Leave This Town (Mechanic!Bucky AU)

Epilogue (End)

You loved these quiet moments with just you and he and the open road. Most of your trips home had been by airplane for the sake of time, but the two of you had made the drive from L.A. last week just because you could. It might be the last road trip for a little while.

The two years since Bucky's first trip out west had been a whirlwind of travel mixed with periods of calm. You both kept your promises to put each other first with fierce determination to make it work. There were squabbles here and there with the occasional disagreement, but neither of you could spend more than an hour being upset with the other. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it.

Bucky stayed that first visit for ten days before returning home, but plans were made for you to spend a month with him within the following weeks. At first it all involved a lot of scheduling and compromises. However, eventually you were able to condense all your meetings and collaborative projects that required you to be in L.A. instead of them being spread out and disruptive to your time together. As much as you enjoyed your work and loved your adoptive home, the eternal Summer of Southern California lost it's charms after being without the man you loved for long periods of time.

In the end, you worked things out so you were in L.A. for three months and then spent the next three with Bucky and so on with rare weekend trips in between. That first year passed by and you fell into a rhythm of quiet small town life mixed with spurts of Hollywood glamour, which Bucky became more used to and now enjoyed in limited amounts. There was a change in your routine shortly after, however.

You had just left a collaborative writing session and reached your car when you got an unexpected call from Bucky. He was flying in that night out of the blue, which surprised you since he was supposed to visit for two weeks the following month. Bucky was vague about his reasoning at the time, only stating that he had a meeting of some sort, but promised he would share more when he had something "solid".

Picking him up from the airport, you embraced him enthusiastically while displaying quite the public affection which made innocent bystanders blush. You pestered him on the drive home about this mysterious meeting, but he remained steadfast to keep mum. It drove you crazy, but he only said that it could be a "really great thing for us".

Bucky left the next morning for his appointment as you struggled to recover from sleep lost the night before. The benefit of being apart for quite some time was the truth of the phrase "Absence makes the heart grow fonder", along with other parts of your anatomy.

Bucky returned a few hours later with the widest smile on his handsome face. He swept you off your feet and twirled you around the kitchen, making you giggle in surprise.

"I got it!"

"Got what?" you asked breathlessly as he set you back on your feet.

"I got the job," Bucky declared, triumphant smile upon his face.

You froze in place, shock evident in your features. "What?"

He led you by the hand into the living room and settled on the couch with you beside him before speaking. "I just had an interview at the local community college and they offered me the position of auto shop teacher. There's some certification I have to finish, but hopefully I start in three weeks!" he told you, excited.

"I...what? A teacher? You never mentioned that you wanted to teach," you sputtered, still letting your mind catch up with this new information.

"I didn't really know I wanted to, but the past few years of showing Pete the ropes and DumDum as well, it just kind of sparked something in me. I like seeing the light come on when someone understands how everything is connected in an engine and when they learn to apply that newfound knowledge. I might not have personally chosen to be a mechanic in the beginning, but over time I've grown to love it. Plus, it's a valuable skill to have. I'll be able to teach kids who might not have the best opportunities in life, but should still be able to make their way in the world with a little schooling. Future grease monkeys of America," he joked. "So? What do you think?" he asked, awaiting your reaction.