Modern Royalty

A new cuddle buddy

Chapter 19
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"A 'sorry' doesn't really help with it", Steve grumbles and Bucky pecks his lips. "Well, that is your problem", the brunet grins and walks away, leaving Steve sitting on the counter. A minute later he comes back, drinking a sip of water from his glass. "I'll set the table while you set yourself", Bucky says jokingly and Steve sticks out his tongue. James chuckles and starts setting the table while singing under his breath. The timer beeps and Steve slides off the counter to get their lasagna out of the oven.

"It smells good. I'm curious to see, if it tastes good as well", the blonde grins and sets it down on the table. "I hope it does", Bucky laughs and pours some juice into their glasses. Two hours and an only slightly burned lasagna later, they put on their jackets to take a walk. "Steve?", Bucky asks and looks at his boyfriend.
"Hm?"
"Do you think I should tell my father about this, before he finds out on his own?", the brunet asks warily.

"You could get to the topic calmer, if you told him. But I don't know, whether he'd react differently", Steve answers and shrugs. "You could maybe ask your mom. I mean, she'd probably help you." "I'll ask her once I'm back at Hydra. But that has time", Bucky says and sighs. He really doesn't want to hide it, and Hydra's laws are actually quite open and considerate. Steve takes his hand, they leave the house quietly and head towards a small path.

Bucky looks around observantly, squeezing Steve's hand from time to time. The blonde notices an excited glistening in Bucky's eyes whenever he does. "It's beautiful here", James says after a while and Steve grins lovingly. "You look fascinated", he answers and moves closer to lay his arm around Bucky's waist. "I am. Our vacation houses are mostly on the shore or in the middle of nowhere. We never went to the mountains", the brunet answers smiling.

"We can come here, whenever we want to. You just gotta tell me", Steve says and kisses Bucky's cheek. He's glad to see him this happy. They've been walking for almost an hour, when something moves beneath the bushes. Bucky flinches away in surprise and chuckles at himself. "What the hell was that?", he asks and kneels down. Steve gets down next to him and lifts the twigs up carefully. "A kitten. How the fuck did it get here", the blonde curses.

"Doesn't matter, Stevie. It's freezing, or it's scared", Bucky says and softly picks up the small cat. It claws into his hand and meows confusedly, when all it touches is metal. "Jesus, how adorable", Steve chuckles and pets the cat cautiously. "We have to get it to a shelter or a vet", James says and tucks the kitten into his pocket. "Let's warm her up first", Steve says as they pick up their pace. "Her?", Bucky grins. "Well, 'it' sounds like an item", Steve says.

"Whatever. What if it's a boy?" "Then I'm sorry for saying 'her'", he sighs and shakes his head. "Any name ideas?", Bucky asks as they enter the hallway a few minutes later. "What about...uhm, oh hell", Steve says and swiftly catches the kitten when it jumps out of Bucky's pocket. "We could search for a name that means adventorous, because it sure is", the brunet chuckles. "Good idea, Buck", Steve says and they take off their jackets. After a quick search they settle on the name Farren.

Meanwhile, the cat is exploring the living room, nudging it's head against their legs every once in a while. "Hey, Farren. You hungry?", Steve grins, when it bops his leg again. The kitten meows and attacks Steve's shoelace. "I think, that's a yes", Bucky laughs and walks over to the kitchen. "Uhm... What do cats eat apart from cat food?" "No clue, wait", the blonde answers and googles it quickly. "Try some cheese. Or cooked meat and eggs."

Bucky scoops a spoonful of lasagna in a small bowl and slices an egg to put a few pieces into the bowl, too. "Alright, here we go", he mumbles and sets the bowl down on the floor. Farren sniffs the air and hops over to the bowl, sniffing on the food curiously. "Yes, that's for you", Steve whispers grinning and makes space for Bucky to sit down. They watch the spotted kitten quietly and their smiles grow wider, when it starts nibbling on the food.