The metal ring feels heavy around your finger. Nails grazing around the engraved initials. JBB.
James Buchanan Barnes.
The man who became your everything. Baking cookies that he loved. Embroidered a handkerchief, which never left his pocket. Made silly little flower rings for him, which he wore, and later you always saw him keeping it in his chest pocket. Always held onto his arm, his warmth making you feel safe. Wrote him letters, spraying it with the perfumed he loved, kissing the paper, wishing it was him instead. His blue eyes made you feel like you were drowning in his love, falling harder each day. And just like that, you loved blue. You loved combing your fingers through his hair, his head lying onto your chest.
The man who got you flowers every time he met you. He, who loved to hold you close, arms around your frame, pulling you onto his chest. The man, whose eyes never left yours during this one party, who had plucked up courage and started talking with you. Who had made a promise to meet you in cafes, walking around the streets, the air filled with laughter. The man, who was apparently very cocky, was wrapped around your fingers, according to his friends. He, who couldn't live without smoking, dropped it in a heartbeat because you hated it, started wearing more of blue because it was your favourite colour.
He, who asked you to be his, with a bouquet of flowers he had picked out, in the cafe where you first met. He, whose hands on your cheeks, thumb brushing on your reddened cheeks. His lips, so soft, on yours, murmuring promises. He, who would hold your hand, fingers intertwining. He, who had never cried before, hugging you, sobbing into your neck, when he returned from his posting.
He, who always promised to be back home, to you. He, who had promised to give you a part of him, his dog tag, after all this war was over. He promised to marry you, placing a metal ring as a reminder till he came back, a ring on his finger too, engraved with your initials.
James Buchanan Barnes, your man.
The dog tags feel a little cold on your fingers, but not compared to how cold your cheeks feel, tears streaming down them.
Only this time, James wasn't around to wipe them.
His hat lies on your lap. You pick it up, patting it as if you were patting his fluffy head just how he liked. You brought it close to your face, the smell of gun and dust filling your nostrils. But among them, was the familiar smell of him, filling your soul.
Steve had brought it for you, his face numb. He consoled you, but you knew better, he was in mourning too. He saluted as he left, but you just couldn't move. The funeral passed by in a blur, a lot of new faces consoling you about your loss.
The house feels empty, dying flowers in the vase, a part of you dying too. You hadn't removed them, the last flowers that he had got you.
You should have hugged him a little harder before he left. You should have held onto his face, looking into those blue eyes, just a bit longer before he left. You wished you were there, while he groaned in pain and agony, holding onto him, hands through his hair, making it easier for him to rest.
But you couldn't.
The soft smile tugging on his lips in the black and white picture won over your heart, and would do so again and again, till your last breath.
He broke his promise this one time.
And you could never forget it.
And he would live on in your memory, dancing with his hands over his waist, body swaying against yours, in the rain, lips pressed onto yours, mumbling sweet nothings.