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You and Bucky had been married for close to a year. You had dated for five years before that and been dancing around each other a couple of years before you worked up the nerve to ask him out. You worked for Tony Stark, developing tech for the Avengers, so you were no stranger to the injuries that were inflicted onto them (or sometimes clumsily self-inflicted in Clint and Bucky’s cases).
You didn’t like seeing any of the Avengers returning home hurt, least of all Bucky but a part of you were also getting used to it. Or so you thought.
Bucky was resilient, partly due to the super serum and partly just do to his personality. He had gotten his arm blown off more than once. He had gotten shot, stabbed, fallen off buildings and nosedived off motorbikes. You knew none of it came close to what he had to endure during his seventy-year long HYDRA captivity, but you were still baffled by his strength.
He was as impressed by your strength as you were his. Avenging wasn’t your life. You weren’t a superhero, a soldier, or even a doctor or nurse. You were a scientist and working for Stark had somehow gotten you pulled into this crazy life. You never flinched or wavered. You pushed through and did what needed to be done. You cared for Bucky when he needed it and you gave him space when the demons in his head reared their ugly heads. He always returned to you. You knew that and trusted him to find his own way through the darkness that sometimes still clouded his thoughts.
You were his guiding light, even if you didn’t know it. You were everything good and pure to him and he loved you with every beat of his heart. There was nothing he couldn’t pull through as long as it meant getting back home to you. Or so he thought.
Bucky had been gone on a mission for a few days. Even if you were used to being on your own for stretches of time, the apartment still felt empty without him. It had been easier when you were living in the Avengers Tower together. There was always someone around or something going on to distract you from the fact that Bucky wasn’t home.
It had been a little over a year now since you moved out on your own though. Bucky craved normalcy and you were happy to offer it to him in whatever small way you could.
You loved living away from the Tower with Bucky when he was home. It was yours and his. It was his fresh start and the beginning of your life together. Bucky knew you felt lonely and restless sometimes when he wasn’t at home, which was the reason he had brought home an adorable white kitten one day.
Alpine was Bucky’s cat more than he was yours. The little furball followed him everywhere, trustingly nuzzling up to the super soldier whenever he sat down to rest somewhere. Whenever Bucky was home Alpine was never far behind.
When Bucky wasn’t home, however, the little guy stuck to you like glue. Somehow he knew exactly what was needed from him when and he was happy to offer his company an affection in whatever way he could.
Today you were jittery. Steve had called earlier letting you know the Avengers had arrived back on earth in one piece. There had been something in his tone of voice though that had put you on edge and the fact that he had told you he would be bringing Bucky around in a few hours hadn’t helped one bit. It wasn’t like Steve to transport Bucky around. No matter how hurt or injured he had been in the past, your husband was stubborn enough to get on his bike and get himself back home to you. You had scolded him for that more than once, but you also knew the man well enough to know it wasn’t your telling off that had gotten him to reconsider.
Alpine was laying in your lap form which he hadn’t moved since you got the call. He sensed something was up, just as well as you did and the cat knew you needed him. You absentmindedly stroked his fur, as you worried about Bucky. You hadn’t even been aware of the time passing so when the doorbell rang you jumped along with the cat in your lap. He made a disgruntled sound before making a beeline for the door with you close on his heels.
“Sorry Al,” you muttered, picking him up so he wouldn’t escape the apartment causing him to meow in protest as you opened the door.
You weren’t sure what you had expected but the sight that met you weren’t it for sure. Bucky’s arm was slung over a rather annoyed looking Steve’s shoulder. Bucky was pale except for a bright red running nose and bloodshot eyes. He coughed pathetically, making Steve turn his face away from him with a grumble.
“Cover your mouth,” Steve scolded as you stepped aside letting Steve drag Bucky inside.
You didn’t say a word. You just looked at the two super soldiers staggering through your apartment, opening and closing your mouth like a fish out of water and completely lost for words. It wasn’t until Alpine meowed loudly and started wiggling to be let down that you were shaken back to reality.
You quickly closed the door and released the cat before following the men into your living room, where Steve unceremoniously dropped Bucky onto the couch.
“Hey,” Bucky whined, “I’m sick. Not so rough.”
Steve rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, glaring at Bucky. “It’s a cold. I’ve had worse. Way worse. So have you.”
“I’d rather it was a bullet hole. Or ten,” Bucky grumbled, curling up on the couch petting Alpine who had jumped up next to him.
“Would either of you care to explain this? I thought super soldiers couldn’t get sick?” you asked, looking from one man to the other and Steve sighed loudly.
“Don’t piss off a demigod,” Bucky grumbled, only adding to your confusion as you blinked, looking from your husband back to his best friend.
“Thor did that?” you asked, not sure how to wrap your mind around that. Short of making a small thundercloud follow Bucky around for the past couple of days, you weren’t sure how that could have even happened. And it didn’t sound like Thor anyway. He didn’t hold a grudge. He had a temper sure, but that just got people punched.
“Loki,” Steve answered your question, making you sigh. That made a lot more sense. “He was helping us on this mission and Bucky and Sam kept messing with him. Not their brightest moment,” Steve glared at Bucky who in returned looked as if he was ready to kill Steve, but just too tired to move.
“And Sam?” you asked, sitting down next to Bucky, putting a hand on his forehead to check if he had a temperature. It was hard to tell since Bucky always ran hotter than most people.
“Is at home in the Tower pissing off Nat and Tony with his whining, I assume,” Steve sighed. “I talked to Thor. It’s nothing to worry about. He got Loki to admit they’ll both be fine within a few days…”
“No, I won’t. I’m dying,” Bucky whined and you had to bite your cheek not to laugh. You had to admit a sick Bucky was kinda adorable, even if Steve clearly didn’t feel the same way.
“Oh no. It wouldn’t be the same without you,” Steve sassed his best friend, who flung a pillow at the blond man’s face. Steve chuckled and dug out of the way in time and the pillow crashed against the wall instead.
“I survived pneumonia while having asthma and bronchitis in a leaky apartment during the winter of 1929. You’ll live,” Steve chuckled before looking at you. “I’m really sorry to leave you alone with him but I got a few reports to write up.”
“Right here,” Bucky grumbled, wrapping his arms around your waist and burying his face in your lap. “I’m right here, Steve.”
Neither you or Steve could hold back your laughter, and you could practically feel Bucky pout against your stomach as he pulled you closer.
“Go. I got this,” you giggled, waving Steve away with one hand and running your fingers through Bucky’s hair with the other.
Steve nodded and gave Bucky’s calf a friendly slap before heading for the door. “See ya later pal. Don’t be too hard on your poor wife.”
“Punk,” Bucky grumbled against your stomach, making your smile widen as you head Steve yell back from the hallway before the door closed behind him.
“Jerk!”
“What do you say I make you some pancakes,” you asked Bucky, smiling when he looked up at you with huge blue puppy dog eyes.
“Chocolate chips?” he asked, making you laugh as you brushed his long, unruly locks out of his face and cupping his cheeks.
“Of course,” you smiled, shaking your head slightly as Bucky lowered his head back into your lap and held you impossibly tighter.
“Yes, please.”
“Darlin’ you’re gonna have to let me go then,” you laughed, causing a whine to leave Bucky as he clung to you even harder when you tried to move. You sighed, rolling your eyes at the giant manchild in your lap. It was going to be a long few days.