[CLOSED TO disassembling - Not really a vacation

[whatsfondue]

Las Vegas had changed quite a bit in the last 70 years. The last time he was here this was only a back water town, a pit stop on the USO tour on their way west. Now it was an entire city that catered to tourists. Steve wandered around among the flashy buildings and (mostly) gaudily dressed tourists in the strip, looking for signs that matched the descriptions in the report he was given for HYDRA.

Nothing. Nothing that stood out to him of course.

Usually something like this was best assigned to Natasha or Clint, but Clint was on medical leave, and he'd been outvoted when it came to another mission that Bucky and Natasha had left on a day before he'd left. Thor and Bruce wasn't even considered and Tony had meetings Ms. Potts had said he was not allowed to get out of unless it was a global emergency. Tony had clapped on on the back and told him to go wild, which Steve had rolled his eyes at. He shook his head at a poster advertising spa and massages and decided to find somewhere quieter for lunch away from the main strip.

Of course, it was on his way out that he spotted a familiar face, a HYDRA agent they'd been on the lookout for the last few months. Of course Steve will put off his lunch to follow. And of course, something will go wrong and the last Steve remembered was feeling a pinch at the back of his neck and then blacking out

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[whatsfondue]

It was novel, the way they could stop and go as they please, to pass by things that didn't interest them and to linger over those that did. There was no mission or deadline driving them save their own enthusiasm. He returned the look Bucky gave him with a slightly surprised look of his own. Steve had never thought Bucky would want to visit those places. "Yes...yes, we should." He was a little ashamed that he'd never considered it himself. But his friend was right, they should pay their respects; it was only right of them to do so.

Steve hasn't forgotten Bucky's previous idea of urinating out in the open instead of a proper washroom so he'd been watching closely every time they stopped. "Alright. And yeah, you're right, I could stretch my legs. Missed my usual run this morning." He gave Bucky a boyish grin. "We could make a race out of it?" A little healthy competition never hurt anyone and it was less destructive than a full out spar. After a day in a car, both of them had plenty of energy to burn.

[disassembling]

Given how many years that he had missed out on, it seemed fitting to return to the places that had, in part, made him who he was today. There were many who sacrificed their freedom and after his stint serving the ideals he had once fought against, it felt important to return to what he he known for so long. "Next trip. This trip is for us; the next trip will be for them, our comrades-in-arms who fell to give us the freedom that we know now."

He nodded his head, gazing out the window again before tilting his head to regard the grin that Steve wore. He felt the surge of challenge and huffed noisily in reply, all gusto. "It won't be much of a race considering how badly I would beat you. Save your pride, Rogers, but if you really want to get beat, I'll race you."

[whatsfondue]

Steve felt a warm glow inside of him as Bucky spoke of future! trips. That they could plan out a future together, even if it was something as small as a short vacation for just the two of them. It gave him hope that there could be even more than that for the two of them. He smiled again as he responded, eyes far away for a moment as he drove. "As you wish. And after that...we could go to Europe like you want, explore the countryside there."

His grin turned broader at Bucky's positive, almost enthusiastic reply to his challenge of a race. "Well, we shall see, won't we, which one of us has any pride left at the end." Steve took the next exit off the highway and before long they were driving through a quiet little town. He consulted his phone and manoeuvred towards a motel with what he hoped free beds. "Let's get settled in and we can find a suitable spot for a little foot race."

[disassembling]

"We can disappear into the countryside and just take our time doing whatever we want," he said a little wistfully. It wasn't that he didn't mind this, but he still chaffed on the idea that they could be tracked and called in at any time. He was so used to just disappearing and reappearing as it suited him that he sometimes liked to forget that Steve wasn't under the same obligation load as he was. "We won't even go to all the tourist places. Just wherever we want that's quiet. You can sketch to your heart's content."

He growled low in his throat, all ramping up pride to the challenge. It didn't matter who won in the end because they were together and he had never particularly measured himself against Steve often unless it was just play wrestling. "Very well. Do you want me to get the room so there is less chance you'll be asked for an autograph?"

[whatsfondue]

He had to admit that when he volunteered for Project Rebirth that no one warned him (neither did he think of it himself) that there would be a near constant demand for his presence, not just for his fighting prowess in battle. Steve had gotten used to it eventually, and was able to carve out some private time for himself but it was part and parcel of Captain America that he may be called back any time. He'd made his piece with it some time ago. "There are some art galleries and museums I'm hoping to see. But quiet sounds lovely." And it was a reminder he hasn't touched his sketch books in a while. He didn't even bring them with him this trip.

The sound of Bucky growling made heat coil up inside him. They'd never really competed seriously against each other (not even their spars inside the Tower's training rooms counted, and their play wrestling definitely didn't) and Steve has never considered any need for it. "Yes please. I'll take a look around in the meantime...this is a quiet area and maybe we can race here." He parked the car in the motel's parking lot neatly.

[disassembling]

"You should practice a German accent to fit with a disguise that you can wear over there," he pointed out helpfully. He needed no particular assistance as he could speak fluent Russian and have an appropriate non-American accent.

Once they were parked, he eased out of the vehicle and stretched, working the blood back into his limbs before he prowled around to the trunk where he could get out their luggage while Steve got them a room. It would be good to leave the car here near the office regardless of where their room was for both safety and to avoid people watching them figure out their room too easily.

[whatsfondue]

"Why German?" Steve asked curiously. "Why no French or even British?" Steve had picked up some German during the war, they all had but he was by no means completely fluent in it. "And what kind of disguise do you have in mind for me?" He'd already decided on growing a beard this trip to see how it worked out as a disguise and a baseball cap was universal, right?

The person manning the front desk was more interested in their phone than the supersoldier asking for a room. Steve was back out in a minute with an key number. They didn't have much luggage; a backpack for Bucky and a slightly bigger one for Steve. He retrieved his shield from the back of the car, seeing that Bucky had the rest. "The town's not too big. We could do a lap around the perimeter in less than an hour...or I could at least." He said casually as he led the way to their room.

[disassembling]

"Because no one will expect it," he said simply. People overlooked or missed details that were not within their scope of expectations and who would think Captain America would slide under the radar as a German? "A tourist of some kind. Sunglasses, a different hair style, maybe a fake visible scar."

They generally packed light, unless it was a complicated mission. He didn't have to wait long for Steve to come with a room key and hefted their two rather light bags. "And since I'm going to leave you in my dust, I'll be done in three-quarters of an hour," he replied simply, smirking. "We'll drop our stuff off and stretch and then go, yes?"

[whatsfondue]

"You could teach me some Russian instead?" That too, he had picked a few words up here and there. No one would expect him as a Russian either. And two Russian backpackers were totally normal, right? "Maybe I could learn enough to surprise Natasha." The thought was amusing, though he doubted it will work. Even if surprised, Natasha wasn't the type to show it on her face or body language, unless it was something she thought you should know.

"Yes. Big words you've spoken today." Steve commented lightly, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. "I guess we'll see if you can actually match them." It took them even less time before the bags were dropped off in their room and they were back outside, doing a series of stretches to loosen their bodies after a long day sitting in a car. "One lap around the town. This road we're very conveniently circles the town so no shortcuts across buildings, fences, and other stuff. That's fair I think."

[disassembling]

"I could, yes," he replied agreeably. He knew that Steve was a quick learner, and all they had to do was maintain a certain amount of conversation in public in order to be believable. "She will probably mock your accent regardless of how much you know." She was the only one to get away doing that sort of stunt with him because he knew that accents were as important as the dialect itself. He wasn't perfect, with a distinct American undertone that homeland Russians picked up.

Once their bags were stored away, he stretched the same as Steve, rolling the kinks from his muscles and loosening up again. This roadtrip was going to be killer on his muscles, but he knew that it was entirely worth it. "Very well, a single lap," he agreed, noting that Steve hadn't put in place a no-contact rule, which was all he needed in order to gain the upper hand and victory. There was no doubt a convenient bush or tree to upend Steve into along the way.

[whatsfondue]

Steve's face lit up with a happy grin at Bucky's agreement. He was always happy to find something new to do with Bucky. "Natasha will mock me about something regardless of how well I learn to speak Russian, access or no. It'll give her something new to mock me about other than my taste in clothes or how badly she thinks I kiss." It was her way of teasing her friends, he realized early on, finding something relatively harmless to poke at the people she genuinely liked.

He's not sure how long her would be able to stand driving in a car day after day but for now the prospect of seeing new places or rediscovering old ones together was enough of a draw. Steve raised a single eyebrow at Bucky's easy agreement to his terms. There was something in Bucky's eyes that told him their little race wouldn't just be a straightforward one. He did one final stretch, then crouched down into position. "When you're ready at the count of three." He declared.

"One...two...three." And then they were off.

[disassembling]

Because they needed to get the Widow something new to tease them about, though even he could admit that she was very respectful of his relationship with Steve. She just liked the fact that they were old, dressed out of style and so often used language that was as old as they were. Everyone liked that, especially when Steve in particular used old cusses.

He rolled his shoulders and set himself when Steve began the countdown, his eyes focused on both the path he was going to travel and his opponent next to him. He took off as soon as the count of three sounded, the toe of his shoe digging into the dirt as he pushed off. He was approaching top speed within seven paces, but Steve had a longer gait than he did, which meant he needed a lead to start and then cheap tactics if his friend caught up with him.

[whatsfondue]

Steve often thought Natasha had a very odd idea of friendship but she was always there when he really needed her help and that was what counted. He could stand a bit of teasing (it was actually lot of teasing) if it amused her. They aren't the kind to pour their hearts out to each other but then again she seemed to know most things regarding what was going on around him usually before he did. (One clear example was how she suddenly stopped trying to arrange dates for him soon after Bucky started coming around to the Tower more often.)

When Bucky sprinted off as soon as the word 'three' left his lips, Steve wasn't far off behind his oldest friend. It was soon clear that between the two of them, Bucky could reach top speed faster than he did but Steve with his longer legs was catching up fast. Even before the reached the first turn, Steve was already close at Bucky's heels. Best friend (and lover) or not, Steve had no intention of losing.

[disassembling]

There was a freedom that came with such a simple activity, the shove and drive of their weights forward under nothing more than the strength of their limbs. It was especially nice after so many hours trapped in a car, forcing them to generalized inactivity. He pumped his arms and shoved hard with his legs to eat up the ground and gain full momentum forward, even as he heard the tell-tale sounds of Steve's pursuit.

They were shoulder-to-shoulder as the first turn approached, and he turned his head to size up how fast his friend was going. He kept his sprinting pace even as he headed into the corner as they moved around it together, and then he shifted his weight to throw his shoulder into Steve to drive his friend right from the path as he finished the turn to continue.

[whatsfondue]

He's always like running, especially after he received the Serum. It meant he could feel his lungs fill all the way with air and breathe it back out, without any burning feeling in his lungs or feeling as a cough would cough his lungs up entirely. There was freedom and satisfaction in the way their legs ate up the distance. No matter how good and convenient modern (or not so modern) transportation is, Steve thought he would always trust his own two feet more. And running won't contribute any noxious gases being released into the atmosphere.

Steve had caught up to Bucky as they approached the first turn of the road, a mere half step or so behind his friend. He had thought to try to speed up into the turn in order to pull ahead but Bucky, that cheat, shoved him to the side as they stepped into the first corner, Steve making a noise of surprise at the attack. Steve was back chasing after Bucky immediately of course but he lost precious time when he stumbled to re-balance himself. "If that's how you want to play it, you cheater!" He called out as he pounded after his friend, but not before scooping up a handy piece or two in his hand.

[disassembling]

After being pent up the car all day, this freedom and the motion of his limbs was a good thing. It was the kind of motion that would allow him to rest tonight, assuming that he and Steve didn't just end up wrestling on the ground until they were exhausted and sleep wherever appeared to be comfortable at the time. This was what they both needed.

The Soldier turned his head when Steve was driven off of the opportunity to pass him, the corner of his lip rising in a smirk as he sped on, making the corner easily and down on the newest straight. "There is no cheating between super-soldiers," he called back. "And this is competition. I expect to fight for my win." He picked up his pace, moving his legs faster because Steve's longer gait was still a dangerous thing for him to deal with constantly.

[whatsfondue]

Steve too was feeling the need to stretch his legs after a long drive. Driving himself was better than being driven (better yet if it was a motorbike where he could feel the wind on his face). Hopefully this will settle both of them down for the night. If not, Steve could think of other things they could do. It was barely sunset after all, and this little race they were in wouldn't last for more than an hour.

"Cheating is still cheating, no matter who we are!" He called back, picking up the pace immediately to give chase. Bucky had the lead now and it'll only widen if he doesn't do something. But only on the right moment. Steve's best friend was far too clever to fall for just anything. He thought he had the opportunity as the next turn came up and as Bucky started into the turn, Steve snapped his wrist, throwing the rocks hard, aiming them approximately into Bucky's path.

[disassembling]

He never particularly saw it as cheating, but he threw back a smirk to his friend in response all the same. He was in this race to win, and he would do so any way that was necessary. He also knew that he was going to inspire similar behaviour in Steve, and it delighted him to know that the competition would be fierce all the way around. He never faltered as he tried to put more distance between them.

Steve, of course, had other ideas as he came to the next turn. A flash of movement from behind him, and he jumped to the side, losing his stride but keeping to his feet as he realized that stones had been thrown. He growled in pleasure and moved to simply tackle Steve over into the soft grass at the side of the road.

[whatsfondue]

Steve returned a mock scowl at Bucky at the smirk. He was competitive (to his detriment, some of his other friends have previously declared) and has always been. He had grown up fighting for everything and it was far too ingrained in him to stop now. Even with some of his memories missing, Bucky still knew how to rile him up in the best way.

To his satisfaction, the gamble with throwing the stones worked, just enough that Bucky lost his stride so that Steve was able to catch up to him. What he didn't expect however was for Bucky to tackle him off course. He yelped in surprised as 260 pounds of super soldier dove on top of him unexpectedly pushing him off the road to the grass beside it. "Bucky! I knew I should have said something about no body contact!" Steve grunted as he tried to wrestle his friend off of him.

[disassembling]

It was a little late to throw in a no-contact rule, and he had specifically asked what the rules were so that he could work within them. Now they were wrestling around in the dirt and grass rather than sprinting, but he considered this just as entertaining than outrunning Steve. He rolled around with Steve, growling his pleasure at the new contest even if he was setting himself up to get to his feet so that he could take off again.

"But you didn't, and here we are. Better make that rule next time," he said. The road trip was young, and he had no doubt that they would be doing this all over again tomorrow.

[whatsfondue]

The fact that they would deviate from the little race Steve planned to rolling around in the dirt and grass had never occurred to him. It didn't mean he didn't enjoy it, especially since Bucky was so visibly enjoying himself. He shifted his body this and and that, trying to get the upper hand. It wasn't easy, especially when Bucky more or less matched him strength and agility wise and Bucky was the more experienced between the two of them when it came to fighting close quarters like this.

"No worries, I'll be adding that in, as well as a few others." Steve grunted. The idea that they could and most likely would do this again tomorrow filled him with pleasure. Maybe they'll be even able to finish running the entire way through instead of stopping in the middle to wrestle.

[disassembling]

This was the life, fighting someone who was his match and finally - finally - having a moment to enjoy himself. The fact that they were rolling around in the grass trying to get the upper hand on each other. It was exactly what he wanted, and he made a groaning noise at the sheer notion of Steve adding ground rules.

"Oh I want to know," he said, snapping his teeth at Steve's chin. He twisted around on the grass to try to throw the blond a little further away from him so that he could regain his feet and sprint back to the road and on the way to going around town.

[whatsfondue]

"Gotta have time to think up rules you won't find a way around." Steve's voice rumbled low in his throat as they grappled in the dirt and grass. The sudden snap of teeth at his face had him flinching back in surprise for a quick second, but was enough for Bucky to slip out of his grapple and throw him off to the side despite Steve trying to grab a hold of anything, a arm, an ankle to keep the other man down.

This rolling around in the dirt was different from the spars they did in the practice rooms in the tower or against other Avengers. He enjoyed those spars and now he was finding he was enjoying this too. It was almost childish, what they were doing right now but it was freeing too.

[disassembling]

"There will always be ways around the rules that you make up," he teased, since he would have just as much time to think his way around them. There was that and the car ride itself, plenty of time to mull over any rules set down to do with running. "It will be a competition until the very end!"

He was up and moving, only to have an ankle seized unexpectedly. He was tripped and fell hard onto his chest, but already he was rolling to face Steve again so that he could try to tackle the blond back into the dirt, thoroughly enjoying the care-free nature of their wrestling.

[whatsfondue]

"Thinking up ways to cheating you mean." Steve accused again, though there was no heat in his voice except fondness. "I'll have to find some way to distract you." Though that would be hard; there weren't that many things that could be termed distracting when they were driving along the highways. Especially if he was the one driving.

Steve was not above copying Bucky's tactic. As soon as Bucky was down, he was up, dodging around Bucky's already moving body to head back onto the main road to continue their race. He was aware if they'd continued to roll around in the dirt, Bucky will win that contest eventually. But in running? The outcome was not as clear.