cleo4u2:

Coffe shop/soulmate au

Bucky hated the words on his wrist. “Steve Rogers; can I get a venti, mocha, cappuccino, with an extra shot of expresso?” They were better than his sister’s, “Son of a bitch!” since they at least had the standard greetting from those who hadn’t yet met their soulmate and were addressing a stranger. Name first, making the interaction mostly unique so no one was born with something as hopeless as, “Hey,” or “‘Sup?” or “Son of a bitch!” He at least knwe where to look for this Steve Roger’s who made up the other half of his soul.

Somewhere… in a coffee shop.

Which was why Bucky had been working in various coffee shops for the last six years. Six, long, weary years. He was only twenty two, but he no longer met each prospective “Steve Rogers” with a smile and hope that this time he’d find his soulmate. If Brenda scheduled him for one more opening to close shift in a row he was going to just quit and adopt twenty cats. Soulmates were not worth his actual soul.

Forcing himself to smile through his exhaustion – ugh, Labor Day was so BUSY – Bucky looked at the next customer in line. Before he could give his standard schpiel, “Welcome to Starbucks, I’m Bucky Barnes; can I take your order?” the handsome and exhausted looking blond said the words Bucky had been waiting to here since they’d appeared on his wrist at fifteen.

“Steve Rogers; can I get a venti, mocha, cappuccino, with an extra shot of expresso?”

Exultation coursed through Bucky’s chest. It was HIM. Bucky had found his other half.

Thee joy was so overwhelming, Bucky didn’t realize what he was doing until he’d already thrust both fists in the air, turned to his incompetent manager, and shouted, “Fuck you, Brenda, I quit!”

Then Bucky realized THAT was the sentence Steve had been wearing since he was fifteen. He hesitated a moment, glanced at Steve, who looked absolutely dumb struck, and thought, ‘Fuck it.’ Why ruin a good exit?

Hopping over the counter, Bucky caught Steve’s hand and pulled him out of the Starbucks. The customers they passed looked baffled, but Bucky’s former coworkers were cheering and clapping; it wasn’t really a secret why Bucky had taken the job.

Outside, Bucky faced his soulmate and smiled sheepishly.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Steve said forcefully, his expression awed. “I knew you were gonna be somethin’.”

Bucky laughed, squeezing Steve’s hand hard since the guy hasn’t pulled away yet.

“Pal, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”