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Dragons usually have favorite things to collect: gold, paintings, rubies, diamonds - hell, he’s even known a dragon or five who had a particularly favored kitchenware that struck their fancy. James isn’t like any other dragon he’s ever known in that he collects experiences, collects places, collects people. He likes finding things that don’t make sense and taking them apart. He’s also partial to musical instruments, but that has more to do with the antique music store he’s been enamoured with lately than his own affinity for music. He’s quite fond of the man behind the counter: Samuel Thomas Wilson. He’s a former member of the United State Air Force, a winner of several awards, and he happens to be entirely and irrevocably gorgeous. James must have him.
“I think it can officially be classified as a hoarding problem at this point,” Sam remarks on one dusty afternoon. James, who has gone by Bucky for some time now, is running his fingers along a piano that’s older than Samuel is, but only half as beautiful. He plays a few of the keys before growing bored, sidling up to the counter and putting on his most charming smile as he leans over it, balancing his chin on his hands.
“Why don’t you give me a reason to leave then, Samwise?” Bucky says, winking at the human. Said human looks at him in a very unamused way, which Bucky finds deliriously charming in itself. He likes humans that aren’t immediately charmed by him, as difficult as they may be compared to the rest.
“You’re not smooth, Scaler,” Sam replies, eyes rolling into the back of his head momentarily. He would look lovely with gold around his throat, rings adorning his fingers, bracelets, covered in beautiful things. But, Bucky doesn’t just want to look at him. Strange among his kind, he wants to watch his chosen thrive, wants to watch the way that humans are so ambitious in their temporary skin. He’s also quite fond of the fact that Sam knows about dragons, faeries and all things magical, even if it’s from an ex-lover that Bucky hasn’t had the displeasure of meeting thus far. He’s quite territorial over people as well as things, though he understands why that doesn’t always fly.
“How do you know? You’ve never touched,” Bucky flirts, running sharp tongue over sharper teeth. Sam rolls his eyes again, but there’s a flood of blood to his face that Bucky follows with hungry eyes. He watches with charmed eyes as Sam comes around the counter then, putting up the partition and rolling his eyes with false severity, as if Bucky has done him some great disservice by a simple joke. Sam tracks his movements, obvious in his intention to make sure that Bucky is okay with the collision of their skin, but Bucky remains exactly still, his stance inviting. He doesn’t want to spook his human, even if Sam Wilson does not belong to him quite yet. Not scaring him now is even more important than it will be after the claim is something that is sure.
“You’re okay with this, man?” Sam asks before his fingers touch Bucky’s flesh arm, his hand lingering hesitantly in the air. Bucky snorts and nods, an amused smile pulling at the edge of his mouth.
“I wouldn’t have invited you to if I minded, Sam,” he says, his voice gruff. He doesn’t want to admit, even to himself, that this is affecting him more than words can really say. He hasn’t let anyone touch his skin in what feels like decades, only allowing another dragon - Anthony Stark - to replace the metal arm that was destroyed nearly a hundred years ago now. When Sam’s fingers touch him, a shudder goes throughout Bucky’s body unbidden. He can feel it in his wings even in this form, the shudder following through his shoulder blades and wanting out. He gives Sam a wan smile.
“Smooth?” he asks, his voice breaking a little. Sam snorts.
“I guess so. You really want to take me on a date, dragon boy?” the human asks, making Bucky perk up.
“Of course. I wouldn’t have asked the first time if I had not meant it,” he insists, his metal arm coming up to cup his flesh arm as he wraps them both around himself. As smooth as he attempts to be, interacting with humans can still be quite frightening. It may very well have more to do with Bucky’s own insecurities than it has to do with humans themselves, or even this particular human.
“Are you - you scared of me, dragon boy? Don’t go curlin’ in on yourself now,” his Samwise says, laying a hand on Bucky’s shoulder that is deliciously cold, but achingly human. Bucky wants to reach out for more of the contact, but he does not know how to ask for it in a way that is not invasive. He has been told by humans before that he is unintentionally off-putting, which he would hate to be particularly vehemently at this moment. Sam smiles at him reassuringly.
“Not scared of you. Being open is really weird, though. Don’t know how to do it anymore,” Bucky says, blaming it on a lost trade rather than bringing up what humans have done to him in the past. It was human weapons that took his arm, after all. He wasn’t aware that human weapons had advanced at that point, though he was sorely made certain of that immediately thereafter.
“Maybe I can teach you,” Sam offers, his smile turning into something slightly more flirtatious. It’s definitely a good look on him.
“I’m certain I would like that,” Bucky returns, giving a coy smile of his own. Sam’s hand is still on his shoulder, so it’s easy to turn into that contact, looking up at Sam with their faces closer and Bucky’s own tilted upward, even if the human is quite a bit taller than him. Sam smiles and his other hand comes to tip Bucky’s chin even more skyward, and then a kiss so soft it is barely there is placed to Bucky’s mouth, careful but something as claiming as a dragon’s hoard. The dragon shivers; the thought of being claimed in return had never occurred to him before, but it is becoming increasingly appealing.
“I’ll close up shop. Let’s get out of here,” Sam offers, kissing Bucky again softly before crossing back to the register. Bucky sits on top of the counter and just watches him, the phantom feeling of his tail swishing in pleasure keeping him pleasantly distracted. Sam kisses him again when he’s done with the register, and then he’s crossing the shop to turn the sign around and leading Bucky to the back and up the stairs, into an apartment that he’s never seen before.
He’s sure that he’ll become more acquainted with it in the future.