After the Night
In the end, Peggy and Bucky had been waiting trapped under a good portion of the broken warehouse for four hours. The streets outside had taken on the odd silent quality of a town that is sleeping, despite the raid and the worry of what troubles the next day would bring. People kept calm and carried on. The shell that had fallen hadn’t crushed any houses and hadn’t set anything on fire so the rescue teams and ARP wardens had concentrated their efforts elsewhere, meaning that it was down to Captain America himself to rescue his comrades.
Both Peggy and Bucky had been doing their best to keep the other awake, driving off the shock, pain and the chill as best they could with conversation that was steadily growing easier between them. Still, by the time Steve came by the warehouse the two of them were considerably closer, but feeling somewhat worse for wear.
“We’re in big trouble now.” Bucky groaned after hearing Steve’s desperate yells as he drew closer.
Peggy had grimaced in agreement with Bucky before raising her voice as much as her parched throat would allow.
“We’re here! Steve we’re alright!” She ignored Bucky’s huff of derision, as if either of them were really alright.
“Peggy!” Steve called, there was some scrambling and some muttered cursing from Falsworth as the two of them approached. Falsworth was puffing and breathing hard, clearly having a hard time keeping up with the Captain. They could hear him trying to radio in a report as Steve carefully made his way through the wreckage to where he had heard Peggy’s voice
“It’s alright, I’ve gotcha,” He said, easily moving aside huge portions of brickwork and parts of railing and crates that were trapping them.
“Falsworth, I need your light,” Steve called,
“You chaps really know how to muck up a simple espionage mission, don’t you?” Came Falsworth’s clipped tones from somewhere just out of sight. Suddenly Peggy and Bucky’s little space was flooded with light and Steve’s head appeared, mostly in silhouette above them.
“You sure you’re ohkay?” He was taking in everything about their cramped and precarious situation, the beams and bars pinning them, every scrape and cut and bruise visible from where he peered down just a little above them, just out of reach. “Buck?”
“Yeah, we’re just peachy. You can take yer time, don’t worry.”
“Oh yes, he’s fine.” Falsworth deduced. “We can come back in the morning.”
“Screw you, Monty.” Bucky replied without bothering to try and raise his head.
“Hold on, just a little longer.” Steve reassured as he once again ducked out of sight, directing Falsworth to hold the torches so he could see what he was doing as he gingerly began moving debris out of the way.
It took a whole fifteen minutes of careful removing to dig them out. By which time Steve’s heart was doing a number on him. One he’d thought he’d left behind but one he was beginning to get all too familiar with. He’d felt it back in Azzano when he’d discovered what had happened to the 107th. He’d felt it when Falsworth had told him about the isolation ward, when he’d seen Bucky strapped to that table, when that beam across the burning factory had given way with Bucky barely making it to the other side. He’d felt it earlier that night when the sirens had gone off and he’d realised Bucky and Peggy weren’t back from their assignment yet.
He’d felt it thumping and stuttering even harder when Falsworth had careened in with a report that the area where the drop had been, where Bucky and Peggy had gone that night, had been hit in the raid. He hadn’t waited to re-group with Gabe and Jones, Dernier was still holed up somewhere in a lab with Stark and he hadn’t honestly spared him a thought. He’d just yelled for Falsworth to grab some gear and take him to the warehouse that minute. He’d felt it gnawing away in his chest the whole time it had taken them to cross London in the aftermath of an air raid. Though the streets were quieter by the time he’d gotten word of things, there were fires being put out and rubble across streets and winding paths to get them where they were needed.
But finally, Steve was able to hop down into their small space and hoist up the beam across Peggy’s legs, Falsworth was there too, torch in his mouth as he hooked his hands under Peggy’s elbows to help her shuffle back, her legs now numb from prolonged stillness and her toes near frozen. Peggy found Steve’s leather jacket draped around her as he gave her a fond, careful look and his hand gently cupped her face for a few long seconds before he looked over her shoulder to nod at Falsworth, while he turned his attention to Bucky.
“Gee Buck, you only had to collect some papers, right?”
“Hey, I didn’t have anything to do with the bomb, Steve, that one ain’t on me.”
“It very nearly was, Buck.”
Steve got his shoulder under the beam and hefted it away off of Bucky.
“Looks like I’ll be carrying you outta this, pal.” Steve said as his hands made quick and careful work of checking Bucky over for any serious damage.
“M’alright, Steve.”
“You’re not alright, Buck, but looks like it could be worse, c’mere.” He carefully picked Bucky up from the floor, completely stifling Bucky’s attempts to push himself upright and propped him up next to Peggy. Before either of them had any warning he’d pulled them both into a tight hug, an arm around each of them. Falsworth chuckled to himself and discreetly moved himself away to keep watch outside.
Bucky found himself with his arm trapped between Steve’s chest and Peggy’s arm, Steve’s massive shoulder under his chin, his ear pressed against Steve’s. He could feel Steve’s hand gripping him tightly at his back pinning him against his broad chest. He couldn’t meet Peggy’s eye, Steve’s head was in the way, but she was in a similar position. He dazedly brought his free hand up to return the hug.
“It’s alright, Steve.” He heard Peggy say beside him.
“Not lettin’ either of you outta’ my sight again.”
“Ohkay, pal.” Bucky said, patting him on the back.
Steve resisted the urge to hold onto them both tighter and instead settled back on his heels to look at them, keeping his hands on their shoulders. “Seriously now, I don’t know what, what I’d do if…” the words stuck in his mouth.
Peggy smiled tenderly at him and Bucky rolled his eyes.
“Gah Steve, yer such a sap.”
After hugging them again for a little longer, Steve decided he needed to get them back to HQ for a check in with the nurses as soon as he could. Not that Bucky or Peggy particularly minded the slightly awkward group hug. The heat pouring off Steve was doing them both good, warming them up from too long near motionless in the chill of night.
Even in Steve’s rush to get to the warehouse in the first place, Falsworth had managed to grab a first aid kit, Steve gently wrapped Peggy’s ankle and Falsworth tended to Bucky’s arm, rigging up a surprisingly neat and supportive sling in almost no time.
Steve did have a brief moment of despair as he realised he wouldn’t be able to carry them both, at least not without aggravating their injuries any further, but it turned out that both of them were more or less able to stand and walk. Albeit very gingerly and with a lot of assistance.
The trek back to H.Q. was slow going, they walked in a line, Bucky on one end, nearly doubled over but kept more or less upright by Steve’s arm about his waist helping to take his weight. Steve’s other arm was around Peggy, easily taking most of her weight too as she avoided putting any pressure on her ankle. Falsworth bracketed Peggy on the other side, his arm respectfully around her shoulders. Steve really did try his best not to fret too much over them but both Peggy and Bucky could feel Steve’s grip around them tighten occasionally. They managed to share a look across Steve’s broad chest then, Peggy gave Bucky a warm and genuine smile, Bucky winked at her and smiled back, both sharing the thought that Steve really had no idea how cherished he was, but both of them dedicated to showing him.