Old Soul » 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝔸𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℕ𝕚𝕟𝕖

(Note: all the coordinates talk in part of this chapter is completely gibberish. I've no idea what it may or may not mean. I'm just replicating what I think a mission would be like.)

Jersey always gave Eliza somewhat of an ick. For starters- it's Jersey. She couldn't think of anything good that could ever come from here.

The train slowed, this one a bit more aggressive on it's stop. She got up, Steve trailing close behind her as she pushed past the seats and exited onto the platform, where Peggy stood waiting for them.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show," she remarked. "Or you told me the wrong time for the train."

"I've been on so many trains and planes in the past few days, it's entirely possible." Eliza walked up to her friend, offering a handshake, to which Peggy replied with a soft hug.

"Time to go, you ready, Captain?"

"As I'll ever be," Steve replied, offering a smile to Peggy, who warmly accepted.

The three walked towards a group of men standing at the end of the platform, where Eliza made eye contact with the one and only Bucky. Her heart raced- she hadn't seen him in weeks, and she was beginning to think he was avoiding her.

- flashback -

"If something happens I want to die knowing that you love me too."

"What?"

"Say it. I love you. Say you love me, too, because I know you do, Eliza," he presses. He takes her arms in his hands and stares deep into her eyes. "Say you love me, too."

Eliza stared at Bucky for a moment, the words were on her tongue, she was ready to say them, and mean them, but she didn't know how they were supposed to come out.

She knew the feelings she had for him- she couldn't deny that, but she'd never told anyone that she loved them before. Other than her mom, or Steve, but that's different.

This was her childhood friend, someone who had been her rock since the day they met. Helping Steve, supporting them both after the loss of their mother. She knew how she felt, but she didn't have the words. She never thought she'd ever get to say the words.

"I-" she stammered, locking eyes contact with him. She pursed her lips in contempt, inhaling sharply and starting again. "I lo-"

"Eliza, Bucky, we have to get ready to go-" Steve came around the corner into the room, seeing his best friend's hands holding his twin sister's held to her chest. His face flushed red and he watched the two clamber apart, desperately hoping Steve didn't read into it too much. "We have to go to a meeting. Over at the- yeah. You know where."

He left the room as quickly as he arrived. The two immediately running after him.

- we continue -

The words were never spoken. Not because she didn't want to, but the rest of the day, Steve seemed a bit extra clingy to his sister, and any time Bucky was free, Steve would hang around him. Almost like he was attempting to keep the two apart.

Eliza had no idea how to address it, so she left it be. Hoping that maybe Steve's way of having the two be separate at all times would help her delay the inevitable conversation that she'd also need to have with Bucky. But first, she had to come to terms with how she felt about him.

She closed the gap between them on the platform, offering him a small smile, which he returned, his eyes dashed to Steve, whom had a death glare in his eyes. Bucky dropped his smile and slowly looked away with an awkward poker face, waiting until Peggy needed help down the stairs of the platform for his chance to leave the confused and angry twins, respectively, behind him.

Eliza looked up to Steve in annoyance, who only shrugged and cocked an eyebrow. She shook her head, and followed behind Peggy.

***

August, 1944

"What are we doing today, gentlemen?" Peggy radioed in on Steve, bright and early in the morning.

"We're gonna go for it," he replied, the six of them- The Howling Commandos, looking down on the base, a few through the scopes of their guns, and a few through binoculars. "No better time. We've got this."

"Medical on standby at coordinates -2.7743 and 4.3372." Eliza radioed into the channel, reporting her coordinates not far from the base, but far enough that she shouldn't be caught. "Captain, at your orders."

"Tower at -3.7768 and 5.4425. Radio check?" Peggy requested.

"Howling Commandos radio lead, Captain America coordinates -1.7774 and 3.6633, radio check in verified," Steve replied over his radio.

"Vehicles ready?" Peggy asked.

"Verified."

"Mission is a go, good luck boys."

Eliza sat patiently in her medical tent. She always had a gun if needed, and she sat disguised and quiet in a lonesome little corner of the forest. She heard the sounds of gunfire in the distance. Small pops that echoed through the trees and rustled the birds away, causing tree branches to wave and fall to the ground. Other than this, the world was quiet.

She always used this time to reflect on her days since she last had alone time, which was rare. And now she definitely had something to think about.

Bucky.

She loved him. Oh god, she loved him. The way her heart felt only a few weeks ago when they were holding hands, his pressed firmly into her breasts. The way his breath was warm and his body offered comfort. Just him in that moment. She felt safe. She felt protected. She felt loved.

Eliza let her thoughts wander aimlessly. Bucky and her had never entertained the feelings they had for one another, because his goals in life were clear- the military was going to be his life. And she was a nurse in the TB ward. The job was a risk as is.

She knew Bucky wanted more in life. And he knew she wanted marriage, and a family. Something he couldn't provide her until the war was over, and he could be home with her.

The plan was, if they were both still available, it would be fate. If the feelings were the same, there would be no reason not to. They could be together.

Then Eliza was whisked away into the military and became a personal aide for her now superhuman sibling. Nothing about this was the plan. So why not just say screw it? What did they have to lose?

Eliza felt frustrated. She wanted to say it. She could say it. What was stopping her?

The radio suddenly interrupted her thoughts with static as it crackled to life, "HYDRA base has been breached, commencing search and data recovery. Stand by and the rendezvous point!"

That's what.