Flickers | Bucky Barnes

Break

March 2016

Karina knew James had planned something for their birthdays', considering last year she withheld that they were born on the same day. He already vocally pointed out that he was going to get her something. He wasn't exactly being subtle.

Instead of celebrating at his apartment, they were at hers where he had actually decorated slightly which was already an upgrade from her laidback celebration last year. They had finished eating the chocolate cake he had politely requested that she made last year, and for the holidays they celebrated together with ice cream.

It was a fairly simple birthday and she wasn't going to complain. She wouldn't want to spend her birthday any other way. Yet, James was upping the anticipating of what he got her for her birthday. He was being particularly coy and insisting she could only open it after they ate. He already opened his gifts which were embarrassingly simple. She only got him a new baseball cap and a few muscle shirts. She didn't go all out like last year considering her pocket was still pretty light after they went for a more extravagant Christmas. Well more on her part; she had splurged and bought James an iPod Touch. Even if he didn't know exactly what the item was, he knew it was expensive, and he tried to have her take it back or in some gentleman way claimed he couldn't accept such a costly gift. Despite that and his general preference of listening to music from his era through his record player, the Sergeant was well-versed in knowing how to purchase music and using the iPod. She knew he liked having the music on the go and something to listen to her as she finished her shift at the bar and at work.

But despite her tendency to spend her money on James like she was throwing money at a stripper, she felt he wouldn't go out of his way to buy her an expensive gift. It didn't hurt her feelings, it was more of the simple fact he wasn't exactly familiar with the things he noticed she liked. She realized he knew a lot about her just from observation. He knew her routine down to a T. It was slightly uncanny knowing how much input he received and retained, but a bigger part of her was flattered.

So she contained her curiosity as the last thing she wanted was to seem annoying. She would like whatever he gave her anyways since it was coming from him and he likely put a lot of thought into it. Plus as he walked closer to her with the gift in a small box wrapped surprisingly neatly in newspaper, her heart began pounding. Unlike her where she had her reactions to this day capped tightly, James looked incredibly nervous.

He swiped his growing brown locks back behind his ears as he handed out the gift for her to take.

She accepted the small box that was incredibly lite, but the movement jostled the item inside enough that she thought it could contain jewelry. But whatever the item was, she was now eager than ever to open the small box.

"It's not much, I was originally going to give it to you on Christmas, but I thought it made a better birthday gift."

Karina looked up to find James' icy blue eyes shining with apprehension. She gave him a soft smile, "I'm sure whatever it is. I'll like it. No, I'll probably love it." She corrected.

He replied with a tight unsure smile that hid his teeth.

Karina turned her focus back on the small object in her hand. His reaction was making her really wonder as to what he got her.

She delicately unwrapped the box from the newsprint paper to reveal a simple silver box. She looked back up at him to give him a reassuring smile before she focused back to the box. She removed the lid and she found two pieces of metal. A look of puzzlement masked her face as she moved her left hand to grasp the items that she realized were connected by a metal chain.

As the two pieces of metal clanked together, she realized what he had given her.

Her thumb rubbed over the identification pieces and a large ball formed in her throat while her mouth felt like cotton. She brought the pieces closer where she could make out the clear inscription of: