{1941}

I went to my father after I left the automat to ask him what I should do. He remained silent as I told him that I got offered the room above the automat to live in. He silently nodded his head occasionally. He then finally spoke.

"I think you should take it." I was shocked. My father was always extremely protective over us three kids.

"A..are you sure?" I asked, surprise in my voice. He nodded silently and gave me a small smile.

"I can't keep being so protective over you kids. Wesley is at college, you're out of high school, and Maxine doesn't have much more time before she graduates too. I can't expect you all to stay here with me forever. Take the job and the apartment. I'm sure it's what your mother would have wanted." Another surprising comment. He never spoke about our mother. I nodded and stood up. Then he spoke once more. "She'd be proud of you, Louisa. I know she would be." He said that last part while looking down at his hands.

 I nodded and headed into Max and I's bedroom to think. I lay down on my bed in an attempt to take a nap, but it wasn't long before I heard a tapping noise on the window. I sat up and looked towards the noise. There stood Steve tapping on the window. He stopped once he saw me walking towards the window. I opened it and waited for him to climb into the room.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. He sighed and glanced outside at the street.

"He's broken. Not just heartbroken, but he won't move, eat, or speak." I walked over to my bed and sat down.

"I don't see why that is any of my concern." I said quietly. Steve quickly turned his head to look at me.

"That is a lie, and you know it." I looked back up and him, and he was intently staring at me as though he was expecting me to apologize for everything.

"Steve, I have never had any romantic feelings toward Bucky, and I think you know that. He never has, and never will be my type. Can you not accept that?" Steve was silent.

"Lou,...I..." 

"Steve. I am sorry about Bucky. I truly am, but he made things out to be different than they were. I liked Bucky as a friend, but never anything more."

"Liked? So, it's over? You aren't going to speak to him before he leaves?" I shook my head.

"It would make the situation worse, Steve. You know that." He silently nodded. I stood up. "I think you should go. I don't want my father to see you in here." Steve nodded. Before he started to climb back out the window, he stopped.

"Louisa, I hope you understand that I still want to be your friend. I hope all of this doesn't change anything between us." I gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Of course, Steve. I want to stay your friend too. The whole thing is between Bucky and I, not you and me." He nodded and left through the window. He turned around and waved as he began to climb down the fire escape.

"That Punk." I said quietly to myself, a small smile growing on my face. I watched him climb down to make sure he didn't get hurt. Then I looked over my shoulder. The room was so quiet and lonely compared to  how it was years before. I sighed and walked over to the wardrobe. Inside were my few dresses and a box full of trinkets. I took the box down from the shelf and set it on my bed. I pulled the lid off and found myself staring at an old photo of Steve, Bucky, and me. I smiled at it. It was such a simpler time then. Back when I told Steve Rogers that I loved him.

-------------------------------------------Time Skip {1933}--------------------------------------------------------

It was the summer that I turned 15. Steve and Bucky had decided it would be a nice day to go to Coney Island. After getting Pop's permission, I agreed and quickly gathered my bathing suit and other necessary items for the beach while Steve and Bucky stood awkwardly in the kitchen while Pop stared them down. Wesley tried to make small talk, but the boys stayed quiet in the presence of our father.

Soon we were on a bus traveling to Coney Island. I'm sure that I seemed a little out of sorts since I had decided that that day was the day when I was going to tell Steve Rogers how I truly felt about him (I was brave for a 15 year old girl in the 1940s.) I knew that if I didn't tell him then, I would never again have the courage.

It wasn't long before we were standing on the beach, the sand beneath our feet. We all had a pleasant day, except for the fact that Bucky was around all day. Every time I tried to talk to Steve alone, Bucky popped up. It got pretty aggravating to the point that I had given up on the plan entirely. But then opportunity struck. Bucky offered to go and get us sodas. I said that I thought that was a great idea. He stood up from where he had been sitting on our beach blanket and headed to the boardwalk.

Then I felt a pain in my stomach. It was time, but, remembering that it was time filled me with fear. Steve looked over at me and saw my red face.

"Are you ok, Lou?" I jumped at the sound of his voice. I gulped and turned to look at him. He looked slightly worried.

"I'm fine." I said quietly. He shook his head.

"Tell me the truth, Lou. I have known you for long enough to know how you get when you are nervous." I sighed.

"Promise you won't laugh?" He nodded his head. I took a deep breath.

"I love you, Steve Rogers." I said quietly. His eyes widened.

"What?" he said quietly.

"I love you. I have had a crush on you for a long time, and I have finally gotten enough courage to tell you." I looked away from him.

"Lou...." He said. I looked up at him. His cheeks were red. His face then changed from a look of happiness to a look of remorse.

"Do you love me too?" I asked him nervously. He sighed and shook his head. My mouth gaped open. My heart started to beat rapidly. I wasn't prepared to be rejected.

"I....I can't love you, Lucy." He said looking at me with sad eyes.

"Why not!?" I asked him angrily. He just shook his head.

"I just can't. Please don't ask me why. Just believe me. I can't love you, Lucy. You'd never be happy with me." I glared at him through the tears that were stuck in my eyes.

"How do you know, Steve? You're only 14!"

"Exactly. We're too young, Lou." Just then Bucky walked up with the sodas.

"You two ok?" I nodded and looked away from them both.

"We're fine." I said as I stood up.

"Where are you going?" asked Bucky.

"I'm going to head home. It's too hot out. I'll see you two later." Bucky tried to follow me, but Steve stopped him.

"Lou." Steve called after me. I looked over my shoulder. "I hope that this won't effect our friendship." I shook my head and kept walking.

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Now, once again, I was in the same boat as my 15 year old self.

I was once again asked by Steve Rogers to be his friend.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Just his friend.

 Why did I always just have to be his friend?

Because Bucky Barnes had always  been in the way.