Steve hated to miss Becca's birthday. Other holidays she enjoyed, but she wasn't one to fuss about them. Birthdays were the exception. Becca loved birthdays. She had once explained to him that she liked the idea of celebrating the people you knew instead of abstract concepts or historical events. She had said birthdays felt more real. And she enjoyed being around people, picking out presents, and any excuse to eat cake. Steve had missed holidays, anniversaries, other times people celebrated together. Becca had never seemed too disappointed, except when they had planned a weekend trip to see the Northern Lights together months in advance and he got called in the night before they were supposed to leave. It was one of the few times they'd had a fight, a real fight during which he'd accused her of being selfish – what he'd actually said was "we can't be selfish" but Becca was a part of that "we" – and she'd accused him of being a "self-righteous asshole with a fucking white knight complex." In any case, he had always managed to be around for her birthday, and the year he'd been gone for his, she had instead thrown him a party on his half-birthday (which he was still dubious counted as an actual holiday.)

However, this year was different. This year he was in Sokovia with Nat, Tony, Clint, and the new recruits. After the destruction Ultron had caused, Steve had felt it was their duty to help bring order to the chaos. The crime which had sprung up in the wake of the disaster afforded a training opportunity in addition to the workout regiment and team exercises he was putting the new recruits through. He thought they were doing well, and helping rebuild the country seemed to do them some good, especially Wanda.

He could have, hypothetically, left for Becca's birthday, but there were several reasons Steve decided against this. The plane ride to and from New York would take over half a day in and of itself, even with a private plane. They were closing in on the remainders of the Hydra crime ring that still had its hooks in the country. There had been grumbling on the news about an act being voted on by the United Nations called the "Sovokia Accords," which he wasn't too keen on the sound of. He figured that by showing the Avengers did concern themselves with taking care of the messes they were in some way responsible for, the government would back off. As the leader of the Avengers, he should remain in Sovokia to show they were united on this, especially since Bruce and Thor had gone off the grid.

The least Steve could do until he got home to take Becca out for a belated birthday celebration was to make her a cake.

The first year they'd been dating, Becca had been nervous about her birthday. It had fallen about a month after she had joined Narcotics Anonymous, and she was afraid that, because she had pushed so many people away, most of her friends wouldn't want to come over. Steve had reassured her but waited for an opportunity to take Ally aside and see that she was contacting Becca's other friends. Before he got the chance, Ally pounced on him while Becca was in the bathroom. She confided that she was planning a surprise party, much to his relief. When he offered to help in whatever needed to be done, Ally asked that he pick up the cake.

The sheet cake which Ally had ordered was large and unwieldy, which was why, Steve assumed, she had asked him to make the trip. He regarded the cake sitting on his kitchen table with its blinding white frosting and loopy writing and simple, sugar flowers. He was sure the flavor was good, but it looked like every other cake he'd seen on display at grocery stories. He had looked forward to his birthday as a kid because Ma would make him a cake special, and watching her mixing together the ingredients she'd saved up to buy, setting the cake in front of him made with care and getting a kiss on his cheek, that's what made a birthday cake. Besides, at the time, he hadn't been entirely sure the surprise party wasn't ruined on his account.

"Half of my friends haven't even responded," Becca had sulked the day before. She tossed her phone aside where it bounced harmlessly against a couch cushion. "I know I fucked up but… they could at least respond."

Steve had wanted to tell her about the party, the knowledge like an animal pawing insistently at the door to its cage. Becca looked so darn heartbroken, and if he told her about the party, she wouldn't be sad anymore. But he had promised Ally to keep the party a secret.

"What's that look?" Becca had asked.

"What look?"

"You're giving me a weird look."

Steve had forced a smile that was not as convincing as he'd like it to be. "Just thinking how much I love you." As excuses went, it had been a poor one, and Becca wasn't dumb. It wasn't until after the party that she learned to consistently recognize when he was trying to cover something up, but even then she had regarded him suspiciously. "And I'm sure your friends will get back to you soon."

Becca had tilted her head, considering, but eventually she sighed and looked away. "Maybe."

If he had ruined the surprise of the party, at least he could surprise her with a cake.

Steve had to purchase a cake tin and several baking ingredients on short notice, but he made Ma's apple cake with its sugar glaze, finishing in time to catch the subway to Becca's apartment with the cake Ally had ordered. Friends and family were setting up, and when Ally brought Becca back from getting their nails done, everything was in place. She did seem surprised, and overjoyed to see everyone. What really made the night for him though was when Becca had come home with him in the early hours – she'd given up her bedroom to visiting family – and he showed her the cake he'd made. She had fixed him with a beaming smile, her sleepiness temporarily forgotten. She'd looked so beautiful, so happy.

The next year, Steve had made the cake again, and this year he was determined to do the same. He'd have it shipped special so the cake arrived intact and on time. If he couldn't be there, at least Becca would know he was thinking of her.

Tony had rented out several floors of an apartment building for their stay in Sokovia, and while the kitchen in the suite Steve was sharing with Sam and Clint had some cooking equipment, it didn't have everything he needed. He asked Wanda to go shopping with him. He understood the native language generally – it was similar to German – and had the rudimentary ability to speak it, but he didn't know how to translate words such as "baking soda" and "cake tin," and furthermore, he didn't even know what brands were good.

Wanda spoke little on their shopping trip. She'd spoken less in the week after her brother had died, but seemed to open up more after developing an unlikely friendship with Vision. Although, Steve figured it might not be so unlikely considering her previous camaraderie with Ultron.

Even so, when he walked her to the door of the apartment she shared with Nat, Wanda said, "I have not helped to make a cake since I was very small."

Steve understood the unspoken request. Wanda was the type of person who needed to fill up her time with action. She didn't like sitting idle or in quiet, and he imagined that Nat was the quiet kind of roommate.

"Well, if you want, I could use the extra set of hands. And I'm not quite sure of how the temperature on the oven works. Too used to Fahrenheit." This was a lie, but Wanda didn't call him out on it. Instead, she followed Steve up to the suite.

Clint and Sam were watching House of Cards on Netflix, which Steve only recognized because they had been watching it the previous evening after several episodes Pit Bulls & Parolees, which, according to Clint, he only watched because his kids liked it, but Steve was pretty sure he had a soft spot for watching former felons rescue abused dogs.

"Find everything?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Steve replied as he placed the shopping bags on the island in the kitchen. He set aside several apples and had Wanda peel them as he measured out the other ingredients.

Eventually, Clint turned his head to survey the island. "What kind of birthday cake needs apples?"

"Uh." Steve carefully scraped off the excess cinnamon from the teaspoon he was using. "Apple cake?"

"Is that what they used to have?" Clint looked glad he wasn't the one receiving this particular birthday cake. "At least tell me the frosting's chocolate."

Steve explained, "It's more like a glaze than a frosting. Just some water and powdered sugar."

"You're making birthday cake for your girlfriend, and you're not even using chocolate?" Clint glanced at Sam, scoffing like he couldn't believe it. "Help me out here."

Sam shrugged. "Women do dig chocolate."

"Everyone digs chocolate." Clint got up from the couch and beckoned Wanda. "Come on, kid. We're going to get chocolate for that glaze."

"If you got some heavy cream, we could make a chocolate ganache." When everyone looked at him, Sam said, "What? The Food Network helps me fall asleep."

Clint shook his head. "All right. I'll pick up some heavy cream and a couple bars of chocolate." He peered at the scattered ingredients. "And those little frosting tube things you use for writing. Do they have those here?"

Wanda's brow creased as she thought. "I'm… not sure."

"Guess we'll find out."

While Clint and Wanda made a return trip to the store, Sam picked up on peeling and cutting the apples. Steve had the cake batter ready to pour into the tin when Nat knocked on the door.

"I thought you might've gotten lost in one of the aisles, and I'd have to come get the two of you," Nat said in greeting. "Where's Wanda?"

"Out with Clint," Steve informed her. "They're getting some heavy cream for a chocolate ganache. Apparently a glaze is too old fashioned."

As he stuck the now full cake tin in the oven, Sam corrected, "That's not what I said."

"Mmm." Nat invited herself in, not that Steve minded, and perched on the back of the couch. She unpaused House of Cards and rewound it a bit before restarting. "I think Becca would like the chocolate, but if this is her favorite…"

In truth, Steve had no idea what Becca's favorite kind of cake was. He had never asked, and wondered if making this apple cake had been such a good idea. Becca was usually the kind who spoke her mind, but if she thought he'd put effort into something that made him proud, she was also the kind to humor him. Maybe she'd like something else.

"I'm not sure what's her favorite," Steve confessed, hovering closed to the oven with his hand resting on the handle. He'd finish this cake. There were plenty of people who'd be happy to have it, but he could text Becca and ask what she liked. Better, he had Ally's number in case of emergencies. While this didn't exactly qualify, he thought it was an important question. "This is the cake my ma made for me. It's what I know."

"If you make it for her, I'm sure she'll like it," Sam comforted with a friendly pat on Steve's back. "That shows you care about her." He leaned back against the counter looking thoughtful. "Myself, I'm a fan of butter cream. Used to be that sugary paste they pass off as frosting when you buy cakes from the local market, but that's the first thing I had when I came back from my last tour and well… What about you, Natasha? Do they have a particular kind of frosting in Russia?"

Nat remained glued to the tv, but in a deadpan voice replied, "No. There's no frosting in Russia. We just pour vodka right over the cake."

Steve snorted, and Sam let out a laugh.

The next knock on the door wasn't Clint returning, but Tony, Rhodey, and Vision.

"We're going for dinner," Tony informed them. "You can come if you want."

"Training's in less than an hour," Steve reminded him. He didn't think they'd be back on time if they went out now. Even if they were, training on a full stomach wouldn't lead anywhere good.

"So Cap's not coming," said Tony dismissively. "What about you two?"

Sam told him, "We're making a cake. With the ganche and everything, it won't be done for at least another forty minutes."

"All right. We'll be back for dessert."

"It's not for us," Steve interjected, annoyed that Tony planned on skipping training and was trying to get the rest of the team to go with him. "It's a birthday cake I'm sending to Becca."

"What kind?"

"Apple."

Tony frowned like he wasn't sure he had heard right. "Apple? Women like chocolate."

"So I've heard."

"That's not entirely fair," Vision interjected. "All women do not like chocolate, and I believe that what Captain Rogers is doing is a romantic gesture which will be appreciated by his partner."

"Thanks."

"And how many women have either of you dated?" Tony questioned.

Steve frowned. "From what I've heard, about as many as –"

"Aw," Rhodey interrupted. Steve glanced at him with the expectation of him adding to the argument, but Rhodey was looking at the TV. "You guys have been watching House of Cards without me? This is my favorite episode."

Nat gestured to the couch. "Knock yourself out." Rhodey slipped past Tony to join her.

Tony followed his friend's movement impatiently. "Fine. I'm going with Vision."

"Actually, I believe Captain Rogers has a point. It is not good for a human's digestive system to eat before extensive exercise." Vision stepped forward. "May I come in as well to watch House of Cards?"

Steve nodded. "Sure."

"But, you don't even have a –" Tony started to protest, but clenched his teeth. Steve thought he would announce he was going to get food by himself, but Tony shrugged like he didn't care. "It's too early for dinner anyway," he said before joining Rhodey and Nat on the couch, slumping against in the cushions in a decidedly sulky manner.

They were onto the next episode of House of Cards and the cake was sitting out to cool when Wanda and Clint returned. There had been concern before then about their long absence, but Nat had texted Clint and assured them all that the problem was trying to locate the tubes of colored frosting for writing.

"I think we searched every store in Sokovia." Clint held up a package of the frosting tubes like a trophy after a hard-fought game. "But we found 'em. And we got plenty of bars of chocolate, so you can make a real birthday cake."

Steve sighed. He didn't think making a cake with or without chocolate was quite as big of a deal as this, but apparently he had been wrong.

The first problem was the chocolate ganache. Sam knew the recipe, but since Clint had found the chocolate and Vision was watching curiously, he let them work and just gave instructions. Unfortunately, they didn't have the temperature of the stove set right, and the cream boiled over. Then, there wasn't enough to properly mix with the chocolate so the color was too dark and, according to Sam, "a little less thick than usual, but that's all right." Then, he tasted it and realized they'd burnt the chocolate. So they had to make another batch, this time with Wanda putting the stove to the correct temperature.

The second problem was making the cake two layers. Clint thought it would be a good idea to cut the cake in half to put a layer of ganache in the middle. The cake didn't seem big enough, but Steve let him against his better judgment. The cut wasn't exactly even.

"It'll be covered in ganache," Sam comforted, when Steve rubbed a hand against his face in distress. "She won't even know." He looked down at the second bowl of ganache Vision handed him and stirred the whisk around once. "Man, what is with the consistency? Someone Google this."

Maybe it was the consistency, but the third problem came when the ganache didn't pour over the cake evenly. They tried to make it even by spreading the ganache out with a couple of knifes, but all that accomplished was making odd ridges. Tony took it upon himself to point out where the ganache appeared too thick and which patches of cake weren't covered enough and where the bumps were.

"Should you even be near homemade food?" Rhodey asked. "I've heard stories from Pepper."

Huffing in affront, Tony protested, "That was one omelet, and I thought it tasted good. And I think I can tell when frosting looks level."

"Uh huh." Rhodey flipped to another episode of House of Cards. "Why don't you make another batch and pour it over the top?"

So they made a third batch of ganache, which Sam insisted they let sit for longer as per the instructions to a recipe Nat had found on Google. She was hanging back, but there was a faint air of amusement as she watched them all from her perch on the back of the couch.

The ganache sat for too long, thickening to a consistency closer to frosting, and there wasn't enough of it to spread over the whole cake as they had used up all of the heavy cream and most of the chocolate.

Finally, Sam decreed, "I think this is as good as it's gonna get."

"I don't know. I think it could use another layer of chocolate or Becca might not like it," Steve remarked. He was frustrated with how the cake was turning out and wishing he had done the apple cake how he wanted to in the first place. Becca deserved a nice looking cake. At this point, though, they might as well finish. He could make another cake for her later tonight and eat this one himself.

To avoid rousing suspicion, Steve took care in writing "Happy Birthday, Becca" in red frosting. But when he declared the cake finished and was about to announce that they needed to head out for training, Clint interrupted, "Oh no. We didn't trek all over Sovokia for just a 'happy birthday.' We're going to decorate this cake." He picked up a tube of blue frosting and started making the petals of a flower.

There was a moment of hesitation, during which they all seemed to be waiting for a cue from Steve. He didn't know what to do. Let them waste time making a cake he was going to eat later? If he stopped them would that give him away? While he was still debating, Wanda hesitantly grabbed a tube of yellow frosting. She uncapped it, glanced at him, and lowered her attention to the cake. Then, Sam picked up a tube. Then, Vision. Then, Rhodey. Then, Tony.

Steve realized as he watched them that they were all working together on the cake as a team. It might not be the exercise he had in mind, but that didn't mean there were no benefits. They helped each other, jostled with each other for space around the island, made compromises, made mistakes. This might not be a waste of time after all. He picked up the last neglected tube – black – and held it out towards Nat. She looked at it for a moment and shrugged.

"What the hell." Nat got off the couch and joined in.

In the end, the ganache didn't matter so much because the cake had become so covered in colorful frosting that the chocolate was barely visible. Looking at it was like viewing a painting done by several artists with various opposing styles and levels of talent. A field of blue cartoon flowers by Clint pressed against a rose done by Vision with an unbelievable amount of realism. Wanda had started with what might have been flowers but transitioned into a strange geometric designs and shapes. Rhodey and Tony had made balloons, their strings tied with a bow that appeared fairly three-dimensional. Across the spaces between everyone else's work, Nat had scattered tiny black stars

After surveying their handiwork, Sam announced, "Well... it's unique."

"Unique?" Tony repeated with a laugh. "It's a mess. You mind as well buy her one, Cap. I'll ask Pepper where she gets her birthday cakes."

Wanda frowned. "We could try again, yes?"

"No," Steve said, stopping them all.

He could picture Becca getting this cake on her birthday. Her eyes would light up when she saw who it was from. She'd eagerly bring the package into her apartment, nibbling her bottom lip as she considered the possibilities. Maybe she'd shift the package back and forth, up and down trying to guess by its weight. Carefully, though. It would be hand delivered and marked "FRAGILE." She would get the scissors to cut open the tape. No hesitating. When she got a present, Becca liked to rip the wrapping paper right off. For a second, she would be bewildered at what was inside, but then she would understand. And she'd smile that beaming smile.

"She'll love it."