Final Lap - Sambucky AU

17

- 4 Weeks Later: Beginning of the Season: Practice Day -

Sam arrived to the track in Bahrain. He had a rough 4 weeks. He had a lot of family around, harsh training, and frustration.

He pulled out his phone and called Bucky as he was walking into the paddocks. It just rang and rang.

Then it was declined.

Sam thought he should've known better... you don't just become friends with a racer like that. Sam started to think Bucky was a jerk and started to dislike him.

He walked into his paddock and opened his locker and grabbed his racing suit. He was going to get familiar with the track, and he intended to race well the day after tomorrow.

He heard cars roaring on the track as he pulled his gear on. He eventually finished and walked outside to watch the cars go by. He looked to his right and saw Bucky also watching.

Sam walked down over to him. "Ready to race?" Sam said. Bucky looked at him and then looked back at the cars.

Bucky clenched his fists as he ignored Sam. He was hoping Sam would walk away but nope. He forgot the main thing they both have in common is being stubborn as hell...

"You look rough." Sam said being honest. Bucky felt awful... literally those 4 weeks he couldn't talk to Sam were the most mentally and physically draining weeks. Granted he's almost at his prime, but he felt as if he was missing something.

Sam chuckled in disbelief and rolled his eyes. "Never mind... just forget I ever spoke to you..." He started to walk away when Bucky grabbed his arm.

Sam looked at him. Bucky sighed but then let go of him and walked away. Sam stood there confused, ash's just unsure of what was going on.

Natasha was sitting in the pits watching this interaction. Bucky walked back into the pits. He just looked so blank...

"Bucky...." He stared at the map. She frowned. "James!" She said. Bucky jumped and looked at her.

"What is going on with you? You've been off this whole training period, for the qualifiers, everything! And what is going on with Sam? What is wrong?" She said rather frustrated.

Bucky sighed and looked at her. "You know how I told you at the airport sometimes we have to make choices we don't want to make?" He said as he sat next to her.

She remembered when he said that to her at the airport. "Yeah?"

"Steve told me not to... not to talk to Sam, or what happened to me three years ago will happen to him." He said as he wiped his helmet.

Natasha looked at him. She could see the same fog that took over him years ago coming back over him. "So... you chose to ignore him to keep him safe..." she said.

Bucky nodded. "Yep. He has years of a career left... I can't risk that just because I found a friend..." he said as he started to get up.

Natasha got up and hugged him tightly. He flinched slightly but eventually hugged her back tightly. "It'll be okay..." she said.

"I know..." he said quietly.

He pulled away, grabbed his helmet and walked back out to his car. He pulled his helmet on and got into his car. His team started doing checks, but he wasn't focused.

He felt himself slipping back into that fog. That was a problem. He snapped himself out of it when the team told him to head out. He pulled out onto the track and booked it.

He gripped the wheel and raced. He was annoyed and just frustrated how things were happening.

After a few laps getting acquainted to the track he pulled off the track. He took his helmet and threw it onto a table in the pits. Everyone watched him confused.

Bucky turned as he heard someone walking in. He saw Steve. "What the fuck are you doing here..." Bucky nearly yelled.

Steve chuckled. "Dang... never thought I'd see you this frustrated ever." Steve said as he stepped towards Bucky.

Bucky almost got up into Steve's face but Natasha intercepted. "Dang... didn't know you'd be so frustrated not being able to talk to someone..."

"It's not that I'm frustrated about not being able to even talk to him, I think you're a coward for threatening his life..." Bucky said as he motioned to Natasha to step to the side.

She was hesitant but did anyways. Steve stepped towards Bucky and took off his sunglasses. "It's how the world works... it's a tool that's useful if you use it correctly." Steve said.

Bucky couldn't believe his childhood friend turned out like this. Bucky knew he couldn't play dirty cause Steve would make his life a living hell.

Bucky then glanced at his car. He looked at Steve and chuckled. "Hm... sounds like something a mediocre racer would say..." Bucky said as he started to walk out.

Steve frowned and grabbed his arm. Bucky shoved Steve into the wall. "Touch me again and see what happens..." Bucky said. Steve paused and moved to the side.

"Steve, you think you earned number one, you think you earned all this 'power', but all you did was try to take out two of the people who are going to run the racing world." Bucky said as he opened his phone.

"And who's going to run the racing world?"

"I don't need to tell you what you already know. You can't even break 245 mph. Sam can, and so can I...." Bucky said confidently as he looked at Steve.

"So, I would be careful... cause I have my own tricks, that will definitely be more efficient than yours." Bucky placed his phone down on the table.

Steve didn't understand where this confidence came from. He was just flustered then he switched. Bucky walked over and dusted Steve's shoulders.

"Now... if you don't want to get security called on you... get the hell out of my paddock." Bucky said seriously.

Steve frowned and just left.

He was pissed.