Alchemy Jones → Bucky Barnes [1]

27|ALWAYS A CHILD

Ally twisted the golden ring around her finger, gazing absentmindedly at Bucky while he decided to workout on the hotel floor. His shoulders were square, strong and burly, just like a soldier. She could tell when he was getting into his zone because his arms would go all rigid and his muscles would pop right out.

"You're staring." He chuckled, lowering himself to the floor before pushing himself back up.

"Can you blame me?" she questioned from the single hotel bed, procrastinating packing her bag for what seemed like the millionth time. "Do we have to go?" she huffed out, pushing the suitcase away from her. "Can't we stay here a little longer?" she smiled as brightly as she could. "Please?"

"They finally got eyes on Zola sweetheart," Bucky told her, not willing to admit how badly he wanted to stay in the little hotel in the middle of nowhere and celebrate New Years. "We have been off service for way too long."

"I guess you have a point," she agreed sourly. "Even Steve is already on his way to the Alps."

"If you ever get to packing, we won't be," he teased, resting his sweaty forehead on his knees. "Come on doll, I'll even pay the bill."

"Don't worry about it," Ally sat up, making the messy bed. "I ordered the most room service anyways."

"You're such a blessin' Jones," Bucky grinned, still catching his breath from his workout. "How did I get so lucky?"

She rolled her eyes, knowing better than to say a sarcastic remark. Instead, she simply left a cheque on the freshly made bed and swindled her sword into one of her bags. It was her idea to disappear from the world for a short while after visiting her sister in Queens for Christmas. Soon enough, the idea of a permanent vacation wasn't even close to possible. "Get changed Barnes," she threw him his military attire. "We've got a lead."

Bucky saluted her. "Yes ma'am."

With a grand smile, Ally shook her head as she watched Bucky's exposed chest soon disappear behind his green suit. She brushed her hands down her beige skirt and buttoned her white polo shirt. She grabbed her olive military blazer from the now empty closet and fiddled with all the buttons until she looked like a well kept woman, besides the sword tip hanging out of her bag.

"We look like a real team huh?" Bucky smirked, eyeing Ally as she slid into her shoes from the bathroom mirror. "Come on, we better get going if we want to make it to the base by sundown."

Ally felt his hands gently wrap around her waist and his chest come into contact with her back. His warm breath against her exposed neck sent shivers up her spine. "Shouldn't we be going Mr. Barnes?"

"Wait a second, close your eyes," he instructed. Ally closed her eyes, not sure what kind of mischief he was up to. She felt a cold piece of metal loosely wrap around her neck. "Okay, you can open now."

She looked down, flattered to see that one of his dog tags had found itself around her neck. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." He planted a kiss on her neck.

"We should really get going now."

"Right," he mumbled. "Yes, we should."

—

Thin frozen puddles crack under Ally's boots as she made her way to the tiny military base located at the bottom of a mountain. The bitter cold seeped through her clothing, numbing her fingers until they felt thick and stiff. The mountain pristine and white, even the dark green of the pines is mostly coated in the crystalline snow. Although the scene was beautiful, she was aggressively cold and had no intentions on staying in the outdoors for much longer.