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Just for the record, it was Bucky Barnes who introduced Steve to the art of making gingerbread houses.
When they were kids, Bucky's mother would make the gingerbread home-made, then cut the finished product into squares for the boys to then assemble into houses. It was fun for the both of them, but more so for Steve, whose mother couldn't even afford the extra butter let alone sugar during the Christmas season when there were other things to worry about.
Steve smiled at the memory and glanced around the apartment, satisfied with all the decorating work they had already done. Bucky's therapist had recommended he get more exposure to people during the holiday season, because it was more hectic and thus more of a challenge for the Winter Soldier. As Dr. Chaudhri had put it, "Pushing him out of his comfort zone is good, in small doses. Too large a dose in too little time will have the adverse effect." Bucky was willing to do a little Christmas shopping, even amidst the throngs of people, so long as he was with Steve. So, they had ended up purchasing quite possibly too many Christmas decorations, although Bucky seemed pleased enough. There was of course, mistletoe in the doorway, rainbow blinking Christmas lights snaking around the walls, and paper snowflakes in the window. A modest fir tree sat in the corner, adorned with garland and sparkling ornaments. The only thing really missing was...
"Bucky?"
The former soldier barely looked up from the Christmas special airing on television, A Charlie Brown Christmas. "Hmm?"
"Do you remember that time when we made gingerbread houses? When we were kids?" Steve watched his friend's face, searching for hints in his expression.
Bucky inhaled and adjusted his collar. "Gingerbread houses? Um, yeah, I remember." He brought his hand up to his mouth, rubbing, like he was thinking hard. "Yeah."
"Oh, you don't remember." Steve accused, trying not to laugh. "You're lying."
For a deadly assassin, Bucky Barnes often had trouble lying. Or maybe it was just that Steve knew Bucky well enough to know when he wasn't telling the truth.
"I'm... not lying."
"That was very convincing. You should get a Oscar."
Bucky squinted a bit, confused. "A what?"
"Never mind, it's just an acting award thing." He carefully took a box out of a grocery bag and put it on the counter-top. Steve grabbed a knife and with a hand like a surgeon, carefully cut along the edges.
"What're you doing?" Bucky asked curiously, abandoning the Peanut Gallery to sit in the kitchen with Steve.
Steve stood up and carefully put the knife back in the drawer. He spun the box around so that Bucky could read the festive red-and-green lettering.
"The Ultimate Gingerbread House Kit?"
Steve's liquid blue eyes were sparkling. "Yep. I thought, you know, since you did so good shopping today--" At this, Bucky couldn't help rolling his eyes. "--I thought we could make one. A gingerbread house. And since you don't remember making them... I dunno, it looked fun."
Bucky joined him at the counter and inspected the box carefully. "Huh. Looks interesting."
Steve took his words as an enthusiastic "yes!" and grinned. "Okay, first things first. We have to make the actual structure." He cautiously placed pieces of gingerbread on the laminate counter-top and spread them out. Bucky shook out the remaining ingredients and Steve made a point to explain what each one was. "So we have the icing over here, gumdrops, sprinkles and these..." Steve stopped to examine the collection of what looked to be green blobs covered in a thin layer of sugar. "You know, I'm not quite sure what these are."
"I think they're supposed to be Christmas trees." Bucky plopped one in his mouth before Steve could say no. Suddenly, Bucky's face morphed and he spit it out into the sink. "Mmpth!" He smacked his lips, desperately trying to get the taste out of his mouth. "Not good."
"Okay..." Steve said slowly before tossing them in the bin. "We didn't need those anyway. Now, I'm going to put frosting on the edges here and you can stick them together, okay?" He hunched over the pieces, piping out icing like a professional on Cupcake Wars. Bucky watched him, transfixed by the looping pattern. "Alright, you can stick the sides on now."
Bucky gently attached the walls of the house, followed by the roof. "That wasn't so bad." He said, admiring his handiwork.
Steve laughed. "That was the easy part. Now we have to decorate it. I can do the icing, you just stick those candies on."
"Anywhere?"
The young man nodded, using a butter knife to spread the vanilla frosting more efficiently. "Anywhere." He added a piped pattern to resemble shingles as Bucky religiously made a five-gumdrop pattern around the walls. "I think we're finished." Steve announced, wiping his hands off on his jeans. Bucky just stared at him.
"No... we need a door! How would the gingerbread man even get into the house?"
Steve stopped himself from saying something witty. "Okay, good idea." Once again taking up the decorating bag, he piped a little door and a few windows, for good measure.
"I like it." Bucky said simply.
Steve nodded, smiling. "Me too." He rubbed his face, laughing. "That was hard work. I kept thinking I was going to mess up the icing."
"Oh, you couldn't have messed it up." Bucky told him, a grin plastered on his face. "Impossible."
They both stood there, staring at the edible house until Bucky broke the silence. "So what now? We just watch it?"
Steve shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know what people do with these things. When we were kids, we just ended up breaking the gingerbread that your mother spent so long baking so we kind of gave up and ate it right then in there. I guess other people save them, for decoration?"
"Pshh, no. This was meant to be eaten. You wanna?" He gestured to the perfectly iced house.
"Yeah, sure. Lemme just..." He was fiddling with his cell phone, about to snap a picture, when Bucky's hand came into view and snatched a candy off the roof. "No, wait!" Steve managed, but the flash had already gone off.
"Huh?"
"Nothing." Steve chuckled, saving the picture in his album. That one was definitely a keeper. "Here, why don't we just snap the roof in two, so we each get a piece."
"Boy, are you merciless." Bucky teased as he accepted the frosted piece of gingerbread.
They both bit into it at the same time. "Oh my god."
Bucky laughed at Steve, who had half his side of the roof sticking out of his mouth. "What, bit off more that you can chew?"
"Oh, shut up." Steve countered, shoving most of it back in his mouth.
"You gonna make me? I would've though you'd be the one taking polite, child-sized bites."
Steve's teeth flashed at Bucky as he broke into a smile. "I can't be Captain America all the time."
"Speaking of," Bucky said, stepping closer, "Captain America's got frosting all over his mouth."
"I do?"
"Mhmm." Bucky responded and before he could stop himself, his hand slid around to the back of Steve's head and he was kissing him. Steve's hand blindly groped for anything, anything to hold on to, finally settling on the cool counter-top. Bucky dominated his mouth, their heads turning in a set rhythm. Bucky's nose brushed Steve's and he felt his cheeks flush. God, Steve tasted spicy, a combination of gingerbread and the subtle flavour of vanilla. It was all delicious and overwhelming and Bucky loved it. He felt Steve smiling through the kiss and knew in that moment, there would be many more kisses to follow.
When the broke away, Steve smirked. "Do I still have icing on my mouth?"
"No," Bucky replied, smiling right back, "you're good."