request from derpcat23 ! i hope this is something of what you've imagined! also; gonna put a TW in case for mentions of ptsd!
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bucky blinked, abruptly taken from his thoughts when something nudged against his leg. glancing down, he was surprised to see a german shepherd standing beside him and looking up into his eyes. he took notice of the vest the dog was wearing, with the words SERVICE DOG embroidered into the material.
frowning, he bent down to the dog's level. ❝what's going on, buddy? where's your owner?❞
without sound, the dog turned and started to trot off. when bucky didn't follow at first, it stopped and turned, waiting for him to follow. bucky rose to his feet and trailed after the dog.
he was out shopping for the day, sending time alone while the other avengers either were out on another mission or doing their own personal activities. after walking for a few minutes down a busy sidewalk. when the dog stopped in front of a woman, rubbing her knee, he got confused.
the dog sat by the woman's knee, resting its head upon it. bucky approached with caution, ❝excuse me, ma'am?❞ the woman looked up with a flinch. ❝are...you alright?❞
a look of guilt flashed across her face, ❝y-yeah. yeah. i'm fine.❞
bucky instantly knew that was a lie. she swallowed, pushing her hair out of her eye. ❝i'm really sorry for my dog, he didn't need to come to you. y-you can walk away; i'm sure you're a very busy guy.❞
he noticed her stuttering, and made the decision to sit down on the bench. ❝what happened, if i may ask?❞
the woman glanced at him for a mere second, and he also took note of her chin quivering as if she was holding back a sob, ❝a car backfired, and it took me back a bit...❞
bucky knew the signs, and it connected in an instant. ptsd.
❝back to the field?❞ bucky asked her, his voice full of concern and understanding. she nodded, staring at her feet. ❝you know...i went through that too, believe it or not. i know how you feel.❞
she gave him a cautious look, ❝you do?❞
bucky nodded back, offering a warm smile. ❝one hundred percent. the name's bucky, by the way.❞
❝Y/N.❞ she offered her hand to shake, and bucky noticed it was clammy when he did so.
bucky glanced around, ❝did you wanna, maybe grab a cup of coffee? talk things out if you're comfortable enough doing so?❞
Y/N blew out her cheeks before forcing a laugh, ❝oh, please, you really don't have to do that. i don't wanna take any more of your time. like i said, i'm s-sure you're very busy and i'm only getting in the way.❞
❝you're not, i promise. i was actually done all my shopping for the day...as much as i hate it.❞
this prompted her to laugh, bringing relief to bucky. after a few moments of silence, he gave her a lopsided smirk. ❝so, how about that coffee?❞
Y/N inhaled deeply before sighing, seeming to feel better already. smiling back authentically, she nodded. ❝coffee sounds nice.❞
