Unchained Melody

Chapter 12

"Melody," A small blonde boy stood in front of me. Holding onto my hand as he pulled me towards what seemed to be a bedroom. "Please stay here until I come to get you."
I nodded, stumbling over my own feet behind him. Following him to a closet before getting inside and sitting down. I held onto a little stuffed bunny as he closed the door.
I was 4 years old at the time, Steve was 6 but he acted a whole lot older. He understood what was happening but no one ever took the time to explain it to me. All I could hear was yelling. My daddy was screaming at my mommy again.
I brought my hands up to cover my ears, humming softly to try and drown out the noises. Tears ran down my cheeks but I tried to stay quiet.
It felt like hours before my big brother, Steve, opened the door. He was covered in bruises that were still in the process of forming and looked as if he had been crying. He climbed into the closet with me and wrapped his arms around me tight, pressing his face into my head.
Mommy came into the room to see us in the closet. She reached out her hand as she wiped her eyes with the other, "Common my little angels. Let's go get some ice cream, or for a walk."
"W-What's wrong?" I cooed softly as I crawled out of the closet. Grabbing onto her hand.
"Nothing Baby. Let's go." She forced a smile as she squeezed my hand, helping me to my feet.
We walked out into the living room. Daddy was asleep in his chair at the table. A half-empty bottle of booze sat in front of him. His hand was still wrapped around the bottle.
...
It was maybe a few years later now. I was 6 years old and Steve was 8. We were standing next to each other, looking down into a grave. My stuffed bunny's hand was being squeezed in mine while he dangled on my other side. I picked my head up to look around a little, there were people in black clothes around us. Some were crying, some were just standing there talking to each other. I looked back down at the casket, it sunk down into the ground before it hit the bottom of the hole. Just above the casket was a stone that read 'Joseph Rogers'. That was Daddy's name.
Mommy walked up behind us and placed her hands on our shoulders. "Say goodbye to Daddy. It's time to head home."
Steve reached over for my hand and pulled me to walk away before Mommy could even finish her sentence.
I looked over my shoulder as they started to shovel dirt onto the casket. Letting the earth take over what was once our father.
...
"STEVE!" I walked into my brother's room, "Mom wants to know if Bucky will be staying for supper."
Steve and a brown-haired boy were sitting on the bed. The boy was James 'Bucky' Barnes. Steve and Bucky met when I was 10. They were practically inseparable after they met. They were looking at books and fliers but I couldn't really tell what they were about.
"Yes. Now get out." Steve got off his bed to try and push me out the door.
I pushed back just as hard, trying to peek over his shoulder at what Bucky was studying. "No. What are you looking at?"
"Don't you have friends to go play dolls with or something?" Steve struggled to push me. He was a bit fragile. He was always getting sick and missing school. He couldn't really go outside to play like everyone else so he wasn't much stronger than me.
"Oh, common Steve. Let her look." A much younger Bucky chuckled as he picked up the book to show me the pictures. The book looked like it was about soldiers and war. Fun history stuff.
I turned a little so that I could get around Steve and climb up onto his bed. Watching as Bucky pointed to the pictures in the book and explained them to me. There was so much information to try and teach my young little brain, but he seemed really excited to be doing it.
...
"Why are you being such an ass about this Steve? It's just a dance, and he asked me! You could have told him not to but you didn't say shit so he asked me." I was 15 now. Standing in front of a mirror as I fixed my necklace. Looking myself up and down to make sure my dress looked alright. I turned a little to see Steve sitting on my bed, looking over at me.
Steve looked closer to his current self now, here he was 17. He snarled in response to her words, "He didn't even ask me if it was okay."
"Steve, it is just a dance. Nothing is going to happen."
"My best friend has no right asking my little sister to dance with him."
"You're acting as if he doesn't already scare everyone off for you. He's doing me a favor. Trust me. He's too pretty to like anyone like me in any way. And he has like the prime pick of all the girls."
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Doll. The boys like you, trust me." Another voice came from the doorway. Bucky was standing in the doorway. If Steve was 17, that would make Bucky 18.
"Oh shut the hell up." I rolled my eyes as I walked toward him, pushing past the door to meet my mom in the living room.
"You two look so dang..." she cut herself off when she started to cough violently.
Steve walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her. "Are you okay?"
She took a second to catch her breath before nodding. "Yes, dear. I'm fine. Ok. Smile, you two! Have fun!"
I set my little purse down and walked toward my mom before she started to swat me away.
"Go have fun Melody." She smiled.
"I can stay home. Are you sure you're not coming down with something?" I furrowed my brows as I kept walking toward her.
"Common Mel. Your mom said she is fine." Bucky grabbed at my hand.
Both Steve and my mom nodded as Bucky pulled me out the door.
"HAVE FUN!" My mom yelled out the door before she closed it.
...
Bucky reached out and grabbed my hand, trying to pull me into a hug.
I smacked his hand away. "Don't touch me."
I was staring down at yet another casket. Tears were streaming down my face, I could barely even breathe. The tombstone in front of me read 'Sarah Rogers' right underneath my father's name.
"Mel, there was nothing you could do. She was too sick and just hid it." Bucky tried grabbing at me again.
"If I had done something it could have been caught. She could still be alive. We had months to do something. But because you didn't let me stay home and Steve's a fucking pushover she's gone. Never to return. So fucking glad I get to join you in the orphan club." I turned and walked away from him. Making my way to go sit in the car.
...
"I'm going to be joining the military," Steve said as he sat down at the table across from me.
"You're what now?" I looked up, trying to hold back laughter.
"We are going to join the military." Bucky chimed in.
"Ok. You, I can see. Steve on the other hand, medically, it won't happen." I looked back down at my bowl of soup.
"Don't be so negative, Mel." Bucky sat down next to Steve.
"I'm just being realistic. If you want to try then fine, Steve. But I won't be surprised if they turn you down." I took a sip of my soup.
...
Loud music echoed through the familiar apartment. It was the apartment that Steve found after our mom passed away.
I giggled softly as I leaned forward, grabbing a brown-haired boy's shirt. "Common John. You're no fun."
He rolled his eyes as he brought his hands up to my cheeks, locking his eyes on mine. "What if your brother gets home early."
"I am a grown woman. I can do what I want or whom I want whenever I want." I smiled as I unbuttoned his shirt, slowly.
He pulled me into a kiss. He slowly slid his hands up under my shirt on my sides, pressing his fingers into my skin.
I pushed his shirt off before pulling away from the kiss slightly. Laying down next to him, pulling him on top of me in the process.
My fingers came up to the back of his head as they tangled into his hair. Pulling him back down into another kiss.
Suddenly, the music stopped. Before you could even react Bucky had broken the silence. "What the fuck is happening here."
John, who was now freaking out, fell off the side of the bed and scrambled to his feet.
I sat up to look over at Bucky, my brows furrowed in anger.
"You have until I count to five before I beat the shit out of you." Bucky had a face of pure rage. He stepped towards John with a loud thud from his boot. It was clearly an attempt to intimidate the poor kid.
John quickly grabbed all of his stuff and ran through the apartment and out the door, Bucky following after him. He slammed the door shut once he couldn't see John anymore.
"What the fuuck." I fell back and grabbed my pillow, bringing it up and holding it over my face.
Bucky's boots echoed through the apartment as he made his way back to my bedroom. "Who the fuck was that."
"None of your business, Barnes. Why are you even home anyways?"
"Where is your brother? Does he know about this shit?"
"Get the fuck out." I rolled off of my bed and walked toward him.
"Excuse you?" Bucky crossed his arms over his chest.
"I am a 22-year-old woman. I can make my own decisions. Get the fuck out of my room." I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him out the door before shutting it.
...
After Steve left to join the army with the parades and stuff, I went to live with a friend. I had no one with me and I didn't want to spend all of my time by myself in an apartment.
"Melody! Your brother is on the line!" My friend's mother was yelling through the house.
"Alright! Thank you!" I yelled back before picking up the telephone. "Hello?"
"I need you to pack. There should be some military men coming to... You will be flown here... Your title will be a nurse ... train you in combat and stuff." Steve was speaking fast and it was cutting out horribly.
"What?" I said as I covered one of my ears with my free hand. "Repeat yourself."
"Just pack. I need you here."
"I, uh, okay."
The line went dead.
I did as told. I started packing up the belongings that I could easily take with me before two soldiers came knocking on the door. They were going to be escorting me to the military base. That's where I would get on a plane and fly to wherever Steve was. Or so that's what I gathered.
...
"Melody, just smile for five seconds. Please." Steve pleaded as held up a camera.
"You brought me here to work. I need to work, Steve." I lifted up a supply crate and moved it towards my tent. "I will have fun when we have time."
He rolled his eyes. "Not even one little picture?"
"No"
"Common, Mel. Don't be so lame." Bucky chimed in as he walked over from another tent. "We have to make this moment last forever. Melody Rose Rogers, at war with her handsome best friend and his hero sidekick."
"Hmm, let me think about it." I sat quietly for a second. "No."
I continued to move boxes around while Bucky tried to say funny stuff to get a smile out of me. Nothing was working.
"Ugh, such a pain in the..."
THUD
Bucky was down on the ground, his face lying in a pile of mud.
A snort forced its way out of my nose before I couldn't help but bust out laughing.
CLICK
...
"I have been waiting years for this," Bucky whispered softly as he wrapped an arm around me. His other handheld mine as we swayed back and forth to the music.
"You're going to ruin it, Barnes." I giggled softly as I rested my head on his shoulder.
"How? No matter what I say or do, you will still love me, Rogers." He pulled away a tiny bit to look down at me.
"Keep talkin cocky like that and we will see about that." I looked up at him. A small smirk formed on my face.
He leaned down to gently peck my lips before pulling away.
"I love you, Melody. No matter what happens."
"I love you too, Bucky."