BATTLE BORN ; Bucky Barnes

christmas special ;

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE ; Christmas

"Good morning." Scout woke to an arm around her waist and a face buried in her neck. She smiled, curling into James.
"Good morning." She murmured.
"Do you know what day it is?" He asked, pulling his face away from the warmth of Scout's neck.
"Saturday?" Scout joked, running a hand through his hair. He kissed her softly, and broke away, laughing.
"No, it's Christmas." He was acting like a small child but it didn't bother her. It was nice. It was normal. Scout kissed his forehead.
"Merry Christmas." She said, and he returned the greeting. They had a small tree set up in the main room of the Manhattan apartment, and their space was decorated with tinsel and fairy lights and themed pillows. Scout loved Christmas. It was her favourite holiday, she used to celebrate it with Aunt Peggy and her entire extended family. That was the thought that triggered her next thought.
"Shit! Buck! We have to pick up Emma from the airport!" That was the end of their serene Christmas morning. Luckily for them, the streets were empty at 5:45 am, and they made it to the airport to see Emmaline enter the arrivals area. Scout thew herself at her twin and bent down to say hello to the small toddler that was with her.
"Say 'ellow to Aunty Scatt, Arty." Emmaline's accent was still thick as ever, and her daughter just as shy. Bucky hugged Emmaline and Artemis, and the four of them drove back to the city. They dropped the family at their hotel, as the Manhattan Apartment was not big enough for all four, and then Scout and James returned home to begin preparing Christmas Dinner.
"Why did you suggest having everyone at ours, it means we can't enjoy the day," James said, sulking as he sat on the countertop watching Scout prepare the large turkey.
"If I had help then maybe I'd be finished quicker," Scout said with a raised eyebrow. Bucky slid off the counter and began helping her cut the veg and they managed to get everything in the oven in under 20 minutes.
"I'll put on the radio and we can do our gifts." He said, and Scout smiled, she'd tried to teach him how Spotify and Pandora worked, but he still preferred what he knew, which was a radio. Bucky turned it onto the first channel and the Christmas songs started. Bucky hugged her from behind and began swaying with the music. She lay her head on his chest and moved with him, content.
"I love you." He whispered. Scout smiled.
"I love you." She said back, spinning around so she could face him. "I want to give you your present." She knelt down and grabbed it from under the tree. She had put a lot of effort into getting this, it had been a bit of a joint mission, Emmaline helped, as did a few of her contacts in London. She sat him down and told him to close his eyes. He did as he was told, which didn't happen often, Scout had yet to convince him to get a haircut. She placed the tiny package in his hands, and he opened his eyes and began surgically removing the wrapping paper. Scout believed that there are two types of people. Bucky and Scout were the two types. The first type would carefully open the wrapping paper, trying not to damage it, the other, would rip into the paper to open it as quickly as possible. Bucky was type one. Scout was type two. As the present emerged from the small case she had kept it in, she could've sworn she saw tears in James' eyes. His dog tags. James' war dog tags. He lunged over and tackled Scout over with a bear-hug. They fell to the rug, laughing with tears in his eyes.
"How did you find them?" He asked.
"I went with Emmaline and a team, we tore apart the entire area, years of snowfall, we found them, it was,
a challenge."
He smiled at her, "now my gift feels inadequate."
"Whatever it is, I'll love it." Scout assured him, tearing the paper haphazardly. She held the watch in her hand. The strap was a soft cream colour, and the face was pearly, on it was inscribed a date in Roman Numerals, the date the Scout had picked up Bucky off the streets. She grinned, pressing a kiss on his lips and standing up.
"I better get ready, everyone will be here soon," she said, walking into the bedroom to change. She pulled on a pair of tights and a golden dress, it wasn't often she wore dresses, but it was one of Auntie Peggy's traditions that she carried into her own life. She wore the watch, and brushed her hair into a simple ponytail. Bucky changed into jeans and a button up shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows. Five minutes later there was a knock at the door, and Natasha and Clint held a bag full of presents and a bottle of wine. Next came Wanda and Vision, then Tony and Pepper, Steve, then Sam, the table was set for twelve, with Emmaline and Artemis arriving five minutes late, they'd managed to get lost. Everyone traded presents, smiling and laughing as Christmas carols played on the radio, there was some slightly tipsy dancing and banter, which slowed in the evening as the fire was lit and the eggnog distributed. The party moved to the living room, everyone lounging around, curled up next to each other, a Christmas movie was put on, and Scout smiled, James' arm was wrapped around her waist, and her head rested on his shoulder. It was the perfect Christmas Day, spent with her family. She closed her eyes as the sound of Home Alone and her friend's laughter filled her ears.

;

Scout woke up. The dream had been so real, so raw, but it had been just that, a dream, it broke her heart to know that no matter how much she wanted a normal, family life, with her James happy, and everyone else safe and enjoying life, she knew it was unreachable. She swept her dark hair out of her eyes and moved to the kitchen of her tiny apartment. She stood at the window and looked out across snow-capped London.
"Merry Christmas James." She whispered.