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It was a nice December afternoon, just in between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Steve and Bucky had decided to take advantage of the little time they had to tidy up a little. They had moved in together three months prior, but they still needed to put away some mess and install a few things.
Steve was unloading a pile of books in their bedroom –without really knowing where they would put them– when he heard a loud crash coming from the living room. Steve dropped his book on the bed then hurriedly stepped out in the corridor, frowning. He was about to ask Bucky if everything was alright when his boyfriend called him from the other room.
“Steve?”
Well, Bucky didn’t sound hurt, rather embarrassed. Steve sighed in relief. “Yes Buck?”
“I think I need a little help?”
Bucky, actively asking for help? Steve would have to write down the date; they were as pigheaded as the other. “I’m coming!”
Sure now there wasn’t anything serious going on, Steve took his time to get to the living room, trying to come up with explanations for the noise. If the situation was really only embarrassing, he wanted to take advantage.
What Steve discovered once he arrived in the living room, however, was not something he had imagined. He blinked once, twice, then burst into laughter.
“Haha. Very funny Rogers. Come on!”
“Anw, Buck. What happened to you?”
Steve could very well imagine what happened, but he wanted Buck to say it. Bucky, who was currently both laying on, inside and under cardboard boxes and other moving equipment.
Only his hair was sticking out from the left, and on the right Steve could see a socked foot – without the slipper it should have been wearing. On the floor was some mistletoe Steve was pretty sure had been part of a bigger bouquet displayed on a shelf… Steve shook his head and huffed at the scene in front of him then a little meow came from behind the boxes.
Realising his suspicions were almost certainly correct, he smirked at Bucky, who groaned.
”You’re gonna make me say it punk?”
“You know I will.”
Bucky sighed, just as a white ball of fur sprinted out from the pile of boxes. Steve chuckled and bent down to pick the little animal.
“What have you been up to, little one?”
“Trying to get me rid of my remaining sanity. We should have called her devil, or something, because she is one!”
Steve brought the white kitten to his face and smiled at her. “Don’t listen to him, sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart, sweetheart. I’m the one under a pile of cardboard because of her!”
“He’s just jealous. Don’t worry Alpine.”
“ Steve !”
“Yes, yes. I’m coming.”
Steve kissed the kitty on the head then put her on the floor. “Don’t listen to him.”
The white cat trotted to Bucky and sniffed his hair, then sat down a few feet further.
“Did she just..”
“Yup” Steve cheerfully replied, walking over to Bucky.
“I just got judged by our cat, who caused this,” Bucky groaned.
Steve didn’t reply and instead looked down to his boyfriend, waiting for him to explain himself.
Bucky rolled his eyes. “Alpine tried to climb the cabinet, but I saw the mistletoe there. I knew she was going to try to chew on it, so I tutted. Except she hadn’t heard me, so she was surprised and… fell. I dropped what I was holding to catch her, but that made something else fall, and she got scared again and… well, you can see the result.”
Steve smiled. They had only adopted that cat recently, but she was already giving them grey hair. “See? Not so complicated.”
Steve crouched and started picking the boxes from top to bottom. He then helped Bucky untangle his legs from the blanket.
“Here you go!” Steve exclaimed before extending his arm to Bucky.
The latter took the offered hand and pulled himself up. “My knight in shining armour. How could I ever repay you?”
“Mmmhh,” Steve trailed, faking reflection. He waited a few seconds then pointed to the mistletoe that was still on the shelf. “I think you should start by giving me a kiss.”
“That I can do,” Bucky replied before bringing their mouths together.