Okay, this is my first time doing an Avenger's story. Please keep that in mind! So, this is an Alternate Universe that takes place somewhat after Civil War, but with a different ending. Supposing that Iron Man hadn't ripped off his arm and Steve hadn't taken him to Wakanda. In this story, Bucky found a way to assimilate to being a part of SHIELD, working on cases to help earn him the respect he needs to eventually become an Avenger. This is obviously not in the same universe as Infinity War...
Disclaimer: Story is rated M for language, gore, violence and abuse, and sexual situations.
Mila heard the familiar chime of the café door as it was opened, peeking her head out from behind the kitchen doorway as her favorite customer shuffled in and took his normal seat. She cracked a smile as fellow-waitress Candy finished loading up the plates for table number 3 before throwing her dirty blonde friend a curious grin.
"He's back, isn't he?"
Feigning innocence as she plainly shrugged, Mila's bright blue eyes shot up to meet Candy's. "Who?"
"Uh huh…" Candy tsked at her short friend, following her out of the kitchen and past the counter as she whispered playfully. "You'll never get him to talk, he's clearly defective!"
After setting down the full plates in front of the proper customers, Mila flashed them all a genuine smile as Candy asked if there was anything else she could get for them. Once the two were back in the kitchen, the short, chubby dirty-blonde turned to look up at her slender, latino co-worker.
"Candy, I appreciate your concern, but there is nothing to worry about." She peeked out at "Table Seven" again before turning back to her friend. "Even if he really was 'defective' like you say, that doesn't automatically make him a bad person. He just needs a friend."
With a hand at her hip and her head cocked to the side, Candice gave Mila a once over. They'd been working together for nearly five years now, and for some ungodly reason the pale shorty with icy eyes always made her mission to make every customer smile; even the ones who looked like homeless sociopaths.
"I'll be fine!" Mila grabbed a clean coffee mug and a freshly brewed carafe of coffee, practically skipping out of the kitchen and over to table seven. "Good morning, James!" She shifted as she leaned against the side of the table. "I suspect-"
"The usual." The two stated flatly in unison.
Gray-blue eyes flitted up from underneath of his red baseball cap, watching as the waitress quickly set a clean cup down and poured his coffee. After which she threw a nod back at the kitchen. She gently slid into the seat across from him and set the carafe in the middle of the table, folding her hands in front of her and smiling at him.
"You know, eating alone every day like this has actually been scientifically proven to be bad for mental health."
Bucky's brows pulled together as he raised his head just enough to see her from under the bill of his hat. "I like eating alone."
There was a small shrug of her shoulders as her smile only grew. "Oh, I know." She continued to keep her gaze locked on his for a few long seconds before she could see him getting uncomfortable.
"If you know that, why are you always trying to sit with me?" His voice was low and grumbling, which tended to scare normal people away, but for some reason this woman just never gave up.
"Because everyone needs a friend."
Her optimistic views on life and her constant giddiness was almost sickening, and yet Bucky found that his mornings had become somewhat brighter since he'd started coming to this particular café for breakfast.
"Besides," Mila brushed some untamed hair behind her ear before leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "If you wanted to eat alone, why do you keep coming back here where you know I'm going to sit down with you?"
He paused for a split second before reaching for his coffee and dragging the cup towards him. He raised it up in a mock cheers before taking a few sips of it.
"Right…" Her voice playful. "The coffee. And the food, I suppose?" She earned a nod in response, to which she only chuckled. She heard her name from the kitchen, and Mila glanced over her shoulder as Candy raised her brows and beckoned her. "I'll be back."
Bucky watched her easily stand and glide across the café, his eyes narrowing slightly as he racked his brain for any reason at all that she might be so adamant about being his friend. And no matter how much he acted put-off and uninterested, she never failed to greet him with that obnoxious smile that he secretly found endearing.
Mila pushed through the kitchen doors and smiled, "What's up?"
"The defective's food is ready." Candy held the plate out, her painted-red lips moving up and down as she chewed a piece of gum and glanced back behind Mila. "I assume you're taking your break now?"
Gently taking the plate from Candy, Mila gave an appreciative nod. "You're the best!" She backed out of the kitchen, using her free hand to untie her apron and hang it up quickly before heading back to table 7. Just as she set the plate down in front of him, Mila started. "Everyone here calls you 'Table 7' as if they don't believe that your name is really James."
Bucky raised a brow as he salted his over-easy eggs and buttered his wheat toast. "Do you believe that's my name?"
With a sigh, she bit her lower lip and pondered for a moment before responding. "Yeah, but I don't think that's what you like to go by." The corner of her mouth pulled up in a teasing grin, but she knew he wouldn't give in to her.
"How's Nate?" Bucky asked before shoveling a bite of eggs and hash-browns into his mouth.
"Fine." Mila was surprised that he even remembered her boyfriend's name, but pleasantly because it meant that he listened to her. "We're going out tonight. In public. With other human beings. Something called 'a date.'"
Bucky paused mid bite to narrow his eyes. "I know what a date is." Even if this woman was the most annoying thing on the planet, he didn't have it in him to growl at her and scare her off like he did everyone else.
"Really?!" She chuckled as she leaned back in her chair and shook her head. "I'd love to know what you consider a date."
He was mid chew as she spewed out her backwards question, and although he'd gone on plenty of dates back in his early years, he had a hard time thinking about what constituted as a date nowadays. When he finished his bite, he shrugged lazily. "Dinner or something?"
Her smile broadened, reaching her eyes as she laughed quietly. She didn't know that Bucky loved the sound of her laughter, or that he did come back to this same café every morning for the same coffee and food just so that he could sit with her. She put the back of her hand to her mouth as she stifled her chuckles. "Dinner or something? That's the best that you can come up with?"
He shrugged nonchalantly as he continued to eat, wondering why she always took her break with him but never actually ate anything. "It depends."
"On what?" Mila toyed, leaning closer to the table as she locked her eyes with him. There was long moment where the two of them just stared at each other, and she could see the pain and agony behind his eyes. Her smile faltered slightly, which he noticed and immediately dropped his head and set his fork down.
She watched as he picked up the coffee cup and finished what was left in it, and her gaze shifted to his left arm. It was always resting in his lap with his hand hidden under the table. Now that she thought about it, she'd never seen him use that hand. His arm worked, she could see it moving as he adjusted and shifted, but once he sat down it always went to the same place: hidden.
"It depends on the girl."
His voice drew her out of her thoughts, and Mila smiled gently. "Really?"
Bucky nodded, watching as she took the liberty to pour him another glass of coffee. "Thank you."
Mila felt her heart leap into her chest as he thanked her: that was new. She set the carafe down again and shook her head. "It's my job."
"It's not your job to be nice to me." His voice was darker than usual, and he glanced up at her from beneath his hat to watch as she shifted uncomfortably.
"No," she forced a smile and a nervous chuckle, "but everyone needs friends."
"How do you know I don't have friends?"
Mila sat up in her chair, folding her hands in her lap and twisting her fingers. "Do you?"
Steve's face flashed behind Bucky's eyes, and he thought about everyone else that worked for SHIELD. They could have just used him as a scapegoat and left him to rot in a prison cell for all eternity, but they hadn't. But that could have all been on Steve, it doesn't mean that SHIELD was happy about giving him a chance to prove himself. It doesn't mean that everyone else on the team actually gave two shits about Bucky... Were the others actually his friends?
"James?" His eyes moved to meet hers as Mila raised a brow at him. He'd drifted off somewhere for a few minutes there. She'd watched his eyes glaze over as he had wracked his brain for an answer. It broke her heart to think that he was that alone in the world.
"I have you…" He gestured towards her before taking his coffee cup again.
She felt herself smiling as a giggle escaped her lips. "You do. I won't be going anywhere any time soon."
"Mila!" Candy's voice rang out from the kitchen, and the dirty-blonde turned to see her friend pointing at the clock above the doorway.
"Right." Clapping her hands together she flashed James another smile. "I gotta get back to work. See you tomorrow."
Bucky watched her stand and disappear into the kitchen, noting how she had made her last remark and statement and not a question. He let out a soft chuckle before finishing his coffee and leaving some cash on the table.
As he stepped outside into the cool morning air, he adjusted his hat and stuffed his hands into his pockets, giving one last look into the café at Mila before heading down the street. It was time to work.
That's it for Chapter 1! Please leave a review so I know what you think! *Much love*