[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.

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[nerves_of_ice]

The quick flash of his smile is bright in the dim light. “I like it when you tease me,” he tells her. “It’s fun. I just didn’t want you to think badly of me.”

He hesitates, then raises his hand to brush her hair back from her face, slow and deliberate, ready to stop if she protests in any way at all. “But I’m not a complete gentleman.”

[from_the_outside]

"I don't," she promises. "I don't think badly of you at all. I like you."

But then he lifts his hand and her breath catches in her chest like a fish on a hook. "No?" she murmurs, tipping her head into his touch and watching him with warm dark eyes. "Well, that's not so bad. I'm not much of a lady."

[nerves_of_ice]

She tilts her head into his hand and he feels his heartbeat accelerate. Bucky touches her again, this time slowly drawing his fingers through the waves of her hair.

“You seem like quite the lovely lady to me,” he murmurs.

[from_the_outside]

"Novelty," she whispers, but she's not sure even she believes it anymore. His fingers run through her hair and a frisson of warmth shudders down into her stomach. Carefully, she sets her hands against his chest, palms flat and fingers light on the material of his uniform.

[nerves_of_ice]

She can feel the race of his heart, he’s sure of it. His eyes are dark and intent as he searches her face.

“Will you let me kiss you?”

[from_the_outside]

"Oh, god."

It comes out groaned, like a reflex, like she's been hit in the stomach. Her fingers tighten against fabric. "If you don't, I'm going to explode."

[nerves_of_ice]

He laughs at that, soft and quick, as he slides his fingers into her hair and curves them around the back of her neck, tilting her head up. “We can’t have that,” he murmurs, and sets his other hand at her waist as he leans down.

He kisses her sweetly, slow and lingering, taking his time about it as he enjoys the feel of her mouth against his.

[from_the_outside]

She breathes in once, sharply, then slides a hand up to curve at his neck as he leans down to her. His mouth is warm and sweet and she can feel this kiss all the way from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

She kisses him back, as sweetly as she knows how, melting into his taste and touch and the warm solidity of him against her.

[nerves_of_ice]

A small shiver runs through him at the touch of her hand on his neck. He breaks the kiss long enough for them to breathe, then kisses her again.

[from_the_outside]

A soft sound escapes her as he kisses her again, and she threads her fingers up through the short, soft hair at the nape of his neck, marveling at being allowed, at being wanted.

She presses herself a little closer, her heart racing.

[nerves_of_ice]

She shifts closer to him, warm and soft, and he’s only human, after all. His arm goes around her waist, holding her, and he keeps kissing her, sweet, lazy, lingering kisses.

He has to stop. They have to stop, and he will. Soon. After just another kiss, or maybe two.

[from_the_outside]

He kisses her and kisses her and kisses her again, sweet and lingering, his arm warm around her waist and in her hair. Her arms slip up around his neck as he holds her close, and she kisses him back over and over, losing herself in the feel of his mouth and the sound of his breath, her own heart beating like a drum.

[nerves_of_ice]

He groans deep in his chest as she winds her arms around his neck and kisses her one last time before he makes himself pull back a little. Bucky tips his forehead against hers and just holds her, his breathing ragged and unsteady.

[from_the_outside]

Her breath comes fast and light and her eyes are closed. When she finally manages to open them to look back at him, they’re dark and intent.

She just breathes for a moment, her forehead nudged against his, and curves her hand gently at the back of his head.

[nerves_of_ice]

He smiles at the feel of her touch, at the way she looks at him, his own glance just as intent. "There you are," he murmurs.

[from_the_outside]

“Right here.”

In this moment, there’s nowhere else she’d rather be; not even back in her own time. Her fingers toy lightly with his hair, and she smiles back up at him. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

[nerves_of_ice]

He chuckles. "Not sure I've been called that before."

[from_the_outside]

“There’s a first time for everything.”

But he is: impossible. Sweet and funny and somehow wanting her back.

And impossible. She can’t stay here, can’t make this real. It’s hard enough already. She should never have let him kiss her.

But she doesn’t want him to stop. “Kiss me again.”

[nerves_of_ice]

The look in his eyes shifts, becoming darker and more intense with how much he wants.

Kiss her again? He could no more say no to that sweet request than he could stop breathing. "Gladly," Bucky murmurs, and leans down to do so. He kisses her sweetly, lingering, then nips gently at her lower lip the way she had before, coaxing her to let him deepen the kiss - if she'll allow, and only then.

[from_the_outside]

She makes a soft sound and parts her lips to kiss him more deeply, simmering want racing through her veins. His arm feels so good around her, and the taste of his mouth is so addictive. All she wants is to lose herself in this moment and this kiss, pressing herself to him with her arms wound around his neck.

[nerves_of_ice]

He groans against her mouth as she makes that small noise, as she presses her long, lean, curvy body to his, and plunges his fingers into her hair as he angles her head and kisses her back with rising passion, tightening his arm around her.

[from_the_outside]

A lurch of desire rockets through her as he buries his hand in her hair, as he kisses her so deeply she feels like she’s drowning in it, or about to catch flame.

It seems impossible that the woods around them are so quiet; it feels like fire should be licking at their feet. Every touch is electric, each kiss only making her want one more. “Bucky,” she murmurs, when this one breaks, and tries to catch her breath.

[nerves_of_ice]

He wrenches himself back under control at the sound of his name, even as it sends another sharp flash of desire singing through his veins. “Sharon,” he whispers back. “Sharon.”

Bucky forces himself to take his arm from around her, his hand from her hair, and puts his hands lightly on her arms. He trails his fingers down to her wrists, then takes gentle hold and brings her hands together in front of him. He presses a kiss to each of her palms and looks up at her, his gaze nearly searing in its intensity, did he but know it.

[from_the_outside]

She licks at her bottom lip and takes a deep breath of the cool air, feeling her hands tremble as he takes them, as he presses a sweet kiss to each of her palms. When he looks back up at her, she smiles, sweet and slight, then huffs a laugh. “You’ve got - “

She tugs one hand free and runs her thumb over his bottom lip, where she can clearly see a smudge of her lipstick. “This red is really a very fetching shade on you.”

[nerves_of_ice]

He laughs at that, soft and low. “I just bet. Here, let’s see—“

Bucky digs in a pocket and comes up with a clean handkerchief. Before he wipes his own lips, he puts his fingers under her chin and tips her face up to the sky. “Let me,” he murmurs, dabbing with a corner of the cloth at a lipstick smudge, then running his thumb gently over her lips to even out the color that remains.