XI

DAY 156

"Dear Bucky,

I told you, you should have brought a book with yourself. The inns that take Omegas are quite boring just as well, and I suppose the ones that take Alphas aren't so different.

I'm sending you a book to hopefully pass the time. Don't forget to take the pills and get yourself hydrated.

I was speaking to Abraam, some soldiers are reuniting to spend Passover together and he suggest that you spend it with us. It's not a problem if you don't feel like it, it's just an idea.

I miss you just as much.

Dearly,

- Your Dasha."

Bucky smiled at the sweet words his girl written, putting aside the book. He had arrived just two days earlier and was counting the hours so he could leave. The pills were only helping so far, but he was still sweating all over enough to have given up on clothes at all and was going in and out of a very horny state – that would be much worse if he hasn't on suppressants – between his hours and hours of boredom.

Aside from that, there was one other reason he was getting antsy; he was supposed to get a package from back home and was hoping it would arrive before he left back to camp. Before saying goodbye to Hadassa – and after writing to his sister – he had had a long conversation with Abraam about her family, her relationship with them, and if he would be accepted in it and if he thought the two had a future, and according to Abraam, he'd never seen Hadassa love someone as much as she clearly loved him. Their family would be incredibly excited to learn that after so many losses, she had found someone she was happy with. And, honestly, Bucky himself didn't want to wait to be completely hers.

When his sister learnt he had a girlfriend, she was radiant and offered to send him the engagement ring his father had used to propose to his mother and, after a long time, he finally asked her for it. He was going to ask Dasha to marry him as soon as he returned to camp and nothing could stop him. Well, except for the ring not arriving, but he was counting on its arrival, he had sent his sister the letter almost a month ago.

As if he had read his mind, the owner of the inn knocked on his door patiently.

"Sergeant Barnes, something arrived for you."

He pulled a sheet around his body and quickly opened the door, finding the middle-aged man holding a brown package in his hands.

"Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes?" he asked in order to confirm.

"Yes, sir."

Mr Smith – the owner – handed it over, not saying anything before leaving, and Bucky closed the door, eagerly tearing the paper open and smiling when his eyes fell on the small ring box, taking a deep breath and finally opening it. The ring wasn't a lot, his family wasn't rich or anything. It was very simple and looked good enough, and had a lot of meaning behind it; he knew Hadassa would only care about the significance and not the pricing or anything like that.

His face fell when he realised that now he was lost. How would he propose? He couldn't make a spectacle out of it, his girl hated being the centre of attention.

Bucky set the ring aside and pulled out a pen and paper. Yes, he could spend Passover with her. Maybe he could propose after?

He took a breath. Well, he had another two days for planning before he was back. That was time enough.