Just a little something I cooked up for our favorite assassin's 100th.
You didn't really know much about Bucky Barnes, other than the few details that Steve had given you over the years since you had befriended him after joining the Avengers; you knew that they were best friends when they were younger and you knew about Bucky's fall, but beyond that, the Captain was pretty tight-lipped. There were a few moments here and there when certain dates that were significant would pass and Steve would feel particularly emotional, sharing just a bit more in his weakness, or sparks of insight flashed in his eyes when a news report would catch his attention, only to see him grow despondent when it gave him nothing to go on in his search. When the day came that he found his friend again, it wasn't exactly a joyous time, with the team fracturing under its own strain, fully broken by the weight of Steve's unwavering commitment to his fugitive friend.
You knew that Bucky was one of the strongest fighters that you had ever seen, comparing only to the skills that Steve possessed, which were surprisingly alike given how they were trained by diametrically opposed entities. When you fought at his side, following Steve's command to not leave him as you battled your own team, you fully realized just how powerful he really was, but you also came to realize just how chaotic his mind had become in his search for himself. When the two men flew away on the quinjet that day, you promised that if you ever saw Bucky again, you would help him learn who he was, and how to live his life again.
Since going into hiding after Steve rescued you and the rest of his team from the Raft, Bucky had been ever-present in the safe house that you were sharing with everyone in Wakanda, thanks to the kindness of T'Challa. Even in the close quarters and constant company, he was a man who kept mostly to himself unless he was with Steve; he was the one who held his trust, and despite knowing that none of you would risk his freedom, he kept a distance from the rest of the group much as Steve had done when you first met him.
But today, you hoped that it would be the beginning of change for Bucky, and that he could see that everyone in the house with him was on his side and only wanted for him to find his way. You all trusted Steve implicitly, and if he trusted Bucky, then so did you. When you woke on this particular morning, the date rang strange bells in your head until you finally put all the pieces together from a story that Steve had told you years ago; it was Bucky's 100th birthday.
"Hey, whatcha doin'?" Sam asked in greeting, sliding himself up next to you in the kitchen to watch you work from over your shoulder. "Oooh, are you making a cake?"
"Shhh," you slapped his arm sharply, "it's a surprise, so don't ruin it with your big mouth."
"Rude." He watched the beaters of the mixer swirling around in the batter as if it were mesmerizing him, but it was all a ruse; the second that you stopped it and turned away for just the blink of an eye, his fingers dipped into the mixture to cover them sufficiently before popping them into his mouth. "Mmm, thafs goob," he mumbled, mouth full.
"Did you just put your fingers in there? Gross, Wilson, what the hell?"
"I washed 'em!"
"When?"
"Um..." he stopped, pointing back into the hallway from where he came with an introspective look, realizing now that he wasn't exactly sure. "Not long ago, I swear." He took a precautionary step back and thrust his hands into his pockets where they couldn't risk any more trouble, watching quietly as you poured the batter into the cake pan and slid it into the oven, pouting slightly when you set the timer.
"Don't give me that look, Sam. It's gonna be worth the wait."
"Fine," he sighed in defeat, "can I help decorate it?"
"Can you behave?"
"Are you serious?"
He laughed aloud when you simply rolled your eyes at him, giving him a playful swat on the arm with your oven mitt, "yeah, I should know better, right? Yes, you can help, but only if you do what I tell you to. No funny business."
"Mmm hmm," he nodded with a suspicious grin that left you quickly realizing that you may have just made a terrible mistake with this one. The relationship that he had with Bucky was filled with playful animosity at best, and no one really knew for sure if they were friends or not; if anyone was going to try to sabotage your gift, it was this guy.
~~~
"You got any plans today?" Steve asked Bucky eagerly, ducking just in time to miss his friend's metal hand connecting with his jaw. "Jeez, Buck, you're still pretty spry for an older fella."
"You're only like a year and a half younger than me?"
"Still younger," Steve chuckled, "I'm gonna take whatever I can get."
"That's all you're gonna get," Bucky countered, throwing an unexpected jab from his right, connecting with Steve's face with a loud and painfully sharp hit that knocked his balance off and sent him stumbling into the gym wall in a stupor. "Shit, Steve, I'm sorry! You okay?"
Steve shook his head to try to clear the sudden dizziness, turning to lean his back against the wall for a little extra support. He could feel a warm trickle down his chin, and when he brought his hand up to see what it was, he couldn't help but smile at his friend when his knuckles came back covered in his own blood. "Nice hit. Damn jerk."
Bucky tried to feign a little humor, but the smile he forced wasn't genuine at all, and the guilt of hitting his friend began to build until any trace of it was gone within seconds. It was an easy rapport to have with Steve again, even after being here for such a short time, and he dared to feel moments that reminded him of their past; this was one of them, filling their conversations with this banter that they had, but over his years away he had learned that anything good was fleeting. He straightened his posture and took a step back, leaving Steve to feel the shift around him immediately. "Come on, let's get you some ice."
"Buck, I'm fine. I know that look."
"Ice."
Steve didn't decline the offer again and allowed his friend to lead him to the kitchen, doing his best to get Bucky talking again and to let go of the idea that he had hurt him. He wanted so much for Bucky to acclimate and begin to find comfort here, and with his friends, but he was at a loss for something that would be the impetus; something that would draw out the Bucky Barnes that he remembered, or even something close to the man he knew then.
"Maybe I should let it bleed and bruise up a bit," Steve snickered as he walked, not exactly paying attention to where he was going, "that way I could work on some sympathy with that pretty guard we met yesterday-" His voice was halted and his feet planted in place when he took the corner that entered into the kitchen, yelping out in surprise when he collided directly with you; the force would have knocked you back to the ground if he hadn't caught you so quickly and pulled you to him for support. "Oh, god, (Y/N)! I'm sorry!"
"STEVE!"
The two of you stood frozen in place, his hands holding your arms tightly so that you were pressed against him, now utterly terrified to let go because the cake that you had made for Bucky was completely smashed between you. "Was that..."
"It was."
"I'm sorry," he whispered to you, mortified. "I don't want to move."
"Uh, guys?" Bucky interjected, moving to stand where he could get a better view. He studied the squished cake and smeared frosting that now covered the both of you until his eyes spotted just enough of his name in the decoration for him to realize what had just happened. "(Y/N)...was that for me?"
"Happy birthday, Buck," you turned your head to face him and smiled weakly, Steve turning to do the same with neither of you pulling it off.
"You made me a cake?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry that you won't get to have any of it now."
"That's the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me."
Steve gasped quietly under his breath, and you could feel his grip on you tighten just slightly as the emotions hit. A small sniffle escaped him, but he got control quickly, turning his face away for just a second to regain his composure before testing the voice that was being threatened by the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry, man. I should've been paying attention."
Bucky took a few steps closer until he was right at your side, looking from Steve and then to you, holding his gaze on you until he willed himself to gather his nerves and make the move that he wanted to do for so long now, finally having an excuse that would make it acceptable for him to do. "Thank you, (Y/N)," he said softly, leaning down to kiss your cheek, moving slowly so that his lips could remember how your skin felt against them, in case he never experienced this again. "This is the best birthday yet."
If you hadn't been so immobilized by pure shock, you would have laughed when he pulled back, reaching down between you and Steve to grab a large piece of smashed cake anyway, wasting no time in tasting it from his bare hand. "This is amazing!" he exclaimed, with a wide smile, thrusting his other hand into the cake to walk away with two hands full and frosting on his face, leaving you and Steve staring at each other until you burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of what just happened. When the sound died down, neither of you wanted to take the initiative in moving, but the frosting was starting to melt under your combined body heat and threatening to stick you together like a paste.
"We can't stand here all day, Steve."
"I think it went up my nose."
"I swear to god if you sneeze on me, Rogers..."
"I...won't..." he panted slowly, his chest heaving with deep breaths that signaled your fate. You tried to hurry back and away, but the reflex of the sneeze made him clench his grip even harder, making it impossible for you to move. He realized what he had done only a split-second later, releasing you so you could stumble back, but the damage had already been done, and now the remains of your cake fell to the ground and all over your feet with a loud splat.
"No! No, no, no, I wasn't done!" Bucky yelled out, running back into the room, his hands still covered in frosting. "Aw, man! You sneezed on it and dropped it! You literally sneezed all over my birthday!" Bucky lowered his head and sighed, turning away with a heavy slouch of defeat. "I'll Avenge you," he whispered to his gift, shooting a cold glance to Steve, "when it's your turn...I'm gonna Avenge all over your cake, just you wait."
Steve would have been more surprised and a little curious as to just exactly what Bucky's threat entailed, but instead he felt a warm relief spreading through his chest, turning to you with the most genuine smile and gleam of happiness in his eyes that you had seen in months. He didn't care what plan Bucky had to ruin his day; all that Steve heard, and all that mattered, was that his best friend planned to still be here for it.