Endless Winter (Bucky Barnes)

Chapter Ten

Chapter ten- Beauty in the breakdown
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The SSR had given her some clothes, for her mud-coated torn attire was not appropriate. She had been given a white T-shirt and torn slacks at Hydra, but the nice dress they gave her was a positive change. The material was foreign to her, it was soft and polka-dotted, something she vaguely remembered as a child. The dress was loose fitting on her, it was collared and hung above her knees.

It was hard to put a word on how she felt.

She felt-

different.

Like the person standing before her in the mirror hadn't taken a life with her own hands. She couldn't help but see blood on her hands in the mirror and turned away, slipping on the flats she was provided.

Trousers were just becoming popular for women in the 40s, but in the 20s it was a different story, although the person who chose this outfit for her didn't realize that she had little to no memories of her before Hydra. Treading over to the cot, she sat down and stared at her hands, scared to see what the world was really like.

At the bar, Bucky was waiting there with Steve for her. He was watching Steve attempt at flirting with Peggy Carter, the girl Bucky originally was head over heels for. As Peggy strode toward Steve, hips swaying with pure confidence, he could see the goo goo eyes Steve had. Bucky had to suppress a laugh, Steve had no idea how to talk to girls or express feelings in a not weird way. "Just ask her out, man. " Bucky encouraged, nudging him with his elbow. Steve looked at him with his skin beet red. "No way, " He said.

Out of the corner of Bucky's eye, he saw the familiar brunette enter through a door, her eyes scanning the crowd until they found Bucky. Jacklyn was clearly confused, she had never saw something so strange.

The room smelt strongly of alcoholic beverages, she made a face and walking through the tables. She saw Bucky and he smiled, she forced a smiled but it looked more like a grimace, he made him chuckle a small bit as she approached him. "What is this place?" Jacklyn asked, Bucky smiled at her. "A bar." He responded, not knowing how else to put it.

She nodded, she didn't understand, but she still nodded. They stood there as a song played on the jukebox, it's melody humming in Jack's ears, she smiled at Bucky, who was nodding his head to the music. "Now this is good music. Why don't you dance with me?" Bucky offers softly, she stared at his hand he offered with wide eyes. "Dance? I... Don't know how to do that." She said, She vaguely knew what dancing was, let alone how to. Bucky groaned playfully and grabbed her hand, she jerked her hand away on instinct.

"Er, sorry." She muttered, Bucky smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, Jacklyn." Steve says from behind Bucky, Jacklyn smiled at the blonde as he came closer to the pair. "I just requested a song, they said they'll play it next." Steve said, Jacklyn looked at Bucky, who nodded at him. "Umm, okay..?" She said, scoffing a little.

She didn't know that Bucky told him to play the Annette Henshaw song she mentioned in the cellar. Bucky smiled at her as the song continued to play from before. "My offer still stands to dance?" Bucky offered a hand once again, weary not to trigger her reflexes again, she smiled wildly at him.

"Maybe another time." She said, rubbing her arms and smiling. He nodded, leaning up against the bar. Sensing his disappointment, she quickly added, "You'll have to teach me, Barnes." She said playfully and sitting on a bar stool next to her. The next song started as the previous faded out.

"Down in the poolroom some of the gang were talking of gals they knew, women are all the same said Jo."

Jacklyn's head perked and unexpectedly to Bucky, she grew the widest smile on her face. "How about that dance now?" He inquired, he celebrated mentally when she nodded before taking her hand and leading her onto the floor.

"One dizzy bird said 'Pal aintcha heard? the story of True Blue Lou,'"

"Okay, so put your hand on my shoulder." Bucky said, snaking an arm around her waist and drawing her a tad closer. She obliged, draping one arm over his shoulder and joining her left hand with his. "Okay, next step?" She asked, staring up at him.

"Okay, so I'll step forward here, and you step back when I step forward, like.... this." He demonstrated, placing his front foot forward and guiding hers back. "Okay, now step with you back foot," He instructed, they continued to work through the simple two-step dance while the song True Blue Lou by Annette Henshaw played on the jukebox. In the background, Steve and Peggy watched them with a knowing smile on both their faces.

"We could join them?" Peggy offers.

"I don't dance." Steve said. She laughed at him.

"Correction. You won't dance." Peggy chuckled.

"Absolutely correct." Steve said, not feeling very confident on his dancing skills.

They continued to watch the two gradually fall into some sort of rhythm, Jacklyn eventually got the hang of the simple two-step and she was able to enjoy the moment besides be frustrated. Bucky had so many questions he wanted to ask her as he stared at her chocolate brown hair, what happeneded when she was with Hydra, what happened on the bridge with Red Skull, but the wound was still fresh, and he last thing he wanted to was be the one who brought her pain.

She met his gaze and smile, humming along with the last words that played.

"Angels don't blame her, they still will name her, True Blue Lou."

She grinned so wide it was foreign to Bucky, she had ppetty, meaningless and fake smiles, but this was the first real, genuine smile he'd seen from her. "It was a song," She said, remembering.

"All along, it was a song." He didn't know what she meant by that, but her wide smile made him not care.

When the music stopped, so did they, but the moment still lasted in their hearts.