OOM: Bucky. Christmas, 1940

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve gets home before Bucky does on Christmas Eve, and has just a few minutes to stash the little shopping bag away where Bucky won't find it. He wants Bucky to have a good Christmas this year, even if they have no tree and no cake--but Steve has beans soaking for a good stew, and there's a few potatoes and a little ham to augment it, and there are treats that Santa will bring.

They've had worse Christmases.

Now the question is, how to get these things arranged so that Bucky will actually be surprised Christmas morning?

Steve has never been too good at stealth, nor at inventing ways to get Bucky out of the house or asleep early.

He's checking on the beans when he hears Bucky's step on the landing.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky laughs, and slings his arm around Steve's shoulders.

"Hey, 'tis the season, you know."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Bucky Barnes in church," says Steve in a voice full of wonder. "Definitely a Christmas miracle. Right up there with virgin births."

He pokes Bucky with the wooden spoon.

"IF we're both going we need to clean up a little."

[nerves_of_ice]

"You're probably right," he agrees.

"I'll go splash some water on my face and change shirts."

It'll also give him a chance to get the package out of the pocket of his coat.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Bring a scarf," Steve says as he turns off the flame beneath the beans. They just need to soak overnight at this point. "It's supposed to be chilly tonight."

[nerves_of_ice]

"It is December," he points out, dryly, and steps back.

"Give me five or ten minutes, then I'll be out of your way," Bucky calls over his shoulder, already heading toward the rickety cabinet that serves him as a closet and dresser combined.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"You know what I mean, smart guy."

He moves to the washbasin, and sighs when he sees the water is mostly a chunk of ice. He picks up the basin and carries it to the stove. "Got any plans for tomorrow I should know about?"

Past experience says Bucky's plans for Christmas Day are pretty much the same as his own, but it never hurts to check. Who knows, Bucky may have met someone he wants to impress at her family's Christmas dinner.

[nerves_of_ice]

He shrugs off his coat and lays it across the foot of his bed, using the motion to palm the little package from the pocket - which he hides in the cabinet inside a sock as he picks up a clean shirt. Bucky dumps that on top of his coat, and starts to unbutton his work shirt.

"Thought I might try to call Becky from the phone booth on the corner, but other than that, no."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"If you get through to her, tell her I said Merry Christmas, will you?"

He tests the water--mostly melted now, and lukewarm. He carries the basin back to the cabinet and splashes his face, washing off chalk dust from the day's work.

[nerves_of_ice]

"I will," he promises.

He strips down to his undershirt, then gives his work shirt a critical once-over before he hangs it on a hook affixed to the side of the cabinet.

"Enough in the basin for two, or do I need to refill it for us?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"I'm almost done." He scrubs his neck quickly. "If it's cold enough in here for the water to freeze, it'll be worse in the rain-barrel."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky shoots him a look.

"Careful, now. You don't need to catch a chill."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve steps back with a smile at Bucky, and towels himself off quickly and pulls on a clean shirt.

"It was practically warm."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Uh-huh. Right."

He moves in and splashes water on his face, then comes up sputtering.

"You call that warm?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Practically warm."

He pulls a sweater over his shirt, and tucks the fraying edges around a hole together so it doesn't show as much. His coat will go over that, and if years past are any indication it'll be standing room only, which will help him keep warm.

"Put it back on the stove for a few minutes if it's too cold."

[nerves_of_ice]

"It's fine."

He sets to cleaning up with a will. It doesn't take long.

"You know, there's talk among the crew that we might get more work soon."

Whistling in the dark, more like, but hope's hard to kill.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Yeah? Where? A big project, maybe, that'll last a few months?"

He sits on his bed to pull on clean socks.

[nerves_of_ice]

"No one knows yet. It's the rumor mill running full blast, but still, you know?"

He drapes the damp rag over the edge of the washbasin to dry and walks over to his own bed to reclaim his clean shirt.

"It'd be nice."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Yeah, it would," murmurs Steve. Bucky is basically putting him through school at this point, but he'll be done next term--he'll be able to go to work full-time then.

"Do you need supper before we go? Or just hot dogs from a cart?" He flashes a smile at Bucky.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Nathan's?"

Bucky grins back at Steve.

"Sounds good to me."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve laughs and reaches for his boots.



It's a chilly night out, with snow on the sidewalks and candles in the windows. The hot dogs are warm in their hands, and Steve pulls off his mittens so he can enjoy the warmth through the paper.

"Perfect Christmas Eve dinner," he says, his mouth full of his first bite.

[nerves_of_ice]

"You're telling me," Bucky agrees. "Best ever."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve swallows and takes another big bite as he heads in the direction of the church.

"Anything you're hoping Santa will bring this year?" he asks. May as well see if he got anything right.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Oh, you know - the usual," he says, unhelpfully.

"You?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Oh, you know," Steve responds, and then pokes Bucky with his elbow.

His list rarely changes: new sketchbooks, Faber pencils. Thick socks. Oranges.

[nerves_of_ice]

He chuckles.

"Yeah, that's about what I thought."