The Ancient Warrior [Hiatus]

Bonus Chapter: April Fools

(This book has been reserved for Archive of Our Own[Ao3] and Wattpad ONLY. Should it appear on any other platform, know that it was not and is not intended to be there by will of the Author. Copyright © 2021 AllDaLadiesLuvLeoHoO & Wattpad & Ao3.)

Made: April 1, 2022

April 1, 1930

Percy hummed ever so slightly as she made her way around the kitchen. It was early, before Apollo had even begun his journey across the sky, but that didn't deter her. No, Percy herself was on a mission.

It wasn't just any old mission, oh no. No, this mission was of the utmost importance. With that in mind, Percy made her way around the dark kitchen of the Rogers's apartment, careful not to make a noise else someone would wake up.

Despite the darkness - the electricity only working at certain times in this particular building - Percy made her way around the kitchen with ease. She had long since gotten used to making food in the dark.

As she made her way through what she was making, a batch of cookies, she couldn't help but to grin to herself. April first was one of her favorite days. The day of pranks on one another. A few weeks prior, Bucky had put a few dabs of honey in her shoes - getting her socks stuck to the insides of them wasn't fun. So, if she cut up a spicey pepper and put it in the cookie batter, he didn't need to know.

To make sure it wouldn't be too suspicious, Percy made sure to add in a handful of her own homemade chocolate chips. Since their oven/stove was gas rather than the few electric ones around, she was still able to stick the cookies in the oven.

About a half hour later, when the sky was beginning to become gray, the cookies were done. Honestly, Percy was just happy that the baking process had made the peppers sink into the middle of the cookies. They couldn't be seen, though Percy knew they were there.

Even with peppers being in the cookies, the sweet smell of chocolate and freshly baked cookies filled the entire apartment. As it was only one bedroom with the bedroom being shared amongst the four residents though, that wasn't too difficult to achieve. It did achieve one good thing.

As the cookies sat to chill, Bucky came shuffling out of the room looking dead on his feet yet in a trance as he approached the cookies in his half-asleep state.

"Mornin', Bucky!" Percy said happily to her brother, who groaned in response, picking up a cookie. He was just about to take a bite before he paused, catching sight of the date on the nearby calendar.

The calendar itself was made by Steve - his mother Sarah could only afford so much as a single mother raising and providing for herself and three children - but it let the month and day be seen very clearly. April 1st.

"Hey Perce?" Bucky asked warily in a voice thick with sleep. Percy hummed in acknowledgment. "Did you do something to the cookies?"

Percy tilted her head, a confused look on her face. Contrary to popular belief, she's good at acting and lying when she wants to be. "Why would I have done something to 'em?"

Bucky eyed the cookie, then looked at her with a calculating expression. Then he narrowed his eyes as he found a detail. "You don't have one of your own."

Percy shrugged. "Just wanted to make 'em last, is there something so wrong with that?" Percy asked Bucky. He eyed his cookie in apprehension.

After a few seconds of looking between his cookie and the plate of them, he looked back at Percy.

"I'm not trying one until you do." He said, and Percy rose an eyebrow. He held his gaze. "'M serious, you eat a cookie first, Perce."

Percy stood up with a shrug and walked over. "Alright." She reached for a cookie, but was stopped by Bucky. Looking to him she rose an eyebrow again. "Well, am I eating a cookie or not, Bucky?"

"'M picking it." He told her, surveying the plate before choosing one and holding it out to her. Percy took it without question.

Looking him in the eyes, she took the cookie and bit into it without hesitation. She ignored the way the pepper she got in the bite burned her tongue, and continued eating the cookie. Seeing Percy eat the cookie so casually, Bucky finally took a bite of his own cookie.

Then Bucky made a face, a mumble of 'I knew it' coming from him. Still, even as he had so clearly just bitten into part of the pepper, he looked Percy in the eyes with defiance in his own and continued to eat the cookie. He didn't make a face again, not giving Percy the satisfaction of another reaction from him.

Percy looked at him for a few seconds after he had finished the cookie. Bucky just smirked. "You're gonna have to try harder than that, Perce." He said smugly as he saw her face turn into a pout at the lack of reaction.

"C'mon, you could've at least given me something from that, Bucky!" She whined. Bucky chuckled at that and her pout grew. "Ugh... it took me forever to make those, too..."

Bucky patted her shoulder as she sulked. He looked at the small mess that was still left in the kitchen. "Eh, I'll help you clean this up, 'kay?"

"Okay..." Percy said with a sigh. With that, the two set to work, leaving the cookies on the counter.

As they cleaned up the kitchen, they didn't notice a very tired looking Steve coming out of the room with a yawn. Steve saw them doing the dishes, and thought briefly that he should help them. As he thought that though, he saw that they were nearly done, so his help wasn't needed anyways. Then he saw the plate of cookies, and his expression brightened as he went up and took one.

Percy turned just in time to catch Steve, poor innocent Steve, taking a bite of the Pepper Cookie.