Old Coffee Shop [Stucky]

1

It was an "on a whim" kinda thing when Bucky decided walk the old coffee shop instead of the Starbucks down the street. Despite his need for a caffeine fix, what he really needed was a change of scenery. His job didn't give him many chances to leave his apartment.

Opening the door to the shop, Bucky took a step inside and let his eyes wander the room. The place is quiet, with only a one or two patrons inside. An old man sits at the counter, a newspaper in hand as he sips a cup of joe. An even older lady sits near the front, a small muffin sitting untouched on her plate as she knits. And situated at the back of the room was a man roughly Bucky's age. His broad shoulders gives Bucky the impression that he is, or was, a fighter as the man hunches over the table. The man strikes a piece of paper skillfully with a black pencil, the dark lines of graphite littering the page.

Bucky approaches the counter slowly, where two workers were discussing the new SHIELD developments. One was in the process of making a drink, while the other waits behind the register. Behind and above them is a sign, stating the drinks and snacks they offered.

"Can I have a cappuccino and one of the blueberry muffins?" Bucky asked. The female worker stood behind the register, small blooms of pink begin to dust her cheeks. The man behind her rolls his eyes before stepping forward and nudging her out of the way. He hands her the mug and tells her to put some water in it. The man turns back to Bucky with a smile.

"To go or for here?" Bucky attempts to not let the question surprise him. The people at Starbucks don't ask if you want it here, they usually just write your name wrong and hand you your drink. He takes a moment to think, weighing in his mind if the atmosphere in the shop was sufficient for him to work in.

"I'll have it here."

"That will be 5 dollars and 50 cents. Please take a seat and we'll bring it to you." Bucky nods as he pulls his wallet from his laptop bag. He hands it to man with an outstretched palm. The man stares for a moment at Bucky's hand, his mouth slightly agape as he takes in the metal that should have been flesh. Bucky patiently pushes his hand forward slightly, shocking the man out of his trance. Slowly he takes the money from the metal hand, wincing slightly when his nails brushes against the metal. Bucky turns and takes a seat along the opposite wall. He slowly pulls his laptop from his bag and places it gently onto the table. Fishing around the bag some more, he pulls out a cordless mouse and its chip. He pushed it into the slot before opening his laptop. Just as he settles into working, the female worker steps around to the front of the counter and headed towards the man who was sketching madly in the back.

"Steve-o, here's your Americano." She sing songs as she gently puts the cup down. He looks up from the sketchbook with a smile.

"Thank you, Chloe, you even put it in my favorite mug!" Bucky glanced at them from the corner of his eye, seeing that the cup the man had a circle on it, and within it stripes and a single star, colored like the American flag.

"Yep, now don't worry your pretty little head. It's a slow day, so you just sit there and doodle while Ted and I deal with the regulars." A slight hint of sarcasm tinged her words but the playfulness in it was more evident.

"Hey, that's no way to talk to your boss." The same tone was in his voice as he nudged her with his elbow. By that time, Bucky loses interest in the conversation as he types on his laptop. A few sentences later, Bucky is startled from his work mode when the female worker comes by holding his cappuccino.

"Here you go, sir." She gently placed the mug and the plate with the muffin onto the table. He glanced up and gave her a soft smile.

"Thank you," he glances to read the name decorated into her apron, "Chloe.

"You're welcome, sir." She turned away and headed back to the counter, talking to the other patrons along the way. The old lady smiles and calls her a dear. The old man hands her a tip before gathering his things and leaving the shop.

"Chloe, come here for a moment." Steve calls out from the back. At some point, Steve had put on some glasses that made him look awfully familiar, but Bucky couldn't quite place where or when he may have seen him before. Brushing it off, Bucky turns back to look out the window next to him, focusing his attention on the world outside the small shop. He slowly took a sip of his coffee, the layer of foam pushing against his lips as the coffee beneath poured into his mouth. Putting the drink down,a  foam layer rested upon his upper lip, but he found it too bothersome to wipe it off, so Bucky kept working with a foam mustache.

And everyday, since that day, Bucky came back to that old coffee shop. Bought a drink, sat down, stared into the far distance before settling down to work. Some days, other customers came in to eat and drink, all mainly elderly. Ted and Chloe worked every hour that Bucky came in for. And Steve, Bucky just couldn't get the thought out of his head that he had seen him somewhere before, but couldn't remember when. Every time he saw the man, he thought to introduce himself and grow acquainted, (he had done so with Ted and Chloe already), but Steve seemed so caught up in his "doodling" (as Chloe so politely put it) that Bucky didn't dare interrupt him.

Till one day, several months after that first, Steve decided that it was time.