1941
August
The air was still humid, even in the early evening, as Betty and Dot strolled around the front of the hospital building on their way home from a long, hot shift on the ward. It was Dot that spotted the figure first, leaning against the railings, and she nudged Betty.
"Looks like someone's got an escort home."
Betty looked to where Dot indicated and saw Bucky stand up and start to walk over to them. He looked so good to her, in a short-sleeved shirt, open at the neck. His hair was slightly mussed where she could imagine he'd been running his fingers through it, like he did when he was nervous.
"Aww crap," she whispered, flushing a deep red.
"It sounds like there's a story." Dot stated, intrigue written across her face. Betty grabbed her elbow.
"Don't leave me." She said, through gritted teeth.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Dot reassured her, patting her arm. "Oh, hey Bucky!" she said brightly, "I didn't see you there."
"Hi Dot," he replied, not taking his eyes off Betty. "Betty, can we talk?"
"We've nothin' to talk about Buck." Her blush became impossibly deeper.
"Nothin' at all? What about us?" he said in disbelief.
"What about us? Is there an us? As far as I'm aware you're my brother's friend and a royal pain in my ass." She felt an inexplicable anger start to rise within her. Dot dropped her arm and sidled away, giving them the impression of privacy, even out on the street.
"The other night, what was that?" he asked softly.
Out of the corner of her eye Betty could see Dot's ears prick up, which put her immediately on the defensive.
"I don't know what you mean." She looked away from him, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Don't play games Doll. You know what I'm talkin' about. Did it mean nothin' at all to you? 'Cause it sure meant somethin' to me." His own anger and frustration apparent in his tone.
"Games?! I'm not the one who's played games! I was upset Bucky, and I made a rash decision. I needed a distraction. It could have been anyone." She immediately regretted her words as she saw the hurt flash across his face, but she turned to walk away from him.
"And would it have been anyone?" his voice plaintive.
Stopping in her tracks but not turning, he barely heard her whisper, "No Bucky. It's always been you." She started walking again, slower, her sadness evident in the way her shoulders hung and she felt him grab her hand.
"Damnit Betty, stop! Please!" he almost shouted.
"Just leave it alone James!" she whirled on him.
"What if I don't want to leave it. What if I want this between us?"
"You don't know what you're sayin'" she scoffed.
"Yes I do." He said, emphatically. "No-one's ever made me feel the way you do Doll. You're on my mind all the time, drivin' me crazy. You can't say you don't feel at least some of that."
"You know I do," she said, softly, but then her expression hardened again. "But I'm not gettin' pushed aside more than once."
"That's not goin' to happen." He tried to reassure her.
"Yeah, until the next easy broad comes along, lookin' for a piece of that Barnes charm" she said, with a roll of her eyes.
He shook his head, "I'd never do that to my girl."
YOU ARE READING
Out of Time (Book 1)
أدب الهواةBucky Barnes was always a pain in Betty's ass. Until he wasn't... Betty Rogers was glad that her brother had made a new friend, someone to look out for him. Yeah, he was annoying as hell most of the time, but he could be fun, and kind. This is Bett...
