[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

[from_the_outside]

"Fine," she snaps.

If he weren't still in the doorway, she'd go slamming through it, just as reckless as he'd asked her not to be. "Then let me use the door, and I will."

[nerves_of_ice]

He can feel all the blood drain from his face at her demand, but if he argues with her about it he'll be proving her point and making himself a liar.

Silently, moving with obvious reluctance, he steps to the side.

[from_the_outside]

The thing is, neither of them are all that good at backing down. All he'd need to do is admit he doesn't want her out there in the woods; all she'd need to do is admit she's been holding herself back with the full knowledge that he doesn't want that.

Instead, they're here staring at each other, at an impasse, until Sharon grabs the hunting bow she'd left near the table the day before and pushes past him, jaw set and stubborn, to open the door to the bar.

[nerves_of_ice]

It takes an act of will not to move.

"Sharon." A muscle in his jaw works as he swallows hard against the tightness in his throat. "Just. Be careful. Please."

[from_the_outside]

She looks up at him, her hand on the handle of the door, her eyes still flashing and her face still flushed with temper. "Don't worry, I won't do anything you wouldn't do."

[nerves_of_ice]

He takes the lash of her words in silence and just looks at her, waiting.

[from_the_outside]

He says nothing else, and she shakes her head, then shoves the door open and heads into the light and warmth of the bar without any other hesitation.

[nerves_of_ice]

His jaw sets in hard lines as he struggles with himself about whether or not to go after her.

The door has almost closed when he moves. Bucky shoves it back open and stalks through into the bar, letting the door slam shut behind him.

[from_the_outside]

Maybe she should have slammed it.

Here's the thing: she doesn't actually have any intention of running off into the woods. He'd asked her not to be reckless, after all. What she does want to do is spend some time systematically pummeling one of the heavy bags in the garage gym, or trying to let practice with the hunting bow bleed off a little of her frustration.

But she can't do any of that with him following hard on her heels, and she also doesn't exactly want the whole-ass bar to be privy to their fight. Casting a glance at him, she breathes out hard through her nose and gives over the bow to the bar, then heads for the elevator to the garage without waiting to see if he'll follow.

[nerves_of_ice]

She clearly doesn't want him around, but she's not storming off unprepared and alone - at least not outside, anyway. It'll have to be good enough.

Bucky watches as she heads for the elevator, then turns and goes to find the darkest corner table in the entire bar.