Christmas Eve Dinner in the
‘40s
When
I opened my eyes again, I was outside just like the first time I
travelled back in time and it was snowing, I could feel some
snowflakes carried by the wind hitting my skin. I was on a wooden
floor, but there was some kind of cover above me and with further
inspection I noticed that I was on the second landing of an external
staircase.
Getting
up, I realized that I was underdressed for the weather I was in, but
in the tower it was always hot so I was not used to dress in warm
pajamas and I was wearing what I usually wore in our Malibù house
that hardly knew what cold meant.
I
looked over the railing and noticed that I was in a tall building
with a lot of similar ones all around, a little grey courtyard was in
the center where some children were having a snow fight running and
laughting. I deduced to be in Brooklyn, probably Steve flat was near
and looking to the door on the landing at my left I decided to try
that one, maybe it was the lucky one.
I
knocked on the old scratched wood and waited for someone to open it
with my heart beating furiously inside my chest. I could hear steps
from inside and just a few second later the door opened. On the
threshold there was a young man that I had never met before, but he
was familiar somehow. He had short dark brown hair and light blue
eyes, he was tall and had broad shoulder. He was definetely handsome
and a lot of girls would fall for him.
A
smirk appeard on his thin lips while he leaned against the jamb with
his arms crossed in front of his chest: “Can I help you doll?”
Doll?
What kind of nickname was that?
“I
am searching for someone that I think lives around here, but I don’t
know his address. Maybe you can help me?” I asked ignoring his gaze
that was studying me with great attention. He probably was thinking
that I had strange clothes, after all we were in the ‘40s and it
was heavely snowing.
“Of
course, I will help you. Who are you searching for? But if you don’t
find this person, maybe you can join me for dinner, it’s Christmas
Eve after all and nobody should be alone in this night. And it’s
freezing ouside, so we could...”
“Thank
you, but I am searching for my soulmate, I don’t think it would be
a great idea.” I interruped him before he could elaborate his idea
further, I knew what he was about to say.
With
my words, he straightened his back and looked at me with curiosity,
at least he has some respect towards things important such as
soulmates: “Who are you looking for?”
Even
if I was surprised by his changed behaviour after my words, I decided
to go straight to the point: “I am searching for Steve Rogers, I
think he lives around here.”
“Steve?”
he asked surprised then he looked behind him shouting: “Steve!
There’s a nice dame looking for you!”
“Steve
is here?” I asked starting to shake from anticipation, after 54
days I would see him again.
“Buck,
what are you talkin about? Who could...” Steve appeared behind the
one that now I knew to be Bucky Barnes with a towel in his hand. He
was wearing a thick pullover over his brown trousers and stopped dead
in his track when he saw me: “Maxime?”
“Hello
Steve.” I murmured before throwing myself at him, locking my armas
around his neck and burrowing my face in his chest.
I
could feel his body freeze at my touch, but he relaxed immediately
hugging me back with his nose in my hair and inhaling my perfum.
“I
thought I would never see you again.” I heard him saying near my
ear.
“Me
too.”
We
stayed that way for I don’t know how long until Bucky cleared his
throat to remember us of his presence. We let go of each other, but I
stayed at his side and I could see a giant smile on Steve’s face.
“Maxime,
he is my best friend Bucky, you know the one I talked to you about.”
he said gesturing to the man that had opened the door. Bucky was
studying us with a smirk on his face.
“So
you talked about me to your soulmate?” he asked with a strange tone
and the smirk became larger: “And why you didn’t tell me anything
about her? I didn’t even know that you had finally met her!”
“I...”
Steve stuttered blushing furiously while Bucky and I waited for his
answer that came after a sigh: “I was scared. It happened so
suddenly and it was kind of… strange?” asked looking at me, he
probably was scared I would be angry for his chosen words, but I
smiled at him reassuringly.
“Strange?…
Ok, Why don’t we talk about it during dinner?” Bucky asked
looking at me: “The food is ready and you can’t loose the chance
at eating Steve wonderful cooking. There is enought for the three of
us, there is a bottle of good wine and we can know each other
better.”
I
didn’t know what to say, I was going to eat and celebrate in my
time with my father, but the hopeful look in Steve’s eyes made me
decide to stay with them.
“Ok,
thank you.” I said with a smile and I noticed Steve’s one to grow
at my words while Bucky studied his friend with something in his
eyes. A glint of… mischief? Or it was happiness?
They
lead me to the little kitchen where the square wooden table was
covered with a white cloth and full of food with great smell. Bucky
wasn’t lying, Steve had to be a great cook.
Steve
moved a chair for me and helped me sitting before the two men could
do the same. It was strange this kind of respect they payed to women,
but I thanked him with a smile and waited for them to sit as well.
We
started eating in silence. From time to time, Steve and I stole
glances at each other like teenagers in love, well technically I was
a teenager and we were in love even if we still hadn’t said the
words, but I wasn’t sure about his age.
“So,
you were about to tell me how you met.” Bucky said deciding that it
was better to break the ice because neither Steve nor I were
intentioned to do so.
Steve
glanced at me before saying: “Like I said, it was kind of strange.”
“Yes,
I get that, but why?” asked his best friend sincerelly confused.
“Because
of where I came from or...” I added when I read his question on his
face: “Or when I came from.”
“When?”
I
started from the beggining explaining my life or at least what I
could tell them about it. Steve already knew about some of them, but
he discovered new things asking question after question and I was
enjoying myself at talking with the duo.
Bucky
believed my story without problem and I was surprised. He said that
even if it was a very strange story like Steve had said, his best
friend believed it and he knew he wasn’t a liar. And after all,
what could I gain with lying to them? To my soulmate? He had seen
Steve’s mark and I showed him mine so he knew I was saying the
true.
“And
what can you tell me about you?” I asked Bucky: “I know Steve is
an art student, but what about you?”
“Well,
I work here and there, sometime at the docks or where I would be paid
enough to live, but now with the war...”
“The
war?” I asked confused, but I suddenly remembered that in December
1941 the United States had entered the Second World War: “What year
is it?”
Steve
smiled sadly at me: “1941, you were gone for more than a year.”
“A
year?!” I exclaimed surprised: “For me it has been just 54 days!”
“No,
for me it has been 1 year and 87 days.” he murmured lowering his
eyes: “I thought that I wasn’t going to see you again, that I had
lost my chance with you.”
“Oh
Steve.” I got up from my chair and kneeled on the floor at his side
hugging him with my face in the crook of his neck. He embraced me
while I kissed his skin and I could imagine him blushing at the
contact.
“Don’t.”
Steve said with a hard tone and I heard Bucky laught while he stood
up to reach the kitchen counter near the stove on the far wall of the
room.
“I
wasn’t going to say anything, jerk.”
“Yeah
yeah… punk.”
Steve
and I separeted and looked at each other in the eyes lost in the
moment. My face was at a small distance from his and I could see his
cerulean eyes looking at my lips while I was doing the same with his.
What would be like to kiss my soulmate? What would be like to have my
first kiss with my soulmate? Was it going to happan?
“Ok,
dessert is ready!” Steve and I jumped away from each other blushing
while Bucky was near the table again with a strange look on his face
and that smirk oh his: “I interrupted something?”
“Don’t
be a punk and put the dessert down.”
“I
can always eat it alone while you two...”
“Don’t
you dare!” Steve exclaimed getting up and reaching for the food in
his friend’s hand. I looked at them with an amused smile while they
wrestled for the tray. At the end, Steve won and the dessert was
served while the conversation reprised without touching the near kiss
topic.
After
dinner, I helped them to clear the table and started washing the
dishes, but Bucky said to us to go in the living room and enjoy our
company while he finished to tidy up the kitchen.
After
trying to help with no result, Steve and I sat on the little worn out
sofa with our hand intertwined and I leaned against his shoulder.
“I
am happy to be here.” I said with an happy smile on my lips.
“I
am happy that you are.” he replied kissing my hair on the side of
my head.
“I
don’t want this night to end.”
“Me
neither, but it will happen, won’t it?”
“I
am afraid so.” I murmured enjoying his touch.
“Well,
I just hope I will see you again sooner this time.”
“I
hope so too. 54 days had been an eternity for me, I cannot imagine…
more than a year…”
“It
was… I can’t decribe it.”
“You
counted every day we were separeted.” I mumbled feeling sleepy.
“You
too.” I heard him reply.
“Yeah,
but I counted only till 54, you...”
“1
year and 87 days.”
“I
am sorry.”
“Don’t
be. I wasn’t you fault and I don’t want to think about it
anymore. You are here and I will enjoy every second of this
opportunity.” He said circling my waist with his arms and letting
me rest agains him.
I
looked up and smiled at him: “You are wonderful Steve.” I said
before pushing myself a little bit toward him to kiss his cheek near
the end of his mouth.
He
blushed again, something that I found sweet than I repositioned
against him and closed my eyes.
I
should have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew when I opened
my eyes, my father was calling for me saying that dinner was ready.
Disappointed, I realized I was in my time again.
“I’m
coming!” I shouted before getting up from my bed looking at my
phone and noticing that there were several calls from Chloe and
Rachel. I decided to write a simple message with the promise to call
them later and tell them everything.
While
I reached for my door, I noticed on the floor another picture and
taking it in my hand I could see that it portraied Steve and me
asleep on the sofa. I smiled fondly than I put the photo with the
other one.
I
really hope to see you again soon, my soulmate.
***
Hi everybody! I hope you don’t start to find it boring, the action will start in a few chapter.
#fanfiction #ff #avengers #captainamerica #steverogers #avengersfanfiction #avengersff #captainamericaff #captainamericafanfiction
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