[oom] secrets will out

[nerves_of_ice]

Clearing underbrush by hand is messy work, but he's gotten the last of it knocked out for the season and can't help but take a little pride in that. Bucky considers sluicing off the grime in the shower and decides on a different, faster option.

He wanders back into the hut a little while later and slings a towel around his neck to stop his hair from dripping. He has to move Sharon's tote bag from the top of the clothes chest where she sometimes leaves it while she's sparring with Ayo, and sets it aside on the floor while he digs out a fresh set of clothes.

Somewhere deep inside the bag, her phone rings. He makes a mental note to tell her she's missed a call, and takes his wet clothes outside to hang them out to dry. When he comes back, the phone's ringing again.

And again, a third time, then a fourth, while he frowns at the bag and argues with himself. He doesn't want to invade her privacy, but something's clearly up.

On the fifth set of rings, Bucky digs out her phone and looks at it. He frowns sharply on seeing the contact, and answers the call without speaking.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"Okay. I'll let her know," he repeats.

[marvel_npc]

"Sergeant," he says, by way of farewell, and hangs up the call, then sets the phone down on his desk and considers it, a finger at his chin.

Interesting.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky waits without moving until he's certain the call's disconnected. With deliberate care, he sets the phone down in the middle of the little table where it'll be immediately visible, and moves away from it.

He wants to run; wants to break something, wants to scream. None of those will do any good. Instead, calling on reserves of hard-won self control, Bucky sits on the ground at the back of the hut, beside the bed, and settles himself to try to meditate.

He needs to think back over every conversation he's had with Sharon about anything related to this in the last few weeks, starting with the day she got back. He needs to be absolutely sure of every single detail.

[from_the_outside]

Sparring with Ayo isn't getting easier, exactly, but she's definitely getting better. Her conditioning is up, her reflexes are faster, and she'd managed to get in a few solid hits of her own, this time around. Thanks to Ayo, thanks to Bucky, she's almost back at the top of her game.

She's been enjoying, too, practicing archery. Almost every day, she's found time to take the light hunting bow she'd found and practice in Bucky's makeshift gym, Elrond's quiet, steady words in her ears. She's improving at that, too, though more slowly.

So she's pleased as she comes back to the hut by the lake, her hair tied up in a ponytail, already thinking about a swim and a shower as she opens the door. "Bucky? I'm back."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Hi." He stays where he is, eyes closed and breathing deep. "Did you have a good session?"

[from_the_outside]

"– Oh, sorry, baby. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Bucky meditating isn't unusual, exactly, but she's a little surprised to see him doing it in here. He's concentrating hard, it looks like; he doesn't even open his eyes to look at her. "I did, yeah. I'll go clean up while you're busy, okay?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"You're not interrupting," he murmurs. She can't be, not when he's been waiting for her. "Go on. I'll see you when you're back."

[from_the_outside]

"If you say so." She comes to grab a towel and some clean clothes, then bends down to press a kiss to the top of his head. "Good luck with whatever you're trying to tease out."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Thanks." He holds himself still, and keeps his eyes closed. He's pretty sure that his expression will give things away if he looks up at her, and this conversation's likely to be uncomfortable enough without her having to have it while sweaty and exhausted.

"See you in a little bit."

[from_the_outside]

"See you," she echoes, amused, and heads for the door, then around the hut to the shower. It's not exactly as luxurious as the bath up in her rooms in the Citadel, but it does the job. The water's hot and clean and she can wash her hair out, lather up her skin, which is all she's really looking for.

When she comes back inside, she puts her dirty clothes in the bag of laundry for later, her hair hanging damn over her shoulders. "Any luck?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"You could call it that." He opens his eyes, trying to keep any hint of what he's thinking or feeling from showing in them. "Want some coffee?"

[from_the_outside]

"I'm good." She comes to sit on the edge of the bed, looking down at him with a small frown.

"Is everything okay?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He doesn't answer that directly, but nods to the table where her phone still lies waiting. "I didn't set out to go through your stuff or anything, but it wouldn't stop ringing, so I figured I better check it out."

[from_the_outside]

She follows his glance to the table, then looks back at him. "That's okay. I don't care if you answer my phone."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Okay." He makes himself stay where he is, and does his best to keep his body relaxed. "It was Fury. He has a job for you. Another one."

[from_the_outside]

"He does, huh?"

She can't blame him for trying. It's not as though she'd been resistant to working with him before. "Did he say what it was?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"No details. Might have figured it wasn't my business." He tips his head back a little, searching her face. "Sounds like it might be a field mission, though."

[from_the_outside]

"Oh?"

Just what the hell had Fury said to him? "I'll call him back and see. Even if it is, it's probably something he's got covered."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I doubt it." He keeps his tone as neutral as he can. "Since that's why he called."

He doesn't want her to keep dodging. He doesn't like that she thinks she has to lie to him - or if not lie, exactly, then to evade.

He doesn't like any of this, but he suspects he knows what he needs to do.

[from_the_outside]

She looks back at him at that tone, neutral and calm and not like anyway he's sounded when they've talked about Fury before. "Don't worry, Bucky," she says, hoping to cut any concerns off at the pass. "I'll talk to him and figure it out. Thank you for letting me know."

[nerves_of_ice]

"When you do, you should probably cut him some slack." He uncoils from the floor and comes to his feet in a single lithe motion, then turns his back on her as he goes over to start making coffee.

"He didn't realize it wasn't you that answered the phone."

[from_the_outside]

He turns his back on her, and it feels like getting a door slammed in her face. "What do you mean?"

Slowly, slowly, cool dread uncoils in her stomach. "What did he say?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He pours water from the pitcher into the kettle as he talks. "He wanted to know if you'd decided to stop giving him the cold shoulder."

Bucky switches the induction cooktop on and swings around again, leaning back against the little counter as he does. His gaze, dark and level, locks with hers and holds. "Me, I'd like to know why you started."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon frowns at him, internally cursing Fury. How the hell had the man managed to lead SHIELD when he's this bad at keeping secrets? "Sounds like Fury was feeling a little dramatic today. I haven't been giving him any cold shoulder. You know I've been working with him."

[nerves_of_ice]

His direct stare doesn't waver. "I know you have. From here."