Leave This Town (Mechanic!Bucky AU)

Part 3

Morning came and luckily your body woke you around 7am because you'd neglected to set an alarm. You hopped in the shower and then rummaged through your duffel for something comfortable to wear that you wouldn't mind getting dirty. Slipping on a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers instead of your trusty sandals, you pulled your hair up away from your face and headed out the door with an apple in hand.

Arriving outside the auto shop, the garage doors were closed but a light was on in the office. You let yourself in and wandered behind the counter toward the light, finding Bucky seated at a desk piled high with papers. His hair was down, brushing the collar of his light blue work shirt which was unbuttoned to reveal a white tank top underneath. Watching him fill out a form of some sort in a hurried scrawl, you observed him unnoticed a moment before announcing yourself.

"Good morning," you finally spoke, bringing his head up.

His handsome smile instantly brightened the artificially-lit room, causing those butterflies to make an appearance once again. "Morning, Y/N."

You returned his smile, leaning against the door's entryway. "Well, it looks like this office could use a little help."

He chuckled. "You're not wrong, but quite the undertaking. I'm pretty sure some of these receipts are older than me. My uncle owns the shop, but he's basically retired now so I run the place. Organization was never his strong suit. How about some coffee and a little tour?"

You nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

Bucky kept a small coffee pot in the waiting area in front of the counter and he poured you both a cup, offering cream and sugar. You followed him around as he explained where things were and why they were kept there, although sometimes the answer was "because that's where my uncle put them", defying all logic. There was a corded phone on the wall behind the counter, but it rarely rang. According to Bucky, your call was the only one he'd had all week. Most locals just dropped by and he'd squeeze them in whenever he could.

The computer was ancient, which seemed to be a trend in this town, but most files were still on paper anyway. Bucky gave you a rundown of where tools were generally kept along with stories about the cars he was currently working on and their owners. Your favorite was Mr. Coulson's 1962 Cherry Red Chevy Corvette, which he had named Lola. For years he would hover around the car while Bucky changed the oil or any other regular servicing, but he seemed to trust the seasoned mechanic now. Bucky still advised you not to touch Lola, just to be safe.

"So? Which project would you like to tackle?" he asked you as he pulled his hair back into a bun to start his day.

You were momentarily distracted by the act once again, but made it seem like you were considering your options. "Where's the tow truck?" you finally asked.

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Uh...you want to tow something?"

"No, I mean the lift mechanism that nearly shattered my eardrums. It's bad enough when your car has to be towed, being subjected to that unholy noise is just insult to injury."

He barked out a laugh at that before gesturing to its location around the corner of the building. "You've got a point. If you want to back it into that empty stall, I'll show you how to grease it up."

Bucky tossed you the keys and you did just that. You managed to lubricate the hydraulic lift of the tow truck very carefully as to avoid pinched fingers. When it raised and lowered with no squeal, you jumped up and down, clapping your blackened hands in excitement. Bucky poked his head out from under a car's hood and grinned at you, causing that flutter in your stomach to grow.

After the tow truck, you managed to organize the tools which were now all hanging from a pegboard on the wall for easy access. Next, you washed all the dingy windows, finally letting actual sunlight in. Around mid-morning, Bucky asked for your help aiming a flashlight at a particularly tricky part of an engine. You pointed the light at the area in question from above while Bucky worked from underneath the car.