[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

[nerves_of_ice]

He gives her a quick sideways grin, then steps forward again to the head of the line. "Hi, Specialist Wilkins," he says, and the redheaded, freckled young man who's acting as post office attendant grins back at him. "Hey Sarge - er, hi, Sergeant Barnes," he corrects, noticing Sharon. "Just dropping off today?"

"No, I need more V-Mail pages," Bucky says. "So does Captain Rogers, if he hasn't come by already - I can take his, if you like. And Agent Carter, here, needs some too."

[from_the_outside]

"Sure thing," says Wilkins, holding out his hand for Bucky's letter first. "I'll get those right away."

"I need some too, huh?" Sharon murmurs, as the freckled young man turns away, whistling as he selects several of the small sheets.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky shrugs. "It'll make it easier for you to write if you have them. If you decide you want to."

[from_the_outside]

It's pretty optimistic of him to think she'll eventually end up writing to anyone, but it's sweet and thoughtful and it's not like there's any harm in it. She can just give the pages to him or one of the other Howling Commandos so they don't go unused.

Wilkins reappears with three packets of V-mail sheets, offering them to Bucky with a grin. "Here you go, Sarge...ant Barnes. Anything else I can help you with today?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I don't think so, thanks," Bucky assures him with an answering grin. "Agent Carter, is there anything else you need?"

[from_the_outside]

She shakes her head. "I'm fine. Thank you, Specialist."

"My pleasure, ma'am," the young man says, then nods to Bucky. "Sergeant. Have a good day."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Specialist," Bucky returns, with an answering nod. "You too."

As they move away, he offers one of the V-Mail packets to Sharon. "We can swing by your quarters if you want to drop that off. Next up for me's checking over my weapons kit."

[from_the_outside]

"Probably a good idea, just so I'm not carrying it around for the rest of the day."

She studies the packet of small, thin sheets, trying to remember how the V-mail system worked. They were scanned, she thinks, and reprinted.

So as soon as Bucky's letter goes on its way, there will be an official record of her being here. It's a strange thought.

[nerves_of_ice]

"This way," he suggests. "Cut through the middle of camp and I'll drop off Steve's too."

Bucky leads her down one row of tents then across an open area to another, pausing only to duck into Steve's quarters. He emerges empty-handed, having left both Steve's packet and his own for now, then starts walking with her toward her quarters. "It's easy enough to circle through here once you get used to it."

[from_the_outside]

"I'll know all the best ways around the camp soon," she teases. "Pretty soon it'll be like I've been here the whole time."

[nerves_of_ice]

"That's the point," Bucky tells her, amused. "That's what I'm after."

He wants her to be as comfortable here as he can, and this is one way to help that along, he thinks.

Bucky slows to a stop as they approach her quarters. "I'll wait here."

[from_the_outside]

"At last, your plans reveal themselves."

She starts to enter the tent, then pauses and glances at him. "Should I change? Am I going to cause problems walking around wearing this?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"No." He says it firmly, with no hesitation. "Your aunt would have told you when you placed the order if there was some reason not to, I'm sure of it. If anyone here's disrespectful and you're having trouble, you can let me know, or Cap, or any of the squad."

[from_the_outside]

"Where would be the fun in that?" she wonders, but nods at him. "Okay. Then I'll be right back out."

She ducks into the tent and sets the packet of sheets down on her cot, then takes a second to freshen her lipstick before she comes back out again.

[nerves_of_ice]

He's waiting where he left him when she returns, absently studying the distant treeline and with no signs of impatience. Bucky shakes himself out of his own thoughts and smiles at her.

"Ready?"

[from_the_outside]

"And willing," she tells him, falling into the now-familiar spot at his side. "So, checking your kit?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Uh-huh. We've got to go to the armory for that," Bucky tells her as they start in that direction. "The Browning's useful, but it requires special cleaning. I tend to check it over myself pretty frequently, and do my other weapons at the same time."

[from_the_outside]

"Mm."

She wonders if she'll ever see her Kahr again. It, along with her white suit and thigh holster, are in Colonel Phillips' possession, presumably so she doesn't get any funny ideas about running around wartime Europe in fabric that hasn't been invented yet with a gun that hasn't been designed yet. "Want a hand with cleaning any of them?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He blinks and gives her a careful sideways look.

“…you haven’t been trained on a Browning, have you?”

[from_the_outside]

"Not a Browning, exactly," she admits. "But other models of sniper rifles, yes."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Huh.” He’s fascinated, and knows that it shows, but still he has to shake his head.

“Better not. Around here training on them’s pretty limited. But you can do the sidearm if you want?”

[from_the_outside]

"If it's okay," she tells him. "I know people can be picky about their weapons. I don't mind just keeping you company if you prefer doing it yourself."

[nerves_of_ice]

“I’m pickier about the rifle,” he admits. “The sidearm’s different. It’s hard to explain.”

He nods toward the armory, visible a short distance away. “But don’t feel you have to or anything like that. You don’t have to do my work for me.”

[from_the_outside]

"I want to," she tells him. "I'm used to doing that kind of thing all the time. It's weird not to have any of my old routines."

She shrugs. "And who knows if the Colonel will let me have my own sidearm back?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky frowns at that. “Maybe we can get you a replacement.”