"Birthday Headcanon 2"
Headcanon: AU from end of 'Avengers' where Phil didn't die, and became their handler. [Most of these headcanons will be along those lines.] They still somehow find out that HYDRA is within SHIELD, and Clint/Natasha/Phil all feel they have to prove that they're not HYDRA, even though Clint 'had heart', Natasha can beat any lie detector, and Phil is a complete Cap fanboy. So they get together to weed out every HYDRA agent they can, managing it within twelve hours, and free Bucky to boot. He then becomes distinctly attached to all three, although Clint keeps disappearing (to the farm), and Natasha doesn't need old memories to resurface. So it's left to Phil to be part-time babysitter for the recovering Winter Soldier, who's always in awe of Phil's BAMF-ness.
"You should've seen `im when he found himself with only me and Strike Team Alpha," Bucky gushed to Steve, for possibly the umpteenth time. Steve could so easily parrot back this story by now, he'd heard it so many times. "I was completely useless, but he was like pow-pow," he did the actions, nearly hitting himself and Steve in the face, "and they all went down. I tried to help, but he kept getting between them an' me, bein' all protective. He did let me hold the bandages while he patched himself up later, though."
"It sounds exciting," Steve said, failing, as always, to bring up the part where he, Sam, and Maria had to bring down the Helicarriers themselves while Tony tried to field… a lot, actually. HYDRA had tried to hack Stark Tower, after all, and if it wasn't for Bruce… But they owed a lot to Strike Team Delta and their former handler.
"It was," Bucky said. He never looked more animated than when he was talking about Phil, including those times Phil was actually in the room with them. Like today, where he was trying to hide behind a book, but Steve could clearly see the red tips of his ears. "D'you think he'd go for drinks with me?"
"…He's right over there, y'know, Bucky."
"But you've known him longer!" Bucky said, completely missing the point. "You know whether he'd like me enough, right? Whether he'd be cool with it?"
Steve glanced at Phil, who was peeking incredulously out from behind his book. He definitely wasn't giving Steve anything to work with.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" he said, feeling desperate now.
"`Cause it'd be embarrassing if he turned me down," Bucky said.
"Uh…"
"C'mon, Steve."
Well, if Phil wasn't gonna give him any hints…
"I'm sure he'd be happy to go on a date with you, Bucky," he said loudly, resisting the urge to snigger when Phil gave up all pretence of not listening and stared, slack-jawed, at Steve and Bucky.
"Ya think so?" Bucky said. He started to bounce in place, and Steve saw the child in him.
"Absolutely. Now go an' ask him."
Bucky jumped up and ran over to the armchair. "Hey, Phil, got a minute?"
This one was for knitterfly75, for Anti-Corruption Day. Please review!