The Winter Soldier and the Waitress

Chapter 1

The snap changed everything. Little by little the world was trying to return to a sense of normalcy. For one woman, her normal was as crappy as it always had been.

"Grace! Girl, if you don't get your head out of the clouds, and go get table one's order!"

Sometimes Grace couldn't help it. She'd lived in New York for years, and yet she couldn't stop herself from looking out the window, people watching. She imagined their lives and the important places they must be going. She imagined whatever they were doing, it was probably more exciting than what she was doing.

"Grace!"

"I'm going!" Grace stood from the stool and smoothed out her white apron before pulling out her note pad and pencil. She headed from the kitchen, grabbed some menus, and pulled on a smile as she walked over to the table. "Welcome to Aunt Tula's Diner." she placed the menus on the table. "What can I get you to drink?"

She wanted to jump off a cliff every time the words came out of her mouth. Day in and day out it was the same thing. Fake smile, take an order, laugh at a stupid joke, on this endless loop that was her life. Some times she wished she'd gotten swallowed up in the snap. She hates those thoughts, because she's heard the stories of those who had. How hard it's been trying to fit back into their lives and that's if they could. Her problem was, there was no break in between her life. Day in and day out, it was working long hours at the diner, picking up shifts when she could, only to go home always tired, without even the possibility to rest. Rest was never an option, because the reason behind her non stop working-her entire reason for being-her son needed the little bit of her left and she gave it to him. She helped him with his homework, cooked him a home cooked meal, watched television with him and read with him before bed. It was sad to say, that stool in the corner of the kitchen that sat by the window was her solace some days. It's where she sat and day dreamed of a life she would never have. It's where she returned when her table left and where she would wait until another group came in.

"Hey girl," Grace turned quickly, standing to her feet to see the smiling face of the other waitress on her shift, Belle, standing there. "Your granddaddy just came in, and he asking for you."

"You know you not funny Belle."

"And you not taking advantage of a good situation. He obviously want some of your black girl magic and then some, all you'd have to do is put it down on him." she laughed. "He want to run his fingers through them curls, girl."

Grace laughed as she shook her head. "Shut up!"

Grace slid past Belle back into the diner. The place was still pretty slow, but she looked over to the man sitting in that same booth he sat in every time he came in. She grabbed a pot of coffee and moved around the counter. He looked up spotting her, a smile coming to his face as he watches her slow stride toward him.

"I thought you were supposed to greet all of your customers with a smile." he said and Grace just shook her head.

She was sure his smile would make other girls swoon. The man was handsome, dark hair, strong, blue eyes that just pulled you in. Belle called him Grace's granddaddy or Grandpa or even her old man simply because they knew the true age of the man whose face was a lie. He looked like a man in his late twenties-not a 106 year old super soldier.

She grabbed the mug on his table, flipping it over and pouring him some coffee. "Sergeant," she glanced up to meet his eyes and saw the smile slightly falter.

"Would it kill you to just call me Bucky?" she turned away slightly before turning to him.

"Bu-" she cleared her throat. "Bucccc-" she stopped and shook her head. "Yeah, I feel something weird in my throat, I'm not going to chance it." she turned to him with a smile and he just laughed. "You want your usual?"