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stromchaserwrites · 1 month ago

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Red Ribbons - Brooklyn Beginnings

a/n: Hello and welcome to Red Ribbon! I changed Bucky and Steve's ages, and for the purposes of this story, they were born in 1919. This fic starts in 1936. Bucky and Steve are 16, and Lucy is 14.

Hope you enjoy!

xx Stormchaserwrites

Chapter 1: Brooklyn Beginnings - 2.3k

Red ribbons, scraped knees, and two boys who made the whole world feel bigger than it was.

Lucy Rogers wasn't supposed to be following them.

Stevie had said it real clear before he left the apartment that morning: "You stay here, Lucy. Me and Buck got things to do."

But telling Lucy no was about as helpful as telling the tide not to come in. All it had done was make her mad. She had waited until the boys had gotten down to the lobby of their apartment building before asking her Ma if she could trail along.

“Go ahead,�� Her mother had said. “Just stay with your brother and stay out of trouble.”

She trailed them three steps behind, her worn pink shoes scuffing along the Brooklyn sidewalk, the tails of her white hair ribbons flapping with every bounce. She'd worn her favorite dress, too — blue with tiny white flowers — hoping Stevie and Buck might let her tag along if she looked nice enough.

They hadn't noticed her yet. Bucky was too busy telling Stevie some loud story, hands flying, and Stevie was laughing the kind of laugh Lucy didn't hear enough lately. Since their Pa had passed away things at home hadn’t been the same. Steve had also been sick lately, constantly being wracked with fits of wheezing. She smiled to herself. She loved when Stevie laughed. It meant he wasn't coughing or getting into fights with boys bigger than him.

The New York winter had finally given way to spring. Everywhere Lucy looked she saw green trees and beautiful flower boxes. The smell of grass and flowers mixed with the air around her. She closed her eyes letting herself enjoy the sweet spring breeze, tilting her head up towards the sky.

She had no idea that she was heading into someone until a rough voice barked, "Hey.”

Lucy jumped.

A group of boys, about four or five of them, all bigger and meaner-looking than her, had stepped out from an alleyway that led into the park. Their eyes glinted when they saw her. They weren't much older, maybe a couple of years. They were probably close to Stevie’s age, but they might as well have been giants to Lucy. .

"Ain't that Rogers' little sister?"

"Definitely. Look the little brat’s got ribbons," another sneered. "Whatcha playin' at, princess?"

Lucy backed up, heart pounding.

"I'm not — I'm just—"

One of them lunged, and Lucy tried to dodge, but he caught her by the arm and yanked. She stumbled, knees scraping against the rough pavement. Pain flared, hot and bright. Her blue dress tore at the hem.

"Oww," she whimpered, trying to get up.

“HEY" Steve's voice cracked through the air, furious. "Leave her alone!”

Lucy whipped her head around. Stevie was already running, Bucky right beside him, faces twisted in rage.

"You lousy punks," Bucky growled. "You think you're tough pushin' around a kid?"

The boys scattered when they saw them coming, but not fast enough. Steve came straight at them, fists flying. Bucky grabbed another by the collar and slammed him against the alley wall.

"Touch her again," Bucky snarled low, "and you'll be spittin' teeth for a week."

The boys didn't stay to argue. They scrambled to their feet and tore down the alley, shouting insults over their shoulders.

Steve wiped his bloody knuckles on his pants, breathing hard. He turned and rushed to Lucy.

"Lou, you okay?" he said, voice squeaky from running.

"I'm fine," Lucy lied, tears burning her eyes. Her knee throbbed terribly. Ma was going to kill her.

Bucky crouched beside her. "Lemme see, Lucy."

"No, I’m fi—"

But Bucky was already gently pulling her hands away from her knee. She winced. Blood was trickling down her shin.

"Jamie," she whimpered, hating how small her voice sounded.

Something in Bucky's face softened completely when she said it.

"S'okay, Lou. We'll fix you up." He helped her up before lifting her carefully into his arms. Lucy buried her face against his shoulder, her face flushed with embarrassment and pain.

"You're gonna get blood on your shirt," she mumbled.

"Don't care," Bucky said. "Not the first time."

Steve walked close beside them, glaring at every passerby who gave them a funny look. That was what Lucy loved most about her brother. As much as he loved to tease and annoy her, he was also her fiercest protector. Only Bucky seemed to rival him in that regard.

They got her back to the Rogers' apartment, and Bucky set her down on the tiny kitchen table like she was made of glass.

Lucy looked around the room. Thank goodness their Ma must have been out running errands or spending time with one of the neighbors.

"Steve, get the kit," Bucky said, rolling up his sleeves.

Steve hustled to the cupboard and yanked down the old first-aid tin. Lucy twisted her fingers together nervously.

"It's just a scrape," she tried again. The last thing she wanted was for Bucky to see her as a weak little baby.

"Scrape or not, Doll," Bucky said with a teasing grin, "can't have you fallin' apart on us. Who else is gonna keep Stevie outta trouble?"

Steve snorted. "She needs more watchin' than I do."

Lucy shot Steve a glare.

"She needs better watchin'," Bucky muttered under his breath.

Bucky knelt down and dabbed at her knee with a cloth. It stung like mad, like a thousand little needles poking into her skin and she yelped.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Bucky murmured. "Almost done."

He was so close she could see the little scar above his eyebrow, the one he'd gotten falling off the back of a truck last summer, trying to impress some girl. She had been secretly mad at him for weeks when it happened. But now his eyes were bright blue and full of some emotion Lucy couldn't quite name.

"You're real brave, Lucy," he said, tying a piece of clean gauze around her knee with surprising gentleness.

"Am not," Lucy whispered, blushing furiously.

"Are too." He winked at her. "Tougher'n Steve here, that's for sure."

"Hey!" Steve protested.

Bucky grinned that wicked grin that always made Lucy's stomach do somersaults.

"Not tougher than me, though," Bucky added, tapping her nose lightly. "Gotta work on that."

Lucy giggled despite herself. James was just too sweet sometimes.

Steve crossed his arms, scowling. "Quit flirtin' with my sister, Buck."

"I'm just cheerin' her up," Bucky said, all innocent. But Lucy knew better. It was like they had their own secret language. The only problem was that Lucy never knew if he was serious or stringing her down a path she was in too deep to turn around, even if she wanted to.

"Cheerin' her up, my butt," Steve grumbled.

Bucky finished tying the bandage and stood up, ruffling Lucy's hair and tugging lightly at one of her ribbons.

"There," he said. "Good as new."

Lucy smiled shyly, tucking the ribbon back into place.

"Thank you, Jamie," she said.

Bucky's ears turned pink, but he just shrugged like it was nothing.

Steve sighed and muttered something about "troublemakers" and "bad influences" but didn't push the issue.

"C'mon," Steve said, jerking his thumb toward the door. "Mom's gonna be back soon. You need rest, Lou."

"I don't want to rest," Lucy said stubbornly. She hated when Steve told her what to do.

"You gotta," Steve insisted. "Doctor's orders."

"You're not a doctor," she pointed out.

"I'm your brother. Close enough."

Bucky laughed and scooped her up again before she could protest. "C'mon, Doll. Up you go."

He carried her to the couch and tucked a ratty blanket around her before sitting down next to her. Lucy pouted but didn't really mind. Being fussed over by Bucky was nice, even if it was embarrassing.

Steve hovered for a few more minutes before finally relaxing enough to sit down. He pulled out the funny pages from the paper and started reading aloud.

Lucy let the sound of Stevie's voice, the blanket and the warm weight of Bucky's shoulder lull her into a dozy sort of comfort. She fingered the ends of her ribbons sleepily.

Bucky caught her eye once, gave her a little wink.

Lucy blushed bright red and buried her face in his shoulder.

Maybe getting scraped up wasn't so bad after all.

She had always liked ribbons.

Her Ma said she'd been grabbing at them since she was old enough to sit up on her own. Lucy loved the way ribbons danced when she ran, loved how they made her feel just a little fancier as she walked in the streets of Brooklyn.

When she was six, she found a ribbon tied around a candied apple at the small fall fair down from their house. It was almost too small to even be made into a bow, but to Lucy, it was her most prized possession. Ma tied it carefully into her hair every day until it was so frayed her mom special ordered a set of multicolored ribbons from the corner store. From that day on, Lucy wore ribbons almost every day. Tied into bows, braided through her hair, sometimes looped around her ponytail. They made her feel bold. They made her feel seen.

And maybe they made her easier to spot, too.

"Hey, Red!" Bucky Barnes hollered across the street one afternoon, grinning as he waved her over.

Lucy, clutching her small paper bag of penny candy, darted between the crowd toward him, the ends of her red ribbons flapping in the wind like flags. She fought the blush that was trying to make its way across her cheeks. To Lucy, Bucky was the most beautiful boy. From the day that he had walked through the door of their family apartment with a busted lip and Steve under his arm, she had been enchanted with him. Unfortunately for her, he was her brother's best friend, and Steve had made it clear she was very off limits.

Steve was sitting on the curb beside Bucky, sketchbook balanced on his knees, tongue poking out in concentration.

"I’m not Red," Lucy said, wrinkling her nose.

"You sure about that, sweetheart?" Bucky teased, reaching out to tug playfully on one of her ribbons. "Looks pretty red to me."

Lucy blushed, shoving him in retaliation. "That's just my ribbon, Jamie."

Bucky laughed — a real warm, easy sound that made her stomach twist. "Well, it's a good name for ya. Stands out. Like you."

Steve looked up from his drawing and gave a lopsided smile. "You do stick out, Luce. Always running after us like a little puppy."

"I don't run after you!" Lucy protested.

"Sure you don't, Red," Bucky said, winking.

Lucy stomped her foot, but it only made both boys laugh harder.

From that day on, it stuck.

Bucky started calling her "Red" whenever he spotted her. At the market, on the stoop, chasing after Stevie with her hair ribbons streaming behind her. He said it as if it were a secret joke, as if he were the only one allowed to know how special she was.

At first, Lucy pretended she didn't like it. The boys were always taking every chance they could to tease her, making her mad and then running off in a fit of laughter.

But then Steve started using it too. He always said it in a soft and fond voice, like when he tucked a scarf around her neck that winter and said, "Stay warm, Red," or when he grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him in a crowd, saying, "Careful there, Red."

After that, Lucy decided maybe she didn’t mind so much.

One afternoon, when Lucy was about fifteen, she sat cross-legged on the stoop outside their apartment, trying hard to tie two brand-new red ribbons into her braids. They were a birthday present from Steve. He had saved up nickels and dimes for months from sweeping floors at the tailor's shop, and Lucy loved them more than anything.

Bucky came sauntering down the street, hands shoved into the pockets of his worn coat.

"Hey, Red," he called, grinning that lopsided grin that made Lucy's cheeks burn.

"Hey, Jamie," she said, fumbling with the knot she was trying to tie.

He plopped down next to her on the stoop without asking, close enough that their shoulders bumped. A blush threatened to come forward. Over the years, Lucy had gotten used to Bucky’s charming personality, but she could never deny the soft spot in her heart that beat only for him.

"Those new?" he asked, nodding at her ribbons.

"Yeah," Lucy said proudly. "Stevie got 'em for me."

Bucky leaned in, studying the bright red bow that fell just over her shoulder like it was a really important thing. He was close enough that she could smell the faint scent of his soap.

"Well, they suit you," he said quietly. "Red’s your color, Lou."

Lucy felt her heart beat up into her throat. Oh well, she thought so much for trying not to blush.

"You say that about everything," she muttered, looking down to fiddle with the ends of the ribbon. The last thing she needed was for Bucky to see that his sweet, charming personality still had an effect on her.

"Nah," Bucky said, bumping his knee against hers. "Just you, Red."

Lucy smiled to herself.

Across the street, Steve stuck his head out of the corner store and yelled, "Quit flirtin' with my sister, Buck!"

Bucky just laughed, easy and unbothered. "Just callin' it like I see it, Steve!"

Lucy ducked her head so they wouldn't see how deep her red cheeks had gotten — redder than her ribbons, probably.

Sometime over the past couple of years, Red had become something more than a nickname between the three of them.

It was her name when Steve tucked her behind him in a fight, when Bucky picked her up and spun her around to make her laugh, when they all raced each other down the street, her hair ribbons streaming like a banner.

It was the name for when she was brave, when she was stubborn, when she was soft, or when she was hurt.It was hers, and it was theirs, and it meant home.

#bucky barnes x oc #bucky barnes x steve rogers little sister #childhood friends to lovers #friends to lovers #1940s bucky #angst with a happy ending #angst #slow burn #hurt/comfort #fluff #protective bucky barnes #winter soldier #bucky barnes

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