It's Forbidden

Awkward

1940's

Bucky and Aspen sat next to each other at the bar. They were supposed to meet Steve there, but he was running late. Both Aspen and Bucky had ordered their drinks while waiting on Steve. Neither of them really said anything, they had both recently had the talk from Steve about not going there with each other. So it was a bit awkward. Bucky wanted to clear the air and get the awkwardness out of the way.

Aspen took a deep breath and Bucky looked over to her. "Steve will be here soon." Bucky says. She nods and look back at her drunk. Aspen shakes her head and laughs to herself a little. Thinking about how awkward it was just because Steve said something to both of them. They were best friends and a few words from her brother made it weird between them. And she didn't want what Steve said to effect their friendship. So she decided to make it not awkward, just say what she would have if Steve wouldn't have said anything to either of them.

"it's okay, I don't mind spending time with you while we wait." Aspen says, looking over to Bucky and giving him a small smile. Bucky wanted to clear the air too, he wanted to get past what Steve had said and discuss it with Aspen to get her opinion on it. He wanted to know what she thought about what Steve had said. "Don't let Steve hear you say that." Bucky says. Trying to ease his way into the conversation and not just bluntly ask about it.

"well I meant that in a friendly way," Aspen starts, she knew Bucky knew that she meant it in a friendly way, but she was going to tease him a bit and she knew that he was trying to bring up the fact that Steve had talked to him too. "But I'm guessing by that," Aspen continues. "He gave you the talk as well." She says. Bucky laughs and nods as he looks over at Aspen. Who was also smiling and laughing.

"i get she's pretty," Bucky said, quoting Steve. "But she's my sister." He says, "just don't go there with her." He ends the quote. Aspen laughs and shakes her head. As she listens to Bucky telling her what Steve said to him, she realized that was almost the same exact speech that Steve gave to Aspen. "damn, that was almost the same exact speech he gave me." Aspen says to Bucky. He shakes his head and finishes his drink, ordering another right after.

"he just switched it up to fit the person he was talking too." Bucky pointed out. Aspen knew that since the speech was almost exactly the same, that he would have probably made Bucky promise just as he had made Aspen promise. "Did he make you promise him too?" Aspen asks Bucky. Bucky laughs and shakes his head. "Yep." Bucky says. He realizes how ridiculous this all sounds and can't believe that Steve actually made them promise not to go near each other.

"Like an elementary school girl." Aspen says. Reading Bucky's mind. It was an incredibly childish thing to do, to make someone promise something so juvenile. Neither of them knew that on the future they would be making the promises to one another over and over again. Quoting Disney movies together. But the difference between their promises and Steve making them promise this, is the promises they made to one another, weren't juvenile. They weren't stupid or Rico up our and they knew they wouldn't break their promises, where as Steve didn't know whether or not Bucky and Aspen could keep theirs to him.

Especially after everything they had went through together. Naturally they would feel some sort of way towards one another. "He can be a bit dramatic sometimes." Bucky says. Both of them already knowing this. They both loved Steve but he was so high strung. It made it hard sometimes. But Bucky and Aspen weren't perfect either, they knew that too. Nobody was perfect, as much as Aspen thought Bucky was perfect and Bucky thought Aspen was perfect, they knew they had flaws, but they ended up falling in love with each other's flaws too.

"He can." Aspen says. Bucky laughs as he thinks about what him and Aspen are talking about. He think about how Steve acts. How he likes to get himself into fights he knows he can't win. And he tells every single person he gets into these fist fights with, that he could do it all day. When they all knew very well, he could not do it all day. "He acts pretty tough for such a little guy." Bucky points out.

Aspen thinks about how every time Steve ends up in a fight, Bucky bails him out of it. Bucky is always there for Steve. Just as any best friend would be. He always fought for Steve. "How many times have you had to get him out of whatever Fight he started that he knew he couldn't win?" Aspen asked as she tried to recall but there were too many times it had happened, to count. "Too many for my liking." Bucky said.

He hated Steve fighting. He would always be there to bail him out. But he knew one of these times, he would end up hurting himself. And he didn't want that. Obviously. Aspen looks at Bucky, knowing what he's thinking. She takes his hand in hers and squeezes it. "Thank you for protecting him Bucky." Aspen says to him, giving him a small and warm smile.

Bucky squeezes her hand back and smiles at her. "Aspen you know I'll always protect both of you. No matter what." He says to her. "And I, you..." she says. Neither of them knew what the future held for them, but both of them did keep their word. They both protected each other, always, no matter what the circumstance. They were always there for one another.