Chapter Text
“Why exactly is there a kitten in your hoodie?” Loki asked while briefly looking up from his book.
Not a second before Bucky had entered the room, the kitten - which was the pocket of his hoodie - mewed and peeked its head out from that pocket. Bucky chuckled and gently lifted the white, fluffy kitten out, holding it affectionately in his arms. The little feline let out a series of meows, seemingly quite talkative.
“I found it o-”
“Her,” Loki interrupted him.
“What?”
“The kitten is female.”
“How are you sure. Maybe it’s a he, or neither. Or, just like you, genderfluid.”
“Careful there, Barnes,” Loki hissed, briefly glancing up from his book to give the soldier a withering glare.
Ever since Thor had told the Avengers that Loki could shape-shift into a woman, they had been teasing Loki sometimes. Of course it was all friendly teasing, and often Loki handled it with grace and with mischief of his own, but on bad days it seemed to be a touchy subject.
Today was obviously a bad day…
Bucky had already known that when he had entered the room and Loki had engaged in a conversation without putting his book away. He knew he was close to misstepping, but he pressed on nonetheless. “How do you know she’s a she?”
“Because she just told me,” Loki shrugged, not looking up. Bucky was silent for a moment and Loki looked up from his book for the third time, giving the man a weary, irritated look. “Is it just convenient for you to forget I speak All-speak or is your memory that bad?”
This time it was Bucky who gave a withering glare and said, “Now who has to be careful?”
Loki snorted disdainfully and his eyes wandered back to the pages of his book.
“Found her on a mission,” Bucky declared. “She was alone. Probably abandoned.” The kitten jumped from his hold to scramble through the room and hide under a cabinet. “Shit,” Bucky murmured and went to the cabinet to lie flat on his belly to get the cat out.
The kitten hissed and put up a fuzz from her hiding spot. “Ow!” Bucky exclaimed, after the cat had lashed out. “Come here,” he growled, but the kitten kept scratching him. Bucky sighed. “Fickle thing.”
“No, she wants to be left alone,” Loki declared monotonous.
Bucky got to his feet and huffed. “Fine! I’m off to bed,” and he stalked out of the room, slightly agitated by the behavior of the little feline.
However, sleep kept alluding him, tossing and turning as the hours ticked by. Bucky feared for the little kitten. Loki was often mischievous - quite harmless - but on his bad days he could be extremely mean, and it wouldn’t matter who would take the brunt.
Pushing the blankets to the side, Bucky got out of bed. He had to check on the little feline.
When Bucky entered the common room to look for her, the lights were dimmed and all was silent. As his eyes fell on the couch, Bucky smiled. It was still occupied by an in black leather clad God, but he had fallen asleep. Loki’s book was halfway to the floor, dangling from his fingertips with his index finger still between pages. On his chest, tucked into a ball underneath his chin, lay the white kitten, seemingly content and as fast asleep as her living pillow.
Bucky pulled out his phone to take a photograph. “ Pics or it didn’t happen ,” the Spider-kid always said. This picture would definitely go in their Avengers Whats-app group. Frankly, Bucky still didn’t understand much about that program, but it was amusing.
“J.A.R.V.I.S., what’s a name fitting a kitten that prefers… Well-” Bucky made a gesture towards the couch, “- Loki ?”
“I think ‘Sigrid’ would be befitting. It is old Norse for ‘marvellous victory’.”
Bucky nodded. It was fitting indeed. Any kitten that could conquer Loki on a bad day was worthy indeed of that name.
Before leaving the room, Bucky said softly, “good night, Sigrid and Loki.”
“Good night, Soldier,” Loki said.
Bucky startled, but with a smile on his face he left the room.