The team could never fault Bucky for his reserved and stoic attitude - His past gave him experiences that absolutely no one would come out of with a spring in their step.

That didn’t mean Bucky was a total asshole or full of rage; even despite the snark he could have sometimes, and the constant grumpy glares - but he simply kept to himself, and only let a few people in. Everyone else had the bare minimum politeness he could manage to muster.

As amusing as his pouts were, and as much as his grumbles were what made him him, you really wanted to see a smile on his face. Not one that he’d give out of obligation, or one that didn’t quite meet his eyes - you wanted to see genuine happiness, or even just to see him relax if not.

So, you decided to invite him with you to have a drink at one of the nearby cafes. Bucky had agreed, since he was really looking for an excuse to get out for a bit and spend some time away from the Avengers business, even for a couple hours. He was also comfortable with you, and accompanying you meant he could quietly look out for you - something he always did for the people he was close to, a force of habit.

It was a simple café - Well, to Bucky anyway. You hadn’t told him why you wanted so badly to go to this one specifically, since it was a little further from the usual area he went to have a coffee. But he didn’t mind, he could get some fresh air with the walk.

As you entered and found your seats, ordering your drinks and sitting in a comfortable quiet, Bucky finally piped up with a raised eyebrow.

“So… Why this place? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so persistent on a café-“ He started, before a small pressure on his lap cut him off.

He looked down, and his face immediately softened, a small ‘oh…’ escaping his parted lips.

A little cat had climbed up to bump its head against his abdomen, purring and meowing for a bit of attention. It was only then that Bucky noticed the little groups of different cats roaming the café, interacting with customers and napping in the random cat trees set up around the place - he just thought it had some strange decoration choices.

“Damn, you’re a sneaky one…” He muttered to you with an attempt of a grumble, but it was very much overshadowed by the clear smile tugging at his lips as he gently ran his fingers across the back of the cat’s fur, his eyes following its movements as it batted a small paw at his jacket.