(Untitled)

[ihadfaith]

Peggy Carter prided herself on being able to stand fast in the face of things that may faze others, but she thought she could be given a little leeway in her new predicament

Comments

[onlyapassenger]

The Rec Room was only a favored destination when Bucky could find what he was looking for; its novelty had worn off in the year or so since his arrival, and he didn't spend much time in here as a result (nor the Compound proper, for that matter, though he appreciates the kitchen no less now than he did the day he fell in the ocean, in search for something to eat). Today, he's in here with the intention to kill a half hour while the last of his laundry is in the dryer, but he doesn't get further than one step before he stops in his tracks at the sight of the woman at the table.

He has been, for lack of a word, briefed, on Agent Carter's arrival. With as hectic as this past week's been, his life turned upside down twice over in as many days, it's the first time he's laid eyes on her for himself. She,s beautiful, of course, but for all the differences between this woman and Steve's sweetheart from the War, she's nevertheless familiar in her resemblance to Sharon, if nothing else.

It's with impeccable posture that he makes his way closer to give his official hello, though the slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth keeps him from looking too formal. "Agent Carter, I presume."

[ihadfaith]

Peggy hardly needed to look up to know who spoke to her. Sergeant Barnes was someone important by virtue of his friendship with Steve, and she'd seen what his death had done to him. She'd even shared some of his grief.

This Barnes wasn't from her own world, she'd been told, and she could see the changes. Much like Steve, she could see the toll his life beyond their war had taken on him. He looked older, commanded much more respect than she'd ever remembered giving the boy who looked her up and down when he thought she wasn't aware (and, probably, didn't care if she was).

"Sergeant Barnes," she said, standing up to greet him. He wasn't her Bucky, but Peggy couldn't help but the relief she felt in seeing him alive and well again. "It's good to see you."

[onlyapassenger]

"Sergeant?"

His head tips to the side as he wonders how different their worlds must have been for that particular promotion. Officially, he'd only been a Private during the War (when he'd been formally enlisted at all), though that had been just a cover. The breadth and danger of his missions took him the world over, and he'd had more training than most before he'd ever stepped foot into battle. A Private on paper, and nothing more.

He extends his hand. "I skipped over that step where I'm from. It's Captain these days, but there's no need to be so formal. Bucky's fine. Or James."

[ihadfaith]

"James it is," Peggy replied, shaking his hand with a solid grip. Bucky had seemed like a name only Steve could truly use without feeling as though she were intruding on the bond the two men shared. "Steve mentioned you're doing quite well for yourself here."

[onlyapassenger]

It's a hell of a handshake, and were she anyone else from that era, it might catch him by surprise. As it is, he simply smiles, one of the few that's reached his eyes in over a week. Her arrival here is complicated, in no small part to her universe of departure, but of all the things to come out of the woodwork this month, she's the first Bucky can even think to view in a positive light.

"He bragging about me again?"

[ihadfaith]

"Only a touch." He was the last person who needed his ego inflated any more than it already was, though Peggy was unsure whether that assessment applied to this James. His smile was the same, at least. "How are you doing?"

[onlyapassenger]

His expression becomes, if not static, then slightly forced, the amusement fading from behind his eyes. Though not the most skilled of liars when it comes to discussions of his own well-being, Bucky nevertheless gets by on conviction alone.

"I am making do," he says with a slight nod, eager to change the subject. Glancing down at the hand drawn map on the table, he turns, and tugs the paper closer to the edge so he can get a look. "Exploring?"

[ihadfaith]

There was a touch of something in his eyes, but not enough that Peggy felt she could call him on it, were he even the James she knew.

"I eventually hope to do so, yes." She gestured at one of the seats across from her as she sat again, spreading a hand over the map. "Having a map is handy, but I'd prefer to set eyes on everything I can."

[onlyapassenger]

"I'm pretty familiar with the territory if you're ever in need of company," Bucky replies, sitting down only once he's sure she's settled. His manners are better than they ought to be, given his upbringing and the kind of company he's used to keeping, but he caught on over the years as to what is and is not acceptable, even if he does slip up from time to time.

"I help run the Island Task Force with a Captain Kara Thrace." His expression eases back into a more natural smile. "You'd probably like her."

[ihadfaith]

"Steve has offered to play tour guide, but I would enjoy seeing the island through your eyes as well." James would, when it came down to it, be an option to take when things with Steve weren't as comfortable as they could be, something Peggy saw much of in their future as they got used to each other. "Oh? Which military branch is she in?"

[onlyapassenger]

"Nothing you would've heard of," says Bucky, shaking his head a little. "Something called the Colonial Fleet. She, ah, flew in space. In the future. She's tough, though. No nonsense."

Not unlike yourself, he wants to add, but instead stays silent.

[ihadfaith]

Peggy's eyebrows rose. Just because she was becoming accustomed to most of the fantastical things she was learning about on a daily basis didn't mean she couldn't still be shocked by them. "She flew in space?"