The rain had finally tapered off, only a spitting mist still lingered in the air. Bucky groaned softly wishing he'd grabbed his umbrella in his mad scramble to get out the door.
Where do I even begin looking? Where would he even go?
His mind raced as he hurried down the street weaving through the scattered Sunday morning walkers.
"He said something about the park a few blocks down, I'll start there." He muttered to himself as he dashed past a dog walker and a couple with a baby pram.
The air was still thick with moisture from the rain making it hard for Steve to breath. He coughed several times into his thin gloves. An elderly couple coming the other way looked at his thin frame and worn coat with concern. They shared a look as they passed him. Hearing church bells chiming the hour Steve hunched forward against the wind and hurried along.
What if he's not there? Where would I even begin to look next? The city is huge, he could be anywhere.
Bucky's thoughts were beginning to grow frantic. He couldn't understand why he was so set on finding this kid he knew nothing about but he knew he had to find Steve.
The park wasn't far from the restaurant and with the way Bucky was rushing it took him no time to arrive. Dark eyes scanned the park. He made the snap decision to start at one end of the park and make his way to the other end.
The young chef started by the gardens on the east end of the park. Blank rose bushes, empty banks of sunflowers, and small beds which usually help tulips in a vast array of colors flicked across his gaze but no Steve. Moving along he past the empty water fountains that children splashed about in during the summer. He swore as he neared the playgrounds. He'd covered nearly half the park and still no Steve. A few children ran around screaming gleefully as he past despite the chill in the air. One of his servers sat on a bench near the jungle gym watching her daughter play.
"Hey Chef!"
Bucky jumped in his skin at the sound. Eyes scanned the area looking for the source. Finally he spied the young woman in the hounds tooth coat. Jogging over Bucky smiled at his employee.
"Hi Jean, how are you?" The brunette tucked her hair behind her ears glancing up at him.
"I'm well but are you alright? You look like you've lost something." A soft chuckle escaped Bucky's pink lips as he raked his fingers through his dark hair that still showed signs of bedhead.
"Well to be honest I'm looking for someone. It's a long story, okay not that long but I don't have time to tell it right now. Anyway he's about yah high, blonde hair, bright blue eyes, maybe 100 pounds dripping wet." He held his flesh hand about shoulder height. Jean's eyes glimmered and her brow furrowed a bit as she thought for a moment.
"Is he skinny beyond all reason?" The new voice was followed by approaching footsteps.
"Yeah, why have you seen him?" Dark eyes glimmered with hope for a moment as Bucky waited for the older man to answer his question.
"No, not this morning anyway, that description just sounds an awful lot like the kid that sleeps down on the south end of the park by the chess tables. I hope he's not in any sort of trouble."
Several sets of concerned eyes looked back at Bucky, this time it was their turn to wait for an answer. Once again he began to rake his flesh fingers through his mussed hair.
"No, I just need to talk to him is all." Jean looked at her employer and smiled knowingly. Seeing the smile in green eyes Bucky scowled. "Don't look at me like that or I'll section you in the bar all next week."
The mother just nodded and looked away from her employer. "Whatever you say Chef." Bucky scowled again but quickly thanked the man for the information before hurrying off in the direction of the chess tables. It wasn't much to go on but it was a lead nonetheless.
A yawn pulled its way from his mouth proving to Bucky just how worn out he still was. After the previous night's adventure he'd still only managed a few hours of fitful sleep. A quick glance at his phone caused him to groan loudly.
It's a good thing Nat is opening the kitchen this morning
He jogged through dewy grass over to a coffee cart and got a steaming cup. The thin paper cup offered its warmth to his right hand, its content the only way he took it, black. Slowly sipping on the brew Bucky wandered the rest of the way to the small alcove of trees that housed the chess tables. Memories of time spent here with his own mother watching people play flooded his mind as he sank onto a damp bench.
The sun was barely up but the city was already giving to buzz, a hive of activity, after all the rain in the days before. On the street behind him several cars trekked through the thin layer of standing water. Bucky sat for several minutes, his eyes searching the surrounding area for any sign of Steve.
He's got to be here somewhere. No idea what I'm going to say but I have to at least try.
His thoughts had gotten away from him when he heard the chiming of the church bells across the street. It had been an hour already and still no sign of the scrappy blond. Bucky groaned as he pushed to his feet and turned.
Might as well talk to the church people, see if they've seen him.
Coming around to the other side Bucky dropped down to the stone half wall that edged the park. The church was dwarfed by its neighbors and yet it still looked completely in the right place. A well-tended garden surrounded the front lawn with a stone walk way leading up to a matching stone front. The river stone walls hugged stained glass windows leading up to a high peaking arching. Atop the roof sat a steeple of at least ten feet. At the very top was a weathervane, black in color, depiction an angel blowing a horn.
As he watched the congregation fill out through the heavy wooden door Bucky was swept up by more memories, this time of his sister when they were young. It had been far too long and he knew once he had a chance he needed to give her a call. Families, couples, even a handful of solo stragglers gushed from the doorway and out onto the sidewalk.
Feeling defeated Bucky prepared to head home and get his day stared, convinced he could search for Steve another day, when he spied the boy exiting the church arm in arm with a pretty brunette. She was an inch or two taller than Steve, thanks to her heels, and wore a smart red dress that hung just past her knees. The boy laughed at something she said as they made their way down the stone steps toward the street.
Already on his feet Bucky started forward only to stop dead in his tracks. The pretty girl in red dug out a small box from her brown leather purse and handed it to Steve. It was wrapped in simple white paper with a beautifully tied red and blue tulle bow around it. The blonde opened it then took a deep smell of the content. Closing it again he hugged the girl, smiling brightly.
The chef started to call Steve's name but stopped again knocked silent as the young woman leaned in and pressed a red lipped kiss to Steve's pale cheek. Cheeks, ears, and neck all blushed red as Steve felt her do so. Bucky chuckled softly at the little guy. A man about Bucky's age, with the same straight nose as the girl, called her from down the walk a ways. She spoke quickly to Steve, pressed another chaste kiss to his cheek, and ran off to join her family.
Bucky didn't know what shocked him more the whole scene he had just witnessed or the surge of jealousy that was washing over him. He looked down at his scuffed shoes trying hard to compose himself a bit.
"James?" Steve's voice startled him. "James? What are you doing here?" The question caught him off guard.
"I uh I came looking for you actually. The guy at the playground said you might be around the chess tables… so here I am."
Steve's lips tugged up at the corners.
"You came looking for me?" Looking the chef up and down Steve recognized the same t-shirt and sweats from the night before and it was obvious he hadn't brushed his hair or shaved yet that morning either. "You saw the note and came right after me?" The smile hesitantly grew. "Why would you do that? I thought I made it clear that was just a onetime thing?"
The odd pair had begun to walk back in the direction of Bucky's place. The city was beginning to hum with activity again.
"Well I started thinking and… Stevie you can't sleep on a park bench. You said it had been a week since you'd eaten anything that didn't come out of a trash out. Just come back and crash at my place, you know, just till you're back on your feet."
"I'm not into taking handouts James."
"Okay it won't be a handout. You can work at the restaurant."
"But I do-"
Bucky held up his left hand.
"I don't want to hear it, I won't take no for an answer. You'll stay at my place and eat meals with me."
"But James I-"
"And another thing didn't you hear me last night? You don't have to call me James if you don't want to. You can call me Bucky."
Steve scowled up at the man as they arrived at the restaurant. The pair started up the stairs in the alley to the apartment.
"Are you finished?" Bucky glanced over his shoulder as he unlocked the door.
"Yes."
"First of all I wasn't saying no. I was trying to say that I don't know the first thing about working in a restaurant. Second of all, no I didn't hear you. I kind of zonked out pretty quickly last night. Last of all, won't you get in some sort of trouble if you've got me working under the table like that?"
Bucky was already inside tidying up some. Steve stumbled on the doorstop as a coughing fit hit him. He struggled to breathe as his thin frame shook. The small white box flew from his hand, skittering across the floor, stopping against a wall. Bucky hurried over with a glass of water and rubbed his back gently until Steve's coughing subsided.
The chef fetched the box which had fallen open. A waft of lemon verbena and black tea hit his nose. "Smart one, that girl at the church," he said as he set about brewing a small batch of the tea. "This stuff should help with your cough some." The dented kettle whistled loudly. Steve sank into the thin pullout bed, which was still out from the night before, his breathing slow and slightly ragged. Bucky pressed a warm cup of the brew into Steve's thin hands.
"So what do you say? Do we have a deal Stevie?" A smile tugged at his lips as Steve sipped the warm liquid. It felt good in his chest and belly, the warmth spreading through him.
"Yeah Bucky I think we do."