Soul Reader

Part 6

Warnings: swearing? There is a funeral in this part but the service itself isn't described

You and Bucky stayed up for a while talking and it felt natural, like a balance had been restored to your life. The next morning Nat had scheduled to show you some basic combat moves, and it went surprisingly well. Once you had showered and changed, you, Nat, and Wanda met up outside the elevators to go grab a coffee and figure out the meaning of colours for the lines you see.

Nat was going over the journal of colours you kept, nodding her head as you sipped on your coffee. She looks around at the people as she says, "this seems pretty accurate from what you've told me, I think we're nearly there. The main one now being your line with Barnes". 

She didn't miss the slight blush you produced and neither did Wanda as she waggled her eyebrows at you. You threw an empty packet of sugar at her as she just laughed. When she stopped laughing you got serious with them, "I feel like I'm never gonna figure it out. Its frustrating, and I don't want to mess with it until I know what it is", Nat and Wanda give you sympathetic looks as you finish the rest of your coffee. 

Wanda takes a tentative sip of hers as she says quietly, "still, you and Bucky seem...close". You watch as her eyebrows raise until they nearly reach her hairline, and the grin on her face threatening to crack her cheeks. 

You give a nervous laugh as you look down at the table, "yeah, I guess". 

Nat scoffs as she raises one eyebrow at you, "I need to teach you how to lie better". You flip her off and she gives her signature smirk, you're about to giver her a snarky comment when you catch something just behind her.

You feel your chest constrict as you get up from the table suddenly, you're vaguely aware of the alarm on your friends faces, but you don't stay to explain as you start rushing out of the coffee shop. You bump into a table with a man sitting alone, you spill some of his coffee and he runs his hand through his salt and pepper hair as you mumble an apology. 

You don't spare him another thought as you exit the café, your eyes following two people holding hands on the opposite street. You run across the street, ignoring the beeps of cars as you hold your hand out for them to stop. 

You catch up to the couple, tapping their shoulders, slightly breathless. They turn to you with confused smiles as you stare at their chest. The woman peers at you with a friendly look as she asks, "is everything okay miss?", you try to look at her, but your eyes keep bouncing between his chest and hers and you notice that they both start to become uncomfortable. 

You snap out of it as you look them both in the eye and say in an urgent tone, "I know this is weird, and you don't know me, and this is gonna be really random but can I ask you a question?", they exchange looks before turning back to look at you nodding their heads. 

You sigh with relief as you say, "what are you to each other?", they seem confused by your question at first, like they don't understand but you try to clarify it to them, "like brother/sister? Boyfriend/girlfriend?". 

They nod their heads in understanding before breaking out into smiles looking at each other. The guy speaks this time, "well officially we're engaged. We've been dating since high school, I remember the first time I laid my eyes on her...I thought she was well out of my league. I kept my distance from her, I was terrified of her, but I couldn't date anyone else...it didn't feel right, my thoughts kept going back to her", he looks down at the floor embarrassed at having shared so much with a stranger. But he seems to find some courage from somewhere as he adds on, "unofficially I think we're basically soul mates". 

You don't see them after that, your chest tightens and all you see is their midnight blue line and yours, burning brightly. You do a double take, looking at your line that is now razor sharp clear. You mumble a quick thank you to them as they start to walk away.