he who hesitates is toast

"I try," he says, with a hint of humor. Bucky glances over at her, taking in the way she relaxes a little at the reassurance, the way she leans back against the seat.

She's exhausted. He's tired, but he's still got enough left to push through, especially with a nap somewhere along the way. But Sharon's running on her very last nerve and the end of her stamina, and he's pretty sure what's keeping her upright now is nothing more than pure will.

Maybe there's something he can do to help with that.

Instead of starting to point out different constellations and passing distant flights, he decides to stay quiet, letting the soft beeps and chirps of the instrumentation blend with the rush of air past the plane.