"Bucky?” Steve asks. “What's wrong, babe?" 

"Nothing," he hisses. "Go away, Steve." 

"Yeah, don't think so. What's going on?" From behind the side of the bed, Steve can see two pointy ears perk up. "C'mon," Steve encourages. "Out with it. What's going on?"

Bucky sighs and lifts his head above the top of the bed. Pouts at Steve before finally standing and coming around. To show Steve his dripping tail. It's absolutely sopping wet. The rest of him is dry though. And Bucky looks so indignantly unhappy, that Steve can't help the laugh that bubble through him.

Huffing, Bucky crosses his arms. "S'not funny," he grumbles. 

Steve smothers another laugh with the back of his hand and holds his other out, gesturing for Bucky. 

"C'mon then.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a flower seed. Steve squeezes it tight in his palm, lets his magic gather and tingle to that spot, and when he opens it again, a rose bud is there. Bucky perks up. “Let's get you dried off."

Plucking the flower from the Steve’s palm, Bucky sniffs it and nuzzles it gently across his cheek before following Steve into the kitchen.

Steve plants a kiss on his cheek, to which Bucky reluctantly accepts, before grabbing the hair dryer from under the bathroom sink. Steve towels Bucky's tail off a bit first, making sure there're no more droplets of water that drip from thick, wet fur. Bucky meows and whines the whole time.                         

"Oh, be quiet, you big baby," Steve teases.

Bucky grumbles and holds his flower up to his nose again. The second Steve plugs the blow dryer in though, Bucky winces and eyes it like it'll be the death of him. He shakes his head. 

"Y'know,” he mumbles. “Maybe that's good enough."

Steve shrugs. "Up to you. You gotta let it air dry then.” He points out the window. “S'gonna take awhile since the sun is setting."

Bucky pushes his lower lip out and his whiskers shake. He sighs and gets out a little meow before turning and presenting his tail again, sulking more.

"Just get it over with."

Steve leans in and kisses the back of Bucky's neck. "It's just a noise, babe. It's won't hurt you."

His assurance does nothing to stop him from jolting the second Steve switching the blow dyer on. Steve pets a hand between Bucky’s fluffy ears for a bit of comfort before gently taking hold of his tail and turning the dryer on it. 

After a minute or two, the heat coming from the blow dryer seems to take over the fear of the noise it makes, and Bucky starts to ease into it. Steve thinks he’s even purring. 

"How'd you get your tail wet anyway?" Steve asks when about half of it is dry.

Bucky mews softly and drops his head down. Says something that Steve doesn't quite catch.

“What was that?”

“There was a gnome outside,” he grumbles. “And I...”

“And you chased it,” Steve assumes.

Bucky nods. “I chased it. Into the garden. And there was... a, uh, a snake.”

Steve’s hand, which has been swaying back and forth this whole time as he dries Bucky’s tail, freezes. “A snake?”

“Yes,” Bucky insists. “A snake. Or... I... thought it was a snake. It... was the garden hose.”

Steve can't help laughing again, this time really laughing because the image of Bucky rolling around with the garden hose and a knot in it coming out enough for the leftover water to pour all over his tail is just too hilarious. And adorable.

"It's not funny, Steven," Bucky hisses. 

"Oh come on, Buck," Steve laughs. "It's a little funny." 

Bucky meows and hangs his head, peering over his shoulder with a shimmer in his eyes.