Bucky didn't hesitate to move his hand to the back of her neck, gently pulling Evangeline towards him as she ran her fingers through his sweaty, dirty locks of hair. A part of him couldn't believe this was happening, that he'd finally had the nerve to make a move and it had completely paid off. In an instant, he no longer cared about whatever suspicions he'd had earlier involving Steve and the possibility of Angie falling for him when he was an ocean away. Holding Evangeline close, Buck could feel her heart beating in her chest, matching rhythm with his own.

Angie was just as shocked as Bucky when one moment they'd been sad and devastated by the crumbling world around them, and then the next moment her world had become whole again. For the first time in months, she felt safe from all harm, from whatever would come in the future because no matter what happened, her haven would be in his arms.

She didn't know how much time had passed when their lips finally parted and they both took deep breaths, though his hands had made their way to her waste and hers were on his shoulders. Neither one could find the right words as they stared into each other's eyes, regaining their breath and fully-processing what had just taken place. It wasn't until a grin spread across the sergeant's face that they finally loosened up from the intense scene.

"Wow," He smiled a genuine smile, the kind that made your cheeks hurt but didn't care. Angie blushed and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her, her gaze shifting from the man in front of her to the floor beneath her. Even though she could feel her lips getting puffy, sense the protective grip he had around her and see the look of sincere love in his blue eyes, it was still taking her a moment to process what had just happened, to decide if this was all just some bizarre dream where fantasies came true.

"Yeah," She agreed and nodded her head. "Wow."

"You two are making me sick."

Both soldiers jumped nearly a foot in the air when a voice came from the entrance of the tent, the same voice that belonged to the oldest, grumpiest, most professional colonel to ever grace the military with his presence, Colonel Chester Phillips. The man was in his uniform, just as he always was, and that disappointed expression he always had on his wrinkled face never changed.

"Seriously, someone grab me a bucket." The old mam commanded, though they both knew he was only being sarcastic.

"My apologies, sir-"

"Can it, Barnes, we've got bigger fish to fry," Colonel Phillips snapped before gesturing for the sergeant to follow him out of the tent. Evangeline, now redder than she'd ever been before and convinced that he and Bucky had some important things to talk about, began to sit back down when Phillips barked once again. "You, too, Harris. Just because I caught you two sucking tongues doesn't mean you get special treatment. You're still part of this war whether you like it or not." At the sound of that, the embarrassed woman got back to her feet and nodded in understanding.

"Yes, sir," She began with an uncertain waver in her voice. "But with all due respect, I don't see why I'm needed. I'm just a nurse, sir." Phillips let out a single 'Ha!' before reaching into his worn, old coat and pulling something from within his inner pocket.

"Not anymore, you're not." He grabbed her wrist, opened her palm, and placed a little green and yellow object in her hand. "Welcome to the big leagues, Corporal Harris."

**********

"Is he insane?" Evangeline stoked the small campfire before her with a stick, the embers within glowing as bright as the stars in the night sky. "I'm not qualified for this. He's making a mistake."

Angie could hardly believe that the events of that day were real. First, their team was hit with one of their worst losses throughout the entire war, killing or severely injuring nearly everyone they knew. The a few hours later, she'd had her first kiss, with Bucky, nonetheless, got walked-in on by Colonel Phillips, and was upgraded from a simple nurse to a Corporal. Sure, the jump in rank wasn't too strenuously high, but it was still the biggest honor she'd ever received in her life. Yes, the day had started out as a real bag of trash, but now she was fighting a losing battle to keep a serious expression. 

Bucky just laughed as he sat next to her on the ground, a bag of stale biscuits and dried fruit in his hands. The camp had finally gotten some new rations from home for the first time in two weeks. Angie didn't hesitate to grab a biscuit and a handful of raisins from Bucky's own collection after he offered.

"It's okay to be happy about this, Angie," Buck began. "I know I'm happy for you. Now you'll be treated with more respect." She scoffed and rolled her eyes before popping one of the raisins into her mouth.

"You mean the guys will stop flirting with me as much, right?" The woman smirked and elbowed him teasingly in the ribs. It was true; with her being the only woman around the troops, it wasn't uncommon for her to receive some curious glances, sometimes leading to an encounter with an interested young man. She hadn't noticed how much the playful flirtation between her and her patients took an affect on Bucky. 

For the first time ever when one of their comrades began to sweet-talk her as the duo was leaving Phillips's briefing tent, she noticed his clenched jaw, his tense muscles, the way the spark in his eye faded into a subtle warning that none of the men around them seemed to get. How long had he shown those jealous signs without her even considering that there was something the matter with him?

"Yeah," Bucky smirked, though she could sense the quiet relief hidden beneath his joking tone. She began to chew on another raisin when a group of five or six soldiers emerged from one of the multiple tents and approached the small campfire. Among the group was Henry, the boy she'd helped earlier when he'd come to her tent, injured from the last battle. "Good evening, gents."

"Is it true?" The youngest of the bunch asked urgently. "Have you really been promoted from nurse to Corporal?" Angie couldn't tell what the expressions on the other men's faces meant. Most of them were stoic, hardly showing any emotion whatsoever, while Henry seemed almost excited by the news. The woman understood why the others might not like her promotion, after all she was only just a nurse, she hadn't had any real physical training for what the war could possibly bring. It was dumb luck that she was as quick and lethal as Colonel Phillips thought she was. Any anger from the individuals before her was understandable, but it hadn't been her intention.

"Yes," She confirmed hesitantly, like a child admitting to stealing from a candy store. "I have no idea what Phillips was thinking, I never wanted this to happen-"

"She's earned it, boys," the sergeant stood up, almost in a defensive position, and nonchalantly continued to eat his dried fruit and crusty old biscuits, his eyes never leaving the group of men in front of them. "She's saved our asses from the brink more times than I can count. If you don't like it, take it up with the colonel. He'd be happy to explain in detail why she's been given the title."

"I bet he would," one of the unhappy guys muttered from the back of the posse. "I'm sure she's been working hard nursing his needs."

"What did you just say?" Bucky's grip on the small bag holding his food tightened and Angie saw the subtle warning in his gaze turn into a death-glare. Everyone knew what the guy was getting at, but none of them could believe he'd actually say it out loud. In five quick steps, he'd made his way from the edge of the campfire, past Henry and the first row of soldiers, and right in front of the disrespectful punk, their noses barely an inch away from touching. "Say it again, asshole," The sergeant growled under his breath. "I dare you."

Angie had never seen Bucky get so mad. After all the fights he'd gotten into when he was little, after all the times he'd stood up for Steve when their friend was getting picked on, he'd never been as furious as he was right then. No one breathed, no one moved a muscle. Even the insubordinate soldier appeared as if he was going to piss himself. Bucky shoved his bag of snacks into the hands of a man to his right and popped his knuckles, one by one, his gaze never leaving that of his prey.

"This woman has stitched you up, stopped you from bleeding out, removed the bullets from your body, and prayed to God that you'd recover and go home to your family in one piece by the end of the war. Say something like that again and I'll do the exact opposite."