A Reflection of the Past

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7 years old

A girl runs down the sidewalk, chasing after the ball her father had thrown too far over her head. It was rolling quickly, slowing down ever so slightly over each bump, dip, or rock it hit in its path. Quickening her pace, the little girl's feet picked up speed as her father shouts at her to be careful. She reaches her hand out, she could almost touch the bright pink sphere that slowed down to match her pace after passing a few houses. Her fingertips grazed the ball, making it come to a stop as she smiles in accomplishment before she runs into something - or more so someone.

The two kids fall the ground, landing on their butts as they let out a quiet 'ow'.

The boy was the first to stand back up, rubbing his side and muttering a sorry that was thick of an Irish accent.

The girl looks up at the boy who was staring down at her apologetically, his brunet hair and bright blue eyes glimmering in the summer sun.

Another woman, presumably the boy's mom, runs out from the house and helps the little girl up, hoisting her to her feet by grabbing her sides under her arms.

"Are you alright?", she asks, scanning over her bare arms and legs for any sign of a scratch. The girl replies with a small nod, looking at the woman who now knelt in front of her. "Curtis, I told you to look both ways"

"But mom, I didn't see her", the boy complains with a whine.

The little girl's father runs over after seeing his daughter hit the floor, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the woman. "I am so sorry about her. She never pays attention to where she's going", he laughs off.

"Oh, it is quite alright. Mine doesn't either. I'm Anne, and this is my little boy Curtis", she introduces, sticking er hand out for a handshake.

He takes her hand and shakes it firmly, "I'm Ben and this is Y/N. We live just down the street."

"Well, it was nice meeting you Ben, and Y/N, but we're running late to my parent's house. See you around?"

"Yeah, see you around", he nods curtly, grabbing the pink ball from earlier and grabs her daughter's hand, pulling her away with him.

Y/N looks back at the boy she had bumped into and smiles, waving a goodbye to which he returns.

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8 years old

The happy birthday song choruses through Y/N's living room. She was sat at a table, wearing the new dress she had gotten from her mother along with a golden coloured birthday crown with the number 8, sparkly, big and bold in the center. The little girl's grin could be seen from miles away. She was surrounded by family and friends, she got to eat all her favourite foods, she made crafts, swam in her pool, and of course, is about to eat cake.

Curt sat beside her, almost as excited as she was in the moment. Once the song was over, he couldn't contain telling her to make a wish.

The birthday girl closes her eyes for a moment, then takes a deep inhale before using all the breath she had just stored in her lungs to blow out the eight candles that surrounded the edges of the cake in front of her.

"What did you wish for?", the boy asks from beside her.

"If I told you, then it won't come true", she says standing her ground and crossing her arms as her parents take the cake away to slice into pieces.

"I bet it was for a pony."

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9 years old

"Come on Curt! We're going to be late!", Y/N yells, banging her fists against the smooth, white front door of her friend's house.

The door swings open to reveal Curt, who was in the middle of trying to put his jacket on. "I'm coming, I'm coming", he says, putting his arm through the last part of his jacket and zipping it up. He yells bye to his mom, closing the door behind him and grabs the girl's hand, running down the pathway and onto the sidewalk.

The two children laugh as they race to get to the magazine store before it closes. They were already running behind schedule, and nothing was going to make them miss the opportunity to acquire the new detective comic book.

They barge through the glass doors, racing to get to the section of books they wanted. Smiling in relief, they grab one of the newest editions and make their way to the counter.

The cashier scans the book and asks for the 10 cents to which the boy and girl grab 5 cents each from their pockets that they had gotten from chores and place them on the counter, grinning ear to ear. The man hands back the book, and the two kids grab it eagerly, heading out of the store and siting side by side around the side of the wall to read their latest edition.

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13 years old

"No, Curtis Biddick, get back here right now", Y/N demands, her skates jerking back and forth as she puts her arms out by her sides in attempt to steady herself.

"Come on, Y/N. Just skate to me. It's only us here", he says as he continues moving further back slowly across the pond.

"I'm going to fall, and you know it", she whines after she had tried to skate forward, and she almost dropped to her knees.

"Not with that attitude you won't", he stops, holding his arms out in attempt to coax her forward.

"Okay mom", she rolls her eyes, moving one foot in front of the other slowly, her breathing coming out shaky and she keeps her visions over where she was skating.

"See you're getting it", he smiles as the girl reaches out for his hand.

She almost made it, until her foot had gone over a ridge, and she fell forward almost immediately, taking Curt down with her. She looks over at the boy who was sprawled out on his back against to slippery ice until they both erupted in simultaneous laughter. Their voices echoing through the deserted forest that surrounded them.

"I told you so."

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14 years old

The sound of knocking on her bedroom window snapped Y/N out of her daze. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she sits up from her bed and dangles her legs off the side. Pushing herself onto her feet she grabs a sweater and puts it on overtop of her pyjamas and makes her way to her blinds. She opens the white lace curtains revealing a smirking boy on the other side.

Shaking her head she grips the underside of the window and slides it open upwards, the nighttime breeze now flowing through her room.

"Well hello angel", he greets, leaning his forearms on her now open window ledge.

"Curt what are you doing here?", she asks quietly in hopes not to wake her parents.

"I came to visit you", he says matter-of-factly.

"At ten o'clock at night?", she asks, unimpressed.

"Isn't it romantic?", he says dramatically, forcing a dreamy look to coat his eyes.

"No, my dad will actually kill you."

"Oh, come on, your dad loves me."

"He so obviously does not."

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15 years old

A pair of arms wrap around Y/N's waist, lifting her into the air and up from the dock, making her let out a squeal of surprise. "Oh my god, Curt what are you doing!?", she asks frantically, trying to get out of his arms as he makes his way closer to the water.

"Well, since you're taking forever to get in the water, I thought, as the amazing friend that I am, that I'd help you out", he grins beginning to swing her body back and forth.

"Curt, I swear, do not throw me into that lake, or I'll-", she was then cut off by the boy letting go of her body, throwing her over the dock and creating a big splash in the water below.

Y/N reemerges from the water with a deep gasp for breath, grabbing onto the dock while the water runs down her face. The water was quite cold considering it was summer and the fact that she was thrown in involuntarily made it that much worse.

"Sorry you were saying something?", he taunts, crouching down so they would be at a relative eye level.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just help me out at least", she reaches out her hand that Curt grabs without hesitation. Though he wishes he didn't as a playful smirk builds up on Y/N's face. She yanks on his arms, pulling him down and into the water along with her.

Once he breaks the surface, he combs his hair out of his face with his hands and blinks rapidly. Y/N laughs out loud at her accomplishment, splashing him with more water while he shakes his head with a small smile that had crept onto his face.

"You really are something."

.ೃ࿔ ✈ *:･ ᯓ ✈︎ ⋆°•☁︎ .ೃ࿔ ✈ *:･ ᯓ ✈︎ ⋆°•☁︎

16 years old

"Y/N! Could you come inside for a moment please? I have someone I'd like you to meet", her mother calls out to the backyard where the girl was currently playing tug-of-war with her dog.

She lets go of the toy and gives her dog a few scratches before wiping her hands off on her skirt and walking inside through the sliding door. There, in her kitchen, stood her mother and father along with two other men, sipping on some alcohol in a freshly poured glass.

She stands in between her parents and her mother wastes no time in introducing her. "Y/N these two boys are from the Mannor family. Now the man on the right is Miles. He's only a few years older than you but I'm sure the two of you will get along well", she smiles brightly.

Y/N looks over to Miles. He was a well-built man, maybe two or three years older than herself. He had dirty blond hair that was combed back neatly. His outfit was fancy. Maybe a little too fancy for being in a suburb. She could smell his aftershave and the copious amounts of cologne he must've put on to make a good impression, though as a result, made Y/N receive a headache from the potent smell. He just smiles at her, yet that smile had disturbed her in a way. It was almost like a predator mocking its prey. She smiles back politely but wastes no time in looking away while she could feel his eyes burn into her body as they raked over her figure.

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17 years old

Y/N grips the glass of champagne that she held in her hand tightly. Hers and the Mannor family were currently sat for dinner in a quite extravagant restaurant. It would've been nice if it hadn't been for Miles not being able to keep his hands off her the whole night.

They've known each other for about a year now and each time they meet up, Y/N's mother continuously pushes the two closer together. She wanted them to work out, she really did, and she would ignore each complaint and defiance her daughter tried to express, brushing it off as her not knowing Miles well enough yet.

Miles' hand was currently resting on her thigh under the table, away from the view of her parents. Y/N had talked to Curt prior to the dinner and asked him to show up and bring her away. Though she wishes she had asked him to come earlier than she did as her eyes scanned every inch of the room, refusing to look over at the man beside her who would take any excuse to get closer to her.

"Now, Y/N, your father and I have been talking, and we have decided that it would be best if you and Miles were to get married in the next year or so."

The girl was in the midst of drinking her champagne and almost chocked on the liquid from the words she had just heard.

"Now, I know it may seem sudden, but I think the two of you are a perfect match. The way you talk to one another and look at one another, reminds me of how your father and I were as kids", she rambles on, her face bright and full of hope.

Y/N's head turns slowly towards her mother with a look of disbelief.

Engaged. She was now engaged. To a man she had just met and barely even knew. Let alone the fact she wasn't even remotely attracted to him.

"Oh! Isn't this so exciting?", she claps her hands together.

"But mom-"

"Oh hush, this is a moment every young woman dreams of having."

Y/N swallows the lump in her throat, eyes beginning to sting as tears develop and her hands start shaking. She clears her throat loudly and stands up from the table, eyes fixated on the ground. "Excuse me", she mutters walking through the crowds of tables before she bumps into a hard chest.

His arms grab onto her shoulders as he looks down at the girl in front of him, "Couldn't wait for me to get out of here, could you angel?", he chuckles, though his laughter dies down quickly when she looks up at him with tear-stained cheeks.

"Curt... I'm engaged. My mother just arranged my marriage with Miles", she say defeated as his eyebrows contort in anger.

"Miles? You're getting married to Miles? There is no way I'm letting that happen", he says sternly before a hand grips his shoulder.

"No way you're letting what happen?", Miles' voice rings out harshly.

Curt turns around to face him, mustering up the fakest smile he could "Miles, how have you been? It's been a while, but unfortunately not long enough. Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?"

"I'm here for my fiancé. I noticed she was crying and thought I'd escort her out for some fresh air", he grits his teeth.

"Right, right... Of course, yeah. I mean after all, you two are getting married soon. Congratulations man, seriously. Save me a spot in the wedding, will you?", he rambles until he pushes Miles back harshly, making him stumble backwards. He grabs Y/N's hand and runs out of the venue with her, pretending not to hear the disapproving shouts from her parents.

.ೃ࿔ ✈ *:･ ᯓ ✈︎ ⋆°•☁︎ .ೃ࿔ ✈ *:･ ᯓ ✈︎ ⋆°•☁︎

18 years old

Curt sprints over to Y/N's house. He had gotten a letter in the mail not even three minutes ago and he wasted no time in going to tell her. He knocks on her door impatiently, shouting her name until she opens the door with a disapproving look on her face.

"Okay, I know its early-"

"It's 5:30 in the morning"

"Your parents are out of town, right?"

"Yeah."

"Miles?"

"At home."

He nods, pushing her back inside and closing the door behind the two. "You're going to have to hear me out for this, okay?"

"Curt, what's going on?", she asks with worry.

He holds up the letter in response, waving it around in the air. Y/N's eyes open widely as she grins ear to ear. "You got in?"

"I got in!"

She laughs in excitement and jumps up and down before she wraps her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly that he does not fail to return. "Congratulations, Curt! You're gonna be a pilot! I can't believe it!", she pulls back away from him but to her surprise he held a serious expression.

"Come with me."

Silence

"...What?"

"Look, I know your wedding is in a few months, but I talked to the captain beforehand, and he said that you're more than welcome to come with me. He'd have you in the mess hall, infirmary and as a flight nurse. You can get away, and you'll be with me."

"But what about my parents?"

"Leave a note."

"Miles?"

"Oh, angel, will you forget about what's going on here? I'm getting drafted in less than twenty-four hours and you can come with me. You can get away from here."

The silence came back once more as Y/N chewed on her bottom lip, debating her choices. She eventually nods "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay, I'll go with you."

.ೃ࿔ ✈ *:･ ᯓ ✈︎ ⋆°•☁︎ .ೃ࿔ ✈ *:･ ᯓ ✈︎ ⋆°•☁︎

19 years old

"Y/N, I'd like to introduce you to my new Majors", Curts voice announces as he approaches her at the bar that was located near the military base. He was currently in the middle of two men who were in fact taller than him, yet he kept his arms wrapped around their shoulders.

"This here is Major Gale Cleven - or he prefers Buck." On his right was a man with golden blonde hair that was slightly messier than the other one. His face had stubble that lined across his upper lip and sharp jawline. He had light blue eyes that complimented his hair colour and skin tone perfectly.

"And the other is Major John Egan - also known as Bucky." Then, on his right was a man with contrasting features. He was broader than Buck and had dark chocolaty brown hair though they both had similar eye colour. He had a small moustache with a freshly shaven face.

"Buck, Bucky, I'd like you to meet Y/N L/N", he lets go of their shoulders and the girl stands in front of the three men, sticking her hand out for a handshake, first to the blonde.

"Major Cleven", she smiles at him to which he smiles back and shakes her hand.

"Just call me Buck. It's a pleasure, Y/N", he greets her with an English accent that coated his words.

Next, she moved on to John Egan who already had his eyes fixed on her. He puts his hand out first. "Y/N."

She smiles at him as well, placing her hand in his. "Major."

He grins, bringing her hand up to his mouth and places a kiss to the backside of her hand, maintaining eye contact.

"Charming."

"Always."

.ೃ࿔ ✈ *:･ ᯓ ✈︎ ⋆°•☁︎ .ೃ࿔ ✈ *:･ ᯓ ✈︎ ⋆°•☁︎

20 years old

"He likes you, you know", Curt says to the girl that sat at the opposite side of the table, nursing a small glass of whiskey.

"Who?", she asks.

"Bucky", he replies then looks around the room at the different crowds that occupied the tables.

"He likes every girl he meets. He's a man. A womanizer at that", she chuckles lightly, taking a sip from the glass that was held in her hand.

"No... You're different. He doesn't act with woman the way he does with you", he tries pointing out.

"We're friends Curt."

"But I can see he wishes it was more."

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