The Winter Soldier and the Waitress

Chapter 3

Five months later

Grace couldn't remember the last time she watched a sunrise. For the last nine years she's slept through them. That was the routine, her accepted way of life. Missing the small miraculous moments like this so she could get enough sleep to make it through her day was all apart of her plan. That plan got wrecked months ago when a masked man stepped into her job, shot her and forced her and her son to go into hiding at some hero compound. This didn't fit into her plan, and she was still coming to terms with that.

Now though, she sat on a bench just outside of the living quarters of the compound and witnessed the moment the sun rose. She heard footsteps, and glanced over her shoulder letting out a sigh before turning back to the sunrise.

"How did you know I was out here, old man?" she asked and he let out a chuckle before walking over to sit on the other end of the bench. "FRIDAY didn't tell you did she, because I thought we had an understanding."

"FRIDAY didn't tell me and I still find it odd that you keep referring to it as a person." Bucky looked over to the woman. "I saw you sitting out here and thought I'd-" he cut himself off because even he didn't know what he should say. The truth was definitely off the table. He couldn't tell the woman that the moment he saw her, he just went on autopilot all the way down here as if some invisible magnet just pulled him to her. She looked over to him and he turned to her and just decided to smile instead of answer. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the sunrise. "You know you keep doing that your eyes will get stuck."

"Well then stop making me do it." she replied as the door behind them opened and they turned to see Steve and Sam. The pair was talking and walking before they finally saw Grace and Bucky and slowed their pace as they neared. "Good Morning Captain, Sergeant."

"What I got to do to get you to just call me Sam? At this point, I'm pretty much down to do anything you want to get you to cut out this Sergeant foolishness. " Sam said and Grace just laughed before standing to her feet.

"You think I can take Red Wing out for a spin?" she asked and Sam laughed but shook his head. "Well then Sergeant," she stressed the name. "You have fun with training today, and I should get back inside and start breakfast before Trey wakes up." she turned to Steve. "Which may be more difficult to do this morning after you kept him out late last night."

Steve held up his hands. "I take full responsibility. Somehow a quick game of softball turned into a battle of wills and determination."

"His trash talk got to you, didn't it?" Grace laughed at the sullen face of the man who turned away. "That kid gets competitive. You got to have tough skin to play with him."

"I wonder who he gets that from." Called Bucky and Grace just rolled her eyes before turning to him and flipping him off before turning a smile back to Steve.

"I'll see you guys later." she said before turning and heading back inside.

Sam nudged Steve's arm. When Steve turned to him, Sam just nudged his head toward Bucky and when Steve looked over to the man, he saw how Bucky's eyes stayed on the woman until she disappeared inside of the building. Bucky turned to them, his brow furrowed as he noticed them staring.

"What?"

"Don't what us." Sam laughed. "Man, I don't know how you haven't just told her that you're crazy about her. At this point she just got to know, because man you're so obvious."

Bucky shook his head as he stood to his feet and began stretching. He was getting annoyed at having to say the same thing. "How many times do I have to tell you that it's not like that. Grace is my friend, nothing more."