After the three regrouped (and Bucky sent a subtle nod in Angie's direction to let her know everything between them and Steve was okay), their sergeant friend wasn't too shy to tell Steve and Angie the fun news about their last night together. 

As it turned out, that night was the big premiere of Mr. Howard Stark's latest inventions. World Exposition of Tomorrow, the signs plastered on every street corner read as the three made their way through New York to where the big reveal was being held. A night of futuristic technology debuting for the first time was surely going to be an amazing evening for Angie and her boys. At least, that's what she thought.

Before Bucky brought their dates.

Well, Steve and Bucky's dates, to be more precise.

"Angie, Steve, this is Clara and Maggie," Bucky introduced with a polite smile as the three approached the event's facility and the two other women came into view.

Maggie was blonde and her hair fell down past her shoulders, curled perfectly- not too tight, but not too wavy. Angie could never find that happy medium between too much and too little. The maroon color of her modest dress brought out the hazel in her eyes, and the plain handbag she carried seemed to compliment her entire look, bringing the style all together to form a perfect outfit with no flaws whatsoever. 

Clara was a pretty little thing with short chestnut-brown locks cut to her collar-bone, oak-colored eyes, and a round face. Her lipstick was red, even redder than Angie's, and she seemed to wear the color even better than the soon-to-be war nurse. It didn't help that she was wearing a familiar tan dress with a matching tan belt- the same dress and belt Evangeline had seen through the window of the expensive dress shop, Petunia's Sewing Needle, a few blocks away. Angie had been saving all her spare change to use towards that dress and belt. She didn't want it anymore, not when her confidence had been shattered by the appearance of this new woman.

"Pleasure to meet you," Maggie extended her hand towards Steve and Angie, to which they replied with a firm shake and a smile.

"Yeah, what she said," Clara chimed in and shook their hands as well. Their hands were soft, much softer than her work-warn ones, callused from days and nights of working at the diner. Slowly, Evangeline could feel her heart start to sink and wondered if these well-dressed women could see the moth-eaten holes and tiny tears towards the hem of her dress's skirt.

"Well, now that we've all been introduced, lets get going." 

"Actually," Angie kept her high-heels planted to the ground when the other four began to walk towards the building's entrance, her eyes finding the cement as all attention suddenly was directed towards her. "I, um..." She cleared her throat. "I actually haven't said good-bye to Mama G yet, I completely forgot to before I left the diner. And it's getting late, so I should probably head back before her shift ends."

She couldn't explain the feeling she got when concern flooded Bucky's eyes and he put a sturdy hand on her shoulder. He knew her even better than she knew herself; it wasn't hard for him to figure out she was lying about saying good-bye to her boss and only motherly influence in her life. Mama G meant too much to her, and Evangeline Harris was the kind of person who liked to get everything in order as quickly as possible. There was no possible way she could've gotten away with lying to his face.

"But it's our last night-"

"I'll walk you there."

Another big difference between Steve and Bucky- it didn't take Steve very long to figure out what was wrong with her when he had the right clues, while Bucky needed things spelled out to him a lot more often. Steve noticed her confidence die after meeting the girls before she'd even made up an excuse to leave, it wasn't hard for him to notice her deflate. Steve knew he wasn't able to keep her safe in the alley next to the cinema, but he'd be damned if he just ignored the fact that she was uncomfortable and didn't do anything about it. He couldn't rescue her before, so he'd rescue her now.

"I'll catch up later, okay Buck?" Steve walked up to Angie and locked arms with her, just as he'd done after leaving the hospital that morning. Knowing that it would be rude to just leave both girls standing there instead of proceeding with the date, Bucky let out a sad sigh, then nodded solemly.

"Okay, buddy. I'll see you tomorrow, Angie."

Without another word, the group of five became two.

**********

"Thanks for saving me back there."

Steve and Angie hadn't gone back to the diner; she didn't even have to tell him that she'd lied. They'd just wordlessly strolled down the sidewalk beneath the glowing streetlights, listening to the sound of the city as day turned to night.

It didn't take long for the duo to reach the fire-escape they always climbed, up to the roof of an apartment building a few miles away from her own. Though Bucky was usually with them when they'd decide to escape from their average lives for a moment of peace above the skyline, the view was still as beautiful as it always was, filled with golden light radiating from the busy streets below.

She didn't speak until after they'd found their destination, climbed to the top, and sat down on the edge of the roof. Their legs dangled dangerously off the side of the building, but they were never worried about falling. Not when the fire escape was right beneath them; falling wouldn't have been fatal. It still gave them a small rush of adrenaline, though, every time they closed their eyes and felt their heels hit the side of the concrete structure. 

"Don't worry about it," Steve said with a small smirk. "I figured I owed you one anyway."

"Don't say that," She shook her head with disapproval. "You didn't owe me anything. You tired him out, I just drew blood first. I wouldn't have been able to hit him if his energy hadn't been spent on you."

"Not sure if that was a nice insult or a horrible compliment."

She jabbed him playfully with her elbow and the two couldn't help but let out a small trickle of laughter, like melted snow dripping into a sewer grate after the first day of spring. A moment of silent passed and their eyes found the beautiful view they'd grown so accustomed to seeing as they grew up together. Evangeline couldn't hold back the tears when she realized this could be the last time she'd ever see it.

In an instant, the small man had pulled her into a comforting hug, knowing that she needed a shoulder to cry on. As if by instinct, the grieving woman held him tight and buried her face in his chest, just like she did whenever she needed to be embraced. She'd never know that he was using this moment to hide his own tears from her as well.

"I miss you already," Evangeline sniffled with a slight, depressed giggle. 

"I'll miss you, too, Evangeline," Steve struggled to pull himself together when a war was ripping her from his arms. "Just be safe." Her teary eyes closed and, for the first time, she felt like nothing could touch her, not when Steve was so devoted to protecting her. Not when her best friend would rather die than see any harm come to her.

It terrified her to think that she'd eventually have to break away from Steve's warm, inviting embrace.

"And make sure you write to me, okay?" The suffering man tried to lighten the mood, but still refused to let go of the woman in his arms, knowing all too well that this was likely the last time she'd ever hug him, be near him, breathe in the same air as him. Shakespeare was right when he said parting from someone you cared about was such sweet sorrow. "Make sure you tell me everything that happens, every time Bucky screws up at something so I can give him a hard time when you get back."

"I promise, I'll write to you every chance I get. No matter what."

They stayed there the rest of the night, til the sun rose up the next morning.