Before the Frost (1)

Chapter Twenty-Six

By the time Steve and Bucky, along with the others, finally got back to the American camp exactly thirty miles away from the torturous battlegrounds they'd just escaped, the beat-up men of all different races and ethnicities were covered from head to toe in sweat, grime, and their breathing was anything but normal as they all tried to inhale as much oxygen into their lungs as they could possibly fit, save for Steve, of course.

The air was cool and crisp, refreshing, much cleaner than that of New York in the early morning. The sun was just beginning to rise on the horizon and the sky was a magnificent display of red, orange, and pink, though the soldiers returning from one of the most eventful nights of their lives didn't care about that when they were all desperate for water. Except for Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, they were desperate for something else.

As excited and surprsied soldiers from the American camp ran to aid the returning men with grins on their faces and a weight lifted of their chests, Steve caught sight of an ecstatic Peggy Carter, the biggest smile he'd ever seen on her face, headed straight for him at a dead sprint.

"Steve!"

"Peggy!" He shouted out through the crowd of survivors, an exhausted Bucky tailing behind with the grace of a dying water buffalo. Once Steve and Peggy were close enough, he grabbed the nice woman's shoulders and pleaded with her, his eyes looking the most desperate they'd ever had in his life. "Peggy, tell me she's here. Is Evangeline Harris here? Did she make it to camp?" 

The grin that once illuminated her entire face slowly began to fade from her lips, though neither of the men were too concerned about that. Though Steve was well aware of her little crush on him, he didn't have time to worry about sparing her feelings, not when Evangeline's safety was in the equation. Peggy cleared her throat and straightened her brown jacket awkwardly, averting eye-contact with the duo as much as possible.

They waited patiently for her to speak, but Bucky had almost had enough. He needed to know whether Evangeline was there at the camp or if he needed to go back out into the woods and start searching, because there was no way in hell he was going anywhere until he knew whether she was alright or not. After all those times he flirted with her, talking about their future kids and what they'd do when the war was over, there was no way he was going home without her, whether she be at his side or in a box.

"I'm sorry, Steve. I'm really, truly sorry. She never checked-"

"Bucky!"

Their heads turned just in time to see the flap of Mr.Stark's tent fly open and the overjoyed young woman bolt out of their like a bullet being shot through a rifle.

"Angie!"

From out of the blue, the scarred woman came sprinting towards the group of three, having been alerted of their arrival by the wave of soldiers finally returning. Though she was barefoot, the soles of her feet were covered in blisters and sores from walking thirty miles without shoes, and still wearing Steve's over-sized coat, she didn't let any of that get in the way as she weaved her way through the crowd of men, eyes glistening with unshed tears, and lunged for Bucky.

The relief he felt right then was unexplainable as she ran straight into his embrace, right where she truly belonged. He couldn't believe it at first, after witnessing the tortures she'd been put through, hearing the sounds of her soul shattering into a million pieces and not being able to defend her. But there she was, in the flesh, holding on to him just as tightly as he was holding onto her. 

"You're okay," The blonde woman started out with a ragged voice, but she couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. She couldn't hide the crack in her words or the tears of joy sliding down her face, leaving two distinct lines in the grime that coated her cheeks. "You're okay."

Bucky was in the same state, if not worse than her current one. The moisture growing in the corners of his eyes were seconds away from becoming full-on tears and he bit his bottom lip to keep it from trembling. As the hours went by in that damned torture facility, Bucky had realized that he may never see her again, that she'd die from the horrid procedures done to her or he'd die of heartache and desperation, knowing good and well that he couldn't take much more of her suffering any longer. But after going through hell and back, being turned into something she never wanted to be for the benefit of their enemies, Evangeline Harris was alive. She was here. She was safe.

"I'm so sorry, Angie," He whispered, his body shaking as he held onto her with everything he had, convinced that he was never ever going to let go ever again. 

"Why are you sorry?" She pulled herself away from him only a little bit, just enough so she could look up at his dirty, bruised face. It was then that they both noticed the other crying from relief and couldn't help but let out a laugh at the sight. If anything good ever came out of this situation, it was that they both knew in their hearts that their affection for each other was true. Bucky knew that Angie wouldn't let him go so easily, that it would take a lot more than three days straight of torture to affect the emotions she had concerning him, and Evangeline was certain that James Buchanan Barnes would do everything in his power to keep her safe. They knew they probably looked crazy to the people around them, but they didn't care because it was true. They were crazy. About each other.

Evangeline lifted her hand to the side of his face, gently wiping away his tears with her thumb, though the action only caused him to cry more and he nuzzled into her touch, just as he'd done the morning she lost her hand. Her touch. He couldn't put the feeling into words, but for some reason all he needed was physical contact to calm him down. "You didn't do anything wrong, Bucky."

"I wasn't...I couldn't..." He wanted to explain, to tell her that he hadn't been strong enough to protect her, that he'd been so helpless that he could feel it physically killing himself on the inside. He took a deep breath. "Do you know how long you screamed?" She shook her head. "Three days," He could hardly get the words out without breaking into a complete sob. "You screamed for three days straight. And I couldn't..."

She pulled him in for another hug and she buried her face in his chest.

"It wasn't your fault, Bucky."

He didn't believe it, not for a second. But Bucky knew his guilt would only cause Angie more pain, so he swallowed his self-loathing and continued to embrace her. Buck wanted to stay like that forever, just holding her, relieved that they'd both lived to see another day, that they'd both lived to be together for a little while longer. 

It was in that very second that the idea came to mind, the one thing that could make being with her forever possible. Bucky gently freed himself from her grip, grabbed the small tin container from his back pocket, fished something out of it, wiped the tears from his eyes and got on one knee. In his hand was one of the wedding bands the Jewish old woman had given him when they'd freed one of the concentration camps not too far from where they were at that very moment.

The crowd around them fell silent. Both Evangeline and Peggy put their hands over their mouths in shock and Steve's eyes grew wide at the sight before him. None of them could honestly believe that what they were seeing was real.

"I was planning on making a long speech," Bucky started. "But seeing that we're all a little emotional right now, I don't think I'd be able to get through it." He couldn't help but chuckle slightly, then took a deep breath. "Evangeline Amelia Harris, will you marry me?"

"No."