Chapter 4
February 22nd
Steve has been checking his doors almost all week to see if the cops show up on a warrant for harassing the current resident of a place he no longer lived. Lucky for him no one came, or maybe they got the wrong address. No one showed up at his work either. Any normal person would think hey Steve you managed to not get the authorities to come after you on a harassment or the very least a trespassing lawsuit maybe stay away from the residence (if not permanently at least for a little while) but does Steve do that? Nope. Something was calling him back there and he's not sure what but he is sure it has something to do with that mailbox.
Then again maybe he didn't get notice of a Cease and Desist because they mailed it to that mailbox and he really should check it to avoid anyone showing up to his job. I mean he really could explain this away easily....maybe. You see officer I just thought this person was experiencing living in my lake house a few years in the past, is all, and wanted to see if I was right. Sure sure.
Steve decides to drive over there despite trying to convince himself to not and since he's off today he leaves a little after he gets up. If anything if he drives there for no reason he could at least spend time in the shops a few miles from the property. He had always had a nice time going in them especially when he was with...no don't think about that. What if that's what this was? His mind trying to mend itself after his very bad no good breakup. No that seems far fetched...it was just a break up. People break up all the time and never experience a time traveling mailbox because of it.
On his way to the mailbox he checks his mirrors for any cops, or anyone that might be a cop (off duty or disguised). No one really follows him, chalk that up to it being 8 in the morning on a Wednesday. He sees some families in mini vans with kids waving all about, if they were cops they were really dedicated to the undercover gig.
Steve gets there and the house looks as vacant as he left it, and definitely as vacant as when he last saw it. It was brighter out now than the evening he stopped by so he can really see clearly nothing has changed. Hmm... and once again the windows weren't blocked and no one seemed to be home. So, even disregarding the lack of car, no one seemed to be inside either. Though maybe current resident's job had weird schedules. Maybe he worked day/evening shifts or even late at night shifts that would keep him away and he was sleeping well into the late morning. He probably should've asked him what his job was...probably should've asked him that before the 'hey by the way are you from a different year?'. Steve smacks his forehead at the disbelief at him sending that letter. This poor James guy...or Bucky did he say? What a strange variation of James...
He was thinking so much about the appearance of the house ...and the resident. That he didn't noticed until now, the mailbox. The flag is standing straight up, ready for the mail inside it to be delivered. He keeps having to tell himself it's not his mail it's not his mail but something makes him open it regardless, hearing the creak of the rusted metal and just like he hoped it's a letter from James.
He's glad there isn't any rules about stamps in whatever scifi movie they slipped themselves into because boy Steve really didn't want to go out and buys stamps from something that might be a fever dream.
The letter starts off with a lot of cross outs and seemingly some confusion on....Bucky's end on what's okay for Steve to call him. Steve's glad the awkwardness on both sides comes across pretty well. And again about the pawprints but now Steve knows. He's also aware Bucky probably thinks he's crazy but he smirks when he reads about the prints which turns into a wide grin when he see's the very incorrect date Bucky puts.
Alright well I'll either play along or get a CAT Scan in the morning Steve thinks as he takes another page from his notebook in his truck and pens out the next letter.
Dear...Bucky,
Such a strange variation of James... or does it mean something else? Probably not the point umm so as much as I'd like it to be 2010 (was a pretty good year for me) I hate to break the news but it's actually 2012...at least here it is. On the way here I did realize your absence when I'm here could be to maybe working different hours then the norm. However when I happen to stop by the house really doesn't look lived in, like it hasn't been touched since I moved. Now unless you're one of those minimalistic guys who also happens to hate sweeping leaves and likes the dirt aesthetic I think we have ourselves in a really unbelievable situation. Thank you for not calling the cops on me but since you have concluded you are living 2 years earlier than me I suppose they would've shown up to an empty lot or whoever surprised resident happened to live at my address at the time.
No need to lock your doors (as the house is vacant!) but please write back I'm very curious. :)
- Steve
It's a bit forward and very blunt like hey idiot you're living it the past. It lacks subtly but what else are you supposed to say it's not like this is an everyday thing. Steve is almost almost attempted to walk up to the door and try the lock and if unlocked maybe look around but god forbid someone actually is living there and just left the thing unlocked. He really doesn't need a trespassing arrest on his record especially in his line of work. He decides against that idea and slides his letter in the mailbox, lifting the flag up as he closes it.
It only takes a minute for him to second guess the letter. Not so much the reveal of letting Bucky know he was 2 years behind him but maybe he should've been more personable. Asked what his job was or something? Got to know him? Should he even had called him Bucky. They didn't really know each other well enough for a nickname. Or maybe Bucky didn't care either way...or maybe he felt something hence all the cross outs of explaining the complexities of what name to use. Then again he didn't sign off his letter as Bucky. Steve's not sure why he's second guessing everything, acting so nervous as if he was still a little schoolboy. If Bucky was going to distance himself from anything based on what Steve said it'd probably be the time travel bit not the fact Steve used a nickname Bucky basically told him he could use. Was the letter too joking/buddy buddy? Like they were already old pals or something. Steve's about to reach back in, take out the letter, and tear it up letting it be the first draft the second would be..nicer more professional. But he stops himself. He doesn't want to reach in and find the letter still there breaking the illusion he had that it disappears as soon as he closes the box but he also doesn't want to open it and find it gone as if discovering it's magic. So he lets it be and hopes his new pen pal isn't offended by his written tone, sees it as kidding like he intended.
February 24th 2010
Bucky gets back after a late night shift at the bar. He groans and he pulls to park his car, his body aching from standing all night. He also probably shouldn't have started the night tossing bottles in the air like he was some fancy cocktail waiter. Catching a mostly full 750ml glass bottle of vodka behind your back when you've done nothing of the sort before was definitely not the smartest decision he made. He's lucky he didn't break it, or his arm.
He turns his car off and slides out of the seat as he pulls his shirt from his body, the fabric sticky with too many drinks spilled on him. He's lucky he put his jacket safely in the backroom though. It was just one of those nights. He has the next 3 days off and he’s grateful for that, something about having a miserable day before you’re off makes you enjoy them that much more and boy can he not wait to walk into that house, take a shower, go to bed and start this long weekend. Granted some of it will be working out the budget to see if they can fit in some new hires so he can cut more in person hours at the bar. He's lucky they do more revenue then just a few regulars getting cheap beer to drown their sorrows in they also do events! The newspapers ads they put in are a lot cheerier about it but they actually do pull in a good amount of people, it helps that it's an old building that at one point in the 20's was a speakeasy. So a lot of people try to book them for events, especially for themes of "The Roaring Twenties" sort. Tonight, matter of fact, was one such event. Usually they don't get late night ones because he really is apprehensive about closing the bar for a private party at night, aka their most lucrative time, but the guests were willing to pay extra extra for it. So despite his grumbling and sore legs...and almost broken arm, he was grateful for the night.
It's dark out by the Lakehouse at night, much different than in the city where at some places you're almost more blinded by the lights then you are by the sunshine in the day. The only lights are one on the entrance of the walkway and another by his front door.
So as it is established it is dark and he is tired he almost fails to notice the mailbox and it's flag risen high, waiting for Bucky to retrieve whatever is inside. He wonders how the mail man that does come doesn't end up taking the letter with him considering an up flag usually means its mail sent out but then again considering the situation he's in the mailman knowing when to take the mail or not was probably the least important thing to figure out. So after almost bumping into the thing Bucky slides his hand inside the box and feels for the letter he now knows is there. He feels around and finds a second envelope so he takes both out. Maybe the mailman did come. Its impossible to read outside currently so he tucks the envelopes in his jacket and makes his way up the walkway to the house.
Jack greets him as soon as he opens the door. He jumps up for a greeting pet and proceeds to lick Bucky's hand as Bucky walks towards the nearest light. After about 10 licks of Bucky's hand Jack starts sniffling like he tasted something sour.
"Sorry buddy," is all Bucky says "Couldn't scrub off all the bourbon I guess." He gives Jack another pet before he sits on the couch, turning on another light on the side table, and starts looking at the envelopes. Both seem to be from Steve which confuses Bucky. Did he miss a letter?
He opens the first one. He laughs at Steve's confusion about his name, then puts the letter down temporarily at the revelation that Steve was living in 2012 and picks it up again out of curiosity. He's back to laughing again at Steve's blunt call out of Bucky being the dumbass that lives in the year 2010. It's light and he can tell Steve is joking around but also sure Steve is as "what the fuck?" as he is. If this really is what they're both thinking and not one, or both, are losing it...
He opens the second letter the date on top is from the next day. Yesterday, or 730 days in the future? More or less. Bucky groans this was going to be hard to figure out.
Hi,
Sorry about the last letter. I was probably a little too forward. WE dont really know each other I shouldn't have accused you of being a minimalist who doesn't mind dirt or assumed you called the cops or basically more or less called you dumb for believing you live in 2010. I'm here to say maybe you do and I maybe live in 2012 and this is some weird interdimension break that's bringing us together from different years so I think it's fair to say we're meant to be writing these letters we're meant to get to know each other for whatever reason. I'm not a hopeless romantic or anything, kind of a bitter anti romance currently and maybe this isn't even supposed to be romance maybe just friendships or soul something. God now i'm being too existential. And if in fact this is a just a cruel prank i'll ask to please end it. It's been funny really. But if it's not then well... Jesus look at me first I thought I was being too harsh now I'm being too sensitive. In all honestly I did do a long shift at work so you can excuse some of this for exhaustion. What I meant to write originally and what I regretted not doing in the first was: How about we get to know each other? I mean after we get past the initial "living in separate years" shock we should... Hopefully you'll get the first letter and read that part and know that and then you can move on to this letter where I'll start with umm. How are you? Where did you grow up? What do you do for work?
God this is stupid but I'm too afraid after I've thrown a letter in that mailbox to retrieve it and I also know if I wait too long to put it in the box I'll just rip it up so you're left with this jumbled awkward mess.
-Steve.
Bucky smiles softly at Steve's second letter and as much as he wants to pen him one back right away he's too exhausted and he's a little more careful about what exhaustion does to his letter writing than Steve is. However, despite what Steve calls a jumbled a mess Bucky wants nothing more than to go to Steve and grab him to tell him 'it's okay' to the joking way he was in the first letter and it was okay to be how he was in the second and that Bucky can't wait to get to know both sides of him well. He does think that they should come up with a way they both know, in 100% certainty, that the other is from different times so neither feels insecure about the other being truthful before they continue with this.
Bucky goes to bed thinking of a plan for them, he'll write Steve about it in the morning.