The idea struck Sam one day when his partner stormed in particularly upset about modern technology.
“I mean, what even are these?” He had griped with one AirPod in each hand. He shook them, growing more frazzled as he looked at them.
“They’re AirPods, old man.” Sam said slightly grinning.
Moments like those always give him a laugh. Watching Bucky rant about modern day gadgets is very entertaining. Whether it be smartphones or televisions, something about Bucky’s irritation made him chuckle.
“Well, they’re...dumb!” He flung them on the countertop in front of him, flailing his arms in defeat.
Sam folded his arms as he awaited for the comical ‘back in my day’ line.
“You know,” Bucky began, “back in my day-“
Sam scoffed at his predictability before laughing,
“Here we go.” He said.
“We didn’t have AirPods or touchscreens. We didn’t need them. I remember there would be a live band playing.” Bucky gazed at the ceiling, recalling something seemingly specific from his past.
“The girls would wait for the guys to come up to them, and after being pushed forward by a bunch of your boys, you’d manage to muster up the courage to ask her if she’d like to dance. You’d walk to the dance floor, arm and arm, and pray the band wouldn’t play anything fast paced because there wasn’t a way in hell you were gonna make a fool out of yourself trying to do the Jitterbug.” He scoffed, chewing his bottom lip as he continued drifting into nostalgia.
Sam gazed at him, drifting into a fantasy of his own - hitting the dance floor with Bucky, his hand firm, but gentle on his hip. They sway to the soft music the band plays for a moment until the song ends. An upbeat song starts up, and Sam laughs at Bucky’s bashful face as everyone around them quickens their moves.
“And you just dance. Together. And it’s a good moment while it lasts, then the song ends and the night comes to an end. You remember that you can’t dance your way out of what lies ahead for you. You kiss her hand and that’s it. It’s a good moment while it lasts.”
Sam gazed at him with sorrow in his eyes. Bucky snapped out of his trance.
“Or, you know, having a record player is always nice, but this century and their ‘Bluetooth speakers’ and their stupid ‘AirPods’. You guys are just ridiculous. Do they even sell records anymore?”
That is the question Sam went off to answer that following morning. There was an antique store not to far from his home that might could help him out with his quest.
“Its one of a kind. It’ll cost you a pretty penny.” The owner explained to him.
Sam could not care less about the price.
“I’ll take it. You got any records to go with it?” He asked.
The man pointed him to the minimal vinyl selection. Sam scrolled through them, trying to find something from Bucky’s time.
“Say, what do you want with this old piece of junk anyway?” The owner inquired.
Sam sighed, “Well, I got me another old piece of junk at home that I think might really like it.”
The old man groaned as he lifted the record player over to the counter. Sam continued sifting through the vinyls until he finally stumbled on something that might be of value.
“Hey, uh, do you know what era Sinatra is by any chance?”
-
Sam grunted when he finally set the old thing down. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath and stretched on the dock.
“What on Earth is that?” Sarah asked, standing behind him.
Sam moved out of the way so she could get a better look at it. She grinned and tilted her head.
“Bucky ain’t here yet, is he? It’s kind of for him.” He asked her.
Her smile grew bigger.
“Samuel,” she slapped his upper arm playfully, “look at you. Buying gifts for your boy. That’s the sweetest.”
Sam rolled his eyes.
“Is he here or not, Sarah?”
“No,” she said, “I sent him and the boys out grocery shopping. Here, I’ll go grab you some things to to get it all cleaned it up. It’s dusty as hell.”
Sam gave it a deep clean with the wipes he was provided with. The record player shined in the setting sun. It still smelled like the antique store if you get close enough. Still, it looked like it was new.
“Sarah told me I’d find you out here.” A voice said behind him.
Sam turned around swiftly. “Bucky,” he breathed, not expecting him to be there.
He made his way over to Sam, peeking behind his body to see what he was working on.
“What are you doing out here by your...”
His mouth fell open. His eyes widened and glittered like a child on Christmas morning. He moved faster toward it, eager to see it up close, to touch it. Sam stepped out of his way, accepting his surprise was foiled.
“Where did,” he said breathlessly.
He was in awe. He twisted all the knobs and fiddled with the arm with wonder plastered all over his face. He looked to Sam, who noted how he was basically glowing in his head. He was pretty.
“Where did you get this?”
Sam shrugged, “Just some store in town. You know, it was supposed to be a surprise, but your nosy ass kind of ruined it.”
Bucky was stunned.
“A-a surprise? For me?” He stammered. He wanted to make sure.
“Yes, f-for you, idiot.” He mocked him, “I couldn’t keep listening to you bitch and moan about how much you hate AirPods, so I thought this would get you to shut up.”
Bucky glided his fingers across the top of it before looking at Sam again.
“You didn’t have to do this for me, Sam.” Bucky muttered.
“Well, it was either this or a jukebox.” Sam joked, earning a soft laugh from Bucky.
He opened his mouth to speak again, but Sam interjected.
“Don’t give me that ‘I don’t deserve this, Sam. You should return it’ bullshit, alright? Just shut up and accept the gift because I spent a long time getting this thing cleaned up and-“
“Thank you.” Bucky cut him off.
His words and expression was genuine. Sam huffed heavily before replying, “Don’t mention it.”
“It’s beautiful.” Bucky said.
A million thoughts entered Sams head. One of them being ‘So are you’. The other 999,999 being variations of ‘Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t you dare say it.’
“Yeah,” he managed to swallow his thoughts down,
“I haven’t tested it out yet. I,uh, bought this record. It was the only thing they had from your...time, I guess. I know it’s basic, but-“ Sam held up the Ultimate Sinatra vinyl. It was just a plain and simple greatest hits type album.
Bucky laughed, “Oh, man,” he beamed, taking the record and pulling it out of the pocket.
“I remember girls were obsessed with him when all the men got drafted. I definitely wouldn’t call it basic.”
Bucky placed the record inside and gently hovered the needle over it until it was properly in place. The first song began to pour out and the scratching of the record player combined with the smoothness of the song immediately transported Bucky back to those days. Those days before the war, before he was a super soldier.
He breathed in the music. With his eyes closed and a grin on his face, he began to sway his hips to the song. Sam tried to distract himself by reading the slip the record came in. The song that was playing was ‘On The Sunny Side of the Street.’ It apparently hit the spot for Bucky.
“Look at you.” Sam glanced up at him then diverted his eyes back to the track list he was reading.
Bucky opened his eyes and pulled Sam to him by his wrist causing him to drop what he was reading.
“Dance with me, won’t you, Samuel?” He asked, his hips sill swaying.
“I don’t even know the song.” He protested.
“Neither do I.” He said, “here,” Bucky slid his hand to Sams waist.
His breathing hitched as soon he felt it. Bucky pulled him in closer as he instructed Sam.
“Put your hand on my shoulder, and the other...”
Their hands were intertwined before either of them had the chance to think about it. They both stood still, connected with each other as they grasped the reality of what was happening.
“You can slow dance, can’t you, Sam?” Bucky asked as he started to do so.
Sam doesn’t answer his question. Instead allowing his body to do the talking for the next minute and thirty seconds. The pair did not utter a word throughout the duration of that time. The only sounds were the music, the small rippling of the water surrounding them, and the creaking of the old dock beneath their shoes.
The song ended. They still did not speak. Even after they reluctantly released each other as the next song began. They did not say a word. Sam just gave him a pleased look before bringing Bucky’s hand to his lips and planting a soft kiss on his knuckles.
Sam dropped his hand and began to walk back inside. Leaving Bucky with his heart on the verge of exploding. He sighed as he looked at the record player.
“So you’re just gonna make me carry my own gift inside?” He called out to him.
Sam turned around and smiled brightly,
“Yep!”
Sam shook his head. He lifted the needle and cut off the music before shutting the lid and carrying it away from the dock.
After about a year of having it in their possession and expanding their vinyl collection, Bucky took one of his pocket knives to the old record player, carving into the wood
S+B
“Grab your coat
Don't forget your hat
But leave your worries
Leave 'em on the doorstep
Just direct your feet
To the sun sunny side of the street”