The day wears on Steve’s nerves. It’s a full packed schedule and he has barely free time to spend with either Bucky or Y/N, not to talk from being alone for more than and escape to the toilet. First, he was at the children’s hospital Y/N asked him to visit, then he walked to meet some soldiers that came back from war to greet and thank them for their service before he walked back to the center of New York to attend the parade for the day. He’s lucky he managed to eat and drink something for lunch. Y/N has tried to give him as many breaks as possible but each time he actually thought he could slip away for a few minutes someone came up to him and talked his ears off. Y/N and Bucky always stand a bit further behind him with Lady on the leash and throw pitying looks at the poor man. No one remembered that it’s not only the birthday of America’s Independence but the birthday of America’s Captain as well. “Y/N? Can we do something to give him at least ten minutes alone?” Bucky leans down to her and she looks at him with a frown. “I wish we could. Do you have something in mind?”
“I might have.” Bucky smirks down at her and pulls out a firecracker from his back pocket. “Oh, no, Bucky! That’s a bad idea. It could throw you both off.”
“It won’t.” He leans down and gives her a kiss before he sneaks over to a near garbage can. While he lights the firecracker and throws it inside, Y/N walks to Steve. Lady jumps up his legs and informs the blonde to her approach, so he turns and smiles at her. His eyes a bit relieved at her distraction. “Steve. I need your assistance for a moment. I’m really sorry to steal him away, but he will be right back.” She smiles at the few people that surround Steve and pulls him away just as the firecracker starts. Steve flinches and almost goes in fighting stance as Y/N runs with him to a near building where Bucky already waits for them. “Come in, quick.” Bucky pulls Steve in with his other hand, peeks around to see if anyone noticed them. But everybody is distracted from the noise the firecracker made.
“You alright?” Y/N frames Steve’s face with her hands and looks concerned at him. The man lets out a sigh and a grin spreads on his face as he covers her hands with his own. “Yeah. Thank you.”
“No prob, punk.” Bucky claps him on the back and kisses his cheek. “Happy birthday.” He leans in again and kisses him on the mouth this time. Steve wraps his arms around Bucky with a content sigh and Y/N is content to only watch her two boys for the moment. They only break apart as Lady starts to get inpatient, barks and jumps up on the two. They are a bit breathless and Steve leans against the wall with closed eyes while Bucky crouches and give Lady some attention. Y/N walks up to the blonde and wraps her arms around his middle. His arms envelop her immediately. “How about we stay here for the rest of the day?” Steve asks and smiles, a frown still visible on his face. “Hm, I would like that. But it’s only two more hours, Steve. Then we go home and you can relax. I even got Tony to give me the key to the big bathroom on the floor above us, so we can go and relax all together.” She smiles up at him and kisses his shoulder. “Happy birthday.” He looks down at her. “Thank you, doll.” They kiss but hold it lighter as Bucky did. “I promise you; we go as soon as the two hours hit, okay?”
“Okay.”
Reality is different.
They were at the parade for more than three hours, Steve had to witness the firework while Bucky escaped that together with Lady. Y/N could see that the loud noises wear on Steve and that he’s near a breakdown, panic attack or something else, so she drags him away from all the investors, high society and politicians. She hauls him into a car and drives home with him where Bucky already waits. The drive is silent and Y/N shares nervous and concerned looks to Steve. Twenty minutes before they reach the compound she pulls over to the side of the street and turns to Steve, taking is hand in hers. “Hey.” She smiles kindly at him as he blinks in confusion at her. “Hey?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Are you really? Because you don’t look fine.” The man sighs and lets his head hang. “There’s... a lot on my mind.” Y/N rubs her thumb over the back of his hand. “Talk to me then.”
Steve’s eyes wander over to her before they lock down on their hands. “It’s silly, really. I just keep thinking about my Ma, Peggy, the war. Buck. It’s not sad, though. Not entirely.” He wraps his hand around hers and tightens his grip a bit. “They’re happy memories. But they keep me thinking.”
“Hm.” Y/N hums not quite understanding what he’s saying. “But what makes you look like this then?”
“The thought that they’re not here. I mean Buck is here and I have you and the team. But Peg and my Ma…”
“I’m sure they are with you. They see you and they are happy for you.” She looks at him a moment longer before she sighs and frees her hand to place it on his cheek and guides his head so that he’s facing her. “You know you don’t have to be strong for us, right? Especially not today. You can drop whenever you want. And you can tell us to leave you alone when you need some time.”
“No.” He shakes his head quickly. “I want to spend the day with you. What’s left of the day.” She looks him deep in the eye. The tiredness is clear in it, mixed with something that she can’t identify. “Okay. Why don’t you nap for the time we have left before we’re home?” Steve nods and leans further back in his seat. Y/N watches him get comfortable, then she lifts his hand to her lips and kisses it lightly, registering the smile on Steve’s lips. She smiles right back before she starts the engine again and drives home.
* * *
The moment Y/N parks the car she looks to her side and is greeted with a sleeping small bundle that almost falls out of the seatbelts from his seat. She smiles and pulls his hair out of his face. She slips out of her seat, walks around the car and carefully picks the sleeping boy up into her arms where he hangs like a sack of potatoes. She adjusts him a few times until she’s satisfied and walks from the garage up to the common room. Everybody who’s there is ready to shout but Y/N quickly glares before they even can pronounce the ‘H’ of Happy Birthday. She looks down to see Steve still fast asleep. He whimpers as Bucky comes over. “What happened?” He whispers it loud enough for the others to hear but not loud enough to rouse the boy. Lady sits down beside him, hear head to the side in confusion. “Hectic day, memories.” Y/N shrugs. “It doesn’t matter, though. We all know we wrapped a present for this case like we did for your birthday.”
“You wrapped presents in case I dropped?” Bucky looks slightly shocked and sets Y/N into a giggle fit. “Cute you didn’t notice.” She pecks his cheek and walks with Steve in her arms to sit beside Nat and Tony on one of the couches. Lady follows and gracefully lies down at her feet. They chatter away for a while, Peter, who came by a few hours earlier to stay for the summer, and Sam playing pool on the table while Bucky snickers when Sam misses a shot. Steve whimpers a few times but relaxes again.
This time he doesn’t. Bucky sees it and holds out his hands for Y/N to pass him over. He wraps him in his arms and walks across and around the room, silently whispering to the boy’s ear. Y/N looks happily how he interacts with the small child in his arms. “What are we going to do about that?” Tony points at the soldier and the child. “What do you mean?” Y/N looks puzzled at Tony and he rolls his eyes. “I have presents to get packed out.” Y/N snorts. “You’re more excited than he is, right?”
“Of course, I am. I have to prove that I’m the best uncle.” Y/N shakes her head with a smile. “You have to wait. Let him sleep. He had a lot to do today.” Bucky comes over to sit next to Y/N. Nat scoots away to go over to Clint who joined Sam and Peter. “Mommy?”
“Hey, my birthday boy is awake.” She smiles at him and takes the potato-bag-Steve from Bucky’s arms. The boy giggles lightly and yawns before he hugs Y/N. “Slept well, sweetie?”
“Yeah.” Steve yawns again and give Y/N a wet kiss to the cheek. “Oh. What is that for?” The boy shrugs and cuddles up to her one more. “Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Do I get presents?” He leans back a bit and gazes at her. “Presents?”
“Yes. It’s my birthday.”
“Right. Big Steve gets old today.” Y/N nods and Steve giggles. “Do I get one?”
“Hm, how about you ask uncle Tony here.” She motions to Tony who gasps. “Really?” Steve looks at him with a bit of fear and excitement in his eyes. “Do I, uncle Tony?”
“What a question!” Tony shakes his head and stands up only to sit back down with the biggest present that Y/N has ever seen for a child. Steve’s mouth drops open. He probably never got a gift of that size. It’s actually the size of the small boy. Overwhelmed, he looks at Y/N to Bucky and then to Tony. “It’s for me?” His voice is small and unbelieving. Tony snorts. “Of course.” The others gather around as Steve reluctantly starts to open the present. Lady makes it her job to fetch each bit of wrapping paper that hits the ground and shredders it to tiny little pieces. “Mommy, daddy, look!” Steve bounces excitedly on Y/N’s lap. The boy has unwrapped a big easel with lightning and holder for colors and water. “I made it a bit more special than it was.” Tony smiles at the boy who quickly abandons the present and throws himself in Tony’s arms, plastering him with kisses. “Thank you. You’re the best.”
“You see. I told you so.” Tony smirks and sticks his tongue out at Y/N. She only rolls her eyes in response and watches as one after another gets a present out for the child to open. They all have something to do with arts and Steve is very pleased with each one. But he still likes Tony’s best. Y/N’s and Bucky is a close second. They gifted Him some cars and blocks that he can color before he plays with them. Which he immediately starts on. Y/N thought that she can bring him to actually play more than sitting on his desk. And it works somehow because two hours later he plays with some of him new colored cars on the floor of the common room while the others talk and prepare dinner.
* * *
Y/N lies in bed with Steve on her stomach who is already fast asleep. Bucky shuffles in, gets in bed and cuddles up to her. “Mmh. I can do this all day.” Y/N snorts and barks out a small laugh. “That’s Steve’s saying.”
“The little punk gets in my head.” Bucky smiles and kisses her. They only break apart as a groan comes from the boy and he shuffles. “Oh god. No.” Y/N quickly pushes him between her and Bucky, jerking a sleeping Lady awake. She lifts her head from her paws but lies back down as she sees that its only Y/N being silly about not getting crushed. Right as she lets go from the boy and manages to get him out of the shirt and pants, he starts to drop and gets bigger and bigger. “Hey, Punk. Don’t hog all the space.” Bucky shoves at Steve’s shoulder when he’s fully back. “Jerk.” Steve shuffles a bit, so that both his lovers have some space. “Man. That was a day.” He rubs his eyes tiredly and yawns. Y/N chuckles and leans over to kiss the tired blonde silly. He hums into the kisses and a little moan slips passed his lips as Bucky starts to kiss his neck and shoulder. They don’t go any further than that, though. They break apart the moment Y/N feels her lungs gasp for air. “How about this bath you talked about?” Steve smirks at her and she laughs. “Fine. Sergeant! Get this lazy Captain in an appropriate shape and come up in less than five minutes!” Y/N jumps out and glares at Bucky in playful manner. “Yes, ma’am.” Bucky salutes and makes quick work of getting Steve out of bed. “She manhandles and commands me, Buck. On my birthday!” Steve whines as she leaves. She grins to herself and walks up to run the bath she promised. Lady follows her, well knowing that she will be alone if she doesn’t follow her now.
Five minutes later the boys join her. Bucky makes quick work of getting Steve back out of his sleepwear and into the tub. Y/N sits already inside. She lets Steve slips in behind her and Bucky behind Steve. They cuddle close and soak together in the big tub. “This is the best part of my birthday so far.” Steve smiles and leans back against Bucky’s chest, closing his eyes in complete relaxation. They sit for a while and just relax. At some point Lady gets board of the silence and easily jumps into the tub, getting water on the floor and all over the three people. She shakes herself to get the water away while still staying in the tub and gets water everywhere. Y/N Curses but Steve only laughs and pats the dog before he leans back on Bucky. The bath is cut short then because Y/N complains about the dog smell and they quickly find themselves back in Y/N’s room and in bed. Lady shut out this time. She sits in front of the door and whines. “Come on, Y/N. Let her back in. She’s a good girl.”
“Nope. No smelly dog in my room.”
“Then we go to mine.” Bucky proposes but Y/N shakes her head. “I’m staying here. If you want then go and abandon me in this bed, all alone by myself.”
“Okay, okay.” Steve holds up his hands and laughs. “We stay.” He leans over Y/N and kisses her deeply. “I’m not complaining, either.” Bucky says as he crawls around Steve to kiss Y/N’s shoulder.
And Steve doesn’t complain later when both, Y/N and Bucky, get handsy and give him a birthday present of another kind.