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

[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."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve walks and eats.

"I want this," he says quietly. "A quiet night and good company."

[nerves_of_ice]

He finishes off his hot dog, stuffs the scrap of paper in his pants pocket, then drapes an arm over Steve's shoulders.

"Then Merry Christmas, punk," Bucky tells him, fond affection clear.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve leans against him. "Merry Christmas, jerk." He takes another big bite of his hot dog.

[nerves_of_ice]

They walk, together in easy companionship, toward the church. It's not hard to tell where they're going - as they approach, the street slowly begins to get more crowded with people headed in for the Christmas Eve service.

Bucky drops his arm from Steve's shoulders so that they can move more easily amid the people, and smiles a quick, bright hello at a couple of girls who are standing on the stairs, clearly watching for someone.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve checks his hair nervously -- pretty girls make him so self-conscious -- and smiles at the girls as he follows Bucky up the stairs.

As he thought it would be, the church is standing-room-only by this time. He finds some space away from the door, and shoves his hands into his jacket pockets and his chin into his collar.

[nerves_of_ice]

The girls smile back, and start whispering to each other behind their hands as they watch Bucky and Steve go into the church.

Amused, Bucky gives them one last flirting look over his shoulder, and then moves to take up a spot beside Steve, on his left-hand side.

"Crowded," he observes.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"This is the only night a lot of people come to church," Steve murmurs in reply.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Guess I can't argue with that."

He scans the room, looking for any other space.

"This spot okay with you?"

There's not much of a draft from the door, especially with as many people as are around them, but he'd gotten in the habit of keeping an eye on things like that years ago.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Yeah, I think so. May have to move if it gets smokey, though."