1942

You and Bucky were the sweetest couple in the world. At least, you were to Steve. He idolized the two of you and the relationship you had.

You met Bucky a few years ago, fresh out of high school and figuring out what to do with the rest of your life. When you were walking with your best friend one afternoon, your hat blew right off your head and went tumbling down the street.

Lucky for you, you had your knight in shining denim there to catch it. He returned it to you along with a pick up line and a place, date, and time. You decided to go for it and now you call it the best decision you ever made. A year later, the two of you were married in a small ceremony with just your close family and friends.

Being a few years younger than him (three to be exact), you always joked and called him your old man. He didn't mind, in fact he thought it was cute. Of course, you had better nicknames for him like darling and sweetheart. He got to call you doll and love.

For those years of knowing each other, you had never imagined a day without Bucky by your side. At this point, it was hard not to imagine seeing Steve every day with how much he was around. You didn't mind, of course, because Steve was sweet and his heart was too big for his chest.

For all those years, you never imagine America going to war with the rest of the world. Again. There were rumors circulating around Brooklyn that it was only a matter of time before the US joined the war effort and started drafting people.

Those rumors made you hug Bucky just a little tighter and kiss him a little longer.

One day, as you were working in the diner, you heard the bell above the door jingle. "Welcome to-"

You cut your greeting off when you looked up from the counter you were wiping down. It was Buck. And he was in a uniform. You looked over to your boss, who knew the two of you very well, and he nodded a yes to your silent question.

Out back, you and Bucky held each other. "When do you leave?" you asked, your voice muffled by his chest.

"Tomorrow. Just got the orders today. I'm now Sergeant James Barnes, part of the 107th," he explained.

The words had you tightening your hold on him and sniffing your sadness away. "Well then we better make the most of tonight," you whispered, tears making their way down your face.

"Don't worry, doll, I've got a plan. How do you feel about the Stark Expo?"

That afternoon, you were getting ready in your and Bucky's apartment. And, technically, Steve's. He had his own little guest room in your small home.

The Expo was supposed to be about the world of tomorrow, and the Howard Stark was supposed to show for an exhibition. You knew Bucky loved these kinds of things- he was such a nerd. You used to make fun of him relentlessly for rereading The Hobbit every other month until you read it.

A knock echoed through the bathroom and you smiled to yourself in the mirror, the red lipstick on you making your teeth look even whiter. "Coming!" you called, getting your pearl earrings in your ears.

Once they were in and secured, you grabbed your purse and opened the door.

You opened the door and saw at Bucky and Steve. "You looked stunning doll," Bucky said.

"Thank you sweetheart," you said. Smiling and blushing, you stepped out of the bathroom. You walked between the boys, heading to the door leaving for the big night.

The Expo was so cool. There was a giant metal statue of the globe, a train that wasn't on the ground, and a huge stage where Howard Stark's presentation was going to take place. It was impressive, seeing him make a car fly, even just a few feet off the ground.

Overall, you were enjoying the night. There was a brief intermission when Bucky had to talk to Steve about enlisting for the fifth time. Once that conversation was done with, Bucky took you to a dance hall and you two dance for what felt like the whole night.

"Never let me go?" you whispered into Bucky's chest as the two of you danced to a slow song. I'll Never Smile Again was what was making you and Bucky sway and it was a pretty good description of how you felt in the moment.

"Could never dream of doing such a thing, love."

When the dance hall had to close, you and Bucky walked back to the apartment. No one dared look twice at you as you made your way down the dark sidewalk- Bucky's uniform was a pretty good creep repellent.

Inside, you two got dressed in night clothes and snuggled together in the queen bed.

"I love you so much. I promise to write as often as I can. Just, promise to write back?" you whispered in the dark of the room.

Bucky's grip on you tightened and he buried his face into your neck. "I promise, doll. I love you, too," he whispered back. How you wished you could stay there for forever.

After Bucky arrived at his training camp, you kept your end of the deal. You sent the first letter and he responded quickly. This kept up for months, even when he had to leave. You even mentioned there was this new 'Captain America' guy who looked vaguely familiar. Bucky joked you had your eyes set another and it just made you laugh.

There was a lull for a while, one that scared you half to death until you finally got a letter back explaining the whole situation. Turns out the 'Captain America' guy was Steve. Steve. He was all big and muscle-y, the result of some experiment he agreed to be a part of.

Now, they were fighting together, and Steve would leave his own notes at the bottom of Bucky's letters. You loved your boys so much.

When there was another lull in letters, you weren't as panicked. Bucky did warn you he was going in a big mission and wouldn't be able to talk for a while. All seemed to be going well until you were at work one day.

It felt like a normal day. It should have been a normal day. But life had other ideas.

You were wiping down a table in the diner, chatting with another waitress, Angie, when a man walked in. He was dressed in a military type outfit, but it wasn't one you had seen before. Angie gasped.

"He's the one who gives ladies the bad news about their boys overseas..." she whispered to you. Her hands found your arm and you placed yours on top of hers.

Your heart picked up and you thought you were going to throw up. The world please was floating around your head. It was the only thing you could think of as you watched the man approach your boss.

A solemn look took over his face and he looked over at you. When he made direct eye contact with you, you couldn't believe it was true. He started walking over to you and you could feel Angie's grip tighten on your arm.

"No... no," you whispered, tears falling down your cheeks.

"(Y/n)... I am so sorry," he said. And you knew it was true. You lost it, the sobs wracking your body as your legs collapsed out from underneath you. Angie barely held you up and moved your body so you'd be putting most of the weight on her.

It was the worst day of your life. You husband, your Buck was gone.

The service was small, with you, his mom, and his sister being the only ones there. You had never wanted to see Steve so bad in your life, yet you knew he couldn't leave right now. Not when the fight was getting bigger by the day.

And then you got another letter. Steve had died. You were his closest next of kin, so you got the letter and everything. It was another dark day of you sitting on your bed, sobbing.

But the war was won. At least there was that.

A few years later, you found the ability to move on and met a man named Ace Phillips. He had served in the Army. Most men you met had served in some capacity.

At first, you were hesitant to keep talking to Ace. Would Bucky be jealous? But the hard truth hit you: Bucky was gone, and wasn't coming back. He wouldn't want you to hate your life away. So, you finally accepted Ace's offer and went on a date with him.

Two years later, you got married. While Bucky's ring was no longer on your ring finger, you still kept it close. On a silver chain that hung around your neck at all times.

Ace understood. One night, after the twentieth date or so, you two had a very personal conversation about how you lost your husband in the war. That you always had a piece of him with you and would never get rid of it. If that was a deal breaker, which you hoped it wasn't, but so be it.

He took in every word and held you when you cried. He promised to try and love you as much as Bucky did. And you know what? He did a pretty damn good job, the three kids being pretty good evidence of that.

~~

2023

Bucky sat alone in the apartment, unsure of what the future held for him now. Steve was gone, but everyone was back. He was back. He didn't know what to do.

Then Sam answered that question for him. He knocked at the door to Bucky's new apartment, information begging to be let out. A second later, Bucky opened the door and looked almost sad at Sam's presence. The way their relationship rolls.

"What?" he asked, annoyed.

Sam pushed passed the brunet and made his way into the apartment. "Come in why don't you," came a sarcastic mumble from Bucky. He let the door fall shut then turned to look at Sam. "Seriously, what?"

"Remember that girl you told me about? From a dream-memory?" Sam asked.

Bucky immediately nodded, considering there was only one. "Yeah, what about it?"

Sam took in a breath and got ready to give Bucky the information that would change a lot of things. "She's alive."

A few days later, Bucky and Sam were standing outside of a small assisted living complex in Upstate New York. The former was dressed in his old uniform, the one he wore the day he told his beloved wife he was drafted into World War Two.

"I don't know, man. Do you think this is a bad idea?" Bucky asked, looking at his friend in desperation.

This was the most vulnerable Sam had ever seen Bucky. It was weird, but he was going to do his best to make him feel better. When Steve gave him the shield, Bucky came with it, so he had to do his best.

"Buck, I promise it'll all be okay. I'll be right in the lobby if you need anything. You got this," Sam encouraged, adding a pat to the other man's shoulder.

He nodded, taking in Sam's words, and got himself mentally prepared for who he might be facing. He knew if wouldn't be (Y/n) Barnes, but he hoped that some part of the girl he knew was still in there.

A kind nurse led Bucky to the right room. He was thankful she didn't question his choice of attire. But it was his attempt at possibly helping remind you of who he was. If this was anything like Steve's situation with Peggy, this would be the best way at helping you remember.

He gently knocked on the door and started to open it. "Knock knock, doll," he said, letting his head enter the room first. He peaked around the door and struggled to understand what he saw.

It was you, there was never mistaking that, but you were so much older. While you still had the features he knew and loved, they were full of the years you had seen. Your once (h/c) hair was now a beautiful gray.

You looked up from the puzzle you were doing on your tablet, the nickname striking a faraway memory in you. Who you saw made the tablet slip off your lap and your hands came up to cover your mouth. Tears pricked your eyes as the man walked further into the room.

"Bucky...?" you asked.

He had to contain himself, because despite all the time your voice sounded the same, albeit a little quieter.

"Hey doll," he said back, his voice quiet and tears in his eyes as well. He sniffed and then looked down at the uniform he was donning. "Figured I might have a plan, just in case time got you pretty good."

You knew exactly what he meant. "Oh, even so, I don't know if I could ever forget about you, sweetheart," you answered. "Now come here, sit."

He accepted your offer and sat down in a recliner next to the chair you were in. "Now, how in the world... how are you here?" you asked. You were so confused, and briefly thought you were losing your mind. Took you long enough.

"It's a bit of a story," he breathed out with a laugh. But he told it. He told you of how he fell off a train and was found by Hydra. The only reason he survived was because he had been experimented on the first time they captured him. He told you of the decades spent with Hydra and how he no longer had control of his own mid. He told you about Steve rescuing him and giving him a place.

Throughout the entire story, you held his hands with your own, squeezing them whenever the story got hard to tell.

"Then, Steve travelled back and decided to try and give life another try with Peggy. Handed the shield off to Sam and now he's Captain America," he finished.

You had a soft smile on your face, and knew it was your turn. You told him about how it took nearly a decade before you decided it was time to move on with a man named Ace, but you always kept your first ring around your neck. You pulled the ring out from under you gown and saw Bucky's eyes water.

You told him about how it was hard at first, but one day you decided it was best for you. You told him about your three children and how they all had grandchildren now, some even trying for great-grandchildren. You told him about how you ended up working at SHIELD as a secretary for a while. They knew of your connection to Bucky and his Steve. You told him about how Ace had died during the blip, and you moved into this place soon after.

At the end of the story, you were both crying. It was silent for a moment, and then you spoke up again. "Dance with me, Bucky?" you asked.

"Well how could I say no to my best girl?" Bucky answered, trying not to let his voice break.

He helped you stand up and he held you close to his chest. The two of you started to sway, and Bucky started to hum the last song he danced to with you.

You would always be his doll, and him your sweetheart.

~Fin~

A/n: I'm not crying, you are. Okay yes I am. Don't judge me.

Anyway, I'm starting to regret having two jobs. I've worked one of them a lot, but it's tiring and I'm constantly getting asked if I can cover shifts on school nights. They don't close until 11 so I'd rather not. And I haven't worked a single shift of the other one yet because I feel like I don't have any time to because of job 1. It's all just a big adjustment.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! I really love my readers and miss the amount of interaction I used to have with y'all. :( I don't wanna guilt trip, but if there's something you guys wanna read that I can write let me know!

Have a great weeks my Lovelies!!!!!!!!!!!