Chapter Text
Halloween wasn't exactly Steve's favorite holiday, he didn't hate it, just not his favorite as with most adults in the world. The thought of dressing up as someone else for a day and going around getting candy or spooking people just seemed more like child's play or for people who just enjoy scaring people.
Then he joined the Avengers.
Tony was completely invested into Halloween. He held Halloween parties every year and always went over the top with the decorations. He also told the Avengers they couldn't dress as their hero persona, that was lame. Steve always went for white face paint and white clothes as a ghost. Nothing too serious, he rather hand out candy than party all night.
"Daddy."
Then there was Bucky. Any Shield agent would say he's been doing Halloween for decades since he was a ghost with Hydra. Steve hated that thought and would hope nobody would bring that up. Or they would be expecting a firm talking to.
"Daddy." Bucky said louder.
"Yes?"
"What that?" He said pointing to the pumpkin. They were just getting home from their morning walk, the neighbors must have put them out while they were out.
"That is a pumpkin."
"Mean." The front had been carved into a scary face.
"It's not mean, it's face was made to look mean. It doesn't have to look mean." Bucky was intrigued by the pumpkin, then Steve got an idea.
"How about we go clean up a bit, then we'll go to the store and get a pumpkin for us to carve?" Bucky nodded. Steve brought them inside. He bathed Bucky first then showered himself.
Bucky was staring at the TV for a while then a Halloween commercial came on.
"Come get your spooky costumes for just $10.99." Bucky looked over at Steve then back at the TV.
"Okay, that's enough TV for now." Before something decided to jump out and scare him. Steve put his and Harley's harness on then left.
Once they got to the store, Steve could tell this was going to be a rough trip. There was skeletons and other terrifying creatures sitting at the entrance.
"Scary."
"I know, just stay close." Bucky clutched to his arm. Steve hoped none of them would jump out at them. They went to the pumpkins, some were huge and some were small.
"Pick one out." Bucky looked around then saw a small pumpkin.
"That?"
"You can have it. And I'll get this one." Steve got a slightly bigger pumpkin.
"Doggy too?" Harley was part of the family, so it made sense to get her a pumpkin too. Steve got her a small pumpkin, they went back inside, they passed through the costumes. Bucky was interested, but also a little on edge. A lot of these were kind of scary. A bloody mask, a skeleton and an angry red man. And an oversized spider to which Harley did not like.
"How about we look at something not so scary?" They walked around a few times, nothing stood out. Steve knew Bucky was probably looking for Chase. He saw a few Captain America's and a few Iron man, none of those interested him. Then Bucky pointed.
"Buzz." A Buzz Lightyear onesie. Perfect. Steve definitely could see himself being Woody, plus Natasha threatened to pick his costume if he said he would be a ghost again.
"Alright, that works too. And I'll be Woody. Let's go find Harley something." The dog costumes weren't scary, they were very cute. The only problem they had was finding something in Harley's size. So many smalls, so many mediums.
"Oh Bucky, how about an angel?" Bucky nodded. It was perfect since she is pretty much Bucky's guardian angel. They had all that they needed. Steve avoided the candy section since there wasn't any kids in his neighborhood, plus Bucky didn't need any extra sweets. He knew the other Avengers would most likely spoil him in sweets. They checked out and went back home.
When they arrived home, Bucky kept asking to put on the Buzz onesie. Steve had to tell him it was for Halloween. So in order to keep him occupied, he decided to start on the pumpkins.
Steve cut up a trash bag and laid it over the table. He got a few towels and laid them on the floor. This could get messy quickly.
"Bucky, do you want to help carve the pumpkins?" Asked Steve. Bucky got up from the couch and sat on the chair.
"Okay, this may get messy. Shirt off." Steve took off Bucky's shirt. He got a glove and put them on Bucky's hands. Steve got a knife, Bucky stared at it.
"Hey, we're going to be okay." Bucky looked up at him. He could see the shift had happened then he was able to snap out of it. Steve would have to handle the cutting.
"I'll open the top." Steve cut open all three of the pumpkins.
"Now, in order for ours to light up, we have to get the filling out." Steve pulled out a handful of pumpkin filling and seeds and put them in the bowl. Bucky hesitated for a minute then put his right arm in and grabbed a handful then put it in the bowl.
"Yucky."
"Yeah it is yucky. Don't put it in your mouth." Like any two year old, they always put stuff in their mouths.
"We'll use all this later to make a pumpkin pie."
"Like ma?"
"Yeah Buck, just like ma's." Steve used to go over to Bucky's house for Halloween and Thanksgiving, Bucky's mother always made pumpkin pie and Bucky would always say nothing could compare. While hers was good, Steve always thought his mother's was the best. But that was just boys supporting their mothers.
Then Steve phone buzzed. He and Bucky were invited to Stark's Halloween party. He also sent that it was killing him not to go full out like he usually do. Then he sent if it was okay for Bucky to have sweets. Steve replied he wasn't sure and he might have to get Bruce to look at his teeth before Halloween.
"Hey Buck?" Bucky looked at him.
"Uncle Tony invited us to a party on Halloween. Everyone is going to be there."
"Papa?"
"I think so." He really didn't know. But if Bucky was doing anything, Rumlow wanted to be apart of it. So there was a good chance he would be there.
"Done." Said Bucky. Steve finished his and Harley's pumpkin too.
"Alright, that looks good. Now we can start carving. Did you have anything in mind?"
"Happy."
"You want a happy pumpkin? Okay, I'll draw a star on mine and Harley will get a paw on hers." Bucky got up from his seat and sat on Steve's lap.
"You wanna watch?" Bucky nodded. Steve took off his gloves and carefully worked around Bucky.
After an hour, Steve finished carving all three pumpkins. It was nice for his artistic skills to come out and he was really proud of how they turned out but Bucky had fell asleep. Steve would have to wait until dawn to put the pumpkins outside. Steve carried Bucky to the couch then washed his hands.
Bucky would probably be asleep no more than an hour so until then Steve had to research on how to make a pumpkin pie.
Later in the day, Bucky woke up because of a sudden seizure. Steve didn't realize he was seizing until Bucky was drooling and kept trying to chew on his fingers. Steve stopped the chewing but it through Bucky into a near meltdown. So he sat with Bucky while he calmed down.
"Hey, you feeling better?" Bucky nodded.
"Okay, you want to go put the pumpkins outside?" Bucky nodded. Steve bought l.e.d candles instead of actual candles.
"Hold this one." Steve handed him his pumpkin. Steve carried out his and Harley's. They set the pumpkins out by the door.
"Scary." Bucky pointed to the neighbor's pumpkins. Nearly all the pumpkins the neighbors had were carved with the traditional jack o' lantern face, Bucky didn't like that.
"Yeah, they are. Let's go get dinner ready." Dinner was chicken soup. Since the weather was getting a cooler, that also meant Bucky was going to have wear long sleeve shirts. He hated those, but Steve didn't like the thought of Bucky catching colds. Steve went in their room and got a long sleeve shirt.
"Bucky, can you wear this for a minute?" Steve held up a long sleeve shirt. Bucky looked at it then at Steve. Bucky tried to bite the shirt.
"You really don't like these." Bucky shook his head.
"You're going to have to so you don't get sick when it gets colder." Bucky shook his head again and smiled.
"Would you wear them if Harley wore them too?" Bucky nodded. Steve mentally patted himself on the back. So during the week, Steve would have Bucky and Harley wear a long sleeve shirt until Bucky got used to wearing them.
Soup was done. Steve fed Bucky the broth while he gnawed on the chicken.
"Doggy?"
"Harley only gets pieces of chicken. She cannot eat on human food. How about I just add some chicken to her food?" Steve added small pieces of chicken to Harley's food. He turned around to hear choking. Bucky was choking on something. BUCKY WAS CHOKING.
Steve ran to him and hit his back until he coughed up whatever was in his windpipe. Apparently, it was chicken. Steve made sure to cut them up small. Bucky looked up at him then started to cry.
"It's okay, we're okay. I think you were eating too fast." Steve rubbed Bucky's back until he calmed down. He was eating too fast, Steve remembered there being at least six pieces of chicken when he went to give Harley chicken. Now there was only two.
"Baby, you can't just stuff this into your mouth, your body needs time between each piece. Slow down next time." Bucky signed done. Steve sighed and carried him to the bathroom. Steve had to take a deep breath when he was getting his clothes. Bucky had never choked that bad before and Steve could honestly say he was scared during that moment. He went back in the bathroom and saw Bucky playing with the bubbles in the tub.
"What are you doing, silly?"
"Daddy, silly."
"No, you're silly." While Steve bathed Bucky, he noticed a bunch of the scars on his body weren't healing. Some looked faded, but there was so many deep scars that Steve couldn't tell where one started and one ended. He would have to get Bruce to look at that as well. Steve got him out the tub then dried him off.
"Buzz?"
"You cannot wear that until Halloween, how about the raccoon?" Bucky pouted but nodded. Halloween was tomorrow, but to Bucky it sounded forever.
"Chase."
"We can watch Paw Patrol." Steve changed him and put him in his raccoon onesie. Bucky fell asleep not to long into the show. Steve hoped nobody at the party would go over the top with the costumes and would keep the scaring to a minimum. Bucky maybe two years old mentally, but his fight or flight instincts were very sharp. And Steve couldn't imagine something spooking Bucky so badly, he switched over. Then that would really be the trick of the night. He sent one last text to Tony and the rest of the Avengers to go easy on their costumes. He wasn't sure if blood would trigger Bucky, but he would have deal with it if it triggered him.
Hopefully tomorrow would be treats than tricks.