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Steve Rogers.
Out of all the people in the world, [Y/N]’s soulmate had to be Steve Fucking Rogers.
At first, when she turned eighteen and her soulmark appeared, she thought maybe she’ll meet a guy whose parents appreciated Captain America so much that they named their kid after him. It would make sense. It would be kinda weird to date a guy named after an old superhero, but it could be worse.
It couldn’t be the actual Captain America because he was dead.
Or, there was another possibility, that it was some random guy and for God knows what reason his first words to her would be Steve Rogers. [Y/N] didn’t know how that would work, but she didn’t deny the possibility.
But then, years later, New York was attacked by aliens and one crazy demi-God who wanted to rule the Earth. That’s when the Avengers appeared. A team of superheroes put together by SHIELD to protect the earth.
Of course Captain America was one of them. Apparently, he was never dead, just nicely preserved in ice. And now [Y/N]’s soulmark carried much more weight.
There was a possibility that her soulmate was Captain America.
“What’re the odds?” [Y/N] asks herself, staring at her wrist.
She does that quite a lot.
“Like one in over seven billion,” said her friend, Jane.
The girls were in a coffee shop, Jane just started her shift and [Y/N] drove her there so her friend offered to repay her with a free coffee. Jane already found her soulmate. She quite literally bumped into her while carrying a bunch of coffee cups at once because the lady who ordered them seemed impatient. She wasn’t looking where she was going and accidentally elbowed a girl, but managed to not spill a drop of coffee.
‘Watch where you’re going!’ her soulmate yelled in anger.
‘Bite me!’ answered Jane who was too much in a hurry to care or realize she just heard the words that were tattooed on her wrist.
Since then she was more preoccupied with her friend’s non-existent love life.
“What if you find yourself in a dangerous situation and he comes up and rescues you?”
[Y/N] laughed, then sipped some of her coffee. She likes to pretend she’s annoyed at Jane for bringing Steve up all the time and that she doesn’t want to talk about it. But deep down, [Y/N] thinks about her soulmate a lot. How she’ll meet him. When.
But her scenarios aren’t as hopeful as Jane’s. Something always feels off about them.
“And he’ll lend a hand to you, help you up. He’ll smile and present himself. ‘Steve Rogers, nice to meet you,’ Jane made her voice deeper as if imitating how Steve would talk.
[Y/N] wasn’t listening to her friend, already lost in her own fantasy. What if he’ll go in a supper dangerous mission and die right after meeting her? Being soulmates with a superhero sounds like an awful deal. There is no guarantee that you’ll stay together, safe and sound and live happily ever after.
“And then you’ll shake hands, say whatever his soulmark says and then you will lock eyes. Your soulmarks will turn golden, you’ll instantly know that you are perfect for each other.”
What if he dies protecting her? He certainly is the kind of person who’d give their life in order to save others. He already did that. Then she’ll have to live her whole life knowing she basically killed her soulmate.
“Bucky, aren’t you hot in that jacket?” Steve asks.
With a shake of his head, Bucky pulled the sleeves of his jacket even more, trying to cover his soulmark. He hated it.
No, thanks.
The first thing the person who is supposed to love him unconditionally will ever say to him will be ‘No, thanks’. Bucky had to live with being rejected by his soulmate before he even meets her.
He didn’t like to have his soulmark on display, no matter how many times Steve assured him that is not as bad and he doesn’t even know the context of it yet.
It was easy for Steve, his soulmark was ‘Nice to meet you’ It was very common, true. But at least it was positive.
His soulmate probably knows about him being the Winter Soldier and doesn’t want anything to do with a murderer. And who could blame her?
So Bucky wore long-sleeved tops and jackets even in the hottest summer days, like this one, because he didn’t want to be reminded of rejection.
“What’s so special about this place anyway?” asked Steve, pulling Bucky out of his dark thoughts. “Why did you insist on going here? There is a coffee shop closer to the compound, you know.”
Bucky didn’t answer. Instead, he opened the door and scanned the room in a hurry. She was at the same table he saw her last time, talking to the same waitress. Maybe they were friends, that’s why she comes here.
“Do you know that girl?” Steve asks.
Bucky shook his head. He hasn’t even spoken to her yet. And he doesn’t intend to very soon. He just saw her once in the same coffee shop, just as she finished her coffee. She gave him a quick smile on her way to the door and Bucky just knew he had to see her again.
But now that he was there, seeing her, he was scared as shit.
“Go talk to her, I’ll order for the both of us.”
Steve pushed Bucky slightly in the girl’s direction.
“Is he walking towards us?” [Y/N] asks.
“No, he’s going to order. I’m gonna go talk to him. I could play wingwoman for you if you wanna.”
“Don’t you dare!”
Jane went back to her job, leaving [Y/N] alone with her almost finished and already cold coffee. The girl was staring at Steve.
Oh my God. He was there. He was actually there. Standing just a few feet away from her, casually talking with Jane. Should she go to him? Wait for him to approach her?
Would it be too forward of her to go introduce herself? After all, he was probably an old-fashioned man. No, she’ll stay at her table. See if he comes at her.
“Steve Rogers,” said a voice to [Y/N]’s left. “That’s his name. I could introduce you if you want me to.”
[Y/N] looked at the man. She saw him a few days ago at the café, wearing the same jacket.
Who the fuck wears jackets when it’s this hot outside?
“No, thanks,” she smiled and sat up. “I can do it myself if I wanted to. I’m [Y/N], by the way.”
She reached out her hand, but the man stood there, completely frozen. His gaze slid slowly on her wrist, where the words ‘Steve Rogers’ glowed for a second, then became golden.
“Is there a chance that you have ‘No, thanks’ written on your wrist?” she asks as realization set in.
It wasn’t Steve. It never was Steve.
Gingerly, as if he was scared, the man lifted his right sleeve, revealing his now golden soulmark.
“Damn, guess I’m taking you out tonight,” [Y/N] smiled.
Bucky couldn’t believe it. She was smiling, happy to find out he was her soulmate. She didn’t actually refuse him. Basically, she refused Steve. Because she wanted him. And she didn’t even know they were soulmates yet.
There was a person in this whole world who would choose him over Steve.
“Sure,” his face lit up “I’ll text you my address so you can pick me up?”