You came home with a cardboard carrier and a suspicious smile.

“What is that.” Not a question. A threat.

You opened the box and out popped a snowball with legs big blue eyes, twitchy ears, and a meow too small to be real. Bucky blinked.

“Absolutely not.”

You set her down. She walked straight past you, ignored the couch, sniffed the coffee table then launched herself onto Bucky’s lap like she owned him.

He just stared down at her, horror slowly overtaking his face as she turned one full circle, plopped her little body onto his thigh, and… purred. Loudly. With zero shame.

“…She’s defective. Put her back.”

You bit your lip, trying not to laugh.

“She chose you.”

Bucky scowled but didn’t move. Metal fingers twitched when Alpine tucked herself between his elbow and his chest, rubbing against the vibranium like it was her own personal radiator.

“She’s so clingy,” he muttered an hour later, still not having moved.

“She bit me, then fell asleep on me. You sure she’s not some kind of Hydra plant?”

But when you tried to pick her up, she yowled like you were committing war crimes.

And Bucky? He flinched.

“Okay okay jeez, I got her just you’re fine, princess.”

You raised a brow.

“…Princess?”

He glared at you.

“Shut up.”