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Chapter Text

Bucky yawned and stretched. He licked his right paw and rubbed his ears. It was another dull day at St. Gertrude’s Cattery for Orphaned Kittens and Delinquent Cats.

Bucky rose from his perch and relocated to the cool metal on the other side, in front of his not-yet-smelly litter box. He disinterestedly watched through the bars of his cage, as the volunteers bustled about, cleaning the rooms and moving the animals around.

Just to be clear, Bucky was no sweet kitten; he was definitely of the delinquent sort. This specific cattery had a range of cats, from genteel to ornery, but what earned them the unsavory second part of their institution moniker was that they kept the hopelessly unadoptable cases. Many first-time visitors thought it a joke, but the staff here was very serious about warning prospective cat parents. As for Bucky, well – he alone satisfied the “delinquent” part of the cat personality spectrum.

At first glance, Bucky was a beautiful ragdoll cat, with silky cream-colored fur and distinctive color-points on his ears, eyes, and tail, with glittering sky-blue eyes. However, he was as nasty as he was gorgeous. Ragdolls were generally known for their docile and friendly temperament, but Bucky was exceptionally wicked: attacking anytime either cats or humans were around for no apparent reason. While other cats were allowed to lollygag in the comfy and cozy living room for possible new families to visit them, Bucky remained in his cage, occasionally released within the small confines of the room where his cage was (and when he was free, they always placed a sign that read “BEWARE OF BUCKY”). 

He didn’t care. He was not interested in playing nice to get adopted, although he did not enjoy being imprisoned by any means.

Bucky could see the people coming to adopt from his cell. Most of them were families looking for a nice little friend for their kids. Bucky hated kids. Annoying little bastards, he thought. Every encounter with a child included his tail being pulled. The only time he feigned good behavior was when mildly attractive women came by. All others could go to hell.

“Hey Bucky. Do you feel like socializing today?” 

One of the cattery volunteers interrupted his brooding contemplation. She was a young woman with a fluctuating soft spot for Bucky, cooing at him every once in a while. But Bucky found her presence and condescending demeanor absolutely despicable and therefore didn’t deem her a viable candidate for his guardianship. Also, that revolting orange shirt! He hissed and stuck out his claws at her, in what he considered as his version of a “fuck you.” The volunteer held her palms up and retreated, muttering “What a waste of beauty, that asshole.”

‘I heard that,’ Bucky yowled back lazily.

***

Squinting a little from the radiant sunshine, Steve nervously entered the old house. This cattery was run by a pair of married old ladies, along with numerous volunteers helping out each day. He’d read about this shelter online and greatly approved that they continued to keep the unwanted ones.

Steve had never had a cat, or any pet in general. However, living alone was becoming lonely and he thought a pet would make his house a home. Most of his team probably expected him to get a dog – he was a bit like a dog himself, friendly and loyal. But as Steve was occasionally going to be away on Avengers business, he needed a more independent pet. Also, he was a lot more quiet and pensive than his team assumed. So as much as he liked dogs, he thought a cat would make a better companion for him. In his fantasies, he dreamed of an afternoon with a purring cat on his lap, while he sketched or read a book, pausing occasionally to scratch a soft ear.

The cozy living room was full of cats: some ambling on the floor, others poised on wall-mounted wooden shelves. There were already a few people interacting with the more sociable cats and content purrs could be heard. It was a heartwarming sight and Steve smiled, imagining himself in a similar situation soon. 

“Hello, welcome to St. Gertrude’s Cattery for Orphaned Kittens and Delinquent Cats! Is this your first time here?” asked a volunteer. The bright orange shirt with the cattery emblem and her warm smile gave Steve positive vibes and tingling excitement.

“Uh, yes. First time getting a cat, too,” said Steve sheepishly. He then quickly added, “but I’m fully aware of the responsibilities and required commitment.”

“That’s fine,” the volunteer replied. “We’ll teach you the basics, even give you a handbook. We recommend older cats for first time owners. These are all the adult cats we have, so take your time and get to know one of these darlings!”

“Okay, thank you.”

Sprawled on his side, Bucky sighed, staring moodily at the living room. What a bunch of fakes! He gagged a little at the wistful, manufactured meows of his fellow cattery inmates, vying for the attention of curious children and adults. Bucky didn’t need people. Sort of.

The thing was, Bucky was no ordinary cat. He had been a cat now, longer than he’d been anything else, but the memory of him being a human remained. It seemed like many lifetimes ago – probably because it was many lifetimes ago.

Bucky had been a regular fella in his twenties - working the docks and barely making ends meet in Brooklyn, back in the 1930s. He’d gone to dance halls, flirted and dated his share of girls, and mostly led an ordinary life for a guy his age and time. Cue World War II and he’d enlisted as well, except, he had never been deployed.

After a most unfortunate encounter with – what did he call himself, a magician? – Bucky had been transformed into a cat and the only way he could return to being human was if he kissed his “true love.”

The night before he’d have been shipped off, he had commenced in his last hurrah – enjoyed a few drinks at the local bar, received a few farewell kisses (among other things), and was heading home, when he came across a suspicious man lurking in the shadows of the enlistment office. Bucky watched him, as sharply as he could with his somewhat hazy vision, and as he watched, the man attempted breaking in.

“Hey!” Bucky yelled and ran over to the man. He was a squat guy: hair combed over and wearing glasses, he definitely didn’t look like the type to enlist, especially through extreme methods. He had a brief case in his hand, and as Bucky glanced, there was a tag attached with the label “Herr Doktor Arnim Zola.” Bucky tussled with the man, questioning his motives, but the man was stronger than he looked and did not give in. After some jostling, Bucky heard the police whistle in the distance, attracted by Bucky’s yells and the racket they were making. The man, Zola, must have heard them too, because he stiffened and glared Bucky in the eyes. Before he knew what was happening, Zola pushed Bucky onto the ground and stepped on his chest.

“You, you have done wrong. How dare you interrupt a great magician! You will regret,” he pronounced with an accent. Before Bucky could laugh at the man and his strange declaration, Zola muttered indecipherable words and with fuzzy tingles all over –

Bucky had been turned into a cat. 

“Sir, we heard a commotion. Is everything all right?” the officers inquired, finally reaching the building.

“Ah, yes. Just a cat. It frightened me. Everything is fine, thank you,” Zola answered. Without further investigation, the officers left the scene. Bucky was paralyzed. He looked down at what used to be his arms: they were covered with fur and had paws now, instead of hands. What the fuck had just happened?

“Ah my poor little cat, what will you do?” chuckled Zola. He lifted Bucky up, and strangely, Bucky went limp, like a rag doll. “You should have not interfered, Kätzchen. I have cursed you,” he tut-tutted, “you will stay a cat until you receive a true love’s kiss. Not to worry, you have plenty of time. Cats have nine lives in America, no?”

‘How the hell am I supposed to do that??’ meowed Bucky. Somehow, Zola seemed to understand.

“That, is now your problem, isn’t it? You are lucky I don’t kill you. Though what happens when you fail, only god knows,” cackled Zola. Bucky hissed and tried to scratch him.

“Halt! You have done enough! I have been seen here! If it weren’t for you, I’d have stolen the list of soldiers! I retreat today, but I will come back. And you now, geh weg!” Zola threw him back to the street and then vanished into the shadows himself.

Bucky sat in the snow in front of the enlistment office, completely dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe it. Could it be more cliché?? He detested his predicament with every fiber of his being (though now that he was a cat, it wasn’t saying much). But a curse was a curse and he was stuck. As soon as he could, he had visited his old girlfriends, but none of them would kiss him. They only saw him as a stray cat, incomprehensibly and uncleanly aiming for their mouth. Ultimately, as with all other stray cats, he had been captured and sheltered.

So this wasn’t exactly his first time in a shelter. Rather, it was his ninth.

Bucky had long accepted his new fate as a cat. He was never optimistic enough to think he’d return to being a human any time soon. What was done was done and living as a cat actually hadn’t been too bad, as long as you were fed. And he liked to think that his formerly human good looks had been successfully translated into feline beauty, as most people were nice to him and gave him food whenever he came around. However, his charm hadn’t quite transferred, as his problem made him grumpy and he tended to lash out like an ingrate at whoever came too close.

So, he did kind of need people, because he definitely wasn’t going to find his true love while stuck in the damned shelter all his life! But today was not the day. He didn’t see any vaguely attractive women out there (okay, he’s a little superficial).

As the volunteer left Steve to his own devices, his eyes followed her for a second as she entered a different room. It had a big glass window and Steve could see a few cages behind the desks. Most of them were empty, save for one with the most stunning cat he had ever seen. Without any thought, he entered after the volunteer. 

“Did you have a question?” the volunteer asked, mildly surprised, but unfazed. She seemed accustomed to clueless people following the staff everywhere.

“Yes, I wanted to meet this one here.” 

This time, to Steve’s surprise, she frowned.

“I’m sorry, but this one is quite unadoptable.”

“How come?”

“Well… He has, uh, a volatile personality. We’ve decided that he’ll be staying here and he’s definitely not suitable for a first time cat owner.”

“Oh, I see. Could I just pet him?”

“Not if you want to keep your fingers!” she retorted sarcastically. “Seriously, this cat is a giant douche. I’ve never met one so mean! I wouldn’t say that normally, but this guy is just the devil! He hates being touched or approached, or looked at. He’s been here for about a year, but he still hates everyone! He keeps attacking other cats too, so that’s why he’s isolated,” she finished with a glare to the cat. It looked as if the cat had personally offended her, on more than one account. 

The cat, however, seemed apathetic to the insults. He merely glanced at her dismissively and returned to licking his butt. What she said would have been enough to deter any sane human from pursuing the cat, but Steve, for better or worse, was not one of those people. He carefully stepped closer to the cage and read the information card: 

Name: Bucky
Age: 5 or 6?? Sex: M
Health: Good, details unknown
Note: UNADOPTABLE; Admitted after owner death  

“Hey there, little guy?”

Bucky gave no response. Steve did take the volunteer’s warnings seriously, but he couldn’t help feeling a little sympathetic to the cat. His owner had died; maybe violence was his way of expressing grief. Cautiously, he approached the cage and looked into Bucky’s round, blue eyes, hypnotized. He truly was a beautiful cat. Bucky stared back at him, unblinking. And then suddenly, Bucky’s claws swiped at him and Steve only avoided losing his eyes in a catastrophic bloodbath thanks to his enhanced reflexes.

“You really are quite feisty, aren’t ya, buddy?” chuckled Steve. The volunteer shrieked and fussed over him.

“Goodness! Are you okay?? I’m telling you, that cat is vile!”

“But I like him. I think he’s got character. Can I adopt him?” asked Steve without further thought.

‘I’m not going with you, ya big oaf!’ meowed Bucky. He stood defiantly and glowered at Steve.

“Do you see that? I think he likes me! He’s standing up, all excited, and looking right at me!” exclaimed Steve. The volunteer looked on skeptically. Bucky was now reaching for Steve with his paws (claws out, aiming to scratch Steve probably). Did Bucky really want to go with him? He had never shown interest in anyone as long as he had been here.

“Hmm, I don’t know… Let me go ask our directors… I’ll be right back.”

She left the room, but quickly returned with two ladies in their eighties. They probably wore very kind smiles on their faces under usual circumstances, but at the moment, their caring countenances were wrinkled even more with concern. 

“Hello, there. I’m Loretta, and this is my wife, Patty. So you want to take little Bucky here, eh?”

“Yes, ma’am,” replied Steve earnestly.

“You are aware of his ‘colorful’ personality, aren’t you?” Patty asked worriedly.

“I am. I know he won’t be easy, but I think I’ll be good for him. I’d hate to see him stuck here, without a home…”

“That’s very sweet, honey, but we’d rather keep him here, than have him returned to us because he was unbearable. It’s more stressful for the animal to be moved around often.”

Steve hadn’t thought about that. He certainly didn’t want to cause more harm to Bucky. He most likely had abandonment issues already, since his previous owner passed. He wasn’t sure why he wanted Bucky, but Steve had felt something with the cat. It wasn’t because Steve was shallow; having been a tiny runt of a boy in his youth, he knew not to judge a book by its cover. Whether Bucky was conscious of it or not, they were meant to be. At least for Steve, it was love at first sight – a spark the moment Steve’s own blue eyes met the striking blues of the cat. Bucky was an outcast (though unbeknownst to Steve, mostly by choice), and being a self-proclaimed outsider, Steve was unable to be impartial to him.

Meanwhile, Bucky watched the old women and Steve interact. Was he going to be adopted? So soon? He typically stayed in shelters for years before he grudgingly let himself be adopted by a patient and ancient grandpa. He had always sought a woman owner, in order to increase the chances of his recovery to human state and had strived to remain unattractive to all other candidates, contributing to his less-than-honorable reputation. Though, his strategy had obviously backfired each time.

He didn’t want to go with Steve. He was a man, though handsome, but a man. Wait a second, thought Bucky. Steve was fairly young, that meant he’d have a few girlfriends! Maybe one of them could fall in love with Bucky! 

As he said this to himself in his mind, a passionate hatred for Zola sprang once again. It sounded so stupid and implausible, even in theory. What rational person would fall in love with a cat?? Bucky was sure that Zola made the so-called solution only to torment him with the prospect of hope, but in reality, be unattainable. Regardless, this was the most chance Bucky was likely to get to escape the shelter. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad to go with Steve after all…

“I understand, ma’am… I know I’ll have to work hard, especially being a novice, but I have to take him. I just know he’s the one for me,” Steve said quietly. The ladies studied him thoughtfully.

“Well, you heal really fast, right?” Loretta asked.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re Captain America, aren’t you?” she continued, as if it were the most obvious thing.

“How… how did you know??” Steve asked, thoroughly flummoxed. He hadn’t revealed his identity and had thought he was doing rather well being inconspicuous.

“Please, we’re old enough to know about ya,” Patty scoffed. Behind them, the volunteer and her colleague tittered politely. “Since you heal fast, maybe you’ll be alright with a few scratches from this little menace,” said Patty, hooking her thumb toward Bucky. Steve followed her thumb and met Bucky’s eyes. Bucky had been listening attentively, sitting upright and still.

“What do you think, buddy? You think I can handle you?” asked Steve, poking a tentative finger through the bars. Everyone else in the room froze and watched worriedly. Bucky sniffed it a little and bit down on it. “Ouch!”

‘Yeah, I guess you’ll do,’ yawned Bucky. He gave Steve’s finger the briefest lick as an offer of truce.

“He… He licked me! He likes me! Did you see??” Steve turned toward the ladies animatedly.

“Well, would you look at that! Maybe there is hope for Bucky after all!” Loretta said. Behind his back, she shook her head doubtfully, facing Patty. Patty mouthed back ‘Poor thing. So desperate.’

After filling out all the paperwork, Steve took Bucky home in the carrier he’d brought with him. Bucky scratched up Steve’s arm and neck in the process of being placed in it, but Steve assured the horrified ladies and volunteers that he’d be fine after about 30 minutes. He got a quick lesson on cats and their care from the ladies themselves and also a handbook with more detailed instructions. Despite the somewhat spur of the moment decision to take Bucky, rather than other more eligible cats, Steve had been preparing to welcome a cat into his life for months now and had done his research. Whether Bucky was going to be compliant with all the expectations of a cat? That was wholly another question.

The ladies and a few of the volunteers said their farewells to Bucky (which he answered with hisses) and waved good-bye as Steve’s car left the premises.

“Goodness, I sure hope Bucky doesn’t come back,” said Patty. They never wanted their adopted to come back anyway, but they were always ready in case of emergencies.

“Bless his heart. I hope Steve does, though!” said Loretta. They all laughed, but agreed that they’d prefer not to have Steve back, if he was coming to return Bucky. As much as they were concerned about Steve’s wellbeing, taking care of Bucky had been a herculean task and they were relieved to have gotten rid of him. No more protective gloves and masks and HAZMAT suits!

The car ride back home was as turbulent as a flight in a storm. Despite being in the crate, Bucky ran around incessantly, occasionally bumping into the sides when Steve made sharp turns, resulting in the crate sliding and hitting the car doors. Steve also ended up employing less-than-safe driving practices: constantly looking back and making hasty stops, since he worried that Bucky might hurt himself through his forceful movements. The piercing yowls were just the cherry on top to the chaos.

Steve parked his car and released a long sigh of relief, for both him and his new cat making it alive. Bucky still jumped around in his cage, screaming ‘Let me outta here!’ 

“I know you’re excited to be home, but just chill for a sec. Okay, buddy?”

‘Where the hell did you bring me? I’ve made a mistake! Abort, abort! I gotta bust outta here the first chance I get!’

“Yes. I know, I know. I’m so happy you’re home too! Just hold on a moment, Buck.”

‘AGHHHHHHHHH!’

Steve did his best to stabilize the crate to carry it into his house, talking soothingly to the frantic cat, but it was nearly impossible, due to Bucky’s manic bouncing. But Steve couldn’t blame him. He was also excited to start a new life with Bucky and he’d bounce around too, if he could! 

After barely getting it out of his car, Steve placed the crate on the ground to retrieve his keys. For the split second he had released the crate, Bucky bumped into the sides of the crate, almost making it tumble and, possibly, open. Only Steve’s aforementioned reflexes saved Bucky’s cage from making an escape. Bucky cursed internally. He was so close. 

Pinning the vibrating crate with his foot, Steve opened the door. Once he entered and closed it, he crouched down to see how Bucky was doing. Bucky hissed and stuck his paw out through the grilles to swipe at Steve.

“You’re a feisty one, that’s for sure,” chuckled Steve. Ignoring Bucky’s offended hisses, he opened the doors to the cage. As soon as he did, Bucky bolted out. He ran around at lightening speed, sporadically crashing into windows or doors. He knocked off books and cups, among other things, as he raced around. He ran upstairs and did the same. No exits. Damn.

Giving up on his escape, Bucky went under a bed. He’d hide under here until he devised a better plan. Downstairs, he could hear Steve laughing at himself as he picked up the disastrous mess Bucky had created.

Shattered glass, magazines and books strewn everywhere, any loose knick-knacks fallen or broken, and Bucky had been in the house less than a minute. Steve didn’t mind. Most of the things in his house weren’t his purchases anyway. He did have the inkling that perhaps Bucky was a bite more than he could chew, but Steve couldn’t help but find everything Bucky did to be endearing. Somehow, the feline disaster reminded Steve of his younger self, when he was still that little guy from Brooklyn. He was always getting into trouble thanks to his loud sense of justice and often-short temper. Who knows what kind of a life Bucky had led? Perhaps he was abused or had suffered on the streets, and his fiery attitude was all he could have done to protect himself, just like Steve. But now, Steve was going to take care him, no matter what Bucky did. He just hoped Bucky would grow to like him, too, even just a little.

Under the bed, Bucky paced around, his gears turning at top speed. He was regretting his decision to let Steve take him. Why? He didn’t know. He just had a feeling. Usually, he waited in the shelters for years, biding his time. And just when he got tired of waiting, very old men with bottomless patience scooped Bucky up and let him slowly destroy their houses. This had been the pattern for the past eighty years. Current situation was a deviation from the pattern. Bucky didn’t like deviating. He was turned into a goddamn cat the last time things didn’t go as planned. 

What was he to do? If he ran away, he’d be caught again, and he just knew Steve was going to pick him up and bring him back. He had a suspicion that Steve was the stupidly persistent type. His other option would be to stay and just hope that this deviation was a good one, not a punishing one. But he didn’t want to behave. Steve was probably going to try and train him. Make him learn tricks for treats. Fuck no! He wasn’t going to stoop to a simple house cat! He was better than that!

After deliberating for whole five minutes, Bucky plopped down in the middle of his hideout and fell asleep.

“Bucky? Bucky~ Wake up, buddy. Aren’t ya hungry?” 

While Bucky snoozed, Steve had cleaned his house, ridding it of unnecessary items doomed to be sacrificed to Bucky’s wrath, and placed all the cat accoutrement he had purchased the week before: food and water bowls, scratching post with a mouse attached, litter box in the bathroom, and fluffy cushioned bed in each room. He also had a variety of toys and treats, just in case Bucky was picky (of which he was now sure). He may have splurged a little, prompting the cashier to ask if he was adopting multiple cats, but it didn’t matter. Steve was going to spoil his little boy rotten.

However, the lucky boy didn’t budge from his hiding place under the bed. He was asleep when Steve found him, but now that he was awake, he hissed at Steve and retreated away, no matter which side of the bed Steve approached. Steve tried to entice him with the various snacks he had bought, and Bucky initially seemed interested, sniffing curiously; but soon, Bucky ignored Steve’s offerings and turned away from him after a final hiss in his general direction.

Steve knew Bucky was going to be difficult. Oh well. Best to leave him alone until he feels comfortable, he guessed. This little cat may be stubborn and challenging, but Steve was nothing without his determination. And in his mind, Steve was already comforted by the fact that he had a little furry friend with him. He had never had a pet before being iced and life in the new millennium had been so lonesome. Just to see the creature exist in his space made his house feel different. He may be being a bit too optimistic, but he didn’t think Bucky totally hated him either. Steve scattered some of the treats on the floor for Bucky to later try and then left the hairy ball of rage in peace.

***

Bucky groaned. He was already tired of being cooped up under the bed and the treats smelled so good, but his strange pride deterred him from fraternizing with Steve. He had to show Steve who was boss, that he was nobody’s lap cat. But he was also hungry. Whatever, food is food, he thought. Checking to see that the coast was clear, he silently picked up each treat and ate them clean. All these different flavors! He’d never had a salmon one before! His previous owners had only bought him generic brand food! This was some scientifically engineered cat treat! Maybe Steve wasn’t such a bad guy…

No. There will be truce, but on Bucky’s terms. None of that showing the belly stuff he’s seen other cats do as soon as a human appeared. Steve will be shown mercy, only out of the little goodness in Bucky’s cat-heart. One toe out of line and Steve would get the claws.

After combing through the rest of the room for any missed treat, Bucky noiselessly crept down the stairs. Steve was watching the news on the couch, facing away from the staircase. Bucky surveyed the room for possible escape routes and threats. A cat always had to know what he was dealing with. As he did so, he saw all the toys, cushions, and scratch-posts… And suddenly, he got a little excited. He’d never had these kinds of fancy things before.

‘Focus, Barnes,’ he said to himself. 

Bucky continued on his trajectory and regally made his presence known to Steve by peeking out from the side of the couch, just in front of Steve’s feet.

“Hey there, little guy. You came out!” Steve said happily.

‘I’m not here to make friends, bud,’ meowed Bucky as he jumped onto Steve’s lap. He bored into Steve’s eyes, blinking not once, and asserted his dominance.

“Wow, you really have the most beautiful eyes, Bucky,” whispered Steve with awe. He was also very honored that Bucky had jumped onto his lap on his own!

‘Enough about my goddamn eyes. I. Own. You. Got it?’ yowled Bucky.

“Oh, you’re so cute! Can I pet you? Will you let me do that?” asked Steve, as he already lifted his hand slowly.

‘ONE pet to show your unconditional agreement to what I just said.’

As Bucky didn’t run away, Steve gingerly laid a hand on Bucky’s head and petted him. Though he had been in the shelter for quite a while, Bucky’s cream fur was clean and soft. Steve felt like he could explode with happiness at the privilege he had been given to touch Bucky without consequences. Steve gently stroked him over and over again, relishing the smooth coat of the cat. Bucky seemed to enjoy it, too, since he began to purr lightly, eyes closed, and pushed his head back into Steve’s hand for more.

“You like that, buddy? I knew you weren’t all bad! Look at you purring and all!”

‘What? SHIT!’

Bucky’s eyes popped opened and his claws swiped Steve’s hand. Then he jumped off Steve’s lap and sprinted back upstairs to hide under the bed. Steve stared after him, surprised, with four fresh scratches on his palm trickling blood. 

“Bad boy?” Steve said half-heartedly. He was probably pushing it a little too soon. Steve sighed. Baby steps.

Bucky panted frantically as he settled into his spot under the bed. What had he done?? He let Steve pet him for ten seconds! Worst of all, he fucking purred. What a disgrace! He acted like a common house cat! Goddamnit. His authority! All gone because of a little caress! Bucky thrashed around in anger. That was it, he was never leaving this bed, no matter what. Steve and his hands were dangerous, threatening to his dignity as a human-magically-turned-into-cat.

Chapter Text

Bucky considered just peeing all over Steve’s room, but feline instincts dictated that he find a litter box - he wouldn’t stoop that low. Steve also placed his food bowl in the kitchen downstairs, so Bucky had no choice but to leave the safety of his refuge and venture into Steve-territory. Thankfully, however, the giant human didn’t try to touch him, only creepily surveying Bucky’s every move with sappy adoration in his eyes.

After deciding to prematurely end his self-imposed exile under the bed, Bucky began to explore the house. He exerted maximum effort to avoid Steve at all costs, with little success. Once in a while, he permitted Steve to swing a toy fishing rod, so that Bucky could get some exercise and blow off steam. If he were in an especially benevolent mood, Bucky also allowed Steve to feed him treats in exchange for a scratch behind the ears. But if he got greedy, Bucky made sure to bite Steve’s hand in warning, to which Steve always acquiesced. Bucky never let his guard down, always gracing Steve with his presence fleetingly, but Steve was ecstatic with the improvements (?) in their relationship and awkward cohabitation. Bucky hadn’t tried to murder him in his sleep yet, so Steve counted it as a win.

“Nat, no. I don’t want to go on a date with the account- Fine. Tomorrow at 8. Yes, I got it! I know; I won’t wear my ‘old-man khakis.’ Bye.”

Steve shook his head as he hung up. Natasha was eternally badgering him about dates (and about his attire on these dates). He had told her repeatedly that he wasn’t looking for a human companion, but Natasha dismissed his satisfaction with the “terrible new cat,” saying that he was delusional (“Don’t tell me you’re engaging in bestiality, Steve.” “GOD, NO!”). 

He knew Natasha was simply looking out for him, though he also suspected that he’d become her new project. And it wasn’t a bad idea for him to meet new people… It was just… People were hard. So complicated. Steve wanted to treat whomever he was dating with utmost care, but despite his good intentions, he could never please them. So difficult to understand! He was probably doomed to have a testing time with people anyway, however, even if he hadn’t been frozen all those decades, missing out on generations of cultural information and societal changes.

No, he didn’t blame his dates. Still, he just wanted someone with at least some similar life experiences. Alas, being a superhero from a different epoch was apparently impossible to relate to. 

Steve also wondered just where Natasha found all these people. What did she tell them about him? He found dating to be so much effort. But what could he do besides humoring her? Maybe it would pay off some day… Or not. 

His date tonight was a nice accountant from Stark Industries. A woman in her early thirties with a modest, yet classy, style. She was extremely polite, but also very meticulous. She seemed to want to get every single detail about her life and personality correct for Steve to know and understand. Concluding a very taxing dinner, Steve told her honestly, but gently, about how he wasn’t really seeking a relationship and thanked her for her time. After what seemed like a dozen of these dates, he had honed his ability to kindly terminate the interactions. It worked most of the time, with only occasional texts from past dates asking, “What was wrong with me?”

Steve always felt guilty when such a text appeared on his phone and implored Natasha to discontinue the dates. Obviously, she listened to no one and carried on setting him up, what seemed like every other month. At the very least, she made effort and did seem to consider what was her interpretation of his tastes and presented to him men and women of varying degrees of calm personalities. Though Steve himself wasn’t sure that “calm” was what he was looking for.

Returning home, he wondered how Bucky was faring alone. Given the cat’s catastrophic nature, Steve prepared himself for a completely devastated house. Still, he couldn’t help but look forward to seeing the cat and risking his limbs for a chance to pet.

Slowly opening the door, Steve called Bucky. When he flipped the light on, he was pleasantly surprised at the relatively low level of destruction that had occurred in his absence. Back of the couch ripped, books off the shelf (again), and just two cushions torn open. Not bad! It had been Bucky’s first evening without Steve and while Steve had left numerous treats (gone) and toys (destroyed) for Bucky, he had been expecting the worst. However, the cat in question was nowhere to be found.

“Bucky?” Steve called again. Surely he hadn’t run away? But after minutes without any sign of the feline, Steve began to worry. One time, Steve had caught Bucky just before pushing a window open after releasing the latch. The cat was smart, way too smart for his own good; there was no telling what he was capable of.

“Buck?” Steve tried again as he climbed the stairs. He gingerly opened the door to his room. Amidst the pile of brutally shredded clothes and bedding, Bucky was sleeping, with his fluffy belly exposed.

“Aww…”

In all honesty, Steve couldn’t fathom why he had been so worried. It wasn’t like the cat ever responded to his name and bounded to Steve. He watched as Bucky breathed in and out, slumbering without a care in the world. He looked so innocent and calm, like a little furry angel, blessing Steve with his presence. It felt like he could spend hours just watching the steady rise and fall of each breath. And although Steve knew better, he couldn’t resist laying a finger on Bucky’s soft and fluffy tummy.

The second he touched Bucky, the cat awoke with a jolt. At first he seemed confused as to where he was and who Steve was, but soon got his bearings and swiped at Steve.

“Whoa there, Bucky. It’s just me.”

‘Yeah and it changes nothing!’

Bucky hissed and jumped off the bed to hide once again underneath. After watching the fluffy tail disappear, Steve chuckled and began to undress. It had been only a few weeks, but Steve was already so accustomed to Bucky’s existence, regardless of the cat’s visibility. Wherever Bucky was, Steve would always hear the sound of the cat licking himself or scratching up something, and the little noises calmed him immensely. Having abandoned the hope of cuddling the cat early on, Steve got into bed and whispered “Good night, Buck,” before falling asleep, to which the cat only answered with a swish of his tail.

***

Bucky didn’t want to admit it, but he was comfortable in Steve’s house. And he was never going to acknowledge that he was beginning to feel at home with Steve.

Bucky didn’t know what Steve did when he went out, but unless he was going out for errands like grocery shopping (and Bucky always knew when that was, because his dinner that night was always a special tuna can), Steve was gone for hours and came back thoroughly exhausted and disheveled. 

And it was very strange. When Steve was so fatigued, he inevitably exerted less effort into appeasing Bucky (relatively speaking) and it was always at these times when Bucky felt most compelled to receive attention. And when Steve was actually out of the house? Dare he say it – Bucky kind of missed the oaf and the gentle scratches he gave.

“Hey Buck. Did you have a good day?” Steve asked sleepily. It had been another long day. Fury had been giving them “small” assignments every few weeks. They were all aware that these accomplished missions were just stepping-stones, ultimately to culminate in a bigger fight with the leaders of the terrorist group they were targeting.

Steve hoped that Fury would let them know ahead of time when they were facing the big guys. It might take a few days, or even weeks, and in that case, Steve wanted to find a sitter for Bucky. For now, he just left extra portions of food, in case he got delayed. Thankfully, there hadn’t been a time Steve had been overly late and Bucky apparently had the sense to not eat everything at once. Still, Steve felt guilty just imagining a scenario where Bucky was left alone for longer than usual. He didn’t dare imply that Bucky would miss Steve, per se, but he would definitely miss the hand that fed him.

Bucky watched with curious eyes from his perch on the sofa, as Steve peeled off his suit and revealed gashes already in the process of healing. Taking off his boots, Steve winced a little, as his broken tibia hadn’t healed completely quite yet. 

A sudden, absurd urge got Bucky jumping off the sofa and approaching Steve. Bucky purred and rubbed his head on Steve’s shin, taking care not to push to hard. He snaked between Steve’s calves, gently rubbing on the hard muscles and calloused skin. He wasn’t sure what made him do it, except for the simple fact that it seemed like the right thing to do. Steve’s leg felt rough and stout, but Bucky liked how it felt on his head, giving him a sense of being grounded. 

Steve, meanwhile, was petrified at the sudden copious amount of affection Bucky displayed. He didn’t want to touch Bucky in case it spooked him and made him stop. Steve had read somewhere that the purr of a cat had healing factors. Jumping to conclusions like he jumped to buildings, Steve supposed with unbound optimism that Bucky was trying to help him heal, regardless of its effectiveness. The love for the cat Steve already harbored grew exponentially and he couldn’t help but extend his fingers to Bucky’s ears. Bucky let Steve cautiously scratch his ears then met his eyes. The big sapphire blue eyes of the cat blinked once as Steve stared back. Then Bucky gently pushed Steve’s hand away with his head and turned away from Steve, still purring. As Steve watched, the cat gracefully skipped upstairs, most likely to return to his cave under the bed. 

Steve stood frozen, his gaze unmoved from where Bucky disappeared upstairs. It was as if a magical spell had been cast upon him.

‘What the fuck was that about?’ Bucky questioned himself.

How many times had he pledged to never degrade to the level of a house cat? He had been human once, damn it! But Bucky couldn’t bring himself any more self-berating. Steve had been good to him. Sappy and annoying, yes, but Steve gave Bucky space, food, attention, and even love, when Bucky had exhibited nothing but contempt to Steve. It seemed like Steve had the patience of a gramps, despite being much younger.

From what Bucky could tell, Steve did rather dangerous things when he was out. How could he have sustained those injuries otherwise? Maybe he should pay more attention to Steve’s phone calls. Thus far, he’d completely ignored them.

Also, the way Steve looked at Bucky, full of adoration and gratitude? Bucky was afraid he was going to blush, even though he was a cat. All his resolve about being the most ass-hole cat ever was dissolving with each caress from Steve. So what if he remained a cat forever, because he couldn’t find his true love? This wasn’t that bad of a life. In fact, it was pretty cushy. Bucky sighed, as he rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes, confused with conflicting thoughts on his life.

***

“Nat, seriously. Can you stop with these dates?”

“No. You’re dangerously close to becoming an antisocial hermit. And your attachment to that cat is unhealthy.”
“Nat, I really don’t…”

“Steve, I know. But I worry about you. We all worry about you. Humor us.”

Steve had nothing to say to that; he did appreciate their concern. And despite the awkwardness, he did think some human interaction was perhaps beneficial for him. Still, if he had a choice, he’d rather spend the evening being scratched by Bucky than on a date. Unfortunately for him, Steve made the mistake of announcing this to his team and further gave them cause to escalate their matchmaking efforts.

Steve tried to forget about his impending date by reading up on the different brands of cat food. He had bought Bucky what the shelter recommended, but being the concerned cat-dad he was, he wanted to make sure it was the best. There were so many different brands with different options, it was hard to make a choice. However, he didn’t have much time left; Bucky’s kibble was getting low.

Just as he was about to click on the review for an organic brand, Bucky jumped up on the table, right next to his laptop.

“Hey bud,” Steve greeted, glancing at his beautiful cat. He didn’t dare give Bucky a scratch though; he knew better than that. However, perhaps Steve should have given him that scratch, because Bucky proceeded to step over the laptop keyboard, pressing random keys. Steve removed his hand out of surprise and Bucky took the chance to plop down completely, covering the keyboard. Steve looked at the cat, dumbfounded, and the cat stared back.

‘What? Oh, did I interrupt you?’ purred Bucky with feigned innocence. Then he growled, ‘Whatcha gonna do about it??’

“Oh Bucky. I’m sorry, did I leave you alone too long? How about a little scratch?”

Before Bucky could protest, Steve carefully gave Bucky a small scratch behind the ears and stopped just before he felt the cat’s head preparing to gnaw his fingers.

“Was that okay? I’m a little busy, buddy. Can I have my computer back now?”

‘I didn’t come here for scratches anyway. I just want to rest here,’ yawned Bucky as he flopped on his back, still covering the keyboard. Steve figured Bucky was going to stay there for a while, so he tried to stand up to do something else, but Bucky apparently wanted an audience while he decadently rested on the laptop, because he snapped his head up and yowled every time Steve made to leave. In the end, Steve thought it was adorable, so he sat and watched Bucky, occasionally giving a scratch or two on the head, but never his stomach, until Bucky tired of the feeling of the keys and left to slumber on the couch. Steve smiled as the cat deflected his last attempt at a pet and watched the fluffy tail sway gently as Bucky abandoned him.

***
 

Steve was out on another date. Bucky knew this because “Nat” called prior to each one. It took him a while to figure out that these were real dates, however, because Steve failed (in Bucky’s humble opinion) to dress himself up. Bucky was always oddly pissed at Steve’s audacity to leave him alone; on the other hand, Bucky could do whatever the hell he wanted, so he figured it evened out.

Bucky lounged beside the window of the living room, watching the birds he couldn’t attack. As he licked his claws a little dolefully, a great ginger cat with a white moustache on a very flat face suddenly jumped onto the ledge of the window.

‘Howdy!’ the cat nodded.

‘Jesus fucking Christ! Who the hell are you??’ Bucky hissed.

‘I’m Dum-Dum! Nice to meet you… Bucky!’ Dum-Dum said, squinting at Bucky’s name in silver, etched on the red tag. ‘I just wanted to say, welcome to the neighborhood!’

As Dum-Dum settled down on one end of the window ledge, three more cats jumped on. Though the ledge was pretty long, the cats struggled and shuffled to find a spot to sit. Next to Dum-Dum sat a gray mackerel tabby with the nametag reading “Gabe,” next to him, a sleek, all black cat with the tag “Jim,” and the last cat a blue, shorthaired Scottish fold with the tag “Monty.”

‘Hey there,’ the three meowed together. They all curiously stared at Bucky and he felt strangely embarrassed by their inspection.

‘Hi,’ he finally answered. He was feeling shy and starting to get angry at all the gawking, but the cats outside seemed intrigued and flicked their tails happily.

‘We’re ze Yowling Commandos!’ another cat meowed from somewhere. When Bucky looked for him, he just saw pointy ears and top half of the eyes above the ledge.

‘Damn it, Jacques. We were gonna say it together!’ Gabe chided.

‘Well, you were taking too long!’ Jacques retorted.

‘Yowling Commandos? What the hell is that?’ Bucky asked with a snort.

‘We patrol the neighborhood and make sure nothing funny happens,’ explained Monty proudly with a prim accent.

‘Okay. What kind of stuff do you do?’

‘Basically loiter and chase squirrels,’ Jim replied. He didn’t sound as proud as Monty.

‘Enough about us! Why aren’t you outside, Bucky? You’re not one of those fancy types who’s too good for the outside, are ya?’ Dum-Dum asked skeptically.

‘No!’ Bucky meowed, indignant. ‘My human doesn’t trust me to be outside. Thinks I’ll run away or something.’ Which he guessed wasn’t much better.

‘Shiiiit son! That sucks. You should up your game: gain their trust and come outside! It’s so much better, man,’ Jim suggested.

‘Yeah, whatever. Maybe,’ replied Bucky, embarrassed. ‘Who’s the little guy, anyway?’

‘Ey, who are you calling little!?’

‘That’s Jacques. He’s a munchkin,’ Gabe replied. ‘His human is a grad student at the university with our humans. They don’t live with us, but the rest of us all live together in that house at the end of the street. Our humans are roommates.’

‘Jeez, isn’t that too many cats in one house??’ Bucky asked incredulously.

‘Nah, we’ve been together since we were younger. Our humans decided to adopt us all one night when they were drunk,’ chuckled Jim.

‘Well, we were gonna induct you into our squad, but there’s no point if you can’t come outside, is there?’ Dum-Dum said, disappointed. Bucky scoffed privately. They didn’t even know if he wanted to join! He wasn’t just a normal cat, after all.

‘Don’t give up so fast, boys,’ purred another cat. They all turned to look at the low-hanging tree branch near the window, where a long-haired white cat with black patches regally sat, gazing down at them.

‘Peggy!’ exclaimed the cats together. From their demeanor, Bucky could tell that she not only had their admiration, but also respect.

‘He can still be a part of our squad. He can patrol with us when he is exonerated,’ Peggy said calmly. She spoke in the same prim manner as Monty, except even more refined.

‘Well, guys? Thanks for the offer, and the visit, but it might be a while before I can go outside. I’m not an upstanding cat and my human’s real protective,’ Bucky said sullenly. It wasn’t that he particularly wanted to join their squad all that much, but he missed roaming outside.

‘Your human is Steve, right?’ asked Peggy.

‘Yeah, how’d you know?’

‘I’ve resided in this neighborhood the longest and I’ve encountered Steve on a few occasions. He’s always been lovely.’

‘Oh man, Steve’s your human? We love that guy! I forgot he lived here. He’s the best, dude. Always gives us quality scratches,’ raved Dum-Dum.

‘You musta been baaad if Steve doesn’t trust you!’ laughed Jim.

‘Shut up! We only met a few weeks ago! I can change his mind,’ hissed Bucky. He wasn’t sure he really could, though. Even if he were to behave, Steve seemed like a worrywart. The cats all chuckled as Bucky swished his tail furiously.

‘Alright, Bucko, good luck with that! We’ll see you around, hopefully outside!’ Jim said as he jumped off the ledge. Then the other cats all said their good-byes as they left too. Jacques jumped once to show his face before he skipped after the others. When the ledge was empty, Peggy jumped down gracefully, meeting Bucky’s gaze.

‘I’m sure Steve will come around, if you’ll behave yourself,’ winked Peggy. Then she, too, leapt away home.

***

It was a weird date. The man Natasha found this time was very attractive, but he kept making innuendos at Steve the whole night. Albeit, it was mostly subtle and well executed, but Steve couldn’t shake off the awkwardness no matter how hard he tried. When the man got bold and started playing footsies with him under the table, sliding up his leg (though he didn’t get too far), Steve had to call it quits and stood up. The thing was, he was being affected by all this sensuality; it just wasn’t the way Steve wanted it to happen. Call him prude, but he just couldn’t deal with it. Steve still apologized to his date, but excused himself much faster than he usually would have and made himself scarce. 

Steve quickly unlocked his door and locked it back after entering. He felt as if the come-ons would follow him, though he knew, for a fact, that nothing corporeal was there.

He turned on the lights to assess the damage, as he was now conditioned to do. Broken mug. That’s it? Well, he supposed this had to be one of his most cursory dates thus far. He counted it as a blessing, since he was tired and was in no mood to do a full house clean up. After sweeping up the mug, he climbed the stairs to his room, where he knew his little cat was hiding somewhere. 

Bucky was sleeping on a jacket he’d recently taken a liking to. It was tattered and full of hair (Bucky did shed a freakish amount), but Bucky had held onto it with his ears down and a low growl when Steve tried to throw it away. Steve didn’t really understand why, because there was at least one comfy bed in each room for Bucky to sleep in. 

Making as little noise as possible, Steve undressed and went into his bed. Having to dodge all those flirtatious remarks and steering the conversation into a neutral territory was grueling work. The guy had made some rather naughty comments, at times completely devoid of subtlety, which made Steve gasp in shock like someone’s 80 year-old prudish grandmother.

“Yeah, I just love having a big stick shoved up my-- ”

“Um,” Steve blanched.

“I’m being sarcastic,” he had said with a saucy wink.

Steve didn’t think he was being sarcastic at all. They were talking about colonoscopies and how much they sucked! Having been verbally attacked by varying degrees of innuendos and lewd comments, it was hard for Steve not to dwell on naughty thoughts, even if his date himself wasn’t featured in them.

“Oh…”

Steve hadn’t touched himself much at all since his rude awakening. It felt simultaneously odd and familiar, putting his hand down his pants. He wasn’t sure what to think about. Despite her efforts, no one from Natasha’s slew of dates for Steve had been his type. All he could picture was the old dress uniform people wore back in the day. He had rather appreciated the sharp angles and trimmed waists. As he switched back and forth from curved to firm figures encased in the meticulously ironed green uniforms, he worked his wrist on himself gently, gradually increasing his arousal.

‘Oh yeah, baby, work it!’ meowed Bucky.

“Bucky?!” gasped Steve. He took his hand out of his pants and turned on the bedside lamp. He found Bucky sitting upright on the jacket nest, watching him with keen eyes.

‘Don’t stop! Keep that going!’ Bucky chortled.

“Fine, I’ll stop, I’ll stop!” surrendered Steve, taking a tissue to wipe his hands.

‘No! I said keep going!’ Bucky meowed, frustrated.

It wasn’t that Bucky was ever interested in guys before. It was just… curious to see another man touch himself. Nothing his previous grandpa-owners did had been all too fascinating. In hindsight, Bucky was incredibly grateful that he didn’t have to witness any old man shenanigans. Steve, though, was a different story. It was hard to see him in the dark, but he had been making some interesting noises. Also, if Bucky could make him uncomfortable by staring at him as he masturbates? It could only be a bonus. 

‘Come on, Steve. Just pretend I’m not here!’

“Stop judging me Bucky!”

‘I’m telling you, I don’t mind! I encourage you!’

“Oh no you don’t!”

When Bucky even dared to jump on Steve bed and continued to meow in protest, Steve grabbed him around the middle and put him outside the door. He had allowed Bucky to sleep in his room everyday since the adoption, but he was too mortified at the moment to have even his cat in the room. He knew it was dumb – Bucky was a cat! Still, he apologized to Bucky and closed the door.

‘Hey! What do you think you are doing?? Open the door, dumbass!’ yowled Bucky. He also began scratching the door vehemently. He was going to claw his way through if it didn’t open. This was his bedroom-come-safehouse now! How insolent of Steve to kick him out! Bucky hadn’t done anything wrong! So rude.

“Good god, Bucky! Okay, fine! You can come in,” relented Steve.

‘Uhhh, I don’t need your permission, idiot. This is my room,’ hissed Bucky, as he was let in.

“You love me that much, huh?” asked Steve, scratching Bucky’s head. Bucky granted him three seconds before biting Steve’s finger. “Ouch!”

‘In your dreams!’ meowed Bucky. He then snuggled into the jacket nest and purred in comfort.

“Aw, I love you too, buddy!” Steve smiled, already forgetting that he’d been caught with his hand down his pants by his cat.

***

Steve didn’t know what Tony had built, and frankly, he didn’t care. However, Tony was insistent that he construct the “greatest cat tower ever” for his cat-nephew. What Steve really wanted to know was, why Tony couldn’t deliver it himself, fully assembled, instead of making Steve do it at home.

Steve opened the box the size of a modest refrigerator and pulled out the instructions, neatly printed by JARVIS.

“Jeez, Tony. Bucky doesn’t need an Iron Cat Tower…”

Steve carefully took the components out from their plastic bags and began assembling the cat tower, checking the instructions at least ten times before committing the parts together. The tower consisted of metal, wooden, and fabric parts, connecting together with bolts and included circuit boards (“Tony why?”) to be connected to a power source at the end. Steve conceded that it wasn’t quite IKEA levels of assembly, but it still had many connections per part to ensure sound construction.

As he plugged in the cord, Steve couldn’t help but admire his own handy work and Tony’s engineering prowess. The cat tower had five levels, with mechanical toys, like the automated mouse in a ring and timer-operated laser pointer, wooden steps and scratching boards, with boxes and ledges lined with fluffy carpet for comfort. At the bottom, there was even a self-filling water fountain, with a sensor for when the bowl was empty. Steve whistled at the magnificent tower. He couldn’t wait for Bucky to try it.

‘What the fuck is that?’ Bucky meowed, sauntering in.

“Hey bud. Did you know I was making something for you? Look what Uncle Tony invented for you! Isn’t it amazing?” cooed Steve. Bucky slowly made his way around the tools and the debris toward the tower. He sniffed around the tower, but didn’t go up. 

“Don’t you want to play with the toys? Look, laser pointers!” Steve tried. Bucky looked at him with blank eyes. He sniffed through the mess Steve had made and finally reached the box. In one smooth leap, Bucky went inside the sizable box, with packing peanuts flying out like confetti.

“Oh! Are you okay?” Steve ran over to the box and looked down. To his surprise, Bucky purred as he rolled around the packing peanuts. He dove in and out of the peanuts, scratching and rubbing his face on the box sides every once in a while. He looked positively content. 

“So? Does your little manic kitty love it or what??” Tony asked excitedly through the speaker.

“Um… Sort of?” Steve winced, as he watched the box wiggle with the cat bouncing inside.

“What do you mean, ‘sort of’?” demanded Tony, “it’s a state of the art, Stark Tech Cat Tower, patent pending.”

“Yeah, it’s great Tony. I’m really impressed!” Steve glanced at the gleaming tower without a cat.

“Rogers, I don’t give a rat’s ass about what you think. Tell me, is he high on the cat tower like he would be on catnip?”

“…Not quite.”

“Explain.”

“Listen, I think he needs some time to adjust. I don’t think he’s had this kind of thing before. I’ll take photos as soon as he’s using it,” tried Steve.

“…You mean he’s not using it? Why?” Tony asked, confused. It seemed to stop the circuit of his brain that a thing he’d made was unappreciated, by a meager cat, no less.

“He loves the box though!” Steve supplied cheerfully. Only the disconnect tone answered him.

Chapter Text

Bucky jerked awake, breathing as hard as possible through his tiny nose. Steve had gone out… For something. He vaguely recalled Steve announcing where he was going and that he’d return soon, but Bucky had ignored it in favor of annihilating the toilet paper.

Bucky tried to remember his dream. All he could conjure was a montage of all the old fogies who had generously taken him in. There was one who liked to garden and let Bucky hunt critters in the yard; another who liked to photograph Bucky when the cat permitted it. Following the semi-nostalgic recollection came an ominous feeling that perhaps he was stuck forever. Throughout his eight owners, there hadn’t been an occasion for kisses, especially from a true love. 

Bucky alternated back and forth, everyday, between giving up on the curse and furiously pursuing it. And when he calculated his prospects, he became livid at the situation and attacked something, frequently something highly fragile.

What was he to do? He didn’t really know what he wanted anymore. He’d seen many a woman come and go at the shelter, but no one had truly inspired any kind of love. Heck, none of his old girlfriends had been his “true love.” Had he forgotten how to love?

At the same time, the affection and care Steve showered him with and the emotions they stirred in Bucky disturbed him greatly. Bucky wasn’t a simple house cat. He had always vowed to be his own agent, just relying on his human servants for food and shelter.

But Steve was different. He made Bucky feel things - like the desire to behave or rub on Steve’s legs.

The buffoon declared his love for Bucky at every chance, but he also proved it by respecting Bucky’s wishes and space. The cat would be asleep and Steve fawned over how cute and pink Bucky’s paws were. However, Steve restrained himself to ogling, because he knew Bucky wouldn’t appreciate, or tolerate, his paws being prodded and squeezed.

Bucky still regularly demolished Steve’s possessions and scratched him to no end, but these feelings of gratitude and – goodness, really? – fondness cropped up once every blue moon and Bucky hadn’t a clue what to do with them.

‘Just let it flow, Bucky,’ Monty advised. The Yowling Commandos, including Peggy, had stopped by that afternoon.

‘Yeah, why are you so against affection anyway? You know, dogs use puppy eyes to get more treats! Humans are suckers for cuteness,’ agreed Gabe.

‘Yeah, show your belly and look pathetic every once in a while,’ added Jim.

‘And purrrrrr,’ purred Jacques.

‘Ugh. You guys don’t understand,’ whined Bucky from the couch ledge. The cats were all congregated outside the window, packed on the ledge, except for Peggy who opted for the bush and Jacques standing on his hind legs again.

Bucky wasn’t sure if he should share his secret with these cats. However, they had visited him quite habitually and had become what Bucky guessed were “friends”…

‘The thing is guys… I’m under a spell. I have to kiss a true love to break it. I used to a human,’ Bucky confided. All the cats froze and stared silently as Bucky nervously awaited their judgment.

‘HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I didn’t know you could joke, Buckaroo!’ exclaimed Dum-Dum as the others guffawed along.

‘Ugh I knew it. You’re all just stupid cats,’ Bucky groused, plopping his head onto his front legs dejectedly. The cats jumped off the ledge - citing mealtime - and headed home, with echoes of their giggles trailing behind them.

‘I don’t think you’re joking, Bucky,’ Peggy replied calmly. She hadn’t joined the laughter or the departure. She landed gently on the window ledge.

‘You don’t?’

‘No. Paranormal activities occur all the time. Transformations such as this aren’t even the most absurd,’ she answered kindly, licking a paw.

‘Well. Thanks for believing me. Evidently I sound like a moron to the other guys.’

‘Oh, don’t worry about them. They’re a bunch of knuckleheads, but they’ll see that you tell the truth. So, do you wish to break the curse and return to being human?’

Bucky mulled over the question carefully. He had become quite comfortable in Steve’s house; in fact, he had been in every home he was taken in. Even if just for a few years, it was nice having a home and someone else taking care of you. Still, this wasn’t his life. He wasn’t supposed to be a cat.

‘Yeah. I’m almost beginning to forget that I used to be human and it scares me. I wasn’t ever someone great or even good,” Bucky confessed, “but… I want to live as a human, that’s what I was. But I have no idea how I’m ever going to make it happen. I feel like I have no choice but to give up.’  

Peggy listened patiently and gave him a consoling smile. She couldn’t lick him through the window, but she rubbed her soft head on the glass in solidarity. Bucky rubbed back in appreciation. It was strange – he was so used to being hostile to other cats. Perhaps it was a good thing to have a barrier, halting him first.

‘Obviously, I don’t have a solution for you, Bucky. However, I’d advise you not to lose hope. Answers come to us when we least expect it. You should be ready to accept when it does. As I said, strange things happen in this world – if you’ve been turned into a cat, you can likely turn back into a human.’

Peggy gave him a final smile and jumped off the ledge too. Bucky stared at the fluffy white tail as it weaved through the bushes and onto the sidewalk. She lived a few houses down across the street. Bucky sighed, playing Peggy’s words in his head. She was probably right; she seemed like a wise cat. At this point in his life, he was beyond caring that he was heeding a cat’s advice. He had been a cat longer than her anyways. Why was life so complicated? Time for a nap, he guessed.

***

The sun had already set when Bucky heard the garage door open. Steve was home. Bucky had spent rest of the afternoon napping, digging up Steve’s shirts, and then back to napping, all in the bedroom. Ever since the arrival of that bizarre contraption, he’d been avoiding the living room. 

“Bucky?”

He had no idea why Steve always called him. Yes, Bucky heard him, but he never went out to greet him or anything.

“His name is Bucky? That’s so cute!”

‘What the FUCK?’ Bucky tensed. A woman! Why the hell was a woman in their house??

Bucky quietly left the room and peeked beyond the wall, down the stairs. He couldn’t see anything. Slowly, he descended the stairs just enough to see the kitchen through the balustrade. Illuminated by the kitchen light, Bucky could see Steve talking to a blonde woman.

“He’s a cute little guy, but he’s really shy. I had to take my time getting to know him, and I’d say we’ve still got ways to go,” Steve replied as he took out his groceries.

WHO WAS SHE? A girlfriend? Bucky never heard Steve mention one. Of course, Bucky hadn’t paid much attention, but still. A friend? Steve never brought any friends. The only female friend Bucky had discerned was Nat, who only ever phoned Steve. And it sounded like she always dominated Steve or at the least made him flustered. This woman here didn’t seem like the type.

Wait a minute, thought Bucky. Why wasn’t he excited at the opportunity to meet a woman? This could be his chance to charm the heck out of her and possibly get his true love’s kiss! And yet, he was somehow repulsed by her presence.

“So Sharon, you wanna start cooking?”

“Yep! Where do you keep your pans?”

“They’re in the cabinet down on the left. You said you needed garlic powder, pepper, and what else?”

“Cumin.”

“Right, I just bought that,” chuckled Steve. “Thanks again for offering to teach me some new dishes.”

“It’s no problem, Steve. I’m happy to do it.”

UGH. What was that?? The sickeningly sweet tone made Bucky’s stomach churn. Bucky channeled the spirit of the assassins he had come across while at the school library and embarked on the couch without detection. He never thought he’d ever think about assassins of all things again. After all, stealth wasn’t all that necessary way back then; Brooklyn had been full of cacophony. 

“That looks good, Steve. We’ll just set that aside so we can add the cream later.”

“It smells great. I can’t wait to try!” 

Steve and Sharon made eye contact and grinned at each other. Bucky growled low as his whiskers twitched erratically. He wanted to swipe at their faces. Steve was his property. His human. How dare that woman waltz in here and lure him away??

“Oh! Bucky’s come out!” Steve beamed at him. “Hey there, buddy. Did you smell the food?”

‘I smelled treachery,’ Bucky snarled.

“Oh yeah. He’s hungry. I’ll give him some food,” said Steve, walking over to the cabinet. As Steve poured Bucky’s kibble into the bowl, Sharon crouched down, meeting Bucky’s eyes.

“Hi little guy? Can I say hi to you?”

‘You just did, idiot.’

“Oh, he’s so pretty. Come here, Bucky. You look so soft!” Sharon clucked. Glaring at her, Bucky walked toward her with his best murder strut.

“He’s so elegant,” complimented Sharon, impressed. While she glanced at Steve, Bucky snatched his chance, bit her hand hard, and quickly ran away.

“Ouch!”

“Sharon! Are you okay?” ask Steve, alarmed.

“Oh, it’s bleeding…”

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Bucky! Bad boy!” Steve yelled toward the stairs. 

Did Steve just raise his voice? To him? He had half a mind to go back and bite Steve too. Ugh, now he was hungry. But Bucky had his pride. He slinked away to his sanctuary under the bed and resolved he wouldn’t emerge until the woman was gone.

Apparently, Sharon wasn’t to be banished forever. She returned every once in a while and Bucky, with increasing annoyance, observed them becoming closer with each visit.

He loathed her. If asked why, he couldn’t really put a paw on the reason. Simply that it was on principle. And as expected, he made sure she knew how much he reviled her.

“Steve, that cat hates me.”

“No, he doesn’t. I told you he’s a little… Shy.”

“No, Steve, listen. He knows I bought that mug for you. He made eye contact with me as he slowly pushed it off the table.”

“I…”

***

“Bucky? Where are you buddy? I have some new toys for you to try!”

Steve looked under the bed, on top of shelves, and anywhere else a cat could hide, but Bucky was nowhere to be seen. Then he heard Sharon shriek from the shower and a thud soon followed.

“Sharon?? What’s wrong?”

“That son of a bitch cat scared the shit out of me! He jumped in front of me as I was getting out of the shower and I slipped!” she yelled showing him the bruise on her thigh beneath the towel.

“Hey, I know you’re upset, but you don’t need to talk to him like that,” objected Steve.

“Are you kidding me right now? That cat is the devil. How long are you gonna defend him before you see what an asshole he is??”

Steve frowned. Bucky had already found shelter under the bed. Steve kneeled and found Bucky, slightly shivering and looking at him with wide eyes.

‘Ha! What a thrill! You should’ve seen the way she fell!’ meowed Bucky.

“Aw… I think you scared him too. He’s shivering,” said Steve, standing back up. “Look, he’s a cat. He’s doing what cats do. I know he’s not the friendliest, but he’s had his hardships too. He’s not perfect, but he’s important to me. He’s not just a pet. Could you please try to understand that?” Steve pleaded, embracing her.

“I guess,” Sharon acquiesced with a sigh. Steve kissed her cheek as thanks and left her to get dressed. As soon as he was out of the room, she bent down to the floor, meeting the neon glow of Bucky’s eyes.

“Listen, jackass. I know you’re up to no good. I’m watching you. It’s either you, or me. I’ll make sure he kicks your furry little ass out of here if you don’t fucking behave. So watch yourself, got it?” she threatened. Bucky replied with an extended hiss, baring all his sharp little teeth. Sharon scoffed.

‘You witch… Be prepared for your worst nightmare,’ Bucky promised.

***

Steve had a headache. By all accounts, he should have been happy as a clam. He had established himself in the new century relatively well, even had a great girlfriend who made him happy, and a beautiful cat: a little claw-happy, but sweet enough to sit on his lap after grueling missions and purr the pain away. And strangely enough, his injuries really did seem to improve with the therapy. Despite the complexities of the missions, he and his team were completing them fairly well, too.

However, his cat and his girlfriend got along like oil and water, when they weren’t trying to obliterate each other out of existence. Thankfully, Bucky hadn’t caused any big incidents of late, but Sharon complained of little holes in her clothes, scratches on her (rather pricey) bag and shoes, and only her cups always being knocked over somehow. Obviously, it was Bucky. What Steve didn’t understand, though, was why she was making a big deal of it. Bucky had shredded everything in sight when he first came to live with Steve and, frankly, little holes and scratches were great improvements. Bucky was a cat – didn’t she understand? 

And the fact that she had no tolerance for the cat’s behavior and her apparent dislike for him couldn’t possibly have translated well to Bucky. She was always telling Bucky to go away as soon as he entered a room and Steve thought that he even saw her swatting him when the cat jumped on the table. Steve never swatted Bucky.

Steve wasn’t naïve: he knew Bucky was difficult. But Steve had taken him in fully knowing that. He didn’t want to reform Bucky; he just wanted Bucky to be happy. And Bucky had already become an indispensable part of Steve’s life. When Bucky would give him the occasional rub on the leg, allow a pet on the head, and gaze at him with those gorgeous eyes, Steve couldn’t help but love the little guy. In fact, the disasters Bucky created at the beginning were actually good distractions for Steve to focus on, when he was lonely and tired of adjusting to the new era. 

Sharon was great, she was nice and she didn’t seem to mind the fact he was had an unusual job or that he was awkward. She herself had family in the service and was working as an IT consultant for the CIA. But it turned out that she didn’t really love animals much in the first place and her absolute disdain for his cat was beginning to be a strain on the relationship. No matter how much he tried to reconcile them, he had failed miserably.

“Look Sharon, I’m getting a CAT scan!” Steve said. Steve was lying on the couch and Bucky was walking on him, sniffing for the treat Steve had hidden in his pocket.

“Uh-huh,” Sharon replied, without her eyes leaving her book. By the time a crestfallen Steve finally decided to reply to her, Bucky had fished out the treat and left the humans to enjoy it in peace. Steve guessed Bucky wasn’t very fond of Sharon either.

***

The doorbell rang. A bark followed. Bucky had been relaxing on a rare day without Sharon in the house, sleeping in Steve’s drawer of pants. It was thanks to this habit that Steve always required a tape-roller by the door, but it didn’t seem to bother the man – while it infinitely irritated his girlfriend.

“Sam! And Riley! Come in, come in,” Steve welcomed them as he opened the door.

“Hey man. Are you sure it’s okay for Riley to come in?” Sam asked, concerned.

“Well, no, I’m not sure, but if Bucky doesn’t want to be bothered, he’ll stay in hiding. And no offense to Riley, but Bucky can put up a fight,” chuckled Steve.

“Alright, man,” smiled Sam. “Thanks for having us over. Here’s the beer I told you about. Keep it in the fridge until the game starts.”

Sam handed over the pack of beer from a local brewery. While Steve followed his instructions, Sam gave Riley a scratch before taking off his leash. 

“Okay Riley. I know there’s a cat in the house, but try to be good. Yeah, bud? I can trust you, right?”

“Woof!”

“Good boy,” Sam smiled. As he let go, the dog immediately began sniffing the floor and anywhere else his snout could reach. Sam walked to the kitchen to join Steve, while Riley sniffed interestedly up the stairs and headed to the dark second floor.

Bucky was ready to pounce on the intruder. Hairs standing like a porcupine, Bucky lowered his ears and body. No, he wasn’t afraid of dogs. He used to like them, actually, when he was human. Inevitably, however, he was vulnerable as a cat and had to take precaution. As the floppy-eared head of the dog made its way to the bedroom, Bucky hissed as loudly as he could.

‘GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE.’

‘Hello friend! My name is Riley,’ said the dog unperturbed.

‘I don’t care what your name is!’ Bucky hissed again.

‘I want to be friends,’ whined Riley.

‘Go away. I don’t make friends with slobbering animals.’

‘Hey, I don’t slobber. Well, sometimes. Anyways, I’m here with Sam! My human,’ Riley said dreamily.

‘Who the fuck is Sam?’

‘The best person there ever was! He’s also your human’s friend,’ Riley explained.

‘Steve has a friend? Why are all these stupid people showing up lately,’ complained Bucky.

‘Oh, but Sam is the best! He is handsome, and kind, and tall, and strong…’

‘Geez, dog. You in love with him or something?’ Bucky asked condescendingly. Riley didn’t seem to notice, however.

‘Yes! I love him. Can I tell you a secret, friend?’

‘Uh, no. And I’m not your friend,’ Bucky declined, disgusted.

‘Please? I just met you and this is crazy, but I feel like I can share my secret with you. Like you would understand. What is your name, friend?’

Bucky wanted to ignore the desperation in Riley’s voice. But Riley was making actual puppy-dog eyes, as he lay by the bed to stare at Bucky underneath. If he had been still human, Bucky would have found the German Shepard mix rather cute and given him a scratch. Resigned, Bucky crawled out the other side and leapt on the bed. He still wanted to have the height advantage even if he was giving in to the dog. 

‘Fine, you dumb dog. What’s your secret,’ Bucky asked apathetically. ‘And I’m Bucky.’

‘Bucky! Thank you, friend,’ Riley yipped with excitement.

‘Shut up and hurry up. I’ve got other things to do,’ said Bucky, thinking of all the napping and scratching scheduled for the day. He paced on the bed, found the perfect spot, and kneaded it to make it more comfortable. Once he was settled, he nodded at the panting dog to begin.

‘Here it goes: I used to be human!’

‘WHAT!’ Bucky exclaimed, getting up. Another cursed one?!

‘I know, insane, right? So, I was human, then I died, and then born again as a dog.’

‘Oh,’ said Bucky, disappointed. Not quite the same. ‘Okay. Continue.’

‘You… Believe me?’ questioned Riley, taken aback. All the other dogs he’d confided in had instantly discredited him.

‘Sure, why not. Crazy world we live in, right?’ Bucky said nonchalantly. He settled back in his spot.

‘Wow. I just knew you’d understand, friend!’ Riley barked. Bucky yawned disinterestedly. ‘And the kicker is, I knew Sam when I was a person. I don’t remember everything about my life as human, but I remembered Sam, because I had loved him so much.’
‘Were you a girl when you were human?’ Bucky asked with a teasing smile.
‘Nope. Sam and I served on the same pararescue unit, where we met and became best friends!’

‘Oh. Wait… You were a guy and loved another guy…?’ Bucky asked, confused. He also didn’t know what “pararescue” was. He’d get to that later.

‘Yes?’

‘But how? Isn’t that illegal or something?’

Riley barked out a laugh. 

‘Bucky, my friend! Where are you from, Russia?? Don’t you watch TV? Firstly, you can’t help whom you love. It’s been that way forever.’  

Bucky then remembered something else he had read in the library: of the Greek soldiers who were not only brothers in arms, but also lovers. And he guessed he knew of a few bars in Brooklyn where such men had gone…

‘Secondly,’ Riley continued matter-of-factly, ‘gay marriage is legal now in America! Actually in a few other countries as well.’

All this new information… Riley also began to list off all the countries with marriage equality, but Bucky tuned out. Speaking of which, the old women directors of his last shelter had been married to each other, too! How had he missed it all this time? His previous humans didn’t watch much news, he supposed. They preferred to read the newspaper and if they watched anything, it was either Hogan’s Heroes, M*A*S*H, or Jeopardy. For some reason, Steve also preferred to read the news, but didn’t really watch any shows. Also, Bucky had been kind of preoccupied with the destructive relief of his stress most of his feline life. 

‘How do you know when you love someone?’ Bucky asked after moments of contemplation.

‘Hm… You just know? When they’re the most important thing in your life? Maybe you’d give up everything else to be with them? Nothing matters except their happiness?’

‘Jesus, why is it so dramatic?’ protested Bucky.

‘I’m just telling you how I feel, Bucky,’ smiled Riley. ‘If someone makes you feel loved and you can do the same, I’d say that’s love.’

‘Well, I have to admit I’ve never felt that way.’

‘Really? Even with Steve?’

‘No! He’s just my caretaker.’

‘But he loves you so much, Bucky. I heard all about you when Steve calls Sam. About how cute and sweet you are!’

Bucky flushed at that. Of course, it wouldn’t show on his furry face, but he could feel the heat. What was Steve doing, telling blatant lies about him!

‘So, you knew my name already? Why did you ask me then, liar?’ accused Bucky.

‘Oh, it was out of politeness,’ Riley replied bashfully. ‘Sam told me to behave.’

Bucky rolled his eyes. This dog was a sap.

‘Wait… Did you ever tell Sam your feelings, when you were human?’

For the first time since their encounter, Riley seemed to wilt. He gazed at the floor before meeting Bucky’s eyes again.

‘No. I died during a rescue mission before I said anything. I can’t be sure, but I don’t think I was going to tell him anyway,’ Riley said quietly. After a few seconds of thought, he added more brightly, ‘I’m just happy to be by his side now. He rescued me when I was a puppy. I’m so lucky to have found him again!’

‘Ugh,’ Bucky gagged. ‘Why do you love him anyway?’

‘Well… You know, when I was born, I’d forgotten about it all. Just thought I was a dog. But then I met Sam and bits of my past life came back. I began to love him again the moment I met him, but he’s really a great guy. He tries so hard to understand my needs. He shows me so much patience and affection. I know he loves me very much,’ Riley finished with a dopey smile.

While still somewhat aghast, Bucky also thought some of that sounded oddly like Steve. And Bucky wasn’t even nice like Riley. Did Steve really love him? Despite all the nastiness Bucky displays?

‘Why do humans love us?’ Bucky asked, a little dazed.

‘We provide them unconditional love and comfort they can’t get from other people. Plus, we’re cute!’

‘I don’t provide unconditional love and comfort to Steve,’ Bucky sourly replied.

‘You may not think so, but I’m sure Steve does. Doesn’t he love it when you show a little warmth? I’ve heard cats save displays of affection for greater effect!’

‘I guess...’

Riley panted and nodded excitedly. So Steve loves him. That was quaint. Did Bucky love Steve? He wasn’t so sure. Bucky tried to imagine living with a different old man – he shuddered at the thought. And while Bucky considered Steve mostly as someone subservient to him, he couldn’t deny that he appreciated him. Bucky suddenly felt as if puffs of clouds reminding him of moments when he had been tender to Steve filled the room. There had even been a moment when he pawed Steve for a pet, in his own sleep-drunk haze (he’d never do that sober). He felt his face heat, along with phantom itches on his whiskers. 

“Riley?” Sam called. Riley’s tail wagged enthusiastically.

‘Let’s go downstairs, Bucky!’ Riley barked. ‘It’s fun to spend time with your human!’

‘Ugh,’ Bucky scoffed. However, seeing as it was chance to be with Steve in the absence of Sharon, Bucky found it hard to resist Riley’s invitation. The dog was already jumping up and down in excitement. ‘Fine,’ Bucky finally relented.

“Riley! You made friends with Bucky? Good boy!” Sam exclaimed as the dog entered the living room with the cat on his back. The dog panted excitedly in response.

“Wow, I’m impressed! Bucky, I’m so proud of you for making a friend too!” Steve exclaimed with a broad smile. Sam looked like he doubted any effort on Bucky’s part, but didn’t say anything.

‘Whatever,’ Bucky yawned. Then he jumped off Riley’s back to sit on Steve’s lap. The humans froze in shock.

“Well done, Rogers. Seems like he doesn’t hate you!” Sam laughed. Steve remained speechless, honored beyond imagination that Bucky would come in contact with him voluntarily when no treats were involved. Steve hovered a hand over Bucky’s head, keeping it there when the cat growled low. After a couple of seconds, Bucky quieted and Steve dared a pet on the head. He petted him until Bucky purred and stopped just before Bucky normally tired of his touch. At that, Bucky had no choice but to acknowledge that Steve truly understood and loved him. And maybe Bucky wouldn’t mind reciprocating a little bit from now on.

Chapter Text

“No.”

“Please, Sharon. This is his home! I can’t kick him out of the bedroom.”

“Fine, then I’m not staying over anymore. You come to my place.”

Sharon hung up before Steve had a chance to react. Steve groaned. He knew why she was being stubborn. Now that Sharon had started staying over more, Bucky had been even more unpleasant than before. He yowled before bedtime until Steve let him sleep on the bed with them, woke them up at the crack of dawn for no reason, and he even sat on her face once, causing her to scream and scrub her face about a million times. It wasn’t only Steve’s imagination that Bucky also seemed to be deterring them from intimacy and Sharon was livid. He had reluctantly explained to her that Bucky had objected to him even masturbating, but Sharon ordered the cat’s cockblocking to cease, effective immediately.

“I’ll be back tomorrow, okay, Buck? I’m sorry I have to leave you… You don’t mind, though, right?”

Steve gave him a last treat before locking up the house. The cat simply stared at him as he reached for the doorknob, his overnight bag in tow. It wasn’t Bucky’s first time alone, but it was his first night alone. Steve had somehow managed to avoid this situation thus far, relying on Sharon’s benevolence to come to his house. He knew Bucky did his own things when alone, but he still felt bad for not being with him at night. Although Bucky rarely showed dismay when Steve left during the day, his sapphire eyes now seemed to exude so much sorrow. 

“Don’t look at me like that…” Steve knitted his eyebrows. The cat remained silent, only blinking his eyes slowly. “I’ll be back, okay? Can I pet you?” Steve asked, tentatively stretching out his hand. The cat simply closed his eyes and waited for the pet. Steve patted him a few times and scratched his ears in assurance. Meeting Bucky’s eyes one last time, Steve exited with heavy feet and locked the door.

‘He left,’ Bucky said to himself. Rather than the usual sense of freedom he felt when Steve went out, he now felt… Empty. It wasn’t even going to be that long; Steve was gone for almost a whole day sometimes when he was on his missions. But the fact that Steve was choosing to be with someone else, and not Bucky, made him unreasonably sad. Bucky contemplated demolishing absolutely everything – a level of destruction never seen before – but he couldn’t gather the energy to do so. He just wanted to hide in a corner and curl in on himself.

***

As the number of nights Steve spent away became rather frequent, Steve soon noticed a change in Bucky. He hardly broke anything, he was sleeping a lot more, and none of his favorite treats or cans appeared to be appetizing.

“Hey- Are you okay, Buck? What’s wrong, buddy?” Steve asked, scratching the cat on his lap. He was happy to have him accept the attention, but the abrupt transformation in demeanor didn’t seem right at all. The cat simply sighed and let Steve pet his head, eyes closing again.

Steve searched online all the symptoms Bucky showed, but none of them gave any definitive answer. In the end, they all recommended him to seek a medical professional. So he went to the only medical professional he knew, whom he also happened to trust – Bruce.

“…Steve, you know I’m not that kind of doctor. You need a vet.”

“I know,” Steve answered, as if that explained everything. Knowing nothing good would come of arguing with him, Bruce moved on to examine the cat. It was his first time meeting the cat, and frankly, he had only heard unappealing things about him. However, the cat in front of him was gorgeous and seemed rather harmless, laying on the table like a ragdoll and blinking slowly.

Bruce was still hesitant to investigate more closely, concerned about the cat’s tendency to suddenly lash out; however, seeing Steve’s worried, solemn face, he decided to risk a scratch or two. He was pretty sure that a cat’s attack wouldn’t release the Hulk anyways.

Carefully, Bruce fractionally lifted the cat off its belly and listened to Bucky’s heartbeat and breathing through the stethoscope. Using the machines Tony grudgingly provided (he was still upset about the cat tower), Bruce scanned him for any irregularities. He even procured a blood sample unscathed – thanks to the incredible precision and caution he applied, typically reserved for defusing bombs. By the time the blood work was done, other Avengers had heard of the cat’s arrival to the tower and had congregated to witness its existence. 

“There’s that motherfucker,” Tony spat.

“Hey, quit it. He’s actually not that bad,” Sam defended, having met the cat under amicable circumstances.  

“He’s pretty cute! I can’t wait for him to meet Lucky,” Clint commented excitedly.

“Do you want your dog to lose his eyes and limbs?” Natasha asked sardonically. Clint argued that Riley was still alive, but Sam shook his head; Lucky was great, but he had neither the sense of boundaries nor self-preservation. They settled down on the sofas after being silently instructed by Steve’s stiff shoulders, and a glare, to leave his cat alone.

“So? Is there anything wrong with him?” Steve asked nervously.

“Health-wise, no. He’s a little under-nourished, but you did say that he hasn’t been eating as much as usual. From what you tell me, it sounds like he’s depressed. Did you change anything in his environment?”

“Not really…”

“Don’t lie, Rogers. We know you’ve been spending nights with your girlfriend,” Natasha chided, but with a sly smile. She had been rather proud that Steve had found someone on his own, though she had still requested that they meet the woman in question to issue their approval. Steve had denied them the opportunity thus far. 

“Yeah I guess,” Steve rolled his eyes. “I have been leaving him alone overnight sometimes.”

“Well, I’m guessing he was lonely or missed you, or both.”

“What should I do?”

“Don’t leave him alone?” Bruce shrugged.

“But Bucky and Sharon don’t get along...” Steve whined, exasperated.

“Hold up. Your cat doesn’t like your girlfriend?” Sam asked. “That can’t be good.”

Bucky was getting tired all these humans fussing about him. All these new people! He was getting anxious, despite the layers of fatigue he was feeling. He just wanted to go home and sleep forever. He had exerted too much energy into not ripping the doctor guy apart. And Sharon was the last thing he wanted to hear about, thank you very much.

“No. He’s, you know, a cat! He scratches things and more importantly, it took me a long time to get him to tolerate me and not attack every second. She didn’t take that time and now she thinks he hates her… I don’t know what to do,” Steve said dejectedly.

“He probably does hate her. Jealous, too,” Natasha theorized. “Aw, you love him that much, little koshka?” she sang, looking directly at Bucky.

‘SHUT UP,’ Bucky hissed.

“Don’t deny it, cat,” Natasha dismissed.

Bucky was mildly shocked that she had understood him. Steve never understood anything he said besides the demand for food. And he also had to admit that the doctor guy was telling the truth. He did miss Steve. Bucky felt robbed of the only thing that cared about him, and frankly, the only thing he himself cared about. He comprehended logically that Steve needed a human companion… But he had been secretly hoping that Steve would love him enough to maybe qualify as his true love and maybe kiss him and maybe turn him back into human? He knew it was a long shot, but it didn’t prevent the wave of disappointment and the subsequent bout of depression in his little cat heart.

He had known it. Bucky had been afraid that this deviation from his previous pattern of life would not end well for him. Not only was he going to remain a cat, he would also die heartbroken. Great, a double whammy. Thanks a fucking lot, Zola you motherfucker!

“Whoa, I think it’s time for the psychotic kitty to go home,” Tony suggested. Bucky had apparently hissed that rant out loud, startling the humans. 

“Steve, if you want to keep your cat or your girlfriend, you know they have to get along, right?” Bruce asked. He then added, “You can’t keep them separated forever. Bucky is obviously attached to you enough that he’s already gotten depressed.”

‘I’m not attached,’ Bucky weakly meowed a protest.

“Aw, yes you are, koshka,” Natasha soothed teasingly.

“Yeah I know… I’ll figure it out. Thanks, Bruce,” Steve said, clapping Bruce’s shoulder.

“Good luck, man. I know you’ll do the right thing,” Sam reassured him.

After Clint tried his hand at petting Bucky and almost lost it, Steve took him back home. Every now and then, Steve looked at Bucky in the carrier and tried to give him a smile. Bucky just purred each time, blinking his eyes slowly. If only Steve could understand that Bucky did love him very much.

***

“You’re kidding.”

“Sharon, I like you a lot. But he’s not just my cat, he’s my family.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me right now!”

“No, Sharon, please. He’s been through a lot and if he were to go back to the shelter, I don’t know if he’d get adopted ever again.”

“No shit, Steve! He’s a jackass. Jackasses like him don’t deserve loving homes!”

“How can you say that?”

“No, how can you be telling me this right now? Are you seriously saying that your commitment to that douchebag cat is more important than me? Really? Listen to yourself, Steve!”

“That’s not what I’m saying. I just need you to try harder with him. He’ll come around! He used to be mean to me too!”

“What do you mean, ‘used to’? He still scratches you and breaks your stuff! Do I need to remind you how unbelievable he’s been with me?”

“Sharon, please. He’s improved with me so much. I know he will, if you’ll give him a chance! He’s an animal, you can’t expect him to act like a human and change because you told him to!”

Bucky felt his stomach churn. He eavesdropped until Sharon began to earnestly yell at Steve, and then retreated to his shelter underneath the bed. What was going to happen to him? No matter how much he didn’t want to, he couldn’t imagine a scenario where he wasn’t kicked out of the house. He knew that Steve would at least take him back to the shelter. Then what? Another couple of pointless years in custody and off to different senior citizen.

The front door slammed. A car skidded as it hastily left the driveway. The footsteps coming upstairs to the bedroom were heavy and lethargic.

“Bucky?” 

Steve sounded drained. Even more than when he returned from his missions. Bucky timidly crawled out from the bed, looking up at a tired-looking Steve.

‘Steve?’ he quietly meowed.

Steve sat down on the bed and rubbed his face. He then let himself fall back onto the pillows, closing his eyes. Bucky jumped on the bed, cautiously stopping by Steve’s side. Had his fate been sealed? 

“Hey buddy,” Steve said, putting his hand near Bucky’s head, but not quite touching. Bucky extended his neck so he could bump into Steve’s hand. Taking the cue, Steve began to stroke him.

“Don’t worry, Buck. Everything’s gonna be okay. Sharon was nice… But I guess she wasn’t for me,” Steve sighed.

Bucky felt guilty. Despite his irrational hatred for her, Bucky knew that she wasn’t intrinsically bad, especially for Steve. To think that he may have ruined for Steve what could have been his true love, Bucky never hated himself more.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ meowed Bucky. He felt his eyes tearing up.

“Hey, hey. You are not going anywhere, okay?” Steve soothed, mistaking Bucky’s meows for complaints of his worries. “Jeez, Bucky. I’m so sorry I made you worry. And if she made you uncomfortable. I guess she and I didn’t really understand each other. I don’t know how we stayed together this long, actually. After a while, you just stay together, because you’re afraid to look for someone else.”

Steve paused, looking up at the ceiling. He didn’t stop caressing Bucky and Bucky didn’t mind.

“It probably wasn’t gonna work out anyways. She was my first relationship since I was defrosted, you know,” Steve glanced at Bucky, not caring whether the cat understood him. “I wasn’t ever going to give you up, so when she made me choose, I just thought that was it.”

Bucky whimpered. Steve looked at him with the same adoring eyes as ever, with a smile just as sappy and doting as the first time they’d met. Maybe Sharon wasn’t it, but Steve was bound to find someone else. Bucky vowed that he’d be good for Steve. He would behave. He would work his fluffy little butt off to ensure that Steve was happy. If it meant playing nice to his future partners, then so be it. Maybe he’ll never become human again; but that was okay, as long as he could be a good cat to a good human.

Steve fell asleep without even changing. Bucky snuggled closer to his side, watching Steve sleep before he dozed off too.

***

Steve was out on another mission. He always left Bucky extra food and water, just in case, and wore his combat suit under his regular clothes before he took off on his motorcycle. Apparently, Bucky wasn’t the only one who noticed Steve’s choice of vehicles and what that meant, because the Yowling Commandos always showed up on Steve’s mission days.

‘How are you, Bucky? We heard you were ill a while ago,’ Peggy inquired as soon as she landed on the ledge. The other cats followed less gracefully, squishing around her to all fit. As always, Jacques stood on his short hind legs, only his eyes and ears visible to Bucky.

‘Hey, guys. I’m a little better now, but how did you know I was sick?’

‘My human, Angie, ran into Steve at the store,’ Peggy answered. ‘What was wrong?’

‘It’s a long story…’ Bucky sighed. He stretched on top on the couch like a melted cat.

‘We’ve got nothing better to do,’ Jim shrugged and Dum-Dum yawned in agreement.

‘Well, we do need to apprehend that squirrel by our house,’ said Monty.

‘Shut up, Monty,’ Gabe and Jacques snapped together.

Sighing again gloomily, Bucky explained what had happened between Steve and Sharon. And how he was giving up on Steve and the prospect of returning to human. The rest of the Yowling Commandos, who had initially laughed at Bucky and his admission to previously being human, now listened sincerely, no snicker in sight. They seemed to have sensed the gravity of Bucky’s predicament from the dejected attitude unseen before.

‘So, I don’t really know how, but I’m gonna be good for Steve. I’m forgetting about the stupid kiss and being human,’ Bucky concluded.

‘Oh Bucky… I’m sorry to hear what you’ve suffered. I think it’s truly admirable that you’re willing to sacrifice yourself for him, though,’ Peggy consoled. She then added grinning, ‘behaving is easy: stop lacerating everything and everyone.’

‘Yeah, buddy. You don’t need to be human. Don’t you know all the problems humans have?’ Gabe asked.

‘Oh, man. They gotta work, do taxes, clean our poop…’ Jim listed.

‘And if you still want a kiss, I’ll give you one!’ Dum-Dum offered. All the cats, including Peggy, smacked him with their paw. Jacques bit Dum-Dum’s tail, producing a hiss from the big ginger cat.

‘Thanks guys,’ Bucky said, stifling a chuckle. He did feel slightly better; he guessed he could admit to them being his friends too, since he was trying to be more honest about his feelings.

‘Say, Peggy. I’ve been wondering. Why do you have such advanced vocabulary?’ asked Bucky. He had been curious about it for a long time. He surmised that she knew more words than even him, a former human.

‘Oh, Angie is doing a doctorate in English literature. She often studies by teaching me her dissertation materials,’ Peggy smiled. The other cats seemed to be distracted, preferring to study the strange cat tower in fascination, rather than trying to understand Peggy’s complicated words.

‘That’s neat! No wonder you’re so smart,’ Bucky commented, amazed.

‘Now that you can’t have Steve, are you trying to impress me?’ Peggy winked.

‘No! I… No,’ Bucky shook his head, discombobulated. Peggy laughed good-naturedly.

After incessantly asking Bucky about the cat tower and all its features, the cats bade Bucky good-bye.

‘Convince Steve to let us in, so we can check out that tower, will ya?’ the boys requested as they meandered toward home.

***

Bucky was rolling around on Steve’s stack of discarded clothes, as he liked to do in the afternoons. This batch included Steve’s combat suit. The rough planes and protruded surface made for good places on which he could rub his face. If he were honest, he also liked the way it smelled of Steve. It had a bit of a sweat stink, but Bucky somehow didn’t find it unpleasant. He supposed animals’ different sense of smell was why dogs liked stinky shoes. He involuntarily remembered Riley playing with Sam’s smelly runners and had promised himself he wouldn’t stoop to that level. It was just too pathetic and gross.

Bucky was finishing up kneading and licking Steve’s uniform when Steve rushed in the room, with his phone pressed to his ear. Bucky immediately abandoned the pile and sought refuge under the bed.

“Okay, I’ll be there in five. Alert the team. Keep it as compact as possible.”

Pocketing his phone, Steve picked up his combat suit and left the room as quickly as he had entered it. Bucky heard Steve putting extra food and water into the bowls and then letting the door slam behind him. Guess it was another mission day.

***

Steve sped to the rendez-vous point in record time. As soon as he parked his motorcycle in the heli-carrier, he changed into his suit. Normally, he had extra suits at the Stark Tower or even at home that he changed into, but given the short notice, he had no choice but to reuse the one he’d tossed aside a few days before.

“What did you do with your cat, Cap?” accused Tony. “Trying to pull a Cruella de Ville?”

Steve scowled. Apparently, Bucky had gone to town on his suit and subsequently shed everywhere. And Bucky had done a thorough job of embedding his fur into any crevice he could find and no amount of brushing off had removed the hairs. Honestly, he deemed it an oversight on Tony’s part to not provide any tape-rollers on these heli-carriers. 

“We don’t have time for this, Tony,” Steve simply said, before going to check out their plans.

Today was it. The “Big Boss Takedown,” as Clint liked to call it. After months of grueling busts of smaller terrorist cells, they had finally tracked down the headquarters of their immediate leader. The real heart of the organization was going to take another series of missions, but debilitating this one would help them in their ultimate goal.

Steve really wished they’d receive ample notice beforehand, but he figured that defeated the purpose of the terrorists. He would just have to work that much harder to return home and take care of his cat, before Bucky starved or was angry with Steve forever. Steve was a man of priorities.

The terrorist ring had taken over a remote island in the Caribbean and the second the team entered their airspace, shots were fired to the heli-carrier. Forsaking their original plan of landing on the coast, the Avengers dropped down midair, firing their own weapons simultaneously.

As they made their way through the interior of the island, operatives upon operatives blocked their way. Most of them were incapacitated quickly enough, but the Avengers hadn’t been totally unscathed either. By the time they reached the main building, Steve had several gunshot wounds, though they were already starting to heal.

The other Avengers fought off the operatives while Steve and Natasha infiltrated the building from different entry points. Just after Steve communicated his location to Natasha, a gunshot rang in his hallway, just missing his head. On the other side of the hallway, Steve made out a solitary figure, striding toward him, his gun aimed at Steve.

Dodging the next bullet with his shield, Steve charged towards the man. The impact made him drop his gun, but he quickly pulled out a knife. Looking at his face, Steve recognized him as the leader of the terrorist group they were after. This guy had been running a North American terror ring, targeting minority civilians and politicians, regardless of their political affiliation.

Steve punched him as hard as he would have done to the Nazis during the war, but the man was more formidable than expected. Steve didn’t want to kill the man, as they needed him to be interrogated. However, the guy was fighting for life or death, making it difficult for Steve to simply keep him in a hold.

After well-placed punch and a Nano-second of Steve losing focus, the man had Steve in a chokehold, ready to gut Steve with his knife. With the blade so close and the man’s grip like a vice, Steve struggled in vain to be released.

“So much for Captain America, eh?” the man laughed loudly, inhaling and exhaling so much that his breath blew away a puff of cat hair stuck on Steve. If he had had a moment to spare, Steve would have been rather embarrassed at the furry makeover of his suit. 

Suddenly, the man began to choke, sneezing and coughing relentlessly, loosening the grip on Steve’s neck, allowing him to break free. Not missing a beat this time, Steve knocked off the man’s knife and twisted his arms behind his back. While the man was wheezing and becoming redder in the face by the second, Steve handcuffed him and kicked his knees to fall. Every duct on his face seemed to be releasing fluid, to flush out whatever irritated his system.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Steve asked finally, before signaling to the Avengers of the capture.

“…Cat…hair…” the man barely coughed out.

“What?” 

Before the man could hack out another answer, Natasha burst in with Sam and Tony in tow.

“Clint’s got the heli-carrier ready and everyone’s back to base. What the fuck’s wrong with this guy? Did you use tear gas?” Natasha asked, puzzled.

“I don’t know… He just said cat hair,” Steve answered, just as confused.

“Oh damn! He must be allergic to Bucky’s hair. You only have a shit-ton of them on you!” Sam cackled ecstatically.

“Hey, his next tuna can’s on me. Make sure it’s Fancy Feast or whatever’s most expensive,” Tony offered with deference. “Don’t really know what happened here, but any time I get to see a baddie suffering from allergies is a good time to me.”

As they dragged the still wheezing man to the heli-carrier, Steve stared at them, dumbfounded.

***

Back on his motorcycle on his way home, Steve tried to recount what had transpired. In short, Bucky’s fur had saved his life and the mission. He couldn’t believe it. His cat, who had been the cutest little nightmare, not only loved him now (he assumed anyway), but also saved him? He couldn’t wait to go hug the cat, scratches be damned. 

It was already past midnight when Steve arrived home. Steve found Bucky napping on the couch like he usually did on mission days. Just as always, Bucky looked like a small, overly hairy angel as he snoozed without a care. Steve would bury his face in the cat’s fluffy tummy if he didn’t think he’d be ended for it. 

“Bucky? Hey buddy. You taking another nap?” Steve whispered.

‘Steve, you’re back?’ Bucky purred softly.

“I’m back, sweetheart,” Steve said, scratching Bucky’s ear. Bucky was surprised in his sleepy fog that Steve had somewhat understood him. Moreover, Bucky’s heart beat a little faster at the pet name Steve hadn’t used before.

“So you had some fun on my suit, huh? Slathering it completely with your hair?”

‘Uh oh,’ Bucky tensed. Goodness, hadn’t he just sworn to be good for Steve? And he had gone and messed up Steve’s uniform! Bucky was about to meow profusely to apologize, when Steve lifted him and pulled him close in a hug.

“Bucky, thank you. You saved me. I’d have been critically injured, if it weren’t for your fur. Who’d have thought cat allergy would save the day? I don’t even want to think about what would have happened, if your hair hadn’t been there.”

‘What… What are you talking about?’ Bucky whimpered. He was so confused.

“God, you should have seen him, Buck. Wheezing and hacking… And let me tell you, you did a good job embedding me with your fur, silly cat. I thought the guy was gonna die from hyperventilation. Of course, that’s how I could get out of his hold and get him to surrender,” Steve finished with another squeeze.

‘I wasn’t bad? I helped?’ Bucky meowed.

“You are the best cat in the world, Bucky. I think you should get a medal for your services.”

Bucky sighed with relief and rubbed his head on Steve’s neck. He bit Steve lightly for putting himself in danger, but then licked him to show how relieved he was that Steve was back. And it was thanks to Bucky! As if Steve understood him entirely, Steve petted the cat and promised he would be more careful. 

“Bucky, how can I ever thank you enough?” Steve asked, detaching the purring cat marginally and staring into his blue eyes. “You came into my life, as this gust of chaos. But then you gave me a purpose, to come home and take care of you. You have no idea how much I needed that. How much I needed to stop dwelling on myself and how pathetic I was. And then you turned out to be this sweet cat that just needed some time and patience… Do you know how elated I was every time you’d let me pet you or you’d sit on my lap?”

‘I think I know a little,’ Bucky purred. Surely this time, his blush would be visible.

“Bucky… You are incredible. I really hope you know that. But you outdid yourself today. I can’t express to you how grateful I am for your existence. Saving my life, even when you aren’t with me! I love you so much, Bucky. Do you know that? Do you know how much I love you, sweetheart?”

‘Stop it, Steve,’ Bucky purred again, turning his head away. He could barely stand the earnest look Steve was giving him.

Steve adjusted Bucky in his arms, so he could look back into the cat’s eyes, slowly blinking at him. Without further thought, Steve kissed the cat on his face: first the cheeks, the forehead, and then a peck on the mouth. Bucky wiggled his nose in surprise. Steve chuckled softly. 

“I love you so much, Bucky. Thank you for being in my life,” Steve repeated, hugging the cat close. Steve had expected Bucky to retaliate by now, but the cat remained limp in his embrace, purring and rubbing his head on Steve’s neck. 

Chapter Text

Steve woke up with a crick in his neck. After cuddling the hell out of Bucky last night, he had apparently fallen asleep on the floor. When he looked up at the couch for Bucky, he only found a nude man sleeping under Bucky’s favorite knit throw, no cat.

“Who the hell are you??” Steve yelled, startled. He instantly reached for the shield he had placed by the table last night. The man stirred awake, blinking at Steve like he was crazy. Without answering Steve’s question, the man stretched and yawned, then strangely, licked his hand.

“What the… Are you some kind of a pervert?? What are you doing in my house?” Steve inquired again. The man looked almost hurt.

“Steve… It’s me, Bucky,” he said, perplexed. Then as if surprised by his own voice, he gasped.

“Bucky?” Steve asked incredulously.

The man claiming to be Bucky looked down at himself, examining his arms, legs, and touching his face. Disbelief dawned on his face and raced to the bathroom, covering himself with the blanket, leaving Steve stunned.

“What?! What?? No way,” said Bucky, looking at his own human reflection. His hair had grown a little and he had also grown light stubble, but he didn’t look too different from when he had been human last.

What did this all mean? And what was to happen now, with Steve, since Bucky was no longer a cat?

Steve was on the couch, bewildered, when "Bucky" emerged from the bathroom. Steve’s eyes caught the sight of him absently as Bucky hesitantly made his way toward the couch, still covering himself with the throw.

“…You really are Bucky?” Steve asked after a long silence.

“Yeah…” replied Bucky. He wasn’t sure what to say. He was still quite shell-shocked from his own sudden transformation.

“Is that even your real name?”

“Yeah. Well, it’s short for James Buchanan Barnes. That was my nickname when I was human, but coincidentally, that was also the name the shelter people gave me the first time I was caught.”

“So… What the hell?” Steve asked, still confused and disbelieving as ever. He had slapped himself a couple of times while ‘Bucky’ was in the bathroom, to see if it was all a dream; unfortunately, it was not and he now had a stinging cheek as well. 

After many faltered attempts, Bucky explained to Steve what had happened to him: the whole run-in with the stupid “magician” and his life as a cat thus far.

"You know, it’s funny. I’ve always had old men as owners, and even though you’re young, you kind of act like an old man, too,” Bucky commented after his recount.

“Well… I’m technically an old man, too…” Steve said, scratching his head. “You must have missed my whole ‘rise to fame,’” Steve continued with a roll of his eyes, “but I was frozen for about seven decades and woke up in this century.”

Bucky stared at him blankly, as if Steve was the one who just had a transformation. No wonder Steve didn’t act like the people he’d seen at the shelter, but like his other grandpa owners. Then Bucky begrudgingly concluded that they were probably the only kind of people with enough patience to have put up with him.

“But then why did you suddenly turn back?” Steve asked while Bucky was lost in thought. He had left out the tidbit about needing a true love’s kiss, deeming it way too dumb and cheesy. It wasn’t that he thought he’d get away with its omission, just… Maybe reveal it only when requested. In truth, he didn’t know what he was expecting. Of course Steve would ask about that.

“Um… Well… The only way to break the curse was a true love’s…kiss,” Bucky mumbled the last word. However, Steve caught it anyway with his enhanced hearing and then blushed.

“I… I don’t want you to think I’m weird, Bucky,” Steve quickly defended himself.

“Why would I think you’re weird?” Bucky asked, frowning.

“Well, this basically means that I fell in love with you, while you were a cat!”

“Oh. Oh, yeah. What is that about? I mean, thank you, but what’s wrong with you?”
“Bucky… I don’t know. I just, never had anyone or anything I cared about much. I lost my parents early on and then I wasn’t that close to anyone since the ice. But… With you around, watching you sleep, seeing you play, and having you open up to me more and more? I felt so lucky to have you. I didn’t know what I’d done in this world to deserve you. I knew you would be difficult, but you still warmed up to me. Maybe others couldn’t see it, but I could. On top of all that, you saved my life! How could I not love you even more? I know it sounds crazy, but I felt like I was learning to really love.”

Bucky blushed and he knew it would be visible on his cheeks now. Bucky had felt the same way with Steve. Leaning over to him, Bucky gave Steve’s strangely reddish cheek a small lick.

“That’s not how humans do it, Bucky…” Steve said before cupping Bucky’s chin and leaning in slowly. Bucky had no thought of avoiding Steve and simply closed his eyes, as Steve tentatively kissed Bucky on the lips. It was only a peck, not unlike the one Steve gave to Bucky while he was still cat, but Bucky felt tingles all over, almost making him wonder if he was returning to being a cat.

Steve flushed red before he let Bucky go and hastily stood from the couch.

“Uh, let me… Um, get you some clothes.”

Bucky was a little disappointed, but he understood that this was probably weird, to say the least. Still, he couldn’t help smile at Steve floundering. He guessed his good looks still worked like a charm.

However, Bucky was further disappointed in the coming days when Steve didn’t really approach him again. Steve let him take the bed and chose to sleep on the couch. Weren’t they going to “live happily ever after” now that the curse was broken?

Bucky made his way downstairs and found Steve lying on his couch-turned-bed with a book. Steve smiled with a slight blush, as he tended to do nowadays, at Bucky’s appearance. Before Steve could even get out a “hey,” Bucky straddled him.

"Did you… Need something?” Steve asked.

“Why aren’t we dating?” Bucky blurted. He had deliberated on how to ask Steve what was going on, but now that he was human and knew that he loved Steve, Bucky didn’t want to waste any more time.

“Um, I don’t know?” Steve sputtered, sitting up.
“But we kissed? You said you love me?”

Steve stared at Bucky for a second before he burst out laughing. The way he talked now was just the way he’d imagined Bucky would have talked when he had been a cat. 

“I do love you.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Well… I don’t really know how you feel about me? I don’t want to make you feel like you owe me anything. You’re human now… You can do whatever you want.”

What was with this self-sacrificing idiot? Then Bucky remembered that he never told Steve his own feelings. He could have sworn he was smarter than this.

“I… Love you too, I guess,” admitted Bucky. “It wouldn’t be a true love’s kiss if the feeling weren’t mutual, right?” Steve smiled and pulled Bucky down for a kiss. “And what I want to do is be here with you. If… That’s okay?”

“Of course. Maybe now you won’t destroy my things as much,” snarked Steve. Bucky lunged at him out of habit, knocking Steve on his back to the couch, like his vow of being good for Steve never happened. He caught himself just in time before he attempted slicing Steve with his now non-existent claws. Staring down at a laughing Steve, Bucky licked his face, just to see Steve groan from the odd sensation. Then he gave Steve another peck and hugged his human tightly with his own human arms.

“I want to make you happy, Steve,” whispered Bucky.

“You already do, Bucky. I rather think this is a great development for us.”

“You don’t think it’s weird?”

“Yeah I do, but you’re hot, so it’s all good,” assured Steve with a smug smile. Bucky slapped him on the chest for that comment, but quickly returned to snuggling Steve, who whined about just joking.

The next day, Steve was dragging himself with dread to visit the Stark Tower. Steve now had a live-in boyfriend instead of a cat; questions were guaranteed to arise, and the longer he waited, the worse their judging was going to get.

Steve, however, was very pleased with his situation. Bucky was much more charming as a person than a cat and according to him, he’d learned his lesson and was going to try and be a good person from now on. Steve didn’t know why he saw that need, as Bucky had already been sweet and caring as a cat (in his opinion). Plus, Bucky knew the time and place in which Steve had grown up. They had missed each other by a few blocks, but they shared a similar childhood background, enjoyed the same music, and even detested the same neighborhood grump who would always tell kids to pipe down. Steve felt like a fish back in water, able to breathe again. 

Before they entered the Stark Tower together, Bucky kissed him on the cheek and asked, “Ready?”

Steve nodded and walked in. He had expected the team to wait in the lounge, but apparently all of them had decided to gather in the lobby eagerly at the announcement of Cap’s “someone I’d like you to meet.”

“Look what the cat dragged in,” teased Tony.

“Did you already tell them??” Bucky asked. Steve shook his head, with wide eyes.

“Tell us what?” Sam asked, with one eyebrow cocked. Giving themselves up to a crap-ton of ridicule, Steve and Bucky explained what had happened. The only one who didn’t have their jaw on the floor was Thor, who simply nodded like animal transformations were a common occurrence.

“My brother Loki likes to transform into a horse sometimes and seduce them for fun,” Thor happily explained to everyone’s repugnance. Clint even shook his head vigorously in effort to rid himself of the image, most likely to no avail.

“I guess the cat’s out of the bag now,” Steve remarked, when no one else said anything. They all groaned and Bucky elbowed him on the side, but not too hard, because that was his boyfriend.

“I knew you were a special koshka,” Natasha finally declared. Bucky had been wary of her, as she seemed to have understood his feline language, but was relieved to see an approving sneer from her.

“Alright, I’m gonna do two things. One: I’m buying tiger onesies for you, so you can both pretend to be cats for old times’ sake. Two: Cap’s ringtone is forever going to be ‘What’s New Pussycat,’ for obvious reasons. Google the lyrics,” advised Tony with a finger gun, after seeing both of their puzzled looks.

“Well, that wasn’t so bad,” thought Bucky out loud.

“You just wait. It’s only the beginning…” sighed Steve.

They received the promised onesies the next morning, arriving in a box with an obscure clothing company’s logo. Resigned, Steve opened it and took out the onesies: they had orange and black stripes, a tail, and a hood with ears. He groaned. Where did Tony even find these things? And how much more did he pay to get next day delivery??

Bucky eyed them with an indecipherable look. He watched Steve holding one to himself and complaining of its size and basically everything else about it.

“But you’re keeping the outfit, right?” Bucky finally asked, licking his lips. Steve looked at him with disbelief at first, but Bucky obviously seemed to have taken a liking to the outfits, if the twinkle in his eyes were any clue.

“You know what? It’s kinda grown on me,” Steve lied with a smile.

Steve was about to dissemble the box and clean up when he heard a chorus of meows outside his window. When they both turned to look, they found a clowder of cats sitting on the ledge. 

“Hey! It’s the Yowling Commandos!” Bucky exclaimed, rushing to the door.

“The what?” 

Bucky only got to open the door before the cats met him and began to yowl at him excitedly.

“Hey guys! It’s me, Bucky!” said Bucky, though the cats looked like they already knew that. He squatted down to rub each one of them on their head. As Jacques went back for seconds, Peggy gracefully strode toward him.

“Peggy! You were right… You’re such a smart cat!” Bucky said, giving her a gentle scratch. She purred in response as if to say, ‘I know.’

“What’s going on? Aren’t these the neighborhood cats?” asked Steve. He bent down to pet Dum-Dum and greeted “Hey buddy! Long time no see.”

“They became my friends when I was a cat… Gave me advice and stuff, too,” Bucky answered with a blush. Thankfully Steve was too busy giving fair attention to everyone to notice. 

After spending a good chunk of time petting and scratching the excited cats, Bucky remembered their last request before he turned into a human.

“Hey Steve, can I let them in? They wanted to play on that weird tower for some reason.”

Steve hesitated for a second – six cats running wild in his house? That didn’t sound like a great plan, but they were Bucky’s friends. He also oddly trusted that either Bucky, or Peggy, would supervise them.

“Sure, why not. Let’s take photos for Tony, too.”

As soon as Bucky and Steve stepped aside to allow entrance for the cats, they ran straight to the tower, which Steve had kept in the living room in hopes of cat-Bucky using it at some point. Even Peggy, who was rarely giddy, joined in and began to climb up the tower. Steve whipped out his phone, taking videos of Jacques chasing the laser pointer, Gabe and Jim scratching up the posts, and Monty trying to catch the automated mouse. Bucky also took out his newly acquired phone to take time-lapse photos of Dum-Dum gulping down the treats from the dispenser and about a million different angles of Peggy relaxing in the cushions.

The second Steve sent the videos to Tony, he texted back “HA VINDICATION. I AM CAT WHISPERER.”

While the humans were busy chronicling their cuteness, the cats debated on how Bucky became a human again. What the hell was wrong with Steve, if he had fallen in love with a cat? Did Bucky somehow relay a message to Steve that he wasn’t really a cat? After listening to various far-fetched theories and thinking quietly, Peggy provided her educated guess. 

‘It may be that Bucky truly fell in love with Steve. He was willing to sacrifice his own life goal of returning to human being for the sake of Steve’s happiness. I saw a similar phenomenon in the movie Frozen.’

The cats all agreed that was very plausible, all of them having seen the movie with their humans as well. After thoroughly enjoying themselves on the tower, the cats meowed appreciatively to Steve and Bucky. They all headed home with final scratches behind the ears and permission for them to come back and play at anytime.

Steve and Bucky cleaned up all the fur and messes the cats had left. For having had half a dozen cats go crazy, Steve evaluated it as not bad at all, considering Bucky alone inflicted a lot more damage in his cat-heyday.

“Sorry,” Bucky groaned with embarrassment.

“No, no! I really meant all that I said before. You gave me a new purpose in life besides work. I can’t just focus on serious things like saving the world all the time, you know?” chuckled Steve. “You made me laugh and forget about all my other problems whenever you left a disaster for me to clean. I don’t think I was ever mad.”

“Jeez, Steve. You really were gone on me, huh?”

“Yep. Even more so now that you’re human,” replied Steve circling his arms around Bucky. They closed their eyes and kissed. Bucky had quickly relearned how to kiss like a human and was enjoying each occasion more and more. He moaned quietly and curled his hand around Steve’s head to bring him closer, when Steve stopped to stare into his eyes. 

“Bucky Barnes,” he said seriously.

“Yeah?” Bucky answered, breathless and heart thumping.

“…Will you adopt a pet with me?”

Bucky rolled his eyes as Steve giggled. Bucky tried to pry Steve off of him in feigned annoyance, but he simply strengthened his hold on him. Steve laid kisses on Bucky’s face, in attempt to assuage Bucky. Bucky soon relented, kissing back, and replied, “Yeah, but I want a dog. And it better not be under a spell.”

EPILOGUE

“Should we get some basil?”

“It’s not on the list. Let’s get it next time.”

Steve and Bucky were on their weekly grocery run. Bucky had become obsessed with online cooking videos and made a new recipe each week. Unlike Steve, Bucky was strict about following the recipe verbatim, making sure to buy only fresh ingredients necessary for the dish in question. Bucky was comparing two different blends of cheeses when a woman approached.

“Steve?”

“Sharon?”

Bucky tensed. Indeed, it was Sharon, his former arch-nemesis. They really needed to find a different grocery store… After all, this was where Steve had met Sharon, too! If only there was another natural food grocer’s within their block! 

“It’s nice to see you, Sharon. How are you doing?” Steve asked genuinely.

“Good to see you too! I’m doing well. And who is this?”

“This is my boyfriend, B…”

“Nice too meet you! I’m James,” Bucky interjected. He felt Steve tense with the realization of the mistake he almost made.

“I see,” Sharon narrowed her eyes. “So you’re gay? I’m guessing you were going through a ‘crisis’ when we were dating?” Sharon asked a little sardonically. She was apparently still salty about it all, but neither of them could really blame her.

“No, I’ve always been bi,” Steve answered. “You know how it is… We just weren’t meant to be. But I’m sorry about the way it ended.”

“I’m sorry too,” Sharon said after some thought. “I just felt like I meant less than a cat, you know?” 

Bucky’s ears reddened. He did feel bad about his past conduct to Sharon. He knew he had been unreasonable and should have known better.

“I… I’m sorry about the cat, Sharon,” Bucky said sincerely.

“Oh, you heard about what a jackass that cat was to me? I hope he’s nicer to you,” snorted Sharon, meeting Bucky’s eyes. “Hey, have we met? You seem kind of familiar.”

“Nope, I don’t think so,” Bucky quickly replied. Sharon still studied him, trying to figure out why he was familiar, but gave up when she came up with nothing.

“Well, it was pleasure seeing you Steve, and nice to meet you James,” Sharon said with a smile. “I’m glad we ran into each other.”

Steve agreed and gave her a little hug, before she vanished to the next aisle.

“Phew, that wasn’t too bad!” Steve sighed.

“Wasn’t too bad? I felt terrible, Steve!”

“Aw, Bucky, it’s alright. You apologized.”

“Wait, did you just call him ‘Bucky’?” Sharon asked, suddenly behind them again.

“Oh shit,” they said together, frozen.

“What the hell, Steve? Why are you calling your boyfriend by your cat’s name?” she demanded.

“Uh…”

Sharon glared at Steve, with occasional confused glances at Bucky, waiting for an explanation. Seeing no escape out of it, Bucky decided to tell the truth. No matter what they said, he didn’t think any other excuse was going to be acceptable to her. 

“Sharon, I’m Bucky, the asshole cat. I was under a curse and when Steve kissed me, my curse broke.”

“It was just a peck! Nothing more,” Steve hurriedly added when Sharon frowned at Steve with revulsion.

Bucky further described his life as a cat and answered all her follow-up questions, of which she had many.

“So, you love each other and that’s why the kiss worked?”

“Yes, we believe so,” Steve answered. Sharon stared at them in silence.

“Okay. Whatever. I guess that’s understandable.”

“…Really??” Bucky asked, disbelieving.

“Yeah. When you work for the CIA, you become immune to a lot of bizarre shit,” she smirked.

“Thanks, Sharon. And again, I’m really sorry I was a dick to you,” said Bucky.

“Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t being all that nice either,” she said guiltily. “Well, thanks for sharing that with me. It sure puts a new perspective on things.”

“Thanks for hearing us out. It means a lot to us. We’ll see you around,” Steve beamed, holding Bucky’s hand. Sharon rolled her eyes.

“See ya, weirdos!”