All Those Who Wander (Bucky x reader Travel AU)

Part 6

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: "Amsterdam" by Gregory Alan Isakov

Word Count: 2.5k

A/N: Will he or won't he??? We're about to find out if Bucky will show up in Amsterdam!! That's one of my dream cities that I hope to visit. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! Thank you for all your comments and support! I adore you all! <3

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Amsterdam, May 2014

Tugging at his starched collar for the tenth time in a minute, Bucky took another deep breath and stared up at the supposed street names that just looked like a jumble of letters to him. Dutch was definitely a new challenge. Looking down at the piece of paper in his hands, he tried to decipher the directions given by the man at the hostel where he was staying.

Two rights and a left...

He tried to commit the directions to memory, hoping to look a little less lost and tourist-like. Although he was definitely both those things. Bucky stuffed the paper in his pocket and straightened his tie the best he could. He debated back and forth as he dressed for this...date? Meeting? Something. Tie or no tie? It had been much too long since he had worn anything other than jeans and a threadbare t-shirt with a jacket over the top. Constant travel helped to simplify a person's life, especially when it came to wardrobe.

Bucky wanted to dress up for the occasion, though. He was wearing a pair of black slacks with his button-up shirt and the tie made possible with the help of the Swedish tourist down the hall. Bucky couldn't tighten the tie with just one arm. Another new challenge to overcome.

Running fingers through his hair and feeling a bit exposed without his ever-present cap, Bucky kept walking in what he hoped was the right direction. His feet took him toward the canal with boats of every size and color floating by. Bicyclists were everywhere as well with only a few rare cars in sight. This city had a different way of being and Bucky kind of liked it. Language challenges aside, of course.

Buck was still in awe of how he found himself in the Netherlands at all. Two weeks previous, he was wandering the Scottish Highlands and getting lost in tiny villages with funny names when he decided to give Steve a call. Bucky was still mourning the loss of his notebook and letters over a week before. After unexpectedly falling asleep on the train, he nearly missed his stop and only made it to the platform seconds before the doors closed but in his hurried exit, he somehow dropped them. His stomach twisted to think of those letters falling into a stranger's hands, but he had to put it out of his mind before he lost it completely.

The next day, he bought a new notebook and jotted down what he could remember about his travels. Bucky was mostly saddened that he might forget the details of so many incredible places. The stickers were gone, too, along with any trace of her. Resigned as he was that it was time to let her and his search of her go, he still hoped to have a small remnant of the mysterious Y/N.

That phone call to Steve changed everything, though. After his best friend picked up the phone, Bucky hardly got a word in before he heard an earful about a package Steve had received only a day before. Bucky listened with his jaw on the floor as Steve told him about the girl who had found his letters on the train and had mailed them, along with a letter of her own. Not just any girl. Y/N. Impossible as it might seem, the universe had nudged you and Bucky together yet again only to have missed the opportunity.