Love like the movies // Bucky Barnes

One: When Harry met Sally

" Now in the movies they make it look so perfect

And in the background they're always playing the right song
 And in the ending there's always a resolution
But real life is more than just two hours long "

Some Avett Brothers song sounds from the little radio that sits on the corner of the counter. Thick drops of rain pearl against the window, racing each other down the glass before meeting up eventually and becoming one with each other.

Ellie refills the last of the mustard bottles, setting it on the counter next to the others. It's a quiet night at the diner. The kitchen's been closed for an hour now and usually, that's when people stop coming in. While the Little Blue Diner is known for their hot dogs and burgers, neither their coffee nor their cold sandwiches are gonna win any prizes any time soon.

And yet ...

Sure enough, as her eyes lift towards the figure slouched down in the corner booth, his gloved hand is already outstretched, signaling his desire for yet another refill.

A mixture between a chuckle and a scoff tumbles from her lips at the thought of him wanting more of the slightly burned liquid. If there's one thing Ellie can admit to being bad at, it's brewing coffee. Where there should be a rich brown color, hers usually ends up with an inky black hue and instead of leaving a hint of warm caramelization on your tongue hers just tastes bitter. It doesn't seem to face the man in the corner though. Not even a little bit. To say this worries her is a bit of an understatement. No one in their right mind would take 7 refills of her witch's brew.

" You okay, my dude ? " Ellie inquires as she steps up to his table, coffee pot in hand.

The man doesn't look up at her. He doesn't have to. She's acutely aware of the character currently occupying the corner booth. It's a face she knows like the back of her hand. One that's been staring at her from books and documentaries, one she's been greeted by every time her dad took her with him to the Smithsonian. Though they do not dare look up at her, she's so awfully familiar with the bright blue shade of his eyes, he might as well be a long-time friend.

" I'm fine. "

Of all the lies in the world, "I'm fine" must be the most unbelievable one and yet the one told most often. No one who's actually fine ever says those words. Those two words are reserved for the lonely and broken only. It's like getting "I'm not fine at all" tattooed across your goddamn forehead.

" Sure you are, that's why you're having the 7th refill of my god awful coffee. "

" 's not that bad. "

" Sure, if you're into licking charcoal it's probably not that bad. "

It's just a split of a second, a fraction of a moment, but Ellie is sure she can see the corner of his lips lifting slightly. It falls back into the stoic scowl immediately but it was there. For a teeny tiny moment, there was the shadow of a smirk on his face and that's a success in her book.

" Either way, here's how we're gonna do this. I'll give you one last refill, after that, I'm cutting you off, my friend. I know I'm a waitress and it's my job to bring you what you want but I do not fancy watching you suffer a caffeine-induced heart attack in this very diner. I am not equipped to handle a situation like that and quite honestly they don't pay me enough to deal with that either. "

His eyes are still trained on the scratched-up white linoleum table but ever so faintly he nods his head in silent agreement.

As promised, she pours him one last cup of coffee. A brew so dark it could rival the bubbling goo of a tar pit.