You woke up a couple of hours later, wrapped up in the bedsheets with your husband. You pulled the sheets closer to your bare shoulders and tangled yours and Helmut's legs together under the sheets. He pulled you closer, and sighed contentedly.

"Weißt du, ich glaube du bist nach unserer letzten Begegnung in diesem Haus mit Carl schwanger geworden." (You know, I think you got pregnant with Carl after our last encounter in this house.) You laughed and sat up. Helmut whined as you pulled away and moved his body so that his head was resting in your lap. You absentmindedly started playing with his soft, brown hair.

"Das ist eine faire Annahme, wenn man bedenkt, dass wir gerade geheiratet haben und ... was war das Wort, das Sie verwendet haben? Begegnungen? In jedem Raum." (That's a fair assumption considering that we had just gotten married and were having...what was the word you used? Encounters? In every room.) Helmut laughed and craned his neck up to give you a kiss.

"Wenn man bedenkt, dass wir bis zu unserer Hochzeitsnacht gewartet haben, um intim zu sein, könnte man sagen, dass wir die verlorene Zeit wieder gut gemacht haben." (Well, considering that we waited until our wedding night to be intimate, you might say we were making up for lost time.) You felt yourself start blushing again. "Nach all den Jahren bist du immer noch meine errötende Braut." (After all these years, you are still my blushing bride.) You leaned down and kissed your husband once more before lifting up his head so that you could climb out of the bed. "Müssen wir schon aufstehen?" (We have to get up already?) You nodded and began picking up pieces of clothing off of the floor.

"Carl wird in einer Stunde von der Schule zurück sein, mein unersättlicher Schatz." (Carl will be back from school in an hour, my insatiable darling.) Helmut chuckled deeply and stayed laying on the bed, watching you get dressed.

"Miene schatz?" You turned to face him as you finished getting dressed.

"Ja?" He sat up on the bed and looked down at his hands for a couple of seconds before speaking.

"Ich möchte nur, dass Sie wissen, dass ich Ihnen die ganze Zeit, in der wir getrennt waren, treu geblieben bin. Ich musste nur sicherstellen, dass du das wusstest."(I just want you to know that I stayed faithful to you the whole time we were apart. I just needed to make sure that you knew that.) Your eyes widened as you weren't expecting such a comment at that moment. You opened your mouth to comment but he cut you off. "Ich erinnere mich, dass Sie bei unserem ersten Treffen angenommen haben, dass ich ... erfahren war, aber wir beide wissen, dass ich es nicht war." (I remember that when we first met, you assumed that I was...experienced, but we both know I wasn't.) A smile tugged at the edges of your mouth, remembering your initial assumptions about Helmut.

"Wir waren beide unerfahren, aber wir haben alles herausgefunden. Helmut, warum sprichst du das an? Sie streifen nur so, wenn Sie sich um etwas Sorgen machen. Was ist es?" (We were both inexperienced, but we figured it all out. Helmut, why are you bringing this up? You only ramble like this when you are worried about something. What is it?) He shook his head before standing up.

"Es ist nichts. Im Moment ist das Wichtigste, dass ich in Kürze wieder mit Carl zusammen sein werde. Ich ziehe mich besser an. Gibt es hier noch meine alten Klamotten? Ich fürchte, ich habe etwas zugenommen, während wir getrennt waren, aber vielleicht passt hier etwas zu mir." (It's nothing. Right now the most important thing is that I will be reunited with Carl shortly. I'd better get dressed. Are there still any of my old clothes here? I'm afraid that I gained some weight while we've been apart, but there may be something here that will fit me. ) Helmut walked over to the wardrobe where he used to put his clothing, and opened it to reveal some of his old clothes. "Wow, hier ist noch etwas von meinem alten Köln von der Hochzeit." (Wow, there is still some of my old cologne in here from the wedding.) He started digging through the drawers of the wardrobe and made little comments here and there about items that he found.

You sat down on a cushioned bench that was at the foot of the bed and watched him. You soon felt your mind start to wander, and you found yourself thinking about something he had mentioned. Your impression of him when the two of you first met. You smiled to yourself, and thought about the day that the two of you had met. If the you back then knew that you were going to marry him, I don't think she would have taken you seriously.

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You officially met Helmut after both of you had graduated high school. While both of you had attended the same boarding school in Hungary, the school kept boys and girls separate during most of the day. You recalled hearing his name announced at graduation, and you remembered some of your friends speaking about him at meals. Since he was royalty, many of the girls at your table would speak about him as though he was their only chance to become a royal. Many of these girls would spread rumors about things that had heard he had done with other girls or ways he had treated them. None of these were things that you wanted to hear said about a young man, so it made your impression of him to be quite negative.

You yourself were not of any noble descent, but your family was a wealthy one, your father having made a lot of money in the automobile manufacturing industry. Since you were an only child, your parents decided that they would send you away to school in Hungary so that they could spend their time traveling the world. You didn't mind, however. You had wanted to get away from home for quite some time.

Once you graduated from school, you decided that you didn't want to go back home to your parents, so you instead moved in with one of your friends from school, (Y/B/F/N). Her family lived in southern Poland, and they were distantly related to the royal family of Sokovia. One evening, a letter arrived at their home, and it was an invitation to a ball that the Sokovian royal family would be hosting in a couple of weeks. Since you had never been to a ball before, you were quite excited, and you and your friend from school spent a lot of the time in the days before the ball deciding how you were going to do your hair and what type of dress you wanted to wear. A week before the ball, the two of you went to a store in town that sold gowns, and you each picked one out. Yours was your favorite color, and the cut of the dress was very flattering on your figure.

Meanwhile, in Sokovia, a young Helmut was dreading the impending ball. Ever since he had graduated and returned home, his parents had been pressuring him to find someone to marry. They had even gone so far as threatening to find someone for him, but Helmut said that he would rather leave their country forever than marry someone he didn't love. Though rumors had surrounded him while he was in school, Helmut was quite shy when it came to being around women his age. All of the rumors that swirled around him were lies, and he had never been on so much as a date. One of the reasons that his parents were throwing the ball was so that he would have the chance to possibly meet someone. Every time that he thought about it, he felt sick to his stomach. He would much rather spend an evening by himself listening to his record collection. 

I think it is important for me to note that, at this point in time, Helmut wasn't as bold as he would later be. He was quite shy in social situations and didn't enjoy conflict. For these reasons, he had no choice but to attend the ball that his parents were organizing, though, they weren't explicitly stating on the invitations that it was in order for him to (hopefully) find a wife. 

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When the day before the ball arrived, your friend, her family, and yourself began the journey to Sokovia. Though it was within a day's drive, your friend's parents decided that they would make a whole weekend out of the trip. All of you would be staying at (Y/B/F/N)'s grandparents' mansion, which was less than 10 minutes away from the castle. 

The next day, (Y/B/F/N) and you spent the whole day getting ready for the ball. You did each other's hair and makeup before finally getting dressed. When it was finally time to leave, all of you got into cars that were waiting outside and traveled to the castle. When you arrived, your eyes widened at the sight of the castle. It was grander than you had expected, and it felt strangely familiar, though you knew that you had never been there before. 

You and (Y/B/F/N) walked arm in arm up to the castle, and she began to tell you about some of her favorite memories from past parties. Though her family was distantly related to the royal family, they were always invited to the balls held at the castle. The two of you walked into a large ballroom where an orchestra was playing on one side of the room. It was hard to see how large the room truly was since there were so many people inside of it dancing. Your face was lit up with a grin from how exciting everything was. On the side of the room opposite the orchestra, there were large tables filled with extravagant food creations. 

Once (Y/B/F/N)'s family entered the ballroom, they led you and your friend towards the far end of the ballroom where the Baron and Baroness of Sokovia were greeting their guests. When it was your turn, you approached them and curtsied. 

"I don't believe I have met you before, my dear. Who are you?" Asked the Baroness. 

"My name is (Y/N) (Y/L/N). I attended school with (Y/B/F/N), and, after graduation, her family was kind enough to let me stay with them so that I might be able to gain some new experiences while I determine what my next step in life will be." The Baroness smiled. 

"What a coincidence. My son Helmut attended the same school as (Y/B/F/N). Maybe you know him?" You were internally taken aback. You hadn't realized that Helmut Zemo was from Sokovia. 

"Yes, Ma'am, I recall the name, though I never met him." 

"Well, maybe that will change tonight. He's around here somewhere. He tends to hideout somewhere during these types of parties. I hope you enjoy your evening, Miss (Y/L/N)." The Baroness smiled again, and you gave her another small curtsy before you walked away with your friend. 

The two of you danced for what felt like a couple of hours before you told her you needed to visit the ladies room. You excused yourself and, even though she said she could show you where it was, you decided to find it yourself. You had been wanting to explore more of the castle, and you didn't want to hear stories about past parties anymore. 

You walked up a grand staircase that was in the main hallway of the house. You walked down a hallway, and the music from the ballroom got quieter as you walked further away. There were many paintings on the walls of the hallway, but one caught your eye. It was of Helmut. Though you had never seen him very much at school, you knew it was him immediately. The painting was very stoic, and after just meeting his mother, you recognized that he has her eyes. You had never realized how attractive he was, and, after several moments of staring at the painting, you were snapped back to reality by the sound of music. It wasn't the music from the ballroom, but instead a song from the 70's.

The music was coming from a room not far from where you were standing. You looked to your left, and you saw a door that was slightly ajar. You knew that you shouldn't bother whoever was inside, but, being the nosy person that you are, you had to investigate.

You slowly walked towards the door until you were directly in front of it. You reached your hand out, and, after hesitating for a moment, you lightly placed your hand on the door and slowly pushed it open with your fingertips. You peered around the door, and you saw a young man with his back towards you standing next to a portable record player. It looked like he was standing in a library. It didn't take you long to realize that it was Helmut, wearing what appeared to be a military uniform (see above photo), similar to the one you had noticed his father wearing. This must be what his mother meant when she said that he typically hides somewhere during parties. However, you rationalized to yourself, the door hadn't been fully closed, so he must have wanted someone to find him, right? You slowly stepped into the room and tried to think of something to say. However, before you could think of something, he turned around. The two of you stared at each other wide eyed for a moment. 

"I'm so sorry for intruding, but I heard your music, and I wanted to see where it was coming from." He quietly nodded his head and looked away from you for a moment, calming himself from the shock.

"It's quite alright. It's what I get for having it turned on so loud. I was trying to drown out the sounds from downstairs." He looked back up at you. "What is your name? You look familiar."

"(Y/N) (Y/l/N). I believe we went to the same school." He nodded his head again. There was silence in the direction of the record player for a moment before a new song started playing.

https://youtu.be/DyMMEmwFQUE

(This song, to be exact. I'd recommend starting the song right now, but, if you can't, no worries).

"Well, I'd better get back down to my friend before she starts to worry about where I've gone. I'll leave you. I'm sorry again for interrupting. " Helmut was a little startled by how quickly you tried to leave the room. He walked over to you as you started to turn away.

"If you'd like to stay here for a little longer, it would be ok. I don't mind the company." You sighed before turning back to him.

"To be completely honest, your highness or whatever your title is, I don't think that's the best idea. I heard what the other girls at school used to say about you, and I think it would be best if I went downstairs..." This time he gently grabbed onto your wrist as you turned. You looked up at him to see his eyebrows lightly furrowed.

"What did they say about me?" He said quietly. "And, please, just call me Helmut. I hate when those my age call me by formal titles." He released your wrist and gestured towards a settee that was near the room's fireplace. You were puzzled by how gentle he was. You quickly glanced over towards the door (which was still open). You made note of that, should you need to quickly escape and walked over to the settee. 

"Well, the things they used to say were in no way flattering. Girls used to say that you would... well, that you were like the guy in this song. That you would go out with a girl only to dump her when you found someone better. A lot of the girls said that you had done that to them. Some even told stories about things that a young lady shouldn't repeat." You looked away from him. Helmut's mouth opened a little in surprise, and his eyebrows furrowed. After a couple of moments worth of silence he spoke.

"Miss (Y/L/N), I must tell you that I am quite confused by what you just said considering the fact that I never so much as went on a single date when I was in school. I was too shy to ask any of you girls out. I started at school a year later than everyone else, and I knew that there were rumors that were started about me, but I never realized they were so outlandish. I guess that explains why I had no luck whenever I did try and speak to any of you." He looked down at his hands and sighed.  You immediately felt upset at yourself for even mentioning it. 

"Your h...I mean....Helmut." He looked back up at your face. "I'm so sorry. I hadn't realized that they were all so cruel as to create such elaborate lies about you, and I'm so sorry that I told you. I didn't realize..." He calmly placed one of his hands on yours. He gave you a weak smile.

"It's quite alright, (Y/N). I'm glad you told me. Now I know. Thank you for your honesty." You laughed.

"My father always used to tell me that I was brutally honest at times." Helmut smiled. 

"I suppose I should let you get back to your family before they start to wonder where you have gone." Helmut stood up and helped you to your feet.

"Oh, I'm not here with my parents. I came with (Y/B/F/N) (Y/B/F/L/N). After graduation, I moved in with her and her family so that I didn't have to go back to my parents and their opinions for my future." He looked down at his feet and then back up at you.

"I wish I could do that. Sometimes I wish I wasn't going to inherit a title. It's a lot of pressure." You looked at him with a small smile. 

"I'm sure it is. I can't even imagine how tough that would be. I wish you the best of luck." You turned to leave the room before Helmut spoke up again.

"How did you know what song was playing earlier? I mean, from my record player." You turned back and smiled at him. 

"My father used to listen to a lot of records in his free-time when I was a child. He has that same record. It's one of my favorites." A grin broke out on his face.

"Mine too." There was a moment of silence as you both stood there smiling at each other. "Will I see you again?" You felt yourself blushing a little at his question since you had been wondering the same thing. 

"We leave to return to Poland in the morning."

"Oh." He hung his head a little before quickly raising it again. "Could I write to you?" You nodded your head. 

"I would like that." He grinned again and walked over to a desk so that he could get a piece of paper to write on. "Here is the address for the castle." He handed you the piece of paper which now had his neat handwriting on it. You went over to the desk as well and wrote out the address for your friend's home. You handed it to him in return. "I look forward to hearing from you."

"Same here. Goodnight, Helmut." You said, smiling, as you walked over to the door. 

"Goodnight, (Y/N)." You left the room, holding the small piece of paper he gave you in both hands to make sure you didn't lose it. You were still in a little bit of shock about the whole interaction, but one thing was for sure, you had a new pen pal. Little did you know, that pen pal would later become your husband, but that is a story for a later time.

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When Helmut finally finished getting dressed, the two of you walked back towards the kitchen and living area to wait for Carl's arrival. Upon entering the room, your two guests paused their conversation. Sam was laying on the couch, and Bucky was sitting in the armchair you had sat in earlier. 

"Sorry about that, gentlemen. My wife and I were just resting." said Helmut. 

"It sure didn't sound like resting. We may not be able to understand Sokovian, but volume is universal. For future reference, the walls in this place are very thin." said Bucky, taking a sip out of a glass that was in his hand. Your eyes widened, and a bright blush took over your face. Helmut reached over to you and took your hand in his, giving it a quick reassuring squeeze. 

"Well, then, I hope you can forgive the two of us." The two men made gruff, accepting noises before they returned to their prior conversation. You walked over to the kitchen to begin making dinner as Helmut focused his attention on what the other two were saying. You knew that Carl would be home soon, so you wanted to make sure that dinner would be ready by the time he got home. You looked over towards Helmut who had joined Sam and Bucky's conversation. They were talking quietly, but it made you happy to see that Helmut had found some friends. You smiled to yourself and busied yourself with making dinner.

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Hi, Soldiers! I honestly can't believe that this chapter ended up being so long, but I hope you all enjoyed it! As always, let me know what you think in the comments! :)

-Peggy 

P.s. This is the map that I am using for locational references in this story.