I'll Come to You
"You know, if you keep coming around here looking like that the girls are going to think I have a stalker," she said walking up to the booth in the back corner of the small diner. Setting down the coffee mug.
This was his ritual now, every morning he would come to see the young waitress at the diner near the tower. It wasn't the nicest place but once Bucky got to know the waitress she made the run down diner with its torn booths and half working jukebox seem like a safe haven. So he made it a point to remember the days she worked and visited her often.
"They're just lookin' out for you doll. I mean you don't ever tell them much about me, do you?"
She laughed lightly and rolled her eyes, craning her neck to look back towards the girls in the kitchen
"I wouldn't tell them much. They're just a bunch of gossips anyway. But it would help if maybe you would tell me something about you. You're one of my best customers, and I only know the basics."
Of course she knew who he was, she wasn't oblivious to the fact that her most loyal customer was the WW2 hero and best friend to Captain America, it did change her opinion of him. She wanted to get to know the man who came in everyday, sat at the same booth in the back corner, and read the regular newspaper while enjoying a plain black coffee.
"Trust me when I say, there's nothing much more to tell," he lifted the mug to his lips, meeting her eyes for the first time that morning. Setting the mug back down he settled into the booth, throwing an arm up onto the back of it. "Now I'm sure there is much more to know about you, doll. Other than the fact that you work at this little diner and attend school"
Doll. Of course she would never tell him or her coworkers how it made her swoon just a little bit every time she heard him used that little pet name. There was just something about it that made her feel special. It had seemed Bucky had taken a liking to her, only ever sitting in her section to make sure she was always the one waiting on him. In a way she could tell that there might be something hiding behind that charisma. But she wouldn't let him get to her so quickly as he always tried to do this early in the morning.
"Nooooo, come on now. You know the deal. A fact for a fact! You tell me something about you and in return you can know something about me"
This was always hard for Bucky. Of course the girl was easy to talk to, about the day to day stuff. But when it came to the personal stuff, he didn't want to scare her off. She seemed too kind and sweet to even need to hear the things he goes through in his life. But lately he found himself more willing to open up to her as he also found himself wanting to know more about the girl standing before him. If it meant sharing details about him and his life, then he would.
"Okay fine, Oliva. We can play this game today. How long do you have?" He said causing a wide grin to spread across her face, he couldn't help but shake his head at her.
"Give me two minutes and I'll sit down and have my brake with 'ya" with that she turned on her heel and headed back towards the kitchen, filling up empty coffee mugs at tables as she passed by.
A few minutes later Bucky found himself joined by Olivia, now with her hair down and out of the bun she kept it in and her apron removed. She brought along an extra mug, some creamers, and a full coffee pot.
"I figured I would recaffeinate while we chatted." she said while pouring the coffee into the mug and adding quite a few creamers into it.
Chuckling, Bucky looked from the mug to her face "Want some coffee to go with your cream?"
Taking in a large sip, she playfully glared at him "Hey just because some people like it disgustingly black, doesn't mean we all do. Plus the added sugar just helps me be nicer to customers like you!" She shot a quick wink in his direction and proceeded "and now since you got to know that i love creamer in my coffee, I get to know something about you."
Shaking his head Bucky began "I hardly think knowing how many creamers you like in your coffee is much of anything but regardless-" before he could finish she cut him off
"I disagree, knowing how a girl likes her coffee is the way to win her heart." a soft smile appeared on her lips "but please continue, i'd love to know more about you."
Bucky closed his eyes briefly and took in a deep breath, trying to come up with a fact equally as miniscule.
"Every morning before I come in here, I follow the same routine. I wake up around 5:00, take a jog with Steve, do some training in the gym, shower, visit Mr. Spencer at the newsstand up the street and pick up that day's newspaper, and take my time walking here. I guess you could say I get a bit particular about how my mornings go. I like structure i guess."
This was a perfect starting point for the both of them. She would never have guessed he was as scheduled as he stated. He seemed the type that would take things as they came and didn't plan a bit. But this assumption faded as Bucky spoke about his morning, she could see him almost cringe as the words come out of his mouth a bit too quickly. Bucky felt as if he rambled too much about his mornings and felt it made him seem a bit mundane.
"That sounds like a lovely morning, I wish I could be as orderly as you." Olivia said smiling as she held the coffee cup close to her mouth. "My mornings always seem a bit rushed and hectic, it would be nice one day to have something like that. Where I didn't feel like I needed to rush around all the time."
Olivia did feel like that often, she was constantly going from work to school without a break in between. But she made it work, she loved the job she had and the work she was doing in school. One day she knew all the hard work she was doing now would pay off and she could create something stress free and amazing for herself.
"It helps me feel more in control. To be able to have an exact time for everything. It's crazy to see how much this city has changed in the past couple decades-" Bucky's eyes widened at what just came out of his mouth. Bucky had never talked openly about his life to Oliva. Of course she knew but it didn't keep him from being slightly embarrassed. It was hard not to be when everyone in the world knew all the terrible things he'd done.
Olivia looked at him sympathetically "You know we all have struggles. But I'm sure having to jump back into this world with little to no help-"
"Steve has been trying to help." Bucky interjected
"But Steve has had more help himself, no? People were there for him and they aren't there for you are they?"
Bucky didn't answer her right away. He knew she was right. He was struggling to adjust to everything that this suddenly peaceful life was giving him. Things he hadn't had since before he enlisted back when he was just a kid in the 1930's. His bed is too soft and the room he sleeps in too quiet, giving him constant anxiety that causes him to sleep only for brief periods of time before his body jolts him awake. His day to day routine too relaxed. No strict routine to abide by, that's why he gives himself a routine. So he can feel some normalcy in his life.
"I'm here for you if you ever need help. With anything." she says reaching forward to place her hand on his.
She didn't know how much Bucky needed to hear something as simple as that, because the people were the worst part about having to adjust. No matter what he did or how he spoke everyone seemed tense around him. Steve even walked on eggshells around him, making sure to watch what and how he spoke to Bucky. He felt like a walking bomb.
Overwhelmed with his thoughts Bucky slides out of the booth abruptly."I-I've got to get back to the tower."
He grabs his black backpack and beings shoving his daily newspaper inside. "I'm gonna be late. Steve's going to wonder where I am and then he's going to think something happened" he pulls his wallet out of his back pocket and pulls out a few bills to drop on the table for his coffee "and I just can't put him through that because I always come back at the same time and-"
She stands up from the booth grabbing the money as she goes. "You keep this. I get free coffee on my breaks anyways." she grabs his hand and gently puts the money into it. "Now i'll see you back here tomorrow, same time as always. I'll make sure to take my break earlier so we have more time to talk. Have a good day Bucky." with that she grabs her coffee pot and turns to head back towards the kitchen
"James. You can call me James if 'ya want."
She looks back towards him, a small smile playing on her lips 'I'll see you tomorrow, James."