Complicated Love (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Chapter 3: Whatever It Takes

The day soon became night, and I made my way out of the office, finding a fancy limousine on the curb waiting for me. I had to arrive at the Expo with Howard Stark, in order to keep up the appearance of being his assistant. Mr. Jarvis, Howard's butler, comes out to open the back door for me. "Thank you. It's great to see you again," I say as I sit down in the seat. Howard is sitting in the back, sipping on a glass of whiskey. 

Howard smiles at me, handing me a glass of whiskey, "Hello Ms L/n."

"Hello, Mr. Stark," I say, taking the drink from his hand. "What do you plan to do at the Expo?"

"The flying car bit. It's what will attract the most people," he responds simply, swirling the liquid in his glass.

"The last time you showed me, it didn't work as you hoped," I state. "Which was a couple days ago."

"Well, if something goes wrong, I'll cover it up. Like I always do," he smirks, and I nod, knowing that he always does that.  The ride was filled with regular conversation topics, but mostly Howard talking about himself. He may be smart, but man can he be a pain in the neck.

We soon arrived at the Expo, and as we stepped out of the car, there were cameras flashing everywhere, mostly at Howard. I slipped my way through the crowd, trying to avoid the camera as much as possible, trying to find Bucky, Steve, or Bonnie. Bonnie is a waitress at the diner near my office I would sometimes go to after work. Buck and I have been trying to find Steve a girl that will actually talk to him. She seemed sweet when I talk to her, so I am hoping for the best.

I found Bonnie near one of the statues, and I brought her in for a hug. "Oh my, I'm so nervous," she says, trying to fix her blond curls.

"You'll love him. He's the sweetest guy in Brooklyn," I say, which is true. Any girl would be lucky to have Steve by her side. When I told her about Steve, I focused on what is important, like personality and heart, and avoided the conversation about his, except for his height and medical history.

"Oh my gosh, who is he. Please tell me that the brunette in the uniform is Steve," she whispers to me, looking behind me. I turn around seeing Bucky and Steve walking our way, but Bucky was wearing a military uniform. 

He got his orders. We're both going to war.

"No, that's my Bucky," I say, and wave at him when Bonnie yells hi to them and he waves. "Steve is the blonde. That's my cousin."

"You guys are related?" she questions, and I nod. Unfortunately, a lot of people ask that. I'm not the tallest person in the world, but I'm average height, and I'm built nicely, thanks to work. Everyone thinks that I should be a 2'8 girl who is as skinny as a stick to be related to him.

The boys finally made it to us, and I hug Steve, and then Bucky as he places a kiss on my cheek. I watch Steve introduce himself to Bonnie, and she looks at Bucky while she speaks to him. I hold Bucky a bit harder. "So you got your orders?" I asked Bucky, as we walked hand in hand towards the Expo. 

"Sergeant James Barnes of the 107th. Shipped first thing tomorrow morning," he says. His voice is filled with pride, but I can hear the sadness in his voice. He always thinks he can hide his feelings about me, but we read each other well from knowing each other for so long. Just like he can tell that I'm upset right now. He pulls me aside, makes me face him as he holds both of my hands. "Hey, I know that this won't be easy, but as long as I got you, everything will turn out fine."

"And what if it doesn't?" I ask immediately. Part of my job is to think of every possibility that could happen, and that's exactly what I'm doing now. Every possibility he could be taken away from me. The war is dangerous, who knows what could happen. Whether either of us will make it out alive.