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“ Unknown movement at the border, ” the general’s voice rang through Bucky’s earpiece, “Available units, please respond.”
With a sigh, he hoisted himself from the ground where he’d been wrestling with his goats, “I’ll go have a look,” he said, heading into his hut to hastily collect his gear, “Give me five minutes to report back.”
“ Thank you, White Wolf. ”
Border patrol wasn’t anyone’s favorite posting. Nine times out of time the notifications of activity were due to large animals or children straying too close to the barrier. More often than not, all that was required was a firm short and they’d be off. Bucky was one of the only guardsmen who didn’t mind the patrol. Home for Bucky was along the far border, so he could wait in relative comfort, keep house, and tend to the kids while he waited for the rare activity reports to come through.
“Hello,” he called out into the twilight as he broke through the treeline, coming face to face with the barren border. Whatever animal had tripped the alarm had clearly gone, Bucky figured. Nonetheless, he continued his sweep. “Is anybody out there?”
The silence of the evening broke as the brush behind him began to rustle loudly. Bucky whirled toward the sound, weapon at the ready, only to find himself staring down the barrel of a handgun in the next moment. The form before him took on a sort of nebulous shape, practically swallowed up whole by their red and white suit and helmet.
“Don’t move,” Bucky ordered. HIs mind was racing a mile a minute. He hadn’t actually anticipated finding anyone. “ Slowly, I want you to holster your weapons and remove your mask.”
Surprisingly enough, the intruder did as he said immediately, dropping the gun and peeling away the helmet to reveal a mane of unkempt brunette curls. “I certainly see now why Steve told me to come here,” she said primly, “ Sergeant Barnes. ”
He very nearly snapped to attention at the sight of his former commanding officer, “ Ma’am- ”
“We need to get out of the open before I can explain,” Peggy said curtly, hiking a bag higher on his shoulder, “Steve said that you would have a safe house. I need you to take me there now. ”
“ Come in, White Wolf. Report.” Okoye’s voice called over the comms.
“ Make something up. ” she mouthed harshly.
“ White Wolf- ”
“Uh, yeah,” he replied after a moment’s deliberation, “Just a couple of, uh, hogs near the border.” Then he turned back to Peggy, still flummoxed, but trusting nonetheless, “Follow me,” he muttered, leading her back through the trees toward his hut.
*
“So, Steve was hurt? ”
“Mm, pretty badly at that,” Peggy conceded as she wolfed down a third slice of buttered toast, chasing it down with grits. She’d clearly been starving, “But he wanted all of the stones returned as quickly as possibly, so I volunteered to take the last two,” she said, head tilting toward the burlap sack she’d been carrying them in.
“Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull-”
Bucky shuddered visibly. He knew the man all too well.
“He’d been freed when the stone was taken from Vormir. He caught wind of my attempt to return it, to imprison him once again, and he started hunting me. Came damn to to snuffing me out as well, but...well, when he got too close for comfort I used one of my remaining particles to come here. Steve said that this would be a safe place to lie low.”
“He was right, Ma’am,” Bucky agreed, pushing his own food around his plate. “There ain’t a safer place on Earth then Wakanda.”
With a yawn, she nodded.
Bucky cleared away her plate, dumping it in the sink, “You can have the bed if you like,” He motioned toward it idly.
“I shouldn’t. I only came to throw Scmidt off of my scent. It’s been a few hours; I should really be on my way.”
He shook his head, “You should try to sleep for a few hours, at least. You look like you could use it.”
Her brow quirked then, “You do flatter me, Barnes.” With another yawn Peggy conceded, though, slumping toward the pad in the corner. “Good night, then.”
Once Peggy had settled in, Bucky went about his nightly routine, ensuring that the goats were fed, cleaning the dishes, and bathing, before settling in against the far wall for what was likely to be one of the most restless sleeps of his entire life. His head rested against the wall as he closed his eyes and looped his arms around his knees.
A soft rustling from the other side of the hut pulled his attention and one eye squinted open warily. “What on Earth are you doing, Sergeant Barnes?”
“Just trying to get some shut-eye, Ma’am.”
“You’re not going to sleep in your own bed?”
“N-no. Wasn’t planning on it, Ma’am,” he conceded, his cheeks tinting pink as he grew flustered, “Not with you-”
He could almost feel her eyes rolling from across the darkened room, “Good Lord, Sergeant. We’ve been in the foxhole together. I’ve patched your wounds. We can sleep in the same bed. ”
As much as he felt it wrong, he was exhausted from the long day, from his unexpected visitor, and all he really wanted was to be in his own bed. “Alright,” he sighed, eclipsing the small hut in just a few steps before climbing in alongside her.
Peggy rolled toward the far end of the bed, barely even having acknowledged his presence. Her breath noticeably evened only a moment later, and Bucky had to admit, it was a nice having somebody else near. Even if it was entirely platonic. Another heartbeat, another breath, was a comfort.
He’d only just managed a light doze when he felt the bed rustling at the opposite end. And by the time he’d managed to will his eyes open, he only just caught Peggy slinging the bag of stones back over her shoulder and heading for the door. “ Hey, ” he called after her groggily, pushing himself up on his elbows. As she turned, he continued, “Steve...isn’t coming back, is he?” he asked plainly.
She paused for a moment, clearly considering her options before replying in kind, “No, I don’t believe so.”
“But you’ll...look out for him, yeah?”
That struck a chord and her voice and tone softened noticeably. “Yes, of course.”
“Okay,” he nodded, still caught up in the last dregs of sleep, “Alright. Good.”
“I’ll tell him you’re well, Barnes.”
With that, her helmet snapped into place and she was gone.