The Changing of Colours - Steve/Bucky, MCU, Game of Cards Battle p. 4
Word count = 1003
Every year since they’ve met, at the beginning of Fall, Natasha pushes a brown paper parcel into his hands.
The first time she does it, he is immensely confused.
“What’s this?” He looks at the bundle in his hands.
“What does it look like Cap?” she asks with a knowing smile.
“A parcel.”
“It’s a present,” she corrects, stressing the word present. He blinks at her, trying not to become misty eyed. This is generous - or it used to be. Maybe gift giving has become so easy that it’s just an everyday occurrence, but back then, it was a carefully thought out procedure.
You saved for the gift, you saved for the wrapping, you made sure that it was right - hoped that it would be long-lasting. He finds the prospect of excess and disposable income daunting. It’s still taking him time to become accustomed to the period but he knows that Natasha didn’t have to do this for him.
“So are you going to open it?” She looks at him, he eyes bright and her hair done up in a bun.
He carefully proceeds to rip the paper open spying a lumpy red thing. He pulls it out rubbing the wool with his fingertips and holding it up. “It’s a scarf?”
“Knitted it myself. I’ve dropped stitches in a few places and I think I might’ve made one side thinner than the other-“
Steve cuts her off. “This was very kind of you, Agent Romanov.” He offers her his hand. They still don’t know each other that well, but he thinks that he might be able to count her as friend.
She shakes it twice. “Still so formal Captain Rogers?”
“Well...”
“You can call me Natasha, although if you prefer formality, Romanov will do.”
“A mix of both?”
“Doesn’t both me.”
The next year he still finds himself surprised when she pushes the present in his hands. He opens it this time to find gloves. They’re tight around his wrists and the fingers are a little on the short side but he wears them until a hole appears at the tip of the index finger that has the dark green wool unravelling. When he tells Natasha, she shrugs and tells him that she’ll knit him another pair next year.
In 2015 Natasha isn’t there to give him the present. He opens the front door of his Brownstone after a brief bout of knocking only to find a delivery man with a box. “Captain America?” he eeks out. Steve nods, only just catching the electronic pad that is thrust in his direction. “Please sign at the X sir. If it would please you, of course…thank you for your service.”
He’s gotten used to it to a degree but the words still manage to make him blush. “Thanks for this, have a good day,” he says taking the box.
“Yes sir.”
In his living room he sits on the couch and opens the box. A note in Natasha’s script is taped onto the underside of the lid.
Happy Fall :D
Hope these keep you warm
Xx
He puts the not aside and takes out the bundle wrapped in brown paper. When he opens it he sees a blue and purple scarf, the fringe at the ends spanning different lengths. It’s longer than he expected the wool heavy and warm in his hands. He wraps it around his neck, partially hiding his face and reaches for the accompanying beanie. It’s blue with a large purple pompom.
His phone beeps in his jeans. When he opens the text, he sees the unknown number, and the words, like them?
Steve smiles, typing out :D and I’m wearing them now. Very warm. Thank you. Stay safe. He adds the last bit, part reflex, and part genuine concern. Natasha is in the wind, doing her secret missions for people that remain unknown to him.
Fall of 2016 sees him in Wakanda, not requiring items of clothing that keep away the creeping chill that signifies the beginnings of winter. And yet, he opens his bedroom door only to find Natasha pushing the present to his chest. “You’re here,” he exclaims.
“It’s Fall…of course I’m here,” she says.
“Thank you?” His surprise is genuine.
“You’re welcome,” she says leaning up to kiss his cheek.
He goes back into the room and sits on his bed, opening the present to see a bright pink beanie and gloves as Natasha looks out the window. “You keep giving me clothes.”
She turns and smiles at him - it’s indulgent. “Because you dress like a grandpa.”
He grins. “I dress sensibly.”
“You’re like 30 years old Steve.”
“Legally I’m a centenarian…and a bit.”
“Stop complaining. It’s wrapped in brown paper…just like the good old days.” She takes another smaller brown paper wrapped parcel from within her jacket. “This is for Bucky. You can open it if you want.”
He places the parcel in the drawer of his bedside table. “It’s for Bucky, he can open it.”
“It’s a bright yellow glove,” she tells him.
“One glove?” Steve asks with a raised eyebrow. He can see the logic but he wants to be sure.
“He currently has one hand,” she replies.
He nods in acknowledgement. “How are you?”
“Good.” She shrugs and turns back to the window. From what he can see she does look mostly okay. There’s a bandage on her forearm - he doesn’t know the cause, but it doesn’t appear to the bothering her, so potentially it’s an older injury.
“Really?”
“I will be.”
“Have you talked to Barton.”
She nods. “He yelled at me and then we punched each other.”
“Great. Tony? Is he okay?”
“A little. Yeah, he’s focusing on Rhodey.” At that, Steve looks down. “He’s doing better. Tony’s working around the clock, trying to come up with a solution of course. He called Bruce who came in with Thor. Just warning you now, Thor wishes to discuss your ‘childish behaviour’. If it makes you feel any better, I think he approves.”
Every year since they’ve met, at the beginning of Fall, Natasha pushes a brown paper parcel into his hands.
The first time she does it, he is immensely confused.
“What’s this?” He looks at the bundle in his hands.
“What does it look like Cap?” she asks with a knowing smile.
“A parcel.”
“It’s a present,” she corrects, stressing the word present. He blinks at her, trying not to become misty eyed. This is generous - or it used to be. Maybe gift giving has become so easy that it’s just an everyday occurrence, but back then, it was a carefully thought out procedure.
You saved for the gift, you saved for the wrapping, you made sure that it was right - hoped that it would be long-lasting. He finds the prospect of excess and disposable income daunting. It’s still taking him time to become accustomed to the period but he knows that Natasha didn’t have to do this for him.
“So are you going to open it?” She looks at him, he eyes bright and her hair done up in a bun.
He carefully proceeds to rip the paper open spying a lumpy red thing. He pulls it out rubbing the wool with his fingertips and holding it up. “It’s a scarf?”
“Knitted it myself. I’ve dropped stitches in a few places and I think I might’ve made one side thinner than the other-“
Steve cuts her off. “This was very kind of you, Agent Romanov.” He offers her his hand. They still don’t know each other that well, but he thinks that he might be able to count her as friend.
She shakes it twice. “Still so formal Captain Rogers?”
“Well...”
“You can call me Natasha, although if you prefer formality, Romanov will do.”
“A mix of both?”
“Doesn’t both me.”
The next year he still finds himself surprised when she pushes the present in his hands. He opens it this time to find gloves. They’re tight around his wrists and the fingers are a little on the short side but he wears them until a hole appears at the tip of the index finger that has the dark green wool unravelling. When he tells Natasha, she shrugs and tells him that she’ll knit him another pair next year.
In 2015 Natasha isn’t there to give him the present. He opens the front door of his Brownstone after a brief bout of knocking only to find a delivery man with a box. “Captain America?” he eeks out. Steve nods, only just catching the electronic pad that is thrust in his direction. “Please sign at the X sir. If it would please you, of course…thank you for your service.”
He’s gotten used to it to a degree but the words still manage to make him blush. “Thanks for this, have a good day,” he says taking the box.
“Yes sir.”
In his living room he sits on the couch and opens the box. A note in Natasha’s script is taped onto the underside of the lid.
Happy Fall :D
Hope these keep you warm
Xx
He puts the not aside and takes out the bundle wrapped in brown paper. When he opens it he sees a blue and purple scarf, the fringe at the ends spanning different lengths. It’s longer than he expected the wool heavy and warm in his hands. He wraps it around his neck, partially hiding his face and reaches for the accompanying beanie. It’s blue with a large purple pompom.
His phone beeps in his jeans. When he opens the text, he sees the unknown number, and the words, like them?
Steve smiles, typing out :D and I’m wearing them now. Very warm. Thank you. Stay safe. He adds the last bit, part reflex, and part genuine concern. Natasha is in the wind, doing her secret missions for people that remain unknown to him.
Fall of 2016 sees him in Wakanda, not requiring items of clothing that keep away the creeping chill that signifies the beginnings of winter. And yet, he opens his bedroom door only to find Natasha pushing the present to his chest. “You’re here,” he exclaims.
“It’s Fall…of course I’m here,” she says.
“Thank you?” His surprise is genuine.
“You’re welcome,” she says leaning up to kiss his cheek.
He goes back into the room and sits on his bed, opening the present to see a bright pink beanie and gloves as Natasha looks out the window. “You keep giving me clothes.”
She turns and smiles at him - it’s indulgent. “Because you dress like a grandpa.”
He grins. “I dress sensibly.”
“You’re like 30 years old Steve.”
“Legally I’m a centenarian…and a bit.”
“Stop complaining. It’s wrapped in brown paper…just like the good old days.” She takes another smaller brown paper wrapped parcel from within her jacket. “This is for Bucky. You can open it if you want.”
He places the parcel in the drawer of his bedside table. “It’s for Bucky, he can open it.”
“It’s a bright yellow glove,” she tells him.
“One glove?” Steve asks with a raised eyebrow. He can see the logic but he wants to be sure.
“He currently has one hand,” she replies.
He nods in acknowledgement. “How are you?”
“Good.” She shrugs and turns back to the window. From what he can see she does look mostly okay. There’s a bandage on her forearm - he doesn’t know the cause, but it doesn’t appear to the bothering her, so potentially it’s an older injury.
“Really?”
“I will be.”
“Have you talked to Barton.”
She nods. “He yelled at me and then we punched each other.”
“Great. Tony? Is he okay?”
“A little. Yeah, he’s focusing on Rhodey.” At that, Steve looks down. “He’s doing better. Tony’s working around the clock, trying to come up with a solution of course. He called Bruce who came in with Thor. Just warning you now, Thor wishes to discuss your ‘childish behaviour’. If it makes you feel any better, I think he approves.”