Bucky doesn't get up just yet, he can hear Sydney softly singing as she moves through her apartment, it's not very often either of them are feeling all that jolly first thing on a morning, Bucky is usually the first awake and he hides out in the shower until he's calmed down, Sydney is usually cranky until she has had her first coffee. They are not morning people. But this morning, something is different. Bucky feels calmer, lighter and Sydney is singing. It's Christmas. Their first together as a couple. His first since....the 1940s. And he's excited about it, about spending it with her. He even got her a gift. Just a small thing. He knows she wears a charm bracelet, she never takes it off, so Bucky got her another charm to hang onto it. A red star. Just something to show a connection to him. It's cheap, he doesn't have the money to get anything expensive, but he saved some cash from his paycheque from the building manager, he doesn't get much once rent and utilities are taken out but he made do, plus he's been eating at Sydney's a lot so he saves money on food from eating hers. He stretches and then cringes, his flesh hand reaching up for the scars on his other. Every morning. He groans as he presses his fingers in trying to alleviate the ache. He'd almost forgotten about it. Almost. It's always there, at the back of his mind, but this morning it wasn't the first thing he'd thought of. s

"Morning" Sydney states, Bucky turns his head to look at her, he pauses and then starts laughing. She chuckles back and bounces where she stands which causes her outfit to dingle. She's wearing a sweater dress that's covered in bells. "What?" she asks him innocently. "What's so funny?" she bounces again which just makes her jingle again. Bucky laughs harder.

"Stop" he states. "I need to pee" he scolds her as he clutches his stomach, she jumps onto the bed and smiles down at him. He smiles back up at her. She's so beautiful. He doesn't deserve someone so...pretty. "What are you doing up?" he asks her, she shrugs a little.

"I know I've been away a lot recently" she offers. "And things were forgotten" he frowns at her.

"What things?" he asks her, she cocks her head and smirks before chuckling.

"Christmas, silly" she answers. "I hadn't decorated, I'd forgotten actually...."

"That's okay" he assures her.

"No it's not" she stops him. "I haven't wanted to celebrate Christmas since...." she lets out a breath and shrugs. "Since...I was a kid, but I wanted to this year, because of you, because I have you, and well...I had this plan, it was going to be the best Christmas ever" he smiles softly. "But then I had that job and I ran out of time" she shakes her head. "I got up early to fix it" she leans down and kisses him before jumping back up. "Now hurry up...it's magical" she bounces out the room, her dress jingling as she goes, Bucky chuckles softly and then remembers he has to pee.

............

When Sydney said magical, this wasn't what Bucky expected. She clearly didn't have time to go out and buy decorations but she's tried to make them herself. There are loose bits of glitter all over the floor and the kitchen counters, paper chains and the fairy lights from Halloween strung up. Bucky smiles, because to him....it is magical. She went to all this trouble to make this day nice, for them. Their first real holiday as a couple. He is in love with her. This just makes him realize how much. That even something as simple as paper chains makes his heart swell. Because of her. Bucky looks down at his hand that holds a small box, he hasn't gift wrapped it, he didn't think it was something he would do, all that bright paper, and ribbons and stuff, it isn't him. Sydney falls onto the couch with a sigh and a smile, she sets her feet up onto the coffee table and smiles across at him.

"It looks great in here" he offers as he approaches her.

"I know it's not, you know...." she shrugs a little.

"It's perfect" he assures her and then holds out the box to her. "I...got you a little something" Bucky admits, his fingers clutching to the small box in his hand, Sydney raises an eyebrow as he sits next to her, he clears his throat and holds out the box, setting it into her palm. "Open it" he pushes her hand back towards her and she lowers her eyes to the box before pulling the lid off, she lets out a soft breath and smiles.

"Oh, James" she whispers fondly drawing her finger over the star charm sitting in the box. "It's beautiful" she lifts her eyes to his, he smiles at her. "But you didn't have to get me anything" she assures him. "We've only been together a short time I wasn't expecting anything" he sits next to her and touches her arm softly.

"I know" he offers. "But.." he brushes her hair back from her face. "You mean so much to me" he adds. "And I will buy you a star every year just so you always know that" she smiles sadly, her eyes misting slightly at the sentiment, it's been a long time since anyone has been as kind as he is to her. She understands the underlying comment to that statement too. He intends to be with her for as long as he can. And he does intend on keeping her. Forever if he can. "Here," he states reaching for the box. "Can I?" she nods and holds out her hand and he takes it pulling it closer so he can attach the new charm to her bracelet, his fingers grazing over the others charms, he knows they are a little strange but it works for her. He kisses her wrist and smiles at her before releasing her. She touches the bracelet and leans closer to kiss him, Bucky hums happily against her lips.

"Thank you" she whispers when she pulls back. She appears thoughtful and then pats his chest before she stands from the couch and turns to face him as she walks backward away from him.

"Well I didn't get you a gift" she admits and lifts a floorboard under her feet before she pulls a box from it. "But...I can give you something"

"You don't need to give me anything, Syd, just...Just being with me is enough" He assures her, she waves him off as she digs in the box for something specific before standing and walking back to him.

"Here" she sits at his side and holds up the dried four-leaf clover. "I found this when I was..." She shrugs. "Oh, who remembers" she offers. "To be honest, it's never brought me any luck" she admits. "In fact, I could blame it for all the bad luck in my life" he raises an eyebrow as she holds it out to him. "Maybe you will do better with it" Bucky takes it from her and smiles softly. Even though it isn't planned, it is still a thoughtful gift. It is something that she thought important enough to keep, something that she has now given to him. He actually kind of loves it. She snuggles into his side and he smiles leaning closer to kiss her head. "Maybe we can find someone to put it into a keyring" she offers, he hums a little.

"I don't have any keys" he reminds her, she chuckles a little and looks up at him. He raises an eyebrow noticing the look in her eyes. "What?"

"Maybe I can give you a permanent key to this place" she answers him, his lips twitch into a smile. "So...." she shrugs a little. "Just..." he touches her cheek and she glances at him.

"It is a hell of a lot better than my place" he offers, she raises an eyebrow and then smirks before she bounces up onto her knees at his side.

"So...move in with me," she tells him, he frowns a little and then pulls back to stare up at her.

"What?" he asks her.

"You heard me.....you hate your apartment, you like my apartment...." he touches her waist. "I have the good tv" he nods in agreement.

"And the good shower" he adds, he does love her shower, it actually works, and doesn't spit water out like his does, every time he takes a shower he feels as though he is being attacked by it. "Comfy bed...hole-free couch...fridge that actually keeps food chilled" he lists with a smirk.

"So?" She asks him with a raised eyebrow. He bites his lip. Living with Sydney would make life easier, she does have all the better apartment. She looks after him. She makes him happy. Chases away the demons in his mind. It makes him forget that he's a bad person who's done terrible things. With her, he is James, a cute former stalker that wanted a friend and found love instead. It would happen eventually, he knows this. It just makes sense now. He'll recover faster surrounded by good things. Her apartment and Sydney are good for him.

"Okay" he answers with a nod. "Yeah, okay" he adds more firmly, more excited about this. He knows it will be hard, they're both still hiding things from one another, and living together will make them things harder to hide, but he wants to do this. She climbs into his lap and wraps her arms around his neck. He kisses her jaw and smiles.

"Guess we're really a couple now" she teases as leans closer, he kisses her and runs his hand over her thigh, fingers pressing in as he holds to her.

"Merry Christmas to me" He teases as he pulls her closer to him, she chuckles and kisses him again.