[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]

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."

[nerves_of_ice]

“I’m glad you had fun.”

He glances at her again, a little smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“You really do look amazing in that outfit. Like you stepped straight out of Hollywood. Like Lauren Bacall, or someone like that.”

[from_the_outside]

"Lauren Bacall?" She glances down at herself and huffs a laugh. "I think that's the nicest compliment I've ever gotten. Thanks."

Looking back up, she shrugs, slightly. "Aunt Peggy had gotten a seamstress in town to make me a few things. I feel like I shouldn't really be wearing that uniform unless I'm actually working for the SSR, so..."

She gestures to herself. "Civvies."

[nerves_of_ice]

"It's probably just a matter of paperwork," he points out. "Assuming you want to work for the SSR, that is."

"But don't let that stop you from wearing those. Really."

[from_the_outside]

"That good, huh?"

She can't help but laugh. "Too bad you can't see what I usually wear at home."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Okay, I'll bite. What kinds of things do you usually wear?"

Bucky grins at her. "If it's anything like that uniform of yours..."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon laughs again and nods. "That, pretty often," she admits. "But not when I'm just at home or going out."

She glances up at the sky, trying to think of the best way to explain. "Blue jeans are a thing by now, right?"

She's reasonably sure they are. "They have a way of making them down the line where the material is thin and soft and stretchy. They fit almost like hose. Or like the bottom of my white uniform. And... sleeveless shirts. Kind of like men's undershirts, or like those bathing suits from the twenties, you know?"

The look she slants him is teasing. "Maybe a dress, now and again. If I'm going out somewhere fancy."

[nerves_of_ice]

He lets out a low whistle. "You'd have the entire camp at your feet, more than they are already."

Bucky flashes her a quick grin. "Who knows, what with this resonance or whatever, maybe I could follow you to the future for a visit when you go. See for myself."

[from_the_outside]

It's just a stupid joke. She's surprised by the breathless rush of want that floods her when he makes it.

If she could bring him to the future – if she could save him –

"Maybe," she tells him, unwilling for that brilliant grin to dim. "I think you'd like it there. You're kind of a modern guy, Bucky Barnes."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I like the sound of that." He chuckles a little. "You know, the first time I saw Howard Stark, it wasn't here. It was on stage at the World of Tomorrow exposition, the night before I shipped out. He was trying to show off a flying car."

[from_the_outside]

"A flying car, huh?"

She can just picture it. "How did that work out for him?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Not great. It crashed right there on stage."

He grins at her. "I guess the road to the future's a little rocky."

[from_the_outside]

"It always is."

She looks back over at him, unable not to smile back at that grin. "World of Tomorrow exposition, huh? Must have been something pretty special for you to go on your last night at home."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Yeah, it was." His smile's a little softer now, a little wistful. "'Make way for tomorrow today,' that was the theme. Stark put it on to make up for the World's Fair being cancelled because of the war. It was something, all right. All kinds of stuff that inventors could dream up. The car, a model of a synthetic man, television you could smell."

Bucky glances down at her. "I guess you probably think it sounds silly, though, being from the actual future and all."

[from_the_outside]

"Not at all."

If anything, she wishes the future that comes were more like the one the scientists of the exposition imagined. "I think it sounds great."

Optimistic, idealistic, full of hope. What's not to like? "Sounds like you enjoyed it."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I did. But I've always liked that stuff," he admits. "Stories about other worlds, that kind of thing."

Bucky shakes his head, dismissing his foolish dreams. "You know that's where Steve met Erskine, right? The Army had a recruiting station there, with an SSR presence."

[from_the_outside]

"I think I remember hearing something like that."

But she's more interested in what he'd dismissed earlier, like it doesn't matter. "You mean like books and movies? Films, I mean?"

There's something impossibly sweet about Bucky Barnes being a science fiction nerd. The niggling thought that he'd love it in her future nudges a little harder at the back of her brain. "Any favorites?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Uh-huh." She doesn't seem to think it's stupid, at least not that he can tell. Bucky slants a slightly searching look at her.

"Books, films, short stories - magazines and pulp fiction, you know. There's one called Astounding, and another, Amazing Stories - they usually have neat stuff. There's this one guy named Asimov who writes some pretty good yarns. And an adventure serial about some guy called Flash Gordon that's ridiculous, but kind of fun."

He shrugs, just a little, and angles their direction toward the side of the field, toward the trees there.

"I read this one book, the Hobbit, a few years back when it came out. The paper said it was really good for older kids, so I got it for Cora and Katie and read it to them. It was pretty neat."

[from_the_outside]

"I know Asimov," she tells him, as they stroll towards the edge of the trees. "And The Hobbit, too."

If she could -- if there's a way -- he'd love to see the movies made out of those books, probably. And -- Lord of the Rings hasn't even been written yet, has it? There's a moment of flabbergasted realization at how much of her frame of reference simply doesn't exist yet before she shakes it off and smiles at him. "You know, those types of stories are still really popular in my time. Maybe even more than they are now."

[nerves_of_ice]

"You do? Their stuff is still around?" He looks utterly delighted by that.

"That's so great. That's amazing."

[from_the_outside]

"It is," she assures him. "And going strong. People still love those stories. You're just at the forefront of the wave."

Her smile is a little crooked, but warm. "Told you you were kind of modern."