Dinner was a lively affair, with Sarah's two kids, AJ and Cass, eagerly relating stories of their school day and Sarah's laughter easily filling the room. Bucky smiled, noticing how comfortable and at ease everyone seemed in her presence. As they ate, conversation flowed effortlessly among them--talking about books they had read, the latest movies, politics, and even the quirky neighbor down the street.

Amidst all this, Bucky found himself stealing glances at Sarah from time to time. He couldn't help but be drawn to her vibrant spirit and easy warmth surrounding their dinner table. Whenever his gaze met hers, she smiled knowingly back at him, and he felt a pleasant shiver run down his spine each time they locked eyes.

After dinner, Sam challenged his nephews to a race of their new toy trucks in the living room. The kids cheered and squealed in delight as their little vehicles zoomed around on the carpet.

Bucky smiled as he watched the kids laughing and racing their little toy trucks around the living room. They were so carefree and happy in that moment, making him feel happy for them.

He and Sarah soon went about cleaning up the dinner they had shared. Sarah had prepared a delicious meal, and Bucky noticed how peaceful and comfortable the kitchen was compared to the chaos in the other room. As they worked together, they kept up a steady conversation about movies, books, and other topics easily.

Bucky couldn't help but steal glances at Sarah as they worked. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, revealing her soft neckline, and she had ditched her sweater in the kitchen's warmth. He was struck by how casually beautiful she was--he noticed how her eyes lit up when she talked about something she was passionate about or how her lips slightly curved upwards into an easy smile when she laughed at one of his jokes.

Bucky and Sarah continued to clean together comfortably. As Bucky reached for a plate, Sarah's hand accidentally brushed against his metal arm. He instinctively tensed, expecting her to recoil from the reminder of his dark past.

But instead, she simply smiled softly and gave him an understanding look. Sarah didn't flinch away. Instead, her fingers lingered, openly grazing along the smooth metal plates. She touched his arm as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Just like she had accepted every part of him since they first met, seeing him for who he was now, not who he used to be.

At that moment, Bucky felt a warmth in his chest that he hadn't felt in a long time. He met Sarah's warm gaze, noticing the way her eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at him, and he found himself drawing closer to her, wanting badly to capture her lips in his in a gentle kiss. She inched forward to meet his, but Sam's voice in the other room distracted them and she pulled away.

From the living room, Sam's voice rang out. "Cass, no throwing the trucks!" Then softer, to himself, "Definitely gotta talk to Bucky about flirting with my sister..."

Bucky ducked his head sheepishly, but Sarah just grinned and playfully bumped his shoulder. "Don't worry about him," she whispered. As she slid her hand down Bucky's metal arm, he shivered pleasantly.

"It's nice getting to spend time with you tonight," she said softly. "Joining us for dinner meant a lot for the boys."

"Just the boys?" Bucky couldn't help but shoot his shot, feeling a connection grow between them.

Sarah smiled beautifully at him. "It meant a lot to me too. I figured you'd already know that."

Bucky swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest as he nervously looked into Sarah's eyes. He wanted to make the most of this moment, to express the feelings he had been harboring for her since they had first met.

"Maybe next time you'll let me cook for you, just us two," he blurted out, instantly regretting how cheesy it sounded.

Sarah tilted her head and gave him a small grin. "Yeah?"

The corners of Bucky's mouth lifted into a timid smile as Sarah waited patiently for his response. He nodded slowly, feeling bolder than before. He stepped closer and caught her hand, gently running his thumb over her knuckles. "Go on a date with me, Sarah?"

Sarah blushed and looked up at him through thick lashes, her eyes bright and her smile as beautiful as ever. "Yes. I'd really like that, Bucky."

Bucky couldn't help but smile widely and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, feeling a warmth in his chest that he hadn't felt in a long time. This amazing woman was going to give him a shot.

The two of them stayed like that for what felt like an eternity before Sam's voice interrupted them from the living room. "You two almost done in there?" they heard Sam call out.

Bucky and Sarah shared knowing glances and chuckled to themselves. Sarah called back to Sam jokingly, "Almost," before returning to Bucky.

Yeah, he was definitely in trouble here with Sam for asking Sarah out on a date. But one look at her glowing smile made him think some risks are worth taking.

Bucky snorted. “Sam only says that ‘cause I’m better at napping than him. Sorry to bother you. I didn’t know you were up too. I mean, I thought you might be when the door was open but…”

The kettle turned on and Bucky came to sit in the chair next to the one Sarah was sitting in at the head of the table. In front of her, four pans of sugar cookies sat with various degrees of decorating completion done on them. Most of them were simple. Stars and trees and stockings. But Sarah had created royal icing and found, of all things, a piping set. The decorations were elaborate and lovely. Also kind of boring to do over and over again. She kept jumping to the next shape to keep her mind and hands occupied.

“These are like the videos Sam’s always watching online. This is great. I didn’t know you could do this,” Bucky complimented. He reached out for a Santa hat and traced the seams of the icing colors.

“My college roommate was a baker,” Sarah explained. She’d had to take a deep breath, center herself back to someone pleasant and accommodating, rather than scared and scatterbrained and feeling particularly solitary. Bucky, of all people, would understand, but Sarah still wouldn’t take the risk, wouldn’t put all of that one the man trying to keep them safe. “I spent a lot of time helping her decorate. She’s got a whole confectionary shop in New Orleans now. It’s amazing. The best beignets I’ve ever had.”

“Yeah, Sam said you knew what you were talking about when it came to sweets. I couldn’t just bake my way out of the doghouse.”

Sarah chuckled softly. “Now I can say, Sam only said that ‘cause you can absolutely bake your way out of his doghouse. Boy’s got about 32 sweet tooths.”

“Yeah, I noticed that in his coffee order,” Bucky agreed. He fell quiet again, watching her studiously.

Barnes was something else. From what she’d seen of him, there was nothing to complain about. He was helpful and kind, fiercely loyal and protective. The boys, Sam included, had taken a shine to him that probably would never tarnish. He was handsome and charming in a way that made her stomach get kind of swoopy sometimes like it hadn’t in a while. And she wasn’t blind. She had seen him trip over all his suaveness in an attempt to impress her too. She’d seen him blush when she caught him staring. And she caught him quite a lot. His stare was easy to feel on her.

At the same time, she knew about his history. Sam had told her quite a bit and then Bucky had sat her down as well, before he’d moved to Louisiana himself. The conversation had taken days as he recounted terrible things that he’d done and that had been done to him. She’d read what she could, tried to remember all those news stories from 2014, but she’d mostly been so angry and worried about Sam at the time that she hadn’t paid much attention to the other actors in the whole spectacle.

She tried to find the threads connecting that man to the one beside her now. It was something she did often. But they were expertly tucked into seams and embroidered over. No more puppet strings. No more leashes. Just the foundation strands he’d built upon.

“I’m sorry about all this,” he said suddenly.

Sarah glanced up at him from where she was dotting lights onto a tree. “Did you call in the threat?” she humored.

Bucky ducked his head and then shook it. “Nah, I just mean taking you away from home and all. These things happen all the time.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Bucky blushed deeply. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean…I don’t want you to worry. You’re safe here. We’ll get this taken care of.”

“I know,” she said and let her own doubt into her voice. She finished the lights on the cookie and then looked at him again. “Why are you here? Why aren’t you part of the team trynna find the guy threatening Sam?”

Bucky looked surprised for a moment. “Sam wanted me here. He gets antsy when I have the chance to make a bad decision. There was this woman a few weeks ago who–” He clicked his teeth together with an audible snap and glanced at her apologetically, though he hadn’t gotten to the bad part yet. “Uh, well, anyway. I just don’t like people messing with him. Or any of you guys. And with the kids and you here, we thought it was best if we both stayed.” He was quiet for another second and then added, “I am helping. Going through the data. Directing teams.”

“Strike Team Winter Soldier?” Sarah teased softly.

“Ha! That would be a great name for a team. You’re a natural at this. Let me see about getting you a job with us.” He smiled his dazzling smile and Sarah had to look back to the cookies she was decorating.

It was different than the way the butcher down on Main would wink at her as he air-boxed with Cass and complimented her outfit, no matter how messy she was. Different than Carlos’ shameless flirting when he wanted some free fish. Something about the way Bucky smiled at her, like the way he looked at her, warmed her straight down to the soul. There was no pretense, no hiding, no airs.

Which was to say nothing of the way he hugged her too. The world could stop spinning during those hugs.

Even just his presence in this ridiculous cutting-edge, bland, silver kitchen had warmed the space more than the oven running for hours as she baked.

Just for now, she was going to put away the fear and anger and worry. She was going to set aside all the things they weren’t getting this year. She wasn’t going to think about her house and its lights and the tree in the window. She was just going to enjoy a few minutes with a handsome man who liked her so blatantly it made her go lightheaded.

“Nah, I couldn’t work with you,” she said flippantly, even as her stomach somersaulted. “You’d be too distracting.”

“Oh, would I?” Bucky asked and raised an eyebrow. He scooted his chair closer in some slick move that meant his hands never left the table as he moved them closer to hers. His long fingers trailed over hers until he could coax the icing bag from her grip, and then he pressed her open palm to his, held his other hand over hers. “How could I possibly be that distracting?”

Sarah turned her hand over between his and traced the inside of his wrist. His metal hand was beneath hers, so his pulse fluttered against her touch now. Nothing, other than a hitch in the base of his neck, gave away the tripping of his pulse. He kept his face smooth and amused and endeared.

“Well, take tonight for example,” she said. He hummed encouragingly. “I was here, working away, and you showed up and literally took things out of my hands.”

“Oh, well, in that case,” he apologized dramatically and made as if he was going to get up.

Sarah curled her fingers around his wrist to keep him still. His pulse jumped again as he settled back into the seat. “And I think you’d be very serious at work.” He tilted his head at her. “So I might spend a lot of time trying to make you smile.”

A small, shy smile came out then, like it was summoned. “And why would you do that?”

“I like your smile,” she admitted. “I think you should do it more often.”

“Even at work?” Bucky asked. “That’s hardly fair, Ms. Wilson. I like your smile too but I don’t think you do it at work very often either.”

“Well, maybe you’d need to figure out how to make me smile too,” she suggested.

“So we’d both be distracted.”

Sarah inclined her head now. “Maybe we would. So it would be a terrible idea for me to work with you.”

Bucky’s pulse, which had leveled out at a steady gallop, surged beneath her fingers. “I don’t mind being distracted. Not if it’s you distracting me.”

Of all the corny lines Sarah had ever heard, there was something about the sincerity in Barnes’ voice that made that one one of the best. “Maybe I don’t like being distracted.”

“It wouldn’t actually be a problem,” Bucky promised. “See, if you’re worried that you’ll be too busy thinking about how to make me smile, all you gotta do is come into my eyesight. I’ll smile right away for you.”

“Well, now,” Sarah said, refusing to let all of the emotions trying to make her lovesick win out, “that makes its own problem.”

“Oh, what is it now?” Bucky moaned dramatically.

Sarah stifled a laugh against her shoulder. She pressed the pads of her fingers closer to his skin, traced along the pale blue vein on his forearm to his elbow. He moved closer like she was reeling him in. “If you smiled too much around me, then I’d want you to do something else too.”

“Yeah?” Bucky asked. “Name it. I’ll do it. Anything to keep you distraction free.”

“No, this would be a pretty big distraction,” she said. Bucky, several steps ahead of her, was also swaying in towards her. She took another moment to enjoy the warmth of his arm before she pulled away entirely, leaning back in her chair and bringing her hand with her. Bucky deflated as soon as she wasn’t touching him. “So I wouldn't be able to work with you.”

Even pouting, he still looked smitten. “Ma’am, you were just the distracting one.”

Sarah laughed and shook her head. “Another reason to keep us apart during the work day. Case-in-point, your kettle’s been done for at least five minutes.”

Bucky startled a little, glancing over his shoulder at the electrical kettle, which had switched to its ‘warm’ setting and was condensating on the inside. “You want some chocolate?” he asked as he stood.

Because she was still not thinking about how terrible these few days were, she said yes and pointed to a Wilson Family Seafood mug in the cupboard. He made the hot chocolates in record time and came to sit knee-to-knee with her again.

“How did you possibly extricate yourself from the cuddle puddle the boys had you in?” she asked as she waited for her drink to cool down.

“Have I mentioned I’m an expert spy?” Bucky asked with a teasing grin. “I can get outta most places without being noticed.”

“Nah, I saw the way AJ was clinging onto your arm. I’m surprised you didn’t just take it off and leave him with it.”

Bucky laughed with his head thrown back. Sarah’s whole core warmed, from her stomach to her chest. “Now, why can’t I ever think of doing something like that?”

“Work smarter not harder, Barnes.”

Bucky grinned and drank his hot chocolate because apparently being a super soldier gave him super heat resistance. “Well, I have to admit, I didn’t come straight out here,” he confessed. “There were a few things I wanted to do first. Could I show you? It’s just in the common room.”

Sarah couldn’t imagine anything that Bucky had needed to do in the common room would have any bearing on her, except maybe if he’d actually fixed the TV so the boys didn’t have full control of the one working one in the compound. But she picked up the mug of hot chocolate and followed after him.

The common room was bathed in a warm light from the one lamp in the corner. The overhead fluorescents were off. And there Christmas lights tacked up to the wall. It transformed the entire space from something cold and foreign to a warm welcome. Beneath the lights, there were a pile of gifts.

“Are those…” Sarah started to ask, though she knew the answer. She knew what wrapping paper she’d bought for this year. She knew the sizes of the boxes.

Bucky shifted a little nervously next to her. “Yeah. When I went back to secure the house, I found them. I figured you’d want them.”

The stack looked more like a mirage, a dream, than something real. She kept expecting them to disappear when she blinked. Suddenly, all the roiling emotions that had kept her company for the past several days turned over onto their heads. She was almost so happy and grateful that it was starting to circle back around to tears.

“I, uh, had to wrap a few. I’m really not any good at it. But hopefully the kids won’t even notice,” he continued to explain in embarrassed little starts and stops when she didn’t immediately respond. “You shoulda seen the guys making fun of me on the ride back. Taped my thumb down at one point.”

Sarah reached for his hand quickly, curled her fingers around his and tugged him close to hug him tightly. “You did this for them?”

Bucky didn’t hesitate to hug her back. He held her tighter when she started to shake with emotion and rubbed her back in soothing, grounding motions. His cheek rested on the crown of her head. “Of course I did. For you too, Sarah. You’ve gotta know it was for you too.”

She pressed her face to his neck and collarbone, took in a deep breath of his clean, sharp smell beneath generic laundry detergent.  “Thank you,” she breathed and squeezed her eyes shut.

“You don’t gotta thank me for anything. This is still part of the apology. You should be at home. I just wanted to bring a little bit of home back for you.”

Sarah was still too overcome to say anything, so she just held him tighter. It wasn’t until his palm found its way to her cheek that she finally lifted her face to look at him again. In the dim lights, his blue eyes were practically sparkling, like he was some kind of Christmas card come to life.

“Hey, I got you something too. Figured it’s already Christmas, right?” He pulled a light colored jewelry box from the coffee table beside them and offered it to her. “I don’t know what makes this artisan jewelry, but I’m pretty sure these are the charms you wanted.”

The necklace had a sunflower and a butterfly charm hung on it, with a dainty stone bead between them. They were, in fact, two of the charms that she’d mentioned passingly when the catalog had come in the mail months ago. There was also a ring in the box with three hearts–one big and two little–tumbling across the band.

“Bucky,” she started to say, looking up at him. “This is–”

His hand was on her cheek again–he really did have the longest fingers she’d ever seen–and suddenly they were falling together. She’d never have really thought about the scant inches of difference between her and Bucky’s height, but now, as he dipped his face towards hers and she felt the girlish need to tiptoe up, it was all she could think about.

Bucky was as good at kissing as he was at hugging. His mouth was softer than she had imagined it would be. Not that she did a lot of imagining about Bucky’s mouth, of course. He also leaned into her like he wanted to become the thing that kept her upright, held her face preciously, swooped his thumb over her cheekbone. It all made her lightheaded. She had to place her hands on his chest to stay standing. Otherwise she might just pitch right into him and melt between his ribs.

Somehow, a stuttered breath escaped her lips and Bucky pulled back just enough to brush their noses together. Still, she could see his wide eyes and worried expression.

“Sorry, I forget I don’t have to breathe the same–”

Sarah leaned up to kiss him quiet. He made a pleased, shocked little noise into her mouth, but easily kissed her again. “I was right,” she said when she was sure he wasn’t going to argue again. “You are distracting.”

Bucky grinned and shook his head, dark hair falling into his face. “No, I was right. You’re the distracting one. I don’t know how I’m gonna do anything else again now that I know what that feels like.”

“You better figure it out, ‘cause I need you to put this necklace on.”

Bucky preened and jolted into action, taking the box from her hands and freeing the necklace. He offered the ring out without trying to put it on her finger for her. Then he brushed aside her braids, trailed his fingers over her bare neck, leaned down to kiss some number of her vertebrae reverently, making goosebumps erupt over her skin and a heavy flush follow after his lips. He pulled away after a moment, when her fingers had found his wrist again, and he carefully clipped the necklace in place. He smoothed the chain down over her collarbones, to the top of her sternum before remembering his manners and going no further.

“It suits you,” he said when she turned to face him again, eyes bright. He brushed his thumb over the chain where it sat against the curve of her neck, his hand resting high up on her shoulder, ready to go to her cheek again, pull her close once more, kiss her senseless all over again.

She reached up to touch the charms gently and smiled shyly. “Thank you, Bucky,” she said softly. “This means so much. Especially now.”

“You deserve the world, Sarah,” Bucky said earnestly, shifting his hand just enough to brush his thumb over her cheek. He took a half step closer to her. “Every happiness and beautiful things and joyful Christmases.”

Sarah finished crossing the distance between them and draped her arms around his neck. “Well, superhero, you might’ve just managed to save this one.”

“I dunno what you’re talking about, Ms. Wilson,” he teased, leaning down until his mouth was almost against hers. “This is the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time.”

“How’re you gonna beat it next year?” she wondered, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of his body against hers.

“Oh, you want me around next year too, huh? Already got plans?”

“So many plans, Barnes.”

He hugged his arms around her waist and nodded. “I’m all yours,” he promised.

And they kissed again.