READER'S DISCRETION
   
this chapter contains sexual content of a mild / sfw nature.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  

𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 

༻ ❁ ༺

 
October 8, 1944

          WHEN STEVE HAD initially suggested that they might need additional troops on this patrol, Bucky hadn't thought too much about it.

It wasn't that unusual for them to tag along with another company if they weren't doing something specific. Even when Steve had mentioned something about taking medical staff with them because of the number of refugees they were encountering, Bucky didn't connect the dots.

Nothing resonated for him until he really joined his team in teaming forces with the mixed group of British soldiers.

Even then he managed to clasp hands with Lawrence before he realized who the two shorter'soldiers' behind him had to be.

And when he did, he couldn't help doing a double-take.

Alice grinned at him from under her helmet as his face lit up, his eyes travelling over her. "Hello, Sergeant Barnes."

Alice didn't get to wear the overalls as much as she would have liked. Her everyday uniform's knee-length skirt was less practical than the heavy khaki slacks and fitting jacket joined by a drawstring. Her braided hair was tucked neatly under a helmet. A crimson cross on a white background appeared on her helmet and armband.

Bucky reached over and tweaked the armband so it sat a little straighter. "You look good, doll. Let's keep that cross facing out. Just in case."

He was going to be worried sick about her the entire time. He was so glad that she was here.
  

༻ ❁ ༺
 

Bucky kept glancing over his shoulder as they marched. Just to make sure the girls were keeping up.

He needn't have worried.

Movement over the roads and rocky terrain was considerably simpler than it would have been if they had been wearing skirts and little flat shoes around camp. And Alice was adamant about keeping up, refusing to let them down by letting them down by taking her along.

The hardest part, for her at least, was the silence.

In another world, this would have been an ideal chance to get to know the men that were part of Steve and Bucky's team.

However, it was evident from the start that conversation should be kept to a bare minimum in order to avoid being caught off guard by an enemy. The frequent sweeps for mines and other traps along the road emphasize this.

They'd already located and disposed of a length of razor wire laid across the road between two trees, as well as two roadside mines identified and dismantled by Dernier.

Not bouncing Bettys, thankfully.

Alice had nightmares about those from the time she heard about them, and she was hoping to avoid digging shrapnel from injured men on the side of the road.
  

༻ ❁ ༺
  

It was almost sunset before Steve started to send scouts to look for a campsite. They had made it just over twenty miles.

The men were starting to flag more than the women. Bucky knew that Peggy could keep up with the Howling Commandos, and would be fine for another five or ten miles easy.

The nurses were more of a surprise.

He wondered how much walking they actually did in a day if you totalled up all the laps. Apparently, if you put them in practical shoes, they could give some of the Marines he had met a run for their money.

Morita came back with a promising sight less than ten minutes after Steve called for a general rest.

The old stone farmhouse was in good repair. Abandoned, but most of the farms they came across looked abandoned at least at first.

Bucky didn't see any of the telltale signs that the family was still alive and hidden in this one. There were no boots on the porch that need to be cleaned. There are no carefree chickens roaming around the yard. The hay in the barn was at least two years old according to the farm boys they had with them.

What had happened was revealed by the'secret cellar' hidden beneath a stack of farm equipment in the back corner.

It had been shattered, and blood stains were visible on the stairwell. No one would be returning any time soon. Bucky crossed his arms and made the decision to keep the ladies away from it.

Steve declared that they would stay, with the men camping in the barn and the women in the house with the Commandos downstairs.
  

 
༻ ❁ ༺

  
Lawrence was asked to stay in the house with the Commandos by unspoken agreement since he was a favourite of the Commandos after their experience at the factory, and he was married to one of the women sleeping above. He was grateful for the chance to be close to Gwen without having to hide their relationship.

His rapport with the other men was uncomplicated, and they spent most of the evening joking and catching up in the abandoned living room after the women had gone to bed. But he couldn't help but notice the dimly lit stairwell behind him.

At last Gabe rolled his eyes and flung one hand dismissively towards the stairs. "Would you just go sleep with your wife already?"

"Lovesick puppies, the both of you," Pinky said into his tea.

Lawrence grinned and slapped Pinky on the shoulder as he pushed himself to his feet. "Don't need to tell me twice. Have a good night, gents." And in the midst of his friends' good-natured ribbing, bid a fast retreat up the stairs to his wife.

From an earlier conversation he'd overheard, he knew that Gwen had been given the master bedroom-offered with a teasing wink from Alice. Lawrence appreciated it. Having shared a single cot with his wife on more than one occasion, it would be nice to be able to spend one night with her in a bed they wouldn't have to be worried about falling off of.

As discreetly as he could, he made his way up the stairwell. He didn't have to tell the whole household that he was spending the night in his wife's bed since he had implicit consent.

But it appeared that she had anticipated his arrival, since as soon as he halted in front of the door, Gwen seized his jacket and dragged him inside.

༻ ❁ ༺

One by one the other drifted off until Steve and Bucky were the only ones left awake. Bucky couldn't stop looking at the stairs. He knew Steve had noticed. 

Alice was so close.

The only thing separating him from her bed was a flight of stairs and a rickety wooden door. Well, that, plus a lifetime of social norms telling him it was inappropriate for him to climb in with her.

He wanted to though; not for anything inappropriate or uncouth. He simply wanted to hear her heartbeat and feel her warm and soft against him.

A slim figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Bucky perked up. Was it just possible he wasn't the only one who was inexplicably lonely tonight?

The woman leaned down so they could see her clearly. Peggy. Not Alice.

Bucky sat back. Of course, it wasn't Alice. His doll was a good girl. Why would she come looking for him in the middle of the night?

Peggy beckoned imperiously with two fingers. Steve chuckled and rocked to his feet. "Duty calls."

Bucky sat back in his chair, dejected. Alice appeared to be the only one of the women who would be sleeping in a cold bed tonight. It was a silly idea. She hadn't grown any closer to him since they were in camp. He slept soundly after that. Why couldn't he just settle down now?

Steve stopped at the top of the stairs, his hand in Peggy's. "Hey Buck? Don't let me catch you on the landing. It'll just be embarrassing."

Catch you on the landing. That was a weird way to word it.

Like Steve expected to run into him on the upper floor. Like he was just waiting for Steve to go to sleep before he slipped into Alice's room.

What the hell am I doing? Bucky braced himself against the door frame and knocked. The worst that could happen was she told him to go away. At least he would know he had tried.

He could hear the rustle of fabric from inside, the soft sound of cautious footsteps that paused in front of the door.

"It's me," he said quietly.

"Bucky?" The door opened a crack, then wider as she confirmed it was him. "What is it? Is someone coming?"

"Shhh. Nothing like that." He shook his head. "Thought you might want someone to keep you warm. No hot water bottles out here."

After a moment's hesitation, Alice stepped back, letting the bedroom door swing open enough for Bucky to sneak inside.

She was still dressed in her uniform since she didn't want to risk getting undressed if they had to leave quickly. Her boots were lined up alongside the bed, and her helmet was on the bedside table. It was the first time he'd ever seen her hair free, unstyled, and cascading over her collar.

Bucky shut the door softly behind him. One hand reaching out to comb through the waterfall her hair. He liked it loose. When he touched her, her breath came to a halt. Every limb has come to a halt. That was not a good idea. He didn't want her to be scared of him.

"Don't be scared, Sugar. I told you I could wait, and I can."

"It's not like that," she told him softly. God, how mortifying. She could feel her face burning in the dark. "I just... liked it. I like it when you touch my hair." 

Between them, there's always been something soft, an excuse to touch each other. When they kissed, he always tucked her loose locks behind her ear or buried his hands in it.

"Is that so?" Bucky purred. He raised his other hand and stroked both through the tresses of her hair in long, leisurely strokes. Her braid's remaining tangles were being worked out. Allowing the silky threads to run between his fingers while massaging her scalp. Her hair was the nicest he'd ever felt.

Alice stifled a tiny whimper. She wanted him to touch her other places. Wanted those gently reverent hands all over her. But this was not the time and not the place. It was the person. This was it. She was gone for him.

Right now, she couldn't envision anybody else in his shoes. In her imagination, he had replaced all of the fairy tale heroes and princes she had fantasized about. No one else would ever be able to make her feel this way. She was certain about it.

Bucky's gaze was drawn to her mouth. Was a guy just supposed to ignore a sound like that? Ignoring it, on the other hand, went against every fibre of his being. He'd just have to remember to take it easy and stay in control.

"If I don't kiss you right now, doll, I d -"

He was abruptly cut off as Alice slipped her fingers and knotted them into his hair and drew his mouth to hers. That was the only response he needed. She was desperate to kiss him. She'd been laying in bed, hoping he was here and thinking about kissing him.

Bucky carried her to the bed by lifting her off her feet and wrapped her legs around his waist. Throughout the walk, he managed to keep his mouth on hers.

Bucky slid onto the bed with her straddling his lap, and she let out a little squeak. Perching on his knee or cuddling up close to him was nothing compared to this.

Bucky kept his hands firmly and politely wrapped around her thin plump waist, not allowing them to wander as they pleased. He let his lips have a bit longer leash this time, kissing along her jaw and leaning her head back to reach her neck, compensating for the delicious torment of the previous time.

Alice leaned into the kisses. Her hands were tightening in his hair, as she clung greedily to him.

Bucky swallowed. This wasn't going as innocently as he had intended. He was a bad bad man for wanting to push it further. He wanted to push it further. Apparently Alice wasn't the only one who liked having their hair played with. "I'm going to take my shirt off now. Is that okay, doll?"

Alice fiddled with the topmost button of his shirt. "What if something happens?"

Bucky smirked and popped the button she was toying with. "Then I guess I'll have to leave the shirt behind."

He would make sure to keep his trousers on. He was going to be firm on that rule. No matter what the baser parts of his nature were telling him. As she undid the next button, he adjusted Alice into a more comfortable position in his lap.

God damn, should have figured out all the rules before I let her undress me.

Her typically deft fingers had become clumsy with the intensity of her yearning, and undoing the buttons seemed to take an eternity. As his shirt came apart, her gaze was attracted to each undone button, to every inch of exposed skin. She slid her fingertips cautiously up over the planes of his chest, reveling in the sensation of him under her hands, with the last button now released.

A small smile curved her lips as Bucky's head fell back against the headboard, allowing her to explore as she chose.

She gently rubbed her hands over the small, fading scar left by the gunshot graze he received the day they met. Since then, more scars have joined it. Another was on his left shoulder, older and had been earned before he met her. She placed her lips to it tenderly, as if kissing away the agony it had given him.

A soft moan escaped him and his hands fisted in the loose fabric of her overalls. "You're killing me, Ally."

"Am I?" She kissed his shoulder again. What an encouraging thought. Testing, she dragged her hand down his chest, scraping lightly with her nails.

He arched up under her hand with a strangled moan.

Alice brought her lips back to his, kissing him deeply. The words stalled in her throat and it took all the courage in her to say the words she wanted to say. "Touch me, Bucky. Please."

"Now you really are killing me." Bucky groaned. He linked his fingers through hers, first the left hand then the right. Gently he lifted each hand to his lips and kissed the center of each palm. "Tell me what you want, darling. I can't promise I'll do it, but I promise it will break my heart to say no."

If she loved him before, she loved him infinitely more now. She leaned in to kiss him again. It wasn't that she didn't know what she wanted, but the moment he asked the nerves robbed her of her voice entirely.

So she gently drew one hand away from his, moving it up to the top button on her overalls, and slipping it through. Then she went on to the second and third, coming to a halt when she got to the drawstring around her waist.

She sat back slightly as she slowly broke the kiss, taking the hand she had released and bringing it to her shoulder. She then led his hand in sliding the overalls off her shoulder, showing the white camisole beneath, with his eyes focused on hers.

Bucky was dreaming. That was the only explanation. He pressed his lips to the creamy skin of her shoulder. Gently, reverently, he kissed along her collar bone.

Her arms below the elbow were still in the sleeves over her overalls, trapping them against her sides. That was alright. Alice wasn't sure she could move anyway. Bucky's fingers traced the neckline of her camisole. It was like her blood had been replaced by something fizzy - soda pop, or maybe champagne. She was definitely drunk on the sensation.

He then tugged her camisole from her shoulders as well. It was more eager and powerful than his prior touches, less delicate. As the chilly air of the room touched Alice's breasts, she gasped. The cold was replaced by the scorching warmth of Bucky's hands again and again.

When she was in high school, a boy she liked took her behind the bike shed and shoved his hands under her blouse. As he gripped and jiggled, it had been an unpleasant and uncomfortable experience. 

This was heavenly. When she discovered out the next day that he had informed his buddies, she smacked him. It turned out she didn't care for him as much as she had assumed. Bucky would make everything great, she knew.

Bucky pressed his hands into the soft mounds a few times, raising and letting them fall before succumbing to the evil voice in his brain telling him what to do. He dipped his head, softly sucking one breast, then the other, into his lips. She was flawless in every way.

This wasn't enough. He still wanted more.

"Turn around for me, doll?" Bucky whispered, thumb still circling a perky bud.

"Why?" Alice breathed. She knew what he meant when he said she was killing him. If Bucky took his hands away now, she might literally die.

"Because I am a very bad man, and I want to make you feel very good." Bucky growled, kissing her neck again. She was so innocent, so inexperienced, but she responded so perfectly to his touch. Her little gasps and moans. He loved it.

Alice twisted around, nervous yet trusting, her back against his broad chest. She felt vulnerable like this. Her arms were still trapped by her sleeves and now by the straps of her camisole, her chest exposed to the room rather than to Bucky's warmth. As soon as he touched her again, the emotion vanished, replaced by pure pleasure.

One of his hands went back to her breasts, fondling and cuddling them. The other slid into her overalls and across her stomach; inside her underwear. Touching her just where her heart yearned for him. Alice whimpered, her face pushed into Bucky's neck.

Bucky bit his lip to stop himself from moaning along with her. It was like she had been specifically designed to drive him crazy. "That's it, sweetheart. Just relax and let me take care of you."

No one had ever touched Alice in such a way before. Even her clumsy touches in the dark hadn't felt this way. Bucky brought her to a place she had never visited before, whether it took minutes or years. A place of light, air, and complete happiness.

She slumped, boneless, into his arms.

Bucky kissed her on the forehead and down her nose as he replaced her camisole and overalls shoulders with care. She had done so beautifully. He left the buttons undone, vague thoughts formulating in his head to keep a hand inside them while they slept. In preparation for that slumber, he moved them down the bed till she was nestled against his side.

Alice got a perfect view of the firm bulge that had been pressed against her back when she lay down with her head on his chest. Penises were unavoidable in her line of work. Usually incidental, frequently irritating, parts of life.

She'd never desired to touch one as much as she did now. This night was full of amazing firsts. Did she make him feel the same way he had made her? She caressed the taught fabric with trembling fingertips.

Bucky grabbed her wrist, stopping her from more than that tentative touch. "Don't."

Alice blinked at him. He couldn't be comfortable. "Why not?"

"Because I don't know what I'll do if you get your hands on me. Let tonight be about you." Bucky growled. He cupped her jaw and brought her mouth to his again. "Just kiss me for a while."

She could definitely manage that. At this moment their lives stretched ahead of them. One night was nothing in the grand scheme of things. They had all the time in the world. Alice draped herself across his chest and kissed him.

The kisses grew slower. As weariness began to draw her down, they became sloppier and shorter. She felt comfortable and at ease. She felt content in a manner she hadn't felt since before the war, and maybe not even then. Bucky's arms were tight around her as she cuddled up against his side.

Bucky chuckled and kissed her on the crown of her head. Poor worn-out girl. 

He didn't believe she'd ever gone this far with a man. If she had, they had clearly not looked after her properly. The climax had startled her too much for it not to be a fresh experience for her.

Sleep was a little further away for him. His body continued to respond to her. Just relax. We're taking this slow. Telling himself that didn't help nearly as much as he'd hoped.

Sleep did eventually come. Sneaking up on him and catching him unaware. One minute he was watching Alice sleep. The next he was dreaming about her.