Bucky was late. Very late.

Steve may have been holding back the last few times, but he was sure kill him this time. Or at least get some payback, like dunking his hand in warm water while sleeping or spelling swear words in magnets on his arm again.

Bucky's boots skidded slightly on the ice-covered sidewalk as he raced across campus. Though fall semester and Winter Holidays were over, Spring semester wasn't due to begin for another three weeks. He and Steve headed back early, under the guise of wanting to earn some extra cash and take non-credit winter-term courses. The real reason was that the Avengers Tower, with its numerous floors, simply wasn't big enough. There were always people around-from Clint's kids to various evacuations due to Tony's experiments exploding.

Plus, for Bucky, his night terrors had increased in frequency. They were quieter so he hadn't told Steve yet, but FRIDAY, Vision, and Wanda were a bit harder to fool. He didn't want their pity. He didn't want their disappointment, the whispers behind his back: He's made so much progress but now...I guess it one step forward and three hundred steps back.

A girl yelped as Bucky bumped into her, the force of his body sending her books flying. His quick reflexes caught her and her books before they could hit the slippery ground.

The boy with her was wearing salmon-colored shorts and low-soled shoes despite the snow on the ground. "What's the matter with you, man?" He snatched the girl's books from Bucky.

"I wasn't paying attention," then Bucky turned to the girl, "Are you okay?"

She nodded.

He looked around, making sure he hadn't sent anyone else flying in his haste, when he saw her-the drowsy girl from the cafe. Adjacent to the school's bus stop, she had one foot on the bus, and one out, turned at an angle as she spoke to the bus driver.

Bucky looked back at the girl he knocked over. "Sorry!" He smiled sheepishly at the couple before looking back at the bus stop. The bus was gone now but the girl was digging through an oversized backpack. She smiled, apparently finding what she was looking for, with such genuine relief, he felt himself smile too.

She looked up, feeling eyes on her, and found Bucky. Her smile grew and she waved.

He made his way to her. "Hey. Long time, no see."

She nodded. "Yep."

Her skin was clearer, eyes more rested, and her hair was longer-a long thick braid that went to the middle of her back. She noted his happiness despite his slight slouch and dark circles. He rubbed the back of his neck and they spoke at the same time-

"How are yo-"

"How'd the test-"

They laughed, embarrassed. "You first," she gestured, and they started walking the main path.

"How'd the test go?" Bucky watched her wobble slightly on the ice-covered cement, wanting to slow down.

She exhaled a laugh. "Uh, Better than I expected. I passed."

He laughed along. "I know that feeling...any more math courses on the horizon then?"

She wiggled her eyebrows in mock excitement, "Oh, yeah, tons of 'em. I can't get enough!...No, but seriously, maybe a few more."

"What? But you seemed so...stressed."

She shrugged. "It's a language of patterns. I mean, it's hard for me, like really, really hard. But I can figure it out, and that's the fun part, once you figure out the pattern."

"...Sounds masochistic."

She squinted up at him with a smile, "That's one interpretation."

He shook his head, smiling. "So what were you going to ask me?"

"Just uh, how come you're here? School hasn't started yet."

He nudged his shoulder against hers. "I could ask you the same."

She pointed to herself. "Masochist, remember? I'm working a bit and taking two classes."

"Which ones?"

"Advanced Narratives and..."

"No."

She laughed. "Calculus II."

"You concern me."

"Good. Maybe I'll get to see you more often then."

"...I hope so."

She blushed. "So uh you?"

He shrugged. "Same. Work, two science electives for my major, and some art class my roommate conned me into taking with him."

"Art could be fun though."

He shook his head and held up his metal hand. "I kinda stink at drawing and painting. And believe, sculpture is just messy."

She smiled down at his prosthetic, then back up at him. "Then we'll just have to figure something out then, I guess."

When she put it that way, it didn't sound so bad. "I guess we-I will." He looked up, finding they were in front of the Campus Center. "Uh, I have work."

She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. "I'm going to the library. Just picking up some stuff."

He nodded as she retreated a few steps then stopped. "I'm Emily, by the way."

He smirked. "I could have sworn it was Taylor."

She tilted her head with a smile. "I was wondering when you were going to bring that up."

He smiled and nodded, then frowned. "My name's James but...I prefer Bucky..."

She smiled and waved. "Nice to meet you, Bucky."

He laughed. "You too." He hesitated. He was getting later by the second, but when would he see her again? Would he have to wait until she was pulling another all-nighter, needing a caffeine fix, and embarrass himself in front of her again? No thank you.

"Hey, would you mind exchanging-" he didn't want to be too forward; his night terrors haunted him and basically put any non-platonic relationship on a permanent hold, but friends? He could use more friends, particularly ones that didn't have flashbacks of saving or destroying the world on a weekly basis.

"Email addresses?" she read his mind. He nodded.

"Sure." She pulled out a beat-up notebook and pen from her bag, then quickly scribbled on a page, ripped it out, then held the book and pen out to Bucky for him to do the same.

They switched papers.

She placed her things back in the bag as Bucky stuffed the slip in his back pocket.

"I'll write you," he said.

"Looking forward to it," she called as she started walking away. She waved once more before he turned to head up the stairs of the Campus Center.

"An hour late, Buck!" Steve whispered as Bucky snuck behind their supervisor's back and over the counter.

Bucky shrugged on his apron and pulled his hair back into a loose ponytail. Bucky was late. Very late. Steve was definitely going to kill him this time, but as Bucky put his spare elastic in his pocket, he felt Emily's paper there. So maybe it was worth it.