Battlefield ★ Bucky Barnes

II. No Matter What Happens

DECEMBER 1941

Connie was in a particularly somber mood, which was almost a rare occasion for the girl. It worried Bucky greatly, but he knew why she was upset, and he understood. Bucky was leaving for England the following morning and hadn't bothered to mention it to her at all; it was the sole reason he wished to have a night out with her and Steve, but Connie could hardly bring herself to enjoy it as she was met with the realization it could be the very last night she would ever spend with the man she had fallen in love with.

This was the occasion she had asked him about the previous day, only for him to lie to her about it. The moment he stepped out of their bathroom in his uniform she felt as if her life was being altered in the worst possible way, and in a sense it was. She was proud of Bucky for being brave enough and strong enough to risk his life for his country, but she was also terrified of the fact itself. She didn't want to lose him, especially not to war.

"C'mon, Connie Mae," Bucky spoke to Connie as they entered the expo. "Please don't be angry with me."

Connie let out a sigh and glanced up at her lover, her brown eyes sad rather than angry as Bucky had suspected them to be. It had been so long since he had seen her anything less than happy, which was part of the reason he refrained from telling her he was leaving in the first place. There was nothing Bucky loved more than seeing his best girl happy, and knowing that she was now upset because of him made him feel horrible.

"I'm not angry with you, Buck," Connie breathed out. "I'm just a tad bit upset, okay? You're leavin' tomorrow mornin' and you didn't tell me until tonight."

Bucky sighed and wrapped an arm around Connie's shoulder. "And I feel bad, which is why I'm gonna make tonight a night you won't forget, okay? I'll get you whatever ya want, and then later the three of us can go dancin' the way you like to do. Does that sound good to you?"

"What sounds good to me is wakin' up tomorrow and havin' you home, but since I'm not gettin' that, I guess I have no choice but to be okay with this," Connie replied as she leaned up to press a soft kiss to his lips. "But you are buyin' me popcorn."

"Already taken care of, Con," Steve's voice sounded behind her.

Connie spun around to face him, a thankful smile pulling onto her face as she met his eyes. "Thank you, Steve," she said sweetly as she removed the bag from his outstretched hand.

"Who do you think you are buyin' for my girl, Rogers?" Bucky teased as he pulled Connie back to his side.

"Her brother, Barnes," Steve retorted with a light chuckle.

Connie shook her head and smiled at the two boys' banter as she nibbled on her popcorn. She loved the two of them more than she cared to admit sometimes.

"C'mon, you two," Bucky said to the two of them as Howard Stark made his way onto the stage. "We've got a show to watch."

And so they watched it.

Connie and Bucky did, however.

Some time during the show, Steve had taken off for yet another enlistment office. He wanted to try again, not only for the sake of his country this time, but for the sake of his two best friends. He wanted to be able to fight for them the way he wanted to be able to fight for his country. He didn't want Bucky to be the only man in both of their lives who took care of things—he didn't want Bucky to be the only man in both of their lives who was physically able to take care of things.

Connie and Bucky managed to find him, though. He stood in front of an ENLIST NOW bulletin, and both knew then what was going through his head.