echoes of the past.

Marie gulped and gave a short nod of acknowledgement to Bucky. She didn't want to argue about the war and his return anymore, she didn't want to upset him. It sunk in that she had probably ruined his exciting day, especially since she had clearly destroyed the double date that was supposed to be happening right now, and Marie felt guilty. "I'm sorry for ruining the date, you can walk me home if you want," Marie mumbled.

---

"Perfect," Steve smiled at Suzy before leading her up to the counter and buying a pair of tickets for them. He could see the judgemental looks the cashier shot them, a mixture of disbelief and disgust, but he didn't care. The truth was that he had managed to win a beautiful girl's affections by being himself. Steve smiled to himself as he lead Suzy to the showing room for their movie, thinking to himself that people were going to have to get used to seeing them together, because he wasn't planning on leaving her.

Suzy smiled, though she always seemed to be smiling around Steve. She really did like him, and it didn't matter what movie they were going to see. She just liked spending time with him, and talking to him. She just really liked him, and that wasn't something that she was afraid to admit to either. She wasn't ashamed at all. Steve was a great person, and she felt so lucky that she seemed to have won him over.

---

Bucky frowned slightly at her words. "You didn't ruin the date, doll." He told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. "I should have realized that you might react the way that you did." He'd been surprised by her reaction, but he should have at least taken that into consideration and realized that it might happen. "If you want to go home, I'll walk you home, but I don't have to if you don't want to. We can do something else."

Marie was relieved to hear Bucky say that she hadn't ruined their day together. He was so sweet and even put his arm around her, and it was a gesture she really welcomed. She wanted to spend more time cuddled up to him, especially before he left... Marie shook those thoughts away and focused on how kind and considerate Bucky was being towards her instead. "Well did you want to do anything? If you want to celebrate your news, I don't mind accompanying you," Marie replied before smiling a little.

---

Steve gripped onto Suzy's hand during the entire movie. He felt like he only gave half of his attention to the film because the rest of it was on Suzy, even though he could hardly see her in the dark. Just feeling her presence next to him was enough to wake the butterflies in his stomach. When the on-screen couple shared a kiss, Steve felt himself blush as he thought of kissing Suzy. He really wanted to, and he wanted to do it more than once. He wanted Suzy to be his. When the lights came back on at the end he looked to her and smiled. "Dinner?" he offered, not wanting their date to end.

Suzy was glad that Steve seemed to be a bit less hesitant about doing certain things like holding her hand in public etc. When they first started going out on dates, she used to have to initiate such contact, and she was glad that she didn't have to anymore. He was still shy and slightly awkward at times, but she thought it was cute when he rambled and easily got flustered around her. It really was one the cutest things she'd ever witnessed before. When the movie ended, she turned to Steve, smiling at his offer. "I would love to." She was glad that she wasn't the only one who didn't want this date to end.

---

Of course Bucky didn't think that Marie had ruined their day together. He understood now completely why she'd reacted the way that she had, and he really should have taken into consideration that she might react that way. He was much more forward and less awkward about showing affection in public than Steve was, though he noticed that his friend was much more likely to hold Suzy's hand or kiss her forehead in public now than he'd been before. The girl really was good for him. "I know that you won't be celebrating with me though...we don't need to celebrate any news. We could walk around for a while? I'm sure there's something for us to do around here."

Marie felt a little bit better about the situation. Even though Bucky hadn't wanted her to panic like she had, she got the sense that he understood and wasn't holding her outburst against her. It was only another tick beside his name, and it pained Marie that she was going to have to let such a wonderful man go overseas to war. "Yeah, sure, a walk would be nice," Marie agreed, thinking that some fresh air would be nice for her. Besides, she'd do anything Bucky wanted her to do right now, just so she could spend some more time with him before he shipped off.

---

Steve felt so good when he left the theatre with Suzy. Not only had the entertaining film put him in a good mood, but he felt like Suzy gave him an extra confidence boost that he so desperately needed. He didn't hang his head as he walked out because he was watching yet another movie alone, but held it high and kept the small smile on his lips because he was holding onto a beautiful woman's hand. "Where would you like to go? It'll be my treat," Steve said after they stepped out into the colder air, hoping she didn't pick somewhere too expensive. As much as Steve wanted to spoil her, he couldn't exactly afford it.

[I'm impatient so I'm skipping to when Steve's walking her home and asks her ]

"I had a lot of fun tonight." Suzy told Steve, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips as they walked down the sidewalk later that night. They'd made small talk over dinner after the movie, and now he was walking her back to her apartment. Despite what had happened earlier, the evening had taken a not so sudden turn. Suzy really had had a great time with Steve that night, as she had whenever they went out on dates, and she hoped that there would be more in the near future.

---

Bucky smiled. "Alright, a walk it is then." He said. He threw a couple of bills onto the table for the waitress before standing. Once Marie was up and moving as well, he offered her his arm and led her out of the restaurant. He knew that his news had upset her a great deal, but he hoped that they would be able to make the best of the time they had together before he received his orders and was shipped off. "Let me know if you see anything that you want to do."

It didn't take long for Marie to distract herself from the bad news and focus on enjoying spending time with Bucky. Besides, he was such a sweetheart and didn't deserve to endure her sadness, especially right before he was about to jump into the middle of a depressing war. Marie wanted to make some special and happy memories with him before he went. Bucky deserved that. "How about you take me dancing?" Marie suggested as she spotted a club further down the street that was clearly quite lively tonight with other young couples. "You're always so good at dancing," she added with a grin at previous memories. No doubt she would never find another man as confident as Bucky was at leading her around the floor.

---

Steve gave Suzy a big smile. "Me too," he agreed, having truly loved every second he had spent with her tonight. Steve really felt like Suzy brightened every moment of his day, and he wanted things to stay like that between them. He never wanted to let her go. Steve held her hand a little tighter from the fear that soon enough they would be at her apartment and they would have to part ways. "I sort of wish tonight wouldn't end," Steve confessed, her nerves making him mumble and then panic as he realised that Suzy could misinterpret his words. He didn't mean he wanted to spend the night, just that he wanted her to be his and only his. Steve tried to find the courage to speak his mind to her.

Suzy noticed Steve's grip on her hand tighten a bit as they neared her apartment. And then he spoke, causing her to fixate those big green eyes of her on him, a crease forming between them as she noticed he almost seemed like he was panicking. "Steve, it's alright." She assured him. She knew why he was panicking, he must have thought that she might misinterpret his words, but she knew that he wasn't like that at all. She'd gotten to know him very well more recently and she knew that he was nothing like that at all. "I know what you meant." She sent a small smile his way. "I...really don't want tonight to end either."

---

Bucky noticed a slight change in Marie's demeanor. She didn't seem so upset or fixated on what he'd told her not that long ago in the diner. He was glad that was the case, he wanted to spend as much time with her as he possibly before he left and he didn't want her to be upset or thinking about it all the time while they did. He couldn't help grinning when he suggested that he take her dancing. "I never thought you'd ask, doll." He said. He knew exactly where he was going to take her. If there was one thing that was certain, Bucky Barnes never turned down a night of dancing with a beautiful young woman like Marie.

Marie grinned, pleased that he liked the idea too, and felt herself already giving in to his touch. She wanted him to lead her now, to the dance floor, and then across it as though their night together was never going to end, and if she was lucky also lead her in life after the war ended and they got a second chance at being together. Bucky was such a gentleman and Marie felt lucky to have been chosen by him like this, and she never wanted to forget what his affection felt like.

---

Steve felt himself relax a little at Suzy's words. She knew what he had intended to say, and she felt the same way. He had to have been the luckiest man in the world to have found such a connection with someone as wonderful as Suzy, and that meant that he had to find the courage to ask her what he so desperately wanted to. Surely she wouldn't be another name to write on his rejection list, surely Suzy was different to all the others. Steve halted suddenly and turned to face her, gulping away his nervousness one last time. "Suzy, would you like to go steady?" Steve asked, glad that he had finally gotten the question off his chest.

Suzy was unaware in that very moment, however this scene was one that she was already familiar with. It was exactly as she'd imagined it being back at the diner. It wouldn't be until much later on that she would realize just how familiar it was to her. Right now though, all she really cared about was Steve and the question he'd just asked her. Her face lit up like a child's on Christmas morning, and she quickly pressed her lips against his without even answering the question. She knew her answer though, and she hoped that her reaction would be a clear enough indication to him as to what it was.

---

"I know just the right place." Bucky said. He knew exactly where to take her. He was no stranger to taking beautiful dolls like Marie out dancing, though he knew now that there was only one doll that he wanted to take dancing from here on out. Sure, he might have been a bit of a ladies man as Steve dubbed him, but he only had eyes for the gorgeous blonde on his arm right now. "You're in for a treat tonight, doll. You have the best dance partner in all five boroughs." He grinned widely.

Marie chuckled and leaned in a little closer to Bucky. "I don't doubt that," she agreed. It wasn't as though she had shared dances with an uncountable amount of men, but Marie couldn't remember having a partner as good as Bucky before. Not to mention, the amount of affection she had for him, and him her, made the time spent dancing even more special to her.

---

Time seemed to pass slower than usual for Steve as he awaited Suzy's answer. A million different scenarios seemed to pass through his head but finally reality prevailed and Suzy's lips pressed against his. Steve had seen, for perhaps the first time this close up on a woman, absolute joy in her eyes and he could hardly believe that he had made a lady feel that way. He was truly blessed. Steve placed his hands on Suzy's waist and kissed her back, not even thinking about whether or not his hand placement was awkward, and simply enjoyed the moment for once.