Inspired By Taylor Swift Series

Begin Again (Marvel)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

You take a deep breath in the mirror, smoothing down the skirt of your dress for the dozenth time. You kept looking down at your shoes, the words of your ex-boyfriend's snide comments still faintly echoing in your head.

You shake it off, reminding yourself that you like these shoes. You like the added height, remembering how they used to make you feel so confident.

You also remind yourself that you're just going to see Sam for a coffee.

He's the kind of friend that'll give you a pep-talk when you need it. He'll tell you don't look ridiculous and that the extra few inches don't make you stick out like a sore thumb.

You pat yourself down one more time, going through your mental checklist before you leave the house: phone, keys, wallet. You've never forgotten them before, but the idea that you might was always a little unnerving to you. Actually, living on your own had been a little unnerving. It had been an entirely new adjustment from sharing an apartment with your ex for more than two years.

With one last deep breath, you turn the lock and walk out of your apartment.

Though your car sits just outside your apartment and your car keys are already in hand, you suddenly find yourself walking past your car, opting to walk the few short blocks to the cafe to enjoy the beautiful day.

You pop in your headphones, and the song that immediately starts playing is one that your ex told you many times he just didn't get. You push the thought out of your head, reminding yourself that you like this song. And that's what matters to you now.

You smile to yourself as the crisp fall air blows right in your face, the slight chill a nice reprieve from the muggy New York summers. You've always had a certain affinity for fall, particularly the beginning of the season, you watch as the leaves begin to change color, some already on the ground as you round the corner to your destination.

In spite of your leisurely walk, you still make it a few minutes earlier than you expected. You shrugged it off, after all Sam was a stickler about being early and now you could tease him about the fact that you made it before he did.

The small bell rings above you as you walk into the small coffee shop as the scent of ground up coffee beans overwhelms your senses. You take a few steps in, noting how quiet it is just after the morning rush.

You stare up at the board, deciding to just go ahead and order before Sam got here.

"Sorry, are you in line?" a familiar male voice asks from behind you.

"Oh, no, you go ahead," You shake your head turning around to allow the man to pass you. As you turn around, you realize why it's a familiar voice. "Oh, hey, Bucky, right?"

"Oh, hey!" he jovially greets. He internally curses his excited greeting, reminding himself to at least try to play it cool. Though he remembers you well from Sam's many get-togethers over the years, he doesn't you to think that he's some overzealous stalker. He also figures that the tiny crush he had on you was probably causing him to overthink something as simple as a hello. He clears his throat, hoping you didn't notice his momentary internal meltdown. "I haven't seen you around in a while."

"Yeah," you awkwardly chuckle, letting that line of questioning die. You quickly redirect the conversation because you don't really want to talk about how a messy breakup, apartment hunting, and then actually moving had taken up most of your time these last few months. Okay, maybe it was more than just a few months. "But I didn't know you lived around here."

"No," he shakes his head. "I'm up in Brooklyn. Just meeting Sam."

"Wait," you suddenly falter. "You're meeting Sam. Here?"