Final Part. Thanks for being on this seriously emotional roller coaster with me.
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"Things must happen when it is time for them to happen. Quests may not simply be abandoned; prophecies may not be left to rot like unpicked fruit; unicorns may go unrescued for a very long time, but not forever. The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story." ~ Peter S. Beagle The Last Unicorn
"Well, aren't you a sorry sight," you teased him the minute he walked on, his hair disheveled from constantly being worried over by his nervous fingers and his coat nearly soaked from the rain. "I thought you had a date."
He clicked his tongue and sat down in the nearest booth, his shoes squeaking on the floor. "It didn't quite work out."
"Did she stand you up?" you asked, feeling sorry now for teasing him. You were nearly done with your shift, only ten minutes left, so you walked over and sat across from him. "Buck, I'm sorry. I didn't know or I wouldn't have-"
"I cancelled," he interrupted and you frowned. That was a rare. Bucky never cancelled a date, well, not when Steve was healthy and well and Steve hadn't been sick for a whole two months. "She sounded disappointed but I just wan't feeling it."
"That doesn't sound like you. Are you coming down with something?" you asked and reached out, pressing your cool palm to his forehead. Nope, no fever. "I thought you really liked this girl."
"I did," Bucky just shrugged and you sighed, standing up again. "Where you going?"
"I gotta finishing cleaning up, Buck," you said, "Then we'll go. Okay?"
"You can head out, [Name]," your boss called from back in the kitchen. "Be better for you since Barnes is here to walk you."
"Are you sure? I haven't mopped yet," you frowned. Not that you weren't ready to leave but your boss was an older man. He didn't need to be doing all that by himself!
"Yeah, I'll take care of it. You get on home and I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Alright! Thank you, Mr. Douglas!" you undid your apron, hung it behind the counter and pulled on your own coat. A minute later, you were walking down the sidewalk with Bucky at your side, carrying the umbrella, and rain boots kicking through the puddles as you two made the short walk toward your apartment. "So, why'd you cancel on her?"
