Rosemary and Time

Cue the 1940s

"Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Bucky throws the offending man away from Steve. My focus immediately goes to Steve's face.

"What the hell Steve?" The concrete of the ally is dirty, but I kneel next to him (fuck my skirt; I can buy another) and open my purse, which has turned into more of a medkit for this exact reason.

"He was... speaking too loud... in the movie," Steve pants, sitting up and leaning back on his hands.

"So you started a fight." I fish a random cloth and a (tiny) water bottle from my purse, then wet the cloth. Gently, I tilt Steve's face more towards me and start dabbing the cloth on the open cuts on his face. He sucks in a quick breath of air; it probably stings.

"No. He found me afterwards and--"

"--you couldn't run because 'Steve Rogers never runs,'" Bucky finishes, walking towards us. I see the man who'd been beating Steve to a pulp stumbling away from us.

"Exactly." Steve smiles at me, messing with the position of the bandage I was about to stick on his cheek. I give him a glare.

"You guys are idiots," I say, standing up and giving Steve the bandage so he can put it on himself. As soon as he has it, I turn around and walk toward the bus station. "I'm surrounded by idiots!" I shout, throwing my hands up in the air in fake exasperation.

Bucky runs up behind me, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "You don't mean that." I hold back a smile, struggling to push him away, but he doesn't budge.

"Yes I do." I can't keep the smile from my lips as I look up at him, directly into his blue eyes. It doesn't help that he's wearing his dark green dress uniform so well. "You're an idiot Bucky Barnes."

"And you, are beautiful, Rose Adley," he says, grabbing my waist and spinning me around to face him.

"My name is Ro." I flash him another smile before escaping his grasp and hopping onto the bus. I hear scuffling behind me, and when I look, I see Bucky and Steve pushing at each other, stumbling into the bus. I laugh, sliding into a window seat. Steve's ahead of Bucky now, and he settles down heavily next to me. Resting my head on his shoulder, I watch him bat Bucky away with one hand. His other is wrapped around me.

--

"I wish you didn't have to leave," I sigh, staring at Bucky.

"And I wish I could," Steve comments, dropping down on Bucky's rug and leaning his back against the couch that Bucky and I are reclining on.

"How many times are you guys gonna tell me that?" Bucky raises an eyebrow at me.

"Until you stop leaving." I think. "Or take me with you," I add quickly, hope in my voice.

"I'm not doing that," Bucky replies, almost as quickly. He stands heading to the kitchen to get a drink.

"Why not?" I lean against the fridge as he opens it. When he straightens, it's with a can of soda in his hand.

Bucky meets my gaze, letting me know that he's taking me seriously at least. "Look Ro, even if I wanted to, that's not how it works."

"I wanna fight, Bucky. I hate sitting here while you're off risking your life." Steve nods in agreement, giving me a high five.

"Well then it's a good thing it's never gonna happen." The corner of Bucky's mouth twitches up in a half-smile. I give him one in return before knocking the soda out of his hand and returning to the couch, slumping.

Bucky looks at me in shock. "Now it's gonna be all fizzy when I open it," he whines. When my disappointed look doesn't subside in the silence, Bucky sighs. "Look, going off and joining the army isn't the only way to make a difference, okay?"

"Yeah, but it's the best way," Steve says, sulking slightly.

"And how am I gonna make a difference, Buck? By marrying a rich jerk and having lots of little rich jerk babies?"

Bucky just smiles. "Maybe." I'm so pissed now I feel tears pricking my eyes. I stand, deciding I don't want to be around Bucky right now.

"I'm going home." I'm already halfway to the door.

"I'll walk you." Steve jumps up too, giving Bucky a quick, disapproving look. I pretend I didn't see it.

"Hey are you going to that Stark thing with us tomorrow, Ro?" Bucky asks. I wonder if he's taunting me with his light tone, or if he's completely oblivious with how angry I am right now.

"What, me and all the girls you're bringing along?" I spin around to glare at him again, seeing red.

"And Steve," he responds perkily. Okay, so definitely taunting me then.

"You know what Buck?" I ask, trying to sound as sweet as possible. He smiles back at me, thinking that he's won and I'm about to give in to him. "Fuck you," I spit, grabbing Steve's arm. "Come on, Steve, we're leaving. I can't stand looking at that asshole anymore."

"Yeah, of course." He hurries me out of the house before I change my mind and do something I'll regret. After a couple minutes of silence, I sigh.

"I think I'll go to the Stark thing. I don't want you to be left alone."

"Okay. It'll be fun, I promise." I nod, believing Steve's words. "Just you and me. And if Bucky decides to apologize, then maybe we'll invite him too." I give Steve a brief smile, and we're quiet for a few more blocks.

"You know, you and I could run away somewhere. Start a new life." I keep my gaze on the sidewalk, unsure of what his reaction will be. His steps falter, but he catches up to me again.

"And leave Bucky?" he asks.

"We're not leaving Bucky; Bucky's leaving us." I feel the sting of tears again. I want to stop being mad at him now; I don't want him to leave. But at the same time, I can't let myself forgive him for what he said to me. He knows how much I despise being limited to "just a woman", and yet he still used it against me.

"Hey, come here Ro." I raise my head, meeting Steve's eyes. His arms are outstretched, and without hesitation I step into them. I take a deep breath, and it hitches. I'm so angry. I feel so just sad. "Things will work out, you know. Someone will give me a chance and let me into the army. And you'll--"

"--I'll what?" I bitterly interrupt.

Steve continues cooly. "You'll think of something. I know you will," he says. I don't respond, and so we keep walking, until we're in front of my door. "See you tomorrow?" he asks.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow, Rogers."