"Birthday Headcanon 4"

Headcanon: Bucky has a list, like Steve, of things he missed after he fell from that train and lost seventy years of his life. He copied some things from Steve – it's not like he's had time to study people like Steve Jobs, being so busy with trying to stop HYDRA and Ultron and find Bucky – so some of these things they investigate together. They even plan to have a party on Steve Jobs Day (to get back at Tony after he recommended they look up Cold Chisel, one of the members being Jimmy Barnes.) When they're stuck, or they're not sure whether someone is pranking them, they go to Phil, who ends up buying them the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica, as well as a subscription to the web version.

"Ya think he's sick of us bugging him about modern stuff?" Bucky asked Steve, flicking through the pages of volume three.

"Nah," Steve said, scrolling down the Steve Jobs page in the electronic encyclopaedia. Tony was gonna be pissed off when they announced the party, complete with everything Apple-themed. It's okay; they were planning a Disney-Pixar movie marathon for the evening. "I think Phil likes seeing us."

"I guess it breaks up his day a bit," Bucky said, casually turning another page while he glanced at Steve's back.

"That, and he has the worst crush on you," Steve replied.

Bucky spluttered. "H-he doesn't!"

"He do-oes!" Steve sang softly.

"Well… well, he has a crush on you, too!"

"Doesn't stare at me longingly when I leave the room."

""If that's true, why'd he get this stuff so we won't bother him anymore?" he said.

Steve shrugged, humming. "Don't know. Maybe he doesn't want you to figure it out? He's been safe so far, considering it took me pointing it out to you."

"Huh."

There was a knock at the door to the apartment, and Bucky set the book aside to answer. It was another delivery from the bookstore, another pair of huge boxes. He signed for them, carted them over to the coffee table, and tore the tape off. Another gift from Phil.

"Either that, or this is the world's weirdest courting," he said. "He bought us the entire Oxford English Dictionary. Unabridged."

"And the electronic version," Steve said. "Just got an email about it."

"Implying that you think someone is stupid definitely isn't a good start to courting," Bucky said. "I think he's just being nice."

"You should still take him out to dinner. Y'know, to thank him for this."

Slowly, Bucky smiled. Now there was an idea…

For Mari_Knickerbocker on AO3. Both Steve Jobs Day and Dictionary Day.

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