N-701124 {b. barnes}

PART I: THE NURSE

1918-1944

Quotes overhead from Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes before Belle lost her shit:

"Sit still before I stab you with this needle on purpose!" 

"James? James! Stay awake, stay with me! Come on, please!"

"Steven Grant Rogers, get your not-so-happy ass back here!"

February, 1934

"Why is a pretty gal like you outside all by yourself?" The teenagers blue eyes sparkled playfully. "Hasn't anyone told you that this part of the city is dangerous?"

"I don't care. I can protect myself." The raven-haired girl snorted. "My daddy raised me and taught me how to fight. I don't need warnings from a boy like you." 

"I'm not a boy, I'm a man!" He protested.

"You can't be any older than fifteen."

"Neither can you." He challenged. 

"I'm sixteen." She crossed her arms. "Are you?"

He looked away. "No." He grumbled. "I'm fifteen."

"I don't need some young boy protecting me. I know how to protect myself. You're practically a child. I don't hang around children."

"I'm not a child!" He argued. "I'll be sixteen in two weeks!" 

"And I've been sixteen for two weeks." She smirked.

He huffed. "You really shouldn't walk home on your own. You could get kidnapped. Or worse. I don't think you'd want that." 

"You really think you could protect me?" She looked at him.

"I could." He crossed his arms. "If you're not going to let me walk you home, you should at least tell me your name." 

"No." 

"My name is James. My friends call me Bucky, though." 

"How do you get Bucky from James?" She wondered.

"It's from my middle name." James answered. "I'm sure you've got a middle name. What is it?" 

She groaned. "It's Rose." 

Did this boy ever shut up?

"I'm calling you Rose."  

"Please don't." She pleaded. "I hate it. My name is Belle, not Rose." 

"Then I'm going to call you B." 

"Don't." She groaned. "I hate that even more." 

"What else am I supposed to call you?" He paused for a minute, then grinned. "Could I call you mine?" 

"Absolutely not, nice try though." She huffed. "Go home. I can look after myself." 

"You should still let me walk you home. You never know what could happen. I'm sure your parents wouldn't want you to vanish out of the blue." James smirked. "Come on, B, let me walk you home." 

"Will you leave me alone if I say yes?" Belle sighed.

"Yes ma'am." He grinned.

"Fine." She grumbled. 

"Great." He grinned. "Come on then, it's starting to get dark." 

Belle huffed and walked off. James followed at her side. For the first time, he was quiet. She enjoyed the quiet, but it was over too soon.

"Does the pretty lady have a man to call her own?" 

"No." 

"Why not?" 

"Because I don't want one. They're nothing but trouble. I don't got time for that." She stopped outside the apartment building. "Well, here I am. Goodbye." 

"That's it?" 

"What? If you were expecting a thank you, you're not going to get one. I didn't ask for you to walk me home." 

"You're not going to let me walk you to your door?" 

"No. For all I know, you could be some crazy stalker. I can walk myself to my door, thank you very much." Belle huffed.

"You're welcome." James grinned. "I'll see you around?"

"Hopefully not." Belle muttered, walking inside. 

For a few weeks, Belle saw nothing of James. She hoped it would stay that way. Unfortunately, she wasn't as lucky as she originally hoped. 

They couldn't stay away from each other, no matter how much they tried.