[WWII AU] a brand new day

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky wakes in the predawn darkness, long before reveille would normally be called. He spends a few minutes reviewing the mission in his head before he rolls from his cot; there's no room to think about anything else. He meets Steve and the rest of the Howling Commandos at five-fifteen. As planned, they're on the move before the hour has passed.

It's a long day, a hard day, but in the end a successful day, for the most part. The hidden facility carved into the hillside is no more when they leave, HYDRA's agents defeated, their stockpiles destroyed. But there's still no sign of Schmidt, nor of Zola, and that remains incredibly frustrating.

Still, there's reason to celebrate today's win, and the squad's more or less exuberant on their return, some fourteen or so hours later. Steve disappears into the command tent to debrief with Colonel Phillips; Bucky'll catch up with him afterward, as usual. He spends a few minutes trading quips with the others before disappearing to weapons storage to see to his own rifle - also as usual. Something about taking care of it helps him feel like he's cleaning the blood off his own hands.

After that, he finds he's too restless to settle yet, and figures it's not the best idea for him to be around others until he sorts himself out. Bucky wanders along the edge of camp in the dark, then veers from the path and off into the field where he'd spent some time watching the stars only a couple of days ago.

It should be peaceful there, more or less.

Comments

[from_the_outside]

She spends the early morning in Stark's lab, under the watchful eye of Nurse Hart, then is kept for hours in meetings with Aunt Peggy and Colonel Phillips to determine what they ought to do with her. Chet Phillips isn't too keen on the idea of sending her out on recon missions, but she makes the best argument that she can. He agrees to a skill assessment later in the week, which is about the best she can hope for.

Aunt Peggy, seeing the frustration that clouds her brow at lunch, suggests a brief change of scenery. "I sent your measurements to the seamstress in town," she adds. "She should have your things ready for you by now anyway."

Like Bucky had said, the little town doesn't have much, but it's enough. The seamstress does have a packet wrapped neatly in brown paper and string for her, and she and Aunt Peggy spend an hour walking along the street, deep in conversation.

Of course, once it gets closer to the time when the Howling Commandos are scheduled to be back, Aunt Peggy has to take her leave. It gives Sharon some time to try on the new clothes and to arrange her new quarters, and, also, finally means she has enough time on her hands that she can't avoid thoughts of home any longer.

What are Fury and Selvig doing? Do they need some kind of anchor or map to find her and bring her back? Has anyone told her parents?

When she can't escape the storm of thoughts anymore, she pushes out through the tent door. The new slacks she's wearing cause a minor traffic accident some twenty yards away, but she ignores it, makes her way to the outside of the camp where she's not likely to run into anyone.

There are no answers in the field where she first arrived. She stands in the grass at the spot Howard and his assistants had marked, the spot where she landed, and slips her hands into her pockets as she looks up at the sky.

No door opens. No portal pulls her back. And she's beginning to wonder if she ever really will get home.

[nerves_of_ice]

Someone’s already there when he arrives. Bucky sees the faint shape of a figure as he approaches and shifts unconsciously into mission mode, stalking ghost-silent into the edge of the field and using the trees as cover. Who the hell is this, and how did they—

The person shifts, and as moonlight plays over golden hair and the lines of her figure in trim slacks, Bucky stares.

“Agent Carter.” He steps out into view, smiling - and unlike a few minutes ago, it’s not forced at all. “You look amazing.”

[from_the_outside]

Sharon half-turns, her hands still in her pockets, watching as he steps out from the treeline. "Sergeant Barnes."

Her mouth quirks into a teasing half-smile. "We've got to stop meeting like this."

[nerves_of_ice]

“If you say so.” He walks a little closer, so that he’s as clearly visible as she is.

“Do you want to be alone?” She’s probably out here for a reason, after all.

[from_the_outside]

"No."

If it were one of the others, maybe... but they're kind of starting to become friends, aren't they? Besides, a little company might not be such a bad thing when she's in a mood like this. "I was just taking a walk."

She turns to face him more fully as he steps further out into the field. "What brought you out here?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“I was taking a walk,” he parrots, with a faint smile.

“No, seriously, I was. I…do that, sometimes. After. It went well,” he hastens to assure her. “Everyone’s okay.”

[from_the_outside]

She nods. It's no strange thing to want to clear his head after a mission; she's familiar with the feeling herself. "I'm glad to hear that."

Sharon considers him, standing there in the moonlight. He looks tired. "Do you want to be alone?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Not especially.” He’d much rather lose himself in her company. Bucky comes a few steps closer and offers her his arm.

“Take a walk with me?” he invites.

[from_the_outside]

Her smile flickers into existence again. "Why not?" she says, and comes to take his arm. "Seeing as we're both already out taking walks."

Or avoiding thoughts. Tomato tomahto. She glances over at him. "Did you get back a while ago?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Uh-huh.” He tucks her hand into the crook of his arm and starts to walk with her across the field, slowly enough that she’ll have no trouble with the unfamiliar footing.

“Steve’s in with Colonel Phillips, and the guys are scattered for now. They’ll probably be at the pub later, most of them at least.”

[from_the_outside]

She hums acknowledgment and keeps pace at his side as they stroll slowly over the grass.

"Are you planning to join them?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Maybe. I do sometimes.” He slants a teasing look at her.

“Are you?”

[from_the_outside]

"Probably not tonight."

It's one thing to have his quiet company and another to spend hours in a crush of people and socialization. "But it was fun last night."

[from_the_outside]

Unsurprisingly, it's difficult to sleep. She keeps replaying it all in her head over and over until exhaustion finally wins out: the walk, the dance, the kisses. When she wakes up to reveille in the morning, she wonders if it was all just a dream.

Howard expects her in the lab at oh-eight-hundred this morning, so she washes and does her hair and makeup – she's getting faster at both – and dresses once more in the slacks and shirt she'd worn the night before, then makes her way across the camp to the lab, where she knows the assistants will have coffee ready before the experiments begin.

[nerves_of_ice]

It had been an unarguable relief to spend the rest of the evening with Steve. There's something about being around his best friend that settles his spirit, and he thinks Steve feels the same way. They'd quietly talked through the mission and plans for the next day's follow-up, then Bucky had mentioned running into Sharon and later Peggy.

Steve had given him a sharp, searching look. "You seem pretty taken with her, pal," he observed. Bucky shrugged. "She's pretty special, you have to admit that. Not to mention the whole future thing."

It takes him a while to fall asleep once he lies down on his cot, one hand under his head and staring up at the ceiling of the tent above him. He keeps thinking about dancing with Sharon under the stars. Eventually, when he goes under, it's with a smile on his face.

Morning finds him over at the lab tent early. Howard had settled for daily readings when he can get them, and since Bucky was gone the entire previous day on the mission, it's just as well to get today's set out of the way first thing. Turns out the lab assistants have rigged some kind of harness with the sensors built in, so it's the work of a moment to slip the thing on.

"Put your shirt on," the inventor orders, bleary-eyed over his coffee. Bucky frowns at him. "Why?"

"Because I said so," Howard says, exasperated. "Don't test me, Barnes, I'm not awake yet."

Bucky shrugs and starts pulling his shirt back over his head. He's halfway into it when he hears the crash of a mug hitting a table.

[from_the_outside]

Bucky's already there when she comes in, tugging his shirt over his head. She gets a glimpse of lean stomach and glances away – then turns sharply as an assistant bends to collect their dropped mug, coffee spilling over the table and dripping over the edge.

"Everything okay over here?" Sharon asks, going to help the man mop up the spill. "Please tell me there's more coffee."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Uh, yes ma’am, all the coffee you want,” the assistant stammers. “I, just let me clean this up, and I’ll get you a mug—-“

“Well, hello there, Agent Carter,” Howard purrs. Bucky finishes struggling back into his shirt, having gotten mildly tangled in the harness, and blinks at the sight of the inventor circling his work table to approach Sharon, who’s dressed again in those gorgeous slacks that fit her perfectly. “Coffee, you say? Come right this way.”

[from_the_outside]

She eyes Howard as she follows him towards the side table where a carafe of coffee waits. "You're being suspiciously nice to me," she observes.

"Let me guess: you've got some new experiment you want to try?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“I can be nice,” Howard protests, as he pours her cup full for her. Across the lab, Bucky swallows a laugh.

[from_the_outside]

"Can be, yes," Sharon agrees, in the kind of tone that adds but you never are. She takes the mug after Howard adds a little milk and sips at the coffee, then nods to Bucky across the way. She doesn't smile, but the look in her eyes warms considerably.

"Good morning, Sergeant."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Good morning, Agent Carter,” he replies, politely. “You’re looking very nice today.”

He wonders if she’ll make the connection between her attire and the others’ reaction.

[from_the_outside]

"Thank you, Sergeant."

She certainly feels better, wearing slacks instead of a skirt. Maybe she'll be able to eventually get a uniform with pants instead of a skirt, too, so she doesn't have to wander around the camp in civilian clothing.

As she sips at her coffee, Nurse Hart bustles through the door. Her glance falls on Sharon first, as if she's making sure no one's tried to strip her charge down before she arrived. "Good morning, agent," she says, and, more coolly: "Mr. Stark."

[nerves_of_ice]

Howard grimaces, very slightly. “Lieutenant.” He turns to one of the assistants. “Harry, show the lieutenant how the new harness is rigged, okay?”

Bucky sits patiently while the usual pair of lab techs circle him, checking the harness fit under his clothing. “You guys should swing by the pub some night. Get out of the lab,” he suggests.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon sips at her coffee as the assistant shows Nurse Hart a light harness wired up with all the sensors already in place. "So it can go under her shirt," he says, and gestures at Bucky. "The Sergeant's already wearing his."

The nurse carefully checks everything, then nods, satisfied, and lifts the harness as Sharon heads into the makeshift changing area. It's the work of a moment to slip the harness on and for Nurse Hart to adjust it, then to put her shirt over it again.

She comes back out once she's dressed, and the lab assistants descend to finish hooking the wires of the harness to the boxes and machinery nearby. "This is an improvement," she observes, taking a seat on a stool near Bucky.

[nerves_of_ice]

"It is," he agrees. "Guess he got tired of how much of a mess it was before."

"Inefficient," Howard says, having overheard this as he moved closer. He studies the leads trailing out from under their clothes. "As long as the sensors make contact properly, this should work better."

Howard gives Sharon a charming smile. "Everything fitting okay?"