Dumpster #3: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

[trashmod]

Holy shitballs, look at us go. Welcome to Captain America fandom's resident wretched hive of scum and villainy: ROUND THREE. AKA Bad Guys Do Dirtybadwrong Things To Your Faves, AKA the Hydra Trash Party kinkmeme. As usual, BLANKET NON-CON AND NSFW WARNINGS apply: just assume going in that everything in this landfill is unfit for human consumption.

Rules in brief: don't be a jerk except to fictional characters, warnings for particularly fucked-up garbage are nice but not required, thou shalt not judge the trashiness of thy neighbor's kinks unless thy neighbor is trying to pass off their rotting banana peels and half-eaten pizza crusts as a healthy romantic dinner for two, off-topic comments may be chucked out of the dumpster at management's discretion, management's discretion decrees that omegaverse, soulbond AUs, D/s-verse, non-superpowered AUs, and dark!good guys AUs are off-topic.

[Round 1] [Round 2] [Fill post] [Chatter post] [hydratrashmeme Pinboard archive (maintained by greenkirtle)] [Round 3 in flat view (comments in non-threaded chronological order, most recent last)]

Round 3 is closed; comments and fills in existing threads are still welcome, but all new prompts go to Round 4.

Comments

"If you won't let us, you'll do it instead."

[(Anonymous)]

Typical WWII battle, normal Peggy and random commando captured setup (would prefer Bucky or Dugan).

HYDRA goons not just threatening Peggy, but actually getting her down to her underthings before commando's threats and begging to leave her alone, take him instead get through, but not in the way he wanted.

They agree not to touch Peggy, if commando does it instead. The only choice is commando does it, out every officer there does it.

Obvious choice is obvious, and being someone she knows, someone she'd the superior officer if, and friends with doesn't make it any less humiliating, or any more consensual. HYDRA basically treating them like a live porno they can direct, until duo gets the upper hand and can escape.

Bonus for them dealing with it afterwards, both upset, anxious, and trying to compartmentalize.

Both worried about Steve's reaction, when he finds out (because she won't keep that secret from him, and does need medically checked out, because friend or not, penetration when you aren't ready can damage).

Just fuck me up with cap's best girl and one of his closest friends being tormented by noncon by/on each other, and possibly guy dealing with it worse because he managed to get it up and get off when he knew she didn't want it.

Possibly with Steve refusing to speak to Bucky if he was the male there, because he's angry with no real place to aim it.

FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 1/?

[(Anonymous)]

The cell block was tiny, a short corridor with two cells on each side, each only just big enough to lie down in. At least, Peggy could lie down; she was less certain Barnes could quite manage at full length. Cramped though it would have been, Peggy rather wished they were in the same cell. It would have been pleasant to have something warm to lean against.

She was over the active nausea, at least, though she still felt shaky and sick and couldn’t move quickly. Barnes was relatively unharmed, having surrendered when they held a gun to her semi-conscious head. Peggy was furious with herself for having been knocked silly in the first place, but the moving finger had writ and there was nothing to do now but deal with the consequences.

At the moment, those appeared to consist of sitting on cold concrete, listening to Barnes breathe and hoping Steve had gotten out. Peggy was cautiously optimistic, since it seemed likely there’d have been a great deal of gloating if they had managed to kill or even capture Captain America. She supposed that if it came to it, her life and Barnes’ were an acceptable trade for Steve’s, though she’d certainly prefer not to die this week.

She had managed to doze off, leaning into the corner of her cell, when the door out to the guardroom rattled open. The officer who entered first was only a leutnant, a little surprising for an installation this size, and Peggy made a note of the fact in case she got a chance to report it. Her stomach clenched as his men followed him, enough to make the corridor cramped and all of them staring at her with avid eyes. Peggy pressed her lips together. She’d always known the perils of her chosen profession; her first trainers had made sure of it.

“Stand up,” the leutnant said. Peggy did. There was no point in disobedience; it would only invite retribution and she had no great desire to be beaten before she was raped. It took longer than she liked and when she was standing her head pounded abominably. They opened her cell and two men entered to take her by the arms. “Agent Margaret Carter,” said the leutnant, sounding smug. “You are famous, you know.”

“I’m delighted,” Peggy said flatly.

The leutnant stepped forward and slapped her. Peggy gasped and staggered, her stomach trying to rebel, and only the grips on her arms kept her upright. As soon as she could she raised her head again. It was terribly tempting to ensure that the leutnant wouldn’t be able to enjoy what he was planning, and no one was holding her legs. But she held her peace as he reached for her blouse buttons and stared resolutely over his shoulder, threading her gaze between two leering faces. Barnes was not directly in her line of sight, though she could see him standing in his own cell. She had never seen him so angry before.

The leutnant pulled her blouse out of her trousers so that it hung open and cupped her breast in his hand, rubbing his thumb over the nipple through her brassiere. Peggy ignored him. “Hm,” he said, and dropped his hands to her trousers. He unbuttoned them and pushed them down her hips. She raised her chin. At least, she thought distantly, her knickers were plain and practical. The leutnant slid his hand into them.

“Stop it,” Barnes gritted, his voice quivering with fury. “Leave her alone.”

"You do not give orders here, Sergeant Barnes," the leutnent said. His fingers caressed her, gently enough that it would have been pleasant if it had been Steve.

"OK. OK," Barnes said. "Then I'm askin'. I'm begging. Please don't. You work for Hydra, ain't that enough?"

"Sergeant, don't," Peggy said tightly. She didn't like the speculative expression on the leutnent's face as he half-turned to look in Barnes' direction.

"My men need their entertainment," he said. "Would you have me tell them no?"

"I'll do it," Barnes said. Peggy blinked. She'd never have expected Barnes, of all people, to make such an offer on her behalf. "If you just want—"

The leutnant smiled suddenly, the nasty sneer of a man who'd turn a goodnight kiss into the ruin of a reputation in the stories he told the next day. "What a charming idea," he said. "Yes, charming." Peggy almost could have laughed at the faces of some of his men; they clearly didn't agree with their commander.

But she didn't have time for amusement. "Barnes, I don't need you to protect me." She, at least, had some chance of escaping permanent injury—

"Surely you would prefer your comrade the sergeant to all of us, Agent Carter," the leutnant said silkily.

Silence fell. One of the men started to snicker. Peggy was still trying to understand what that might mean when Barnes exploded, "That's not what I meant!"

The leutnant shrugged. His fingers began to move again and Peggy failed to completely suppress her shudder of revulsion. "But that is my bargain, Sergeant Barnes. You may, as you say, 'do it', or all my men will take their turns. All of them, not just these few."

Sounding strangled, Barnes said, "Carter." Peggy met his gaze. He looked horrified, and that decided her. She flicked her eyes down and back up. Barnes took a deep breath. "Fine," he said to the leutnant. Peggy would not have liked to be the target of his stare. "Fine, I'll do it."

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 1/?

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, I like this! Peggy's composure (I'm delighted) in the face of this sickening threat is so perfect. And the leutnant, "a man who'd turn a goodnight kiss into the ruin of a reputation"—what a great turn of phrase!—is so creepy and menacing. I especially like how it's Bucky's look of horror that convinces Peggy to choose the lesser of two evils here.

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 1/?

[(Anonymous)]

Yess, awesome smart Peggy, protective Bucky, can't wait for update!

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 1/?

[(Anonymous)]

Omg yes! OP here, this is amazing! Can't wait to see what you do with this

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 1/?

[(Anonymous)]

Brilliant start, really love all the writing, and Peggy's pragmatism here

FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 2/?

[(Anonymous)]

They herded her into Barnes' cell with the leutnent's pistol held to her head. Peggy declined to hold her blouse shut, though she did hitch her trousers up enough that they didn't hamper walking.

Once she was in and the cell door locked behind her, she turned to face the leutnent. He made a show of waiting for several seconds before saying, "Well?"

"Well, what, leutnent?" Peggy asked.

He heaved a theatrical sigh and one of his men—Peggy thought it was the same one—laughed. "Agent Carter, stalling is not going to achieve anything. My men need—"

"—their entertainment, yes, so you said," Peggy said. She could hear her voice getting more like her old aunt Constance with every word.

"Remove your clothing, Agent Carter," the leutnent said. He was not, sadly, put out. No reason why he should be; he held the cards here. Peggy clenched her teeth and began to strip. Barnes pointedly didn’t watch, which was sweet of him if entirely useless.

Perhaps it was foolish to fold her clothing as she removed it, but she did it anyway. She could feel heat in her cheeks but refused to allow her expression to change. She left her socks on, because the cell block’s heating was utterly inadequate if it existed at all, and didn’t wrap her arms around herself; it wouldn’t either warm or cover her appreciably, so she might as well pretend not to be bothered.

Once she was done, Barnes’ hands went to the buttons of his shirt. “What are you doing?” the leutnent asked, sounding no more than idly curious.

“What’s it look like?” Barnes snapped back.

“Don’t,” said the leutnent, with a smile Peggy would have loved to pound off his face. “We all appreciate the contrast.” Barnes paused in the act of unbuttoning and then his hands tightened into fists and he let them fall to his sides. “Kiss her.” Barnes stared and the leutnent went on, “It’s only polite, to kiss the girl you’re about to take to bed, no?”

“Get us a damn blanket,” Barnes said. “I can’t take anyone to bed when there’s no bed.”

The leutnent studied him for a second, shrugged one shoulder, and pointed at one of his men. “Very well,” the leutnent said as the soldier hurried out. “Now. Kiss her.”

Barnes turned to her with glacial slowness. Peggy couldn’t find it in her to smile, but she tilted her head a bit and said, “Am I that fearsome, then, Sergeant?” Barnes didn’t smile either, but he did unclench one hand and put it carefully on her shoulder before he bent.

He was only a little shorter than Steve. Peggy closed her eyes, but it didn’t help much; he didn’t smell the same. Still, it wasn’t as if Steve were the only man she’d ever kissed. Barnes was very polite about it, if not quite chaste enough for saying goodnight while Mama was watching; he skated his tongue over the seam of her lips and Peggy parted them. She thought it advisable to act as much as if she were enjoying this as possible—both for the benefit of the Hydra soldiers and in the hopes of fooling her own body.

At least it was Barnes, who was every bit as much a picture of masculine appeal as Steve, in his very different way. She’d have been much harder pressed with any of the other Howlies, even Monty.

“I did not say to kiss her like a lady you are courting,” the leutnent said suddenly. “Kiss her like you intend to take her to bed.”

Barnes raised his head to give the leutnent a withering look. “Maybe this ain’t how you do it, but I was raised to respect a girl I was makin’ time with.” His hand trembled where it lay against Peggy’s skin, and she couldn’t read the reason for it in his face.

The leutnent raised his eyebrows. “She will not know you want her, Sergeant. You’re not ready.”

“No shit,” Barnes muttered.

The leutnent sighed again. “I suppose you will have to encourage him, Agent Carter.”

“And how do you propose I do that, leutnent?” Peggy asked, attempting to sound bored.

“Irrumatio,” the leutnent said, his tone of voice arch.

Peggy rolled her eyes. “I’m hardly equipped. The verb you want is fellatio.” This time he did look a trifle miffed; though Peggy doubted anyone but the two of them understood the Latin (Barnes certainly didn’t, by his expression), she had obviously corrected him. But he recovered quickly.

"As may be. Proceed, nonetheless."

Peggy pursed her lips and, without looking at him, said, "Sergeant, perhaps you'd better lean on something."

"What? Carter—"

"I can't claim to be an expert but I'm told it's exhilarating," Peggy said, trying not to sound grim. "Just, please. Lean on the wall."

Barnes caught on when she dropped to her knees and took hold of his buttons. "Oh, Carter," he said wretchedly. Peggy watched what she was doing rather than risk his face. The floor was cold and she found herself wishing for that blanket; she stopped unfastening his flies for a moment to seize her own trousers to kneel on.

He was not aroused in the slightest. Nor was he terribly clean; the disastrous raid that had led to their capture had come at the end of nearly a month in the field and they hadn't even been near a stream warm enough to bathe in for most of a week. Well, he'd have washed if he'd known, Peggy thought with morbid amusement.

"Do not finish him," the leutnent said with cheerful menace, "or you will entertain us directly after all."

Peggy could not, could not stop herself from turning to glare. "I would never have guessed, leutnent," she said coldly. Then, before she could think, she turned back and took Barnes into her mouth.

******************
I'm terribly sorry this took so long. My non-trashy WIP has been sucking up most of my creative impulse this last week or so.

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 2/?

[(Anonymous)]

Oh man, loving all of these directorial cues from the lieutenant! :D

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 2/?

[(Anonymous)]

I just found this and I'm so excited with where you're going with it!!!

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 2/?

[(Anonymous)]

Silly lieutenant, she needs snap-on tools for that.

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 2/?

[(Anonymous)]

I am so loving Peggy's 'bring it on' attitude combined with Bucky's horror. And nice detail that they haven't bathed in awhile, because it's always in the back of my mind when I read WWII era fics :)

(Now you can go back to your Latin discussion, which I cannot possibly contribute to.)

FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 3/?

[(Anonymous)]

Barnes tasted mostly like skin but the smell of sweat made her stomach heave. Peggy fought it down; she was hardly a blooming rose herself. He whined, soft and quickly smothered. The Hydra men were murmuring to each other; Peggy carefully did not understand what they were saying.

She had never actually done this before. Steve hadn't ventured to ask for something so obscene, and Peggy wasn't completely sure he was even aware of the concept. Then again, from the descriptions she'd gleaned of his neighborhood back in New York, he probably wasn't so naïve.

She discovered quickly that she could choke herself, and had to pull away from Barnes for a moment to catch her breath while that same damned Hydra soldier laughed at her discomfiture. Peggy didn't dare look at Barnes' face. While she coughed the man who'd been sent in search of a blanket returned and passed the fabric between the bars of the cell. Peggy folded it several times, which at least made for a much better cushion than her trousers. Through everything Barnes stood still as a statue, and this time when she sucked him in he didn't make any sound at all.

For several minutes, nothing happened except that the objectionable remarks in German got steadily cruder. Peggy tried not to let her teeth scrape him—rendering him incapable would make everything they'd already done pointless. She was sure the leutnent would not be inclined to make allowances. But Barnes' prick didn't stir and Peggy began to worry that he was simply too upset to perform. And on the one hand she couldn't blame him; God knew she was grateful she didn't have to be enthusiastic to play her part.

On the other hand, she had a tongue. She rubbed it experimentally around and at last Barnes reacted, air hissing between his teeth. Encouraged, Peggy tried again. After a few seconds she felt the first twitches, the very beginning of an erection. Thank God was, perhaps, not the most appropriate thought...but it was the one she had.

Things were going swimmingly when the leutnent decided he was insufficiently entertained. "I do not think she's doing her job correctly, Sergeant," he said. "Perhaps you should encourage her."

"Fuck you," Barnes said breathlessly. "She's doin' fine."

"Nonetheless," said the leutnent. Nothing happened. Peggy tried to ignore everything but what she was doing. "Now, Sergeant Barnes." There was another pause, and then one of Barnes' hands settled on the side of Peggy's head. She could feel the reluctant tension in it as he tugged her gently towards his body. Peggy wanted to resist, knew she didn't dare, and followed the pull.

Barnes had rather more pubic hair than Steve did, and Peggy concentrated on the unfamiliar feel of it. Her throat fluttered around Barnes' prick and she felt tears starting at the corners of her eyes. She blinked furiously; if she started crying now, she'd never stop, and any tears at all were too much like crying. Barnes seemed to know what he was doing, though, and he left her room enough to breathe.

From there it didn't take very long for him to grow fully hard. He pushed her away, still gentle, and knelt. "Let me get this," he said, so softly Peggy doubted most of the Hydra soldiers (some of them had unfastened their trousers) could hear it, and pulled the blanket out from under her knees as she shifted. He laid it out, still folded in half, and stared down at it.

"Barnes," Peggy said, just as quiet. He didn't look at her. "Barnes, it's all right."

Barnes smiled and said, "Not really. But let's get it done."

Peggy lay on the blanket. It was too thin to provide a cushion like this, but at least it wasn't bare concrete on her arse. Barnes moved over her, supporting all his own weight on his knees and elbows, and swallowed. "I'm sorry, Carter," he said.

"Let's get it done," Peggy told him.

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 3/?

[(Anonymous)]

Fantastic!

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 3/?

[(Anonymous)]

Bahaha oh my god, Peggy's dark humor and pragmatism are amazing. Also I love how she's pondering on how experienced Steve is... hehe.

FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 4/?

[(Anonymous)]

Barnes reached down between them to take hold of himself, or so Peggy thought until his fingers settled over her and rubbed. Without looking at him, she said, "Please don't, Sergeant." Her voice wouldn't stay steady.

"Bitte nein," one of the men said in a high parody. Barnes didn't even blink.

"You sure, Carter? I know how," he murmured.

"I'm sure." She didn't want this to be pleasurable. She didn't want to remember anything good about it.

Barnes nodded with a smile that was frozen on his face. He retrieved his hand and spat into it, lowered it again, and rubbed himself briefly. Peggy appreciated the thought. Then the head of his prick pressed against her and she let her eyes close.

She forced herself to bend her knees and cant her hips to help him, but she couldn't bear to look at him. He had to go slowly and Peggy couldn't relax enough to make it easier; he didn't let the encouraging remarks of the Hydra soldiers hurry him, though she supposed it was possible he simply didn't understand them. It hurt; as an athletic child, Peggy had dispensed with her hymen without male intervention but the paltry lubrication he'd improvised didn't help very much. He stopped every time she winced and she set herself to not move. Delay wouldn't help.

When he was fully seated Barnes paused. "It's no wonder Steve likes you," he said, very quietly. "Neither of you knows when to back down."

"Thank you, Barnes, now get on with it," Peggy said, and was appalled when her voice nearly broke on the last word. She clamped her lips closed.

"Yeah," he said. "Sorry. OK."

She would never have any idea how long it took; she concentrated on the scrape of his trousers against her bare skin, how cold the floor was through the scant protection of the blanket, how his breathing got gradually faster, harsher. She thought she should help, get it over with faster, and couldn't bring herself to do it. She tried to feel nothing, and as a result she didn't notice that his rhythm had gone erratic until he was near the edge.

Barnes groaned and hid his face in her neck and thrust a final time. Peggy could feel him shuddering against her, within her. She hoped he hadn't tried to fake orgasm; she had a feeling the leutnent wouldn't be amused. He was still supporting most of his own weight, at least, which was something she'd had to teach Steve. Then again, Barnes was used to being bigger than most people around him.

After only a few seconds Barnes pulled away from her. "Carter, can you sit up?" he asked. Peggy thought distantly that he sounded concerned, and followed the urging of his hands to sit. He reached behind her to retrieve her blouse and draped it around her shoulders. Peggy shivered, the tiny warmth of the fabric making her aware that she was cold. She wondered if she should say something, but before she could decide what Barnes' voice said, "We did what you wanted. Now get out."

"You are still in no position to give orders," the leutnent said.

Peggy pried her eyes open just in time to see Barnes lunge for the bars. He got his hands on the leutnent's uniform shirt and yanked the man into the bars hard enough to stun. The Hydra soldiers erupted into chaos as Barnes released the leutnent and backed away, just enough space to keep him out of reach from the two barred sides of their cell. "<Get out,>" he said, in German with a better accent than Peggy's. "<I can't get you all but I can get the first four who come in here. Maybe the first five. So get out.>"

For a trembling moment Peggy wasn't sure which way the Hydra men would fall, but then the one closest to the guardroom door took a step back and they all reacted as if they were fish in a school. Two of them supported their dazed commander and in seconds the cell block door was closing behind them.

Barnes stood for a moment more glaring, his shoulders set defensively, before he turned back. He'd taken time somewhere to rearrange his clothing; Peggy hadn't noticed. "Carter," he said, low and urgent, and Peggy shook herself.

"Did you get them?" she asked, and twisted where she sat for the rest of her clothing.

Barnes gave her a lopsided grin and pulled the leutnent keys out of his pocket. "I'm insulted you had to ask," he said.

Peggy glanced up at him and when their eyes met they both smiled, a baring of teeth.

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 4/?

[(Anonymous)]

Yay, go get em!

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 4/?

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, my heart.

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 4/?

[(Anonymous)]

omg stoic!Peggy is so amazing. And thoughtful!devious!coping!Bucky ... thanks much a!a!!!

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 4/?

[(Anonymous)]

I like the acknowledgement that being unable to relax enough means it would hurt for Peggy. I also liked her asking Bucky not to try to make it more pleasurable for her, even though that might have made it easier to bear in the moment.

Now I'm excited for the escape and the fallout, though!

FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 5/?

[(Anonymous)]

They got out into the guardroom by the simple expedient of Peggy screaming at the top of her lungs until the guards stormed in to shut her up. She wasn’t particularly musically inclined, but her mother had thought singing lessons were suitable for young ladies and she could produce significant volume when it suited her purposes, even if she would never perform at La Scala. The guards, who were not precisely mental giants, both came in at once.

Then they had most of their gear back and Peggy would never have expected to be so relieved to see her boots, which were half a size too large and tended to give her blisters. The mere fact of no longer being in her sock feet made her feel unutterably better. Barnes seemed similarly pleased to have his belt and especially his blue coat. Their weapons weren’t in the cabinet, which struck Peggy as a rare moment of sense on Hydra’s part, but it hardly mattered since the guards had both been armed.

“All right,” she said as Barnes emerged from the cell block where he’d dragged the corpses. “You’ll have to lead the way, Sergeant; I was too disoriented to remember how we came in.” Hydra had a number of standard base layouts; this wasn’t one of them, being a German installation they’d appropriated rather than purpose-built.

“Yeah,” Barnes said. “Look, Carter—”

“If we really must have this conversation, I suggest we do it when we’re out of here,” Peggy said.

Barnes blew out a long breath and repeated, “Yeah.”

The corridor outside was empty. Barnes insisted on going first, and Peggy didn’t argue because she knew his coat had some of Howard’s clever armor built into it.

They ran into trouble almost immediately, three Hydra soldiers with exquisitely bad timing turning the corner just as she and Barnes reached it, too close to be shot safely. Peggy didn’t recognize any of them, but she derived immense satisfaction from kicking one between the legs nonetheless. He made a peculiar choking noise and crumpled, clutching himself; Peggy kicked him in the temple for insurance and turned to discover Barnes briskly strangling a second soldier while the third lay motionless. “Carter,” Barnes said, and Peggy stabbed the man in the liver, twisting to ensure he’d bleed to death rapidly while Barnes covered his mouth. When he went limp, Barnes dropped him. “Where’d you learn that one?”

“I had my early training in the SOE,” Peggy said as they jogged down the hall. “They call it the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare for a reason.”

Barnes snorted. “Remind me to tell Steve that steppin’ out on you would be a bad idea.”

*

By herself Peggy wouldn’t have heard the movement; she’d begun to suspect that Barnes’ senses were much sharper than he normally let on, which was...interesting. He turned his head sharply and grabbed her forearm to yank her into a supply closet, but as soon as they were inside he let go and swung the door silently closed.

“What did you hear?” Peggy breathed.

“Someone sneakin’ up on us,” Barnes said at the same volume, and waved her to stand behind the door. He pressed his ear to the panel. Peggy tried not to breathe too loudly.

Then suddenly Barnes’ shoulders relaxed. “Thank fuck,” he said in a normal voice, and stepped away from the door to open it again. Peggy was only halfway through her alarmed exclamation when from outside she heard, “Bucky, thank God, where’s Peggy?”

Steve looked, for him, awful. Peggy thought that part of it was the last effects of the head wound that had started all this in the first place, but mostly he looked terrified—though you’d have to know what he normally looked like in a fight, utterly controlled and confident, to see it. Peggy watched relief hit him like a sandbag when he could see them both, and she desperately wanted to throw herself into his arms and sob, but the middle of a sneak escape from a Hydra base was hardly the time. “I can honestly say I’ve never been so happy to see you,” she said instead, and Steve smiled like the sun.

“Likewise,” he said.

“You didn’t come in here alone, did you?” Barnes demanded.

“I’m not an idiot, Buck,” Steve said. “The guys are waiting for the all-clear.”

“Good,” Barnes said. “Get ‘em in here.”

Steve frowned and said, “Phillips told me to get out as soon as we had you.”

“Phillips can go jump in a lake,” said Barnes grimly. “Me and Carter got some scores to settle.”

*

The leutnent was not in the infirmary; they ran him to ground at last in officers’ quarters, of which he seemed to be the only resident. He must have heard them coming because he had his pistol in his hand when Steve broke the door in, but he hadn’t had time to get dressed; he’d been lying on his bed in trousers, nursing two spectacular black eyes and what she suspected was a broken nose.

Steve relieved the leutnent of his weapon and swept his legs out from under him in one casual motion, then pressed a boot to his sternum. Peggy smiled at him in satisfaction as he paled. “I’m so sorry, leutnent,” she said sweetly, “but I’m afraid your hospitality just wasn’t up to our standards. But we insist that we be allowed to return the favor.” He had not killed himself yet; maybe he was one of Hydra’s occasional cowards.

He called her a truly vile name and screamed when Barnes stomped hard on one of his hands.

And then, panting, he said to Steve, “Tell me, is she deine Hure? If not, I must apologize. It is not right that a sergeant before his captain goes.”

“What?” Steve demanded, and the leutnent grinned at him.

“Heil Hydra,” he said, and bit down; there was no saving him, even if Peggy had been inclined to try. He would have been a valuable source of information but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.

When the leutnent’s choking was done, a terrible silence fell, broken only by the sounds of Dernier in the corridor, setting his charges. Steve turned to Peggy with fear on his face and said, “Peggy.”

“He didn’t,” she said, but she couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Peggy,” Steve repeated.

“He didn’t,” said Barnes quietly. “I did.”

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 5/?

[(Anonymous)]

Ahhhhh!

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 5/?

[(Anonymous)]

[whale noises]

FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 6/?

[(Anonymous)]

Steve lost colour so fast Peggy honestly thought he might faint. "Bucky. What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Barnes said roughly. Peggy smothered the irrational urge to strangle him; the cat had been well and truly out of the bag as soon as the leutnent opened his mouth, and leaving Steve to work it out on his own would have been in no way better.

Without appearing to realize what he was doing, Steve shifted where he stood, interposing himself between Peggy and Barnes. On the one hand, Peggy appreciated the impulse and understood why he was doing it; on the other, it did nothing but hurt Barnes and she could damn well take care of herself. "He had to," she said, hearing her own voice brittle as glass. "Our friend here gave me a choice." She kicked the leutnent's corpse, which she had to admit was petty. "Him and all his men..."

"Or you," Steve said to Barnes, who wore a neutral expression that Peggy suspected of being entirely false.

"Yeah," Barnes said. "Steve, you know I wouldn't—you know I wouldn't."

Steve clenched his jaw, but he looked Barnes in the eye when he said, "Yes, I know." He drew a breath, let it out, and turned back to Peggy. "You're going to have to...we'll have to tell the medics."

"Phillips can't know about this," Peggy said. "He's ridiculous about me going into the field already."

"I know enough to know you need to see a medic," Steve said gently. Peggy wanted to slap him.

"I will," she said shortly. "But I'll arrange it so Phillips won't find out."

Steve was opening his mouth (to object, but it wasn't his place to object, by God) when Jones called from the hallway, "Frenchie's done, Cap, you ready to move?"

For a moment no one answered. "On our way," Barnes called back finally. But they stood staring at each other for another long second before they turned to the door.

*

It wouldn't have taken the Howling Commandos to realize something had gone wrong between Steve and Barnes, and all of them were on edge by the time they got back to their vehicles. Peggy was slightly impressed that Phillips had committed Jeeps to this rescue—but then again, it was Steve, and they all knew precisely what he would do to save someone he loved. It was better to back him up than risk another unauthorized raid.

But there were multiple Jeeps, and Steve attempted, in the most unsubtle manner possible, to make sure that Peggy and Barnes didn't share one. In and of itself that might have gone unnoticed; as the behaviour of Steve Rogers, reunited with his best friend after rescuing him again...he might as well have dressed up like a Morris dancer and waved his wands about to indicate that something strange was going on. Even Dugan, not normally the most perceptive of men, looked tight around the eyes by the time Peggy settled the matter by climbing pointedly into the Jeep that Barnes was already sitting in. Steve, frowning, got in beside her, which left poor Morita to drive.

As Morita turned the key, he said, "You gotta quit doing this, Sarge. It's not good for Cap's heart." Behind them Dernier's fuses were burning down, the first charges booming into the night.

Barnes slouched back in his seat. "He'll get used to it," he said airily, and that was the end of that conversation.

*

It was a long drive back to base and Peggy drifted off despite herself, leaning into Steve's side. She woke when the Jeep slowed and blinked in muzzy confusion at the surrounding forest, no sign of Allied forces yet in sight. "Why are we stopping?" she muttered, resisting the urge to rub her eyes.

"Two minutes," Steve said to Morita instead of answering. Morita looked unhappy, but nodded. Steve jerked his head at Barnes, and Peggy frowned. Normally he'd have tapped his shoulder. The three of them climbed out of the Jeep and walked into the shadow of the trees. "All right," Steve said. "What are you going to tell Phillips, and what are we going to tell the guys?"

"If the Sergeant had been less competent we might be able to claim they beat him to get to me, but as it is that won't play," Peggy said. "I think it's easiest to say they were trying to let our dread do the work for them."

Barnes smiled, small but sincere. "Hydra ain't known for that kind of subtle," he said.

But Steve was nodding. "They aren't known for it, but that doesn't mean our friend the leutnent couldn't have been smarter than most." He pronounced the title with audible loathing.

"Damn good thing you're not gonna have to try'n sell this," Barnes told Steve.

Steve made a rueful face, but he made it meeting Barnes' eyes for the first time since they'd left the leutnent's room, so Peggy counted it a victory. "I'll just say he called me a bastard before he killed himself." He sighed. "That's Phillips. What about...?"

Peggy raised her chin. "They threatened me to try to get the Sergeant to talk, but I forbade him. There was a bit of, hm, groping, which he quite rightly ignored, and then they left us to worry." She smiled in her turn and knew it looked grim. "I'll ask everyone to keep it under their hats. They all know what Phillips can be like." It was a little unfair, but Phillips occasionally had eruptions of old-fashioned notions about a woman's place. He didn't seem to worry too much about her risk of getting killed, but her virtue was another matter—and she wouldn't entirely put it past him to decide Barnes had been at fault somehow.

"All right," Steve said. "Let's tell the others and then get moving. I'm sure you both need some real rest."

*

They drove back into camp in the grey pre-dawn. Peggy endured making her preliminary report to the Colonel but it wasn't difficult to sincerely plead fatigue. She forced herself through a quick but thorough wash and half-stumbled to her tent, where her pack, which had been carried out with Steve at the beginning of all this, sat on her cot.

Peggy took her boots off, crawled under the entirely inadequate blankets fully dressed, pressed the thin pillow over her face, and finally, finally allowed herself to weep.

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 6/?

[(Anonymous)]

Oh Peg. I know how you feel. Sort of.

Re: FILL: When It's Over, I Might Dance 6/?

[(Anonymous)]

This is the saddest thing I've ever read in this dumpster, and I've been here almost since day one.