[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]

"Thanks – "

She lifts her hand from his arm and sets it on his shoulder for balance as she steps up, blinking in the dark.

[nerves_of_ice]

She braces her hand on his shoulder, and he sets both of his at her waist and lifts her up and over the ruined wood and back down to the path beyond, as easily as if it were an aerial in a dance.

"There you go," he murmurs.

[from_the_outside]

"Wha – "

She's not the largest woman in the world, but she has no idea how he lifted her so easily. Her hands come unthinking to his shoulders as her feet settle back on the path, and she blinks up at him. "Well, that was impressive."

[nerves_of_ice]

He smiles down at her, his eyes sparkling with laughter.

"I said you could fly, didn't I, angel?"

[from_the_outside]

"I don't think it counts if someone else is picking me up," she points out, but she's laughing, too, utterly charmed and not even trying to keep from feeling it.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Sure it does." Her laughter's the best thing he's heard all day, and he can't help but tease, "Want to try it again?"

[from_the_outside]

It's stupid and childish and maybe that's why she doesn't hesitate to laugh and nod.

When was the last time she felt playful? "Okay," she tells him, setting her hands on his shoulders. "Go again."

[nerves_of_ice]

"You bet," he says, placing his hands back at her waist with a brilliant smile. Bucky lifts her up high into the air as he turns in an improvised dance step or two, laughing up at her as he spins once, twice, and a final half-turn before setting her lightly back down on the path.

[from_the_outside]

She squeaks and then her laugh peals out, clear as a ringing bell, as he lifts her and spins them both, sending her hair flying out in an arc of carefully set waves.

It wouldn't surprise her if music started playing, because she seems to have fallen into a movie musical, where the part of Bucky Barnes is being played by Gene Kelley and she's suddenly turned into Vera-Ellen. There's nothing, of course, but the quiet of the woods and her own laugh as he sets her back down again. One hand lifts briefly to the side of his neck, the other stays at his shoulder as she laughs up at him, her eyes crinkled at the corners.

[nerves_of_ice]

Her hand is warm against his neck, and he leans the slightest bit into her touch as he grins back down at her.

"There. An angel," he says, with certainty.

[from_the_outside]

She bites at her bottom lip, studying him, then laughs again. "No wings," she points out. "Just a girl getting swept off her feet."

She pauses a beat, then teases: "Literally."

[nerves_of_ice]

"My pleasure," he promises, low and warm. The rest of the day seems distant and long ago now, here with this beautiful laughing woman who bites her lip in a way that he finds utterly enchanting.

Her hand's still on his shoulder, the other at his throat. His hands tighten at her waist, just a little, and this time he lifts her much more carefully, the single spin he makes slow and deliberate before he lowers her to the ground again.

[from_the_outside]

He lifts her so easily that she doesn't even have to brace her hands at his shoulder. This spin is slow, and she smiles down into his face as he turns them, her hair falling over her shoulders toward him until he sets her down again.

She lands a little closer than before, and the hand that had been at the side of his neck shifts, curving gently at his nape. "Getting tired?"

[nerves_of_ice]

A faint shiver runs through him as her fingers brush over the back of his neck.

"Not even a little," he murmurs, searching her face. "Want to fly some more?"

[from_the_outside]

She feels like a kid, happy and carefree and light as a feather. "One more," she requests, looking up into his face.

One more, before she needs to put her feet back on the ground again.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky grins, and it's a bright and shining thing. "Yes, ma'am," he teases, and lifts her into the air again with surprising ease.

Since it's the last time he's got to make it good, he figures. He spins them both around as he turns, slow, slow, quick-quick slow, in a modified foxtrot for the forest path.

Bucky manages to keep her aloft through three repetitions, then settles her back down to the ground at the end of it, smiling down at her with pleased mischief at his choice apparent, keeping his hands on her waist to steady her and make sure she's not dizzy.

[from_the_outside]

She laughs when she realizes what he's doing, and as he sets her lightly back down on the path, she hums the first few bars of 'Moonlight Serenade', her mouth quirking into a smile.

"If you wanted another dance," she points out, "you could have just asked."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I definitely want to dance with you again," Bucky tells her, amused. "As many times as I can."

[from_the_outside]

"Okay."

Her hands are still at his shoulders, where they dropped when he lifted her again. "Whenever you want."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky gives her a sweet smile. "I don't have a record player out here," he coaxes, "but it's not far to the hillside. Come dance with me under the stars, in the moonlight."

[from_the_outside]

He means it, she can tell, and her smile grows, brilliant. "Okay," she murmurs again, and lifts her hands finally from his shoulders, stepping back.

It's too bad she'd left her phone, powered down, in her quarters. He'd probably love hearing music come out of its tiny speakers. "Let's go."

[nerves_of_ice]

Courteously, he lets go of her as soon as she moves back, then offers her his arm again.

"It really isn't far," he promises.

[from_the_outside]

She slips her hand into the crook of his arm and tips her head at the path. "Good," she says, and smiles a little.

If this is a dream, she doesn't want to wake up yet.

[nerves_of_ice]

He smiles down at her, then steps forward and leads her carefully along the trail and through the trees until they reach the edge, where everything opens up. From this angle the slope's much more gradual, more like a meadow than a steep hill.

Bucky looks up at the sky, then back at her as he offers his other hand for her to take.

[from_the_outside]

She sets her hand lightly in his and looks up at the sky, amazed all over again by the scattering of stars across its dark face.

After a second, she looks back at him, smiling. "What kind of dance were you thinking?"