Attachment Theory - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 32: shrike

18+ WARNING MINORS DNI

It takes Alpine a few days to adjust to a more domesticated kind of life. She's fine when she's outside, but inside the compound, she's a completely different cat - timid, cautious, and hisses at everything. Except for Bucky and (sometimes) Alice. Bucky slowly gets her to trust him and mostly keeps her in their room, but he does carry her through the hallways at night, keeping her tucked close to him.

The first night, they managed to bathe her. Bucky gently used his metal arm as a shield from Alpine's claws and gnashing teeth as she tried to bite and scratch her way to freedom while simultaneously covering Alice and Bucky in shampoo suds.

"I'm so much bigger than you, bebelus," he laughs. "You need a bath."

"I don't think she cares about that," Alice chuckles. "She just wants to bite your finger off."

Bucky smiles and makes soft kissing noises at Alpine that melt Alice's heart.

"I know how you feel, little one. But I'm trying to help you."

Once that was all over, she calmed down a bit, finally free from the fleas and grime that was underneath her delicate white paws. Bucky fed her some deli meat and tuna to tide her over. Steve went out the next morning to get her some kitten food, some treats, and a collar with a bell on it. Alpine has been trying to figure out a way to chew the bell off so that she can stalk through the hallways of the tenth floor silently.

Steve wasn't necessarily thrilled about Alpine, but he also didn't really say anything. He seemed nervous when Bucky brought her inside, but he was so reluctant to give her up that Steve backed down immediately. Bruce thinks that a cat might be good for Bucky to speed up his healing process and give him something positive to focus on after his sessions.

Alice sees yet another new layer of vulnerability with Bucky. He's sweet with Alpine - patient, and he lets her do things at her own pace. Alice watches their bond grow over the course of a few days, and before they know it, Alpine is sleeping on the little chair next to their bed. Never on their bed, just next to it. It's all she'll allow for now, and for Bucky, that's enough. He dotes on her like a child. Tonight, she's sitting on his chest while he reads to her. Alice steps out of the shower with a smile on her face.

"You spoil her, you know."

He grins.

"I know. Steve let me borrow some of the Lord of the Rings books. She likes them."

He watches Alice as she gets changed into her pajamas and she flops onto the bed beside him, reaching out to scratch Alpine beneath her chin. Bucky turns to her with his brows knit together the way he does when he's thinking about saying something. She knows this look too well by now. Alice reaches up to boop his nose and he smiles.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, gorgeous?"

He swallows.

"You know I'd do anything for you, right?" He asks.

She's quiet, staring up at him with a bemused expression.

"What's going on, Bucky?"

He chuckles and shakes his head.

"Nothing, it's... it's stupid."

"It's not stupid. Nothing you think or say is stupid. Don't devalue yourself like that, Buck."

His adam's apple bobs up and down in his throat as he swallows.

"I was just reading this, and the love story between Aragorn and Arwen just made me think about you, and–" he's blushing harder and harder as he speaks. "I just think about how I never want to be without you."