Chapter Text
Steve contacts Hannah through JARVIS, and makes plans to go upstate to see her. He has to wait until after Halloween to do it though. “I didn’t really do much with Halloween last year,” he tells Bucky on the night of the holiday. “But apparently Stark Industries always does something.”
‘Something’ turns out to be a kid friendly trick-or-treating spot in the lobby of the Tower, and Steve and Stark, and the rest of the Avengers volunteer to help hand out candy for the night.
“You can come too, Bucky,” Stark tells him as the Avengers get ready in the common room. “Although I don’t know what costume you would wear.”
All the other Avengers are suiting up in their usual uniforms, but Bucky finds his mind less preoccupied by their costumes and Stark’s offer, and more concerned by the fact that the man had actually called him by his name.
When had— when had that started?
His shock delays his response for a long moment, but he manages to shake his head before anyone gets too concerned. “No thanks.” He can still remember well enough one of his last Avengers parties. It had been when Thor had come to help them with the Convergence, and he had ended up having to leave early because it had gotten overwhelming. The trick-or-treating thing isn’t exactly a party, but it will have a lot of different people, especially children…and he would rather not risk an incident with them around.
“Have it your way,” Stark shrugs. And…and Bucky realises abruptly that he might…be able to, to actually start calling Stark— Tony, by his name too. He had mostly been waiting for Stark…Tony…to make the first move, and now it seems he has. “You should come down for some candy at some point though,” he continues, as though this is all perfectly normal. “SI gets the good kinds.”
He nods, still slightly stunned, and watches as the Avengers—minus Clint due to his own mysterious plans—file unto the elevator and head down to the lobby.
He stays in the common room for most of the night, but he does eventually make his way down to the lobby. He keeps mostly off to the side, his back to the wall, as he watches the Avengers interact with the various costumed children coming through the doors. He hasn’t been around a large group of children in...in a long time, and it feels…nice, to be able to see them here.
A smile grows on his face as he watches Steve salute a mini–Captain America, the child’s own grin splitting her face as she waves her plastic shield at him. There are older children coming in too, now that the hour is a little later, and he watches as two boys, probably nearly too old for trick-or-treating, walk past him and chat excitedly to each other.
“See Ned,” he hears one of them say, the boy seemingly dressed in a plastic version of the Iron Man suit. It isn’t as good as the real deal, but from what Bucky can see, the boy has rigged it so that the arc reactor in the center actually glows, unlike some of the other versions he had seen around. “I told you they have the best candy here.”
His partner, Ned, is dressed in some kind of brown cape and holding a green plastic rod in his hand. He nods, before stopping suddenly and letting out a gasp as he nudges his friend with his shoulder. He points his stick out in front of him, the plastic lighting up in green as he waves it, his voice high-pitched in awe.
“Peter, look!” he breathes, his voice hushed as he points over to where Sta— Tony and Bruce are busy handing out candy to some children. “Some of the greatest minds of their generation. Right there.”
Peter seems just as excited as his friend at the sight of the two scientists, and Bucky’s smile grows in amusement as he watches them rush off to stand in line by the other children. He decides to wait to watch them, and the two kids beam as they accept colourful candy and cheerful smiles from both Tony and Bruce.
His attention is pulled away from the two as, by the door, an overtired child shrieks in frustrated, sugary exhaustion. The parents are thankfully quick to scoop the child up, but the piercing sound brings everything else into sharp focus too. The hair on the back of his neck stands on end as the sound of excited children chatting, crinkling candy wrappers, and shifting costumes blurs together.
He closes his eyes and deliberately breathes out, rolling his shoulders. He can remember vaguely, this sort of thing happening to Steve too, during the war. And he can remember, even as the Asset, knowing to be cautious about Steve’s ears. His hearing isn’t quite as intense, but he isn’t really used to large crowds yet, and the bustle is a little overwhelming. It isn’t too bad right now, thankfully, but he should probably turn in before it gets too much.
He turns to head back to the common room and Natasha catches his eye. He has no doubt that she can guess the reason he is turning in, but she also notices that he hadn't yet managed to snag any of the candy Sta— Tony had promised him.
She slips through the crowd easily, and he soon finds his hands and pockets suddenly filled with chocolate bars, courtesy of her candy bucket. The two boys—Ned and Peter—notice him, thanks to her intervention, and he can feel their eyes follow him as he leaves.
For half-a-second he worries he is too conspicuous or something, but as he heads towards the elevator, he overhears them quietly debating whether or not his arm is for a really good cosplay—whatever that is—and if it is, what character he would be playing.
The elevator doors close, cutting off their conversation, as well as the rest of the noise from the lobby. His shoulders relax the rest of the way, and he fingers the candy bars in his pocket, leaning back against the wall. Surprisingly, he still has the ghost of a smile on his face. Despite how foreign it had been, it had been fun to observe the crowd for a while.
He thinks, overall, his venture had been pretty successful. And, who knows? He might even ask JARVIS what this ‘cosplay’ thing is, and…and maybe next year…it might be fun to find a costume that actually matches his arm.