YN's mouth went dry. How on earth was she going to explain magic to Steve? The man she knew had been shocked to learn about her abilities, but he'd also been exposed to his own transformation, Red Skull, Loki, and the Chitari. The man standing before her right now would be floored to know the truth about her.

Steve was still looking at her hands. "Bucky is the only person I know that can knock a man down with just one punch. Where did you learn to fight like that?"

She cocked her head and studied him. He seemed to be in awe of her, but not fearfully so. Was it possible that he hadn't noticed the magical glove she'd conjured?

"I've taken a few self-defense courses," she said, waiting expectantly to see if he would buy her story.

"Self-defense courses?" Steve asked, a little confused. "Why would you need to know how to defend yourself? Isn't that the job of the man you're with?"

She wanted to throttle him, but she held back. "A woman can't always depend on a man to be around when she needs help. There's nothing wrong with learning how to throw a few well-aimed punches to make sure some creep knows not to mess with you."

"You don't have to keep doing that, though," Steve said, giving her a hard look. "I can take care of myself."

She reached up and cupped his cheek. "I know you can, Steve, but sometimes taking care of yourself is also admitting when you need help. I don't like seeing you all bruised and bloody."

"How did you get to be so smart?"

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Years of experience, I guess." She looped her arm through his and began leading him out of the alley. "Now let's go back to your place and get you cleaned up. Bucky won't let me hang around you anymore if he knows I keep letting you get into fights."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Steve said as they walked down the sidewalk. "Bucky's used to me coming home looking like this just about every day."

"Steven Grant Rogers," she said, shaking her head. "Promise me you'll never change."

He turned to look at her and gave her a huge smile. She began laughing and shook her head as they started up the steps to his shared apartment with Bucky.

Once they'd gotten inside, she'd made him take a seat at the kitchen table while she'd made an ice pack for his eye and got a damp rag to wipe the blood from his face. "You need to take better care of this face, Rogers. You're too handsome to have scars."

She saw the blush forming on his cheeks, and it warmed her heart to know that some things never changed. She'd witnessed those same cheeks growing red every time some woman on the street had made a risqué comment toward him. It always amazed her that someone that looked like a Greek god could be so humble, but now that she'd witnessed firsthand how he'd spent the first twenty-four years of his life, it made perfect sense to her.

"I'm not joking when I say that you're going to meet a woman that will see you for who you are," she told him as she crouched down in front of him with her hands on his knees. "You are one of the best men I've ever known, and just because people don't take the time to see that now doesn't mean they'll always overlook you." She squeezed his legs and stood. "You're meant for great things, Steve, you just have to be patient for a little while longer."

He looked up at her through one crystal blue eye – the other hidden behind the ice pack. "You always seem so sure of what you're saying. It's almost like you know something that none of the rest of us do."

She gave him a flirty smile and a lopsided shrug. "Maybe I'm psychic, or maybe I just see things from a different perspective." She paused and gave him a once-over. "You look exhausted. Why don't you go lie down for a while and I'll wait here until Bucky gets home from work."

"You two should go out by yourselves tonight," Steve said as he made his way back to the room he shared with Bucky. "Especially if this turns out to be your last night here."

He didn't wait for her to answer as he shut the door. The thought of spending a night with Bucky alone made her nervous, but she couldn't figure out why. She'd spent the past few nights sleeping beside him – making love to him – but this seemed like a whole other level in their relationship.

She puttered around the apartment, tidying up and looking through the stacks of books and bric-a-brac strewn throughout the tiny space. Her nerves were starting to get frayed by the time she heard footsteps in the hallway outside the door. Rubbing her hands on her thighs, she walked over and opened the door.

Bucky's eyes were wide with surprise when he saw her standing in front of him. "Doll. I thought you would be gone by now."

"Plans changed," she told him as she moved out of the way so he could come in. "Steve's lying down. We had another busy day today, so he needed some rest."

"Did he want to go out with us tonight?" Bucky asked as he put the package of meat the butcher had given him in the refrigerator.

"No," she said as her nerves started acting up again. "He thought that since this might really be my last night in town that you and I should go out alone. If you don't want to. . ."

"I'd love to," he interrupted as he walked up to her and leaned in to give her a kiss. "Let me go change and then I'll take you out for a nice dinner. You look too pretty to stay in tonight."

As he walked back toward the bedroom, she looked down at the dress she was wearing. A smile flitted at the corners of her mouth when she remembered that he'd been the one to pick it out that morning. Her nervous anxiety had been replaced with excitement, but there was still a little voice in the back of her mind reminding her that allowing him to grow too attached to her was only going to make things harder on him – on both versions of him – once she pulled her disappearing act.

She weighed her options carefully for the next few minutes waiting on Bucky to change. She could slowly start pulling back from him and spare him any potential heartbreak once she was gone, or she could do her best to shower him with as much love and affection in the hopes that it would somehow make his future suffering less horrible. But then she thought about her Bucky. She'd been amazed at the difference in his personality the longer that they stayed in 1942, and she was sure it had something to do with her interactions with the younger version of him. If she pulled away from him now, would it do more harm than good?

Her mind was made up the second he walked back into the living room. He'd put on a suit – probably the only one he owned – and he absolutely took her breath away. He'd straightened up his hair, and while it wasn't the long chestnut locks that she loved to run through her fingers, it was still just as full and lush. He was wearing a crisp white dress shirt with a diagonally striped tie under a pinstriped vest and suit jacket. The pants were the same pinstripe pattern and had a razor-sharp crease down the front of each leg and he'd put on a pair of shoes so shiny she could almost see her reflection in them.

"You're going to get arrested," she said as she raked her gaze over him yet again.

"What?"

She shook her head and grabbed the lapels of his jacket to pull him close to her. "You're going to be killing all the ladies."

His lips turned up in a smile as he leaned in to kiss her. "You're the only lady I'm worried about tonight."

"Just tonight?" she asked, giving him a sultry smile.

He ran a finger down her cheek. "I know I just met you, but I have a feeling you're the only woman that's going to be on my mind for the foreseeable future."

She bit her lip to keep her from saying what she wanted to say, but it didn't stop her from thinking it. How she wished she could see the look on her Bucky's face right now. She imagined that he was either rolling his eyes at how corny he sounded, or he was astounded at his own foresight.

"I'd better be," she said with a wink. "Now where exactly are we going tonight?"

"There's a supper club over in Queens that caters more towards couples looking for a romantic night out," he explained as they walked out of the apartment and down the steps to the street. "It has soft lighting, amazing food, and the music is a little quieter and a lot slower than the other clubs."

"And how many other women have you taken there, Bucky Barnes?" she asked giving him a look of feigned jealousy.

He shook his head as a wide grin spread across his face. "None, I swear. A buddy of mine from down at the docks told me about it, but I've never met a girl I wanted to take there until now."

She could feel her heart swelling. She knew he was a charmer, but she wanted to believe that he wasn't just using a line on her. She was pretty sure the older version of him was on the same page as she was, but this younger version was a little harder to read. Was it wrong of her to want them both to fall in love with her, especially since she was falling in love with both of them?

They'd ended up taking the train to Queens and she'd ended up plastered against him in the crowded car. Bucky had wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation as he wrapped his arms around her and held her even closer than necessary. She had her back to him, but in the close confines of the train, she could still smell the scent that was uniquely him. By now, she'd realized that it wasn't a cologne or a certain type of soap, but simply him that smelled so amazing to her. Leaning back against his chest, she closed her eyes and breathed in that intoxicating aroma.

The supper club was everything he'd said and more. He'd treated her to a lovely dinner and then spent the rest of the night slow dancing with her. The music was just an excuse to give young lovers a chance to be in one another's arms all night long without facing any censure, but YN wasn't complaining. If this really was her last night in 1942, she wanted to give Bucky as many happy memories as she possibly could before he shipped off to war and the fate that awaited him at the hands of HYDRA.

She could have stayed in Bucky's arms all night long, but she knew she needed to get back to Howard's before it got too late. Her Bucky would be waiting up for her and she wanted to spend some more time with him before they were forced back into reality.

With a heavy heart, she asked Bucky to take her back to Manhattan. She saw the disappointment in his eyes, and it was almost enough to break her resolve, but she held firm.

On the train ride back to Howard's, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. She wanted to etch this memory into her mind forever. She hadn't wanted to let go of him as they'd exited the train and headed up Park Avenue, but she'd had to settle for sliding one arm around his waist as he wrapped one around hers.

"This is you, doll," Bucky said once they'd reached the stairs leading up to Howard's.

She looked up at the door with its stained glass window at the top glowing from the lights from within the house. Delaying the inevitable, she turned to Bucky and framed his face in her hands.

"The war will be coming for you soon," she told him with a sad smile. "I know you'll be brave, but I still worry about you."

"The war is coming for all of us," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer to him. "But as long as I've got you waiting for me back here, I won't worry about a thing."

His words broke her heart. She wanted to tell him that she would be waiting for him, but that wasn't exactly the truth. To him, it would seem like she'd abandoned him, and he wouldn't learn the truth until years later, but she wouldn't know who he was – wouldn't know what they'd shared. If time truly was a loop that continuously ran over and over again, he would always go off to war thinking that she didn't truly love him and seventy years later, he would have to watch her pine for a man who didn't love her until they could be reunited here and now. It was both tragic and beautiful, but it was the life they were destined to live.

Kissing him one last time, she debated telling him how she felt about him. She held off, though, because he wasn't the one who needed to hear those words the most. Pulling away, she smiled at him and started up the stairs.

"I'll tell Steve to be by in the morning to get you," he called after her.

"I'll be looking for him," she said as she turned the key in the lock and walked into the foyer. Turning back at the last second, she said, "Take care of yourself, Bucky. War is hell, but you're made of tougher stuff than you give yourself credit for."

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a salute and a cocky grin.

She watched him walk away before shutting the door and heading up the stairs. Pausing outside of the bedroom she shared with Bucky, she took a moment to try to compose herself before she faced him again. She knew it was silly to try to hide her emotions from him, but he'd only feel more guilty if he knew how badly her heart was aching.

When she finally opened the door, he was waiting for her, and she could tell from the look on his face that she'd done a horrible job of hiding her sadness from him on the street. Without a word, he pulled her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around him and just held on.

Eventually he'd bent down and scooped her into his arms. Carrying her over to the sitting area, he'd cradled her in his lap as he sat on the small sofa. His hands rubbed gentle circles over her back as he murmured comforting words in her ear.

"I can't just sit back and let you face this alone," she mumbled into the crook of his shoulder.

"You were the one that said that it was too much of a risk to change the future," he reminded her. "And you were right. I wish there was a way to stop it, but there isn't. We have to let the future unfold the way it's supposed to."

"Why do we even care?" she asked as she raised her head to meet his eyes.

"Because if we change too much, then we'll never end up where we are right now."

She laid her head back on his shoulder. "It sounds ridiculous, but I'm glad we're here."

"It's not ridiculous, doll."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She knew she needed to ask him a question, but she was terrified of the answer she would get. Swallowing her doubts, she leaned back to look at him again.

"Am I wasting my time worrying about you – the you that's about to head off to war?"

He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

She hesitated, knowing that if she said what she wanted to say that she would be laying her heart at his feet with no guarantee that he felt the same way that she did. "Do I mean as much to you as you mean to me?"

He brought a hand up to cup her cheek. "We both feel the same way about you."

"Really?"

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "Okay, he's a bit of an idiot and doesn't see just how amazing you are, but I do."

"You think I'm amazing?" she asked, giving him a hopeful look.

"I think you're the most amazing woman I've ever met," he answered truthfully. "The younger version of me might not realize it, but you've changed my life by just existing."

"You've changed my life, too," she admitted with a shy smile. "Both of you." Her heart was racing and she knew if she didn't say what she wanted to at this exact moment, she would lose her nerve. She had no way of knowing what tomorrow would bring, or what their world would be like once they returned to their own time. This moment was all they had and she had to reach out and grasp what happiness she could while she had the chance.

Looking deep into his eyes, she searched the blue-grey depths for some hint that he was feeling the same way she was. What she saw reflected in his eyes gave her hope that her feelings weren't one sided.

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Bucky."

She saw the smile slowly spread across his face as little lines appeared at the corners of his eyes. Her heart began to beat faster in her chest and the roaring of the blood in her veins threatened to drown out the sounds around her.

"I can't begin to tell you how happy that makes me," he told her as he leaned in to softly kiss her lips. "Because I'm completely head over heels in love with you, doll."

"You are?" she asked, scared that it was all just her imagination. She'd longed to hear those words from Tony, but after hearing Bucky's confession – coupled with her own feelings for him – she realized how empty her love had been for Tony. She'd been in love with the idea of him, but not truly in love with him. True love was something that could only be shared by two people that felt the same way about one another. She desperately wanted Bucky to be the one that shared her love, and she wasn't sure she could handle wanting another man that didn't want her.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked as he ran his fingers down her face. "You're everything I've ever wanted – everything I've ever needed. You believe in me when I don't believe in myself. You push me when I want to give up. You've made me realize that I'm still the man I used to be, and for that I'll forever be grateful."

She glanced over her shoulder toward the clock sitting by the window. "We still have a few hours until Steve shows up." She paused and rolled her eyes. "Which Steve, I have no clue. . ."

"It doesn't matter," he interrupted as he laid a finger over her lips. "If we stay here a few more days I won't complain." He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "But if we go back home tomorrow, promise me that you'll stay with me."

"I'll kill anyone that tries to separate me from you," she told him with a steely glint in her eyes. "I don't care if we have to go on the run again, but if we do, we'll do it together."

"With Steve, of course," he said with a shrug.

"Of course we'll have Steve," she said with a laugh. "Can't go anywhere without our third wheel." She let out a contented sigh. "Maybe Nat will come with us, too."

He gave her a questioning look. "What about those two?"

"What? Nat and Steve?"

"Yeah."

"I've been trying to get those two together for years," she said with a laugh. "If you're on board with the idea, they don't stand a chance."

"Well, now that that's settled, I believe you were about to suggest a way we could occupy our time until Steve shows up."

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