#bucky alpine

She sat perfectly still, ears forward, eyes locked on Bucky like he was performing a strange ritual she needed to understand. Her head tilted slightly as he ducked and popped out again, the baby laughing harder each time.

Bucky did it one more time, then stood with a satisfied sigh. “Alright, I’m gonna get her bottle,” he said, brushing a kiss over the baby’s hair as he passed.

The room settled. The baby sniffled, still smiling, looking around as if expecting more.

That was when Alpine moved.

She padded over to the coffee table, paused behind one of its legs, and crouched low. The baby’s gaze snapped to the flick of white fur disappearing behind the dark wood.

Then Alpine leaned her head out slowly, just her face visible, eyes bright.

“Mrrp,” she meowed, short and deliberate, like a tiny announcement.

The baby squealed in surprise, then laughed, hands flapping excitedly. Then Alpine disappeared again.

You stared, frozen, as she repeated it: ducking behind the table leg, then peeking out from the other side with another perfectly timed meow.

“Mrrp.”

The baby’s laughter bubbled up louder, her whole body rocking with delight.

“Oh my God,” you whispered, a grin spreading across your face. “She’s playing peek-a-boo.”

Alpine popped out once more, meowed like she was delivering a punchline, then sat primly in the open as if this had always been her idea and she was simply allowing the baby a moment of joy.

The baby reached for her, still giggling. Alpine blinked slowly, tail flicking with quiet satisfaction.

When Bucky returned, bottle in hand, he stopped dead at the sound of the baby laughing again. His eyes shifted from you to the coffee table, then to Alpine sitting there like an innocent bystander.

“Did you…?” he started.

You shook your head, unable to stop smiling. “It was all Alpine. She learned it from you.”

Bucky stared at Alpine in disbelief. Alpine blinked at him once, smug as ever.

And the baby laughed again, as if to say the lesson had been worth it.

Next: Alpine Watches Walker

"Um-"

"Bucky if you're not sure about this, we can wait-

"No!" Bucky shakes his head, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck while you waited for him to open the door to his apartment. How was he supposed to tell you that the reason he was worried about bringing you home was because his life was ruled by his cat. That the little fluffy ball of fur controlled who went in and out of the house; anyone that wasn't him, wasn't welcome. The first dates he brought over didn't matter all too much. Bucky didn't see much of a future with them anyway so he didn't try to get his furbaby to warm up to them with a second try.

You were different.

He'd liked girls before but this time he was certain it was love. The last thing he wanted was for his 3 lb, 1ft fluffy demon to chase you away too.

"I don't want to wait, it's not that I'm not ready" Bucky nervously chewed his lip, "I guess I'm just nervous" He played it off, not wanting to worry you as he fished his keys out of his pocket.

"We can take all the time you need, Sergeant" You gave his hand a gentle squeeze with a reassuring smile, "M'not going anywhere"

Love. He definitely loved you. How he hoped his cat would be in a good mood.

-

Alpine narrowed her eyes at the door hearing more than one voice, ready to pounce on whoever walked through. The furs on her neck stood up as Bucky walked in, accompanied by his date though this was different. Her daddy didn't seem as sure of himself as he usually did. He was stumbling over his words. She was sure she could feel his body heat radiating off him from feet away. He had shy smile plastered on his face the entire time as he brought her into the apartment. In Alpines opinion, he looked like an idiot, nearly tripping over one of her mice and blushing like a school boy.

This girl wasn't like the others.

Her daddy really liked this one.

A lot.

-

As soon as you sat down, Alpine decided to introduce herself, hopping into your lap and nuding her head into your hand. You giggled, giving her a gentle scratch before setting your hand down to give her some space but she didn't seem interested in you stopping. She purred at the soft coo's you made, nuzzling her head further for more pets.

"Merp" Alpine let out a content chitter while you were none the wiser.

"She's so friendly" You whispered, not wanting to disturb Bucky's little best friend while he blinked in confusion, stunned seeing his tiny ball of havoc curled into your lap, making biscuits with her paws, a content purr rumbling from her chest.

"Aren't you a sweet angel" You whispered, continuing to pet her silky fur as she slept soundly, not realizing Bucky's jaw on the floor. "What's her name?"

"This little shit"

Your face twisted in confusion while Bucky still didn't answer your question, slowly and silently moving himself until he was at eye-level with his master.

"Hey" He whisper hissed, cocking an eyebrow when she reluctantly opened one eye, "Alp, you little shit"

"Merp" Alpine gave Bucky's cheek a light swat of her paw before cuddling up further into your lap leaving you in stitches.

"I see she owns you" You giggled while Bucky shook his head, butterflies already erupting in his tummy. He already knew you were special but if Alpine liked you, that was something else. Seeing his baby fall in love with you the way he did sealed it all. It became something Bucky never got tired of seeing; his precious little angel doting and cuddling up with the girl of his dreams. Whenever you were around, Alpine was instantly in your lap or in your arms, the two of you inseparable.

-

"Doll? Alpline?" Bucky called as he dropped his bag at the front door, toeing his boots off and stretching before making his way to the living room.

"My girls" he smiled, finding you both curled up with your favourite show on, Alpine sleeping on top of the soft blanket you were wrapped in, "How are you babygirl" Bucky leaned down to kiss the top of your head before kneeling down so he could give his fur baby one as well, "And you, princess"

"We missed you" You gave Bucky grabby hands, sighing happily as he wrapped you up in his arms, holding you extra tight before setting you back down.

"Not as much as me. I'll shower and we'll get some dinner" Bucky tucked you back in your blanket before scooping up Alpine in his arms for an extra cuddle, "Daddy missed you princess, shhh" Bucky shushed her discontent meowing as she was taken away from you. Her tail swished as he plopped her onto the bed and quickly showered, rustling from his bag before pulling out a little bag and a tiny box.

"Ready to surprise mommy?" Bucky whispered, fastening a red collar onto his cat and tying a ring that would sit under her chin with a little handwritten note. He picked up Alpine and set her on her way back to you before nervously wiping his hands against his jeans, taking a deep breath.

"What do you have there baby" Bucky could hear your voice from the living room, followed by a gasp. He took one final breath before making his way over.

After a week long mission, you want nothing more than to cuddle up to your husband and bask in his warm embrace. That singular thought drives you to put one foot in front of the other despite the heavy protest from your muscles, and after what feels like forever, you finally arrive at the front door of your apartment.

Pushing open the door, you quietly set your things down on the nearby table, leaving the unpacking to tomorrow. You have more important things to attend to right now, such as finding your husband so that you can dramatically flop into his arms. Provided he's awake. You've returned later than you said you would, and you wouldn't blame him if he fell asleep while waiting for you.

It's a habit now, for each of you to stay up waiting for the other to come back from a mission. It all started when Bucky quietly confessed that he found it hard to sleep without you with the most sheepish look on his face, so you placed a bunch of blankets on the couch where he would normally sit and wait for you to come back along with a pitcher of water just in case he got thirsty. To ensure he didn't feel embarrassed about needing to wait for you to come back home before he could sleep, you decided to return the favour and now you too wait on the couch for your husband to come home before going to bed.

The house is mostly dark, minusing the low light coming from the lamp next to the couch and you make your way over, smiling when you see your beloved husband fast asleep on said couch, lips slightly parted and soft brown locks messily sprawled all over his makeshift pillow.

There is, however, a new addition to the usual sight — a fluffy white ball atop his chest. The white ball uncurls into a kitten who stares at you with intense light blue eyes, then fangs and claws pop out, accompanied by a hiss that wakes your husband up. Bucky curls around the kitten, muscles tensed until he sees you and then he relaxes, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Welcome back, doll." He smiles, setting the kitten down and stretches out his arms towards you.

"It's good to be back." You hug him tightly, all weariness forgotten the moment you feel his warmth around you. "Who's the new addition?"

The white kitten hisses at you, attempting to swipe at your forearm but you pull away faster, raising an eyebrow. Bucky quickly gives the kitten a bop on its nose, scolding it as if the kitten was a naughty child before turning back to you.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know Alpine would be so hostile towards you, I thought since she was alright with me she'd be alright with you too but it seems like I was wrong." He laughs nervously. "I'm sorry I should have asked you about it first."

His head hangs, pulling away from you and picks the kitten up. It nestles in his arms comfortably, but keeps hissing at you anyways. "I'll…see if I can rehome her or —"

"James." You cut him off. "Her name is Alpine?"

"Yeah, I named her." He cautiously looks up at you, ice blue eyes filled with anxiety and sorrow.

"Where'd you get her?" Said white ball of fluff wriggles in Bucky's strong grip, desperately trying to get to you, presumably so that she can claw your eyes out.

"The animal shelter a couple streets down. The therapist said I should get a pet so I paid the shelter a visit, and she immediately latched onto me. The shelter volunteers all agreed that I should adopt her, since I was the only one she actually liked." He hugs Alpine tighter, poking the kitten on her head but she continues to angrily spit in your direction.

"I see. Maybe she just needs time to get used to me, I do have the blood of a wolf god after all, and cats don't get along with dogs for the most part." You chuckle. "I don't mind keeping her around, the therapist did recommend you to get a pet."

"You…don't? Alpine will —"

"Yeah, I don't mind having a fluffy white ball attempt to maul me at every given opportunity. I'll just maul it right ba — I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding!" You yelp, panic waving your hands upon seeing his expression fall. "I'm sure it'll just take time for Alpine and I to get to know each other. We'll be fine, right Alpine?"

Alpine hisses in response, glowering at you and you sigh. "Come on now, we both want Bucky to be happy, don't we? Cooperate with me please?"

You receive a meow and you take that as a win. It's not a hiss or a spit, so that's progress, and that is all the progress that's needed to reassure Bucky. Your husband loosens his grip on the new house cat and she leaps out out his arms, sending you one last glare before heading out of the room. You growl at the vanishing figure, throwing up a middle finger before being pulled to the couch by a pair of strong arms.

"Really now? Flipping off a kitten?" He pecks you on the cheek, giving you a soft smile.

"She better not steal you from me, I'm already letting her angsty self stay for free in this house despite our 'disagreements'." You huff into his chest, basking in his scent.

"Now I have two fluff balls vying for my attention, what ever am I supposed to do." He ruffles your hair, lips tugging upwards. "I mean it, doll. If Alpine is too much trouble I —"

"I mean it too, handsome. Alpine can stay." You press a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips. "Means I don't have to worry so much about you whenever I go on a mission, considering how protective of you she is. However, she can't steal all your attention away from me, got it?"

"Understood." He presses a kiss to the top of your head, nuzzling into your hair. "Should we turn in for the night?"

"There's not much night left." You yawn, adrenaline finally wearing off. Your eyes keep trying to close but you fight it, wanting to spend as much time as possible with the one you love. You've missed his handsome face, and you want to tell him about your mission, especially the part where Sam face planted into the dirt because he tripped over a tree root. Sam didn't make you promise not to tell anyone, he only threatened to take all your snacks but you could always buy more with Tony's black card. Or go a week without snacks. A fair trade, in your opinion.

"All the more we should get some rest. I'll take tomorrow off, we can shop for Alpine's stuff together." He scoops you up, carrying you to your shared bedroom. "Oh, you should take a bath first."

"Too tired," you mumble.

"I'll help, don't worry doll. After the bath we can cuddle and sleep for as long as we want, alright?" He chuckles, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "You'll have all my attention tomorrow, promise."

"I better have it all tomorrow, no cutting corners." You can't muster the energy to actually sound threatening, and the empty threat only makes Bucky more amused.

"No cutting corners," he reassures you with a smile.

"Mmm…love you."

“Are you pulling my leg here? We’re taking things slow. We’ve been going on dates for two months now, we only kissed a handful of times. If this isn’t what you want any more just say it. But telling me that your cat,” your words were muffled as he pressed his lips against you.

“This is what I want. That’s why I’m telling you that Alpine isn’t very fond of company in my room and I wanted to ask if you want to come over this evening.”

“Oh, okay. Well, should I bring something?”

“Your pretty face is enough,” Bucky kissed your lips softly again before he pulled you further to your destination of a coffee shop.

You were about to sit down on the couch in his apartment when Bucky stopped you. “Ugh that’s Alpine’s seat,” he pointed at the white blanket that was sitting there.

“I’m sorry I almost sat on your cats place,” Bucky failed to hear the sarcasm.

“You can sit on the other side, I’ll just bring the food,” Bucky scrambled away and when you sat down at the other end of the furniture you spotted the white cat sitting at the windowsill staring at you. You waved at her, but the cat just continued to stare at you.

When the super soldier came back and handed you a plate before he sat next to you the feline jumped up and walked over to the two of you. She looked at Bucky until he finally spotted her. “No, you know the rules. This is my food, yours is over there,” he pointed towards a spot at the kitchen where a bowl with expensive cat food stood. But the cat continued staring at him and Bucky ignored her. Until she started to let out whiny noises. “Come on, we have a guest. You know the rules. No human food.” After a while of being ignored Alpine walked over to her bowl, sniffed at it before she turned around and walked away.

After eating you and your boyfriend started to cuddle and your head laid on his chest as he stroked your arm. That was until Alpine decided you had gotten enough attention and now it was her turn. She jumped on Bucky's chest and made herself comfortable until you were forced away or you’d get her hair all over her mouth. Bucky chuckled. “I’m sorry doll, but at least she didn’t scratch you.” Bucky stroked the cats' ears and you looked in disbelief at him.

“Am I being thrown out by your cat?” you asked when you sat up.

“No, you’re welcome to stay. But I don’t want her to feel neglected,” Bucky explained and grabbed your hand. “You’re very important to me and I really want this to work out for the three of us.” You wished there had been a warning before entering a relationship with Bucky that had said you’d also enter one with a grumpy cat. But Bucky was worth it, wasn’t he? He was sweet, he cared (as it was currently shown) and he accepted you just like you were. You both had the same job, so you know what you had to expect. And you also couldn’t ignore your fluttering heart every time you were around him.

“That’s okay, I’ll come over another time. Do you think it's safe for me to kiss you goodbye without getting hit?” Your tone was joking but the way the cat was staring at you showed that your concern was justified. “I think I don’t want to try my luck. I’ll see you at breakfast.” You contemplated to try to pat Alpine but decided against it.

When you closed the door behind you, you could still hear Bucky muffled word. “You have to try a little harder. I know it’s hard for you, but I really want her to stay, okay?” You smiled to yourself before you walked towards your floor.

You were tolerated by Alpine after another month. She wasn’t your biggest fan, but she let you pet her shortly and she actually sat next to you once where her paws were touching your leg. If you had known it would make Bucky so happy you had tried harder beforehand. The smile on his face when he spotted the paw made you feel dizzy.

“Do you maybe want to spend the night?” He asked excitedly then.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, we can totally try. I sometimes have nightmares. It’s better since Alpines there, but I just wanted to let you know. It’s okay if you don’t want to...”

“No, I’ll grab some stuff and I’ll come back in an hour?” you asked and wanted to give him some time.

“Great.”

You didn’t know what to do in that hour and you contemplated going back earlier but you said you’d give him an hour so this is what you were going to do. You bugged Clint in the communal kitchen until you looked at the clock to realize that the hour was up. After grabbing your stuff you walked back towards Bucky’s room.

It was a little awkward at first, but then both of you got ready for bed. Bucky noticed you standing in front of the bed when he came out of the bathroom. “I didn’t know which side was yours, so...”

“Oh, you can choose which one you like best. Most of the time I sleep in the middle, so I apologize in advance if I roll on you.”

“I think there might be worse things,” you teased back and climbed into the bed. You had thought it would take a while for you to fall asleep as it would be the first night that the two of you would share in one bed, but the warmth Bucky provided plus the added weight of his arm around your waist lulled you to sleep pretty quickly.

You woke up when you felt cold. The blanket was almost at the end of the bed, Bucky’s weight wasn’t on you anymore. When you were about to grab the blanket, you noticed the little noises that the man beside you escaped. They weren’t the content noises you heard shortly before you fell asleep. It made you turn around and facing him. Just when you were about to touch his chest that was covered in a light sheen of sweat you saw something white jumping on the bed and then on your boyfriend. Alpine stared at you while you continued to reach Bucky.

She struck out her claws and hit you and in your shock you pulled your hand to your chest. “Ow, what,” you started but stopped when you continued watching the cat. She started pumping Bucky's chest while she was still eying you. Bucky started to breath more normally and the feline started to lay down on him and started to purr. While you still noticed the burning in your hand from the scratch you continued watching the pair. Bucky was back asleep peacefully and Alpines had laid down on him, her eyes closed, only her ears were switching. You decided to ignore the cold, afraid to disturb the peace the two of them had just found and tried to get back to sleep.

You failed but decided to get up and prepare breakfast when you thought the time would be acceptable. After a walk to the bathroom, you walked over to the open kitchen and started to pull out the ingredients you needed. You spotted Alpine at the entrance of the kitchen and grabbed a plate for her and her food that you’ve seen Bucky taking out the day before. You placed it where her food normally stood. When she came over you patted her head. “Thanks,” you breathed and she looked at you before she started to sniff at her food and then devouring it.

“Look at that, my two girls are getting along,” you heard Bucky’s voice and turned towards him.

“Hey, how are you?” you asked and brushed your hand through his hair.

“I’m okay, how did you sleep?” he asked in return and pulled you against him. You thought about lying, but decided to tell him the truth in the end. “I’m so sorry, you should have woken me.”

“Oh no, Alpine had it handled. This is a part of you that I have to get used to. It’s okay, really,” you tried to reassure him.

“I’m sorry, it isn’t easier,” he said finally.

“It will get easier,” you promised him and got lost in the embrace as you hung to him just like he did to you.

Something wet touched your cheek and a smell like old cheese hit your nose. You wrinkled it and opened one eye. It was dark and you fumbled to turn on the light on the nightstand. When the light illuminated the room your saw Alpine staring at you. Your hand touched the wet thing again and your face showed disgust when you finally figured out that it was her toy that was covered in drool.

“Aw, look at that. It means she loves you,” Bucky's sleepy voice was next to your ear.

“At least it's not a real mouse, I guess,” you said and threw the mouse away. Alpine jumped from the bed and after the toy before she caught it and tried to rip its head off with her hind legs.

“No, the real ones are reserved for me. Don’t know where she found it, but I’ve got one last week when you were on that mission,” he breathed in your direction. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” you told him before your lips met. The sound of a bell was heard next to your ear and you let go of your boyfriend to see Alpine sitting next to another toy. “I love you too, you monster,” you said affectionally and rubbed her chin before you threw the next toy away.

“See, I told you the two of you only needed time.”

“Guess you were right,” you agreed and turned off the lamp again.

“I’m always right. And now let’s go back to sleep,” Bucky mumbled against your shoulder. The light sound of a bell was heard and then Bucky's deep breath. You sighed contently and fell asleep too.

Masterlist

His shoes were already tied, all he had to do was slip them on. With a quick swipe of deodorant and a few clouds of power, Bucky was back out to the turf ground. He’d start with stretching, mainly focusing on his back and hips. Bucky liked weight training, he found it exhilarating but he also knew he had to work on cardio and endurance. He’d zone out the entire time he was running on the treadmill, thinking about you. He’d think about your lips and your smile, maybe Cleo and something funny she did. But today he was thinking about something very particular. He FaceTimed you last night and was met with the camera pointing to the ceiling. After questioning, the camera moved and showed you wrapped in only a towel, water still dripping off your shoulders. You casually talked about your day, cleaning your face and flossing your teeth but he couldn’t help but stare at your body. He hated himself for it, the shame creeping up on him out of nowhere. You were just telling him about your day, about the fun things you did, and he was objectifying you, you didn’t ask to be, but he hated that he did anyway. 

The idea ate away at him as he moved to the squat rack, his jaw tight. All he wanted to do was see you without that light blue towel but he wanted to make you comfortable, he didn’t want to be like all these other guys who’d catcall you when you were walking together. After loading the plates he went to the bar, the picture of you sent his heart racing. He squatted down, a deep breath letting go, he pushed back up and took a second to breathe. He kept going, up and down, thinking of you instead of his form. 

“Fuck,” he mumbled on his last rep, jolting forward and racking it which allowed him to step back and breathe. As he moved to different machines his mind couldn’t seem to move from the FaceTime between the two of you out of his head. He tried everything but nothing was working, no matter what exercise he did, he always made his way back to picture you. 

“Oh, god…” he mumbled as he looked in the mirror, finding the reason for a tight feeling in his gym shorts, “I need to leave.” Bucky hadn't finished his workout but he was now, he’d normally shower at the gym but he changed fast and got on his motorcycle as quickly as possible. It was very uncomfortable but he needed to get home, the sheets of ice caused bumps and drifts while riding the bike. 

The door to his apartment was shoved open, his gym bag thrown on the floor as he ran to his bathroom. The shame started to creep back in as he stood there, his eyes focusing on the bump in his sweatpants, all because he thought of you. 

The water was scorching hot, as he stepped in a hiss came from between his teeth. After adjusting, Bucky fully stood in his shower, one hand pressed against the wall and his head bowing down, letting the water run off his back. Shallow and short breaths filled his space as his mind fought itself, he shouldn’t be thinking about you this way but he couldn’t stop it. You didn’t ask to be thought about in the shower, he hated himself that he couldn’t just turn it off. His body ached as he fought the urge, anger rose at the loss of control. 

The shower turned off and Bucky got out, grabbing the towel. He checked his phone and it was six in the morning, you weren’t up but he needed to see you. The towel he used to dry off his body and hair, he wrapped around his waist as he went to his bedroom to find a change of clothes. His apartment was strangely empty compared to yours, he liked the sound of talking in the background and a cat always meowing. It was so quiet he heard the sound of his thoughts over the sound of the heater. 

His hands were shoved in his pockets as he made his way to your apartment, the decision to not take his bike was coming back to bite him but the road hadn’t been salted yet by the city. No one was on the streets, the sky starting to turn colour. As he walked he could see his erratic breath, the worry eating away at him. What if I tell her I’m thinking about her like that and she gets uncomfortable? What if she calls me a creep and kicks me out? Or what if she calls Sam and he comes to kick my ass? 

A loud knock woke you up, it was an hour before your alarm was going to go off. Cleo was up and running to the door, you were still lying in bed. One pillow was turned on its side, vaguely resembling a human to hug when falling asleep. The knock came again and you got up, your robe was on the ground and was picked up and tied around you. The knock came against and you just groaned, the New York way of telling someone you’re coming to the door. 

“Bucky?” your eyes were barely open, your mind filled with sleep. 

“Hi,” he seemed out of breath. 

“It’s six-thirty, what are you doing here?” your voice was grumpy and quiet. 

“I-...” he just stood there, “can I come in?” 

“I mean you’re already here,” you moved out of the way and Bucky walked in, his eyes scanning the room. “What’s wrong? Do you want coffee?” 

Bucky turned to you, “I need to tell you something and sure I’ll take some coffee,” his chest was rising and falling quickly. 

“You already seemed jazzed but okay,” you rubbed your eyes and walked over to your coffee pot, it had enough water. 

Bucky took a seat on one of your bar stools and watched you get the coffee ready, his fingers tapped on the counter and would snap at Cleo to try and call her over. You kept looking over to see his worried face, you thought he was in trouble with a bad guy and he needed to lay low for a while. Which you would say yes to, he was always welcome here. 

“What’s your schedule for today?” Bucky asked. 

“I have a group session and I need to help decorate the front lobby for the holiday party that’s in two days,” you leaned against the counter, the coffee maker progressively getting louder. “I actually have something to ask you, I was going to do it later in the day but since you’re here I might as well ask you now.” You walked over to get the cups, your brain rehearsing the speech you practice in the mirror every night. 

“I need to tell you something first, it might change how you… see me,” Bucky rubbed his face, wiping off the shame. 

“No, nothing will change how I see you Bucky, I’ve told you that.” You poured the coffee into the two mugs, handing one to Bucky. “I’m asking first because you woke me up so early,” you walked to the island and looked at him, one deep breath was shared between the two of you. 

“Okay,” he said uneasily. 

Both hands wrapped around your hot mug, “I would like you to come with me to the holiday party in two days,” you looked up at him. 

“Is Sam going to be there?” Bucky asked. 

“No,” you let out a breath, “just me and you,” your eyebrows raised, trying to make him get the hint. 

“What are you doing with your face?” he pointed to his own eyebrows but was talking about yours. 

“I want you to come to the holiday party, as my plus one, and maybe more than that.” Your eyes squinted, trying to see if he got it now. Your stomach was flipping like crazy. You just looked at Bucky, noticing the damp tips of his hair and the flush on his cheeks. He had really put on muscle since going to the gym regularly, he seemed too large for your tiny apartment. 

Bucky nodded and looked away, his eyes finding Cloe. “Yeah, I’ll go as a plus one, do most people bring their friends?” He smiled as he asked, completely oblivious. 

You sighed and dropped your head, taking a deep breath in made you smell the coffee. “It’s too early for this,” you muttered, “no, most people bring significant others,” you added emphasis on the last two words. 

“Then why are you bringing me?” He took a sip of his coffee. 

You let out a deep breath and wiped your face, “well I hope it’s not just me who feels this but,” you looked up to the ceiling to steady yourself before asking, Bucky brought the mug to his lips, “I want you to go as my boyfriend.” 

Bucky leaned in and spat out his coffee, the hot beverage spraying your face. “Oh, God!” Bucky stood up and ran over to you, grabbing a tea towel and violently wiping off your face, “that was a surprise, I’m so sorry.” You just stood there in shock as he ran around to try and fix everything, “you’re robe!” he was going to untie it. 

“No!” you yelled, taking a step back, “I’m basically naked under here!” you crossed your arms over your chest. 

“Shit,” Bucky was reminded of what he wanted to tell you. You both stood there for a couple of seconds, catching your breath. After a while you both composed yourselves, Bucky walked up and took your hand into his. “I would love to go as your boyfriend, but I need to tell you something and you might not like it.” 

“Just tell me,” you sighed, wiping the coffee off your eyebrow. At this point all you wanted was to get back in bed and miss the session today, it was too early and the coffee hadn’t kicked in yet. 

“I’ve been… thinking about you,” his eyes looked at the floor, “in a certain way.” 

“Explain?” you furrowed your brows, “I think about you too.” 

“No,” Bucky shook his head, “I think about you and something happens, I get a feeling and I think you wouldn’t be happy about it.” His hand dropped yours, “and I’m so mad at myself for thinking of you in that way but I can’t help it sometimes, you just pop in and I can’t push you out. You never asked to be thought about like that, what gives me the right to do that to you?” His eyes were only looking at the floor, never flicking up. 

“Thought about in what way?” you leaned your hip on the counter. 

“In a,” he paused, “sexual way…” he slowly looked up to see a smirk on your face, “you’re not mad?” he asked. 

You shook your head and pulled him in for a hug, “I think it’s very cute you told me, it shows how much you care about that stuff.” your arms wrapped around his neck, his hands held your waist. “And you know what? You might not have control over that sometimes and that’s okay, and honestly… I’ve thought about you like that before…” you pulled back to see his face extremely red. 

“Really?” he whispered, “me?” 

“Yeah, you,” you smiled and ran your fingers through his hair, “you’re smoking hot.” 

“Oh, god,” he muttered and covered his face, “thanks, so are you.” His hands stayed on your hips, slowly pawing at the robe, “very comfy,” he whispered. You just giggled and kept your hand on the back of his neck, slowly playing with his hair. Bucky’s eyes couldn't meet yours, his head was tilted down. “Um,” he paused again, “I would love to go to your holiday party as your boyfriend, I think it’ll be nice,” he looked up and smiled. “Does that mean we’re going to be dating in two days or right now?” 

All you could do was laugh, your forehead touching his. Bucky let out a soft huff, realizing what he had said. “I think we can start right now,” you whispered. His hand moved to the small of your back, pushing you closer. You could smell his shampoo with how close you were, it was obvious he showered before coming here. 

“Then we should kiss, because, y’know,” he cleared his throat, “that’s what boyfriends and girlfriends do these days, right?” You could see his teeth flash a smile, the corners of his eyes crinkled. 

All you had to do was nod. Bucky swooped in and kissed you, his hands instinctively balling up your robe in his fists. Your hands shifted and cupped his cheeks, feeling the stubble under your palms. His hands pushed you towards him and he moved closer, you were now hip to hip. Your arms moved to try to get closer, even though it was physically impossible, they looped around his neck and you turned your head to the side. His tongue broke through and you let it, softly nipping at his bottom lip. 

You both pulled away out of breath, both of you holding it for as long as possible. Bucky just stood there and smiled, his thumbs brushing your hips after moving his hands back. “That was really nice,” he whispered. “I’m happy my first kiss, back as me, was with you.” 

In the background you could faintly hear your alarm going off, “me too,” you whispered, “but I need to get ready for the day, you’re more than welcome to hang here if you’d like. I’ll be back home at around four,” you pulled away and smiled. As you backed up to a normal distance you could still feel his lips on your, there was a tickle from his stubble on your cheek. 

“I actually need to head out,” Bucky smiled, “but I’ll swing by for dinner?” he asked. 

You nodded and went back for a hug, “of course,” your arms squeezing him tight before breaking away to find your phone which was still ringing off the alarm. 

He walked with you to the bedroom but broke away to the front door, “bye, Cleo!” he called over his shoulder, he got a meow back. 

You heard the door close as you turned off your alarm, you also heard the sound of Cleo’s gallops as she entered the room. You picked her up before heading back into the kitchen, it was a simple breakfast type of day. Cleo nuzzled against your face, most likely feeling the heat radiating off of it. She took her typical spot on the corner of your counter and watched you get out the pan and toaster, going through the same routine of begging for food even though she had a full bowl beside the fridge. 

It didn’t take long to get to the VA building, you were here early to hang up some decorations for the party. It was normally held in the main lobby and also in the eating area near the kitchen. Charles, the head chef, always made an amazing meal. You opened the totes and began taking out all the lights and little knick-knacks, a few you’d save for your own room. There was no music playing in the lobby but you hummed a tune anyways, a buzz ran through you now knowing you were someone’s girlfriend. As you hung up a string of lights you looked back at how long it took you to really come to the fact that you liked him, you were always physically attracted to him, he’s a very cute guy, but there was an emotional attachment that you needed. The night you both opened up and he stayed over, you both ended up in the only bed after a short dispute on who was going to take the couch. 

“Just to…” he trailed off, “let you know,” his fingers played with your sheets, “I get nightmares sometimes so if you hear me yell it’s just that and if I get up I don’t want you to think I’m running away, I’m just getting some water.” 

“Wake me up if you need water,” you flipped around to look at him, the lights were already off and you both slept back to back, “or if you have a nightmare and I don’t wake up.” 

“That’s okay,” he shrugged you off, “I don’t need all that.” 

“I don’t care,” you hand cupped his cheek, “you don’t know where the cups are for water so you actually have to wake me up.” 

“Fine,” he copied your smirk, “good night.” but you both stayed facing one another.

You smiled at the memory as you finished the strand of lights, he did wake you up to help find a glass of water. The entire time his hand was either holding yours or on your back, needing to feel grounded. Quickly shaking your head you went back to the tote, other people were helping so it was going quick. 

Medea was placing a few snow globes on the front desk, you’d catch her shaking and watching before letting it be. The very tall lady was the head of the amputee group session, she’d been working at the VA longer than you or Sam. over time you two had become friends, the lunch dates and coffee runs were always fun with her. When you first met Bucky, part of you wanted to tell Medea about him, maybe slip her a tip like his phone number and see if she could convince him to join. Looking back on it now it was almost stalker-ish to do that, all you wanted was for him to be happy and it took a second for you to realize him being happy is Bucky getting and making choices around his own life. 

“Oh, hey!” Medea smiled as she walked back to the tote, her braids were pulled back with a thick ponytail, “I didn’t even see you, how have you been?” Her hand touched your shoulder. She was a very touchy person, and hugs were her specialty. 

“Pretty good,” you groaned as you bent down to pick up another strand of lights, “are you?” 

“I always love the holiday season, it just makes me happy, y’know?” her pierced nose scrunched. “Are you coming to the holiday party?” She was also trying to look busy by untangling the same strand of lights you were working on. 

“I am,” at the confirmation, she let out a deep breath, “and I might be bringing someone with me…” you added, your eyes slowly trailing up to meet her face. 

“Tell me you’re lying,” when you shook your head Medea jumped up and down, the strand of lights forgotten, “I'm so happy for you, this is amazing!” all at once her arms wrapped around your shoulders and pulled you in for a hug, you both rocked back and forth as she squealed. “What’s their name?” 

When you pulled away your hands moved to her shoulders, “Bucky Barnes,” you saw her face drop, “he’s no longer the host body for the Winter Soldier, no worries there.” you paused and took a deep breath, “Sam and I tried at one point to get him into your sessions and he’s said no, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t push him as well because that will feel like a setup.” 

“Can I still meet him?” Her voice was soft. 

“Of course,” you smiled and pulled her back into a hug, a sigh left your lips knowing she wasn’t worried about the Winter Soldier. 

The lights flickered on when you walked into your room like they always did. You were in this room every day and it seemed to never get old, it was a second home to you. There was a bit of time before everyone was going to come in for the group session so you took that time to call Charles, who was ‘big man’ in your contacts. He was the head chef at the kitchen in the VA that always helped when you needed extra food. 

“You know I’m at the VA, right?” He didn’t even say hi when he picked up the phone. 

“Oh,” you laughed, “then come to my room, I need a favour.” he agreed and hung up, Charles liked to get to the point, he was an old man who didn't have time for small talk. 

As you waited you opened up your computer and ran through your emails, one caught your eye. It was an email from your boss who you never actually see at the VA, the subject was ‘one less attendee today’ which only made your stomach flip. When someone drops out of this specific program it means they’ve relapsed. 

“You needed me?” Charles was at your door, white apron already stained. 

“Yeah,” with a cloudy mind you turned your laptop away from you, “I need you to set aside pasta and whatever cheese you think would be good to bake on top of that pasta, please.” 

He leaned against the door, arms crossed to show the faded tattoo on his forearm. After a few seconds he puckered his lips and nodded, “I can do that, done.” he waved and left. 

You opened your laptop as you shook your head, finding the email again. People would be showing up soon. You scanned the words, just looking for a name and reason. You stumbled past a name and then quickly found it again, “Phoenix will no longer be attending, she has sadly relapsed and is in a rehab center.” You whispered out loud, a finger went to the words and kept your spot as you read it a few more times. 

“Hello,” Pops was the first to walk in. The old man took his spot on his chair and waited, he was always first. 

“Hi,” you typed back a sad but formal reply before closing your laptop, “I’m a little behind so the water’s going on now.” 

“Take your time, dear, you already do too much.” 

You smiled as you got all the water ready and boiling, the coffee pot began to gurgle. Pops was a tea drinker, you got his favourite mug and placed the bag in. Wilson was next to walk in, his eyes were cast low to the floor. 

“Hello,” Wilson spoke softly, “I wanted to ask how you were doing after…” he trailed off. 

Your mind flashed to Wilson leaning over you as he screamed like your father, “I’m better, how are you?” 

“Better is a good word to use… can I have decaf today?” He added as he took his spot, Pops gave him a dirty look. 

“Of course, and Pops, play nice.” It was like preschool sometimes. 

Everyone had filled in and taken their spots, except one was left empty. Pops and Phoenix were friends, it was a slow burn but they managed to get along. An early twentysomething emo whose hair was pink and used a given name and a world war two veteran whose hair was always slicked back like it had to be in the war. The loss of one member made everyone confused, you didn’t have all the answers and the answer you did have had to stay between you and your boss. 

“Let’s begin,” you sit back in your chair. Before any talked, you adjusted your flannel jacket that was poking your back. 

Pops’ bushy eyebrows pulled close, “we’re waitin’ on Phoenix.” 

“Sadly, she will no longer be joining us,” you spoke softly as you ran the pad of your finger around the rim of your mug. There were gasps of disbelief, Pops looked past you and out the window as he shook his head. 

Lovey, a person who sat on the floor and never spoke, began to cry. “She was so nice.” They were a very emotional person even though they never spoke too often, you could always see them being an empath during the session and taking on the burden of others. 

“She’s not dead,” you chimed in, “she’s just in rehab, she’ll be back sooner than you can say ‘we missed you’, alright?” your hand rubbed Lovey’s shoulder. You swore you heard Pops say ‘I miss you’ which broke your heart. 

“Well,” Pops sighed, “when I was in the war I lost a lot of people and found out they were alive, I don’t remember much but I remember that.” With a shaky hand, he brought his mug to his lips, “there was the Howling Commandos, the hundred and seventh who were captured and kept in a Hydra facility for a long time.” Everyone nodded along, “there was this one kid, I forget his name but he was a real spirit, y’know? He was one of the good eggs in the war. I was his superior, along with the rest of the Commandos, but near the end, we all blended in, they were pulling shit that could’ve gotten them sent back home.” His eyes were spaced out when he talked about memories, they seemed to replay right in front of him. 

Lovey sniffled, “I lost my cat once growing up,” that was most they’d ever talked, “but it managed to make its way back to the house, it was winter and its paws were all hurt from the salt on the ground but I gave her a bath, I cleaned her up.” They smiled and took a sip of their green tea, which Lovey had asked for last week. 

“I’ve lost a lot,” your voice was almost out of place with how little you talked in the sessions, “two friends did a tour overseas and one came back, but after all these years I think I gained something more.” Everyone smiled and nodded, Pops smiled wider than them all. 

The talking continued. The subject wasn’t on drugs like it normally was, there were talks of larger-than-life ideas, philosophy and other things that made others look up at the ceiling and just listen. The tone was soft and quiet, people didn't step on another’s last word, rather they waited to let the speech sink in before talking. You talked more than normal, opening up in a way most people who worked at the VA frowned upon. But you didn’t care, you were with strangers who gathered together to better themselves, why couldn’t you be a part of that?

Your gaze shifted to a brown paper bag that was placed on your desk, Charles snuck in and had left it there. The sound of everyone talking tuned out, all you could hear was Bucky’s voice. The way it would rumble when he spoke softly and the way it would shake when he’d laugh, it was all music to you. In your mind you could almost feel the stuble on his cheeks, you knew for a fact if he ever shaved you’d be really upset. All you wanted was to eat the pasta and cuddle on the couch, maybe your head on his chest as he played with your hair or lying chest to chest and you not even watching the movie. It would be a cheesy Hallmark movie and Bucky would get so confused, wondering why a prince was in a bakery for the third time in a week. 

A cough snapped you out of it, “look at the time,” you whispered, “alright, guys, this has been really nice and I’m happy we talked about what we did, see you all!” you waved as everyone filled out of the room. “And no Pops, I don’t know what rehab Phoenix is in, go home.” You crossed your arms, he huffed at you reading his mind. 

It was a fast bus ride home, surprisingly with the winter weather. The bag of food occupied the spot next to you, you’d look at it from time to time and smile. You alternated between which hand was holding it when you were walking, you didn’t wear gloves and the hand that wasn’t in use was deep in the thin pocket of your jacket. It was all better when you walked into your building, the stairs seemed longer than normal but the need to sit down was pushing you to keep going. 

Right as you were about to put your key in the lock your phones buzzed, you knew it was Bucky. 

“Hey,” you awkwardly pressed the phone to your ear with your shoulder as you put everything down on the floor, “one sec.” you put your phone down and took your jacket off as well as placed your bag off to the side. You picked it back up when you placed the bag of food on the counter, Cleo ran over to smell it. “Okay, I’m back.” 

“Oh, it was nothing, I just wanted to ask if you were home and if I could make my way over?” 

You smiled as you got yourself a glass of water, “of course, can’t wait to see you.” After a few more goodbyes he hung up. 

The pasta was in the little oven-safe bowl as you shredded cheese over it, Charles had written out a little recipe. With oven mitts on, you placed the bowl in the oven and turned on your timer. With perfect timing, there was a knock on the door. 

Before you could open it all the way Bucky was spewing words, you could barely keep up. “I’m so sorry it was just there- and it was crying - do cats cry? I don’t know, I’m so sorry.” his zipped-up leather jacket had a bump in it, the bump was wiggling and making noises. 

“Slow down,” you walked him inside, “open your jacket.” 

Bucky opened his jacket and a small ball of fur rolled out, it looked like it was only a year old. The dirty white cat went straight to Bucky, “I was walking to your place and there was this noise down the alley a few blocks down, it was this constant meowing.” Bucky was petting it but looking at you with wide eyes, “and I felt so bad to just keep walking so I went back, it was wrapped up in a plastic bag, a plastic bag,” his eyes were starting to tear up, “and I just thought who would do that to an animal? So I picked it up and she’s gonna stay here and come back to my apartment whenever I leave if it’s tomorrow or tonight.” 

You were stunned as you looked between the large and broody man and the small and shaken cat. He wasn’t directly asking for permission to keep it but it felt like he was, “that’s totally alright, I’ll set up a litter box and give some food.” 

“No,” Bucky cut in, “I’ll do it, I hope Cleo doesn’t mind.” 

“She won’t,” you smiled and watched him walk around with the cat on his shoulder, the white fur melting onto Bucky, “dinner should be ready soon, by the way.” 

He pulled himself from baby-talking to the cat to look at you, “I can tell, it smells amazing, baby.” he smiled and started to male his friend a litter box, it seemed it really had to go because the second the litter hit the cat jumped in. while that was happening Bucky walked back to you, “I didn’t give you a proper hello, did I?” 

He was leaning over you with his height, his hands finding your waist and pulling you closer. “What’s a proper hello?” You whispered and took hold of the open jacket, pads of your thumbs running over the zipper teeth. 

Bucky leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead, he moved down to the button of your nose, and finally planted a long and loving kiss on your lips. “That’s a proper hello,” he whispered into your ear and he hugged you.

NEXT EPISODE

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