You looked over at the clock by your bed. ‘Shit’ You tried to get up but with the weight of a supersoldiers arm holding your down the task was near impossible. The only way you would get out was to wake up the sleeping form behind you. ‘Bucky? Bucky? Wake up, I need to get up’

‘Doll, what's wrong?’ He lifted his arm just enough to allow you to turn. His hair was all messy, hickies scattered carelessly on his bare chest. You couldn't see but you were sure there were scratch marks lined along his back. A reminder of last night.

‘I need to get up, I'm meant to meet Nat and Wanda’ both your hands were on him, one on his chest and the other in his hair.

‘So you're going to leave me?’ You smiled and nodded. ‘Not when you look this sexy’ his lips attached themselves to your neck. His grip tightened around you waist, ensuring all attempts to leave the bed were redundant.

‘Bucky’ You knew there was no hope so you gave in to the feeling of him sucking and biting your already marked neck. You became very aware of his boner when he rolled over you. His right hand was placed under your thigh, dangerously close to your ass, pulling you legs around him. The other was laced in your hair, giving him easier access to your neck.

He pulled away to look at you ‘how are you so beautiful without trying?’ His placed a few quick kisses around your face, purposely missing your lips.

‘I'm just perfect, I guess’ at that his lips connected to yours. You moaned into the kiss, prompting his tongue to push past your lips. When he lifted up again you were sure you were out of breath from passion of the kiss.

‘I think I need to check’ you watched as his bare body moved now your uncovered one, kissing along your collarbone. ‘Mmm, these are pretty perfect’ his hands came up to cup your breasts. The difference in temperature from each hand made you gasp. His lips concentrated on your nipple, the other was occupied by his hand. He sucked harshly and pulled away, making your boob bounce. He treated the other one the same, pulling soft whimpers from your lips.

He started down your stomach, stopping sometimes to focus on one spot and leaving a small red mark there.

‘Let's see how perfect you taste’ his tongue painted a long stripe across your heat. Your whole body reacted. Fingers finding his hair, you showed your appreciation through a small gasp. ‘I don't think I got a good enough taste’

The pressure from his tongue, lips, and - oh god - teeth forced your legs around him. It was fair to say he had good amount of stubble that rubbed against the inside of your thighs, sure to leave a mark.

He alternated between small flicks to sucking your clit, sometimes flattening his tongue against your folds and slowly dragging it around. He decided that just using his mouth wasn't enough so two metal fingers found their way to your entrance. They curled expertly to hit that spot that made you push him away, but he was too strong and held you down.

Every sensation he gave you added to the intensity of your orgasm. When he realised you were cumming he started to hum. The vibrations causing a level of pleasure you didn't know existed. Your orgasm ripped through you for god knows how long and when you had finished you were panting.

‘That was so sexy, doll. So perfect’ he moved up your body so he could whisper into your ear. ‘But we're not finished with the tests yet’, at this your eyes opened wide. His body continued to get higher and higher until his knees rested by your side. Realising what he wanted you sat up and pushed him down, making it easier for you to climb over him. With his head at the foot of the bed you saw his cock straining against his stomach. Pink and hard and leaking pre-cum from the tip. Using your thumb you collected some, running your nail along his slit and gaining a moan. You looked up to see Bucky with his eyes close and lips slightly parted.

‘Let's see how perfect you look with my cock in your mouth’ you did as he told you. Wrapping your lips around the tip, you sucked slightly. Then you slipped more of him in your mouth until it hit the back of your throat. You stopped before you gagged and used your hand rub at the base of him, what you couldn’t fit in your mouth. You pulled back so he was resting against your lips, sucking harshly as you did so. You repeated this a few times, just until you felt his hands on your head. You expected him to push you down but he only rested there, waiting for your next move. You lifted off to kiss from base to tip. His hands formed a makeshift hair band, pushing your hair into a ponytail.

‘Fuck, you’re so beautiful with your perfect lips around my cock’ you hummed in reply, vibrations rippled through him. ‘But you need to stop’

You sat up and wiped your face. You didn’t think it was possible but Bucky looked even harder now. You placed your knees on either side of his hips and leaned down to capture his lips with yours.

‘Did I pass your tests?’ you mumbled against his lips.

‘Yes and perfect people get rewards’ with his permission you used your hands to guide his length as you sunk onto him.

‘Like this?’ you whispered out, trying to conceal a moan.

‘Yes, oh god. Yes.’ You began bouncing on his thighs, thank god they were comfortable. To make it easier you sat up stabling yourself by holding on to his shoulders. Using his right hand, Bucky held your hip while his left found your breast. He began thrusting up, grunting as he did so.

After a while he sat up, sensing you were close. He wrapped his arms around you locking you in place as he nailed you from below. His face found your neck, only leaving briefly to whisper in your ear.

‘Cum for me, baby doll’

At this you felt your walls quiver around him and his breath tickling your neck. This triggered his own release. The feeling of him releasing in you intensified and elongated your orgasm.

It was the second time you had cum that day and so early in the morning. The feeling was overwhelming so you two just sat there, basking in the post-orgasmic glow.

Then you heard a knock on your door which grabbed both of yours attention.

‘Y/N! We were meant to meet 20 minutes ago! Where the fuck are you?!?’ You recognised the voice through the door. Natasha.

‘Shit, she sounds mad’ you instantly got up, trying to find something to cover yourself with. You heard Bucky fall back on the bed and laugh to himself.

Instantly, the door opened. You had been able to find something to wear but Buck was not as lucky, having to cover himself with the thin sheet you slept with. You weren't facing the door when the two girls entered it but you heard them speak.

‘Really?’ The cool tone of Wanda’s accent making you feel guilty.

Nobody knew. Not a soul and you had to keep it that way. Which is why you were here, sneaking down the hallway at 4am. Good thing I’m trained to go unnoticed you think with a smirk. God you were tired. Neither of you planned to doze off but Clint’s inclination to nap every chance he got wasn’t helpful when you were that worn out. If he’d had just stopped holding you to his chest you would have gotten up and sneaked away earlier but the two of you fell in to a far too comfortable sleep and you jolted awake mere minutes ago, realising you were still in his room. It didn’t happen often but when it did, it was always a daunting task having to sneak out in the morning. Thankfully it was currently too early for anyone to be awake because the Christmas lights Wanda had put up along the walls of the tower would have blown your cover.

You practically fall on top of your sheets and sleep washes over you the second your eyelids flutter shut. Three hours pass before you pull yourself out of bed and begin to get ready for the day. But lady luck seems to be on your side today as you notice something when walking past the mirror as you head out of the room.

Fingers brush against the bruise forming where your neck meets your shoulders. That little shit. He marked you. This sort of thing would normally make you angry but you can’t help the smile that forms on your lips as you remember the night that had just passed. The feel of Clint’s lips on your neck, his hands gripping your waist, his hips between your legs.

Shaking yourself out of that train of thought, you set about covering the all-too-revealing mark on your skin before heading to the kitchen adjoined to the common room.

“Did you hear something this morning?” Natasha asks as you pour yourself some coffee beside her. You manage to stop your shoulders from tensing at the question as you play it cool “No, why? What did you hear?” sounding as nonchalant as you could, you turn and lean against the counter with your mug in hand, mirroring her stance.

She frowns slightly “It sounded like someone was walking around but no one was up that early” you open your mouth to respond but Tony walks in and cuts you off “There was no security breach, Nat. Maybe you were just hearing things” he smirks, knowing full well that Natasha, an extensively trained assassin, would find that insulting to the nth degree and the glare she aims at the billionaire only causes him to grin wider.

Before she can retort, you change the subject and the topic is brushed under the rug for the time being. Clint and you knew that your little secret wouldn’t stay secret for long but it had been a couple of months now and you’d managed it so far. At this point it didn’t matter so much if the team knew but you couldn’t deny the thrill of hiding your relationship and sneaking around.

It was still looked down upon to be sleeping with a fellow team member. When emotions got involved, things could get messy on the field and that’s how people lost their lives.

Initially, you didn’t even realise you were falling for the archer. But the way he was always protective over you whilst never being patronising in his manner was a breath of fresh air and it didn’t take long before you would catch yourself staring at him far longer than it was appropriate whenever he was training.

Oh, who were you kidding? Training, fighting, talking, heck, even the way he sat on the couch with his arm resting along the top of the backrest caught your eye.

And one night, one of Tony’s infamous parties resulted in some drunk confessions on both of your parts and you couldn’t keep your hands off of each other. It was just for tonight you’d both told yourselves.

Except it wasn’t. And somewhere along the line, the two of just realised that you were exclusive without ever discussing it. You were far from professing your undying love for one another, but what you knew was that he made you happy and often, after some of the especially gruelling missions, all you wanted was to curl up in his arms. And he was always more than happy to hold you.

Speak of the devil you think as the archer walks through the elevator doors to where the three of you stood sandwiched between the counter and island before pouring himself some coffee.

Tony bids him good morning and the three of you simply watch as Clint silently turns and walks over to the one of the couches, sitting down with a sigh before taking a sip. Looking up, he notices three pairs of eyes on.

“What?” he asks a little too roughly. “Why are you so grouchy?” Natasha asks as the red head accompanies you to the couch opposite the archer. “’M’not” he mumbles in response.

“Leave the old man alone, he probably just forgot his hearing aids” you say to Natasha only to turn and find him glaring at you and you can’t keep the grin off of your face.

He warns “Watch it” but his lips curl up at the corners and it only serves to push you further.

Putting on the best poker face you could muster, you accuse him “Oh, so you can call me kid all the time but I can’t call you old?” but he only glares at you harder. “Sounds about right” he retorts gruffly, raising an eyebrow.

Is he challenging me? You tilt your head slightly and he smirks. You little shit you think but before you can respond, Natasha speaks up “Aw come on gramps, leave her alone”. The two of you throw your head back in laughter but you manage to catch sight of the cushion the archer hurled your way.

You raise your arm and block the cushion that was coming straight at your head and it only makes you and Natasha laugh harder.

When you finally calm down, you glance over at Clint and see the faint smile he hides behind a sip of coffee.

Wrapping your wrist around your right ankle, you bend your knee, pulling your foot up to your lower back as you stretched your quadriceps before bouncing on the balls of your feet while stretching your arms. Training was gruelling enough without pulling a muscle.

Your phone chimed, the sound of a hawk call alerting you to an incoming text from Clint and Natasha laughs. “Clint?” she asks. You nod, chuckling “I couldn’t help myself, what with Tony always calling him birdman”

An hour and a half later, there was a sheen of sweat covering your skin as you tapped out of the hold Natasha had you in, prompting her to stand, holding out a hand to help you up.

Grins were on both of your faces. As tiring as it was, you enjoyed sparring. It was invigorating not knowing what punches and kicks your opponent was going to throw and by removing the risk of getting injured, having to stay alert and trying to guess your partner’s next move got your adrenaline pumping without the anxiety.

Clint walked in to the training room beside Steve and Bucky and as the three of them began wrapping their knuckles and stretching their limbs, Natasha and you walk over to where the men stood.

Lifting yourself up on to the table where the rolls of hand wraps lay, you comfortably join in with their conversation.

Mindlessly swinging your legs, you continue to talk as the super soldiers make their way to the mats and Clint walks over to the punching bag, Natasha following behind him, holding on to the bag to stabilise it as he begins to throw his punches.

“Hey, Robin Hood, did see that thing about lemurs that was on last night?” The nickname catches his attention. He pauses mid-punch and is motionless for a moment before turning to you, completely dumbfounded as he drops his hands.

“Wh-I-Um” a pause “Huh?!” Mustering a poker face despite Natasha’s chuckling, you continue “It was really interesting. Did you know they live in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth? They used to populate Africa but the monkeys created too much competition” you talk, as if a random conversation about lemurs was the most natural thing in the world.

Ignoring the way he is now squinting at you, mouth hanging open and head tilted to the side as he tries to comprehend where you were going with this conversation, you continue, your eyes wandering around the room as you speak to no one in particular.

“You know, if they can’t find food they just hibernate for a bit? Oh and the ring-tailed lemurs just spend most of their time lounging around. Reminds me of a certain archer I know” you grin as you return your gaze back to him.

He blinks slowly a couple of times at you before looking past you at the wall and exclaiming “Why the fuck am I listening to this instead of training?!” he asks himself, annoyed at the confusion he felt.

Natasha and you simultaneously burst out laughing as you cheer “Yes! It worked!” the supersoldiers pause momentarily having heard the exclamation from Clint and try to stifle their own laughs.

He tries to keep the grin off of his face but fails as he shakes his head at you “God you’re a pain in the ass” he mutters before turning to the punching, the smile on his face refusing to fade for quite some time.

After a while, you take your leave, heading to your room and in to the shower. Stripping out of the yoga pants, tank top and sports bra you donned during training, you welcome the stream of hot water that helps soothe your muscles.

Taking your time to enjoy the shower, it is a while before you walk out of the en suite wrapped in your towel and in to your room. Opening your cupboards, you jump slightly when a pair of hands grasp your hips but before you can turn, hot breathe fans against your neck as someone speaks quietly in your ear.

“You’ve been relentless with the nicknames today, kid” Clint’s voice is a low hum and it sends a shiver down your spine as a smirk plays across your features “Hypocrite” you retort, turning in his arms.

His lips meet yours in desperation and the kiss deepens in seconds, his tongue slipping past your lips as one of his hands travels up your side and grasps the back of your neck, pulling you closer.

Without breaking the kiss, the archer turns the two of you before walking you backwards as your arms wrap around his neck, a moan escaping your lips as he bites your lower lip.

The back of your legs hit the edge of your bed before you break away for air, your lips turning a darker shade of pink from the bruising kiss. “Someone’s eager” you smirk.

Grabbing on to your towel, Clint rips it off of you, the sudden chill of the air hitting your skin pulling a gasp from you. “You bet your ass I am” he responds, his voice noticeably lower than normal.

His hands clasp on to your waist as he pushes you on to the bed, settling between your legs as he resumes the passionate kiss before trailing kisses along your jaw and down your neck.

You hum in approval before speaking “You are wearing way too much clothing” your voice is already wavering as your heart rate picks up and you feel his lips smirk against your skin. “Someone’s eager” he mirrors your words and you smile.

Grabbing on to the hem of his shirt, you pull it up impatiently, making him lift his face from the crook of your neck but he resumes his position as soon as the material is over his head, his arms holding him up on either side of you.

Tracing his shoulders, you revel in the feeling of his muscles move underneath the smooth skin as you run your hands over his chest and around his waist and the small of his back, pulling him closer.

His lips move down along your collarbone before he wraps his lips around one of your nipples, palming your other breast while he flicks his tongue over the hardening bud.

You inhale a shaky breath, your hips rolling against his impulsively, earning a guttural moan in response.

Clint always loved to tease you and today was no different. You ache for the contact you desire and he knows damn well just how much you pined for any sort of friction, which is why he so strategically avoids it as he makes his way down your body with wet nips and kisses.

You huff out a breath in frustration, making him look up at you with a raised eyebrow “Problem, sweetheart?” he asks, feigning innocence. Yeah, would you hurry the fuck up? You think but you bite your tongue, remembering the last time you voiced your frustration and how it only made him take even longer.

Biting your lip, you shake your head, not trusting your voice and a sly grin plasters his face as he whispers “Patience”. Resting between your legs, his deft fingers grasp on to your hips as he begins kissing your thighs and pelvic bone, getting closer and closer to your centre at an agonisingly slow pace.

A moan passes your lips as he runs his tongue between your folds before circling your bud, wrapping his lips around the sensitive spot, sending sparks up your spine.

Tracing his hand down the top of your thigh, he begins to run his thumb between your folds before, without warning, sliding a finger in to your core.

Within moments, you feel the tension building in your abdomen and Clint seems to read you like a book, quickening his pace with the addition of a second finger and pushing you over the edge.

Crawling back up the bed, his lips are on yours again before he smirks “Now wasn’t that worth the wait?” he teases and you scoff “God, you’re such a pain in the ass” “Hey, I can be if you want” he says with a wink, earning him a slap to the arm as you laugh and he hides his face in the crook of your neck, body shaking softly with laughter.

Sliding your hands down his firm abdomen, you tug at his jeans, “Clint, come on” you whisper and he grins at you before sitting up, pushing down his sweatpants and boxers in one fell swoop before his strong forearms are pressed against the bed on either side of you once again as he kicks the restricting articles of clothing down his legs.

A deep moan vibrates through the both of you as he grinds down against you. He always put your pleasure before his own despite how much he loved to tease you and you didn’t know how he could hold himself back so much sometimes.

With a new found ferocity, he presses his lips against yours, this kiss all tongues and clashing teeth as he grinds against your core, both of you moaning in to each other’s parted lips.

Breaking away breathlessly, he aligns himself before looking up at you with a smirk, halting his actions.

You raise an eyebrow as you watch him remain in one place but just as you open your mouth to urge him to move, he pushes himself in to you, making you throw your head back as a breathless sigh escapes your parted lips.

Clint takes that as a chance to pepper your neck with bites and nips at this new exposed angle as he begins picking up his pace.

“Careful, you already marked me last night” you tease and he growls, surprising you. And it seems he’s only sucking on your skin harder now and a smile spreads across your features.

His pace is relentless, the room filled with the sounds of your breathless moans, his grunts and groans and the obnoxiously loud sound of his hips snapping against your skin as your legs are wrapped around his waist.

The recognisable coil of tension begins to build once again and you’re left only able to speak his name through moans and sighs as his deft fingers start rubbing circles against your clit, the speed of his thumb matching that of his hips and it doesn’t take long for you to come undone all over again.

His pace falters mere moments before he moans your name against your skin as your climax soon brings him to his own.

Breathlessly, he falls to your side before wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you on to his chest and you both slow your racing hearts in a comfortable silence.

“You know, I just had a damn shower as well” you tease and he chuckles “God, you’re relentless” he retorts. Lifting yourself on to your arms, you look up with a sly smile “Oh, did I tire you out old man?”

You’re the only one who could get away with calling him that and so you teased him with the name often. He grins down at you “Oh please, you’re the one who’s still catching her breathe. Struggling to keep up with the grown-ups?” he responds without missing a beat and the two of you smile at each other as you lean forward and place a soft kiss on his lips.

Rolling to the edge of your bed, you open the bottom drawer of your bedside table, pulling out a small box and handing it to Clint who was watching you with amused curiosity.

“What’s this?” he asks, taking the box but keeping his eyes on you.

“It’s a little gift. I was going to give it to you along with your actual Christmas present but now’s a good a time as any, I guess” you smile before nodding at the box, urging him to open it.

Pulling off the lid, he holds up the small chain that loops through a small, detailed robin ornament. “I couldn’t find a hawk and since I call you Robin Hood anyway…” you explain, a teasing smile on your face and he grins at you, shaking his head slightly “You’re such a dork” he says softly as he wraps you in his arms once again.

Leaning over the edge of the bed, he reaches in to the pocket of his jacket and pulls out his keys before looping the chain of your gift in to the hoop that held his keys.

Walking in to the common room, you notice everyone’s eyes on you and you can’t help but feel self-conscious. But just as you’re about to ask, Clint walks in behind you and Natasha woops loudly, holding her hand out to Sam. “Pay up, sucker” she grins. Your eyebrows knit together in confusion until you see Steve try to subtly point to his neck and your eyes widen.

Turning to Clint, he simply shrugs “Well, I guess the gig’s over, kid” he says, expecting you to be embarrassed but you’re already distracted by your sudden realisation.

“Wait, you two had a bet going?” you ask Natasha and Sam and the former simply grins while the latter frowns, mumbling something under his breath as he hands her $20 and Tony simply chuckles. But his face falls as he quickly turns to the two of you “Hey, this doesn’t mean you start going at it like teens on every surface you find, by the way” he says, pointing an accusatory finger your way.

“Good morning to you too, handsome. “You whispered and placed a sweet kiss to his lips. He eagerly returned your kiss and once again you noticed just how perfect your lips fit together. Breaking the kiss, you placed your forehead against his. “It’s finally snowing!” you excitedly told him and sat up, ready to change and go outside.

Bucky just groaned and grabbed your wrists, dragging you back down, on top of him in the process. “(Y/N), we finally have a free day and instead of staying in bed all day, you want to be outside in the cold?” he whined. “We could do so much more useful things...” he whispered huskily and started to plant wet kisses all over your neck.

Giggling, you grabbed his chin and turned his head towards yours. “As tempting as your offer is, we don’t know how long the snow will last. Please, come with me?” you pleaded and Bucky’s eyes softened. “All right, all right. But don’t complain to me, when your ass has frozen off.” He caved in and you jumped off your bed, dragging him with you to change.

Stepping outside, you tightly grasped your boyfriend’s hand. Your eyes glowing with joy, you turned to Bucky, expecting a brooding look on his face. Instead you were greeted with an expression similar to yours and gleaming eyes.

“It was a good idea of you to go out, even though it’s cold.” He stated and turned his head to you. “I know. I only have good ideas.” You answered in a mocked arrogant voice and Bucky chuckled. “Ah, well I also have good ideas, like this!”

Before you could react, he grabbed a handful of snow and smeared it on your face. Shrieking you ran away and scraped some snow together. Forming a ball with your hands you threw it at Bucky and hit him in the chest. Shocked he first looked down to his chest and then over to you. Mirroring your smirk, he bent down to grab another handful of snow. Quickly you did the same, forming a snowball.

“It’s on!” you stated and dodged his snowball, before you turned and ran away giggling. Laughing your boyfriend followed you and a heated snowball fight began.

After over three hours in the snow, you two returned to the tower, completely drenched and cold. Bucky and you changed into your warmest sweatpants and sweater, but even then you couldn’t stop shivering.

Concerned, Bucky led you to the living room, wrapping one blanket around your shoulders and placing another over your lap. “I’m going to make us something to warm up.” He stated and disappeared into the kitchen. Shivering again, you pulled the blanket tighter to you and waited for your boyfriend to return.

Which he eventually did, with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate in his hands. He handed one to you and you gladly accepted it. Upon placing your hands around the mug, you immediately felt the warmth of the chocolate warming your hands and you sighed, smiling up to Bucky.

Returning your smile, he sat down next to you and slipped under the blanket. You snuggled up to him and he wrapped one arm around your waist, his other holding his mug. His higher body temperature warmed you even further and you were able to take a sip of your hot chocolate.

“Are you not cold anymore?” Bucky asked and you shook your head. “No, thank you. The chocolate is great, I love the little hint of cinnamon.” You told him and he smiled. “It’s an old recipe from my grandma. She always told me that, one day I could share it with the woman I love. I’m glad I finally got to do so.”

Your heart warmed at his words and you beamed up at him. Pressing a loving kiss to his lips, you whispered: “I love you so much, do you know that?” Bucky caressed your cheeks and nodded. “I love you too. I’m so glad to have you with me.”

You could practically feel your heart bursting at his sweet words. You didn’t know what to say, so you just placed your hand on his chest and pressed another kiss to his lips, which he returned eagerly.

When the need for air became too much, you separated from him breathing heavily. “Remember that you wanted to spend the day in bed?” you asked, breathing heavily. Bucky just nodded and placed his hands on your hips, fiddling with the hem of your sweater. “We still got half of the day, so...” you continued, but before you could finish your sentence, he had already picked you up bridal style and was on his way to your shared bedroom.

“Hun, I don’t think Hawk appreciates this,” he said, as he jingled one of the bells that was sewn on the end of an antler. “I mean, look at him! He doesn’t look happy.”

“Oh, don’t be such a humbug. Of course he likes it,” you said as you put him on the chair in the living room and waved Clint away from the cat. “And besides. This is what’s going on the cover of the Christmas card. You know how much everybody loves Hawk.”

Clint rolled his eyes and threw his hands up. “Alright, whatever,” he said as he walked away from the ridiculous sight before him.

Two hours and about a million pictures later, you finally managed to get one decent picture.

“Is he finally done being tortured?” Clint asked, after he decided to come back and watch the entertainment before him, when you slumped yourself on the couch next to him with Hawk in your arms.

“Haha. Very funny,” you answered dryly and playfully shoved your boyfriends shoulder. You let go of the cat and he slid right in between the two of you and purred softly. Clint started to pet him which made Hawk purr louder.

Clint wrapped his free arm around you and you snuggled closer. You sighed and smiled, staring at the brightly colored tree in the corner opposite from the couch.

“You okay?” Clint asked.

You nodded. “I’m just happy, that’s all. It’s our first Christmas as a couple and I’m happy that we get to spend it together, instead of you being out on a mission.”

Clint gave you a kiss on top of your head. “So am I.”

Then out of nowhere, you placed Hawk’s headband on Clint and giggled, jingling one of the bells.

“Now, don’t you look cute!” you said in between laughs. “Hold still. I gotta get a picture of this and send it to the team.” You got up and went to go get your phone.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Clint yelled, while laughing and chased you through the kitchen, bells jingling any time he moved.

He finally caught you, wrapping his arms around your waist and the two of you fell on the couch, laughing and out of breath. Clint started tickling your sides and you completely lost it, laughing even harder while kicking your feet in the air and trying to get him off.

“Clint!… Stop… I… AHHH!” you screamed and laughed in between breaths.

He finally stopped and you playfully slapped his arm, a smile on your face. He smiled back at you and took the antlers off.

“These are a danger! I’m gonna put them somewhere safe and out of reach,” he joked.

When he came back, he sat down next to you and you rested your head on his shoulder. He gave you a kiss on top of your head and placed his cheek there. You turned the tv on and put one of those cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies on. A few minutes of silence passed between the two of you.

“I love you, [Y/N],“ Clint whispered.

”Come on, guys, hustle!” Tony called out, waving his arms to bring everyone closer to him. ”We haven’t got all night!”

”Dibs on riding Barton around like a pony,” Natasha muttered under her breath, causing you to snort less than discreetly.

”Glad to see someone’s in the spirit!”

Natasha and you quirked your eyebrows, but obediently joined the circle. It still felt strange being a part of this motley crew. You weren’t an Avenger, you had been brought in as an ops assistant and had kinda just integrated into the group, even moving into the tower because your working hours could have you up and working at all hours of the day. Technically, you worked under Hill and followed her every step, but because she hung out with the Avengers, by extension you did, too. If you didn’t think too much about the fact that they were superheroes, it was easy to spend time with them, even pleasant on most occasions. And, well, you’d be lying if you said the guys weren’t easy on the eyes, especially a certain brunet with the most piercing blue eyes you had ever seen.

It was hard not to like Bucky. Like Steve, he was courteous and kind, but with a slightly more acerbic wit that could sometimes be coaxed out of him. He could still be a bit closed off, still struggling with occasional nightmares and a patchy memory, but judging by how Natasha and Steve talked about him, the stay in Wakanda had done him a lot of good. Bucky had only been back for just over 6 months, but had made a genuine effort to integrate himself into the tight-knit group. You’d found yourself drifting towards him, never imposing on his privacy or comfort zone, but slowly working your way into his periphery, caring for him and eventually loving him from afar.

”Okay, so, we got a lot of real estate to get through,” Tony resumed his strange little pep talk. ”Cap, you and Frostbite got baubles. I want a nice, even spread. Widow, I want this tree to sparkle.”

”Can I take Clint with me?” she asked, barely able to hide her smile.

”What? Fine!”

Nat smirked, mouthing ”pony” at you while side eyeing Clint who seemed oblivious to her plan.

”Wanda, Vision, I don’t care how you do it, I want a star on top of that tree before the end of the night. Feel free to fight it out Hunger Games-style for the honor. Just, you know, don’t break the city.”

”And that leaves little old me with…” you inquired, letting the end of the sentence hang while Tony looked at you.

”Lights! You’re gonna light this baby up like it’s my tower. I want the people at Rockefeller to look at this and be jealous they’re not here.”

”Which would be a piece of cake, if you hadn’t insisted on a nine foot monstrosity, Tony! You better give me a hand or so help me.”

Tony looked like he’d been caught, and you had a sneaking suspicion he had planned on assuming the position of leader; supervising but not being practically involved. To his benefit, Stark rearranged his expression into an excited mask as he nodded, giving you an exaggerated thumbs up. He gave another short pep talk, making it sound like you were doing something way more exciting and daring than decorating the tree, even going so far as to doing the ”3-2-1 break!” chant. You rolled your eyes, grabbing four (four!) boxes of fairy lights from the nearby table, dumping them in Tony’s arms and demanding he figure out how the two of you, arguably among the shortest in the team, would manage to get the lights wrapped around the top of the tree. Figuring it would at least take the genius a minute or two, you turned again to look at the rest of the team, milling around the tree. Natasha, true to her word, had already mounted Barton, sitting on his shoulders and making giddyap-noises. Steve and Bucky stood huddled together, each with a large box of baubles in their hands, talking in hushed tones, ever so often glancing up at the tree.

”Okay, I have an idea,” Tony declared, pushing the lights back in your arms before bolting out.

”Tony!” you called angrily after him. ”Tony, I swear, if you’re running off and leaving me here I will put coal in everything you own!”

”Be right back!”

You weren’t sure if he’d actually heard you, or if he’d just yelled to be safe. Heaving a sigh, you set down the boxes of lights, joining the rest of the team. Wanda and Vision were, much to what you were sure would be Tony’s disappointment, calmly discussing the best way to place the star on top of the tree. You pursed your lips. Why couldn’t Tony have given them lights? Vision could fly, and Wanda could make things levitate, lights would’ve been perfect for them. Nat and Clint could probably have gotten the star up with some cool gymnastics routine. That would have left you and Tony with either baubles of tinsel, which… would have presented the same problem. The top of the tree would have been free of either. No, Wanda and Vision would have to split up and pair with someone else, but that might not guarantee you’d get to be with either and thus feel like you were actually helping. Your eyes flitted over Bucky. Tall, well-built, if you sat on his shoulders like Natasha did Clint’s, you could probably reach reasonably high. Not to mention it would be very nice to be close to him like that.

”You with us?”

Bucky’s voice pulled you out of your own decoration-planning scheme, and you tried not to look like he’d given you a bit of fright.

”Sorry, did you say something?” you apologized, cursing your body as you felt heat rush to your face.

”Nah, you were just… looking at me.”

Well, shit.

”No, no, I was… I kinda zoned out. I wasn’t staring.”

”Didn’t say anything about staring, doll.” A small smile tugged at the corners of Bucky’s lips.

You were positive your cheeks were burning by now, and it was a blessing to hear Tony return. Your joy was shortlived however, as the man had decided his idea of solving the height problems was to use the leg thrusters to his Iron Man suit. He insisted it would be fine, and you grit your teeth, praying he’d be right.

A couple of singed branches later, Tony had finally found out how to get the lights wrapped artfully around the tree without setting anything on fire. Wanda and Vision had gotten the star up relatively quickly after Stark returned, and had assisted Steve and Bucky with the baubles. Natasha had insisted she and Clint were doing fine with tinsel, though you weren’t sure the grunt from Clint was a sign of agreement so much as a response to Nat digging her heels into his side. While you’d been feeding Tony more light cable to wrap, you couldn’t help but notice how Bucky had taken a step back, distancing himself from the activity. Steve was completely wrapped up in directing Wanda and Vision with bauble placement, but Bucky stood separate from his friend, looking wistfully as the tree disappeared under layers of decorations, lighting up the room with a soft glow. He was also the first to leave when everything was done, and you were sure Steve noticed it, try as he might to not let it show.

”Is Bucky okay?” you asked a while later when you finally managed to get Steve isolated from the rest of the group.

”You saw that, huh?” Steve sighed, instinctively looking back at the tree.

You gave a short nod, hoping the Captain would give you an answer.

”Christmas is hard for Bucky. Back in the war, when we were deployed with the Commandos, he’d go sit in his tent on Christmas Day and barely come out. It was the only time I saw him homesick, although he tried to deny it. Now it’s… He doesn’t remember much, but I think it’s this feeling of missing home, his family that still gnaws at him, even if he can’t put a finger on it. Things are so different now. We didn’t- when we were young, we didn’t have anything like that.” He motioned towards the tree, the magnificence and opulence radiating from it. ”It was okay, I mean, we had our families, we had each other. I think he misses that.”

”I’m… I’m so sorry. I didn’t- I-”

”You couldn’t know. And you’re sweet for caring.” Steve gave you a knowing look, accompanied by a warm smile. ”I’m sure Buck would appreciate it.”

”What? No- No, it’s- I’m-” you spluttered, feeling your cheeks flushed again to match the red baubles hanging in the Christmas tree.

Steve merely chuckled, placing a warm hand on your shoulder. ”He deserves happiness. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for him.”

There was a silent challenge in the Captain’s statement, one you heard loud and clear. Bucky deserved to be happy, and Steve obviously thought you were the one to bring that happiness into Buck’s life. But what was there you could do for Bucky that could possibly make him happy? Looking to Steve yielded you nothing but another smile before he walked off, waving you goodbye over his shoulder.

It took you a couple of days to come up with something, followed by another week of planning and putting it together. The small stuff was easy to sneak into the tower as it arrived for you, but the biggest part had to wait until Bucky was called out on a short mission. You didn’t like signing someone off on a mission, even if it was part of your job, but this time it would help you set up the surprise. You kept a close eye on your Stark pad for mission updates, happy to see things seemed to be going according to plan. The team was scheduled to return tomorrow afternoon, and you had everything in order. Looking around your room, you pursed your lips contentedly, letting out a breath through your nose. You hoped like hell Bucky would like this.

Bucky gave a heavy sigh, standing up before the quinjet had even touched down fully, walking to the exit so he could get out as soon as possible. The mission, although a success, had been harrowing, the days had bled into each other and in the end it was for relatively low risk intel that just happened to be guarded by a veritable sea of HYDRA guards. At least it had given him something to focus on that wasn’t the impending holiday.

After a quick trip to the armory to hand back his gear, Bucky hurried back to his own apartment. For a while after he got back, he’d roomed with Steve, appreciating the sense of another person close by, someone he felt safe with. After three months, he’d finally felt enough at ease to request his own quarters, and Stark had obliged, though not without numerous jabs about breaking up the boyband and ”please don’t get a divorce, think of the kids”. Stark, for all his resources and ingenuity, had a questionable sense of humour.

It felt good to stand in his own, private space again, no one shooting at him, no one yelling, no one bothering him. Bucky kicked off his boots and made a beeline for the bathroom, intent on taking the longest shower in the history of showers. Turning up the heat, he stepped under the spray, hissing as the hot water pelted against his back. It was his decompression; standing under water so hot it would scald any normal human, tensing muscles and releasing until the combination of hot water, tension and slow, steady breaths brought him back to himself.

He had just exited the bathroom, a towel draped around his waist and rivulets of water still running down his chest from his hair, when F.R.I.D.A.Y addressed him.

”Mr. Barnes, incoming call for you.”

”Who is it?” he asked, walking over to his dressed to get a pair of boxers and his favourite pair of sweats.

”Operations assistant-”

The AI didn’t have time to say your name before Bucky interrupted: ”Put her through.”

He liked you, the way you’d just been assimilated into the group, no questions asked. You were a normal person, or as normal as one could get when working with a band of vigilantes, and rolled with the punches, always with a smile on your face. Being close to you, it was easy, no expectations, no prodding questions or long stares that left him feeling uncomfortable.

”Bucky?” came your voice through the comm system.

”Please, don’t tell me you’re sending me out again,” Bucky replied, trying to sound teasing.

”No! No, I can’t, that would be against regulation, you just got-”

”Doll, I’m kidding.”

”Oh. Right.”

The line went silent as seconds ticked by, and even though you were in different rooms, Bucky couldn’t help quirking an eyebrow.

”How can I help you?”

”Oh! Oh, um… Could you come by my room? I need… help.”

Bucky gave a snort. ”At least buy me dinner first…”

”Funny, Barnes, I’m serious! I need help!” you positively pleaded.

”So why not call Steve? Or Sam? I’m sure they’d  be more than happy to help.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help. Bucky wouldn’t mind spending time with you at all, but why you’d call him first by the sound if it was odd. For all his progress, he could still be a bit

”Because… because it’s embarrassing, okay? They have enough to hold over my head without adding more fuel to the fire. Can I count on you, or do I need to actually get down on my knees and beg?”

As soon as the words were out, an image flashed through his mind, and Bucky blushed at the awkward turn his mind had taken, shaking his head to rid himself of the lecherous thought.

”Give me ten minutes, okay?”

”You’re the best! 83rd floor, third door on the left!”

The line clicked, and you were gone, leaving Bucky standing and wondering what the hell could be so embarrassing that you couldn’t ask Sam or Steve to help you out. A warm, satisfied feeling bloomed in his chest as he realized you trusted him enough to ask him for assistance. Smiling, he hurried to change into nicer clothes; a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and sweater, nothing too fancy but way better than the sweats that had a couple of holes and tears in them.

Taking the elevator down to your floor, Bucky fidgeted with the cuffs of his shirt, glancing nervously at his reflection in the glass of the doors. It was an odd feeling, one he couldn’t remember having felt in a long, long time. From what he’d been told by Steve, he’d been confident around women before the war, always a new girl on his arm, always ready with a charming smile and a teasing line. This was… not like that. Really, he had no reason to be nervous, so why was he?

Exiting, Bucky walked resolutely up to your door, his heartbeat picking up the closer he got. His closed fist hesitated for a second before he let his knuckles rap against the door, waiting for you to let him enter. The automatic lock clicked open, but Bucky waited, listening for your footsteps.

”You can come in!” came your muted voice through the closed door.

”You okay?” Bucky asked, hand coming to rest on the handle.

”Yeah, just… got my hands full!”

Furrowing his brow, Bucky pushed down the handle, letting the door swing open. Nothing seemed immediately off when he entered; a jacket was slung over a chair, the door to a cupboard slightly ajar. Around the corner, soft light shone and there was the briefest scratching sound that tugged at his memories.

”I’m dreaming tonight of a place I love…”

That voice. He knew that voice, had heard it so many times. The sound he’d heard… Did you own a record player? Bucky hurried inside, prepared to find you in some sort of trouble, but the sight that met him around the corner struck him completely dumb.

For a second he thought he’d travelled back in time. The small living room area had been cleared to make room for a Christmas tree, and something warm spread in Bucky’s chest as he realized he recognized the style. It wasn’t a symmetrical monstrosity like the one downstairs, but a bit uneven with popcorn garlands and beautiful baubles in a multitude of colours, angel hair tinsel hanging from the branches while strings of lights were wrapped around, the glint reflecting in the baubles.

”Do you like it?” you asked timidly, and his focus immediately shifted to find you just off to his right, dressed in a simple, but beautiful red dress, hands clasped in front of you.

”It’s…” Bucky swallowed thickly.

It’s just like before.

He walked up to the Christmas tree, fingers trembling as he reached out to run them along one of the popcorn garlands. Inbetween every three or four popcorns was a bright red cranberry, and Bucky’s breath hitched as a memory rushed to the front of his mind.

”I used to make these. With- with my sister,” he stuttered, smiling at the decoration.

”You had a sister?” you asked softly, coming up to stand next to him.

”Becca. She was… younger than me. A couple of years. We… Our ma used to buy popcorns and cranberries for Christmas, and Becca and me would get to make garlands for the tree. And we’d… try to see who could eat more without Ma noticing.”

”How’d that work out?”

”Not so good for me.” Bucky gave a short laugh, tearing off a popcorn and popping it into his mouth. ”Wasn’t all that good at garland making. Ma would stand at the counter behind us, and she’d sing Christmas carols, and god help you if she caught you eating the popcorns. Got a fair few whacks over the head for it. Becca was better at it. She… she could pace herself.”

”She sounds like a nice girl,” you offered, smiling at Bucky, who kept tearing off more popcorns.

Bucky nodded absentmindedly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. For a while the two of you just stood there, as if frozen in this little moment. Bucky looked more at ease than he had in a while, his expression softened and reminding you so much of the young sergeant in the pictures Steve had showed you from the war. You knew there was a difference, that the man before you was not the same as the man in the pictures. Steve was beginning to realize it, and it seemed Bucky was starting to come to terms with himself, too.

”Is this okay?” you asked, rephrasing your question from earlier. The vinyl you had on had come to an end, and you walked over to restart it. ”I know it’s a bit… disjointed. I looked at pictures of people celebrating Christmas in the 30’s,” you continued, talking faster as you went out of nervousness, ”but I couldn’t find any record with Christmas music from the same time, and I was kinda pressed for time-”

In a blink he was right in front of you, hands resting heavily on your shoulders. It was a nice kind of weight, one to ground and calm you. You snapped your mouth shut, letting your lips draw up in a smile as you looked up at him. His own smile was still there, a reassurance in his blue eyes that had you taking a deep breath to center yourself.

”It’s more than okay.” Bucky’s right hand came up to swipe gently across your cheek, causing shivers to travel down your spine. ”It’s- I feel like I’m home. I only have bits and pieces of what this used to mean, and you… made them fit together somehow.”

He was so close, the warmth of his body radiating from him, his eyes keeping yours locked in a tender gaze. You meant to say something, but the words got stuck in your throat. What was there to say, really? The fact that he felt so at ease here, felt comfortable being close to you, could reminisce and not grow frustrated at the fractured memories was reward enough, almost to the point where you felt it was unfair that you got as much, if not more, out of this little arrangement.

Your breath left you in a gasp when Bucky’s left hand came to rest at the small of your back, his right hand grabbing your left, pulling you away from the record player to start gently swaying across the floor. His eyes glittered teasingly, and you could only give him a mock-berating look in return.

”’S been so long since I’ve danced. You mind, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice husky and warm.

”N-no,” you managed to stutter, your stomach doing a backflip at the sight of the delighted smile he gave you in response.

So maybe he had a very patchy memory, but damn, Bucky had not forgotten how to dance. Slowly, but surely he eased you out of the swaying, leading you expertly in a slow foxtrot around the room. You couldn’t help but giggle when he pulled his left arm away, gently pushing you away from him to let you do a twirl before returning to his arms. As the song came to an end and the room was briefly filled with the crackling of the record, you stayed in his embrace, feeling as much at home there as you did in the ops room. You could get used to this.

”Steve put you up to this, didn’t he?” There was no accusation in the way he asked you, just curiosity and a hint of teasing.

”He… may have suggested something,” you admitted, biting your lower lip. ”Don’t think he specifically had this in mind.”

Bucky chuckled. ”I’m sure he didn’t. But I’m glad you did this. Really, I am. Thank you.”

”It was nothing. I had a lot of fun with it. The guy who sold me the tree thought I was nuts.”

”He’s the one who’s nuts, it looks perfect,” he insisted, pushing you out for another twirl. ”I’m missing one thing, though.”

”And what would that be?” you asked as his hand once again slid to the small of your back and you fervently tried to think if there was something obvious you had forgotten.

There was a twinkle in his eyes. ”I’m surprised there’s not a mistletoe in sight.”

”Oh. Oh, I-” You cursed inwardly as you felt another wave of shyness overtake you. ”I didn’t… I didn’t want to- to assume, I mean, I-”

”Take it easy, it’s no big deal. I can fix it,” Bucky promised, running his hands soothingly over your arms.

”Don’t tell me you walk around with mistletoe in your backpocket, Buck!”

Bucky huffed. ”Please. Steve tells too many stories. Close your eyes, and I’ll fix this”

You rolled your eyes at him before sitting down in the nearby arm chair, obediently closing your eyes like he asked. Not that it kept you from trying to figure out how he’d pull a branch of mistletoe out of thin air. Sadly, it didn’t matter, Bucky worked in silence, although you thought you heard a click at one point. Apart from that, there was nothing to give away what he was doing, and you took to listening to his steady breaths, your body buzzing as if trying to sense how far away he was from you.

”Okay, stand up, don’t open your eyes just yet,” he instructed you a short while later.

His right hand took yours, carefully guiding you up from your seat and pulling you just a couple of steps ahead. You perceived a movement close to your face, causing you to flinch away from it. Bucky snickered and you glowered at him as best you could with your eyes closed.

”You can open them now.”

Eyelids fluttering, you blinked rapidly to get used to the light again. Bucky stood in front of you, a smug grin on his face. His left hand was held up, and as you followed the line of it, you spotted his phone in his hand, the display lit up with-

”Mistletoe,” you commented, crossing your arms over your chest.

”Told you I’d fix it,” Bucky said, and there was no mistaking the satisfaction in his voice, his head beginning to dip down towards you

”So you do actually walk around with mistletoe in your pocket, huh?”

”Will you let me kiss you if I say yes?”

Grinning, you let your arms snake around his neck, pulling him down to slant your lips against his, pressing gently while he held the digital mistletoe above you. He was a bit stunned at first, but quickly smiled into the kiss, reciprocating in kind, letting out a long breath through his nose that tickled you. You weren’t completely sure what the standard protocol for a mistletoe kiss was, but you were fairly sure it should be over in seconds, yet neither one of you wanted to pull away, letting the kiss linger. At some point, Bucky lowered his arm, stuffing the phone back in his pocket to pull you closer, and you grabbed hold of him, one hand in his hair and the other grasping the collar of his shirt.

It was more than you could have dreamed of, warmth stirring in your chest when you finally pulled apart, breaths hitching. Bucky’s lips were kiss-swollen, and you could only imagine what you looked like. It didn’t much matter. He was still holding you, tucking you against his chest so you could hear the way his heart was beating, thumping faster than usual, almost in sync with your own rapid pulse.

”Now I’ve got the perfect Christmas…” Bucky mumbled against the top of your head, pressing a kiss to it.

”What, no presents, no stockings, no family dinner?” you mock-questioned his statement, nuzzling against his pecs.

”Nope.”

Pushing back, you wriggled in his arms so you could look up at him. You loved him like this; relaxed, smiling, eyes twinkling with mirth. You could only hope you’d always be able to bring out this side of him. Forget whatever else you’d been pining for. You cocked your head.

”You’re an easy man to please, Barnes.”

He dipped down, placing a quick kiss to your lips.

”’S easy when I got the girl of my dreams in my arms.”

”Merry Christmas, Bucky.”