Work Text:
Bucky didn’t know what he expected but it wasn’t this. He had been washing his dishes like any other day when the doorbell rang. He answered the door cautiously, opening it only a crack since he did not know who it could be. He had thought it strange that anyone was at his door. He had been there for months with hardly any visitors. It turned out to be a delivery man holding a small crate and asking him to sign for it.
“I didn’t order anything,” Bucky said gruffly and nearly shut the door in the man’s face.
“But you are James Barnes? It looks like this came from someone named Shuri?” the man said quickly.
Bucky stopped and opened the door a little more. He glanced at the paperwork in the man’s hand. It did have his name and address on it and the return address confirmed it was from Shuri. He sighed and opened the door to sign the paperwork before the crate was handed over to him.
“What is it?” Bucky asked.
The delivery man had already gone down the sidewalk and back to his truck to make another delivery. Bucky sighed and took the crate in with him and peered inside through some holes that had been drilled into it. Blue eyes peered back at him. What had Shuri sent him?
He set the crate on the table and saw a note attached to the top of the crate. He opened it up and scanned through it. Shuri had gotten him a cat - without his permission - and now he would have to look after it. He looked around his bare living space. He hardly had furniture and his fridge was pretty much empty. He could hardly care for himself adequately and she thought he could take care of something else?
A tiny meow grabbed his attention. The cat was scratching on the crate, itching to be let out. Bucky nearly ignored it but it sounded sad and he couldn’t be the one to keep the small creature prisoner. He opened the crate and a small white cat bounded out. It jumped off the table and made a run for another room. Bucky wasn’t sure where it would go. There wasn’t anywhere for it to hide.
He found his cell phone on the counter and flipped it open. He scrolled through it until he found Shuri’s contact and hit dial. It wasn’t long until Shuri picked up the phone.
“Yes?” she said. She sounded impatient. She must have been in the lab working on something.
“I don’t want a cat,” Bucky said.
“Oh good. The parcel has arrived,” Shuri exclaimed, “I think she will be good for you, Bucky.”
Bucky sighed. “I don’t want it. Take it back.”
“She is not an ‘it’. And I will not take her back. She is a gift for you. A little white panther for the White Wolf. Make sure you take good care of her,” Shuri explained.
“I can’t take care of her. I don’t even have cat food,” Bucky argued.
He knew it wasn’t a good enough argument for Shuri but he tried anyway. She was stubborn and if she believed he needed a cat then he needed a cat.
“You best go to the store and pick up some food and cat litter. Get some toys for her while you’re at it,” Shuri suggested. “She’s your responsibility. Consider it the next step of your healing journey.”
The line went dead and Bucky closed the phone and set it on the counter again. There wasn’t getting around this. He was stuck with the cat, at least for now. He slipped on a jacket and a cap and walked down to a pet store near his house. It was autumn and felt brisk outside. The leaves were just falling off the trees and covering the sidewalks so they crunched under his feet. He fought the instinct to avoid every leaf on the sidewalk and allowed his footsteps to be noisy. He reminded himself he didn’t have to be silent to go to the store.
The pet store was quiet when he got there. He walked down the aisles to look for what he needed. He found a simple litter box and some litter to go inside as well as some simple food dishes. He paused when he got to the cat food aisle. There were so many options. It was dizzying to see so many options. Indoor cat, kitten, senior, wet, dry. He finally just chose one that looked like normal cat food and picked up a small bag. He would not have this cat for very long so there was no point in getting a larger bag of food. He would convince Shuri to take it back.
Bucky passed a display of toys on his way to the till. One had red, white, and blue feathers. He stared at the toy, debating whether or not to get it. No. He didn’t need it. He picked it up anyway and added it to his other items. He got to the till and a friendly looking lady began ringing up his things.
“Are these for a new cat?” the lady asked.
Bucky nodded.
“Have you already got a scratching post for it?” the lady asked curiously as she scanned in the cat food.
“What?” Bucky asked.
The lady set down her scanner and looked at him. “A scratching post. It gives the cat something to sharpen its claws with so it doesn’t use your furniture,” she explained.
Bucky thought about it. He didn’t have a lot of furniture and he didn’t really care about it but he supposed the cat should have something to scratch if that’s what it needed. He had the lady show him where they were and she helped him pick something out for the cat. She explained the benefits of the different types of materials and the ones she preferred. Bucky just allowed her to pick one out for him.
“If you need anything else, don’t be afraid to ask,” the lady said as he left the store with all his purchases. This cat was already a handful and he had hardly seen it yet.
He entered the house. It was still as quiet as ever. Bucky set everything down on the kitchen table and began unpacking it. He set up the litter box in one corner of the living room and then set out the food and water dishes and filled them. The basics were covered. The cat would not starve and it had a place to do its business. Bucky set up the scratching post next and then opened the cat toy and set both in the living room for the cat to find. With everything set up, Bucky put the rest of the food and litter away and went to relax and wait for the cat to come out.
It had been a while since Bucky had seen the cat. Not since he had opened the crate and it had run further into the house. Bucky had sat down to read and an hour later realized the cat still hadn’t come out. He decided to go looking for it. There weren’t that many places it could hide. Bucky searched the couple of rooms down the hallway and then looked in the bathroom and found the cat.
It was sitting in the bathtub looking up innocently at him. Bucky wasn’t sure why it should look innocent. It had obviously been up to mischief. His shampoo bottle had been flung off the edge of the bathtub and the top of it had popped open to spill shampoo all over the floor. The entire roll of toilet paper had been unrolled and shredded and covered the floor, the toilet, and the sink. Small cat prints had been left everywhere. Evidently the cat had walked through the shampoo at one point and then spread it throughout the bathroom. There were even paw marks on the mirror.
The cat mewed at him brightly as he stepped into the bathroom. He picked up the small cat, grabbed a towel to wipe the rest of the shampoo off the cat’s feet and then gently tossed her down the hall. She landed a couple of feet away on her feet. She shook herself lightly and then ran down the hall with a chirp toward the new toy in the living room.
Bucky began picking up all the toilet paper and the shampoo. He set the shampoo back on the edge of the tub and threw away the toilet paper. It was mangled, covered in shampoo, and impossible to use anymore. He thought it was a waste and he couldn’t help but be annoyed by this cat he didn’t want that caused chaos when he wasn’t looking. He finished cleaning up the mess and then exited the bathroom. He closed the door behind him so the cat wouldn’t have a chance to try it again. He fully expected the cat to have caused some other mess behind his back but when he found her she was eating the food he had placed out for her and there were no other messes that he could see.
The rest of the night was quiet. Bucky got ready for bed very late and then tucked himself in on the floor like usual. The cat found some other place to curl up, which Bucky was okay with. He didn’t want to cuddle up with this cat that had already caused chaos in his life and that he was going to be returning soon anyway. She could find another place to sleep.
Bucky expected to get very little sleep. It was still pretty common for him to wake up from nightmares in the middle of the night. It was part of why he stayed up so late. He tried to put it off for as long as he could and if he went to sleep later then there was a chance that the nightmares would also happen later and he’d be awake at a more reasonable time in the morning, like 4 or 5. Even still, he didn’t expect to get as little sleep as he did.
From the moment he closed his eyes it seemed as though the cat could not stay still. It batted around the little toy he had gotten for her. She ran up and down the hallway over and over. At each end of the hallway she ran into a wall with a loud thump, which Bucky supposed must have hurt but she kept doing it. She clawed at the scratching post loudly and yowled in a way that sounded as if she was trying to contact another cat on another planet. It went on for hours. Bucky didn’t understand how she could have been so quiet during the day but then so loud at night.
The sun eventually came up and Bucky decided it was time to get up even if he hadn’t gotten any sleep. He made himself some breakfast and figured maybe a walk would do him some good. He wanted away from the cat who had been more of a nuisance than anything. He’d call Shuri again when he got back. Maybe he could convince her to take the cat back. It obviously wasn’t working out with them.
It was quiet in the neighbourhood this early in the morning. Eventually the children would wake up and play outside and people would start doing yard work but for now it was peaceful. He liked the quiet.
When he got back to the house he found his cell phone again. He dialed Shuri’s number again. This time she didn’t pick up. It went to voicemail.
“It’s Bucky. You need to pick up this cat. It isn’t going to work out between us,” Bucky said and hung up.
He went to the couch and sat down to wait for Shuri to call him back. Maybe this time she would listen to him. He didn’t need a pet. He needed to be left alone. The cat was needy and disorderly and didn’t fit in his life. He looked around and realized he didn’t know where the cat was.
Bucky stood up and made his way down the hall, half expecting the cat to have gotten into the bathroom again. The door was still closed but he cracked it open and saw that the cat wasn’t in there. He checked the other rooms and didn’t see any sign that the cat was there either. It wasn’t in the living room or the kitchen. He began to get concerned. How had he lost the cat? Maybe it had slipped out the door when he left for the walk. Shuri would definitely kill him for losing the cat. He felt his heart rate rise. The cat was so tiny. It wouldn’t be able to survive by itself outside. He left the house again to check outside.
He checked in bushes and under steps near the house. He figured she wouldn’t have gone far. Everywhere he checked he hoped to see her white fluffy tail or her blue eyes glowing back at him but there was nothing. He was out for a while and couldn’t find anything. Not even a sign that she had left the house. Eventually he went back to the house. Maybe he had overreacted. Maybe she was still in the house somewhere and he just hadn’t seen her. He checked all the rooms again but still he could not see her. No fluffy white cats to be seen.
He did see a lump though. Under his blanket there was a lump that could be the size of a small cat. He crept closer and lifted the blanket. There she was. Bucky sighed with relief as she blinked up at him sleepily and yawned.
“You scared me,” Bucky scolded.
The cat only stared back at him and then stretched its legs and got to its feet. She rubbed against Bucky and meowed at him so he gave her a pat and found himself some food and checked the news.
The phone rang and Bucky picked it up and opened it. It was Shuri calling him back. He answered.
“Hey Shuri,” Bucky said.
“It’s only been a day. How can you say that it isn’t going to work out?” Shuri asked.
Bucky looked over at the cat, who was tossing around the cat toy.
“She destroyed my bathroom, kept me awake all night, and then disappeared this morning and I thought I lost her. She’s been more stressful than anything and I think I’m just better on my own,” Bucky stated.
“If that’s how you really feel then I suppose I can come get her,” Shuri said.
“Thank you,” Bucky responded.
“But I’m busy right now. I’ll be able to come by in a couple of days. You’ll just have to hang onto her for a little longer,” Shuri said and then hung up.
Bucky stared at the phone and then set it down. He looked over at the cat, who was still playing with the toy. He supposed he could put up with the creature for another couple of days. It wasn’t going to be forever and he had dealt with worse. He just hoped the cat would let him sleep. She picked up her toy and trotted over to him happily. She dropped the toy and batted it towards him. He gave the toy a small kick causing it to go flying and the cat leapt after it.
That night Bucky fell asleep earlier. The cat was quieter and didn’t disturb him. It was a fitful sleep though, filled with memories of blood and violence that he didn’t want to commit and that he didn’t think he’d ever outrun. He woke up gasping and covered in a cold sweat. It was still dark in the house. He rubbed his eyes and the nightmare began to fade away but the feeling remained. He heard a chirrup in the dark and a ghostly form emerged from the dark. The cat brushed against him and laid down beside him, belly up. He could hear her purring softly. Bucky gave her a pet and the purring intensified. After a few minutes the tight feeling in his chest settled and he laid back down. The cat stayed beside him, purring quietly until he fell back to sleep for a few more hours when the sun rose.
Sam visited that day. Bucky let him in and Sam looked around at the state of his house. It wasn’t much different than any other time Sam had visited. The difference was the cat supplies scattered around. Sam raised an eyebrow as he looked around.
“You got a cat?” Sam asked.
“Shuri got me a cat. She isn’t staying though,” Bucky said grumpily.
As if right on cue, the cat entered the room. She stopped as soon as she came around the corner and stared at Sam. Sam kneeled down and held a hand out towards the cat. He made a pspsps noise and wiggled his fingers invitingly but the cat stayed sitting on the other side of the room. She stared unblinkingly at him with those big blue eyes of hers until he gave up and stood up again.
“What’s her name?” Sam asked.
Bucky looked at the cat and shrugged. He felt bad that he had never thought of a name for her. She wasn’t staying after all. There was no point in naming a cat that wasn’t going to be around.
“She doesn’t have one,” Bucky said.
“Oh come on, man. You didn’t name her?” Sam asked. “How about Snowball? Or marshmallow?”
Bucky wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “Those are terrible names,” he grumbled.
“Alright. You come up with something better, then,” Sam said. “I just wanted to invite you over for supper. Sarah is making something, she thought you could use a home cooked meal.”
The cat brushed against the back of Bucky’s legs with a loud purr. She flopped onto the ground with her belly up, demanding pets.
“Yeah. That sounds nice. I’ll be over later tonight,” Bucky said. He reached down to give the cat a little pat.
“Great. I’ll let her know to set an extra plate. You should take pictures of your new companion, and name her. I’m sure that AJ and Cass would love to see her,” Sam said.
Sam knelt down to try and pet the cat. He got exactly two pets in before the cat latched onto his hand with her claws and bit down. She kicked at her prey with her back legs and Bucky could see a bit of blood leak out of the scratches she left. Sam pulled his hand away but the damage was done.
“I guess she doesn’t like you,” Bucky said with a smirk.
“Jeeze, what was that? Did you teach her that?” Sam asked.
“No. I guess she’s just a good judge of character. Or maybe it’s because you’re a bird guy,” Bucky joked.
Sam rolled his eyes. “Sure. She seems to suit you well. You sure you don’t want to keep her?”
Bucky looked back down at Alpine who was grooming herself. She looked much calmer than she had a second ago when she was attacking Sam’s hand.
“No. I don’t think so,” Bucky said.
After Sam left, Bucky gave the cat’s toy a little toss. She went scurrying after it and batted it around before bringing it back. He gave her fur a soft stroke and she purred loudly in response. Perhaps he should give her a name. Even though she wasn’t staying. He threw the toy again and watched her pounce on it triumphantly. With her white fur and blue eyes she reminded him of snow but not the snow he saw falling from the sky in the city. It reminded him of the mountains and the way the snow glistened on their peaks.
“Alpine,” Bucky muttered, more to himself than anything.
The cat looked up at the sound and chirruped before going back to batting the toy around.
“You like that one? Alpine?” Bucky asked.
Alpine batted the toy back over to Bucky and meowed at him.
“Okay. I’ll call you Alpine,” Bucky said.
The next day Shuri knocked on his door. She was there with Okoye. It was still early in the morning but Bucky had been up for a while. His sleep hadn’t been as disturbed as before, mainly because the sound of Alpine’s purring had lulled him to sleep again.
“Well? I’m here for the cat,” Shuri said. She was all business and seemed like she was in a hurry to get somewhere.
“Her name is Alpine. Let me get her stuff,” Bucky said.
Alpine greeted Shuri and Okoye cheerfully, rubbing against both of them as they gave her pets. Even Okoye seemed more relaxed as Alpine purred loudly.
Bucky gathered up her food dishes and the rest of her food. Alpine left the women at the door and followed him around, meowing at him. When he set the bag of food on the counter, she jumped up beside it. He picked her up and gently set her on the ground again and went to find the rest of her stuff. She followed him around the house as he gathered up the few things she had. Her meows sounded mournful, like she knew what was happening. Once he had found her toy he set it all in a bag and handed it to Shuri.
“Are you sure about this, Bucky?” Shuri asked.
Bucky looked down at Alpine, who was staring up at him with sad blue eyes. He didn’t want a cat but maybe he did need her. The chaos she had caused a few days ago wasn’t that bad and he felt more attached to her now. Somehow Alpine had wormed her way into his heart.
“No,” Bucky said and took the bag back.
Shuri smiled. “Of course. In that case, we’ve brought a gift.”
Shuri pulled a bag of treats out of her pocket and handed them to Bucky.
“Take good care of her, Sergeant Barnes,” Shuri said as she left.
Bucky nodded his head. He would but he was sure that Alpine would take good care of him too.