RECONTINUED- Helmut Zemo x reader

A Missed Lecture

(8 years earlier)

You were late. Extremely late. It was your first lecture of your year of study abroad and you were half an hour behind schedule. When it gets to this point, there really is no point in rushing.

You had chosen to spend your year in Sokovia. To this day, you weren't entirely sure why you had picked Sokovia specifically - it was a shitty little country with nothing too special about it, but perhaps it was it's absolute nothingness that brought you there. You didn't have to be anything special in that sort of place, just simply exist.

The campus was actually quite a pretty place, with beautifully detailed architecture and a wonderfully weird combination of young people all trying to find their footing in society. You couldn't help but get distracted by the constant quiet excitement on the campus, so much so that you were headed in the completely wrong direction of your lecture hall.

Looking back, maybe this was some sort of sign from the universe, but at the time you never would have known.

As you headed mindlessly down the narrow pathway between two of the larger campus buildings, looking up at the archways and gorgon-type statues, you fail to notice a rather large slab in the path that had come loose. Before you could even register what had happened you were on the floor, a stinging graze on your elbow and a bruise already forming on your knee.

'That's a compensation claim', you hear a male voice chuckle from above you.

Looking up you see a dark haired, friendly faced man - maybe two or three years your senior - holding his hand out to you.

'I was hoping nobody saw that', you laugh, before grabbing hold of his hand.

'You know if you wanted to get my attention, you could have done something a little less, what's the word', he stops to think, 'cheesy?'.

You unknowingly let out a giggle as you shake your head.

'I've never even seen you before, are you sure you didn't loosen that slab to get my attention?' you joke, surprised to see a slight blush grow on his cheeks.

'I'm only teasing', you laugh, before peering down the path, spotting the only on campus coffee shop.

The mystery man seems to catch on, stepping ahead of you and gesturing to the building with his head.

'Fancy a coffee?' he asks, 'I do owe you one for, you know, laughing at you.'

You excitedly agree and take a step forward, before quickly stopping yourself to ask for his name.

'I'm Helmut, you?' he responds.

'Hi Helmut, I'm (y/n)', you say before the two of you exchange a gentle handshake.

The two of you head to the warmth of the coffee shop, your lecture completely forgotten.

------------

It had been a while since you had properly spoken to someone new, especially with the intent to get to know them better. You worried that maybe your social skills may have weakened but you and Helmut just clicked. It felt as though the two of you had known each other for years, as though you had been great friends since childhood.

Your conversation only occasionally pauses for Helmut to get fresh drinks for the two of you. You look down and notice that your mug is once again empty, picking your bag up off of the floor to rummage for your wallet.

Before you can wrestle it out of your bag, Helmut gently knocks the table, causing you to look up at him.

'No, no,' he shakes his head, 'I'll get them'.

'Helmut,' you let out a soft, quiet laugh, 'you've bought me six drinks. Let me get them this time.'

He shakes his head once again, getting up to queue before you can argue further.

You let out a breathy laugh-sigh combination before you check your watch.

Fuck, I completely missed my lecture.