All Those Who Wander (Bucky x reader Travel AU)

Part 3

Characters: Bucky, reader, Steve.

Summary: After a traumatic injury and honorable discharge from the military, Bucky Barnes finds himself wanting to travel and get lost in some of the most iconic cities of the world. One night he stumbles upon a girl who sparks something inside him and he finds himself following in her footsteps. How far will he go to find her and what will he discover about himself along the way?

Warnings: Some strong language.

Song Inspiration: "She Lit A Fire" by Lord Huron

Word Count: 1.7k

A/N: You guys!!! I'm super excited about this chapter! Paris will always have my heart and I loved thinking back on my time there. I did actually experience pretty much everything in this part so yeah, a little indulgent to write about. I'm dying to hear your thoughts! Also, keep in mind that this takes place in 2014. Any and all thoughts are appreciated!! I love you all!! <3

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April 7, 2014

Bonjour!

That's all I got. I've just about given up on using my French. Lame, but everyone speaks English at the tourist-y spots. I am trying to go off the beaten path more in the past few days. Today was more of the expected sights, but it was so worth it.

You would have loved today, Steve. I know you're gonna hate me a little for this, but I spent most of the morning in possibly the best known museum in the world. Yup. The Louvre. I know you're jealous, but we'll go back sometime. Trust me, there's a lot more that I didn't get to see. I was a little nervous about the crowds but I was able to do an audio tour so focusing on just the one voice helped a lot.

It's impossible to see every painting, sculpture, statue, or fresco in one day. No joke. I overheard a couple talk about how this was their third visit in four days. It's THAT massive. I decided to grab a map and a headset to pick what I most wanted to see. After three hours, my mind was so full of artists names and artworks and my eyes kinda started glazing over. Don't worry, I caught most of the must-sees. Venus de Milo and so many of the sculptures about blew my mind with how insanely detailed everything was.

One of my favorites was actually at the top of the grand staircase, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, a marble sculpture of the Greek goddess of victory named Nike, sculpted around the 2nd century BC. The amount of history in these artworks is incredible. Can't believe I get to see it all with my own eyes.

And let's not forget the Lady herself. That's right. The Mona Lisa, painted by Da Vinci. I followed the signs and they led toward a gallery that I quickly noticed was full of people. Made me feel a little clammy and my heart race, so I found a bench in another room for a minute and did some breathing exercises. Guess they worked cause I did finally go into the gallery. I mean, shit, I couldn't be here and NOT see her. You'd've smacked me upside the head, I know it. I kept focusing on my breathing and stepped up. And...holy shit.

It's real. Right there in front of me. There was a mass of people so I walked around the edge a few minutes til one side thinned out a bit. Hello, beautiful. The painting itself is...smaller than I thought it'd be? But she has this way of holding your attention. It's amazing. No joke. And there's a rope that keeps people from stepping right up to it, but I wanted a good look. Just like the pictures, but better. She really does look like she knows something we don't. I held out as long as I could til I could hear people coming up behind me and I had to get out.

You'd be proud, Stevie. I'll show it all to you next time. Those three hours were enough, though. I hit my limit so I returned the headset and walked outside toward those glass pyramids in the courtyard. I sat on the benches nearby to catch my breath and just enjoyed the sunshine. I was starving by then so I pulled out my map of the city and looked for something nearby. A few tourists I overheard were talking about Luxembourg Gardens and I didn't want to be stuck inside anymore, so I found it on the map and started walking that direction. Stopped at a cafe for lunch on the way.