{if life can remove someone you never dreamed of losing, it can replace them with someone you never dreamt of having}
[when therapy doesn't seem to be working, his therapist sets him up with help, a emotional support human.]
(following the events of...
"You've never had boba tea before? This is a national crime."
Vivian and Bucky walked down the streets of Brooklyn, almost to the village, the next day as she talked. To Bucky's surprise, being with her was so easy. Talking to her was simple and he felt like he could just be himself.
"I've been gone for five years into nothingness and before that I was an evil super solider so there wasn't time to enjoy...whatever that is." Bucky didn't even know what 'boba' was but she seemed to like it so it couldn't be that bad.
"You don't even know what boba is? I need to fix this." She gently grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him in the direction of a small cafe with a pastel blue sign that said, 'Milk Bar Café.'
He opened the door for her as she walked in in front of him, thanking him as he looked around the small café. The walls were white tile with a light pink ceiling and hanging lights. The counter was made of andesite with a LED sign on the wall. It was adorable.
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The old woman behind the till smiled when she saw the African American woman and waved to her. Vivian smiled at her and waved back as she lead him over to order.
"Nǐ hǎo ya." Ms. Satō said as they approached the counter. 'Hello, dear.'
"Nǐ hǎo, zuǒténg xiǎojiě. Nǐ jīntiānguò dé zěnme yàng." Vivian said as Bucky looked at her in confusion and slight surprise. 'Good Morning, Ms. Satō. How are you today?'
"You speak Mandarin?" Bucky asked her. She nodded as she turned her head to him and said, "There's a lot you don't know about me yet."
Ms. Satō looked between the two of them with a sly smile before saying, "Zhè shì shéi? Tā hěn shuài. Nǐ yǐqián mò dàiguò tā." 'Who's this? He's very handsome. You haven't brought him around before.'
Vivian felt the heat rush to her cheeks from her neck as she said, "Zuǒténg xiǎojiě! Xū! Wǒmen kěyǐ yīqǐ dìnggòu dài yǒu boba de cǎoméi nǎichá hé nǎichá ma?" 'Miss Satō! Hush! Can we just order a strawberry milk tea and a milk tea, both with boba?'
The ex-solider looked between the two of them with a confused face as Ms. Satō simply looked away and started to shout the orders to the ladies in the back. Vivian payed her, Ms. Satō always giving her a discount despite her telling the old woman that she really didn't have to, she always insisted.
When the old woman walked away and the two of them walked over to the pick station, Bucky looked over to his emotional support human and asked, "What was that about?"
Vivian looked at him for a second before smiling at him and saying, "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
For some odd reason, he trust her.
***
As entered Bucky's apartment building, they abandoned their empty boba tea cups in trash can. The ex-solider holding the door open for her, just as he did in the 40's for dames he used to take dancing. Vivian had told him great she wanted to see where he lived to help him adjust better into the 21st century.
