"Well... I never knew Barnes would get a woman." A group of silent gossiper's in SHIELD's base of operation's commented as they watched the big man redecorate his office, the first thing that would be noticeable was the picture of himself and Trudy, standing besides an excellent view of the statue of liberty. The young woman (for the picture only) was dressed in a light blue polo shirt and a pair of jeans, her hands around Bucky in a rather awkward fashion of how someone 5' 4'' attempted to wrap their arms around someone that was 6' 4''.
"You hear? She's German." Someone else nodded and grinned as the crowd looked upon Bucky continue to redecorate his office. "Can you believe it?"
"That relic getting a German girl? Now that's great. Remember how what he said about having to work with Kreuz? Oh wait. That's right, he didn't say anything. He just outright refused to work with that guy because oh no... he was German! And now... his girl is Deutsch? That's great."
"Old relic huh? What about Rogers? He got anything against Germans?"
"No. But Barnes is still living in the past. You see, he still calls HYDRA "Krauts", "Adolfs" and "Jerries". Maybe someone should explain to him that HYDRA is a worldwide organization. By the way, who's the girl? She looks cute."
"How old is she? She looks cute. And pretty young. Maybe 18? 19? How old is lieutenant? Like..."
"Um... 97." Someone said as they did a hasty calculation, watching Bucky finish the rest of his housekeeping work. Just as anyone could expect, instead of a computer like most ordinary people, Barnes had a typewriter, just like Captain Rogers.
"You think they um... you know..."
"I can hear everything you're saying." His voice called out to them, causing the group of men to jump. "You know, barrack room gossip was what got you kitchen duties to scrape every pot and pan with a toothbrush. So you all better beat it."
As expected, that got the crowd to disperse rather quickly. Perhaps it was over the terrible nightmare of orders having to clean frying pans with a toothbrush from someone who lacked the authority to give such orders, or maybe the fact this was the same person who had punched a HYDRA agent through the chest on his first day of work.
"People these days." Bucky mumbled to himself as he sat down on the typewriter. Okay. He had been in a few relationships in the past but how to tell a woman you cared? A woman who lived VERY far away. Who also spoke a different language... and um... he looked over to the record sitting in the corner. The cover of the song... hmmm... he heard it before, song was German in origin right?. The song was "Lili Marleen". What were the lyrics again?
"Too bad you don't have a lantern." Steve said as he entered the room.
"I know." Bucky mumbled as he listened to the song. Turning the record off, he began to sing himself. For a man that never sang once in his life... that wasn't too bad... In fact. To Steve, it was AWFULLY FAMILIAR when Bucky sang. He could have been on STAGE... and maybe done PROPAGANDA... related things...
"Okay. What's one of those recording things called again? Okay. Whatever. I need one."
"You plan on singing to her?"
"I wrote to her just yesterday. The thing works. Now I want to test if it would work if I could send her something. You know... Christmas... her Birthday... etc."
"So you want to send her a song?"
"Yeah. Okay. Grab me one of those recording... things... and a sheet of paper." Bucky began. "Hey. You used to sing around the campfire all the time. Mind teaching me?"
"I don't know that song though..."
"No. As in, teach me. How to sing?"
"You were pretty good... so why not..."
"Goddamn it Steve, just teach me."
"Okay. Okay. Sheesh. You really committed to this?"
"Hell, I'd break into Stark's tower and send myself over if I could. Don't quote me on saying that."
"Twas there that you whispered tenderly... That you loved me.."
"He has a nice voice." Erica grinned widely as she watched Trudy listen to the recording for the umpteenth time. "You missing him?"
She didn't reply. Only smiled and listened to the sound of Bucky's voice over the... whatever it was he used to record his voice. It had taken a few times for her to understood the ins and outs of some device that would be invented in 70 years, but he did at least leave a note on how to work it.
"So... you missing him?"
"Sure. I'll say it. Yes." Trudy replied. "You happy now?"
"VERY." Erica smiled. "So. Whatcha gonna do when the war is over now?"
"You ask me this at least once a month. The answer is the same."
"The same huh? Where's the part about meeting a Liberion* and having lot's of children with him?" She triggered mischievously, watching the look on her friend's face as she comprehended those words. (Alternate world's USA)
"ERICA! That is not appropriate talk right now!"
"Maybe not right now, but hey, say in two or three years, when this war ends, I am certain you wouldn't mind... heh... leaving. And maybe having plenty of children? It's not there'd be a war anymore. Besides, even if there was Neuroi, they could just ask your future husband or your children. Now the first thing to do is have children..."
"Erica. I swear..."
"Swear what? You're going to have kids with him?"
OH GOD DAMN IT.
Much to what Trudy would say, the idea of having kids with Bucky didn't sound too bad. He had lived through this time period, and had even hinted at that he wouldn't mind staying with her if given the opportunity. On the flipside, once the war ended, if Trudy can somehow make her way to him, that'd be nice. They didn't exactly have to worry about laser firing aliens where he came from and the fact it was seventy years ahead of where she lived meant that she'll be bound to meet some exciting new things.
She didn't know why, but she all of a sudden felt an inability to take Bucky off her mind. He came up everywhere. Okay. Maybe that was because she had a photo of the herself and the big guy right on her dresser but... that's beyond the point. She missed him already, and it hadn't even been two days since. She recalled how he had wanted well... to seize an opportunity back then.
Too early. Just too early. Perhaps later. Later. When she didn't have a war to fight, or a country to be responsible for... then... perhaps...
She looked over at the photos. The ones with a certain Cyan pegasus giving a young girl a ponyride. She was quite happy then and hopefully, she was still the same way. Trudy wondered if a girl like Chris could be happy if it hadn't been...
Well... that's actually quite ironic.
Her thoughts once again turned to Bucky. A feeling in her gut told her that she'd see him again.