Winter Widow One Shots

Halloween Heroes

"Add 2 more caps, and another hulk to the tally."

He walked away from the door, setting the candy bowl on the entry way table. He took a few steps towards the living room before back tracking and grabbing a handful of fun size candy bars, immediately opening a twix and popping it in his mouth. One of the best thing about present day, the food and the candy tasted much better than it had in the 40's. 

"James, you are going to eat all the candy if you don't stop grabbing a handful every time you open the door."

He ripped the wrapper off another chocolate and shoved it in his mouth while shaking his head. "Nah, you bought easy twice as much as we need, we don't get many trick or treaters."

"I bought that much because I know you too well, and I know you are going to eat way more than your should and wake up sick tomorrow."

She laughed and pulled a snickers out of his hands. She popped the chocolate into her mouth and shoved the wrapper into his hands. He gave her a side eyes before deciding to let it go. He had just settled onto the couch, ready to pay attention to what ever this 'scary' movie was that Natalia had chosen. The door bell rang once more and Nat pushed off the couch to grab the bowl.

"Maybe we should just put the bowl outside. I swear as soon as we sit back down some one else rings."

"Now where is the fun in that? First kid that comes along will take the whole bowl, and I mean the whole bowl. And how would we know who won the bet? Or are you just saying it cause you're worried you're gonna loose?" He smirked and then perked up. "And how would I get any more candy?" 

"As if you haven't had enough already soldier." He could hear the smile in her tone of voice as she swung the door open, the calls of "trick-or-treats" immediately filling the doorway.

"Oh my goodness, aren't you all so cute! Let's see, we've got an astronaut, Thor, Cinderella, and is that a little Black Widow hiding back there?"

James could hear her beaming with pride, Cap, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, they were all common costumes now days. But Black Widows weren't too common. She always loved seeing them. It made her being a hero feel a little more real to her. Helped her see that she was in fact wiping the red from her ledger and making the world a better place. He couldn't blame her, he knew he'd never see a Winter Soldier. What parent would let their kid dress up like him? But it would have been nice, nice to know that he had fixed things enough that the world saw him as a hero and not caps best friend, or worse, the guy who couldn't control his own mind. 

She shut the door and slowly walked towards him. "I think that's the brings our totals to 32 Thor's, and 7 Black Widows."

He smiled up and her and grabbed the notebook where she had been tallying below each name. He added the two new ones and set it back on the coffee table. It had started as a joke the first year that they had spent the holiday together after that it had turned into a bet each year to see who could get the closest numbers for the big names.

"Only 5 Iron Man's left before I win."

"You only win him. There's a half dozen others to guess dork." She slapped his chest and sunk onto the gray couch beside him.

The night passed on, kids ringing the bell every couple minutes and the candy bowl growing lighter with each group. Their movie was coming to an end, most of the cast having died off in one stupid way or another. He hadn't paid much attention best the ways of killing felt very inconvenient. Raising a garage to snap a girls back, when the killer easily could have walked up to her and ended it with one good swipe of the knife. But Natalia had found it fun, cheesy yes, but still fun. He assumed that was a part of the lure for the movie and why so many even dumber sequels had been made. 

The trick or treater groups were growing further apart as the night grew later. He'd begun to doze off, thinking all the groups had stopped for the night, deciding it was time to dump their bags and count their loot or turn in for the night. He jolted awake at the doorbell going off again. A soft chuckle escaped Natalia's lips as she got up. She placed a kiss on his forehead and stepped to the door.

"Go to bed old man, I've got this one."

He was going to say something back but he was far too tired to think of anything snarky in response. Instead he laid back into the couch and closed his eyes, he heard the door open and a gasp from Nat. Must have been a very cute Black Widow standing in front of her.

"James, I think you need to see this."

He groaned and forced himself off the couch, dropping the blanket on the spot he had just been sitting on. He rubbed his eyes on the way to the door and yawned.

"Let me guess, the cutest darn Black Widow you've ever seen?"

Natalia shook her head with a smile and pushed the door open wider. Just outside their door stood a boy who must have been around 8 or 9 years old, his father a few steps behind him. He wore a dark leather jacket, the left arm cut off. His parents had wrapped that arm in tinfoil, with a red cardstock star taped on. On his face it looked like his mother had put black makeup to create the illusion of a mask. He was holding a bright yellow nerf gun, and James had to admit, it did pull the look together.

"And who might you be?" He looked at the boy, pride swelling James took the bowl from Natalia, and knelt in front of him.

The little boy looked up with a shy smile. "Bucky Barnes."

James smiled, part of him wanted to hug the kid. But he refrained, knowing the kid's dad probably wouldn't like a stranger hugging his son. Instead he set the bowl down and reached out his left hand to shake the boys hand.

"Nice to meet you Bucky Barnes. My name is Bucky."

The boys eyes widened and he looked up at James. His candy bag, and nerf gun fell from his hands and he leaped forward wrapping his arms around James' neck. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around the boy. It had not been the reaction he was expecting. A 'no way' or a jaw dropping sure, but the hug was welcomed.

"You're his favorite hero. He has watched everything we could find on you. His great grandpa instilled that love in him. He has been begging to be Bucky Barnes since he first found out you survived."

The little boy let go and stepped back. "My name is Jack Dugan. My grandaddy knew you! He said you were the best snipe he ever knew, but I'm gonna be better so I can win our bet."

James looked up at the boys father "Timothy Dugan?"

The man smiled and shrugged "I believe you called him Dum Dum."

James laughed and nodded. "I never did understand where the nick name came from. But he was a great man. Saved my life on many occasions. Saved Captain America's life too. Maybe someday you can come over and I can tell you some of my stories about him."

The little boy looked to his father and pleaded with puppy dog eyes. "Can we daddy?"

"If Mr Barnes really is okay with it, then yes."

"Call me Bucky." He smiled and picked up the bowl, dropping the remainder in Jack's bag. What was left nearly doubled what he had gathered already. "Come by next Tuesday, I should be off and I would love to spend the day with friends. 

James handed the bag back to the boy, followed by the toy gun. He ruffled the boy's hair 

The boy and his father grinned and walked away hand in hand, Jack reliving the conversation. As they walked away James could hear him say "And he says we could come over next week dad!"

James smiled and a hand wrapped around his arm to pull him back inside once the two disappeared around the corner. "You're loved James, even if you don't realize it. There is a little boy out there who sees you as his hero. And he isn't the only one."

By the end of the night they'd seen a grand total of 37 Captain America's, 36 Iron Man's, 42 Hulks and Thors, 11 Black Widows, 8 Hawkeyes, a surprising 9 Falcons, and 1 Bucky Barnes.