Warnings: none
Tropes: AU – Muggle, AU – Modern: No Powers, Bedsharing, Established Relationship, Pre-Relationship, Slow Romance
Original Release Date: 05 Oct 2018
Square: O3 - Muggle AU
Hermione fumbled with the keycard as she tried to get into her hotel room. She should probably have put her purse and bottled water down but she didn't want to just set them on the floor. She would have set them on top of her luggage but between the elevator and the door the wheel had managed to fracture and break and now it sat lopsided.
She was already regretting letting her friend Luna talk her into a holiday. She didn't do holidays. There was just too much work to be done.
The light on the door finally turned green after the third try and she had to put her body weight against it to move it. Why were hotel doors so ridiculously heavy? She stumbled in, reached back through the door to grab her luggage handle and was half-way through the door when an odd noise distracted her.
She looked up, made an abortive scream out of shock, dropped her bottle of water—which exploded at her feet—and the door slammed hard on her forearm.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she apologised, even as she was pointedly looking down and back towards the door and away from the couple on the bed. She retreated as fast as she could, embarrassed for having walked in on two people in congress. By the time she was out of the room and cradling her arm from having the heavy door slam on it, she realized her busted bottle of water, keycard, and purse were still in the room. Well, at least she wouldn't be able to walk in on them again.
She sighed and grabbed her luggage, dragging it back to the elevator to have a talk with the woman at the front desk.
* . * . *
Bucky spat out the mouthwash and dried his lips with the hand towel. He glanced in the mirror to check to make sure his hair didn't look like Steve had been running his hands through it, determined it was okay, and then headed to the door. They'd tossed down a towel to try and sop up the water from the woman's shitty plastic water bottle but her purse was a bit drippy. He grabbed it and the keycard she'd dropped and headed downstairs, leaving Steve to get dressed at his leisure.
When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Bucky could already hear the British accent of their accidental voyeur arguing with the clerk at the front desk.
"So you're telling me that although you double-booked the room and freely admit to that, you're still going to charge me a cancellation fee for not staying here? That doesn't make any sense! The point of the fee is to recoup any losses because of the cancelled reservation. The room was already paid for by the poor people I walked in on!"
"I do apologize, ma'am. I might be able to reschedule your reservations..." she typed a few things into the computer in front of her and then said, "let's see... two months from now?"
"Two mon—months? From now? And what am I supposed to do now? Time travel? I'm here now."
The clerk grimaced a little and apologized again. "We're booked solid until then."
"Is there some other hotel you're connected to? Maybe you could transfer my reservation to a different site?"
"This is the only beachfront hotel on the island, ma'am."
Bucky decided to intervene then if only so the poor woman could take a breather. She looked entirely too stressed out for being on vacation. "Hi, excuse me," he said, causing both the clerk and the woman to turn to him. "I, umm, brought you the stuff you dropped." He held out the keycard and the purse.
The woman looked at the purse, still dripping, and sighed. She took it from him and murmured, "I should never have agreed to go on holiday." Looking up and meeting his eyes briefly, she said at a more reasonable volume, "Thanks. And again, I'm so sorry. I had no idea they had given me a key to an occupied room."
Bucky grinned and tried to ease her embarrassment by shrugging. "It's not the first time Steve and I have been caught in a compromising position." He felt bad about her situation, though, and with a quick up-and-down glance at her face and figure, decided on a whim to offer her to share the room. "Hey," he whispered, stepping a half step closer so the clerk might not eavesdrop as easily, "You could also join us in the room. Bed's big enough for three." He raised an eyebrow at her, whether to challenge her to take him up on his offer or just to see her reaction at his flirting.
Her reaction was to turn tomato red and clamp her mouth shut like a cat had caught her tongue. After an awkward second, he laughed and didn't so much as backtrack the offer but give her a way out. "I mean, I think there's a 'hotel' further up the street in someone's spare bedroom but this place does have better in-room views." It wasn't until after the words were out of his mouth that he realised the pun but he didn't care. He had a feeling she wouldn't take him up on his offer anyway.
But then she surprised him.
Her eyes widened and then she giggled. "Yeah, okay, I suppose I would have a 'better view' here, huh?" Despite the flush on her cheeks, she flirted back! Success.
"So what do you say? Share the room?" He asked.
She took a moment to deliberate with herself and reached up to scratch at the back of her neck. "If you get clean sheets?"
He turned and took a step closer to the clerk. "Can you get a new set of sheets up to 703, please?"
"Umm, sure," she said, looking a little confused. "So, Miss Granger isn't cancelling her reservation?"
Bucky pursed his lips. He wasn't the best negotiator, that was Steve, and he knew if Steve could talk to the manager he could probably get them to refund all of the woman's money. "No, don't cancel it, but we would like to speak to the hotel manager tomorrow morning."
"Oh, he's not here—"
"That's why I said tomorrow." He gave her a strained little smile and turned back to Miss Granger. "Let's get your bag upstairs. Steve and I were going out to dinner. You can join us if you want. We were just going to pick one of the restaurants here on Center Street. Walking distance."
"Umm," she mumbled, grabbing her luggage and dragging it on its broken wheel.
"Here, let me," he said. He picked it up. It was heavy but he could handle it. "What do you have in here, bricks?" he teased.
"Books."
He chuckled and led the way back to their hotel room.
* . * . *
Steve was tall, built like a god, and blond. He also had the kindest smile when his—husband? lover?—returned to their hotel room with Hermione. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a light blue button-down that brought out the colour of his eyes.
"So we're sharing the room?" He asked his partner as he found a place for her suitcase in the corner. "Okay. Well, I'm Steve and that guy is Bucky if he hasn't introduced himself yet."
"Hermione and I'm so sorry about—"
"Don't worry about it," he said. "We were going to go get dinner. Did you have any plans?"
"Honestly, this has been the worst day and I was thinking I should just go to bed but..." she resolutely did not look at the bed.
"How far are you coming from? Not to be pushy but your jet lag might end up worse if you just go to bed now," Steve said giving her puppy-dog eyes.
Her shoulders slumped forward as she gave in. "Fine, let's get some food."
"So, Rita's or Taco Boy?" Bucky asked. Steve shrugged and looked back at Hermione.
"I don't know. I... A friend of mine orchestrated this entire trip. I'd planned to sit inside, order room service, and work."
"On vacation?" Bucky said. He walked closer to her and hooked her arm with his. "No wonder your friend sent you on vacation. It's kismet that the room got overbooked. You need someone to help you unwind. We'll go to Rita's. They've got a wider variety and I think they've got a live band tonight."
When they had said the restaurant was within walking distance they hadn't lied. It was across the street. The night was balmy enough to be comfortable sitting outside, so they did. Conversation was slow because of the band but it didn't detract from how comfortable it felt to just sit and eat with these two men. Bucky and Steve were New Yorkers who had been visiting this tiny little strip of beach every summer for years.
"How long do you stay for?"
"Two weeks, usually," Bucky answered. "How long is your vacation?"
"Two weeks."
"Well, we got in yesterday, so you'll have one night to yourself. Oh, that reminds me, Steve, you're much better at getting people to do what you want. The hotel staff wanted to charge her for cancelling even though they were the ones that fucked up. I told them we wanted to talk with a manager tomorrow, I was thinking you could do that thing you do..."
Steve's eyebrows furrowed and the puppy-dog look was back but now he looked disappointed. Hermione took a sip of her cocktail to hide her reaction to that face. She didn't think anyone could look at that face and not do whatever he wanted them to do. "I'll see if I can't get them to refund everything for you," he said.
She glanced back up at him to make sure that disappointed look was gone before she said, "You don't have to—"
"Hush and let us do stuff for you. You told us how bad your day was, it's only fair you have someone fight some of your battles for you. I'll talk to the manager tomorrow."
"And then we can sit on the beach for a while," Bucky said, nodding and taking another bite of food. He was only partway through chewing when he pointed and shook his finger at Steve. Steve followed the motion with his head and a smirk on his face. Finally, Bucky swallowed, "We should go to Lost Dog for brunch tomorrow."
"You're already thinking about what you want to eat next?" Steve asked, amused.
Bucky nodded and took another bite of his meal.
Hermione had eaten about half of what she'd ordered and was feeling overwhelmingly sleepy. Her internal clock was saying she was staying up much later than she was used to. She yawned and when she opened her eyes she saw Steve was looking at her and grinning.
He opened his mouth like he was about to say something but Bucky spoke up again, "We should take a walk on the pier."
"Buck, we've got all week and besides, Hermione looks dead on her feet. I think we should call it an early night, go back to the hotel. Maybe watch a movie. She's probably going to be waking up super early tomorrow. We can walk on the pier later."
Bucky tried to give Steve his own version of the puppy-dog look. His was also surprisingly effective and Hermione caught herself smiling as she watched them. Steve was resolute, however, and didn't cave. "Fine, fine," Bucky capitulated easily.
Steve suggested boxing up Hermione's leftovers and when the waitress came with the bill Hermione started to ask if it could be separated but Steve shook his head and handed the woman a credit card. "I'll pay you back," she said.
Bucky was shaking his head, grinning, "No, you won't."
On the short walk back, Hermione saw Bucky reach out and hold Steve's hand. She smiled to herself. It wasn't until the elevator ride up to their room that she started feeling stressed again. Between the good food, the cocktail, and the pleasant company, she'd almost forgotten that she'd agreed to share a hotel room with them. Share a bed. She hadn't shared a bed with anyone in a very long time.
* . * . *
Bucky could feel the awkward tension starting to rise as they took turns in the bathroom getting ready for bed. When Hermione stepped out of the bathroom in her pyjamas looking nervous he exclaimed, "I want the middle. Steve clings when he sleeps, but let's watch a movie first. There's bound to be something boring on, right?"
He didn't know why things were so awkward. They'd had dinner and got to know one another as well as could be expected on something like a first date. It wasn't like this was a one-night stand; there wasn't any expectation of sex. Steve slipped under the covers first and propped his pillow up so he could have some back support while they watched whatever boring movie they could find. Bucky climbed in and kissed him on the cheek before getting situated. Hermione was slow to follow but she did, carrying a thick book with her.
"I thought you said you were sleepy?" he teased.
"Well, I can do a little work before bed, I suppose." She shrugged and settled on his other side. He was right, even with Steve's broad shoulders the three of them fit comfortably in the bed together. Bucky was already enjoying the warmth of having two people on either side of him again. He didn't begrudge Peggy finding love with Angie but he sure did miss having her around sometimes. Steve found a movie, some weird B-rated slasher, and Hermione stuck her nose in her book.
It wasn't long before Bucky found that he was the only one awake, still engrossed in the movie. He grabbed the remote from Steve's lap and turned the TV off, tossing the remote towards his feet. He was sure it would fall off the bed during the night but he wasn't going to try to set it on a table from where he was between them. Steve had somewhat slumped down onto his pillow but with a little gentle coaxing settled down curled on his side. Bucky turned to Hermione and pulled her book from her fingers where it had dropped on her chest. He flipped it over. Law. Yep, it was official, she was a workaholic. He shook his head and tossed her book toward her feet. He hoped it would be less likely for her to knock it off down there. She was already laying on her pillow and when he pulled her book from her she woke up enough to roll over. He shifted a little and leaned over her to press the button on the bottom of the lamp to turn it off. He laid down and got comfy, spooning behind Steve.
* . * . *
A loud crack woke Hermione from a dead sleep. She bolted upright and blinked, confused at her surroundings. Once it dawned on her where she was, she glanced over the side of the bed to see her book had fallen and landed on its side on the tile floor. She blinked a few times and decided to lay back down, only glancing briefly at her bed companions.
Steve was crowded up against Bucky's back and Bucky was blinking at her.
"Book fell," she whispered.
He nodded and held up his arm and the covers, inviting her close. She panicked for a second but decided 'why not?' and laid down so her back was to him. He laid his arm over her stomach, pulled her even closer, and burrowed his nose into her hair. She felt his breath on the back of her neck.
Hermione dozed lightly for another hour or so but then she decided to get up. She could get some work done before the men woke up. She crept from the bed, shocked at how cold the AC had made the room overnight and picked up her book. There was a little light peeking out from the curtains so she could estimate the time as she sat at the table and opened her book. She read three sentences before she looked back over to her companions.
She blinked as she saw Steve walking towards her on socked feet carrying trainers. He sat down on the couch near her and proceeded to put his shoes on. When he was done he looked up at her. "Want to go on a run with me?" he whispered. She looked back over to Bucky in the bed. He'd pulled the blankets up so high over himself that he was just a big lump hidden there. She couldn't even see his hair. "That's why he didn't suggest breakfast. Buck is not a morning person. At all. We can walk together rather than run if you want."
Hermione thought about how she probably should start an exercise routine but looked back down at the book on the table in front of her. She really did need to study this. "Maybe next time," she whispered. Steve shrugged, gave her a smile, and left.
It was almost an hour later and Hermione had moved on from reading to note-taking when her phone chirped a notification across the room. Loudly. She rushed over to where she'd plugged it in beside Bucky's and pressed the button to see what was demanding her attention. It was a notification from her bank telling her that a large sum had just been refunded. She blinked stupidly at it for a minute, not fully comprehending what had happened.
The door opened and Steve walked in, smiling. "Good morning, sunshine," he said. Hermione looked up to see him beaming happily at Bucky who was looking out from under his pillow with a groggy glare.
"How did you...?" Hermione asked.
"How'd I what?" Steve asked, turning around. "Oh, did you get your refund?"
"How did you get it to go through so quickly?"
He just gave a little shrug, still smiling, and said, "I can be very persuasive." He turned back to look at the lump Bucky made in the covers and sighed dramatically. "Aren't you hungry, Buck?"
"Is the sun up yet?" Bucky asked, sleep still thick in his voice. Hermione giggled at the question.
"Don't need the sun with your pretty face around," Steve said sing-song before climbing on the bed to lay a smacking kiss on his lover's cheek. Bucky grunted and shifted under him and the two of them started kissing. Hermione looked away and then realised that the wall she was looking at wasn't interesting. She set her phone back down since she didn't have pockets in her pyjamas and crept around the bed, intending to stand out on the balcony for a few minutes to give them privacy.
She didn't make it to the doors before she heard Bucky mumble a strained, "Please..."
She heard one more smacking kiss before Steve replied, "Not this morning... we've got company." Bucky must have said something else but Steve just said, "It's not Peggy. It's Hermione. She will care."
"Oh," Bucky said, sounding much more alert. She heard them shift on the bed behind her and then, "Sorry, Hermione. I, umm..." She heard him get up and the bathroom door shut. She waited another few seconds before turning around. Steve was sitting on the bed, looking a little embarrassed.
"Sorry about that," he said.
Hermione's curiosity got the better of her. "Who's Peggy?"
The embarrassment fled from his face when he smiled. "This time last year we were in a committed relationship with a woman named Peggy. Buck just... forgot, I guess."
Hermione's eyebrows raised. Well, she supposed that started to explain why they were so comfortable sharing a bed with her. It raised a lot more questions than it answered, though. She offered him an awkward-feeling smile and looked around the room to find something for her to do. With Bucky in the bathroom, there wasn't any place for her to get dressed for the day and she wasn't going to ask Steve to leave the room. She decided to just sit back down and look over her notes some more.
Steve turned the TV on but kept the volume low as he went about making the bed and generally tidying up. She lost herself to her notes for a few minutes before she felt steam billow around her ankles from the bathroom door opening.
"Steve, can you bring me some clothes?" Bucky said from the bathroom.
"Yeah, sure, hang on."
Hermione couldn't help glancing up even though there was nothing to see, the door was still mostly closed. She scolded herself for even looking and made sure she kept her gaze to herself. A few moments later Bucky sat down beside her, so close she could feel the heat from his shower still on his skin. "Sorry about that," he apologised again. She looked up from her notes to let him know she was listening. "I... well... anyway. Breakfast? Brunch? The Lost Dog is an awesome cafe up the street—still within walking distance. It's in a building that used to be a laundromat. Dog pictures everywhere. Their breakfast is awesome but they've got lunch things too if breakfast isn't your thing."
She smiled at his little rambling and nodded. "I'm sure I'll find something on the menu to try. I'm sorry my presence cramps how you usually do things."
"Pssh," he dismissed, though his cheeks turned the lightest pink, "I was being rude and greedy." The bathroom door opened and Steve stepped out with wet hair but otherwise dressed for the day.
"Bathroom's free. I promise I didn't use all the hot water."
"I didn't promise any such thing," Bucky mumbled, grinning back at Hermione.
She got up and gathered her things. Might as well go along with their plans since she didn't have any of her own.
* . * . *
Bucky held Steve's hand as the three of them walked up Center Street towards the cafe. He was feeling a little off-balance today after his wake up kiss from Steve. He hadn't meant to make Hermione feel uncomfortable, though she took the awkwardness in stride.
There was a short wait for a table but nothing too bad. Unfortunately, the humidity and heat of the day had started early. He walked through the little park beside the cafe to sit on one of the benches there while Steve and Hermione stood at the entrance. He could just barely see them through the foliage from where he was sitting. He leaned back on his hands and let his mind wander.
Maybe he missed Peggy more than he thought. He shouldn't have mixed up the two women, though. That wasn't fair to either of them. He promised himself he would be more aware of accidentally conflating them as their vacation continued. He heard a sharp whistle and stood, knowing the sound was Steve letting him know the table was ready. Bucky got up and headed inside.
After they ordered, Steve shook his head at him. "You order pancakes everywhere we go, don't you?"
"Pancakes are the best. You know that."
"Venture out, try something new. The breakfast burrito is so good."
Bucky rolled his eyes and grinned when he got a smile from Hermione. "Anyway, I think I want to sit on the beach and read for a few hours after we eat. Maybe get in the water later. Do you have any plans? Anything you want to do?" he asked, looking at her.
She took a sip of her water and shrugged. "Like I said yesterday, if left to my own devices I'll probably just work. Are you trying to tan?"
Bucky shook his head. "Nah, we rent umbrellas and loungers. Steve crisps up like a lobster if he's out in the sun too long. Bet you do too, huh?"
She nodded. "I don't think I brought sunblock."
Steve had been taking a sip of water and set his glass down, "We've got plenty. You did bring a swimsuit, right? We can walk down to some of the shops with you if you need to buy one."
"Or you can go on your own," Bucky added quickly, worried that Steve might be conflating Hermione and Peggy too. Peggy had liked them to join her with clothes shopping because she always wanted their opinion on things. Hermione may not appreciate them tagging along all the time. "Whatever you prefer, of course." He glanced over at Steve, hoping to convey some of his thoughts to him with a look. Steve nodded and leaned back, just as the server came with their plates distracting the conversation away from shopping.
Hermione offered to pay for her meal again when the check came but Steve just shook his head, giving her a shit-eating smile. Bucky was grinning too but he figured he should talk to Steve privately and remind him that she may not like their over-generous nature. He should let her pay for her own things if she wanted to, especially considering he'd got her hotel reservation refunded.
The walk back to the hotel was slower than the walk there, owing to full stomachs and an increase in traffic. The public lots were filling up with cars of the day-trip visitors. On the way back, Steve pointed out the sign for the crafts market. "We should check this out tomorrow, maybe. See if they have anything nice." He turned to Hermione and added, "If you're interested to come along, you can of course. Sometimes they have nice snacks and trinkets. We got some great chocolates and trail mix last year. I think Peggy bought some jewellery."
"Do you collect souvenirs?" Bucky asked. It had sounded less stupid in his head, especially as she'd already mentioned before that she didn't go on vacation very often.
"I haven't thought about it. If I see something I like, I suppose."
"We can wander through the shops down Center Street later. They all have the same basic stuff really but sometimes you can find something that's not completely commercialised," Bucky said. He then turned to Steve, "Maybe later in the week we can drive into the city? The city market tends to have a lot of handcrafted things too."
"We can," Steve agreed.
They stopped to read the menus outside Taco Boy and St James Gate even though Bucky was so full nothing looked appealing. Back in the hotel, he insisted Hermione use the bathroom first to change into her bathing suit. He took the opportunity to pull Steve onto the Juliet balcony to mention those things he'd thought about earlier regarding Hermione. He also took the opportunity to steal a kiss.
* . * . *
Hermione felt a little self-conscious in just her swimsuit as she stepped out of the bathroom but she needn't have worried. Neither man was in the room. She could see past the curtains to the balcony where they were standing close to each other, perhaps taking advantage of the semi-privacy. On the dresser, she found a few bottles of sunscreen and looked them over before deciding on one and picking it up. She liberally coated all the bare skin she could reach and was just finishing up when the balcony door slid open.
Steve entered first and gave her a smile, he grabbed his swim trunks from the bed and headed into the bathroom. Bucky closed the door behind them and looked her over. "Want me to get your back?"
She agreed and handed him the bottle. His hands were very warm on her skin as he rubbed the lotion on. Her swimsuit had decorative straps crisscrossing her sides and lower back and he was deliberate as he moved each one to make sure she didn't burn. She was almost positive he lingered a second or two too long over the last strap but she didn't say anything. She'd forgotten how intimate even that simple sort of touch could be. He hummed as he finished and asked softly, "Anywhere else?"
Her breath felt like it caught in her throat so she shook her head. After a moment she squeaked out, "No, thank you."
Steve stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in only a pair of dark blue swim trunks. "Your turn, Buck." As they passed one another, Bucky tossed the bottle of sunblock at Steve. He popped the top and squirted the lotion into his palm. Hermione's gaze followed his hand as he rubbed the lotion onto his chest. He glanced up, caught her staring, and smirked. She looked away, feeling mortified.
After a few minutes of relative silence, he got her attention by setting the bottle of sunscreen back into her hands. "Would you?" He asked. He turned and presented his back to her. She fumbled with the bottle for a moment but did as he asked, coating his shoulders and back with sunblock.
Bucky came back out of the bathroom. "Wanna do me?" he asked, giving them both such a seductive, knicker-dropping smirk that Hermione was glad her swimsuit was one piece and held up by straps over her shoulders. She may have even gasped.
Steve turned around and plucked the bottle from her hands.
"I meant—" Bucky started, still smiling as he pretended to be innocent.
Steve nodded and walked towards him, "Uh-huh, we know what you meant. Turn around."
"Anytime," he retorted, spinning slowly on his heel. He looked back over his shoulder and asked, "Want me to bend over too?"
Steve laughed but said, "Stop, you're going to traumatize her. If you keep at it she's going to get sunstroke without having to go outside."
The comment caught her off-guard and she laughed which broke the tension in the room.
"All right, hurry up already, Stevie, I want to get out on the beach before it gets crowded," Bucky teased, then said, "Geez, that was cold," when Steve squirted sunblock directly onto his shoulders.
"You know it doesn't get nearly as crowded as Rockaway Beach."
"Yeah, yeah. Still," Bucky agreed. Steve made quick work on Bucky's shoulders and back. "Are we taking towels? In case we get in the water?"
"Yeah, why not?" Steve said.
* . * . *
Bucky leaned back in his lounger and smiled, setting his book aside. He could fall asleep out here if he wasn't careful. It wasn't too hot under the umbrellas and the white noise from the waves was soothing, the end of the chapter he'd just read was all happy and positive, no cliff-hanger, and he was content to just close his eyes.
Except...
He looked out at the surf, gaze having no trouble spotting Steve splashing in the water with Hermione. She was mid-laugh when he looked, her hair a wild halo around her head from the humidity. They weren't far enough out for the waves to wash over her head. He wondered if that was Steve's doing out of courtesy or if Hermione had asked not to go out too far. Either way, it put them in the shallows, so all of Steve's chest was on display. Bucky would like to say he admired the physical perfection like he'd admire a sculpture in a museum but he wasn't up to lying to himself about it. No, he was just perving on his lover. Nothing wrong with that.
The pop and hiss of a carbonated drink caught Bucky's attention and he looked over to see someone pouring something into a bottle from inside the hidden walls of a cooler. Alcohol wasn't allowed on the beach but that didn't mean people didn't do it. He shrugged and looked back out to the waves. It wasn't his problem.
At first, he didn't see Steve nor Hermione. He frowned as he searched the water, had they gone further out? He shouldn't worry, Steve had always taken to water like a fish but he wasn't sure if Hermione knew how to swim. It took another quick thump of his heartbeat before he spotted them, both glimmering wet from head to toe, Hermione's distinctive hair no longer easy to spot. She was spluttering and wiping water out of her face and Steve was laughing. She reached out and shoved at his chest playfully. Steve fell back easily, dropping into the water. The look of shock on her face was priceless. When Steve resurfaced again Bucky could see her apologising. Steve laughed so hard Bucky heard the top notes of it over the crashing of the waves.
When Steve looked up towards him, still smiling, Bucky got up and headed down to the water to join them.
* . * . *
The walk along the pier wasn't too entertaining. Hermione found it rather relaxing between the constant sound of the water and the steady breeze. They'd spent too much time in the sun and her shoulders were a tender pink under her tank top.
She yawned and Bucky noticed, looking over at her and grinning. "Sleepy?"
"Who knew spending time doing nothing was so exhausting," she agreed.
"Nah, we did plenty of things. Played in the ocean, watched a movie, ate dinner."
She rolled her eyes but chuckled along with him. "If you say so. Still feels like I didn't accomplish anything today."
He put his arm across her shoulders in a friendly gesture and opened his mouth like he was going to say something but she winced and he dropped his arm. "Sorry. Did you get burnt?"
"Yeah, I think so. What were you going to say?"
"We've got some sun gel in the room, one of us can help you apply it when we get back if you like," he said. He stuffed his hand into his pocket. "I was going to say we've got two weeks to teach you how to relax, then."
She shrugged and looked back out over the dark water. "I suppose."
They stood at the end for a little while longer before heading back up. This time, Steve was next to her. "I was thinking about driving up to the end of the island in the morning to get some sunrise pictures of the lighthouse. I was wondering if you'd like to go with me? No running shoes required."
Hermione thought about it. She was normally awake with the sun and the jet lag had made it a bit worse. She didn't see any problem with making tentative plans to go see the sunrise. "I should really get some reading—"
Bucky interrupted her by coughing a word that sounded like working.
She paused mid-sentence to pin him with a look. He just smiled innocently. "Sure. I'll skip working if Bucky comes with us."
His eyes widened like he realised his mistake but Steve went along with it. "Yeah, Buck, you should definitely join us. It'll be fun."
"But... but... bed!" was his reply.
Steve looked back at Hermione with a smirk on his lips before the two of them laughed at his reaction.
* . * . *
Bucky was in sweatpants, a wrinkled t-shirt and slides with giant sunglasses covering half his face, sitting on a rock on a beach at the top of the island watching the sunrise. He'd grumbled and complained and might have dozed in the ten-minute ride but he was out here, watching the sun spread pinks and golds across the sky with the lighthouse out in the water setting off the scene nicely.
Steve had brought the camera and set it up on a tripod and was taking pictures at intervals. Hermione was with him. There were a surprising few people out and up here this early but no one felt the need for chatter.
Although he appreciated the peacefulness and the beauty of the view he closed his eyes behind his shades, still not properly awake yet.
* . * . *
Hermione didn't feel the need to talk as she watched the oranges and pinks give way to a clear blue sky. The shutter on Steve's camera clicked again and she glanced over to see him watching the sky with a soft smile on his face.
He seemed completely absorbed in enjoying the way the sun painted the sky with colour and she wondered how often he took the time to sit quietly with nature back in New York. She imagined they had a rooftop garden or something, or a morning run in Central Park. She supposed she could have her own daily commune with nature if she really wanted. London had parks. Her townhouse had space for a garden. She just never felt like she had the time.
Before her mind circled back to work and how much she still should do, Steve turned to look back at where Bucky had been attempting to lounge on the rocks. As they watched, his head dropped forward like he was dozing and then he fell off the rocks into the sand.
Beside her, Steve snorted to suppress laughter and then called, "You okay, Bucky?"
There was a mumbled reply, followed by spluttering as he raised his head up out of the sand. "'M fine," he repeated. He shifted on the sand and muttered, "Wake me when it's time to go," before dropping his head back down into the sand.
"Poor baby," Steve teased, glancing back at the sky. "You're missing it!"
There was a grunt but nothing else from the pile of limbs that was Bucky.
"He's really not a morning person, huh?"
"No, he's definitely not."
* . * . *
Bucky had to take another shower when they got back to the hotel room to wash the sand out of his hair. It had the added boon of helping wake him up. When he got out, Steve was checking the local weather on the TV. "It looks like it's going to storm this afternoon and into the evening. We could probably spend the morning on the beach, grab some lunch then drive into the city for the market. Then have dinner there somewhere." He was speaking to Bucky but Bucky was looking at Hermione.
"What do you think? That sound like a good plan to you?"
"I don't know if I want to spend more time in the sun. Wouldn't that make my sunburn worse?" She picked up the law book from the table and raised it up. "I was thinking I could just do a couple hours of work—"
"But I got up and went to see the sunrise with you!" Bucky whined.
"You also fell asleep while we were there," Steve offered unhelpfully. Bucky glared at him.
He walked over and sat near Hermione on the loveseat. "If you aren't working, what do you like to do? Maybe we can do that instead?"
She shrugged. "If I'm not working I'm sleeping."
He offered her a naughty little grin and glanced back towards the bed. He didn't even have to say anything for a light blush to dust her cheeks. "Maybe we can spend a few hours wandering the shops? Oh, wait! The market thing here on the island, that was today, wasn't it?" he looked back at Steve.
"Yeah, we thought about walking down there for a bit but that doesn't start for a few hours. Why don't we head downstairs for breakfast first and then decide what to do? And aim for more indoor activities to keep out of the sun."
He dropped his head back against the loveseat. "Hours, right... I forgot already that you two woke me before dawn!"
Hermione laughed a little and he turned his head to give her a smile.
* . * . *
They ended up ordering room service and lounging around the room for a few hours. Steve and Bucky watched a movie and Hermione did a little work. Bucky had fallen asleep again during the movie so she didn't feel too bad for working when she said she wouldn't.
By the time mid-morning came around and the crafts market was open, all three of them seemed ready to get out of the hotel room. The market was just a few tents set up in rows in an empty gravel lot that served as a parking lot for the nearby restaurants. The first little tent had interesting screen printed t-shirts but nothing really to her tastes. The second had an array of cracker foods.
"Uh-oh," Steve said playfully from where he was standing next to her. He looked between Bucky and the snacks. "Hot sauces."
Bucky turned from the t-shirts to Steve. "Hot sauces?" Steve gestured to the table and Bucky zeroed in on the snacks. "Oooo, nice."
"Do you like spicy food, Hermione?" Steve asked.
"I like curry and Thai but I don't typically add hot sauce to non-spicy dishes."
He nodded and said, "That's about how I am. Bucky, on the other hand, has an entire shelf in our fridge door that's nothing but hot sauce."
Bucky had just nibbled on a sauce-ladened snack. "That's good," he told the woman on the other side of the table. He turned back to Hermione. "I've got a sauce for practically every dish. The only thing I don't put hot sauce on is my pancakes but if someone were to combine maple syrup and peppers, well, then I'd have something for everything." He licked his lips and turned back to the table to talk with the vendor.
Steve shook his head at Bucky's back though he was smiling fondly at him and he and Hermione moved on to the next table. There were seashell bits and baubles, small bottles with ships in them, and other table decorations. They all looked lovingly made, especially the ships with all the tiny details but most of the surfaces around her home that she could put something like these on were already covered in books. She'd long run out of bookshelf space and she didn't have plans to get rid of any, so table decorations probably weren't the best souvenir, if she were to get one.
Steve was already at the next table and the small assortment of handmade jewellery there. Some of the items were made from intricately braided grasses that ranged in colour from green to tan to a medium brown. He was admiring the bracelets. He picked one up, seemingly noting the length of it and how it clasped before he brought it over his own wrist. He frowned when it didn't quite reach around. "Are they all about the same size?" he asked the jeweller.
"Umm, maybe this one?" she directed him to a similar piece at the other end of the display. Steve picked it up to try that one. It looked like it might clasp.
"Hey, Buck, come here," he called. Bucky obediently came closer. "Is your wrist any smaller than mine?"
Bucky offered his wrist to Steve and he draped the bracelet over his wrist and held the clasp pinched between his fingers.
"What do you think? Too tight?"
Bucky wiggled his wrist and frowned. "Yeah, maybe just a little."
"Darn," he mumbled, replacing both bracelets. "How about you, Hermione? See anything you like? The earrings are pretty."
"Her ears aren't pierced, Stevie," Bucky said before he went on to the next tent.
Steve blinked and looked at her. "Oh. They aren't?"
"No, sorry."
"No, no, that's on me. Sorry."
Hermione was feeling a bit shocked as they moved on to the next table. When had Bucky even noticed her ears?
They continued on, enjoying the different crafts. There were some vegan granola cookies that Steve tasted and liked, so he bought them one each, and there were a few other jewellery tables but none had anything masculine enough for Steve to pick up. He did point out a few necklaces that caught his eye, always asking her if she was interested in anything. She heard the underlying hint that he would pay for it in the way he asked and although she wasn't too keen on having him buy her everything she didn't say no to all of the trinkets because she didn't want him to buy them for her. Nothing really grabbed her attention.
They decided to have lunch at the Crab Shack which wasn't particularly crowded and then they headed back to the hotel to get Steve's rental car. Bucky opened the car door for her and once she was in, climbed in the back seat. "Passenger gets dibs on the music!" he said as Steve was settling in on the driver's side.
"Of course, she does," Steve agreed. At first, Hermione was worried she'd pick something they didn't like but as she used the seek feature on the radio they seemed agreeable to just about anything that was playing. She settled on something that sounded beachy and sat back in her seat to enjoy the scenery. Bucky and Steve carried the conversation and she was content to listen. As they drove into the city, Bucky sat forward and acted like a tour guide, pointing out the oldest buildings and giving her trivia about the area. She couldn't help but find herself smiling as he shared some of the stories with her. It was obvious that this was his favourite place to holiday and probably his second favourite city—to New York, of course.
Steve parked in a garage nearby to their destination and they set about walking towards the market. On the way, they had to wait for a horse-drawn carriage to cross in front of them. Steve glanced at Hermione, "Interested in a tour?"
She looked at the carriage full of people and thought about the humidity and the slow way the horse trodded along. "I don't know. Maybe later?" He nodded and they continued into the covered open-air market.
For the space, it was a little crowded but the atmosphere was relaxed and unhurried. People walked past the stalls at their own pace and none of the vendors shouted or cajoled people to make a purchase. There were several vendors who had baskets made out of that same grass that the jewellery had been and those are what caught Hermione's eye. Although she didn't have any place in mind for one, she found herself drawn to them at each stall.
"You like the sweetgrass baskets, huh?" Steve asked after he noticed her studying them for a third time.
"That's what they're called? Sweetgrass?"
"Yeah. The Gullah people of the Lowcountry here make them. They're really beautiful, aren't they?" He picked up the one she had her eye on and turned it this way and that in his hands to look at it from other angles.
"I don't know where I'd put something like that."
"We've got a long ship-shaped one on our coffee table that holds little wooden balls made of cedar. Buck got them for the smell but that's faded. The colour's still nice though."
"My coffee table is covered in books."
"Well, if you don't put anything in the basket, it's not like it's difficult to move if you need to get to those books," he said as he gave her a grin.
She smiled and looked up at the vendor, "I think I'd like to purchase that basket, please."
After Hermione bought the basket, Bucky pulled her away to another table that had a wide selection of jewellery. "I've noticed you don't seem to wear jewellery at all besides your watch. Are you just not a jewellery person? Did you forget to pack some?"
"A little bit of both. I have a few staples, like a gold tennis bracelet from my parents and a strand of pearls from my grandmother but I tend to only wear them on special occasions."
"Hmm," he said, glancing between her and the display, "What do you think about that one?" He pointed to a simple leather cord with a silver pendant of a palm tree in a circle. "Kinda small, delicate but durable." She stepped closer to him to get a better look at it and she caught him smiling in her periphery. "Plus, the palm tree symbolises this awesome vacation where you met us," he added.
She chuckled and nodded, agreeing. "It is pretty."
Nothing else was said as they moved on to the next table. At the end of the long line of market stalls, they decided what to do next. "I mean, Google Maps says there are a few art galleries in..." Bucky turned around on the pavement until he found the direction he wanted and then pointed, "that way if we want to kill some more time before dinner. Or we could do one of the carriage rides if you want? And there are tons of places to eat around here." Hermione was happy to follow along with whatever they wanted and Steve seemed more interested in the art than the horses, so they went to the art galleries and skipped the carriage tours.
After browsing the galleries they walked along the pavement, debating the merits of each type of food as they came to the restaurants. They finally settled on barbecue and stopped in a small hole-in-the-wall sort of place with live music. Bucky ordered a tumbler of their housemade-whisky and Steve gave him a look over the menu. When the server had taken their order and left, Steve said, "Just the one, right Buck? You know how you get when you drink."
Bucky grinned cheekily and looked at Hermione. "He means I get handsy." He turned back to Steve and said, "I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."
* . * . *
Dinner was delicious and Bucky had behaved and only ordered the one glass of whisky. He wanted a second if only for the excuse it would give him to touch Steve but he refrained. The ride back to the hotel was relaxing and Steve engaged Hermione in conversation while Bucky hummed along to the radio. It wasn't very late but it was dark and he was thinking about asking Steve to walk on the beach with him. He figured they might be able to find a dark enough spot for a little fun. He felt it would be rather rude of him to ask Hermione to find somewhere else to be for an hour just so he could get Steve alone.
When they were back in the hotel room, Steve sat on his side of the bed and turned the TV on and Hermione settled on the sofa with her book. Bucky crawled on the bed and sat very close to Steve. He sat still for a minute or so but then he casually laid his hand on Steve's thigh. He let his fingertips slide back and forth along the fabric of Steve's trousers, following the threads with his fingers. After another minute or so, he leaned closer still and rested his chin on Steve's shoulder. He was debating whether or not to shift forward and kiss him when Steve turned his head and gave him a look that said, I know what you're doing. Bucky smiled innocently and batted his eyelashes.
"Wanna go for a walk on the beach with me?" He asked, and then deliberately licked his lips.
Steve's gaze was on Bucky's lips and he considered that a win. "Yeah, yes, sure." He coughed a little and turned to Hermione. "Bucky and I are going to go for a walk on the beach."
She glanced up at them, hesitated for a fraction of a second and then said, "Oh, fine. See you when you get back," and then returned to her book. Bucky wasn't too concerned if she knew what they were up to. As soon as the hotel door swung shut behind Steve, Bucky turned and pressed him against the wall and kissed him hard. He kissed back with intensity but pulled back shortly thereafter.
"Not in public."
Bucky looked up and down the hall. There wasn't anyone around. "Not public," he said and the kissed him again. Steve didn't make him stop for several minutes but when they did pull apart, Bucky smiled and grabbed his hand to lead him along. "Let's see if we can't find a real dark place outside."
"Sounds good," Steve agreed, his tone husky with want. Bucky smiled to himself and pulled him into the elevator for another kiss.
* . * . *
Hermione felt a little bad for running Bucky and Steve out of their hotel room. She could have been the one to go for a walk so they could have had some private time. She would just have to tell them for the next time to kick her out. Their hospitality in sharing the room shouldn't put a damper on the intimate moments they share on their own holiday. She read for another half hour and when they hadn't returned decided to get ready for bed. She could relax there and watch whatever was on the telly.
She set up on her side of the bed and flipped through the channels until she settled on something she could watch. She roused slightly when the telly clicked off and someone, Bucky she thought, climbed in the bed beside her. She felt his arm wrap around her waist before she fell back asleep.
She slept later the following morning than the previous two and lounged in the warm cocoon of blankets and body heat without moving for a while. When she heard Steve's soft, "Good morning, sunshine," she realized that she'd slept much later than she'd intended. She opened her eyes as she felt the bed dip again just in time to see Steve's face approaching hers. She flinched a little but he only pressed a light kiss to her forehead before there was a smacking sound where he must have kissed Bucky.
Her cocoon tightened for a moment as Bucky's arms squeezed around her and she heard him yawn. "S'a good morning," he mumbled.
"There was a sign in the lobby advertising a pool party and DJ tonight. I figured depending on the crowd, it might be a fun sort of thing to do."
"Yeah," Bucky agreed though it was distorted with another yawn.
Steve chuckled. "What do you think, Hermione? Pool party?"
"Oh, you're awake?" Bucky asked. He loosened his grip but didn't move away from her.
"That's fine," She stretched and made to sit up but Bucky still held on to her. She didn't really mind. "Oh, next time you two want... you know, alone time, you can kick me out. Make use of the Don't Disturb sign."
"Who said anything about alone time?" Steve asked.
She tilted her head and gave him a look which caused him to glance down bashfully.
"Maybe next time, you can join us," was Bucky's sleepy reply. He must have realized what he said because he quickly retracted the suggestion and rolled onto his back, taking away the excess warmth that had been so comforting. "No, I mean, umm, shit. Sorry. Just ignore me." He rolled from the bed and wandered towards the tiny shelf with the even smaller coffee maker there. "I just need some coffee."
"There's a Starbucks downstairs," Steve reminded him.
"Right, right..." Bucky looked down at his sweatpants and then grabbed a t-shirt from the nightstand on Steve's side of the bed, slipped his feet into his slides and left the room.
Hermione looked curiously from the door back to Steve. "Did he take his wallet?"
Steve folded his lips in like he was hiding his smile and shook his head. "No money and no keycard to get back in. Apparently, he can get flustered. Sorry, by the way," he said, giving her a shrug.
"It's not like he hasn't flirted with me before. I'm not sure what got him so embarrassed this time."
He made a contemplative face before saying, "Well, any other time, you weren't in his arms when he flirted. He probably thought he was making you uncomfortable."
There was a knock on the door and they both turned to look at it. Bucky's voice was muffled but he said through the door, "Steve, can you let me back in. I can't get coffee without my wallet." It was followed by a soft thud that Hermione thought might have been him dropping his forehead to the heavy door. She couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. Steve joined in even as he got up and headed towards the door to let Bucky back in the room.
* . * . *
Bucky was committed to a very lazy day. They'd had breakfast at Blu, the restaurant downstairs, and then spent a good portion of the morning relaxing on the beach. They decided on Taco Boy for lunch and went back to the hotel to veg in front of the TV in the afternoon. They walked to Woody's for dinner and though it wasn't New York pizza it was still sufficiently covered in cheese and grease so he was happy.
After dinner, they decided to stop by the pool to see what this party and DJ were about. By even Bucky's hermit-favouring qualities, the party was a dud. The pool had four or five teenagers splashing around and playing diving games and the DJ was playing such an eclectic mix of songs there wasn't a cohesive theme at all. None of the music was bad, though, and the bar was still opened and selling beer and cocktails so they each got something to drink and sat at one of the tables to listen to the music.
Steve even pulled Bucky to his feet when one of his old favourites started and they danced like morons and laughed at each other when it was over. "I'm going to go inside to the restroom really quick," Steve said, pressing a kiss next to Bucky's ear.
Bucky wandered back over to the table where Hermione was swaying with the newest song, something with a much slower tempo. He offered his hand to her and she seemed reluctant at first. "I'm not a good dancer."
"We'll do something simple. I promise I won't step on your toes." She rolled her eyes at him and stood. He pulled her close and set both his hands on her waist, not bothering with any fancy steps, just swaying back and forth in a simple slow dance. "See, your toes are safe with me."
She smiled. "Shouldn't you be worried about your toes?"
"Nah, I've got big feet. They can handle getting stepped on every so often." She laughed and shook her head. After another minute of dancing, he asked, "So, how's your vacation so far? Having fun?"
"I am, actually. I'm having a lot of fun. I didn't expect to. I told Luna I'd come because she booked it but I really had planned to work the entire time. I'm... glad might not be the right word for walking in on you two, but... I'm pleased with the way things turned out so far."
"Well, I'm glad our paths crossed. You seemed to need a real vacation, it sounded like, and it's been a lot of fun showing you our favourite places down here. I hope the rest of it goes as well as the first few days have gone."
"Me too," she said. She smiled and stepped closer, resting her head against his chest as they danced. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, content to just sway to the music with her. Steve came back out to the pool area and their eyes met. They shared a smile.
AN: I deliberately didn't name the beach and city but they're pretty easy to figure out from a quick Google search of the restaurant names, I think. I named the restaurants because I've been to all of them and I didn't say anything bad about them. I didn't name the hotel because I haven't actually been a guest there and I didn't represent them positively here. (It's just a trope; don't be mad at the actual hotel, they're probably pretty nice!)