Soul ties (Bucky Barnes AU)

Part 2

"Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world

It's hard to get by just upon a smile"

"What do you do now?" Steve asked back. "I don't know! I'm as freaked out as you are!"

"Damn it, this is the worst!" you exclaimed, taking the dress out of Steve's hand and heading towards the toilets. Steve guarded the door as you changed and after slipping on the lighter dress, you opened the tap and let the water run for a moment, running your hand through your hair.

"You okay in there?" Steve asked. "I...Look, I gotta check on Bucky, he must be...startled, as well. Stay here a minute, alright? I'll send Wanda and come back as soon as I can." Poor thing sounded guilty to leave you alone, but you had to say he was right : his friend Bucky probably didn't know what'd just hit him either.

  "Sure. Thanks, Stevie," you barely whispered, hoping he'd heard you. 

  Now, all  you could wish for was for Wanda to get here before your fiancé, now husband, did. He didn't seem to feel the need to check on you – it was just coffee to him, right?- and you were glad he didn't. You thought of washing your face to put your mind back in place before remembering you were wearing makeup and that would only make you more of a mess than you already were. You'd always known you'd meet him someday, of course, and you'd tried to prepare to that, but how could you have been prepared to this? What kind of soulmate had the audacity to show up at a wedding?

  You shook your head. 'C'mon, y/n. This isn't his fault. He couldn't have known.' The world felt as if it was trying to close in on you, to corner you in a narrow space.  You tilted your head up when you heard a knock on the door and your sister's soft voice. "Can I come in?"

  "Yes." Talking was hard, as if your throat itself had been scalded by  that coffee. 

  "How are you feeling?" Wanda asked.

  You shot her an imploring look. "I'm a mess, Wanda, I have no idea why this is happening now. I can't tell Darren, of course, and he's going to wonder what is taking me so long and...oh lord. What am I gonna do about...that guy  out there?"

  "Steve is with him right now," she told you as she laid her hands on your shoulders. "Now that you're changed, we're gonna go back out there and act like nothing happened. Who knows if that Bucky guy even wants anything to do with you? This doesn't have to be bad for your marriage, alright? You two will maybe become friends, and that's it."

  "You're right. Soulmates don't have to be romantic,  right?"

  "No, they don't."

   "Alright,"  you said, escaping Wanda's arms as you turned back to the mirror, looking at yourself. You didn't look particularly freaked out,  even though you absolutely  were. "I can do this."

  "That's the spirit. Shall we go now?"

  After a long breath out, you nodded and followed your sister outside. When you came back to your  husband, you couldn't help looking around  the garden, trying to spot Steve and his friend, Bucky. You felt strangely drawn to him ; you wanted to get to know him as much as you wanted him to disappear. 

  "Are you okay, honey? You look upset."

  Giving Darren a confused look, you arched a brow and laughed softly, hoping this would do. "Do I? Sorry. I'm just sad that my dress is ruined, that's all. No worries."

  "Oh, good then. I'll go talk to Brad and the others from college, okay? You  should say hello to them, too. It was nice of them to come."

  "Sure, I'll just stay with Wanda and my family for a moment."