𝙱𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚢 𝙱𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚜/ 𝚂𝚎𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚜

𝙱𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚢‎✪

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4434

Summary: Bucky gets a service dog, but Winter's only got eyes for the dog across the park...and her owner.

Warnings: Language, Mostly fluff but a wee bit of angst, PTSD references. Off screen smut.

There were many things Bucky loved in this world. Pizza from D'Angelo's down the block. Hanging out with Sam and Steve on Saturday night, downing beers (and probably pizza from D'Angelo's) and cussing at the Mets on TV. Cuddling up in his covers on a lazy Sunday morning, just because he could. Going on a run early in the morning, when the city was still groggy and coming alive.

Bucky loved all of these things, but what he loved most in this world was his dog, Winter.

Winter was a three year old Great Pyrenees, his service dog. After Bucky had come home from Afghanistan blown halfway to hell and back, Sam had recommended a service dog to help manage his PTSD. Of course, being the stubborn asshole that he was, Bucky had refused. He didn't need help. He was fine.

Just fine.

But over time, he was leaving his apartment less and less. Returning phone calls less and less. The bad days started to outweigh the good, and when Steve caught him curled up on his bathroom floor, paralyzed both physically and mentally with pain in the throes of yet another panic attack—he finally agreed it was time for a change.

Sam went with him to the agency. He had all the contacts through the VA, and he had helped Bucky get his paperwork pushed through. There were dogs there of all shapes and sizes, and many of them had been trained for different services. There were dogs who could recognize the onset of a seizure, dogs that had been trained to help a blind person navigate life. Dogs who could help their owner perform certain tasks, and some who would provide comfort when needed.

Bucky and Sam sat with a counselor and talked about his needs. That alone was almost more than he could handle. In the end, the counselor selected three dogs, all who had been trained to recognize the onset of a panic attack, to retrieve necessary medication, and provide comfort in triggering situations.

One was a golden retriever. He was beautiful and he was smart, but to Bucky he didn't feel right. Maybe he just reminded him too much of Steve.

The next one was a black lab. Handsome enough and very obedient, but again, Bucky didn't feel a connection there.

The third kennel they approached held a great mound of white fur. It looked more like a polar bear than a dog, but when Bucky saw that handsome face his heart just melted into a puddle on the floor.

The counselor looked over, smiling. "I think Winter might be a really good match for you. Yeah, he's a lot of dog, and that coat's going to require some maintenance, but he's got a lot of heart. He's a quiet boy, observant. And I think with your night terrors his added weight might help."

"Kind of like a weighted blanket," Sam said.

"Exactly."

"He's perfect." Bucky knelt down, smiling slowly as Winter nuzzled him. The dog's sad, intelligent eyes seemed to peer right down to his soul, making him seem almost human.

Bucky buried his face in the thick, white fur, and fell in love. Right there on the kennel floor.

Spring

"Okay—we ready?" Bucky hummed as he looked over Winter's vest. "Looks like we got everything, you ready to go?"

If a dog could smile, Winter did, his tail wagging excitedly.