[complete!]
"𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐈, 𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐈, 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐕𝐈"
(latin)
𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: I came, I saw, I loved
Rebecca Cooper had never fallen in love before. She knew what it would feel like, of course, but no one had ever made her feel that way. She'd lost...
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STEVE, REBECCA, AND BUCKY led the pack of over 100 men back to the camp in Italy. They walked through tree lines and brushes and beside lakes for what felt like ages. But sooner than later, the group of Allies was walking up the familiar path to the camp, baring weapons and two Hydra tanks. Soldiers stationed there rushed to meet them, whispering and staring at the hundreds of men who they must have thought were dead. Steve was at the head of them, with Bex and Bucky just behind him.
One soldier lifted the gate for them. They came back to cheers and smiles with scattered yells of victory.
"Look who it is!"
People cleared the way for them as they walked through, all grinning ear to ear and applauding. Men were coming out of their tents to see what all the commotion was. They patted them on the back and some of these men, for the first time, looked at Rebecca with actual respect. Rebecca stopped looking at them and glanced at Steve, who returned her smile. He then turned back forward and grabbed her hand once again.
In the middle of it all they were met by Colonel Phillips and just behind him, Agent Peggy Carter. Steve gave Rebecca another wary glance. They slowed their walking then both stepped forward and saluted him, then put their hands down after a second. "Some of these men need medical attention," stated Steve.
Someone called for a medic and he came, coming through the group of tired-looking men.
"I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action," Steve said.
Phillips stared at Steve for another second, then at Rebecca. "That won't be necessary," he said. He looked around at the cheering men patting their friends on the back and greeting them for the first time in a long time. He then looked back at Steve.
"Yes, sir," he said.
Colonel Phillips turned around and walked away, then stopped for a moment once he got by Peggy. "Faith, huh?" he muttered to her. Then he continued walking toward his tent. Peggy walked toward the both of them, a look of scolding on her face.
"You're late," she said, authority in her voice as she looked from Steve to Bex.
Steve looked down and pulled something out of his pocket— the communication device that Peggy had given them. It was crushed and its antenna had broken.
"Couldn't call our ride," he said, holding it up for her. She looked at it, then from Steve to Rebecca, brows raised.
"Don't do that again," she said. She took a couple steps back as the crowd all faced one person.
"Hey!" Bucky's voice called to the men. He then turned to face Steve. Steve continued looking at Rebecca and smiling, his hand still in hers. "Let's hear it for Captain America!" he completed. The crowd erupted into cheered and applause, all facing Steve. He looked around at them— then back at Rebecca as she took ahold of the collar of his jacket and pulled him closer with a big smile on her face. He didn't even have time to grin back before she pulled him in for a long kiss. The cheers got louder, and now there were happy laughs, too.
— ☆ —
Bucky had to be treated for his injuries over three days. There was a concussion and severe bruising nearly everywhere on his body, and his ankle was fractured. Rebecca was amazed that he had walked on it for so long. On Bucky's last day in the nurse's wing, Steve and Bex were invited to get out and go to one of the hidden SSR bases so that they could identify the Hydra bases on the map and formulate a plan to get rid of them. Steve said he'd stay half a day more with his friend, but Bex agreed to go early.
She was in a car with Peggy, riding to the SSR base. That map they had glanced at of all the Hydra bases was crucial information, and they were going to try and gather all the pieces of the puzzle together and eradicate Hydra once and for all.
Serene silence in the car soon made its way into friendly conversation. Bex and Peggy got to know each other better. The small talk turned into something bigger. Peggy had been asking how she met Steve— she explained the story, and Peggy then got to the big questions.
"You really like him, don't you?" she asked, a hint of a smile on her face.
Rebecca looked down at her feet on the floor of the car. "I've liked him for a while," she said.
"Is it... a thing?" she asked, the warm smile growing.
"I don't know," said Bex, shaking her head. "I'd like to say it is. God, when all this is over, I'd marry him. I swear I would."
Peggy raised her brows and continued smiling at her. Bex turned, and smiled back, brows scrunched. "What?" she asked.
"You're in love with him," she told her.
"I don't know if I'm... in love with him," she replied.
"Private Rebecca Cooper, you are most definitely in love with him."
Rebecca smiled and looked away. She'd only known him for what, a couple months? How could she be in love with him? But then again... love didn't have to take long. She'd never thought she'd ever fall in love with someone. She didn't think she'd find someone. She wasn't even searching, te be honest. But out of a back alley came Steve Rogers, and that was the end of that.
"It's nice to have someone to talk to about all this," said Rebecca, turning back to Peggy. "You know, another girl."
"Oh, why, can't talk to Sergeant Barnes about things like this?" Peggy joked.
Bex chuckled quietly. "Not quite."
"You're right, though," said Peggy. "I do like talking to you. It's good to have a friend."
