Winter Soldier's Soulmate Ch. 06

Bucky and Lucy dozed for most of the morning. Both were just happy to enjoy the respite from traveling and being hunted, as well as each other's physical touch.

Bucky blinked lazily at the ceiling. His body clock told him it was almost noon. He needed to ditch the car and get a new one, and that would be easier without Lucy.

He shifted himself a little, signaling to Lucy that it was time to get up. She lifted herself off his chest and sat up. She gave a huge yawn and casually stretched her arms above her head, allowing a peek of skin to appear between the low rise of her sweatpants and t-shirt.

Bucky hastily swallowed the saliva that had pooled in his mouth at the sight of her bare skin. He turned his head away and, using just his stomach and legs muscles, got to his feet. He heard Lucy stand behind him and turned to meet her curious eyes.

"What's up?" She asked.

He just shrugged.

"You had an odd look on your face. Is something wrong?" She persisted.

Sometimes he wished she wasn't so perceptive. She read him like an open book, even when he couldn't. He just shook his head and moved towards their bags lying in a corner of the room. He dug inside his backpack and pulled on a long sleeve shirt.

He was shrugging the garment over his head when he felt a hand on his bare back. He stilled.

"Bucky, talk to me." She sounded pleading.

Bucky carefully stepped forward, away from the hand so he could finish putting on the shirt. He was grateful when she didn't try to stop him. He turned and faced her.

"A lot to do today, that's all" he replied gruffly, hoping she would believe the lie.

She gave him another questioning look, but thankfully let it drop. Bucky moved around her and made his way to the restroom. He closed the door, emptied his bladder, then returned to the bedroom.

He saw that Lucy had sat down on the bed and was staring down at her fingers. He approached her slowly so as not to startle her. He sat down beside her, careful to keep half a foot of distance between them.

"I need to ditch the car." Bucky spoke into the uncomfortable silence.

She nodded in response. "When do we leave?" She asked, still staring at her fingers.

"I'm going in a few minutes, while you wait here where it's safe." He answered.

She finally looked up at him. Her eyes searched his face looking for something. He wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she nodded her head.

"Ok, but if you are not back in two hours, you're going to be in big trouble, mister." She said.

He couldn't help the crook of a smile that graced his lips at her words. He nodded his head solemnly and crossed his heart:

"You promise!" His sister demanded.

She looked older than in his last flashback, maybe five or six.

"I promise." Bucky heard himself say solemnly.

"You gotsta cross your heart!" Becca stomped her foot, hands on her hips. She looked so much like their mom when she was angry.

"I promise." Bucky repeated, crossing his heart with exaggerated movements.

A smile broke across Becca's angry face and she flung herself at her brother. Bucky seemed to be expecting it though because he already had his arms out and caught her in a tight hug.

Becca lifted her head and looked up into Bucky's face.

"You gotsta make sure Steve crosses his heart too." She told him before letting him go and skipping through their apartment to the room they shared. She turned back when she reached the door and gave him a toothy grin, clearly showing she was missing one of her top front teeth.

He crossed his heart one more time before he walked out of the apartment.

Bucky shook his head, hard, bringing himself back to the present. Lucy was looking at him curiously once again but he just said "flashback." and she nodded her head in understanding.

He got to his feet and went over to his bag to grab a pair of socks and his shoes. He went back to the bed and sat down to put them on. Next Bucky grabbed one of the hand guns he had stashed around the room and put it on the nightstand.

He looked over at Lucy and pointed to the gun. "Shoot anyone that isn't me, ask questions later." he told her firmly.

She nodded her head then frowned. "But wait. How will I know it's you coming through the door and not someone else?" She asked.

"I'll knock twice quickly, pause, then knock one more time ok?" He asked.

She nodded, her facial expression losing the furrowed brow. He grabbed the rest of his gear, strapping weapons to his body. He ended up with nine weapons on his person, five knives and four hand guns. He shrugged on his leather jacket and made his way to the door.

He turned one more time and showed her without words how to undo the trip wire and then put it back in place, then said, "When I leave, you reset it."

She nodded again. He checked the room one more time, but there wasn't much else he could think to say except: "Don't open the curtains."

She gave him an eye-roll. "Just go already. Remember two hours or you'll regret it."

He nodded to her and left.

*******

Lucy watched Bucky leave, reset the trip wire, then flopped back onto the bed. She stared at the stupid fan and light on the ceiling.

She did not enjoy being left here on her own. It made her feel jumpy. She didn't feel entirely safe and she would be worrying about Bucky until he got back. Lying on the bed was not helping her nerves though so she got up and started pacing the room. She could take a shower, it had been awhile, but she was also worried about being naked and vulnerable in the shower in case an intruder came in.

Lucy kept pacing. The least she could do was brush her teeth. She picked up the gun, checked to make sure the safety was on, then tucked it in the back of her sweat pants, easy to grab but out of the way. She then dug through her bag and fished out her toiletries. She headed to the bathroom, used the toilet and brushed her teeth before coming out to the bedroom. Only ten minutes had passed.

Lucy groaned in frustration. She paced the room for another ten minutes before she set the gun on the nightstand and grabbed the remote for the TV. She skimmed the channels and stopped on a Golden Girls rerun. She watched the rest of an episode and another then looked at the clock. She had used up another forty minutes. She still had an hour to go.

She looked around the room and back at the clock. Nothing had gone wrong yet, she might as well hop in the shower. She grabbed a fresh pair of clothes followed by the gun and headed to the bathroom. She fiddled with the knobs until she figured out how to turn on the shower and get it the temperature she wanted. She checked the bedroom once more, verifying that the door was indeed locked and the trip wire was still in place. She left the door open a crack just in case. She would rather hear an intruder than be startled by them breaking through the bathroom door.

Lucy stripped quickly, grabbed the courtesy shampoo and conditioner, then hopped in the shower. She started with the shampoo and relaxed into it, happy to finally get clean.

*****

Bucky pulled up in front of their motel room in the stolen jeep. They would be ditching this car tonight anyways as well as moving locations, so he wasn't worried about being spotted in it.

He checked the time and smiled, he still had 40 minutes before he would be "in trouble" with Lucy. He got out of the vehicle and walked to the door. He remembered to knock twice, then pause and knock again. He put the key in the door and opened it. He heard the chime of the trip wire and walked in, closing the door behind him and locking it. Only to turn around and see a naked, wet and soapy Lucy pointing a gun at his chest and trying to wipe water from her eyes one handed. He froze.

Bucky slowly raised his arms in a don't shoot position and stayed perfectly still. He would probably survive being shot, but he really didn't feel like testing that, or dealing with the resulting chaos.

Lucy finally got the water out of her eyes and put both hands on the gun, then realized it was him.

"BUCKY WHAT THE HELL!" She shouted flicking the safety on the gun then tossing it on the bed. "I could have killed you DAMN IT!" She put her hands on her very naked hips.

Bucky politely averted his gaze, though it was very difficult. "I see that." He responded then cleared his throat. "Ummm shower?" He finally croaked out.

If the situation wasn't so awkward her reaction would have been hilarious. She looked down at herself and shrieked, covering her breasts and womanhood with her hands before sprinting back into the bathroom.

Bucky slowly lowered his hands, then rested his back against the closed door and slid down it, covering his eyes. Lucy was going to be the death of him.

However, closing his eyes was probably the worst thing he could have done in that moment.

He could see Lucy's naked form behind his closed lids. Bucky groaned and banged his head back against the door.

This was not the time for his mind and body to remind him that he had the body of a virile man in his twenties. It was better when he was a soldier and didn't have to worry about all this shit.

*******

Lucy was going through her own moment in the bathroom. After slamming the door behind her and leaning against it, she realized what had just happened.

She had stood completely naked for the first time in front of a man and almost shot him in the process. Lucy was mortified.

She would not be able to face Bucky ever again. She would have to drown herself in the shower.

Lucy looked down at herself and remembered she was covered in soap. Lucy hopped back into the still running shower and rinsed the rest of the soap from her skin and hair. She put conditioner in her hair and took as long as she possibly could before she had no choice but to get out of the shower.

Lucy turned off the water and grabbed one of the never-big-enough hotel bath towels. She dried off as much as possible, blotting at her hair then wrapping it up on top of her head. She dragged on panties and a sports bra, followed by a tank top and shorts.

Lucy took in a deep relaxing breath, squaring her shoulders before she opened the door. She walked out to see Bucky sitting with his back against the door, his knees drawn up to his chest, head leaned back and his eyes closed.

She was grateful that he wasn't looking at her, but also disappointed. It was a bit of a bruise to her ego that he had seemed to ignore her nudity while at the same time pointing it out. A small female part of her wanted him to tell her how beautiful and attractive she was, and how he couldn't look away. Lucy shook off those immature thoughts and sat down on the bed cross-legged in the center. She grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it to her chest.

Her brain was telling her to get over herself, but her emotional side was still feeling small and useless. It was always one thing to tell yourself you're good enough and another to feel it.

She heard Bucky shift but didn't move her eyes from where they were staring blankly at the wall. Lucy felt him sit down near her but didn't move.

"I'm sorry." He finally said, his voice sounded blank.

Lucy couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not without looking at him. She wasn't brave enough to meet his eyes.

She suddenly heard what sounded like a snort. Lucy couldn't help herself she looked over to see Bucky covering his mouth, shoulders shaking. She turned her body to face him, terrified he was choking or in some form of emotional distress.

A sound escaped past his hand and then more and more. Lucy pulled the hand from his mouth and a burst of laughter fell from his open mouth. His eyes twinkled and a full belly laugh erupted from his shaking frame.

Bucky was laughing so hard that tears fell from his eyes and he couldn't even catch his breath. Lucy stared in shock; she couldn't believe Bucky was laughing, but the sound was infectious, making her own lips twitch into a smile.

She tried to stop the growing mirth building inside her, but it was no use. A musical laugh peeled from her lips, joining Bucky's booming chuckles.

Bucky's laughs slowed and he gasped for breath. "I'm sorry just.... Your face when you realized it was me." he gasped out through panting breaths.

That sent Lucy into another peel of infectious laughter. She must have looked ridiculous standing there covered in soap and dripping water all over the floor pointing a gun at the door.

'Well it was your fault for not saying it was you as you entered." Lucy fired back when she was able to speak and not laugh.

"We only agreed on the knocking, how was I supposed to know you were in the shower?" Bucky spluttered.

"Me taking a shower is not the issue here."

"Well the least you could have done was grab a towel"

"There wasn't time! I was scared for my life. I just heard the chime, grabbed the gun, and ran out. But some hair flew in my face and I couldn't see sooo I just sorta pointed and hoped my aim was right." Lucy trailed off, blushing tomato red.

Bucky couldn't help the chuckle that rumbled through his frame. "You would definitely have been a shock to any intruders."

Lucy shoved Bucky, even more irritated when he didn't even budge. "Stop teasing me." She said half heartedly.

"I'm not." Bucky said. When Lucy glared at him he put his hands up. "I swear. You really did shock me." He continued.

A blush had crept up Bucky's face, surprising Lucy. He didn't seem like a man capable of blushing.

"I take it I'm not the only one who was embarrassed."

The blush on Bucky's cheeks deepened, making Lucy giggle.

"Oh stop." Bucky snapped playfully, getting up from the bed and pacing the room.

"Sooooo what's the plan?" Lucy asked, changing the subject.

"Well we can't stay here." Bucky replied on a sigh. " We're leaving tonight, under darkness, switching cars and finding somewhere else in the city to sleep tonight."

He paused then looked directly at Lucy: "We're going to have to do things you won't like."

She looked back at him with warm eyes, "I trust you."

*

Author's Note: Let me know what you think