1 | SURVIVE • BUCKY BARNES [COMPLETED]

VI.

Coincidentally enough, Gideon received his letter on the same day he arrived home.

And she was surprised to say the least.

Given that earlier in the day, the mail carrier gave her the letter. The brunette then spent the remainder the morning responding to it, excited to send it off, and furthering the progression of her last thesis. But now it had just reached noon, and a knock resounding from her apartment door broke her attention. She rose from the small desk in the living room, smoothing down her casual blue skirt in the process.

Twisting the metal knob, she was curious, yet she never expected to see such a bright pair of blue eyes.

"I'm sorry Miss, is this Gideon Erskine's address? Her handwriting is a little difficult to read," the man sporting a trim uniform asked with a focused expression, his eyes flickering between her and the envelope of a past letter, yet a crooked and joking smile peaked through.

"Bucky!" Gideon smiled wide, her voice rising as did her excitement. Her heels left the floor to rise to her toes so her arms could pull him into a hug.    

"It's good to see you too, Gideon," the soldier grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist in return.

Both were equally excited to see each other. They've grown to be friends over the past letters, and it felt good to finally meet again after all of those weeks apart.

"Do you want to come in," she offered after falling back to her normal height. "I make pretty good coffee, I have to admit."

"I'd love to, but I have to go see what trouble Steve's getting into. Can I take a rain check?"

"Of course," she nodded. "Oh and I have a letter for you before you leave," she called out, disappearing into the living room for a moment to retrieve it.

"Mine came already," he asked, a smile growing on his face as he held her embossed envelope.

"Yeah, it just came this morning, which is why I'm surprised you're here," Gideon explained.

"Damn I was hoping to beat the mailman," he smiled, shaking his head slightly while leaning a shoulder against the door frame, "because I wanted to ask you in person. How would you like to go to the future?"

"The future," a dark eyebrow quirked upward into a curious expression. "I didn't know you could time travel. What else did you learn while you were gone?"

Cheeks flushing red and a smile flashing across his face, Bucky laughed, "Although I wish I could, how does the Stark Expo sound?"

"I would love to go as you will later read," she nodded while pointing the letter, her smile still bright.

With his blue eyes shining, Gideon found herself caught off guard, lost in that shade of blue she had come to adore. "I'll see you at seven then, Miss Erskine. And don't forget your dancing shoes."

James Buchanan Barnes had no idea of what to expect that night. Gideon Erskine herself had certainly taken his breath away from the moment he met her, and every time they talked, he only became more awestruck.

She had a personality that demanded to be noticed without her even trying; professional when need be and glowing otherwise. He was enticed by her eyes, yet he stayed because he was drawn to her.

And that night, the same brunette he met in the cafe utterly left him with his jaw hanging open.

It all began when him and Steve arrived at the Modern Marvels of Tomorrow exhibition, Gideon and Connie standing on the outskirts of the crowd gathering by the stage. Dressed in a pale rose dress and matching lipstick, Gidon excitedly called out to him and waved, "Bucky!"

Grinning widely, Bucky strided towards them with Steve following behind. Although the blond man wore a crestfallen expression, his best friend hoped the night to be filled with fireworks and dancing would help cheer him up.

With his fingers soon intertwined with hers the pair strolled around with Steve and Connie, gazing and watching the fireworks and attractions with excitement. Both the med student and the soldier were content to be in each other's company for the night, and they would soon learn that they wouldn't never want that night to end. A buzz began to thrive throughout the mass of people also at the exhibition when jazz music and a round of applause reached their ears.

"It's starting," Connie called out, a cheerful ring in her voice. Her hands took hold on Gideon's and Steve's to pull them closer towards the stage; Bucky came following in suit by the pull of Gideon's hand.

They gathered within an open space to eagerly clap as the presentation began. Gideon had to admit, she was excited to see the flight of a car. She knew Howard from the work him and her father often collaborated on and had seen the very makings of the futurist car but never the actual workings of it.

As the tires were removed to reveal generators within the space, they began to hum, and the polished red car began to rise. Awes and applauses came from them all even as it fell.

Turning to Bucky, Gideon admired his impressed smile as he turned to say to Steve, "Hey Steve, why do you say we treat these girls to-" But the blonde man was nowhere to be seen.

"I think I have an idea of where he went," she noted, eyeing the recruitment station behind them.

"I'll be right back," he squeezed her hand before walking in the given direction.

"Hey Connie, we should go look at this exhibit," Gideon suggested, pointing towards one the extravagant and inter-connected buildings behind them, this one showing the promises of future aircrafts.

"Yeah! Let's go," the woman in a cream colored dress and jacket bleamed. Arm in arm, the two friends raced off.

They strolled through the hallway, looking at the bright attractions and the posters that lined the wall. But Gideon paused at one of the posters when she saw Bucky and Steve bickering over him enlisting for the uptenth time and her father listening in. She should have expected him to be there, given him and Howard were close, yet she was caught by surprise to see him here.

"Hallo papa," she came up from behind him after letting Connie know of where she was going.

"Meine Tochter," the aging man with circular glasses smiled. "What are you doing here?"

(My daughter)

"I came with friends," she said, glancing over to Steve, Bucky, and Connie. "I could ask the same about you."

"That man," he responded, his eyes trained on Steve, "Is he good?"

"One of the best I know," she nodded. "Go talk to him. I know he's a good candidate for the soldier experiment."

"I will," he gave her a confirming nod before saying, "You go back to your friends. I'll see you later. Ich liebe dich."

(I love you.)

"Ich liebe dich auch Papa," she waved before joining Connie once more.

(I love you too, dad.)

They watched Bucky and Steve slowly part waves, it being obvious that Steve would stay for another attempt at enlistment.

The uniformed man approached them as Gideon waved Steve goodbye. Bucky wore a growing grin on his face as his arms encircled the two women. "Come on girls, I hope you both are ready for dancing."

And leaning down, close to her ear he asked, "Did you bring your dancing shoes?"

"Of course," she nodded.

"Good," he smiled, "because you are in for the best night of your life."

I hope I got the German translations right. Google translate can be sketchy sometimes lol.

Anyways, how did you guys like it?? Let me know :)

-Ashley [6/22/16]