Work Text:
You’d had a rough day of work, almost running late several times due to traffic issues, and you had a few less-than-pleasant run-ins with some clients. You hadn’t heard from your boyfriend, Bucky, all day, as he was off on a mission. What a terrible way to start out Valentine’s day, right?
To say you were surprised when you returned home was an understatement. There, in front of your apartment door, was a small stuffed bear, its left arm a different colour with stitches to replicate your boyfriend’s peculiar arm. It had a bow with a black heart-shaped card tied around it, and you picked it up to read the intricate lettering written in gold ink. This was definitely his writing, you could tell by the subtle strain in some of the letters, widening at seemingly random intervals.
Open the door for a surprise.
You wondered what he’d planned, but the noises of something heavy shifting- no, being moved, broke your train of thought. Did Bucky arrange for someone to place something in your apartment? If so, was that person rummaging through your belongings? Or maybe this was a random thief? You were not nearly as equipped to deal with burglars as your super soldier boyfriend, but your keys would have to do. You quickly, yet carefully put the bear into your bag- as far as it would fit anyway.
Opening the door with your keys clutched between your fingers, just in case, you squinted as you saw all the lights turned off. The noises of movement didn’t stop, though, and so you crept as quietly as you could towards the living room, where a small amount of light seemed to be originating from.
You were ready to either run or pounce when you saw a figure, hunched over your… couch? The figure abruptly turned around to face you, and you felt your heart skip a beat when your eyes were drawn to the arm. That arm.
“Bucky?” you questioned, at a loss for words as you dropped your keys into your bag, and your bag onto the ground. The man in question approached you with a shy smile, the low lights behind him making it look as if the edges of his hair were glowing. At that moment, he looked like an angel to you.
“Surprise?” he said as you threw yourself into his arms, him returning the embrace and swinging you around lightly. You gave him a quick peck on the lips, after which he rubbed his nose on yours. "I hope you like the gift, it's not much and I may have had to ask Steve for help with the arm, and maybe it's too cheesy because why wouldn't you think it's weird for someone to give you a gift that looks like them right, I mean, I shouldn't have let Natasha convince me that-" he began rambling but you cut him off with another kiss.
"It's perfect, Buck."
With a look of what could only be described as endearment on his face, he suddenly picked you up, and you let out a yelp in surprise. Walking over to the centre of your living room, you now realised what he had been doing. Bucky had rearranged the chairs and sofas, had grabbed blankets and pillows and hung up strings of fairy lights, to make a fort of softness.
"I know it's nothing fancy, but I thought it'd be nice if we could just... y'know," he mumbled, putting you down carefully. You hummed in response and crawled under the tent he'd made on your couch, all the while holding his hand. You knew Bucky wasn't completely comfortable yet in public settings, so for now, this was his alternative to a restaurant date. When you two were comfortably laying down next to each other on a pile of pillows and blankets, you gave his hand a comforting squeeze and looked him in the eyes.
"It's the best Valentine's Day anyone could wish for."