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Bucky and Sam had planned this trip for a few weeks now. They wanted to just travel around the country. No real destination was in mind. They decided they would take a rented pick up truck for the trip. They would sleep in the bed of the pick up. Fill it up with blankets and pillows at the end of the day and sleep there. On nights when it would rain however, they’d find a motel to crash in.
They planned it for weeks, but the opportunity was never there. And then they were given a whole week off. It was the perfect opportunity. And they took it. They packed a bunch of food, blankets, pillows, their laptop, a first aid kit, some clothes and got the truck. This was gonna be fun.
************
So far, they’ve been traveling for a whole day. The radio was on, the windows down and they were singing along to the songs out of tune. Several times, cars that passed them honked at them, but Bucky would just show them his middle finger. For most of the journey, it was Sam who drove. They had started early in the morning, wanting to cover as much ground as they could. Lunch was had at midday. They had stopped by the side of the road, sat on the roof of the pick up and ate some packed sandwiches and an apple each. Then, they switched and Bucky drove for the rest of the day.
As it got late, they noticed dark clouds in the distance, coming towards them. Bucky let out a sound of disappointment and Sam nodded in agreement. Oh, well. They did plan in case this happened. They quickly found a motel, this one having a roof over the parking lot, so their vehicle wouldn’t get too wet, if at all. Sam went to book them in while Bucky got their travel bags with clothes.
The motel was old and disgusting like any other, but they’d manage for one night. They entered their room. It was small with one bed and an attached bathroom. There was also a small kitchen in the corner and a table with two chairs. It was okay for a motel, but they wouldn’t stay here for long.
Just as they were making some ramen for dinner, they heard the rain start falling. It was a small drizzle for now, and, from what they saw on the news, it wouldn’t rain hard. The rain would fall enough for them to fall asleep to the sound.
“Damn, and here I thought we’d be able to sleep like we planned,” pouted Bucky as he sat on the bed, in his sleeping pants and an oversized T-shirt. Sam laughed a bit and came closer to him. He stood in front of him and leaned down to kiss him.
“Don’t worry, baby,” he said, putting their foreheads together, “we still have the whole rest of the week left. We’ll sleep like planned.”
“Fine,” sighed Bucky. He then smirked up at Sam. “How thin do you think the walls are?”
Sam laughed as they both fell into bed.
************
The next few days were always followed by a small drizzle of rain. Bucky was sad. He thought they’d finally be able to do as planned and it would not be ruined. But of course not. Every time they tried to plan a trip or date, either some asshole attacked, the weather was horrible as fuck or one of them was sick. It was a nightmare.
“Hey,” said Sam beside him. “I know this wasn’t how we planned it, but there’s still time.” They were currently in another motel, the rain had gotten stronger. They were lying curled up on the bed.
“I know,” he sighed. “I just thought we’d be able to do it for more than, if even, one day, you know? I was really excited for this.” Sam nodded. He lay awake in thought as Bucky fell asleep next to him.
************
It was the last day before they had to return home. Sam was driving while Bucky was silently looking out the window. The sky was gray still, with no sign of clearing up. Sam could hear his partner sigh. While they couldn’t do the major thing they wanted, at least they saw some neat and weird stuff. They had great food in small restaurants. And on sunny days, they were able to go for a swim in lakes that they found. It was a pleasant week for the most part. The weather couldn’t be controlled. There was always next time, right?
Bucky fell asleep in the afternoon, so Sam had to continue driving the rest of the way. And he wasn’t complaining. This meant he could work on what was needed. He got out his phone and dialed. After three beeps, someone picked up.
“Hey, everything set up?”
************
Bucky slowly woke up from his nap. He mentally groaned when he heard the rain falling against the window. He sighed and opened his eyes. The truck was in a parking lot, but he couldn’t see a motel or Sam anywhere. And when he looked into the back, the blankets and pillows they had packed were all gone.
“Alright, that’s weird,” he said. Then, there was a knocking on his window. Sam was standing outside with one umbrella over his head, another closed one under his arm. He gestured for Bucky to open the door. So, he did. “Sam? What’s going on?”
“You’ll see,” Sam grinned and gave Bucky the other umbrella. He then pulled out a blindfold out of his pocket. Bucky immediately raised an eyebrow.
“So, you’re either finally gonna kill me or the sexual tension between us has gotten too much,” he said. Sam snorted.
“Just put it on.” Bucky rolled his eyes, but complied. He stepped out of the truck with the umbrella opened and the blindfold on. He heard Sam lock the truck and then felt him take his free hand. They then started walking. It was a short walk, but a silent one nonetheless. Soon, he heard a door opening and they were in dry area again. Sam took both of their umbrellas and put them aside. He then led Bucky further into the building they were in.
“Okay, just a few more minutes, Buck,” said Sam as he led him through another door. They walked a bit more before they stopped. Sam then removed the blindfold. Bucky let his eyes adjust to the light. What he saw was unbelievable.
“Are we..? Isn’t this…?” Bucky couldn’t find the words to speak.
“Yeah. Welcome to a planetarium,” said Sam, smiling at Bucky. In front of them, on the floor, were the blankets and pillows waiting to be laid on. Food was waiting next to it and their laptop was already displaying the Netflix site. Bucky turned to Sam.
“How?” he whispered.
“I got Shuri to pull some strings,” he said. “I owe her now, but I think it’s worth it. We have the whole night to ourselves.” Bucky just stood there for a few moments before turning to Sam and kissing him. They stayed like that for until a light shone above them. Bucky pulled and looked up in awe. Stars and planets. Galaxies and lights. It all looked clear on the dome of the room. Bucky was left smiling.
“Come on, space nerd, Star Trek awaits,” said Sam and pulled him to the pile of blankets and pillows. They sat down and cuddled up to each other. The laptop was placed on their laps, snacks were brought closer and Bucky gave one last look to the moving picture. He looked back at Sam and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“Best road trip ever,” he said. Sam smiled at him and kissed him. They snuggled closer and watched the show, sometimes feeding each other small pieces of food.