Chapter Text
It's a sunny afternoons at the end of summer, the weather is warm and the wind is cool, a good day for most of the new yorkers, but not for Bucky Barnes. The purple heart veteran just released from the hospital for nth time after horrendous hour of physical therapy, ptsd counselling and adjustment of his prototype prosthetic arm. He consider himself lucky that Steve, his childhood best friend, can pull some strings and make him one of the receiver of stark industries prototype, given him the hi tech prosthetic and salary/payment for his feedback as they need to wire some shit to his body to make the metal arm attached and works. He just exhausted with one of worse mood and his mind is just muddy. He doesn't feel like walkback directly to his shared apartment with Steve and holling in his room so he just aimlessly wandering around until he stumble into a small out of place cafe around the corner of financial district.
He feel intrigue with the place and decide to just step in, beside he need a good coffee to clear his mind. When he step in a subtle aroma of herbs mix with coffee hits his nose, he rise an eyebrow at the sight of decoration and interior of the cafe, is so 70s hippie with dream catcher, rainbow color, paint, crystal, dried herbs with touch of plant here and there. The mix match furniture lessen the overwhelmed feeling and just ooze cozy home. An elderly couple, a group of teenager, some college student with their laptops and several people in business suit, what a weird crowd this place have.
A “hello there” pull his attention to the counter where a girl, no younger than 25 years old, wave to him and Bucky feel anxious all of sudden, his breath quicken and his eyes dart to every corner of the place, checking all way out. The brunette girl repeat her world and Bucky force himself to calm down and walk to the counter.
“Welcome to sanctuary! What can I get you?” The brunette give a warm welcoming smile that calm his anxiety. She wear an off shoulder maroon dress, bracelets and rings decorated her hand and her eyes rimmed with thick eyeliner. Is this kinda in style right now? Bucky doesn’t have any clue.
“Uh, a black coffee?” Great now you sound so timid and weird, Bucky groan to himself.
“Oh, sure, i have espresso, cold drip, dutch, v60 and aeropress which one you prefer?” She asked happily. .
Bucky let out another mental groan, what the heck all this shit the girl said, he just need a black coffee, dammit! How hard can it be? “Just black coffee” he repeat, try to put more confident in his voice.
“Okay, you don't mind if i choose for you? I can give you the strongest one, looks like you need some” her smile never leave that pink lips.
“Yeah sure” he pull his wallet while she ring him and then proceed to sit at the table near the wall, further from any possible blast, that give him view of the area, for surveying any suspicious individual or activity, and exactly 10 feet from the door incase he need immediate exit. He hates himself for this but couldn't help it. He still eyeing all the exit option when the girl put the cup and additional water on the table.
“Here you go and the cookie is on the house” she speak with eastern european accent or is it russian? Bucky couldn't decide but he somehow like it. The girl still standing there about to open her mouth when some of the teenager in the other end of the room call her, “Hey Wanda, can I get my reading now?”
“Sure Daisy, wait a sec!” The girl, said without turning her head. She make a gesture with her hand as she can find word to be said to Bucky, but her smile do the job, gotta go, and left before he can produce any response.
When she left him alone after that his reflex on surveying his surrounding kick back but nothing suspicious happen or that’s a pathetic excuse to see what the girl, Wanda, do which is playing card, tarot he guess. The view remind him of a gipsy lady he saw in children book when he was young, of a good time.
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The second time Bucky found himself in the sanctuary Wanda is there, greets him happily with smile and wave, make him flustered a little bit. She wear another red clothes, a sun dress, bracelets and rings not leaving her fingers and she’s sporting messy bun. Lighter make makes her looks younger and open. She is pretty, Bucky let out a deep breath to low heart beat as he walks to the counter. “Hi, nice to see you again, what can I get for you today?”
“Black coffee, like yesterday?” he said it with a bit of sudder.
“Sure! Would you like something to eat? Today special is pulled pork sandwich, we also have other option for vegetarian and vegan.”
“Uh, yes” he grunts, Wanda looking at him expectantly, her big green eyes boring to his soul, smile never leave her lips. The silence make him feel uneasy he can feel his heart start to pick up a pace and his eyes start looking for a way out. No please don’t panic he beg himself.
“So, it’s ok for the sandwich?” The timid question from Wanda stop his mind from going override, he nod, he try to speak but no sound came out, makes him feels like fish out of water. Then he hear her knock the counter table three times, “it’s okay, take it easy, just seat, I’ll get your order” she speak softly to him, full of understanding and compassion that put him on ease, even when he put himself in this embarrassing situation. Seeing him still root his place in front of the counter Wanda try again, “I can ring you later, don’t worry” she give him a reassuring nod, nudging her head to the direction of his table the before and Bucky rushing to take his seat.
Five minutes later Wanda come with his order, “Your coffee and sandwich, hope you like it” she tuck a hair behind her ear, showing various earring that shimmering for the light,
“I’m Wanda, by the way, don’t hesitate to talk to me if you need anything” she give him another small smile and wait for his response.
When she didn’t get any as Bucky just staring at her and gapping, she shrugged and knock the table three times before leaving him. what's with the knocking? Well at least she talk and not act like an idiot like you, his mind happily supply, but nonetheless Wanda make him feel at ease and he's grateful for it.
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It's the third time he come to sanctuary, he safely order his black coffee and eyeing the food display when Wanda offer him mint lamb pie and he just nodded.He start to take notice on the regular customer of sanctuary, which he always found there every time he come over. routine put him at ease, just like his soldier days. He sit at his usual table, miraculously not occupied nearing the end of lunch rush and successfully give Wanda small smile or grimace when she put his food.
An hour later he raise his eyebrow when he notice Wanda start to prepare 8 to go cups and start making various type of coffee but there are no new customer around but his curiosity answered within 10 minutes when a short hair woman rushing inside with a loud grump, stroming to the counter and give Wanda a relief smile
“you are lifesaver Wanda, what can i do without you” Wanda just laugh
“you are my bulk buying customer, what can I do without you Maria” she wink, Maria Hills join the laugh and start her daily rant about her job as business assistant not a coffee girl.
They talk for ten minutes before Maria need to get going with her bosses coffee, struggling with the double stack cup holder, Wanda just laugh, reciting a good luck spell and running to help her with the door before shouting dozen words of encouragement for Maria Hills. She’s still laughing when she’s back to the counter then start humming to the music.
Bucky likes how her laugh sound, it reminds him to a past time, before everything turn to the worse.
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After a week and half Bucky consider himself semi regular customer of sanctuary, even if he never speak to Wanda other than his order (that almost whispering “black coffee”) and “yes” to whatever Wanda offer for lunch or snack, he just don't have a heart to say no to her big green eyes or can’t find a successful ways to produce another sound like a decent human being.
So when he step to the cafe today and see Wanda welcoming smile he feels relax, not out of place like he usually do anywhere outside his apartment. Her eyes hold no judgement or pity and she never bothering him with a question about his metal arm. After he successfully order his black coffee and nod to Wanda suggested lunch menu for today, he sink into his usual chair, checking his surrounding and breath a relief when he did not find anything fishy.
“Hi, James, right?” She approach the conversation with caution, but the warmth never leave her voice. Taken aback, Bucky snap his head to her, his eyes suspicious.
“I’m not stalking you or do other creepy things, I swear.” Wanda quickly quips, “I just saw your name on the hospital bands when you first came.” she winced at her answer as she realized that sound like a freakish stalker move.
He must be so frustrated that day, that he didn’t bother to tear the band when he leave the hospital. Realisation that Wanda notice it, and possibly his condition ashamed him. Seems like picking up his train of thought, Wanda speak softly,
“Everyone have a bad day, some just worse than the other” her smile warm his inside and quell the anxiety inside him.
“Yes, that’s my name” and he smile, a genuine one after a very long time.