The steady hum of people rushing around her filled her ears, reminding her that today was like any other day, steady, easy, safe. Little did she know that today would prove to be nothing like the previous, far more life-changing than she knew yet also for the better.

The cafe she sat at with Steve across from her teemed with life, the night coming to an end and everyone out a day of work. But while enticed by her turkey club and the worry of hours of homework she had for the night, she also noticed the quiet expression of her recent friend, his food untouched. "Something's bothering you Steve. I can see it. What's up," the twenty-six year old asked. A slight German accent could be detected in her voice, yet her ancestry wasn't something she preferred to proclaim, especially now with the war in full fledge. The brunette detested the actions of her home country, and that was the very reason her family fled. Only, it came with costs in the form of deaths.

"I didn't get enlisted today, again," the sandy haired man sighed, toying with his coffee mug yet never taking a sip.

"Steve," she exhaled, blue eyes wide as she tried to think of words to say, but she was left speechless. From the second she met him, she could see the determination he possessed to serve, and she also saw the disappointment engraved in his features from the first time he was denied by the on-call doctor. Having worked at the evaluation sites for months, she knew the expression well. She couldn't quite remember why she befriended Steve on that day, but she liked the valor in his eyes, and Gideon Erskine knew what is was like to have to jump so many hurdles to do what you want.

With marks exceeding the averages of her classmates, she excelled in school and had her doctorate set in close reach, an impressive triumph for a woman of her time. She only had a couple of classes left, and nothing was going to stop her from becoming a doctor. Even at twenty-six she had seen nearly every horror of the world, and those experiences gave her the courage try to save as many lives as possible, with hopes that they would never see the same monstrosities.

A moment of quietness fell over the two friends, both pondering the same dilemma. Chestnut hair laid splayed around her shoulders, slightly disheveled from the previous braid it sat in, and her dinner sat pushed aside and forgotten. But the longer she sat, the more annoyed she grew at Steve's second denial into the army, and she couldn't bite her tongue anymore.

"They're completely stupid not to accept you! You having every right to join just as much as the next guy. Who signed off on it? I'll make them change their mind, I promise you.," she prepared to defend.

"No Gideon, thank you though," Steve shook his head, slightly amused, "But that's what I'm saying!"

"What are you trying to say Rogers," came an intrigued voice from behind the booth, excited humor in his tone.

Curious eyes peered over the red leathered booths to meet another set of approaching eyes, the vibrant shade of blue catching her attention with no intent of letting it go. Steve twisted in his seat, and an immediate smile formed.

"Hey Buck," Steve rose from the seat to embrace the uniformed dark haired man.

Watching the two men, Gideon knew they were long time friends just by the way their faces lit up with excitement at the sight of each other.

"Who's this," the man asked, the same pair of enticing eyes never leaving hers. He stood tall, his muscles built, hair trimmed, and Gideon felt her heart rate rise which surprised herself. She was never one to take an interest in men, her concentration far too focused on defying the common social stream for women. To become a doctor was a bold move, and she needed every ounce of focus to complete it, which didn't leave time for relationships.

But gazing at the man named Buck to side of her, that focus was just beginning to fall.

"She's my friend," Steve began. "We met while she was working at the evaluation sites."

"Gideon Erskine," she introduced, returning his warm smile. After he slipped inside the booth with Steve following, his hand reached out to shake hers, the contact bordering electric. "And you are?"

"James Barnes, but I usually go by Bucky," he grinned.

"I like it," she returned, settling back into the booth, cheeks a light rose shade. "Bucky Barnes. It's got a nice ring."

"Comes from my middle name, Buchanan."

"So how did you two meet," Gideon wondered.

"Oh, this is a good story," Steve laughed, turning to the dark haired man, "I think I've known you as long as I could remember."

Memories flooded back and a spark of reminiscence came aflame in his eyes. "I remember saving your ass that day," the corners of his mouth rose and a melodic laugh sounded from it before he paused, "Sorry ma'am please excuse my language."

"No need to apologize, Bucky," her smile never faded, "And please call me Gideon."

"Well Miss Gideon," Bucky leaned in closer, "I think that you need to hear the full story about me and Steve here."

"I'm intrigued, please tell me," she said, her voice light yet eager as well.

And from that point on, she learned Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers had one hell of a story.

They spent the following hours into the depths of the night talking, Gideon learning of adventures Bucky and Steve shared throughout their childhood and how they were each other's best friends through everything. Until the end of the line. And even after Steve retired home, her and Bucky remained, captivated with each other's company.

With a fresh pot of coffee shared between them, impending homework was the last subject on her mind.

"Did Steve really wear newspapers in his shoes," she asked, blues eyes crinkled as a smile showed on her lips. It was a look that already the soldier swooning.

"All the time," he laughed before taking another sip of coffee, black.

"I can't believe it," she shook her head, still grinning.

"He's a great friend," Bucky nodded.

"I know. I'm glad to have met him."

"Me too," he agreed.

Sipping her coffee with a touch of cream in it, she noticed the slight softening of their conversation and the small, hesitant expression that crossed his face. It was one she knew well. It was one that a person had when they had bad news sitting on their mind. Given, his was different from the one her father had so many years ago when he told her and her family that they had to leave their home.

"You're being shipped out soon, aren't you," she inferred.

"Just training," he confirmed, "I'm leaving for Wisconsin in two days actually, but it's only for a couple weeks I think."

"Will you do me a favor then, when you're off on the battle line," she leaned in closer, an eyebrow raised.

"And what would that be," he wondered.

A slow smile growing on her face, she said, "Please excuse my language for this but, kick their asses for me."

A melodic laugh erupted from his lips before he nodded, "I will Gideon, and you'll be only one I'm thinking of as I do."

"I'm flattered," the brunette couldn't conceal the blush rising on her cheeks.

"What's your story," he changed the subject, yet still had a prominent glow in his eyes.

"My story?"

"Yeah, like how did you and Steve meet? Didn't you two meet at an evaluation site?"

"Yeah, I work at them, helping the other doctors and everything. It's required for my doctorate actually," she revealed. It wasn't often that she told people what she did, what she worked so hard to achieve, given it usually followed with rather unfavorable remarks, [Unfavorable was always the best way she could ever word it. Misogynistic and sexist also fit the bill, but unfavorable summed it all up in one]. But Bucky's response defied them all.

"A doctor? That's impressive. I think anyone who is your patient is lucky to have you."

"Thanks Bucky. I just have a little under a year left of my residency and a few classes, but then I'm done," she added, excited to graduate and work wherever she was needed.

"Will you do me a favor then, when I'm away and you need a break from studying," he wondered, the same lighthearted ploy in his voice that she used on him earlier.

"What," she peered at him.

"Write to me."

"Write to you?"

"Yeah. It'd be nice to have your thoughts to read while I'm gone. I think you have some pretty good stories to tell."

"I'm not too sure that they'll be interesting, but I'd like that," she nodded, thumbing with the handle on the mug even though the coffee had gone cold. "What's the address?"

Pausing to scratch the location on a napkin in pen, she admired his messy scrawl as she held the paper in her hands. "I hope this isn't the last time I'll see you, Bucky."

"It won't be, trust me. I don't think I could stay away from those pretty blue eyes of yours," he grinned once more, and her heart beat exceled.

She was confused yet enthralled all the same looking back into those ocean blue eyes. They had only known each other for a couple hours, and he already had her heart racing faster than ever before and butterflies in her stomach. They weren't feelings she experienced often, but she liked it.

Yet it would come as she surprise to her that within the following weeks of their exchanged letters and all of the times they would see each other, like could never fully describe the feelings she felt for the charming soldier she met that night.

[5/28/16]