Chapter 4
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couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t believed it all day, in fact. His walk down to the docks had been full of greeting other people on the street and flashing smiles as the sun beat down on his shoulders. There was a happiness in him that he couldn’t quite describe – he hadn’t been able to that morning when his father asked why he was ‘so damn happy’ in those words exactly, and when Becca had asked, he had just kissed her on the cheek before he left the house. No, he couldn’t quite contain himself, and that proved evident even when he reached the docks.
“What’s got into you, Barnes?”
“I’m workin’ a half shift!”
Well, that much was at least true. He was working a half-shift today, which was why it was just after lunch when he arrived. Even here though, he wouldn’t be mentioning his date to any of the men he worked with. Not even to Tom, who clapped his hand down on Bucky’s shoulder the moment he saw the young man.
“Spit it out, Barnes! I know you ain’t grinnin’ like you just got the best –”
“Tom!” Bucky had been around many times to know exactly how that sentence was going to end, and many times, Tom had indeed been right, but this wasn’t a time like that. He hadn’t even thought about that since she’d said yes. She was a right proper lady, not some easy screw.
“What? Usually you only look that happy when you had a night with a girl.”
“I ain’t had no nights with any girls,” Bucky said flatly. “And I ain’t gonna be doin’ for a while.”
“What’s the matter with you, huh?” Tom turned to look at him, while Bucky tugged off the thin shirt he was wearing over his white undershirt. “Ain’t like you to not be seein’ any dames. Even when you got a steady girl, you’ve always got another goin’ at the same time.”
“Maybe I just wanna wait it out. Wait for a couple more fellas to get shipped overseas and take care of some dames who are gonna be feelin’ real down in the dumps.”
That seemed enough for Tom. In seconds, the man was laughing, clapping his large hand on Bucky’s shoulder and knocking him forward.
“That’s the smartest dumb thing I ever heard. You’re a proper skirt chaser, ain’t ya?”
“My name ain’t Bucky Barnes for nothin’, y’know.” Bucky pretended to be popping his shirt collar as he grinned back at Tom, watching the older man shake his head at him while his laughter died down.
“I guess not, son.”
“Hey!” A call from a little further down the dock reached them, and the owner was gesturing to the ship that was coming in. “You bozo’s plannin’ on doin’ any work today? Get your asses down here!”
Bucky shoved Tom with his shoulder before sprinting away, laughing as he jogged down the dock after him.
Five O’Clock passed, and Bucky asked Tom for the time every minute afterward. He was finishing at five-thirty sharp, which left him just enough time to get home, wash, change, and stop off to pick up some flowers for Ruby before he met her at Lucy’s Diner. He would have just enough time if he was quick, and if his father didn’t pull him up about spending his wage again. If he could avoid that conversation – again – then he would make it to the Diner with time to spare. His best slacks and shirt were already ironed and waiting at home, and hopefully his father wouldn’t realise that Bucky would be wearing them the following day for Church. If he did, well. It would only be a slight clip around the ear and Bucky on ironing duty the following weekend.
"What –”
“If you ask me the time again, I’m throwin’ you off the damn dock. Where you gotta be that’s so important?”
“Nowhere,” Bucky easily covered, pushing his hair back off his face. “I just wanna get home.”
“Yeah, yeah. Keep your damn secrets, kid.” Regardless of the annoyance, Tom did indeed check his watch again and roll his eyes at Bucky. “Ya better start movin’. By the time you get up there and get your shirt, it’ll be quittin’ time for ya anyways.”
The grin on Bucky’s face even drew a chuckle from Tom. He slapped Bucky on the shoulder, gesturing back down the dock.
“Get outta here!”
Bucky started to jog the moment Tom’s words left his mouth, heading back down to clock out. That was of course, until his boss stopped him before he grabbed his shirt. He faltered, looking at the slightly smaller man.
“Where are you goin’?”
“You said I could finish early today, sir,” his voice, while not quiet, still had the edge of a schoolboy trying to explain to the headmaster. “As long as I worked late on Monday.”
“No, Barnes. I need you to work late tonight, early on Monday. The boys need all the help they can get to move that cargo into the sheds before it goes dark.”
“But sir –”
“Stay late, or you quit. Your choice.”
Bucky bit his tongue. He couldn’t afford to lose his job, not with summer coming in so soon. He had always been a good worker here, and it had where he had been since he left school. To lose his job now would get him turned out on the street by his father, most likely, especially if he found out he blew it off just to go on a date. Taking a deep breath, he nodded at his boss and looked away.
“Alright.”
“Atta boy, Barnes. Get back down there. It’s only an extra hour.”
Bucky trudged obediently back down the dock, cursing under his breath. As soon as Tom saw him, he stared at Bucky incredulously.
“The hell are you doin, kid? Thought you were finishin’ early.”
“Boss said I’ve gotta stay another hour and help move these or I had to quit.”
“So you’re gonna be late to meet her, huh?”
Bucky looked to him, frowning. How on earth did Tom know what Bucky had been planning on doing that night?
“I know you, Barnes. Ain’t a time you’ve stopped chasin’ skirts for any girl, ‘cept this one. She’s gotta be special.” Tom shook his head at Bucky, flashing him a knowing grin.
“Yeah,” Bucky sighed, leaning on the crate in front of him. “Well I guess I ain’t gonna know now, am I?”
“Like hell.” Tom took one more look at Bucky and then cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting to the rest of the boys pushing and shoving the crates.
“Come on boys! We gotta get these crates in quick or Barnes is gonna miss his date!”
Bucky looked at Tom, ready to thank him, but the man started pushing the crate that Bucky was leaning against instead.
“Stop sittin’ around! We gotta get your dumb ass to your dame!”
The boys worked harder and faster than they had all day, storing the crates as quickly as they possibly could, but they hadn’t been quick enough to finish. The whistle went as they were shutting the doors and locking them, making Bucky’s heart plummet. He still hadn’t been able to finish early, even with all the help from the boys. They were all panting, sweaty messes, and Bucky couldn’t thank them enough, but as the whistle for the end of the day blew, he couldn’t help but feel like it had all been for nothing. Tom was sitting on the floor, exhausted and red in the face, like some of the others who had put everything they had into finishing the shift.
“Missed your date?” Tom wheezed, watching as Bucky wiped the sweat from his forehead with his dirty undershirt.
“Supposed to meet her at seven,” Bucky panted, wobbling unsteadily. He doubted he would be able to move his arms in a few hours, much less the following day.
“If ya run, you’ll catch her.”
“Naw. I ain’t turnin’ up lookin’ like this.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Barnes. These fellas didn’t work their asses off just now for ya to mope about how ya look. Get movin’ and go show that girl a good time.”
“You don’t understand –”
“Ya like her, right? Go tell her. Ain’t nothin’ stoppin’ you other than your own damn pride. If she likes ya, she ain’t gonna care about what ya look like.”
That was exactly the thing stopping him from going. He had told Ruby that he wasn’t just a dirty, working-class Brooklyn boy, and if he turned up for their date looking like this, he thought that would be all she would see. Yet, Tom was making him want to go, and it wasn’t like Bucky Barnes to go down without a fight. He bent over, putting his hands on his knees, before nodding at Tom.
“Alright.”
“Good. I’m sick of seein’ you feelin’ sorry for yourself. Get outta here, boy.”
“I’m goin’!”
Yet when he started to move, he couldn’t bring himself to run. Heck, he could barely bring himself to jog. He grabbed his shirt and kept it in his grip as he moved, ignoring all the screaming of his muscles and the way his arms were desperately trying to lock in position. If she turned him away now, at least he tried.
On a good day, the walk to Lucy’s Diner would take around fifteen minutes at the most, and that was coming from home. The docks were a little bit further away, so it took all of Bucky’s will to try and make it there in time. He knocked into people as he passed, shouting apologies over his shoulder and urging himself to round corners and nip across the roads faster than he would have normally.
He skidded around the corner onto the street that Lucy’s was on, just in time to see Ruby checking her wrist. Bucky halted, catching his breath and taking the sight of her in. She wasn’t wearing red tonight, but a very pale blue dress with a white cardigan around her shoulders. Her hair was pinned up in a style that all the girls did at that time, but somehow, it looked different on her. It looked better. But as Bucky went to step forward, she turned on her heel and started to walk away. His breath caught in his throat as he started to sprint after her, groaning at the trembling of his legs.
“Ruby! Ruby, wait!”
He shoved past the man walking toward him, earning a string of curse words, but Bucky didn’t even turn to apologise this time. She was almost around the corner, and if she went, then she would be gone. With a last burst of energy, Bucky caught up and grabbed her wrist.
“Ruby!”
Almost immediately, she yanked her wrist from him as she turned, but the expression on her face was unreadable. She didn’t look disappointed or disgusted. She just looked at him, holding his gaze.
“You’re late.” Her voice was empty, but Bucky refused to tell him anything but the truth.
“I had to work –”
“You said you were finishing early today.”
“I got held up,” he wiped his hair back off of his face, ignoring how dirty it felt beneath his fingers. “Last shipment took a while to move. Boss said I had to quit if I didn’t wanna stay.”
“That’s the best excuse you could come up with?” Ruby crossed her arms, and Bucky’s eyes widened. Did she really think that he was lying to her?
“I’m tellin’ you the truth! You think I’d turn up on a date lookin’ like this?” Bucky then realised that he was only wearing his sleeveless undershirt, and quickly made to pull his shirt on and button it up. Ruby exhaled deeply, pointedly looking away from him.
“The girls asked me to go out with them tonight, but I said no because of you.”
“It ain’t like I planned on bein’ late! I had the whole damn thing planned. Look, if you’re lookin’ for an easy excuse to get outta this and go meet your friends, then there it is. I’m late to meet ya. I don’t expect ya to give me another chance after I screwed this one up, but I’m gonna ask anyways. Please. Just let me take you out, even if it’s just an hour or somethin’.”
Bucky was almost on the verge of dropping to his knees – partially from the pain shuddering through his legs – but because of her too. He didn’t care if people were staring right now, which they probably were, with a man full of grime asking a classy girl for a date. Her gaze hadn’t come back to him yet, and Bucky’s teeth sank down into his bottom lip. She was just working out a way to say no. That was all she was doing. He took a deep breath, preparing himself to nod and walk away from her, as her blue eyes locked with his.
“This is the last chance I’m going to give you.” Her tone was firm, her expression hard. Bucky’s mouth had fallen open, not quite believing the words she had just said.
“You’re sayin’ yeah?”
“I’m saying that you have one more chance to prove to me that you’re not like other boys, and if I still think you are, then you’re going to leave me alone. Understood?”
“I got it.” Bucky was quick to nod, stammering over his words. “Last chance.”
“Good.” Ruby uncrossed her arms, now letting her eyes rake over Bucky’s appearance. Bucky too looked down at himself, then back over his shoulder at the Diner.
“Come on. I ain’t gonna show you up in there. I’ll take you someplace else.”
It was only after a few minutes of walking that Bucky decided he wasn’t going to try and hold her hand. That’s what he did with any other girl he had took on a date, but of course, Ruby wasn’t like any other girl that he had taken out on a date. She had already yanked her wrist away from him – but as he caught sight of his palm, it was probably best that he didn’t try anyway. His hand was filthy. Thinking of no better option, he stuffed his hands into his jean pockets just to try and discreetly wipe them. It was in that very moment that Bucky realised that he didn’t have his wallet on him – just what he had left in his pocket from yesterday in case he needed to buy lunch today. With that amount, he would barely be able to pay for her meal if he had taken her to the Diner, let alone his own. It was a twisted thankfulness that he hadn’t told her that they would still go to dinner, but on the other hand, he cursed himself. It was almost as though somebody was making sure that anything that could go wrong with this date was happening all in one long, painful sequence. He had to come up with a plan, and quickly. He subconsciously brought his hand up to scratch the back of his neck, and then it came to him. They were heading in the right direction anyway. He could make it look like that’s where they were going all along.
“You like ice cream?”
“Ice cream?” Ruby lifted a brow, looking at him from the corner of her eye. “Who doesn’t?”
“Good, ‘cause that’s what we’re gettin’. I know a place just up here that’ll let me in lookin’ like this. Kinda friendly with the owner.”
“From previous dates?”
“From my Ma,” Bucky’s voice went flat, looking over to her. “She used to be good friends with his wife.”
Bucky was thankful for the silence after he had spoken, not particularly wanting to talk about his mother at all, if he could help it. Ruby’s lips had pursed when he looked back at her, and he expected her to question that too.
“Chocolate chip cookie dough is my favourite.”
Bucky then turned to look at her fully, flashing her a smile, and managed to earn himself one back in return.
“That’s mine too.”
Thankfully, the owner was kind enough to let Bucky in even if he looked like he had rolled around in dirt and grime for the better part of the day. He even managed to get Ruby to let him pull her seat out for her and make sure she was comfortable before he even went up to get ice cream for the two of them.
“What’s it gonna be today, Bucky?” The owner grinned over the counter at him, nodding over to the window table where Ruby was waiting patiently, now unbuttoning her cardigan to put over the chair.
“The usual for me, and one for my date too.”
“Kinda pretty for you, ain’t she? Ain’t never seen you with a girl like that before.”
“This one’s different,” Bucky glanced back at Ruby, then shrugged at the owner. “She lives on one of those nice blocks.”
“Managed to reel in one of those nice girls your Mama was always tellin’ you about?”
“Maybe. If she stays ‘til the end of the date, I might have another chance with her.”
“I ain’t seen a girl walk out on you yet.” Two glass bowls were placed in front of him, both with scoops of his – and her – favourite ice cream waiting in them. As the spoons were put beside them, Bucky dug what little money he had on him out of his pocket to pay.
“Like I said, this one’s different.”
“If she walks out on ya, I expect to see ya tomorrow to tell me all about it.”
“You got it.”
Grabbing the spoons and bowls, Bucky wandered back over to the table and smiled the moment she looked up at him, placing the bowl down in front of her.
“This place has got the best kinda ice cream. Ain’t nowhere in Brooklyn like it.”
“I’m not from Brooklyn,” Ruby reminded him, reaching for her spoon. “But I had ice cream with my family last Sunday. We went to the one near Church.”
“That old place? It ain’t got nothin’ on this ice cream. Try it. You’ll know what I’m talkin’ about.”
Bucky watched expectantly as Ruby scooped up a spoonful of the ice cream, looking at him with a curious expression. He gave her an encouraging nod, still holding his spoon in the dish. As she slowly opened her mouth and ate the ice cream, Bucky leaned forward, looking at her expectantly.
“Well?”
“It’s good,” Ruby nodded after swallowing, and Bucky didn’t quite know what to make of that summary.
“Just ‘good’? You gotta be kiddin’ me. I’m gonna go over there right now and tell Clive that you think his ice cream’s just ‘good’.” Bucky stared at her, trying to remain serious. He pushed his chair back and made to stand just as Ruby started to shake her head and eat another spoonful.
“You can’t tell him that!”
“How come? If someone’s gonna break his heart, might as well be someone that he knows.”
“No! It’s good ice cream. Nice ice cream. It’s –”
She faltered, squeezing her eyes shut tight. Bucky’s eyebrows shot up in confusion, until he realised what had happened. Then he couldn’t help it. He bit his tongue to keep from laughing, but the way his lips tugged up gave away the grin.
“Stop it!” Ruby shook her head, as if that would get rid of the sting.
“Aw, I don’t remember it bein’ that bad to get brainfreeze!” Bucky laughed, followed by popping almost half a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream into his mouth. The moment that he swallowed, he wished he hadn’t. The pain shot straight through him, causing a cold shiver to run down his spine. He squeezed his eyes shut and coughed, wishing that if he pressed his eyes tight enough together, the pain would vanish. Yet, as the second shiver ran down his spine, he heard the giggle from the girl across from him, and he had to admit that the sound of her laughing was more than enough reason to cause so much pain to himself all at once.
“What did you do that for?” Ruby was asking, giggling in between her words.
“I didn’t believe ya!” Bucky managed to open his eyes just enough to see the full smile on Ruby’s lips, and then shut them tightly again as the last few aftershocks went through him.
“I can’t believe you did that, Bucky.” Ruby was still smiling at him when he opened his eyes the second time, wiping them so that he didn’t cause any of the water pricking them to fall.
“Me either,” Bucky tried to sound like he was ashamed of himself, but he couldn’t. Not after what she had just said to him. “But hey, it got you to say my name.”
“I suppose it did,” Ruby’s cheeks began to turn that shade of red that he had seen on them that very first night. “I haven’t said it already?”
“Nope.” He would remember that. Hearing his name in her voice stirred something in him, and from that point on, he wanted to hear her say it again and again.
“Oh.”
“Hey, I didn’t call you by your name for a while, did I?”
“No. You called me that ridiculous term.”
“But I ain’t said it to ya since. I remember, y’know.”
“You do.” Ruby was looking at him in a way that he couldn’t quite place, but he didn’t care to try and work out what it was at that particular moment in time. He was far too happy that she had finally called him by his name, and more than that, that she hadn’t asked to go home yet. She was still working through her ice cream – much slower than before, taking much smaller spoonfuls than he was, making him think about slowing down – and talking to him. He must have been doing something right.
“So, I got somethin’ for us to do.” Bucky leaned his elbows on the table, as if sharing a secret. “Kinda like a game. You get five questions to ask me, and I get five to ask you. Sound good?”
“I only get five?”
“Yeah, and they gotta be good questions too. Not somethin’ like… ‘What did ya eat for breakfast this mornin’?’ Somethin’ that ya really wanna know.”
“So, something like… Was that other boy at the Church related to you?” Ruby scooped up another small spoonful of the ice cream, looking at him curiously.
“Steve?” Bucky had to grin at her. “Naw, Steve ain’t blood related. He’s just my best friend, and his Ma and mine were real close when we were kids. The girl’s my little sister though – Becca. She’s fourteen. We always go to Church with Steve and his Ma.”
“Oh. I just thought...” But she trailed off, giving a very light shrug of her shoulders. “What’s your question for me?”
“What did ya tell your sister about me?” Bucky asked, pausing the movement of his hand. Ruby blushed slightly, looking down at her bowl. “Come on, I know you said somethin’ to her. She wouldn’ta said it otherwise.”
“I only mentioned that a boy had asked me to dance on the Friday night. I didn’t mention you by name, and I didn’t tell Pearl. I was talking to my other sister, Em. She asked what happened at the Dance Hall because she’s not old enough to go.”
“How old’s your sister?”
“She’s fifteen,” Ruby told him, “and that was your second question.”
“Aw man! You’re countin’ that?” Bucky snapped his fingers. “I thought you woulda let that go!”
“You said five questions,” a smile crept on her face, “I’m sticking to your rules.”
“Then I guess I better be careful, huh?” He smiled back at her, clicking his tongue. “Alright, ask me your second question.”
It took far longer than the two of them finishing their ice cream to get to the end of their five questions. By the end, both were laughing and whatever awkwardness had desperately clung onto them as they had walked into the Parlour had melted away in the warm, comfortable shroud surrounding the two. With every passing question, it was almost as though the two had known of each other for so much longer than a week. Clive had come out from behind the counter more than once to clean the tables as other customers came and left, until Ruby and he were the only two sitting there.
It was almost closing time, Bucky knew without even looking, so he stood up first and stretched before he offered his hand to help her up. Once he had, he wasn’t entirely sure that she would take it. It was cleaner now, at least, but conversation was one thing, and holding her hand was another entirely. That was more romantic than it was friendly, and maybe she didn’t want that from him. Maybe she was just happy to be friends with him. Then slowly, a delicate hand slipped into his rough one, and her fingers tightened around his own. She allowed him to help her up, and then she kept hold of his hand with a small smile. Bucky couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face when she didn’t let go. He shot a look at Clive over his shoulder as they left, who gave him a thumbs up and winked before the door to the Parlour shut behind them.
The silence that surrounded the two of them as they walked now wasn’t uncomfortable. With her hand in his, Bucky felt like he could take on anything at that moment. Their fingers were entwined, and their hands swinging lightly between them. The question on the tip of his tongue was almost begging to be asked, and as they were now, he couldn’t resist it.
“Hey, Ruby?”
“Yes?”
He licked his lips, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. He waited until they had crossed the road and turned onto the next street before he spoke again, taking every inch of bravery he had in him.
“Can I take you out tomorrow night?”
She didn’t answer at first, which made his heart drop. He had been right. She only wanted to be friends, and nothing more than that. This had been his one chance to impress her, and it hadn’t worked. Friends was all they would have to be.
“Yes.”
“Huh?”
Bucky stopped dead, making Ruby jerk to a stop too. His eyes grew wide, staring at her. That had to be a joke. She can’t have truly meant it.
“What’s wrong?” Ruby was giving him a concerned look, and her fingers tightened ever so slightly on his.
“You said yes.”
Instantly, an embarrassed smile grew on her face, and a blush started to creep in again. She pulled on his hand just enough to make him step forward, giggling as he finally stepped by her side again.
“I know I said yes. I’d like for you to take me out again.”
“You really mean that?” The disbelief in his voice was clear. A girl like her wanted to go on another date with a boy like him?
“I could tell you no, if that’s what you want to hear.”
“No! I just – I didn’t expect ya to say yes. I thought I was gonna drop you off at your door and that’d be the last time I spoke to ya.”
“I had a nice time with you tonight, Bucky. I’d like it if you took me out tomorrow too.”
The honesty in her voice made the corners of his mouth twitch upward, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. The proud feeling ran back through him again, and they started to finish the now short walk back to Ruby’s block.
“Then I’m gonna.”