The moment the lock slid home, his arms were around you with soft, plush lips caressing yours. Bucky's large, calloused hands brushed down the side of your neck, then teased just under the collar of your shirt down toward your chest. As your fingers worked to unbutton his shirt, his fingers did the same with his mouth never leaving yours.

Slowly, you both walked in tandem toward the bed until your knees hit it. The drop to the mattress was more significant than you thought, though, a squeal escaping you as you both tumbled down in a heap. Squeaky springs compressed under your combined weight and you exhaled with an oof as Bucky landed half on top of you.

Laughter bubbled up in your chest and then escaped as Bucky joined you, finding humor in your graceless intimate moment. Bucky rolled his weight off you and onto his side while you remained on your back. He held your gaze as the hilarity faded and fire burned bright once again in his eyes.

"Shall we try that again?" he asked, grazing his knuckles down the side of your face tenderly.

With a bite of your lip, you nodded, raising a hand to brush a lock of hair behind his ear. You kicked off your sandals and he did the same with his shoes. Slowly he lowered his lips to yours and resumed unbuttoning your blouse with one nimble hand. You took your time undressing each other, one article of clothing at a time until you were bare to one another. His rough fingertips brushed over your sensitive skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Bucky went for his wallet, but you produced a string of foil packets from your bag first.

As two began to move as one, you knew it had never felt like this. You had never fit so perfectly with another man. He played your body like an instrument, each touch hitting just the right note. Bucky took his time as he mapped each dip and curve intimately until you began to reach your crescendo, his motions powerful and yet tender. Rising higher and higher before you both cried out and fell together, you collided into each other arms with chests heaving. Bucky held you close with a soft kiss to your forehead as you both rested a short time. It didn't take long until you both felt that heady desire once again, resulting in an encore or two before you fell asleep in each other's embrace, exhausted and happy.

________________

You awoke momentarily, the rhythmic sound of drumming invaded your senses. The steady sound gave you comfort, lulling you back to sleep. Some time later the calm beat increased to a staccato thundering, pulling you to consciousness. Slowly, you came to recognize the drumming sound as Bucky's heartbeat echoing in his ribcage, your head resting on his chest. He must have awoken as memories of last night flooded in, his heart rate speeding up just as yours began to do the same at first sight of his handsome face in the morning light.

"Good morning," he croaked with a smile.

You grinned bashfully as you stretched out sore legs, throwing an arm around his muscular torso and head resting on his shoulder. "Good morning to you, too."

Bucky brushed fingertips against your bare back as he propped his right hand under his head. You pressed a kiss to his firm pectoral muscle before turning your face toward him. A tender look in his eye, he leaned down to kiss your lips before falling back on the pillows with a contended sigh. The comfortable silence lingered as you basked in the warmth of the body beside you.

Curiosity finally getting the better of you, you propped yourself up on one elbow as you shifted slightly onto your stomach. With his bicep inches from your face, you began to trace the silvery white lines and curve that caught your attention the day before. They were noticeable only in the right light or up close. Raising your eyebrows at him in question, you wordlessly continued to caress his scarred skin.

"It's from a steam burn," he explained.

"What?" you asked, eyes wide. "How?"

He took a deep breath and brushed a thumb down your cheek before speaking. "I started working at my uncle's shop while I was still in high school. Simple stuff at first: working the counter, checking fluids, rotating tires, stuff like that. Well, one day, I popped the hood of a car and checked the oil, then I moved on to check the coolant levels. There's no dipstick for that, so you just have to open up the reservoir and peak in. If the liquid isn't visible, then it needs to be added. So I used my left hand to turn the knob for the radiator. Most cars these days have a failsafe where if the engine is still too hot and has pent up pressure, the knob locks and you can't turn it anymore. I thought this car was cool enough, but..."

You gasped, able to guess what happened next. "Oh, no..."

"Exactly. The car was older than I thought and it just didn't occur to me until the cap came off, pressure was released, and the steam shot up my arm and down my left side. I don't even remember what happened after that. They told me I was running around screaming in pain. They had to catch me and throw some cold water on me before I calmed down enough to get to the hospital," he said with a sigh.

Brushing your fingertips across his bearded cheek, Bucky captured his large hand in yours to kiss your palm. "Were you okay?" you asked quietly.

He quirked an eyebrow and shrugged. "Mostly. It was basically a third-degree burn but not bad enough to need skin grafts or anything. They did have to treat the burns every few days by scrubbing and wrapping the skin so scar tissue wouldn't form. That hurt like a bastard. But I was lucky. I must have closed my eyes at the right time because that could have damaged my eyesight. My face looked like I was sunburned for about a week. Scars aren't too bad, though, huh?" he asked, tilting his face as he flexed his bicep.

You shook your head, smiling, as you brushed your fingertips over the light scarring and pressed a kiss to the marked skin. Bucky grinned at you, grazing his knuckles across your bare arm that was draped across his chest. He tucked a finger under your chin and lifted off the pillows to kiss you. Deepening the kiss, you wove your fingers into his chestnut strands and tucked your knees under you, hovering over Bucky as his hands began to explore. Quickly, you found yourself straddling his waist and another round of lovemaking continued in earnest.

________________

Another tangle in the sheets later, you were both starving and in need of a shower. Ideally, you would have liked to "save some water" by sharing, but realistically the shower was small for even just you alone so Bucky went first and then you followed after. Exiting the bathroom wearing only a towel, you found Bucky lounging in his boxers with the tv on. You located a pair of clean underwear and then looked for something comfy to lounge around in when Bucky's discarded shirt caught your eye.

Picking it up off the floor, you smiled at Bucky, who had been watching you. "Do you mind?"

He smirked with that fire in his eyes. "Not at all."

Dropping the towel, you slipped the shirt on and buttoned it part way before jumping on the squeaky bed and cuddling into Bucky's side. He wrapped an arm around you, pulling your body closer as he flipped through the tv channels.

"So," you began, brushing a hand over his bare chest, "You're not going into work today?"

He shook his head. "I don't work on Sundays if I don't have to. Why? Do you want me to leave? Cause I can—" he had begun to sit up and swing a leg off the bed when you stopped him.

"Don't you dare!" you shouted as you wrapped both arms around his middle and tugged to keep him from leaving.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he settled back on the bed, pressing a kiss into your hair. "Okay. I'll stay."

You just smiled. Your comfortable moment of cuddling was interrupted by your growling stomach, making you duck your head in embarrassment.

"Well, I guess we both better fuel up after burning so many calories, huh?" Bucky joked as he tickled your side.

Wiggling out of his grasp in fits of laughter, you finally calmed down and sat cross-legged on the bed. "I don't want to go out," you said with a whine. "Does the diner deliver?"

"Nope," he shook his head with a frown. "But...we could call out for pizza..." he offered with a coy smile.

"Yes!" you shouted in excitement.

Bucky laughed. "Okay. How about you get some drinks from the vending machine and I'll call in the order?"

You slipped on sandals and shorts under Bucky's shirt, gathering all the spare change you two could find. Walking out the door and down the stairs, you located the vending machine around the corner from the office. Once the drinks had dispensed, you discovered that the cooling element in the machine was broken. Warm soda made you gag, so you walked back to the room, dropped off the drinks and grabbed the ice bucket before heading out again. Ice acquired, you were heading back to the room when a neighboring door opened to reveal Wanda wheeling a small cart of cleaning supplies.

"Wanda," you greeted her with a smile and she whirled around in your direction.

She started to speak with that unconvincing smile of hers when suddenly her eyes grew wide, taking in what you were wearing. Bucky's button-up shirt was drowning you, nearly covering your shorts underneath. You pulled the neck of the shirt close around you, suddenly self-conscious. Her face reddened in fury and she stamped her foot with a slight scream before stalking away without a word.

Confused and alarmed, you finally made it back to your room and slipped inside.

"Well, she officially hates me now," you declared, setting down the ice bucket and grabbing the complimentary cups to fill them.

"Who?" Bucky asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to stand.

"Wanda. I think she recognized your shirt and I'm pretty sure she still has a thing for you, Mr. Barnes," you smirked as he walked your way.

"Is that right?" he asked, to which you nodded. "Yeah, well, too bad for her. Cause I have a thing for you," he said suggestively as he wrapped his arms around your waist, leaning in for a kiss.

You moaned against his lips, barely breaking contact to speak, "When's the pizza coming?"

"About 30 minutes," he murmured, trailing kisses down your neck.

"I think we can use that time wisely, don't you?" you smirked, pushing him back toward the bed until he fell to the mattress. You climbed on the bed with a knee on each side of his hips and you were lost in each other once again.

_______________

Bucky had barely slipped on his jeans over boxers, remaining shirtless, when there was a knock on the door. He swung it open to reveal a young man about 15 or 16 with his focus on the receipt he was reading.

"Alright, I've got two pies for you, one with— Buck!" he exclaimed as he looked up. "Hey, man, what are you doing he....oh," he answered his own question to see you lounging on the bed back in Bucky's shirt. Earlier it seemed like too much clothing, but now not enough as you tugged at the hem.

"Hey, Pete. This is Y/N. Y/N, this is Peter," he gestured from you to your new acquaintance, both of you awkwardly waving in response. "Thanks for the pizza, man. Say hi to your Aunt May for me," Bucky said as he handed him the cash and shut the door in the gawking teenager's face.

"You really do know everyone don't you, 'Buck'," you mocked lightly, sitting up as he placed the pizza boxes on the bed.

"The joys of a small town," he replied, settling next to you as he flipped the boxes open and the cheesy greasy smell hit your nose, making your mouth water. "Dig in!"

Once you both had your fill, you settled in to watch a movie, finally settling on an action movie with too many explosions and not enough plot. You sat against the headboard with your legs extended, Bucky had his head in your lap as you ran fingers through his thick brown hair. You'd long lost interest in the movie and a question popped into your mind.

"Hey, Bucky?" you asked and he sleepily moaned in response. "I promise this isn't meant as criticism but I'm curious...when was the last time you cut your hair?"

He let out a deep sigh, thinking. "About...two years I guess?"

"Can I ask why? No good barber's in town?" you joked.

Bucky smiled lightly as he rolled onto his back to look up at you. "No. It's just...I haven't cut it since I got out of the army," he stated as fact, grasping your free hand in his.

"What?" you exclaimed in surprise. "I didn't know you were in the military." Although, honestly, there was probably a lot you didn't know about him.

"Yeah. When things were stable with my uncle at the shop, I joined up, hoping it would pay for school and offer a steady income to send home. I didn't mind it most of the time. Learned some new skills and met some buddies I still keep in contact with. In fact, I fixed quite a few of the military vehicles, showing up the engineering guys sometimes," he remembered with a smile. "My one pet peeve was the haircuts. Our C.O. —uh, commanding officer, he was a stickler for uniform and haircuts. Always buzz cuts. I hated it, so I rebelled in my own way and tried to grow it out. I hid it under hats and bandanas sometimes, but he'd catch it and reprimand me. It's silly, but when your whole life is rules and orders, the little individual things matter. So when I served my time, I swore I'd grow it out. And I have," he finished with a smile as he met your eye.

You let the silence linger a moment as you continued to play with his strands. "Do you trust me?"

"What?" he asked, surprised.

"Would you trust me to trim your hair? Just a tiny bit? It'll grow out faster and more even. I'm good, I promise..." you trailed off with a hopefully grin.

He narrowed his eyes at you for a time, then conceding. "Okay. I trust you. But just a trim!"

"Scout's honor," you answered seriously.

Ten minutes later, you found yourself in the small hotel bathroom with Bucky seated in a chair. You had changed into one of your own shirts to move around in a little better. After wetting his hair, you combed through it gently and set out to trim off the split ends and even out both sides. It didn't take long as Bucky followed you with his eyes, watching you in your element. Although cutting hair wasn't your first love, you had to admit you were good at it.

As you were finishing up, you grasped Bucky's chin and turned his face from side to side to check the length. His hair now fell to just above his shoulders and looked much more healthy. "Done!"

Bucky looked in the mirror, inspecting your handiwork and then replying with a smile, "Looks great, babe. Thank you." He pecked a kiss to your lips as he pulled the hair-covered towel from his shoulders and shook it into the bathtub.

Gathering up your tools, you breached a subject that had been rolling around in your head most of the day. "So, what do you do for fun in this town?"

Bucky was helping to gather up the fallen hair on the floor and looked up at you. "Um...I don't know. There's the bowling alley or I'll grab a drink at a bar. My buddies and I get together to watch football sometimes or shoot pool. It's a pretty quiet town, though. Why?"

Keeping your back to him at the counter, you voiced your nervous thoughts. "Well...I thought maybe after work tomorrow we could do something. Bowling could be fun. I'm pretty terrible, but—"

"Wait," he interrupted. "You want to...stay?"

You shrugged, trying to remain casual. "I mean, maybe a day or two. Thought I could complete the tourist experience and finish helping you. I made an agreement, after all."

Bucky stood from his crouched position, dumping the hair in the garbage can. "I thought you were leaving right after your car was fixed Monday morning. You have a tight schedule to keep, right?" he asked, avoiding your gaze.

"I have a little wiggle room. I just...I really like you, Bucky. I don't want to say goodbye just yet," you said, finally voicing the nagging timeline that had been lingering in the back of your mind. You wanted more time. You wanted more HIM.

"Y/N..." he said with a sigh. "I like you, too, but...we have to be realistic. I thought we both knew what this was," he spoke soberly.

Pausing at the zipper of your hair kit, you felt something break inside you. "Oh. So it's just a quick 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am', is that it?" you said, whirling around angrily to face him. "You've had your weekend of fun with the out-of-towner and you don't want her hanging around cramping your style? Well, excuse me for thinking we actually had something here, a genuine connection," you snapped with tears in your eyes, quickly exiting the bathroom.

"That's not what I..." he began, following you out toward the bed area. "Of course we really have something. This has all meant so much....YOU mean so much to me. I never would have thought it could happen in just a few days. But what's gonna change in a few days more? We become more attached, making it harder to say goodbye? Or maybe two days becomes a week or a month or...I don't know. I'm just saying, you didn't leave one small town just to get stuck in another. You're meant for more that this, Y/N," he told you sincerely, lightly gripping your upper arms for emphasis.

You held his gaze, eyes filled with tears threatening to spill. "So are you," you said quietly, voice quivering.

"What?"

"You're meant for more than this small town, too," you declared louder this time, grasping his face in your hands.

"I don't underst—"

"Come with me."