Hello, I have no idea why I'm posting this; I literally started writing this on a really insane idea I got after seeing The Winter Soldier. Let's see if anyone enjoys this!

It's slightly AU, since S.H.I.E.L.D. is still in tact in this fic, only they're working underground. They'll be more about that later though. I really wanted to touch on what happens with Bucky after the movie. So, enjoy!

I sadly do not own any of the characters created by Stan Lee, only my own original characters.

If there was one thing that helped Bucky Barnes start his morning, it was coffee, and boy, did he drink a lot of coffee.

It had been almost six months since it was revealed HYDRA had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and five months since Bucky found his way back to Steve Rogers.

After he rescued Steve from drowning, he went into hiding, laying low from all the HYDRA agents trying to find him while he tried to figure out who exactly he was.

Steve's words before he fell from the helicarrier had sparked something in Bucky's brain; blurry visions of himself with a short, scrawny blonde boy who had the same face as Steve's. The visions, memories, were throughout various parts of time, and in a few the blonde boy grew a good foot taller and became more muscular, and they were dressed in uniform (well, he was, Steve was in his Captain America attire).

It was all so confusing to him, so during his time in hiding he stole some clothes and a hat to keep him better hidden in the daylight, and snuck into the Smithsonian for the Captain America and Howling Commandos exhibit.

It all seemed strange to him, these pictures of men he felt in his gut he knew but couldn't remember, and he found himself circling the area before finally looking at a large holographic image on a glass wall. It was him, it was his face on the glass wall; his hair was cut shorter and his eyes seemed to have a light to them that his eyes currently lacked, but it was definitely him.

He read about himself on the glass wall, seeing that he died in 1943, falling from a train car in the snowy mountains, his body never recovered.

He felt his stomach clench and a knot rose into his throat. The biography also said he and Captain America were childhood best friends, and that Captain America had saved him from HYDRA imprisonment during WWII before he joined the Howling Commandos. Apparently, all the men in the Howling Commandos were great friends with Bucky, Captain America the closest to him.

Bucky hid for a while longer. He wanted to wait and make sure it would be safe to reveal himself to Steve. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember everything clearly. Things would come to him in dreams or something small would remind him of his past and he'd have a small flashback, but nothing huge, nothing that helped him. Steve had helped him, his words to Bucky before he fell triggered memories strong enough to make him dive in after Steve to save him; strong enough to want to keep Bucky from returning to HYDRA.

And now he knew who he was; or, he knew who he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, a WWII hero. The word hero made the knot return to his throat when he'd think about it.

How could he be a hero? He had murdered who knows how many people, considering HYDRA had always wiped his memories after a mission. How could the name 'hero' go along with his name with all the bad he's done?

He remembered backing away from the glass wall at the Smithsonian, scared of what he read, when he saw a group of kids running up to the picture of his face, pointing and smiling and saying how 'cool' Bucky Barnes was, being a hero and having his best friend be Captain America.

He couldn't go back to HYDRA after that. He refused completely. No way was he going to add another life to his list of murders, he was going to change. He was going to be Bucky Barnes again, even if it killed him.

But he couldn't do it alone. He needed the one other person in the world who could help him.

After a month of waiting, hiding in alleys and catching animals in the woods to cook and eat for him, he finally found Steve walking out of an apartment building a few miles away from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

Steve had been overcome with joy when he saw Bucky approach him, but Bucky refused to hug the blonde or shake hands, he simply explained that he wanted to remember being Bucky, and that he no longer worked with HYDRA.

Steve convinced him to go with him to what remained of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, where Bucky met a slightly pissed off Nick Fury, which shocked the assassin considering Bucky was sure he had killed him.

Bucky had learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. was going to remain underground, laying low with the remaining loyal agents they had while they went about trying to find and capture the HYDRA agents.

Fury agreed to help Bucky, understanding that HYDRA had erased his memories and basically brainwashed Bucky into working for them. He placed Bucky on a list to see a S.H.I.E.L.D. therapist once a week, while Steve volunteered to house Bucky in his apartment. But despite Fury understanding the predicament Bucky had been under, he still placed the man on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s watch list as a possible threat if he somehow reverted back to The Winter Soldier.

Bucky made clear he wasn't agreeing to be an agent just because he was seeking help from S.H.I.E.L.D.; he wasn't too sure he wanted to be involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. just yet, not until all the HYDRA agents were captured and he completely knew who he was again, then he would reconsider.

And now, five months later Bucky still hadn't managed to regain too many of his memories. Nearly half of the ones involving Steve a few months before Bucky's "death" had returned to him, Bucky's therapist, Dr. Carver, thought it was because they were the most recent before he froze and he spent a considerable long amount of time around Steve for the memories to be triggered.

Bucky was glad he was remembering more of his friendship with Steve, and they were able to have a slightly normal conversation when Steve wasn't away on missions to break up HYDRA, but when Steve was away Bucky was left alone to figure things out. He'd put on a jacket or a long sleeved shirt and a pair of leather gloves, along with a tattered baseball cap, before walking the streets of Washington, hoping something would trigger for him.

Steve suggested taking a train ride up to Brooklyn, considering that was where the two of them were from, despite it changing so drastically over the years. He had gone while Steve was away, and walked around all the places Steve wrote down for him, and a few vague things came to his mind, but nothing huge, nothing deep like he was hoping for.

Bucky didn't have any memory-triggering plans for that Thursday though; he had his therapy sessions on Tuesday, which he didn't enjoy going to but Steve made him (when Steve was actually home to make him), and he'd been given access to use the S.H.I.E.L.D. gym, but Bucky didn't use the gym to clear his head like Steve did, so he would only go every week or so. He'd walked around the city enough to know nothing would trigger a memory, so he was stumped.

He lay in bed, thinking he and Steve could go somewhere, but a sudden hustling outside his door made the brunette think that Steve was getting ready to leave on a sudden mission.

Rubbing his right hand against his face to try and push his sleepy feeling aside, he pushed himself out of bed and walked towards the kitchen, knowing Steve would already have the coffee water boiling by now.

But when Bucky reached the kitchen, the kettle wasn't on the stove. Bucky looked over at Steve, who was shrugging his jacket on as quickly as he could while he held a small duffle bag in his left hand. Confusion was etched onto Bucky's face.

"Steve," Bucky called, snapping his friend from his thoughts and causing Steve to look over at him.

Bucky pointed a metal finger towards the stove, "Coffee?" he asked.

Steve groaned, shaking his head, "We're out. Uh, here," Steve said, shuffling through a small pile of mail on the table near the door before tossing a folded piece of paper at Bucky.

He caught it swiftly, his reflexes as sharp as ever, before unfolding the paper and reading the bold letters.

"Free coffee Thursday?" he questioned.

Steve nodded, "It was in the mail; it's for the coffee house down the street. Today is Thursday so go get your coffee and then pick some up from the store, could ya?" he asked, pulling open the door.

"I got called in, be back in four days, tops. See ya, Buck!" he called, hurrying out the door in an instant.

Bucky nodded absently, used to Steve leaving every few weeks to help break up a group of known HYDRA affiliates. He was staring at the flyer, trying to figure out how a coffee house was getting away with giving out free coffee. How would they make money if they were giving out free coffee all day?

Deciding not to question it, he walked back into his room to throw on a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt, a tattered dark jean jacket and his leather gloves. He pulled a hair tie off his dresser, his hair still shoulder length, and pulled it back into a low ponytail, before grabbing his wallet and keys and walking out the door.

It was nearing the end of April and it was comfortable outside, a small breeze making the trees rustle.

Bucky kept his head down as he walked as fast as possible. He didn't try to look scary, but apparently no matter what he did when he was walking by himself or not having a conversation with Steve, his "relaxed" face looked angry, scary even. He'd look at someone on the street and he'd see the fear in their eyes as they took him in, six feet tall with a scowl on his face and broad shoulders. Hell, even agents at the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters looked at him fearfully when he'd walk down the halls for his therapy sessions. He never liked seeing how fearful all those people looked at him, so he tried to best to keep his head down.

It was nearing 8 AM when Bucky pulled open the door to the coffee shop a block and a half away from his apartment, and he was surprised to see the store completely empty.

Did no one understand the concept of free coffee? Unless the flyer was false advertising and everyone knew it but him. He'd feel like an idiot for not knowing, but demand free coffee anyways since the flyer clearly said it was today.

The only other person that appeared to be in the store was a girl fiddling with a case of muffins behind the counter. She was wearing latex gloves and reorganizing a large tray of muffins so they were all brought to the front of the tray.

Bucky was surprised; he thought this place was just a coffee house. In all the times he walked past it or drove past it, he never saw anyone leaving with more than just coffee. Apparently they were filled to the brim with muffins from the looks of it.

The girl didn't seem to hear Bucky come in or stalk over to the counter, as her back was still turned to him as she rearranged the muffins.

He stood at the counter awkwardly, glancing around, hoping she'd look over her shoulder soon.

He saw an electronic coffee machine to the left of the two cash registers making two fresh pots of coffee, while stacks of Styrofoam cups of all different sizes sat on the counter the coffee maker was on.

A minute passed before Bucky cleared his throat, slightly annoyed that the girl still hadn't noticed him. Although, after being an assassin for years, he had mastered the art of walking as silently as ever.

The girl jumped, nearly flinging the muffin in her hand in the air before placing the tray back into the case and spinning around to look at him.

He clenched his jaw, waiting to see the fear show in her eyes before she forced a smile and took his order, something he saw a lot when he'd go into restaurants or coffee shops.

But nothing flashed in her eyes. Instead, her face flushed scarlet and she placed her right hand on her chest, her mouth hung open slightly, "I-I am so-so sorry, sir! I didn't hear you come in. We should really get a bell for that door or something, wow." she said, tapping at the computer screen of the register with her left hand before straightening up, giving him a small, warm smile.

"What can I get for you today?"

Bucky stared at her a moment. 'She isn't scared of me.' He took in her appearance; she was about five foot five, with long brown hair that stuck out of the back of the baseball cap she wore, tied back in a ponytail. She had almond shaped eyes that were a bright green color, and slightly thin, pink lips. He could make out a scar along her jawline on the right side of her face, about two inches long, along with a very small scar on the left side of her small nose.

She looked ordinary to Bucky, but he felt a small wave of happiness to know this ordinary girl didn't appear scared of him.

"Large black coffee." He finally said, glancing back over at the coffee pots.

"Anything else with that?" she asked; she seemed to bounce on her heels as she stood before him, eager to begin moving and getting his coffee ready.

Bucky shook his head, and the girl tapped away at the screen. "Alright, your coffee is free today, as it will be every Thursday for the next two months, so make sure to keep coming in." She explained happily, before ripping the receipt out as it printed and pulling a pen from her apron pocket, circling something at the bottom of his receipt, "If you take this survey at the bottom here you're entered to win a flat screen television; just make sure to put my name as the employee who helped you out today." She explained, scribbling her name down before sliding the receipt across the counter to Bucky.

He watched her pour his drink before looking down at the receipt. She had scribbled her name in a curly type of cursive and Bucky, unfamiliar with her handwriting, couldn't make out all the letters.

'Her name is Abe?' he thought, before looking up at her sternly as she placed his coffee in front of him. He scanned her person before his eyes landed on her name tag.

"Alba." He muttered, moving his eyes from the name tag to her face.

She smiled, and from what he could tell it was genuine, nodding her head, "That's right, but my family calls me Ali, and a few of my friends, but I go by Alba at work."

Bucky continued to stare at her for a moment before picking up his coffee and turning to go.

"Have a good day sir!" she called to his retreating form.

Bucky was in the park when it started raining. He had gone to the store and bought coffee and other essential he knew they were out of, brought them back to the apartment before deciding on walking around the city again. It was nearing 4 in the afternoon when a sudden downpour started.

Bucky hurried down the street, not too bothered by the rain until it started coming down harder.

He ducked under an awning a block and a half away from the apartment; the rain was coming down with a mixture of nickel sized hail amongst it. Did he want to try running for the apartment or taking cover it whatever store he was standing in front of?

As the sound of the rain and hail grew louder in his ears and a sudden wave of laziness came over him, he decided to wait it out in the store.

He pulled open the door to find he was in the same coffee house he had visited that morning, and the girl, Alba, was still behind the counter, rearranging the muffins again.

She looked up when he walked in though, and she gave him a large smile, "Hey! Back again for another?" she asked.

'She remembers me.' He thought, before glancing back out at the rain. He turned back to her and nodded as he walked over to the counter.

She had a cup ready and a pot of hot coffee in her hand by the time he made it over, and he watched her pour his drink before placing a plastic lid on the top. She placed it on the counter before him, the smile still on her face, "There you go. Planning to wait out the storm here?" she asked.

Bucky nodded, picking up his cup.

"No problem, stay as long as you like. We have free wifi and the news plays 24/7 on the television." She said, pointing to the flat screen mounted on the wall.

Bucky made his way to a small table near the door, facing the large floor to ceiling windows covering the wall as he watched the rain.

He was constantly aware of Alba behind the counter; he could hear her moving muffins around on the trays and making fresh pots of coffee every twenty minutes.

After his first hour in the store he saw Alba out of the corner of his eye; she had walked up and was looking out the window of the door, her hands in her apron pockets.

He glanced at her, staring at her blank face as she stared at the rain. After a moment he turned back and continued watching as well, waiting for it to lighten up so he could return home.

It was almost 7 PM and it was still raining hard.

He was getting bored, his coffee had been finished hours ago and he was starting to wonder just how many times the muffins needed to be rearranged by Alba.

He heard the sound of a broom next and glanced over his shoulder to see Alba sweeping up the small store.

She glanced over at him, "I hope you don't mind." She said with a sheepish smile on her face.

He shook his head, and she continued on sweeping.

Bucky suppressed a sigh as he stretched his legs out under the table, his gloved hands in his jeans pockets as he leaned against the back of the chair, boredly waiting for the rain to let up. From the sign on the window, the coffee place closes at 8PM and he had an hour left.

Alba began sweeping the area by the door until she glanced over at Bucky's empty coffee cup.

She glanced at him, before leaning slightly against the broom, "You know," she said, causing Bucky to look over at her.

"It's free refills when you're in the store. Would you like another cup?" she asked, pointing to his drink, "I just brewed a fresh pot."

Bucky nodded, handing his cup over to her while she leaned the broom against the wall, moving back behind the counter.

Bucky didn't have a problem drinking coffee so late; in all honesty he hardly slept more than four or five hours a night anyway, so to him drinking a cup of coffee at 7 o'clock at night was no big deal to him.

He stood up, following her to the counter and watched as she placed his cup down and poured the pot of coffee.

She glanced at him, "Oh, I was going to just bring it to you, you didn't have to get up."

Bucky paused, unsure if he should tell her why he was so keen on watching her make his drink.

"I wanted to make sure you didn't put anything in it that wasn't coffee." He muttered, hoping he didn't come off as crazy. He was working on trying to be 'normal' again, but it was hard to let some of the paranoia go. He knew a great deal about poisons and with HYDRA affiliates still out there, he wasn't risking getting himself poisoned, or worse, drugged and brought back to HYDRA to be Winter Soldier again.

Alba nodded, "Yeah, I understand." She said, grabbing a new plastic lid and placing it over his cup, "I mean, I'd never do anything like that, but I mean, I'd wanna watch the person make my drink to know they made it right, you know? If they added enough cream or flavoring or something," she went on, placing the coffee on the counter.

She quickly noticed the blank look on his face and bit her lip, glancing to her right, "Sorry, I was babbling, wasn't I? I do that sometimes, sorry." She explained before looking back over at him.

Bucky shrugged in response, before picking up his coffee and returning to his seat.

Bucky stood ready to leave by 7:58. Alba had moped the front of the store, Bucky silently and without having to be asked, stood from his seat and leaned against the door on the welcome mat as she moped, before she moved on to the back of the store.

She had thrown away all the unsold muffins, even offered Bucky some to take home free of charge. He declined, and watched as she curiously packed at least two dozen muffins for herself in a large bag before disposing of them all. After the muffins were gone the coffee was next to go, and then she began putting away all the left over cups that were set out for Free Coffee Thursday.

Bucky looked at the clock behind the counter and saw it read 7:59PM. The rain outside had not lightened up, in fact he believed the hail had gotten worse, but he knew Alba was about to ask him to leave.

"Do you want to call a taxi?" Alba called, reappearing from the back of the store with a phone in her hand.

Bucky shook his head, pushing open the door. There was a strong gust of wind, which blew the door back, causing Alba to yelp in surprise.

"Be safe!" she called to him as Bucky moved out the door. He went to grab the door to push it closed but Alba had ran around the counter and grabbed the handle as Bucky went to push the door closed.

"I got it. You get home!" she called, pulling the door closed as hard as she could.

Bucky didn't listen though, and used his left arm to push the door back in one swift motion, catching Alba off guard as she stumbled backwards before falling forward, her grip still on the handle, colliding with the door.

Bucky's eyes went wide and he went to pull the door back open with his right hand to see if she was okay, but the moment he pulled the door even an inch open the wind took over and slammed it open again, bringing Alba, who still had her hand gripped to the handle, along with it.

She yelped again, closing her eyes tightly to brace herself for another collision, when Bucky reached down and wrapped his left arm around her waist, stopping her.

She felt a bit winded from the sudden pressure against her abdomen, but finally let go of the handle and pushed herself off the ground, running her hand down her face before bursting into a fit of giggles.

Bucky stared at her, confused, "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice a bit louder as he yelled over the wind and rain.

She nodded, covering her mouth with her hands as she laughed, "Thank you so much. Wow, I can't believe that just happened." She replied, shaking her head in disbelief.

She looked up at him, her smile still on her face, "Thank you, but you really should get home. It's getting worse out here."

"Are you going to be okay?" he found himself asking. He didn't know why he was concerned for her, but he wanted to at least know she would be able to get home in one piece.

She nodded, "I'll call a taxi, I'll be fine. Have a good night, be safe, okay?" she asked.

He nodded, glancing at her one last time before turning away.

She pulled the door closed and switched the light on the 'OPEN' sign off. Bucky glanced over his shoulder as he jogged down the street.