[WWII AU] the streets of london

[nerves_of_ice]

Becky's last letter had suggested she'd be sending a longer one soon, and between that, the previous promise of a knitting circle, and the time of year, Bucky's pretty sure that a care package will be coming their way with the next one.

Given that, it's not too hard to convince Steve that it might be nice to pick up a couple of small things to send back in appreciation when they can. And with that in mind, to suggest that maybe the Agents Carter might enjoy doing a little shopping themselves, and that it'd be only polite for the two of them to help carry packages and make sure they didn't get overcrowded on the streets, or anything like that.

He's pretty darn sure that Steve sees right through him, but his best friend agrees to it, if Bucky can talk Sharon and Peggy into the idea.

He's smiling to himself as he makes his way toward their respective quarters.

Comments

[from_the_outside]

She smiles at that, and at the way he blocks the other pedestrian. "Then I'll come by your quarters a little after twenty-hundred hours, okay?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Sounds perfect." Bucky smiles down at her.

[from_the_outside]

It's impossible not to be charmed by that smile. She smiles back and savors the rest of the stroll back to the base, chatting lightly with him and with Steve and Aunt Peggy as they walk. He presents her gallantly with her shopping bag once they're back down to the base level, and she takes it with her to her quarters after they've all gone their separate ways.

The next time she heads to the pub, she'll be able to dress for it.

[nerves_of_ice]

He takes the other shopping bag back to his quarters and secures it there before heading over to Stark's lab. Turns out that what Stark wants is to ask more and more detailed questions about Zola's lab, which Bucky gets through with clenched teeth and a good deal of stubborn determination. He grabs a quick sandwich from the mess and skips dinner in favor of spending more time on weapons detail, after that. It's a relief, frankly.

[from_the_outside]

She has dinner with Jim Morita and Falsworth, then excuses herself back to her quarters. It's looking more and more likely that she'll be sent on a recon mission soon, so she takes some time to polish up Yvette and her backstory until twenty-hundred hours rolls around.

Once it does, she changes out of her uniform and into the more comfortable slacks, then makes her way toward Bucky's quarters, greeting people as she passes.

[nerves_of_ice]

He leaves the door propped open when he gets back to his quarters. It'll make it easier for Sharon, and for anyone else who might want to drop by as well.

Bucky makes sure all the gifts are carefully hidden away, then lays out Becky's last letter and gets out pen and paper to start considering what to say.

[from_the_outside]

She leans on the doorjamb and considers him for a moment, smiling at the vision he makes, then raps on the other side of the doorframe lightly. "Knock knock."

[nerves_of_ice]

He pushes back from the little table that serves as a desk and smiles in real delight. "Aren't you just pretty as a picture."

[from_the_outside]

"I was just thinking you make a pretty nice picture yourself."

She nods to the table and the letter he's working on. "Mind if I come in?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Come right on," he tells her. "Look, I even scrounged up another chair." He pulls it forward from where it's half-hidden on the other side of the table.

"Better leave the door open, though. Steve said he might swing by later with a page of his own."

[from_the_outside]

"Fine by me."

For now, anyway. She takes the chair and sits down, then looks over at what he's working on. "So, what do you have so far?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Dear Becky," he reads out, the corner of his mouth twitching with suppressed laughter. "You never were very patient. But as I figure you probably would join the WACs if I don't answer your questions, I'll let you get your way just this once."

[from_the_outside]

"Good start," she says, encouragingly, and reaches for the page he has nearby, with Becky's questions in her neat handwriting. "So, who am I?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Hm. I don't have that much space for details," Bucky muses. "I better be careful."

He taps the end of the pen against the desk for a second or two, considering. "She's on assignment with us," he suggests, writing slowly as he talks. "And no, she's not Agent P's sister, but she's part of her extended family, so she's connected. That's how she ended up here, although PC didn't tell us about it in advance. Sharon just appeared one day, pretty much out of thin air."

He stops there and gives her a bland, innocent look.

[from_the_outside]

"That's one way to put it," she laughs, leaning an elbow on the desk, her chin in her hand.

"'How did you meet her?'" She reads, and glances at Bucky, eyes dancing. "Maybe you shouldn't tell her you pulled a gun on me at first."

[nerves_of_ice]

"No?" he challenges, raising his eyebrows. "Okay, how would you put it?"

[from_the_outside]

She considers, for a moment.

"'Dear Becky,'" she says. "'Your brother was the first person I met when I arrived. He held me at gunpoint and then suggested I'd cause a riot in the camp. About ten minutes later he asked if I wanted to go dancing.'"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I thought you said not to tell her about pulling the gun on you," he laughs. "When you put it like that it sounds kind of bad."

[from_the_outside]

"I only said you probably shouldn't," she points out, grinning. "Not that I wouldn't."

She wrinkles her nose at him, amused. "You could tell her you were out taking a walk when I arrived, and helped me find Aunt Peggy. That's all true."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Oh, I see how this goes. Okay then." Bucky considers the paper for a second or two.

"I was near the edge of camp when she showed up unannounced," he recites. "I have to say, she practically knocked me off my feet. After a little bit of a misunderstanding, I brought her in to PC."

[from_the_outside]

"You might say I really fell for you," Sharon teases, and looks at the next questions.

"Why let me write to them?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I sure could. It'd be true," he observes, and examines the letter again.

"I offered to let her write to you because I thought she'd have fun with it and you'd find it a neat surprise. Besides, I think you'd really like her, if you ever met."

Bucky looks up at her. "I do think that. I have all along."

[from_the_outside]

"I think I'd really like them, too," she tells him, with a small, crooking smile. "And I did have fun writing to them."

[nerves_of_ice]

His answering smile is warm. "I wouldn't be surprised if they start writing to you, too. Becky at least."

[from_the_outside]

"I'd like that a lot," she murmurs, and glances down at the letter again, more to take her mind off the complicated feelings that arise at the thought of being here long enough to become penpals with Bucky's sisters.

But the next question only makes her laugh again. "What do I look like?"