Frostbitten

Chapter 28

I laid on the floor wide awake and waited for the sun to rise. I heard a knock on my door and slowly turned my head toward it. I was not in the mood to deal with anyone today.

"Hey, Makayla, it's Steve. I know you've had a rough couple of days but I was wondering if you wanted to go on a run with me?" He asked, "I'll even let you pick where." I sighed and agreed after a little while and told Steve that I would meet him outside the tower when I was ready. I pulled on a navy blue long sleeved shirt, some khaki pants, and grabbed a pair of gloves as I walked out the door. Steve and I talked as we walked to the Washington Monument and I tried to listen but I was still pretty tired.

"Do you remember Bucky?" Steve asked and I cocked my head to the side, attempting to recall the name. I was unsuccessful and asked Steve to tell me about him in the hopes I might remember.

Steve smiled as he began, "Bucky's real name was James but everyone called him Bucky because of his middle name, Buchanan. James Buchanan Barnes, he and I had been friends for as long as you and I have been. He had short, dark hair, blue eyes, and was quite the charmer."

I realized Steve was talking about this man in past tense and asked him about it. He told me that Bucky had enlisted for the war before Steve had and was killed while overseas. I felt very sad but I didn't know why.

Steve looked at me and asked, "Do you want to hear one of the best memories I have of us three?" I nodded and he began, "You loved stargazing back then and we both knew you did so Bucky managed to get you and I out of bed really early in the morning to watch the shooting stars. He and I had made an agreement though, the three of us would go up on the roof to watch the stars but I was going to sneak away and leave the two of you alone together."

I briefly interrupted to ask, "Did Bucky have a thing for me?" Steve looked surprised and said yes.

"How did you know? Do you remember that?" He questioned. I shook my head sadly and explained that I was just curious, so Steve continued with his story.

"It was a little before daybreak when we went up and I left pretty quickly. I did stay behind to watch though, I was curious to see how far Bucky was gonna go. After a little while the two of you laid down on the roof and watched the sunrise together. That was the part Bucky actually wanted you to see and he almost told you how he felt. He was going to ask you on a date but you fell asleep before he could. You stayed awake long enough to see the sunrise, but not long after and Bucky carried you back to bed."

I listened well to Steve's story but it didn't help me remember anything and before we knew it, we were at the memorial and starting our run.

---

"On your left." Steve said, passing the man running with us. I followed close behind and came up on the man's right, letting him know where I was. We passed the man multiple times during the morning and he became increasingly frustrated as we continued passing him. Steve and I had caught up to each other by the time it was daylight and we both came up behind the other man and heard him talking, "Don't say it." He said, "Don't you say it!" Steve and I moved over to the same side and said, "On your left." while we passed the man. We finished our laps and found the man leaning against the tree and trying to catch his breath.

"Need a medic?" I asked, "I served as a nurse if you do."

He chuckled, "Nah, ya'll should be ashamed of yourselves. You just ran thirteen miles in thirty minutes."

Steve cocked his head and looked at the man, asking him what unit he was with. The man replied and I wondered silently how Steve knew to ask. He introduced himself as Sam Wilson and Steve gave him a hand getting up from the ground, introducing himself as well.

"And who's this young lady that can run just as well as Captain America?" He asked, looking at me.

"Makayla Ross." I said, "I knew Steve when we were kids."

"So like, back in the 1940s?" He asked, confused. I smiled and explained that I had been frozen in time like Steve, but left out the other details. He and Steve talked a little more about military things and other things that I didn't bother listening to. I snapped back to reality when I heard Steve's phone buzz. He pulled it out and showed me a message from Nat saying to meet at the curb for a mission. We said goodbye to Sam and Natasha pulled up in a slick, black, Corvette.

"Hey, guys." She said, "Any of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a couple of fossils."

"Hilarious." Steve muttered as we walked to the car. Sam oohed over the car as we drove off and I watched the cars go by and sighed, waiting for Nat to brief us on the mission.