Rings (Bucky Barnes x OC soulmate AU)

Chapter 6 - Camping Part I

     "This will be so fun!" Clara cried months later. "I'm so excited to go camping with you guys!" She was driving a large SHIELD SUV, camping gear in the trunk and friends in the other seats. Mack sat in the passenger seat with Clara, while Bucky and his friend Sam (whom Clara was excited to meet) sat in the seats behind him.
     "Should be fun," Sam agreed. "I've been looking forward to meeting you. Bucky Barnes here-" he reached over to clap Bucky on the shoulder- "hasn't stopped talking about you."
     Bucky shoved his hand away. "Shut up, Wilson."
     "See? He's embarrassed."
     Clara laughed, glancing up in mirror to see Bucky turn his head and look out the window with a dark expression and dark ears.
     "I'm glad I finally get to meet the famous Bucky Barnes," Mack said, grinning devilishly at Clara. "This one doesn't shut up about him either."
     "I will kick you out of this car and you can walk home," Clara growled.
     "She's embarrassed too!" Mack cried, reaching across the car to poke Clara's red cheeks, right where there was a single dimple. "They're meant for each other." Of course, the only reason she said any of this was because she knew the two were soulmates.
     "Let's talk about something else," Clara announced to change the subject. "Let's all get to know each other! Where are you guys from?"
     "Harlem," Sam said.
     "Brooklyn," was Bucky's answer.
     Mack said, "LA."
     Clara's answer was Wisconsin. "Someone else ask a question."
     "Most embarrassing thing you've ever done," Sam said, grinning at Bucky.
     "You move fast," Mack commented dryly. "I'll go last. I got you all beat."
     Clara groaned. "I've got loads... all of them involve dating," she replied. "I was a senior in high school, and a guy asked me to prom but I didn't realize that he wanted to go with me as a date. I thought it was more of a 'we're friends and we don't have dates, let's go together so we aren't losers' type of thing. Found out two days before prom that he had a huge crush on me, but he wasn't my soulmate so I didn't have much interest."
     "That's more awkward than embarrassing," Sam commented.
     "Oh and another time," Clara continued, "in college, a guy invited me to a party so I brought a friend, but he also wanted to go as a date. He was kinda upset. And very drunk." She pressed her lips together. "If a guy ever wants to ask me out, he's gotta be straightforward. No beating around the bush."
     Sam snickered. "You've had an awkward life."
     "I could tell stories for days. Okay, someone else please go."
     Bucky cleared his throat. "I think one time, in high school, I uh... tried to impress a girl by saying I was older than I was. She had a soulmate ring. I thought if I played my cards right I could get a look." He shrugged and risked a glance at Clara through the rear-view mirror. "But then my mom yelled at me from our apartment and told me I needed to come home for dinner and finish my homework." Sam choked on his laughter while Mack whistled and Clara just smiled. "Never saw her again."
     "Nice, Barnes."
     "Did you ever find your soulmate?" Clara asked, trying to sound casual. They made eye contact through the mirror for a brief second.
     "No. Not yet."
     Sam sighed and looked out the window. "Guess it's my turn. A few years ago I was talking with some friends about Natalie Portman. I said she was hot. He said she was good in Star Wars, and I didn't think that was her, so he showed me a picture and I still didn't think that Natalie Portman was Padme. But then he showed me IMBd and uh... I was wrong."
     Mack snorted. "That's not even embarrassing," she commented. "Come on, there has to be something better."
     "Hey, I've been a cool kid my whole life. I don't have many stories."
     "Alright then. Mine is actually the story of how I met my husband," Mack began with a laugh. "I was at the grocery store and this woman had her arms wide open and I was scared that she was someone I didn't know but she knew me, so I gave her a huge hug and said something along the lines of 'I haven't seen you in so long! How are you?' She hugged me back, but when I was done she said, 'That was nice, dear, but my son was right behind you.' We laughed and had lunch together, the som asked me on a date... I married him." She flashed her wedding ring, smiling proudly. "Found out weeks later that he's an agent too. We don't need any special marks or trinkets to know we were meant to be."
     "Oh goodness," Clara whispered to herself. Then, in a louder voice, said, "I hope nobody here gets carsick too easily. It gets really windy up here."
     They talked constantly for the next two hours, getting to know each other. Clara enjoyed getting to know Bucky more. Sure, in the last few weeks she'd been able to observe his personality and behavior but she knew very little about his life. The combined chemistry of those in the car made the atmosphere light and easy, making conversation flow. Clara knew they would have a good weekend together.
     Arriving at the campsite allowed Clara to breathe easily. Driving in the mountains, while fun, was also very stressful. She never knew when she would see a new car coming around the bend. What if she was too far out? What if they were drifting into her lane a little bit? They would be dead in the mountains and nobody would ever know.
     Clara was the first one out of the car. She lifted her arms over her head and stretched, moving her arms and upper body from side to side. Then she twisted her body until her back cracked. Satisfied, she helped the others drag their tent out. Well... she supervised while Bucky took care of it.
     Mack nudged her side with a suggestive smirk and said with a low voice, "Go help him set it up, lovebird."
     "That's a very good idea." She then followed Bucky across the campsite and the two began to assemble the large tent. Clara was glad that she'd bought it several years before, which meant she could explain how to set it up (which she did) before they actually got started. "Did you go camping a lot, Bucky?" she asked, starting to put together the flexible rods that kept the tent up.
     "Not a lot," Bucky admitted. He spread a tarp out over the ground and put the tent on top of it. By the time he was done with that, Clara was finished with the rods. "How about you?"
     "Yeah. Growing up, my parents would take me and my sisters a couple times in a summer. Sometimes we would go all the way to Yellowstone and camp just outside the park. So I'm a pro." She sent Bucky a wide grin, and they shoved the rods through a tunnel that crossed the tent.
     As they raised it, Bucky asked, "You have sisters?"
     "Three. One younger and two older."
     Bucky smiled. "Poor dad."
     "He was devastated when he found out my last sister wasn't a boy. But she's got the personality of one, so I guess it works out for him."
     They finished the tent, making last minute adjustments before they walked back to the car to get everyone's belongings.
     "Did you have any siblings?" Clara asked. They grabbed two sleeping bags each and went back to the tent.
     "A sister."
     Clara nodded. "Is she still..." Alive?
     Bucky shrugged. "I don't know."
     Oh. She wondered why he hadn't tried to find her. Maybe he didn't want to see her old when he was still so young. She could imagine how hard that would be. "If you want... I could try and find her." Risking a glance up at Bucky, Clara saw that his eyes were wide and he studied her face. "I mean, I have the access to do it. It wouldn't be too hard, if you... if you wanted to see her."
     He didn't respond for what felt like an eternity. He stared out at the trees, focusing on nothing, but contemplating what he wanted to do.
     "Look, you don't have to answer now, but I just... wanted to offer."
     "Are you sure it's not too much?" Bucky questioned. He looked at her hopefully now.
     "A hundred percent."
     "Then... yeah. I'd like to see her again." The soft, genuine, and grateful look he gave Clara made her feel as though she was walking among the clouds.