Chapter Text
The Raft
"Welcome to your new permanent home Mr. Barnes, I hope you enjoy your stay."
Solider was shoved into a room, strapped to a table, and put into a box. His artificial arm had been confiscated, and he was completely weaponless. As the box he was in began to move, Solider thought about the man in red, white and blue, and the name he called him. 'Bucky'. And his captors called him 'Barnes'. Was there a connection?
When the box finally made it to its destination, Solider's head whipped back from the force of the box stopping. In that moment, he remembered.
He remembered the war.
He remembered Steve
He remembered HYDRA
He remembered what they forced him to do.
He remembered the little red headed girl
But most importantly,
He remembered that he was James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes
Avenger's Tower
Steve Rogers, also known as 'Captain America' entered the workshop of Tony Stark, aka 'Iron Man' hoping to get his help
"Tony, please, he was forced, brainwashed, you can't hold that against him! He's my friend Tony, please hel-"
"Chill out Capsicle, I'll help you get your friend back."
Steve grinned "In that case..."
"AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!"
3 Days Later, The Raft
The Avenger's busted into the raft, blowing things up, making a mess, the usual. Meanwhile, Black Widow and Captain America went to go find Bucky.
Bucky had been in and out of consciousness over the duration of his stay at The Raft, the lack of food and water not helping matters at all.
So when he saw a man that looked like Steve, naturally, he thought he was hallucinating.
"Buck, Bucky! Come on Buck, wake up!"
Steve was worried, Bucky looked awful, he was sickly pale and skeletal.
Then, he opened his eyes
"...Steve?"
One Week Later, Avenger's Tower
"Sir, there are government agents wishing to see you."
"Great. JARVIS, send them up will you?"
"They are on their way up sir."
The elevator dinged after about 5 minutes, and immediately General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross stepped out, with the nicer, British, General Everett K. Ross (no relations whatsoever) right behind him, along with five other men.
"Stark, hand over Barnes." snapped meanie Ross, we'll just call him Ross
"Who?" Tony answered lazily
"James Buchanan Barnes! The Winter solider!"
"Eh? I don't have him"
Nice Ross, we'll call him Everett, snickered
"He's sitting in your living room Stark!" barked Ross, face turning red
He pointed toward said living room, where Bucky was snoring on the couch, and Steve was drawing next to him
Tony mentality face-palmed at his own stupid mistake
"Oh, that's my third cousin twice removed, Sergei"
More sniggering from Everett
"Oh cut the jokes Stark"
"I'm serious! Besides isn't he dead?"
"What?!"
"Isn't Barnes dead? I mean, didn't he die like, 70 years ago?"
"Well..."
"So what you're saying, is that you're searching my tower for a dead man?"
"Um..."
"Seriously? Not cool dude."
4 Months Later, Avenger's Tower
"Fa la la la la, la la la la~!"
Snow was falling on the ground, Clint was drinking eggnog and singing songs in the air vents, Bruce was talking with Natasha, Steve and Bucky were wrapping presents, Sam was playing dreidel with Wanda, who was Jewish, hence her celebrating Chanukah.
Suddenly, Tony came running into the room with a camera and reindeer antlers. Everyone stoped what they were doing and looked towards Tony
Finally, Bruce spoke up. "Uh, Tony, what are the antlers for?"
Tony grinned "Well, I thought we should do a holiday card as the Avengers!"
Natasha tilted her head "Ok, but why the antlers?"
"Because Barnes is gonna be our cover photo, wearing these!"
Laughter was heard from the air vents as Clint heard Tony's idea
"You want me to take a picture while wearing WHAT?!"
"Just do it it will be hilarious!"
"No."
Steve hummed, he actually found the idea amusing
"Buck..."
Bucky looked over his shoulder and saw Steve pulling his puppy dog pout face.
"Fine..."
One Week Later, The Raft
"What the hell is this?!"
"It's the Winter Soldier!"
"No it's Stark's cousin Sergei"
"... I mean I don't think the Winter Soldier would willingly wear reindeer antlers..."
And every year since then, the staff of the Raft have gotten a Christmas card signed,
The Avengers (and Cousin Sergei)
Omake
SHEILD Base
Director Nick Fury glanced at the holiday card from the Avengers with a sigh
"Really, Stark"
"I don't know sir, I think it's rather amusing"
"Coulson..."
"Just speaking my mind sir"