Finish up with voting on the 800 follows chapter, it will (hopefully) be up later tonight!

We all read stories of the man of our dreams falling at our feet. That one guy who made eye contact with you across the room, and instantly fell in love. But, have we put ourselves in another perspective? Have we felt the pain Epony felt over Marius, or endured the heartbreak of the Phantom when Christine chose Raoul? Do we even know what that's like?

Imagine it: you're at another large party at the Avengers Tower. Stark had been a family friend for some time, and was you tutor throughout elementary school, not only because of his brains but also because he was quite a bit older than you. He was always the older brother you never had.

And now you're standing by the bar in a short- but not too short- party dress, hair and make up done to perfection. You're nothing less than show stopping, but you're not the only beauty there. Heck, half of the women around you were probably super models. It wouldn't be much of a surprise, knowing Tony's reputation.

Then you see him, standing across the room, speaking to Steve. The man that joined the team broken, but now was mended. Bucky Barnes. He was perfection personified, with his shining blue eyes and razor sharp jaw. From the moment you saw him, you felt your heart leap. You knew this feeling, and frankly, you weren't scared of falling in love with him.

You see his eyes begin to scan around the room, and you think, 'This is my chance, here comes my moment.' And you shiver with anticipation as he comes closer and closer to meeting his eyes with yours. The world seems to move in slow motion, and the noise around you fades until you can only hear your heartbeat.

You take in a breath, trying to keep your breathing steady. Then, his eyes stop. And they're not on you. They land on something else. Your eyebrows furrow as you follow his gaze, finding him staring at another woman to your right. Realization washes over you, and you feel your heart begin to break. He smirks slightly, handing off his drink to Steve and begins to walk towards her, his eyes never looking away.

He reaches her, starting a conversation. You can hear her giggles from the bar. The sinking feeling in your chest only grows when his arm twists around her waist, tugging her closer to his body. He starts leading her back to Steve, and that's when you know he's gone, sold on this beautiful woman.

You cry yourself to sleep that night, cursing your heart for being so quick to love. You loathe how it easily gave itself to a man you had never talked to before. You hate how broken you are about it, and know that the storm won't blow over easily.

You continue on with life, but Bucky Barnes seems to infect your mind. With every waking moment, as you slump into work in the morning or on the drive back home, he is there, trading and taunting your already mangled heart. He is still there as you sleep, your dreams creating unliveable fantasies where he chooses you over her, or keeps scanning the room and meets your eyes instead.

Months pass, and you've stopped talking to Tony. He doesn't know why. It's too much pain to see Bucky whenever Tony wants you to visit, even though it's only fleeting glances. You couldn't risk a time when you might have to talk to him. People at work notice your state, and your boss makes you take two weeks off to right yourself before coming back in. You don't wear your make up anymore, you don't brush your hair anymore, your just sit in your apartment and waste away, wondering how in the world you became this person.

Your mind is still sick with the idea of him. You constantly blame yourself for not doing anything, for not being brave. If only you had gone up and talked to him, if only you had stood a bit farther to your right and he got a glimpse of your first, if only you had asked to meet him before the party. If only, if only. But that's all they were, questions of 'if' that only punctuated the countless times you had a chance, but made the mistake of not taking it.

You weren't better after two weeks. In fact, you were much worse. Within the next month, your boss pulled you stats and found a 35% decrease in work efficiency, and due to the failing economy, she had to let you go. Your voice mail was full of missed calls from friends and family, and because of your lack of a reply, they stopped calling. The mail was filled with letter after letter, informing you of late bills and an eviction notice. You really thought it was the end.

You wished you could be strong like other women, and move on quickly. But, for some God awful reason, you were stuck on the way he looked that night, all dapper with his suit and tie. You knew he wouldn't ever show up at your door, as much as you wanted him to. He wouldn't ever confess his love for you. He wouldn't ever leave the other girl to find you. He would never do any of that. Because he didn't even know your name.

You sniffled, wiping away a tear and reaching for the remote, hoping the TV would be a suitable distraction.

"And we have great news today from the Avengers Tower, James 'Bucky' Barnes and his sweetheart of one year are finally engaged!"

You screamed in anguish, throwing the remote at the TV and shattering the glass. Tears now we're freely streaming down your cheeks.

One year? It had been a year? It only felt like months. The clock moved so much faster than it used to.

You sobbed in your dark apartment, cursing those damn fairytales for making children believe that love was beautiful. Because love was a fucking nightmare. Love at first sight was a curse that you would never break free of, and never would escape.

Your sadness turned to rage. You picked up anything close to you, throwing it across the apartment. Pictures on the wall fell and shattered, vases and bowls were demolished, and anything that wasn't glass was tossed across the room. All you could do was scream and cry, knowing that the pain wouldn't end.

Three months later- and it was actually three months this time- you had convinced the landlord to give you some extra time, claiming you just needed to catch a break. He took pity on you, seeing your disgruntled state, and said you had two more months. You began looking for a job, ruffling through your mail for the daily ads, when a baby pink envelope caught your eye. With a shaky hand, you carefully opened it.

You are welcome to witness
the marriage of

James Buchanan 'Bucky' Bar-

It fell from your hands, which were now trembling. You let a tiny whimper, a small sound but a loud cry for help, escape the back of your throat.

You didn't go. You couldn't.

The days passed, you finally found a job and was able to pay for rent, and we're currently shopping at a local food store in sweatpants and a tank top, grabbing cheap essentials for living. You hurried to the check out, your eyes scanning the magazines as you waited to pay.

Beauty secrets from Taylor Swift!

The scandal behind Trump's campaign

"We're pregnant!" Says the Barnes newlyweds!

You handed over your card, took it back, snatched your groceries, and ran out of the store, barely making it into your car before breaking down.

Two kids, a divorce, and millions of dollars later, Bucky had gone back to working against HYDRA, along with the other Avengers.

It was a quiet day when a small knock came at your door. You put down your drink and headed to the front of your new apartment, finally getting your life back together.

You opened to find Tony.

It was silent at first. He just looked at you with sad eyes.

"(Y/N)," He said softly, "We... we had a team member pass in the line of duty. We're having a service and... and I know we haven't talked in a while but... I was wondering if you could come. Your the only family I've got..."

"Who.." You hesitated, unsure if you wanted the answer, "who was it?"

"Bucky."

Your hand flew over your mouth, your once recovering heart unraveling all over again. You collapsed into Tony's arms, sobs racking your thin, weak frame. He led you to the couch, asking what was wrong. You told him everything, every detail, every broken and lonely second that dragged by.

And he couldn't do anything.

So you stood, crying silent tears as they buried the love of your life, knowing you had no right to cry over someone you didn't even know, when his two sons stood across the way with red eyes and broken hearts.

The crowd dispersed, but you stayed behind. You knelt down beside his grave and kissed the headstone.

"For all the time wasted." You whispered, turning and walking away, knowing that if he was watching you, he wouldn't be smiling, because even his ghost wouldn't know your name.

You shook your head, climbing out of your thoughts. The loud music of the party was still blasting in your ears. Your stare was on Bucky across the room, your nerves on end. You reflected on the... dream you had just endured, taking a long sip of your drink before setting it on the counter.

Your heels clicked as you walked over to him, smirking as if you were confident. His eyes landed on you, sparkling slightly as they roamed over your body.

"Hey there." You said. "I'm (Y/N)."

He shook your outstretched hand and smiled.

"James. But you can call me Bucky."