The bakery was mostly empty at five o'clock in the morning. Only the most dedicated people would ever come buy bread and pastries that early. Bucky Barnes knew how early Natasha woke up. He wanted to have somethings ready so that she could have them for breakfast. It was near her birthday. She deserved a good birthday present from him. This bakery was known for its delicious Russian foods.
Rye, honey, fruit, apples, sausage and baking sweets filled the air. Bucky inhaled it all, smiling at the familiarity of the scents. Now, the only problem was choosing which foods to get. With Tony's money to spend, he could get anything he wanted.
A small line formed in front of the counter and the people standing at the counter rushed to fill everyone's orders. Bucky joined the group. The breads and pastries looked absolutely amazing. He wanted to get one of everything, but he knew he would be able to come back as much as he wanted.
There was a soft murmur of Russian in front of him and the smile again rose to his lips. Since he had moved to the Avenger's Tower, Russian had become a more friendly language for him. He and Nat could say anything they wanted and only Jarvis and Clint would understand. Sometimes, they just talked about Steve and how cute his butt was. The rest of the time, they did their best to get rid of pent up feelings.
"I'd like some rye bread, gingerbread, pastila, vatrushka, syrniki and oladie," Bucky said in Russian. "Thank you."
The little woman taking his order smiled. "Only a few who come here speak Russian. How did you learn?" she responded in Russian. "Are these your favorites?"
Bucky shrugged, his metal arm mimicking the action. "Some them are, but these are for a friend. It's her birthday and she deserves some nice presents this year. She grew up in Russia. I just spent a few years there."
"I see. A special friend of yours?" She picked out the largest of the breads and pastries. "I'm sure she'll love these. Do you live around here?"
"Not a special friend. Just a good friend. I live downtown a ways. Near the Avengers' Tower. I only recently moved here, so I'll start coming here often. My time in Russia has given me a bit of a taste for the foods. I heard great things about your bakery. I decided to check it out."
She smiled. "I hope you come back often. Good luck with your friend. I hope she enjoys these."
…
Natasha walked to the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and wearing Clint's sweatpants, Steve's shirt and Bruce's slippers. She blearily walked over the toaster before staring suspiciously at the white wrapped packages on the counter. Grabbing a knife from the block, she poked the bags. Bucky walked in on this scene. He could barely repress his laughter.
"Need some help defending yourself from some dangerous breads? I walked a few miles to get that. Happy birthday." He took the bags to the table, opening one and holding it out to Natasha. "This is your favorite, right?"
With a happy smile, she took the bag and dug right in. "Thank you, Bucky!" The pastila were gone in moments between the two of them. For the second time in as many days, Natasha hugged Bucky. "These are perfect."
.
I'm having way too much fun with these ficlets. If anyone has any ideas for what Bruce, Thor or Pepper should get Nat, put that in your review or shoot me a for reading! Reviews are amazing; please spare a few seconds to write one. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
