a smile crossing his lips the second he spotted her. Everything blurred in his vision aside from Suzy, and Steve took a seat next to her and wrapped his arms around the woman he felt so strongly for already. "Hi, Suzy, how are you?" Steve asked, already feeling an urge to not let go of her.

[Steve being all cute like that just made me think about how he said in TWS that PDA makes people uncomfortable ]

Marie had a good point. That, more than likely, wasn't what Steve's news was going to be. "I guess we're just going to have to wait and see for ourselves." She said, punctuating her words with a shrug of her shoulders. She hoped that the news would be good news. Surely it would be, right? They wouldn't have asked both her and Marie here if it wasn't, or so she thought. She couldn't keep the smile from lighting up her face once more when she felt skinny arms wrap around her. "I'm swell, Steve, how are you?" She turned her head slightly to press a kiss to his cheek, laughing a bit when she saw the lipstick stain she'd left on his cheek which she promptly did her best to rub off with her finger.

---

Bucky was sure that Suzy wouldn't be angry that Steve had been rejected. She didn't seem like that type of person. She liked Steve for Steve, and that was the exact type of girl that he felt like his friend needed. He was happy knowing that, when he received his orders and was shipped off, he'd be leaving his friend here with someone who would probably take even better care of him than he did. And that certainly said something right there. He smiled when he spotted the girls seated in a corner booth, though Steve managed to beat him over to them. He followed, glad to see that Suzy's presence alone seemed to put a smile on his friend's face despite everything. "C'mon now, you two. Enough of that, people eat here." He teased, sliding in next to Marie who was looking gorgeous as ever. "How're you, doll?" He asked, sending a charming smile her way as he slung an arm around her small frame.

[ Well it's a different story when you're in love ]

Marie only managed to give Bucky a quick smile as he approached before her eyes were drawn away from him by Steve and Suzy. They were so adorable together, Steve with his lanky limbs and Suzy trying to rid him of her smeared lipstick, and Marie couldn't help but grin at them. She leaned into Bucky once he wrapped his own arm around her, enjoying the way his body felt against hers. "I'm good, but I really want to hear this good news of yours! What's going on?" Marie said with a smile.

---

Steve's stomach was filled with butterflies from Suzy's positive reaction to his arrival. She was just the sweetest doll he had ever met, and he was glad that she wanted to kiss his cheek in a room full of people. What also surprised Steve was his own willingness to accept such a gesture in public and to want more from Suzy, as though he didn't give a damn about what anyone else thought of him because as long as he had Suzy, he would be okay. He could feel the blush creeping onto his cheeks as Suzy rubbed the lipstick off him. Suzy was very special to him. But she had asked how he was and Steve was lost for words, not wanting to dampen the situation a second after their arrival. "Well..." Steve muttered, looking to Bucky and hoping that he would start the conversation off on a high note for him.

[That's very true ]

Steve was probably one of the best guys that Suzy had ever met. He was sweet and had such a good heart. They'd been on a couple of dates now since Coney Island with Bucky and Marie, some were also double dates and others had just been the two of them. She found more and more things to like about him as time went on. She giggled a bit as she wiped the lipstick from his cheek, smiling as she saw the blush that had crept up his neck to his face. It was cute to say the least. "Sorry." She said before looking between Bucky and Steve at Marie's question. "Yeah, Marie and I were trying to figure out what the news was, but we couldn't come up with anything."

---

All teasing aside, Bucky was happy for Steve. His friend normally shied away from public displays of affection, but that wasn't the case with Suzy. She was clearly a special girl, and with good reason too. He saw the way that Steve looked at her. He had never seen his friend this, well, smitten before. It was kind of sickening but sweet at the same time. "I enlisted, figured it was about time I did something to help with the war effort." He said, a smile on his face. Of course, every able-bodied man in the country was drafted, but some were much less eager to fight for his country than Bucky was.

Marie looked up expectantly at Bucky for his answer, excited to finally hear what had made the men so excited. He was all smiles as he told them that he had enlisted in the war, but Marie could only feel her heart drop right into her stomach and make her feel sick. The shock made her lips part a little as she froze for a moment, trying to process what he was saying. Did he not want to stay here and continue their relationship? Would he rather travel overseas to die? "You what?" Marie breathed, leaning away from Bucky a little as horrid images flashed past her eyes, not just of terrible things happening to Bucky as a soldier, but also of what her life would become after he left.

---

Steve felt a little disappointed when Suzy stopped rubbing his cheek. It was an innocent gesture, but he still enjoyed having her close to him. Thankfully Bucky saved Steve by explaining what they had done and Steve quickly looked to Suzy, feeling the need to impress her like Bucky no doubt was doing for Marie. "I went too," he added so Suzy knew that he at least attempted to enlist. Perhaps she wouldn't view him as a lesser man than Bucky because he had failed, perhaps his try was worth more than he thought. At least that's what Steve told himself because he really hoped that he had a future with Suzy.

The news surprised Suzy. It wasn't what she'd been expecting at all, and she was certain that Marie hadn't been expecting it either. Glancing over to her friend, she could tell that she wasn't exactly taking the news well. Suzy couldn't blame her. She knew Marie, and she assumed that her mind went to the worst case scenario straight away. Glancing over to Steve when he spoke, she was surprised by his words. "You did?" So this was what all of this was about. Both boys had enlisted, or it seemed as though Bucky had, but gauging Steve's expression and behavior, she could only assume that he hadn't been as successful as his friend. Not that she saw that as a bad thing. It didn't bother her one bit. She didn't think that it made Steve any less of a man.

---

Bucky could see the excitement shining in Marie's gorgeous eyes. They were probably one of his favorite things about her, that and her laugh, which, as cliche as it probably sounded, was like music to his ears. But her demeanor seemed to change rather quickly once he told her the news. It wasn't the reaction that he was expecting out of her at all. "I enlisted...I won't be getting my orders just yet, and there's training camp before that, but there are so many guys out there putting their lives on the line, I figured it was about time that I do something for our country." He punctuated his words with a shrug of his shoulders.

Marie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her heart was speeding up and felt like it was going to leap from her chest, her stomach was feeling nauseous, and her head was starting to feel light. And it was all because Bucky was going off to war. Marie could feel the urge to cry build up inside her but she swallowed it down so she didn't make a fool of herself in public. "Well- Can't you do something else? Help out from here?" Marie stammered, trying to convey her feelings but realising that she probably wasn't doing a very good job. She didn't want to be too discouraging to Bucky if it really was his dream, but she didn't want him to be shipped off to die. "I don't want you to leave," Marie said, her forehead creased as she pleaded Bucky to stay with her.

---

Steve began to anxiously fiddle with his fingers. He had to tell Suzy that he didn't make it, he just needed a bit of confidence to say it out loud and accept his failure. Steve lowered his gaze and took in a deep breath to steady himself to admit that he wasn't as much of a man as Bucky was. "I wasn't accepted," he muttered to Suzy before gulping. "But I'm going to go back, I'm going to try again, maybe they'll change their mind," Steve quickly added, not wanting to sound weak or pathetic to Suzy. It was his duty as a man to go and fight for his country, and to keep women like Suzy safe. That was all he really wanted, was for Suzy to be safe and happy and able to live her life.

Marie wasn't taking the news very well at all, that much was fairly obvious to Suzy. She didn't blame her friend though, she could definitely see where she was coming from. Glancing over to Steve when he spoke, the expression on her face softened slightly, though it wasn't one of pity. She just cared about him, and could see that he was feeling rather dejected over not being accepted like Bucky had been. "Even if they don't change their mind, you aren't any less of a man in my eyes." She told him quietly, offering him a small smile.

---

Bucky hadn't expected Marie to react this way at all. He figured that this was what she would want. Most men were going off to fight for their country, and he wanted to do the same. He wanted to make sure that the world was safe for everyone, including the people he cared about most. That included his sisters, his ma and of course Marie. But she didn't seem too happy about the news. He hadn't expected her to be over the moon about it, but this certainly what he'd been expecting either. "Doll, I already enlisted. I would have had to either way. The president's drafting every able-bodied man aged eighteen and above. They woulda come looking' for me either way."

Marie's lips were beginning to tremble as her eyes became damper. The more time that passed, the worse the feeling became. She just couldn't stop thinking about losing Bucky and joining the long list of people who had tragically lost a loved one in the war. Marie wanted Bucky to stay here, to stay with her, and keep her safe that way. How was it fair to fall head over heels for a man just before he was shipped off to war? "No, Buck, you have to stay," Marie whispered before clasping a hand over her face to hide the tear that streaked down her cheek.

---

Steve had glanced over at Bucky and Marie, noticing that their conversation wasn't going as well as his was, but he quickly diverted his eyes back to Suzy so he didn't feel like he was intruding on their private discussion. Once again Suzy managed to surprise Steve with her kind words and acceptance. "Really? It wouldn't matter to you if I wasn't out there serving my country like everyone else?" Steve asked her. His hand twitched a little in his lap, wanting to reach out and take Suzy's hand in his, but he couldn't quite muster up the confidence to since he had just told her that the army didn't think he was much of a man.

Suzy shook her head. "Of course not." She told him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Steve, I like you for you. I don't care if the military accepts you or not. That doesn't change a thing. You're still one of the sweetest guys I've ever met, and you always will be. Any guy would be lucky to be half the man that you are. And I'm not just sayin' that because I think you're cute either." She punctuated her words with a quiet laugh. She liked Steve because of the man that he was. He had a good heart, and that was all that really mattered to her. "If you want to try again, try again, but the outcome, regardless of what it ends up being, isn't going to change how I look at you, I promise."

---

Bucky's heart broke when he saw the tears shining in her eyes and the way her lower lip was trembling. He hadn't meant to upset her with the news, this was the last reaction he'd expected to get out of her. He figured she'd be happy for him and that she'd be proud to say that the guy she was seeing had enlisted. It meant that he was strong and able-bodied, but clearly all this had done was upset her, and he didn't know how to fix it either. "I can't, doll." He said quietly. "I have to go. I'll come back though, I promise. And I still have some time before I get my orders. Why don't we make the best of the time that we have? No more tears, okay?" He reached up, wiping some of the tears off of her face with his thumb.

Marie wasn't really able to completely take in Bucky's words anymore. She knew he was trying to comfort her, but his soothing tone and then the way he gently wiped the tears from her face only broke her heart even more. She was so afraid that she was never going to experience anything with Bucky ever again because he might not return to her. It saddened Marie deeply, and she couldn't stop herself from weeping. "You can't promise me that, though. You might not come back," she whispered while leaning towards Bucky, wanting more of his comfort even though she realised that it might make parting with him even more difficult than it already would be.

---

Steve was blown away by Suzy's kind heart once again. He had never expected a woman to say such nice things to him, and yet he had found one and he found it difficult to believe that he could adore her even more. "You are so good to me, Suzy," Steve breathed, hoping that she understood exactly how much he appreciated her. Meeting Suzy was easily one of the best things that had ever happened to him. Steve began to wonder what it would take to ensure that she stayed with him so they could continue to develop their relationship, and he thought about how Bucky might ask a doll to go steady with him. Instead of immediately suggesting it, Steve settled for holding Suzy's hand at the moment and smiling at her.

Suzy could tell that her words surprised him. The fact that it did only proved just how many girls couldn't see him for who he really was. None of them had actually take the time to get to know him the way that she had. It pained Suzy knowing that. She liked Steve for who he was, the skinny kid from Brooklyn who liked to pick fights with guys twice his size. The kid who never left his shared apartment without his sketch book and pencil. The kid with the biggest heart she'd ever met. "And that isn't something that's ever going to change either." She said quietly, a soft smile gracing her lips as she gave his hand a light squeeze, her green eyes staring into his blue ones.

---

Bucky hated seeing Marie like this. He hated knowing that the news he'd thought was good up until this point upset her as much as it had and caused her so much pain. That was the last outcome he'd expected, and he wished that there was more he could do to make her feel better. He knew that promising her that he would come home wasn't enough, there was no guarantee that he'd come home. He liked to think that he would, but there was no way of knowing for sure. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure that I don't break that promise." He told her quietly. "I'll write you every single day, and the moment I get leave, I'll come straight back to you, I promise."

Marie's heart was still shattering into pieces but she tried to put on a brave face for Bucky. "You promise? You would do that?" she asked him, hoping that she hadn't discouraged him too much or made him dislike her, all because she was scared to lose him. "But what about Steve?" Marie asked before sniffing, trying to force her tears to stay inside and stop embarrassing her. "You can't leave him here, he needs you too," she explained, trying to lighten the mood a little and distract herself from the thought of Bucky in a uniform waving goodbye to her.

---

Steve was becoming lost in the moment with Suzy. She was so darn beautiful and, if he wasn't mistaken, that was adoration in her eyes as she stared at him, and it was making him feel giddy. Steve searched for the right words to explain to Suzy how he felt for her, but then he heard his name and he looked over at the other couple and took in the full extent of how upset Marie was about the news. "I'll be fine without Bucky," Steve reassured Marie before looking at Suzy again, having a feeling that he would be fine if he had her. Steve sensed that they should give Marie and Bucky some space. "There was actually this film on that I wanted to see. Would you like to come with me?" he offered. Steve wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon with Suzy to forget about his rejection, and he was hopeful he could spend the evening with her too, perhaps some dinner and then a nice walk together.

Suzy could tell that Bucky hadn't expected Marie to react the way that she did. She thought that her friend's reaction was a plausible one though. It made sense. When Steve offered to take her to see a movie, she understood why he had made the suggestion. It would give Marie and Bucky some much needed time to talk things over without them around. "I would love to." She said quietly, a small smile gracing her lips. She glanced over to their friends. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon, Bucky, and I'll see you at work tomorrow, Marie." She said, sending them both a kind smile.

---

Bucky nodded. "Of course I would, doll." He told her, brushing a curl behind her left ear, his handing resting there for a few seconds before he let it drop back into his lap. "I can't promise that you'll receive a letter from me every single day, but I will write you every day, and hopefully you'll receive them as frequently as possible. You won't even realize that I'm gone, I promise." He took one of her hands in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It won't be a goodbye, you know. We'll say it's a see you later, alright?" He sent her a small smile, chuckling slightly at her later words. "Something tells me that he'll be fine without me." He was sure that Suzy would take good care of Steve.

Marie just wanted to curl up on her bed and cry. She had finally found such a nice guy, and he was still being sweet to her even now when she was a mess, and she had finally seen a future happening with him, and now he was going to leave. It just couldn't be real, she didn't want it to be. "Okay," Marie mumbled, agreeing in attempt to keep him happy but knowing that she would indeed notice that he was gone, and that their goodbye might indeed become the final words exchanged between them. "See you, Suzy," Marie said with a weak smile before she turned her attention back to Bucky, waiting until the other couple were out of earshot. "They really care about each other, I'm so glad we set them up," Marie told Bucky before rubbing her wet eyes.

---

Steve walked alongside Suzy out of the diner and then down the street, heading towards the nearest theatre. He kept his eyes on her, as inconspicuously as possible, and admired her beauty. The more he found out about Suzy, the more he liked her, and he hoped that he could treat her to a nice evening out to show her just how much he appreciated her presence in his life, even if it did cost him all of his savings. Steve felt a burst of joy toss his stomach and he reached out to take Suzy's hand in his, wanting to be close to her again.

Suzy walked out of the diner with Steve, allowing him to lead her down the street towards the nearest movie theater. Glancing over to him, a small smile formed on her lips. She really did like Steve, and she really had meant everything that she'd said to him back in the diner. Not getting accepted by the military didn't change how she saw him at all. She liked him for who he was, not who he could be because of the military. None of that matter to her in the slightest.

---

Bucky raised a hand to wave to Steve and Suzy, watching them walk out of the diner before his attention returned to Marie. He nodded at her words. "Yeah, they do. I'm happy for them. I'm glad that we did too. They're good for each other." He'd never seen Steve like this over a girl. Suzy was perfect for him, and she was exactly the type of girl that Bucky had always hoped to find for his friend. It had clearly taken quite a few failed trials, but it all seemed to be going perfectly now. "I'm not worried about leaving Steve here. Suzy'll look out for him."

"I don't know if I've ever seen her so happy with a man," Marie smiled as she watched the happy couple disappear around the corner outside. And to think that Suzy hadn't wanted to go on the blind date.... She surely would have regretted not going and meeting Steve. Marie's stomach dropped a little and her smile faded at Bucky's next words. She wanted to ask him who would take care of her, who would walk her home at night and keep her safe, who would kiss her on her doorstep and hold her close, but she refrained herself from upsetting Bucky again.

---

Steve felt so proud when he walked into the theatre with Suzy attached to his hand. Sure, he had visited this place many times, but he was either alone or trailing behind Bucky and two girls who were both far more interested in Bucky than him even though it was meant to be a double date. Now he was actually bringing a woman here, and she wasn't ashamed to be seen with him or to be holding his hand. He didn't want to let go of Suzy, so instead fumbled for coins in his pocket with his other hand. "I was thinking of seeing 'I Married Lizzie Borden', if that's okay? We can see something else if you'd like," Steve offered.

[Apologies for the bad randomly generated movie title ]

Suzy, unlike the girls before her, wasn't ashamed to be walking around, hand-in-hand, with Steve in public. He was an amazing person, and he was more of a man than any of the guys she'd dated previously. Maybe he was a bit smaller and maybe his immune system wasn't the best and maybe he didn't exactly have a way with words, but so what? None of that mattered to Suzy. Not even a little bit. "That's fine by me." She told him, sending a small smile his way.

---

"I've never seen Steve get like this over a girl." Bucky told her. Granted, none of the girls he'd tried setting his friend up with had been interested in him in the slightest. They all just agreed to the date in the hopes of getting closer to Bucky. It was terrible, but some people were just that selfish and shallow. "I'll be back before you all know it though. I'm sure of it." He added on to what he'd said moments before about knowing Suzy would take care of Steve. He could tell that a statement of closure was necessary due to Marie's silence.

[ No worries]