[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]

"Oh, yeah?"

Her grin flashes white in the moonlight. "She learned from the best, huh?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He attempts a look of extreme innocence.

"I don't know that I can take the credit - er, blame - for that. She might be just naturally talented."

[from_the_outside]

"Something tells me it runs in the family."

She gives him a teasing glance, then looks back out ahead of them. No sense in tripping over another root.

[nerves_of_ice]

He looks amused. "Maybe. Anything's possible, I guess."

They're coming up on the edge of the field, and he glances over at her. "Do you want to keep going?"

[from_the_outside]

"Sure."

She looks back over at him, meeting his glance. "Do you?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He smiles at her. "Yes, I do. We could keep going around the field, or..."

Bucky points at a little path that snakes between the trees and curves away. "That leads around eventually to that hill I showed you before."

He studies her expression. "But I guess that depends on what you came out here for. If you want to stay near the field, that is."

[from_the_outside]

She looks back at him. After a moment, she shakes her head. "I don't need to stay near the field."

There aren't any answers here for her, anyway. She didn't really think there would be.

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods. "I wasn't sure if you were just looking for some quiet, or if you wanted to, well, you know. Feel closer to home."

His tone is very, very gentle.

[from_the_outside]

She glances at him, then ahead as they stroll slowly towards the path through the trees.

"I thought maybe I'd feel something," she says, finally. It has the tone of a confession, a reluctant admission. "A pull, or..."

Sharon shrugs and shakes her head. "But there isn't anything."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I can't imagine what you must be feeling. Is there anything I can do? Anything at all?"

[from_the_outside]

She's ready with a quip, but it dies on her lips when she hears his voice and looks into his face. He's so sincere; achingly so.

"You're already doing a lot," she replies, her voice soft. Her smile is flickering, but warm. "You're my first friend here."

[nerves_of_ice]

He puts his hand over hers on his arm and smiles back at her.

"But not your last," he promises.

[from_the_outside]

His hand is warm and gentle, just like it was yesterday in the lab, and Sharon's free hand comes to rest over it, light. "Not my last," she agrees.

"But don't worry, soldier boy. I couldn't forget about you."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'll hope that's a good thing," he teases, lightly.

[from_the_outside]

"Jury's still out," she says, archly, and winks at him.

"You, know, there's one thing about the future I don't think you'd like very much." Sharon looks over at him, her lips quirking. "People really don't go dancing very often."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Is that so?” he marvels.

Without missing a beat, he adds, “Then we better make sure you have lots of chances while you’re here.”

[from_the_outside]

"Somehow I don't think that will be a problem."

She curls her fingers around his to squeeze his hand, light, then lift her hand away to slip it into her pocket.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Oh, it won't." He squeezes her other hand in turn, then lets go and keeps escorting her along the narrow path.

"I've always been a city boy," he offers, after a second or two, "but there's something nice about this. I found it when I was checking angles around camp."

[from_the_outside]

"It reminds me of the woods in Virginia, a little."

She looks over at him. "I can see how it might be a real change from Brooklyn. But you seem pretty comfortable in it."

[nerves_of_ice]

He shrugs, very slightly, and carefully keeps his glance on the trail. "I guess I've gotten used to sneaking around in the woods."

[from_the_outside]

"You're not sneaking right now," she murmurs, watching him.

"Is that what you feel like you do? Sneak around the woods?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Well, I do a lot of it," he says, and looks over at her. His expression's probably hard to read in the dim light, he figures, but he keeps it as neutral as he can anyway.

"I'm the squad's sniper, if you didn't know."

[from_the_outside]

She nods, neither admitting nor denying.

"How do you feel about that?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"What's to feel?" he asks. "It needs doing, and I'm good at it. Really good at it. I keep Steve safe. I keep them all safe."

[from_the_outside]

"I'm sure you do."

Something that isn't quite a wry smile presses at the corner of her mouth and is gone again. "I just know that kind of thing can wear on a person. But you're right. It's important. And it needs doing."

She watches him a moment. "I'm glad they've all got you watching their backs."