Is the truth better then a dare

Tread carefully in the puddles

Sam was trying to act normal around Bucky but trying to avoid him at the same time. It wasn't really working.

Sam wanted more than anything to be with his best friend again after not being able to see him for two days but he had come to the realisation that he had fallen madly in love with said best friend. He couldn't really pin point when exactly he fell in love with Bucky but he knew that's what was happening.

He knew he couldn't tell Bucky because he didn't think he could handle the rejection. He had been rejected many times before and the one time he hadn't he... Sam stopped himself before he started thinking about that situation.

Bucky had started to notice that Sam was there but he wasn't. He could tell that Sam would talk to him, but was rarely alone with him. Bucky felt really lonely again. He thought he got his best friend back but Sam was being weird and he just wanted it to go back to normal.

Bucky had a thought in the back of his head, well it might not be as far back as he thought, that Sam didn't really like Bucky anymore after what happened. I mean, he didn't blame him, he was awful to him and Sam didn't deserve that, but he still missed him.

So here they both were, missing each other. Again. Expect they could talk to each other, but Sam was too scared and so was Bucky.

Bucky decided to talk a walk to clear his head.

He threw on a navy hoodie and trainers and went out.

He wasn't sure where he was going, but he needed to be out of the compound, away from Sam and just to think clearly.

As he was walking past some bushes, he heard rustling. He turned, and stepped back, feeling fear trickle up like a spider.

A little white, furry head peaked out and snuck back into the bush. Bucky relaxed his face as he realised it was a cat.

He leaned down to find the cat. She was dirty and had a few twigs caught in her fur.

Bucky put his hands out slowly, to show he wasn't going to cause any harm. The cat looked really rough and really scared. He figured that she was most likely abandoned.

He stroked the cat lightly, and soon enough the cat began to trust him. She bustled into his hand.

"Hey, let's take you home and get you cleaned up ok?" The cat walked towards him.

Bucky picked the cat up and put her into his hoodie, making sure she wouldn't get anymore cold then she was already.

"Hmm you need a name? What could it be?"

Bucky had a little memory pop into his head.

"If I ever had a cat, I'd name it Alpine." Sean said, laying next to Bucky in bed.

Bucky giggled and looked at him.
"Alpine?"
"Yeah, it's cool and unique"
"It's cute. Like you." Bucky leaned down and kissed his boyfriend.

Bucky came out of the memory, smiling with a tear falling down his face.

"Alpine." He looked down at the cat.
"Yeah."

He jogged back so he could get Alpine cleaned up and warm.

People were waking up now so a few were down stairs.

Clint and Pietro were sat on the sofa, sitting very close, giggling about something before their attention was drawn to Bucky.

"I found a cat, she needs to be cleaned up. I think she was abandoned."

"I'll get the stuff." Pietro said and zoomed around.

Clint filled a tub with warm water and Bucky started to slowly and carefully pull out the twigs in her fur.