Book 0: Past Life

Chapter 3: What friends do

Sorry for taking so long to publish this one. Had writer block. >∆<
And also sorry for some part being normally written rather than  Italicized (is that right?)  My phone's new and it's hard because it keeps glitching because half of this was from an iPhone before I switched to an Oppo

Anyway, onto the chapter

∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆

Jacqueline's POV

It was late at night. I was still in my office, looking through files and continuing with my research. As I continued to make notes, a knock was heard.

"Come in." I spoke to whoever was out there. The door opened up, revealing my friend, Peggy.

"It's a bit late for scribbling, don't you think?" She said, walking toward my desk before sitting down on the chair in front of me. "You should rest, Jackie. You have to wake up early for tomorrow, don't you?"

I glanced at her, my hands not stopping, and replied, half-lying, "I know, Peggy, but This is very important. I don't think I'll be able to go to tomorrow's training."

She sighed in.... disappointment? "Is this your excuse to avoid Rogers? Really, Jackie, I expected more from you."

I stopped writing slowly, but I resumed my action and acted as if her words didn't pierce me. "There is no such thing, Peggy. I'm stating the truth."

"Then why did you go out of your way to act as if Rogers wasn't there?" She questioned calmly, staring deep into my eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lied again. My grip on the pen increased as I stabbed the page that I was currently taking notes on.

Her eyes broke contact from mine and eyed my hand. I was never good at lying.

"I think you do, silver. It's all about Steve, isn't it? You don't want him to be here, in the danger zone."

"I suck at lying, don't I?" I chuckled dryly. "You're right. I don't want him to be involved and I never think he should. This war, the bloodshed, the sacrifices, the fear that you might not make it to see tomorrow's light; I just thought that he could be spared from it all.." I shifted my gaze away to the flower Bucky gave me. It was slowly, but surely, dying. Piece by piece. Just like how he and I was when we walked into the battlefield. The blood, corpses, the roars of men crying and fighting for their lives, the destruction upon everything- every time I went out there, I couldn't help but feel pieces of me breaking and fading permanently. "I.. I never want him to witness what I saw. I never want him to risk not coming back in one piece. I want him to be safe. He's been through so much already.." I dropped pen, sniffling at the thought of him out there, all alone, with no one to help him.

"I understand, Jacqueline, truly I do. But don't you see? He's trying to do the same to you! Maybe he figured that if he was there with Barnes, then you wouldn't have to. I guess it was his way of convincing you to stay out." She giggled a bit, causing Jackie to join in.

"I hate his logic sometimes. He comes up with the strangest thing." She smiled softly.

Peggy's eyes lit up a little, her lips curled to a smirk. "I hear love at the last one. Are you in love perhaps~?"

I froze and started stuttering. "W-Wha- No! I-I mean.. I-"

"Jacqueline Imelda Silver, you are definitely in love! Oooh Rogers is so lucky!" Peggy squeaked in happiness over the matter, which I groaned and covered my fluttered face.