WinterIron one shots

Murder Floof

Word count: 2834

Summery: "It's a little ball of murder and  floof!" Tony said triumphantly, digging the kitten out from his pocket and depositing it rather gracelessly on Bucky's lap. "I got you a kitten!"

Where tony is asked by Steve to help Bucky adapt to the modern world- and what better way to do it then to get him a friend?

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The kitten had been left all alone in a box marked 'Free' on the corner of the street and Tony nearly tripped over it as he left his favorite sandwich shop.

He was mid bite in fact, when he heard a yowl that was more pissed off than it was pathetic, a snarl that was too vicious to be called cute but was also somehow the most adorable thing he'd ever heard in his life.

Bending over to peer in the box, Tony found one single, solitary kitten, apparently the last one left from an abandoned litter, a scrappy white and black kitten that was nothing more than a few tufts of hair and pointy claws.

"Hi, kitty." Tony picked the raggedy thing up by the scruff of its neck and the kitten hissed at him, swiping tiny paws in a ferociously adorable attempt to get at Tony's face. "You're a cranky piece of work, aren't you?"

Tony got another attempted face swipe for his efforts and he chuckled at the mangy thing. He smiled - as uncanny as it may seemed, he reminded him a little of bucky...

"Yeah, alright you're coming home with me. I've got another cranky piece of work sitting on my couch that needs a friend. Come on, you."

The kitten went into his jacket pocket and Tony stuffed tiny pieces of chicken from his sandwich at it every time the kitten fussed and even though the claws digging into his side made him walk funny, somehow both Tony and the kitten made it back to the Tower in one piece.

"Heya Snowflake." Tony patted Bucky on the shoulder as he passed the couch. "How are you feeling today?"

"...fine." Bucky always looked like he didn't know how to handle Tony's casual affection and random nicknames and today was no exception, the awkward half smile he sent in Tony's direction looking more pained than anything. "Um, how are you?"

"I got you something." Tony ignored Bucky's awkwardness and plopped right down on the couch next to him. "And you can't say no, because you aren't supposed to say no when people give you presents. Also, you can't re-gift it because I know all the people you know, and I'd know if you did that."

"....okay?" Bucky looked completely overwhelmed and Tony felt a flicker of sympathy for the soldier.

It had only been eight months after all, since Steve had brought Bucky home to the Tower. Seventy years of brain washing didn't evaporate in a day or a month or even a year and when Steve had quietly asked Tony to please help Bucky re-adjust, Tony had jumped right into making the Tower a friendlier place for the soldier, dimming lights and slowing doors and even going so far as to keep familiar food stocked in the kitchen so Bucky always had something to eat.

It took almost four months for Bucky to stop jumping at every little noise, and now, after another four months, Bucky was finally starting to smile, starting to engage in conversation. He was training with Steve and watching movies with Clint and Tasha and when Tony sat close to him, he didn't run from the physical contact.

In fact sometimes it seemed like Bucky wanted the physical contact and more than once Tony swore that Bucky purposefully sat too close or lingered over a conversation a little too long, but it was probably just wishful thinking on his part.

Apparently scowly brunettes with pretty eyes and enough muscles to make Tony swoon were his weakness, who knew?

And even if the moments meant absolutely nothing, good moments were steps toward healing and Tony thought maybe his impromptu present could maybe count as a step towards healing as well.