Winter's Widow- Part One-Origins

Wood Shavings and Fists

I was ten when I first heard Bucky's name, I had met my younger brother, Steve, who was nine at the time, outside the younger children's classroom. He babbled for a while about his day, and how they learned about oysters, or something of the sort, I really can't remember.

He then remarked he had met a boy two years his senior while they were outside during the noon hour. Steve said he saw the boy carving away at a tree branch with a slightly rusted old pocketknife, shavings sprinkling his boots and flying into his hair. Of course, I have added these details myself, in my head, nine-year-old Steve was not so...descriptive. 

What he did say was, they had become fast friends when Steve asked to see what the boy was carving, and seeing the small carving, (what I imagine to be a dog) he stated in his childish pride, that he certainly could have done better if he tried it himself. I thought nothing of it at the time Steve told me the story, simply nodding my head in agreement as not to upset him and continuing the conversation.

Later, Steve introduced me to the brown-haired boy. He was a year older than me, which made him eleven, and immediately made me a point of teasing. He was never too mean however, we did in fact get along quite nicely, despite the banter. I had always been a bit of a sarcastic person, even as a child I was quite quick witted with my words. Bucky seemed able to keep up with it, even enjoy it, and we often teased each other, as well as Steve. 

After we met, I often spent the noon hour outside with them, instead of inside with the other girls. I watched in amusement as the both of them tussled with the other boys and laughed at the oddest things together. Though I found some of the things they did odd, I grew to enjoy their peculiar jokes and ways of playing, Joining them on adventures around the small fenced in schoolyard. 

We all became a sort of trio, Me, Steve, and Bucky. 

We almost had complete free reign when we were children, with Steve and I's mother being at work more often than not. We never got into much trouble-I had enough sense to keep them from getting us in too sticky of situations- but to some degree I more specifically was considered trouble. I hardly acted the way a girl was expected to act back then, not that I much minded, I had fun being a... tomboy of sorts, doing whatever the boys were doing, making what society would have deemed trouble, simply because I was a girl. Now, that's not to say I agreed with every activity that Steve and Bucky got up to, in fact more often than not, their idea of fun annoyed me, especially their need to prove strength by tussling over small disputes, rather than discuss it. Steve, being smaller, felt the need to prove he could handle it, and I assume to prove to Bucky that he was equally tough. 

One day, I was minding my business shuffling about the apartment after school, restacking books to keep myself busy, when Steve and Bucky walked in. They were conversing excitedly about something, and I could immediately tell that Steve was especially high energy that day.

"I don't know what makes you think I couldn't, it would be easy." I only caught this bit of their conversation from Steve, and Bucky saying, "OK" in a very unconvinced tone. I gave them both a suspicious look, a book still in my hand as I turn to them.

"Do what?" I ask, my eyes narrowing a bit and my eyebrows furrowing. Bucky shook his head and chuckled. 

"Nothing, I was teasing him, and he got angry is all." I looked over at Steve and rolled my eyes as I set the book I was holding on the counter to read later.  

"He keeps calling me weak." Steve defended himself, even though I hadn't said anything. 

"That's not what I said, and It was a joke." Bucky replied calmly. I briefly wondered what he had said, but I didn't ask. 

"I'll show you a joke." Before I knew what was happening, Steve was lunging at Bucky and I rolled my eyes and sighed, he did this all the time, never meaning to hurt Bucky, but trying to show dominance, it usually amused me, I wasn't having it this time and I tugged him away by the wrist before he could get Bucky, who was attempting to push him off, into a chokehold.

"Knock it off." I said, sounding clearly unimpressed.

 He genuinely looked a bit angry and tried to push me down as I pulled him away from Bucky and towards me. I braced against the hit, the feat fairly easy, as I was a bit stronger, and broader than him. I pushed him down onto the floor and gave him a serious look. 

"I said, knock it off." I hissed the words through my teeth. "Now, are you done having a tantrum, or was my point not clear?"  He groaned angrily and flopped down on the floor in childish defeat. I pursed my lips in a look of disappointment as he did so. Bucky, who had just finished righting his shirt, which had been untucked in Steve's attempt to take him down, chuckled and I looked up at him. He had a proud grin on his face. I shook my head in feigned disappointment at him and walked away.

Though I never would have admitted it openly to him when we were children, I had quite a soft spot in my heart for Bucky, and I suspect him, for me. He was often my protector at school, if another kid started picking on me, he stood up for me. I specifically remember when I was maybe eleven, (this incident happened before the fighting one, despite the order of which I am telling them) one of the boys who was two years older than me was harassing me, though I can't remember what it was about now.

 Bucky stepped in and socked him in the stomach right as he took a step closer to me. All I remember from that moment is the boy's angry face approaching me, a soft fleshy thud and a groan as the boy doubled over in pain and Bucky appeared in front of me, looking proud as he took my hand and led me away from the scene and into the schoolhouse, where we watched through the front window as a teacher approached the boy and they conversed briefly. The boy looked angry, and I expected him to lie to get Bucky and I in trouble, but the teacher never confronted us, and we got away from the situation unscathed.

 That day he proved something to me, though I couldn't put my finger on what it was. Perhaps it was simply his loyalty to both Steve and I, but it felt a bit more valiant then.

As we grew older, the dynamic hardly changed, only shifting to fit our separate personalities through our school years, and after we grew out of high school and were out on our own. 

The three of us stuck together, Steve and I because we were siblings and had to, but Bucky held our trio together, the one thing Steve and I had in common. Through the years we helped each other loyally through hard times. Though, I did feel bad for Bucky, as he seemed to help us more often than we helped him.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I know this first chapter ended badly, or at least not as smooth as I would have liked it. I swear it will segway into the next chapter. 

Let me know what you think of this introduction in the comments, drop a vote, and make sure to turn updates on, because there's WAY more coming that I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

I'M PLANNING ON A NEW CHAPTER EVERY SUNDAY, BUT NO PROMISES.