Slow Burn [Bucky Barnes]

Prologue

December 2, 1991

Jacqueline was bored. Her parents had dragged her to another function for the higher of the social classes. She didn't know where they were right now; she was sitting at the white, cloth-laden table, just wanting to go home. There was a lone piece of bread on her plate.

Her mother had told her she needed to eat something, as not to be rude to their hosts, Howard and Maria Stark. So, in an act of great teenage defiance, she had chosen a single piece of bread to be abandoned on her plate.

She jumped in surprise when she was tapped on her right shoulder. She looked to her right, but no one was there. Oh, she realized. This is about to turn fun. She turned to her left, trying to hold back a grin.

A man only a year older than her had sat down. He had swiped her piece of bread and was now nibbling on it. "Really, Jack? Not even a little bit of butter?"

That's when she really smiled. "Hey, Tony." Then her smiled dropped. "I keep telling you not to call me that."

He smirked, tossing the bread back to her plate. "Why, Jack? 'Jacqueline' is such a mouthful, don't you think?"

"Because 'Jack' is a boy's name."

He shrugged. "And 'Tony' is a girl's name if you switch out the 'Y' for an 'I'. You don't see me complaining."

"You've been using that argument since you were ten and I was nine. Don't you think it's gotten a little dated?"

His smirk deepened and he leaned forward. "Only if you go on a date with me."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "No."

He rolled his eyes too, and fell back against the back of his chair. "One day, you'll say, 'yes'." he announced with confidence.

He had asked her to go out with him countless times, and every time, she had said "no." The young Stark may have radiated confidence, but Jacqueline had known him her whole life. She knew when his pride had taken a blow.

And she knew exactly what would cheer him up. "Hey," she said, leaning in close, a wicked grin on her face. "Wanna?"

His demeanor immediately changed. "Oh, God, yes!"

He grabbed her by the hand and practically dragged her from the ballroom, both of them laughing the whole time.

"Oh, look, there they go again." Georgia, Jacqueline's mother, uttered dryly, knocking back the rest of the champagne in her glass.

There was a collective sigh from Howard, Maria, and Matthew, Georgia's husband. They all gulped down the last of their champagne, and Howard waved at a waiter, signaling for more.

Of course, this was just a huge joke on Georgia, Matthew, Howard, and Maria's part. Tony and Jacqueline never actually did anything, but they had long ago decided to pretend they were sleeping together for their parents' sake. It was quite hilarious. To them, anyway.

The two teenagers ran up the stairs to the third level of the Stark Mansion. There was a massive balcony there, overlooking a lake that Howard was trying to get the permits to buy.

Despite it being December, they went out to this balcony anyway. There wasn't any snow yet, but it was cold enough that their breath was visible. They giggled and sat against the railing, with their backs to the lake.

"Did you see your mom's face?" Tony asked.

She shook her head. "No. What was it like?"

He made a ridiculously exaggerated face of distaste, and she laughed.

They were quiet for a while.

"How's school?"

Jacqueline glared at him. "Don't you start, Mr. Summa-cum-laude-at-seventeen!"

He laughed. "I take it it's not going great, then?"

She sighed. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Well, now I wanna talk about it. Come on, tell me."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Come on, Jack, please?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because why would you care? You graduated from flipping MIT five months ago and you're only seventeen."

He nodded. "Okay, fine, I don't care about school. But I do care about you."

She rolled her eyes and hid a smile. "Shut up."

"I do!" he insisted.

"I know."

"We'll always be friends, right, Jack?"

She looked at him, expecting to find some sign of a joke on his face. She found none. He was completely serious. "I can't see why not. Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Just wondering." A moment passed. "It's cold. We should go back."

"We can't." Jacqueline grabbed his arm to look at his watch. "It's only been ten minutes."

He smirked. "Ah, right. We have to make it believable." There was a glint in his eye.

She playfully smacked his arm, appalled. "Tony!"

❣︎❣︎❣︎

December 17, 1991

"Tony!" she screamed, banging on the back door of Stark Mansion. She could barely see straight from the tears in her eyes and she was shivering from the melting snow coating her pajama pants.

She had woken up that morning and known something was wrong. Not a feeling, not an inkling, she had known. So, when she saw the news headline, she had barely put on her coat before rushing out into the snow.

The butler, Edwin Jarvis, opened the door. "Miss Evanscombe," he said in a hushed voice. "Please, lower your voice. We don't want the press to know about this entrance."

"Please, Jarvis," she begged. "Let me in. I need to see him."

"Miss, he doesn't want to see anyone."

"He needs me."

"Miss—"

"Jarvis!" she shouted, quieting him. "He isn't thinking straight right now, and you know it. Now, let me in!" She looked up at the Starks' trusty butler, easily identifying the tears welling in his eyes as well.

After a moment, he sighed, and stepped aside. She brushed past him and easily found her way through the maze that was the Stark Mansion to Tony's room. She pounded on the door ferociously.

The only response from the other side was the shattering of glass.

"Tony, it's me!" She knocked thrice more.

The door opened and she was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug.

She hugged him back without a thought. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "If I had known last night, I would've come."

"They're gone." was the only thing Tony said in reply, sobs wracking his body.

"Oh, God, I know," If it had been any other time, she would've scolded him for the alcohol on his breath. "I'm so sorry, Tony."

They slowly sank to the floor, he clinging to her like a lifeline. And together, they sat and cried.