Ok, first chapter is a 20's AU! I tried to get it to seem like Great Gatsby type of scene, so I hope you enjoy!

…

The world was a wild place after the Great War ended. People were happy to be alive, the euphoria of life spread all through America. No more rationing, no more waving loved ones goodbye to go die in the trenches. Although there was the prohibition, alcohol was cheaper and easier to get.

And nowhere was the jazz age more prominent than in New York City.

The city never slept, never rested. A party on every corner every night, the lights shining brighter than the stars. It was especially great for the soldiers returning home, the carefree ways relaxing after the stress of the battle overseas.

This was true for two soldiers who just returned to the city, ready to live life again. They had been best friends for years, before the war, during, and to everyone's surprise, after. They hadn't been expected to survive at all, but against all odds, they did. Now, they were ready to go back out into the world.

Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers walked side by side through the bustling streets. Couples rushed past them, music could be heard from behind every door, cars filled to the brim screeched past, people cheering and laughing.

"You sure your sister doesn't know where we're goin'?" Bucky asked, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Told her that we were going to your place." Steve told him.

"Gotcha."

Truly, Bucky wished she would come with them, but he wasn't sure if she would approve of where they were heading. A party down the road with illegal drinking and dancing, it wasn't really her scene. She had always been such a good person, waiting for them to come home. He had never even seen her pick up a drink.

Bucky had been sweet on her for some time now but never mustered up the courage to tell her. He had known her for so long, he didn't want to ruin what they had. Bucky had come close to telling her once, before he and Steve shipped off, but the words died on his lips. He simply couldn't do it.

Bucky figured he would have a few drinks and forget about the girl waiting.

They could hear the party before they saw it. The swinging jazz music was slightly muffled behind a heavy door, bursting in perfect clarity when Steve pushed it open. It was a flood of lights, sounds, and colors. It took both men back a moment as they took it all in, from the band playing on the stage to the men clutching drinks to their chests. A pain of women stalked past them, one of them trailing an arm flirtatiously across Bucky's arm, a feather boa following behind the girl.

Bucky loved the messiness of it all, all of the sights and sounds working together like a symphony. Bucky and Steve walked further into the hall, being nearly swallowed by the crowd. Bucky looked up, eyes growing wide at what he saw.

It was Steve's sister, Ella, unlike he had ever seen her before. He was used to seeing her in drab, conservative clothing, but now she wore a party dress. She was standing up on the table, bouncing to the beat of the swinging trumpet. She held the hand of a man while also holding a delicate class of illegal alcohol. Her lips were red and spread into a smile, bob of golden hair curled along her cheekbone. Her headband had an elaborate feather attached to it, swaying wildly. The fringe of her dress danced around her stalking-clad thighs, making him raise a brow. He had never seen her in anything over the knee.

"I gonna get something to drink!" Steve said.

"Alright." Bucky said back, not taking his eyes off of Ella. He waited until he was gone before heading towards her, wondering what reason she had for doing this. He thought she would be at home.

Bucky shoved the man holding her hand to the side, ignoring his cry of protest as he wrapped a hand around Ella's wrist and tugged lightly.

The girl looked down, lips parting slightly at the sight. Bucky expected her to be shocked or surprised, but instead found that her look of shock melted into a huge grin.

"Bucky!" she breathed, stepping down from the table onto the floor and hugging him. "What are you doing here?"

He could tell she had been drinking due to her voice, how it was an excitable murmur and her words seemed to flow together without a pause or break.

"I should be asking you the same thing." He said, trying to ignore how she hung onto his arm, leaning her shoulder against her own. He liked her being that close.

"It's just a party!" Ella said with a grin. "I wanted to have some fun!"

"With alcohol?"

"This?" Ella said, holding up her glass. "This is just some giggle water."

"Steve doesn't know you're here."

This seemed to get more of a reaction out of her, face falling. "He's here?"

Bucky nodded, motioning towards the right. "Yeah and he's coming this way."

Ella gasped slightly, shoving her drink into the hands of the person nearest to her and dragging Bucking into the dancing crowd, weaving through dancing limbs with surprising agility.

"He can't know I'm here!" she hissed. "Well, he'd never approve." She paused, making a face. "Wait… he said he was going to your place! Oh, he's in for an earful."

Bucky chuckled at her reaction, still feeling the warmth of her hands through his shirt. "You come here often?"

"A couple times." She said almost breathlessly.

"Didn't think this was you scene…" Bucky said with a hint of irritation, still not knowing why she would keep this part of her life from them. She was like an entirely new person.

"Well, you two didn't get home until a month after the war ended." Ella explained. "The world was celebrating and I wanted to join in… it's fun!"

"Why didn't you tell Steve?"

"Like he would approve of me dancing the night away with illegal booze and men?" she laughed.

Little did she know that those things irked Bucky more than it would to Steve. How many men had been with her when he was gone? Had she found another man in his absence, one that she really did fancy? He knew it was a possibility when he left when she wouldn't have him watching over her. He wished he would just say something.

Ella stopped walking, tilting her head to the side as the tune changed, face breaking out into a grin. "I love this some! Come dance with me!"

Bucky felt her tug on his arm, a silent plead to follow her. He was going to refuse at first, but then saw her wide eyes, how much she truly wanted him to go with her. How could he saw no to that? With a slight sigh, he relented, following her into the crazed crowd.

Bucky didn't know what to expect from Ella, not having seen her dance before. She brought him into the exact middle of the crowd before stopping, wasting no time before beginning.

Instantly, Bucky was amazed by how she moved. Her feet slid gracefully, knees bending to the beat of the music and hands out to her sides. The black fringe of her dress swayed as her hips did, catching his eye. She spun and smiled, the grin being contagious as Bucky found one creeping onto his lips. He took one of her hands and spun her, surprised at how much she seemed to resemble a top. She let her eyes linger on him to ensure she wouldn't get dizzy and stumble. Even over the music, he could hear her laughter bubble.

She slowed to a stop, taking a small step forward and placing her hands on his shoulder, resting her head on his chest. His hands instinctively went to the small of her back, pressing her closer. The feather from her headband brushed against his check.

"I missed you." She said after a moment.

"I missed you too." Bucky said automatically.

Ella peeked up at him through her mascara-coated lashes. "You couldn't even imagine what it was like, seeing the families around us losing their sons, husbands and brothers…" she pursed her lips as she thought about the time she spent apart from them. "All I could do is try not to think about what you two were doing, how you could get hurt, how I felt about yo-" Ella cut herself off with a sharp gasp, looking down with her cheeks flaming. She hadn't meant to let that slip. "I- I mean-"

Bucky swooped forward and pressed his lips against hers hard, only staying a moment before pulling back and gauging her reaction. Her eyes were wide and surprised, Bucky instantly second guessing himself. Perhaps she hadn't meant what she said, maybe he heard him wrong. He could have just ruined years of friendship in a single mistake. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that."

Bucky quickly turned his head away, unable to look her in the eyes. However, Ella's hand shot out and firmly turned him back to face her, standing on her toes, tossing her arms around his neck and kissing him. It took Bucky only a heartbeat to respond, eyes fluttering shut and placing his hand on the nape of her neck. He never would have thought he would ever feel her lips move against his, feel her breath on his skin, have her hold him in a way that wasn't just platonic.

"Bucky, what are you-?" Steve started as he spotted his friend before ending abruptly.

Ella and Bucky parted, both looking at Steve with raised brows. The three simply stared at each other for a few moment longer before Ella let go of Bucky, stepping forward.

"Is that gin?" she asked her brother with feigned disapproval.

Steve spluttered instead of answering, looking down at the two glasses in his hands. Was that really Ella asking him that after he caught her at a party locking-lips with his best friend? His mind struggled to catch up with the situation.

"You know that's illegal!" she scolded, grabbing both glasses and handing one to Bucky before taking a sip out of hers.

Bucky laughed at his friend's bewildered expression, wrapping an arm around Ella and pressing a kiss to her forehead. She contently leaned into his side, snickering at her brother.

Bucky couldn't help but think that this night went far better than expected.

A/N:

Don't be afraid to send in requests! AUs or anythingJ)