Happy Ending *Completed*

Chapter 4

Buck chases me for a good half hour before he is winded, hunched over the side of a bench. making my way back towards him at a light jog, smirking without a hint of tiredness in me.

"Done already Barnes? I thought you were a soldier." And cue the glare that I seem to see more often than not.

"Or I'm faking you out." And there's the cue for my eye roll. "Keep doing that and maybe you'll find your brain."

"Then I should keep torturing you, you can roll your eyes and find yours too. Wait, where did little Stevie go? Or been."

"He said he was going to the bathroom about half an hour before you ruined my chances with those pretty girls." Is that the sound of sadness I hear in Buck's voice? I think it is.

"Is Stables sad he lost another two girls? Because I'm pretty sure there are at least another twenty here ready to get in a line for me to scare away."

"Is there going to be one girl I'll ever meet who you won't scare away?"

"We both know that every girl you try to get with will be scared away by the face of Dolores Caines."

"Damnit." Smirking at my small victory I begin looking from my spot for Steve, let Buck here get another few minutes of heavy breathing in before a search for Steve begins.

And then I saw it, a sign advertising a recruitment post at the expo.

"I know where Steve is, let's go before he does something stupid and gets arrested, but it's Steve, so we're probably too late."

As quickly as I could I went over to the recruitment post, hoping I'm not too late to stop Steve from getting into trouble with the law. As I was approaching I saw Steve walk out really giddy, well looks like there isn't any trouble with the law at least, but I'm still going to give him a stern talking to.

"How many cities have you used now? Ten? Twenty? Thirty? You'll be lucky if they don't catch on." While I did have the motherly glare happening, I stopped myself from shaking my pointer finger as well.

"Except this time I was excepted into the military, mother." Wow, a smirk, this is new from fairly quiet Steve.

"If I'm going to be called your mother, then I'm going to do so much more to you when we get home." And then just behind Steve I see Dr. Erskine leaving the recruitment station, oh no, oh no no no no no, this will not be happening anytime soon, not under my watch at least, "hold on, I just saw a friend that I need to go have a word with, I'll see you guys at the entrance, it's getting kinda late." And without giving them a second to respond I sprint off trying to catch up to Erskine, there is no way I'm letting Stevie get dragged into this.

*Time skip brought to you by Moreos, and for the one guy against it, OreosTM*

Alright, so it is going to happen on my watch, in two weeks I'll be secretly going with Steve to evaluate all the recruits for the project. But first Steve and I need to send Buck off on his train. Well, if things go how I want them to go, Steve will be here seeing the return of Bucky, rather than with Bucky, though knowing what I do about Erskine, that won't happen.

"I guess this is good-bye." Oh, you are not getting off that easy Bucky, not on my watch.

"Don't you dare say goodbye, that implies permanent, it is a see you in a couple months or years." Yeah, I don't have a lot of confidence in this war ending anytime soon.

"Okay, I'll see you in a couple months or years, mother." Okay, I honestly should have seen that one coming, I kinda put that one on myself.

"I'll be at the courthouse legally adopting the both of you then, heaven knows you can't take care of yourselves. I did literally make you both breakfast this morning, and you Mr. Leaving Us couldn't iron your own shirt," Crossing my arms halfway through and giving a slight glare to the both of them, mostly to Buck, "I don't know how you plan to live without me."

"Who said I was?" If he doesn't wipe that flirty smirk off his face, so help me god I will wipe it off for him.

"You, who signed up for the war?"

"Now as much as I enjoy your old married couple fights, by the looks of it, Buck here needs to get going or he'll miss the train." Thank you, Steve, for stopping us from going until dark.

"Alright, you got to get going or they'll think you were trying to duck out on them, now I get a hug," I said while walking forward spreading my arms.

"Before we all leave each other, I do want to say one more thing to you in private before I head off Doll (A/N: I know, my name picking is great)," I hate that nickname, "but I'll give Steve here one so he can get going." And cue the bro-hug, one of the most awkward things in this world.

"I'll see you at the entrance Dolores." Thank you, Steve, for not using that horrid nickname, giving Steve a little wave I turned back to Buck who looked really nervous for some reason.

"Alright, I'm just going to get this over and done with, you can't say a word until the end, okay? This is hard enough as it is," Buck took a deep breath, "Dolores, I really like you as more than a friend, almost to the point where I may even call it love, you are just so amazing, your sarcastic comments and how you aren't afraid to be yourself, every day since we first met I've fallen a bit more in love with you, and I know this is sudden and at a horrible time, but if I don't make it back I wanted you to know that I care about you so much, and if I do come back will you at least go on a date with me?"

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I just stared at Buck in shock, one of my best friends loves me, in a romantic way? What? I figured I was doomed for crazy cat lady, but here is Bucky, surprising me with this. "Uhhhhh," what are you supposed to say?

"Is that really all the ever talking Dolores Caines has to say?" Yes, yes it is.

"How else should I respond? I don't know if I feel the same way, how I should even react to this information, or if I even want to yes or not," on my own behalf, he did drop a bomb on me, I mean, he was with TWO girls at the Stark Expo.

"How about this, you think about it, and if I come back you tell me your answer?"

"That I can mentally handle, now it's hug time because I think you now have five minutes to get on that train," with a smile I walk forward and give Bucky a hug, but it doesn't exactly feel the same as it has in the past, I can't put a finger on how, but it just doesn't. When I pull away I give Buck a closed mouth smile and give him a small shove towards the train, "Alright, time to go, don't forget about us back here."

"How could I with what I just said to you?" Buck said walking backward with a smirk.

"Stevie is here too!" He better not forget about Steve, or I will never let him live it down, or maybe even just live.

With a laugh, he got on the train, and I walked to the entrance, spotting Steve trying to look all cool leaning against a wall right by where I left.

"So what did Bucky have to say to you?" Oh if only I could tell you, Steve, if only I could, but it's something I want to handle alone, Steve has his own problems to face soon.

"Just that he'll miss our banter sessions," hopefully that'll keep him satisfied.

"That's understandable." Wait... does Steve know how Bucky feels about me?