Prompt: Ornaments (part 2)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC (Evelyn) / Fandom: Marvel

Steve found himself confused as he walked in his apartment and there were paint brushes, paint, colored markers and newspaper on the dining room table. Calling out for Evelyn, he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to why all those things were placed there. She appeared next to him, wearing old jeans and an old work shirt. Kissing him sweetly, she asked him how his day had been.

Steve told her that it went fine, but he wanted to know what was going on, pointing towards the dining room. Her answer was simple: once Bucky got home, he would know. She told him to go change and that she had already set out his clothes on the bed.

He kissed her again and made his way to their bedroom, still unsure of what was going on. While changing, he heard Bucky get home and be told the same thing that he was told. Evelyn was definitely up to something, but knowing her, he was confident that, whatever it was, it would be worth all the secrets.

Steve bumped into Bucky in the hallway and, after greeting each other, they both made their way back into the living room where Evelyn was waiting for them. When they got there, she gave them both a smile and lead them into the dining room.

- "Okay, so. This year I thought it would be fun to make our own ornaments and add them to the tree. It's something I used to do with my grandfather and it's really fun. You can make as many as you like. And if you want, we can even make some to offer our closest friends. What do you say, boys?" – Steve couldn't help but smile at her. It was a sweet and different idea, and he definitely liked it.

- "I think is a great idea, sweetheart." – Steve said, kissing her cheek and looking back at Bucky, who looked like his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.

- "You're telling me I went out to a store filled with people to buy ornaments just so I can paint them?" – Evelyn got nervous. It wasn't her intention to upset Bucky, but she thought she could kill two birds with one stone: have him talk to other people and get the ornaments she needed for their little activity. She saw Steve scowl at him, almost as if warning him to be careful with his next words.

- "Look, Bucky, I needed the ornaments and I also wanted to get you out of your comfort zone and get you out into the world. I'm sorry if I upset you."

- "I just… I'm sorry for freaking out, Eve. I just wasn't expecting it. But Steve's right, it sounds like a great idea and actually quite fun." – Bucky felt bad instantly. He hated seeing Evelyn sad and he knew if he didn't like the idea that that would had made her sad. But he really thought that Steve was right, so why not give it a try.

Steve saw Evelyn walking around the table and pull Bucky into a tight hug. It always amazed him how she was the only person, aside from him, that could do that without Bucky feeling uncomfortable because of his arm. Other people had tried hugging him, but they would quickly end that hug once they felt how uncomfortable he was.

Taking their seats at their sides of the table, they spread the newspaper on the table in front of them. Pulling two ornaments from a box, Evelyn handed them to the boys and told them that they could be as creative as they wanted or play it safe. It was up to them. She opened the paints and gave each one a set of paint brushes and a set of colored markers, and left them to their own devices, kissing Bucky on the top of his head and a quick peck on the lips of Steve.

Leaving the boys, Evelyn went to the kitchen to take care of dinner. She could hear them laughing and going back and forth with ideas for their respective ornaments. She could tell they were having fun, specially Bucky, and that filled her heart with love for the both of them.

Dinner was ready by the time Evelyn went back to the dining room and the sight in front of her made her laugh out loud. They had just finished their ornaments but she wasn't sure what had more paint: the ornaments or the boys. Steve had paint on his face and hands, as well as his shirt, and Bucky had paint all over his metal arm and clothes.

They were both laughing like mad when they noticed Evelyn in the kitchen doorway and, with a quick glance at each other, they knew what to do. Standing up at the same time, they both started walking towards her. They could see her eyes darting between them and around the room, trying to find an escape to what was to come. Only there was no escape.

Bucky was the first to reach her and grabbed her by her arms. Evelyn tried getting him off of her but to no avail. That's when she saw what Steve had in his hand: a paint brush with red paint on it. Steve was getting closer and closer and she knew she was done. With a flick of his wrist, he painted her cheeks red and they all started laughing like mad.

After a while, once they all calmed down, Evelyn asked them what they had painted. Steve went first. Pointing at his, still drying, ornament, he explained that he chose the American flag because it represented him, as well as their love for the armed forces. Evelyn kissed him sweetly and said that it looked perfect. Then, it was Bucky's turn.

Bucky felt a bit self-conscious, but went ahead and showed her his ornament. It was basically his arm, with the star, in the shape of an ornament. He told her that he chose to paint it like that because she was always telling him to be proud of his arm and that the arm didn't define him, so, he thought it was about time he would listen. Evelyn could feel the tears prickle in her eyes. She wrapped him in a tight hug and he hugged her back. He knew how much it meant to her that he was finally listening to her.

Breaking the hug, she swiped a tear that was threatening to escape and told them that both ornaments looked beautiful and that once they were dried, they would add them to their tree. That's when Bucky surprised her. Bucky asked her if, after dinner, they could paint a few more, maybe even one for each of the Avengers, but they wanted her to paint with them. Evelyn looked over to Steve and saw him nodding, saying that he wanted that too. She agreed, a huge smile on her lips.

Telling the boys to go clean up, she went back to the kitchen and started preparing their plates. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms snaking around her waist and a chin resting on her shoulder. She didn't need to turn around to know that it was Steve. Turning her head to him, he kissed her sweetly and thanked her for what she was doing for Bucky. She kissed him again and told him that he was her "brother" and she would do whatever it took to see him happy and confident.

Kissing her cheek, Steve left. Passing through the dinning room, he glanced at the ornaments. "A great idea, indeed.", he thought, a smile on his lips.