Narrator's POV

-slam-

There it was again.

The cat.

The stray cat.

The weird fucking stray cat.

It sat next to the trashcans, looking up at Bucky.

"Hah..." Bucky said. "You're not gonna leave me alone any time soon, are you?" He asked it.

The cat only kept its sickly stare on Bucky.

"Do you at least meow?" Bucky asked.

The cat remained silent.

"Why are you even here? Don't you have anywhere else to be?" Bucky asked.

The cat only sat there.

Bucky rolled his eyes, scoffing and turning its back to the cat. He turned right back around when the heard the trashcans being disturbed. "Hey, what are y-" He saw the cat carrying some old food scraps. "Oh."

Guilt washed over him.

///0///0

"Phew. How 'bout that?" Sam huffed as he landed next to Wanda.

"Not bad." She nodded. "You could've done better on the shooting part."

"Hey, you kinda threw that bot at me." Sam laughed, typing on the screen on his wrist.

Wanda laughed. "Who's that to?" She asked out of curiosity.

"It's for Bucky." Sam said. "Just reminding him there's left overs in the fridge."

Of course Bucky never replied.

"How is James?" Wanda asked. "He didn't look too well the last time I saw him when Bruce called the meeting."

"He's..." Sam paused. "...doing better." He nodded. "Getting by a day at a time."

"And how are you two?"

"Hm?" Sam raised a brow at her.

"You know, how are you getting along?" She asked.

"Oh, uh-" Sam licked his lips nervously and nodded. "Okay. Yeah, we're doing okay." He said, looking down at his feet. "Slowly opening up to each other."

"That's good." Wanda said.

"Yeah." Sam scoffed.

When he thought about, it did seem good.

"It is." Sam finished.

"Maximoff, Wilson. This isn't a meet and greet. Come on, back to training." Bruce said.

Sam spread his wings and flew into the air.

Wanda levitated herself.

///0///0

Sam walked through the door, tossing his keys on the entryway table, sighing. "Hey." He said, not really expecting an answer. "We did some training today, Bruce had us..." He stopped when he walked into the rest of the house.

Things were knocked over. There were papers everywhere, and glass on the floor. The fridge door had been left open and a couple of things had been knocked out.

Sam reached for a knife in his pocket, looking around. He walked down the hall to his and Bucky's room, being cautious.

The possibilities of what had happened here were endless with two of them being part of the Avangers. That always attracted attention.

Sam turned to Bucky's room when heard noises coming from inside. He grabbed the doorknob and readied himself. He took in a deep breath and popped the door open, ready to dodge anything and throw his knife.

Nothing came.

He turned to the bathroom when he heard water splashing.

Bucky was sitting on the floor in front of the bathtub.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"Ever heard of knocking?"

"What is going on here? What's with all the-" He stopped when he heard a cat.

Bucky moved the curtains out of the way, revealing a white cat. "She was outside. She needed help."

"You took in the stray cat?" Sam asked. "It's been a stray since-

"She." Bucky interrupted.

"She's been here since before I moved. She's a wild animal." Sam said. "I- You can't just-" He started to put the pieces together. "Did she make the mess out there?"

"What do you expect? I bet she's never even been inside a home, nevertheless had a bath." Bucky said, pouring warm water on the cat.

"You can't just take in a stray cat. You don't know what diseases it might have or if it has fleas." Sam said.

"She doesn't. Her fur was just dirty." Bucky said.

"What if your allergic or I'm allergic?" Sam asked. "We can't keep her, you saw the mess she made."

"We're both in here with her, as neither of us is reacting." Bucky said. "I'll take care of her."

"Look, I know how you feel about her, but it's not gonna work." Sam said. "We're both very busy all the time and-"

"You're very busy." Bucky said.

"Well, if you'd bother to show up to training once in a while-"

"Get out." Bucky said.

"B-"

"Leave."

Sam sighed, leaving Bucky's room and walking back into the mess that the cat had left.

Bucky sighed, looking at the cat. He continued to bathe her.

///0///0

Bucky sat on his bed, petting the cat he had taken in.

She purred happily, laying on the bed as Bucky pet her soft white fur gently.

"Hah..." Bucky sighed, looking up at his closed door, then away.

///0///0

"Make sure to toss your carrots in a little before your soup is ready. They tempt to cook a bit fast."

"So toward the end." Bucky chopped some carrots and put them aside. He felt something rub against his leg. He looked down to see the cat at his feet, purring. "Hm." He smiled at her.

The cat meowed at him.

He looked back toward the hall toward his and Sam's rooms.

///0///0

>knock< >knock<

"Sam."

There was no answer.

"Sam, it's just me. I promise." Bucky said, still with the knife in his hand.

"Go away."

Bucky sighed, putting his hand against Sam's wooden door. "Look, I gave what you said some thought...and- you're right." He said. "I just- I'd like to hold on to her until tomorrow, then we can take her to the Humane Society center."

There was no answer.

"Fine! Have it your way." Bucky stabbed the knife into Sam's door. He walked across to his room and slammed the door.

Sam's door swung open. "You don't get to put a knife through my door, and then slam your door on me! This is my house!" He tried to open Bucky's door, but it was locked. "Urgh! Aaah-Ngh! You're so-" He kicked Bucky's door. "Stubborn! You're so hard to deal with!" He sighed, turning to his door and removing the knife from his door.

Something in the hall caught his attention.

The white cat was sitting in the hall, staring at him.

"What are you looking at?" Sam asked.

The cat got up and walked over to Sam, purring. She then turned to Bucky's door, meowing.

"He won't open the door." Sam said to her. "Trust me. I've tried. He just needs a minute to cool off." He scoffed. "We both do."

There was a scent in the air. Something smelt burnt.

Sam sniffled. "Wha...shit!" He raced to the kitchen.