Mated

Chapter One - Crush

Warnings: None
Words: 2,325

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Eighteen years ago

"C'mon Lil' Bit, your slacking!" Bucky calls as Y/N struggled to keep up with her brother, Steve, and his very cute friend.

"Stop calling me that," she growled, her eyes shifting to the brunet's wrist to see if she could catch a glimpse of the new tattoo he got back in March when he turned sixteen.

Y/N knew what her favorite animal was, and curiosity got the best of her, wanting to hope her crush was her soulmate, even though she would have to wait for another two and a half years before she finds out if he really were. Steve had already met his last week while at Coney, bumping into a curvy, petite girl from his biology class year. Y/N instantly liked Peggy when Steve brought her home, making their mother smile.

"No peeking, Lil' Bit," Bucky teased, adjusting his watch and leather strap around his wrist to obscure the new tattoo. "Maybe you can take a look when you turn sixteen." He gave her a wink and threw an arm around her brother's shoulder. "So, Peggy's gonna be there?" he asked her blond sibling, making him blush.

"Yeah, and be nice to her," Steve groused, "you're my best friend. I need you there if we get married."

"If? All soulmates get married," Y/N huffed as she finally reached the two boys, her arm hooking Steve's and gave him a smile. "You guys will be perfect together forever."

"Yeah, only soulless marriages are doomed," Bucky added, forcing a smile across his face. The words hurt Y/N, knowing his parents were part of that group: ones who couldn't find their soulmates due to whatever the circumstances. George and Winifred Barnes were far from a happy couple.

"You guys are real winners in making someone feel assured," Steve complained but he laughed. Y/N could see that her brother was hiding his nerves. They were meeting Peggy for a date, even though her and Bucky weren't a couple.

"It's what we do, punk," Bucky laughed as he started to scan the crowd looking for Steve's girl and it gave Y/N a moment to give a side glance at his profile while Steve remained oblivious.

Even though she had known Bucky since she was born, the man was always more than her brother's friend to her. No one knew she had a crush on him, and she was hoping to keep it that way. So she stole glances when she could, find reasons to touch him that still were friendly, even accepted his help though it wasn't needed. So, when he got his soulmate tattoo on his sixteenth birthday, she wanted to see what kind of animal it would be, wanting hope.

"There she is," Steve exclaimed softly, making Y/N look up at him. The smile on his face was the look of someone who was deeply in love, even though he only met his soulmate two months ago; meeting her only weeks after his tattoo appeared. Y/N looked over where his eyes were fixed, letting go of her brother's arm and ran to the curvy girl ahead, wrapping her arms around her.

"Hey Peggy," she smiled, pulling back to give her space.

"Hey," the brunette replied with her painted red lips and impeccable makeup and outfit. The girl's white and blue gingham dress made Y/N rethink donning a black crop with skinny capris that hit below the knee, the white converses, and just mascara. Peggy's mahogany hair was curled, giving her luscious waves that were pinned behind her ears, unlike Y/N's ponytail that was under the baseball cap she wore. But Y/N had to remind herself that Peggy was sixteen, and found her soulmate. Y/N was only fourteen, still had a bit of that childish look to her considering she was still rather small in the chest area.