A Truly 'Howling' Commando

|9| The Frozen Heart of A Wolf

Sorry, little Author's note here. I would seriously recommend listening to "All the King's Horses" during the second half of this chapter.

Okay thanks for reading and enjoy the chapter :3
-Trico
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After a week of bedrest —forced on me by Steve and his mother-hen mentality— I recovered my strength back. Bucky almost never left my side, lulling me to sleep with his presence and gentle rubs to my ears. He occasionally flicked the flops on my ears upward and earned a look of amusement paired with twitching ears.

Being in the lab 24/7 wasn't as bad as I originally thought. One of the men —he was unintentionally introduced to me as Howard by a passing conversation— with a small mustache occasionally blew something up and triggered a memory of the battlefield, but it was entertaining to see him get scolded. He built metal objects and weapons for the soldiers. I see him sometimes working on shields, no doubt for Steve.

I entered the hallway, looking for Steve. I could smell him easily, so I knew he was in the building. Turning a corner, I found him awkwardly leaning against a desk while a woman with curly golden blonde hair made advances. I knew his experience with women was lacking, so knowing how to push one away wasn't something he knew how to do... politely. He was very clearly uncomfortable and I decided to intervene pretty quickly before something happened... call it a woman's intuition. Quickly trotting over, a low growl rumbled in my throat as my ears flattened down a bit. I saw her eyes widen a bit and she backed up a step to avoid me.

My reputation on the battlefield was just as well known amongst the military as Steve's heroics were amongst, well, everyone. When it came to Bucky I had a tendency to bite first, ask questions later if I thought he was in a difficult situation. And —after seeing Steve around me— most people figured out that I was just as close with him and would most likely do the same. Which was a very good assumption on their part.

I pad to stand beside and a bit in front of Steve and narrowed my eyes at the woman, the growl rising up a bit. I moved around in a circle so that she was on the side that opened up to the rest of the room, and me in the corner. My lips lifted a bit, revealing my fangs as I slowly advanced forwards. Each step forwards incited one backwards from her. My fur began to bristle and I lunged forwards, snapping my teeth together just in front of her. A tiny shriek hit my ears and she all but ran away, me nipping at her heels to drive her away completely. After only a few feet, she fled through a couple of doors and I stood in the middle of the room. My fur laid down and I visibly calmed down, the protective look softening to one of amusement as my tail gently wagged a bit.

"Captain." An amused voice rang out, the British accent revealing the identity of the speaker. I turned my head to see Steve standing behind me and looking at Peggy. "We're ready for you," a soft laugh reached my ears as she looked like she enjoyed watching my little display. "If you're not otherwise occupied."

I trot away quickly, feeling satisfied as I walked into the lab, my dog tags revealing my entrance as they softly clinked together. I heard Steve's footsteps approaching, sounding a bit quicker than usual. He was met by another person and they walked in. Of course Howard had joined him, he was going to equip him for the newest mission with some new equipment.

"Fondue is just cheese and bread, my friend." Howard begins to talk as they enter the room. 'What the..? Where did this conversation come from?!?'

"Really? I didn't think..." Steve looked really embarrased. He was trying to hide it, but I could see through it easily.

"Nor should you, pal. The moment you think you know what's goin' on in a woman's head, it's the moment your goose is well and truly cooked." An annoyed huff escaped me and Steve looked over, amusement showing on his features."Me, I concentrate on work. Which at the moment is about making sure you, your men, and your canine friend here do not get killed." He gestures to a cloth on the table, "Carbon polymer. Should withstand your average German bayonet. Although Hydra's not going to attack you with a pocket knife. I hear you're kinda attached?"