His Soulmate | Bucky Barnes ✔

Chapter Fourty Three

"So where's he taking you?" Noah asked as I stood at the table beside him and Jake at the bar. I'd picked up my shifts, and was beginning to get the feel for working properly again. The two elderly men had welcomed me back with literal open arms, jumping up as fast as they could and hugging me tightly.

"He didn't say." I trailed my thumb along the edge of the small book I had to take orders. "He wants to keep an element of surprise, he said."

"I like Bucky." Jake piped up from his seat. He sipped his one glass of whiskey slowly, then lowered it onto the table. "But this date has you worried. Yes?"

I nodded, and slid onto the seat nearest them. "A lot has happened since our last proper date, and I'm just worried that..." I trailed off, unsure of where my thoughts led.

"Now, that's nonsense Amelie." Noah's slick British accent broke into my worries. "That Bucky is your soulmate and a damn fine one at that. You've been there for each other before and you'll be there again, just you wait."

"And between you and me," Jake clutched my hand, "We've got five children between us, and I think that's a good shot at giving him what he deserves if he ever hurts you." I smiled at the mans loose threat, noting the good humoured nature in which it was said.

I stepped back around the bar and finished cleaning the last tray of glasses. My mind wandered back to the conversation between Bucky and I from that morning, where he'd insisted on taking me out on a date. I'd appreciated the gesture, especially as I was feeling more confident again, but his request of treating me for the day made a small knot of worry tighten in my stomach.

He hadn't dropped any hints, telling me I looked beautiful in anything, meaning I had no help in choosing clothes to wear or how to style my hair. My preparation was disrupted by my boss requesting I work this morning as the usual guy who did was off sick, and so Bucky postponed our date to this afternoon. 

He'd promised my work uniform would be okay to wear out, though I had managed to pour a trickle of beer down the length of my leg when I was taking an order, but I hoped he wouldn't notice. My white shirt was freshly ironed this morning, and as there wasn't a lot of customers during the morning shift, I decided it should be semi respectable to wear as a 'date' outfit.

The door swung open, and I looked up to greet the customer when I was met with Bucky striding through the door, with a small bouquet of bright yellow, blooming flowers with huge green leaves in his hand. He smile lifted as he saw me, lips parting as a small dimple popped out of his cheek. His eyes crinkled, the small bags around them fading as he laughed a greeting in my direction whilst waving to Noah and Jake who called out to him.

His fitted jeans clung to the muscles of his legs, and I could feel my eyes travel the length of them, seeing the small strain against the side seams. His top had a similar effect, the sleeves too tight around his upper arm so the definition was strong, and showed he was not a man to be messed with.

Oddly, his left arm was entirely visible. Sometimes he wrapped it with a bandage; other times he wore long sleeves and a short glove. But this time he let the black metal shine as the spring sunlight hit it, with the golden and silver threads pulsing with a similar speed of a heartbeat.

"Afternoon gorgeous," he crossed his arms on the bar, leaning forward to join our lips for a short second. "Been busy?"

"Almost dead," Noah grinned.

"Just like us." Jake nudged him, and the two descended into giggle like laughs at their self deprecating humour.

"It's been pretty quiet." I confirmed, my hand lifting to trace the short, soft beard that decorated Bucky's chin in a soft fuzz. "I finish in a minute."