[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]

"'Pretty' is good," she teases. "Glad to hear you think so."

She's not sure what to do about the picture. There must be somewhere around here where she can get one taken for him, right?

[nerves_of_ice]

He makes a face at her, trying not to laugh aloud. “You know it’s more than that, right? But these are my sisters.”

[from_the_outside]

"I guess I'll have to get you to write me a letter to find out the rest," she says, swallowing her own laugh.

As if he doesn't tell her all the time. Her lips twitch as she suppresses her grin and looks back at Becky's letter. "This one we've got an official answer for, finally. You can tell her I'm part of the SSR."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Guess I should." Maybe he will, at that. He tries to imagine her face as she reads it and has to suppress a grin.

"So I can, more or less, anyway." He writes, "We're all working together as part of the same team. Keep an eye on the newsreels! You never know who you might see."

[from_the_outside]

"Talk about things that would confuse the timeline," she murmurs, but she's smiling. Nick would be so mad at her if she got caught on a video recording in 1944. She can just hear him now.

"And yes, I did read that letter."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Unless you're already on one and just no one noticed?" he counters, then reads aloud, "And not only did she read the letter you sent, but she's writing back to you now separately. I don't know if she's going to let me read that one, but I guess I'll find out. I'll put it in the packet with this one and Steve's, too. Tell Maggie that yes, she knows Steve, but they're just friends."

[from_the_outside]

She chuckles at his reassurance to Maggie, then shakes her head. "Better not tell her about Aunt Peggy just yet," she advises. "Those teenage crushes are powerful forces."

[nerves_of_ice]

"No kidding." Bucky shakes his head, a rueful expression on his face. "I figure she'll probably grow out of it, but in the meantime Steve's being careful with her."

[from_the_outside]

She thinks about her own pre-teen and teenage crushes formed only on photos and stories of Captain America and his best friend, and has to laugh. "That's because Steve's a good man."

"Glad to know you two say nice things when you're talking about me behind my back," comes Steve's amused voice. He's standing in the doorway, looking a little abashed but smiling. "Thought I'd come drop off my contribution."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Better believe it," Bucky teases him, waving him on in through the door. "Anything else I'd say to your face."

Suppressed amusement at the ridiculousness of that thought sparkles in his eyes as he teases him.

[marvel_npc]

Steve comes in, holding a few pieces of paper. The top one is covered in his handwriting. "I believe it," he jokes, and tries to swallow his nerves. "Here's my page for the girls."

He buys himself a moment by tipping the papers up as he hands over the top sheet, then takes a deep breath as he glances down at the sketch below. "And... since they were asking, and I know there hasn't been any time to get a photograph..."

He hands the other two sheets to Bucky, swallowing his nerves. The top sheet is a portrait of Sharon at three-quarter view. He'd tried to get the details right, from her slightly crooked smile to the way her hair falls over her shoulders when she wears it down.

The second sketch is one of Sharon and Bucky together, taken from a memory of them talking and laughing at the pub one night. He'd tried to capture as many details as he could.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky sets the letter page on the corner of the desk, ready to fold up with the others, and gives Steve a quizzical look as he hesitates. He takes the other sheets as Steve explains and looks down, then feels the breath leave his body as he stares.

And stares. And stares, unable at first to speak as he traces every line with his gaze, takes in every detail.

Carefully, he sets them both side by side on the desk so Sharon can see too, then looks up at his best friend. "You're a hell of an artist, Rogers."

[marvel_npc]

Steve can't help the smile that presses into his cheeks, boyish and delighted, though he tries to contain it. "I couldn't decide on which," he says, as Sharon lightly touches the drawn Bucky's arm, studying the sketch.

"I figured, if I did both, you could pick if you wanted to send one and keep one, or send both."

[nerves_of_ice]

His answering grin is as bright as sunshine. "That's some choice." Bucky brushes his fingertips over the edge of the sketches again, then ignores any and all reserve to get up and enfold Steve in a hug.

"Thanks," he whispers, for his best friend's ears alone.

[marvel_npc]

He hugs Bucky back, squeezing him tightly. "You're welcome," he murmurs, pleased beyond measure that his best friend likes his little gift. "I know they're not photographs, but..."

But he'd done his best, and Bucky's happy with it. "You're welcome," he says again, simply.

[nerves_of_ice]

"As good as," he promises. "Better than."

There's no way he can explain that the care shown in Steve's gift also reflects his friend's acceptance of Sharon's importance in his life, to his way of thinking.

He pulls back with a grin and leaves his arm draped around Steve's shoulder for a moment as he looks at Sharon. "He's pretty good, isn't he?"

[from_the_outside]

"He really is."

She can't get over the drawings, the way he'd sketched them together. She hasn't looked at the photo she'd taken since she took it, because her phone has finally given up the ghost and died, but she thinks the sketch is just as perfect. "I love them."

[nerves_of_ice]

"So do I." He glances at Steve. "Stick around for a bit, take a load off," he invites. "We're working on my answers to Becky's questions, and I can get that hairbrush set wrapped up for you."

[from_the_outside]

Steve gives her a glance and she smiles encouragingly at him. "Definitely stay," she agrees. "I still need to write my own response to them."

[nerves_of_ice]

There's still only two chairs, but that's okay. He gives Steve a gentle push toward the end of the bed and goes to pull out the vanity set from where he'd stashed it with his clothes.

Bucky glances at the door, just in case, and keeps it hidden in a piece of toweling as he brings it back.

[from_the_outside]

The pang she gets as she sees that well-known, much-loved set is sharp and swift. Her lips ruck up in a crooked smile as she watches Bucky bring it over to Steve. "How will you wrap it?" she asks, curious.

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'm not sure," Steve admits, holding it carefully in his hands as if he's afraid it might explode. "Tie ribbons on each of them, I guess."

Bucky considers, then takes down the cigar box that he's been keeping the girls' letters in and holds it over the set to eyeball size.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon considers it, then frowns. "I might have a shoebox in my room," she says. "Want me to run and get it?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky beams at her. "That'd be swell, if you wouldn't mind."

[from_the_outside]

"Not even a little."

She gets up and offers the chair to Steve. "Here, Steve. I'll be back in a second."