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Now that Steve thought about it, it really shouldn’t really have been a surprise. He’d been lonely and a little depressed ever since the Battle of New York, and it was only a matter of time before he’d need to find someone to help him through it.
He just didn’t expect it to be a kitten, of all things.
He’d found the poor thing on his morning run, cold and starved behind one of New York City’s many huge dumpsters. It had looked up at Steve from a pile of rags, little green eyes shining in the cold, and let out a sad, plaintive mew. How was Steve supposed to ignore that?
He’d brought the kitten back to the Tower with every intention of feeding him up a bit, and then asking Jarvis for a list of the best kitty shelters around the Tower. It’d been almost a week now, and well… Steve had to admit he was getting a little attached.
As pathetic as it sounded, he’d imprinted on the cat harder than a baby duckling on its mother. It felt nice to have something to do, something to take care of, for a change. It made him feel useful, even a little loved, which wasn’t an emotion he’d felt in well over 60 years.
“D’you think I should keep him, JARVIS?” he asked, watching the kitten play with his tail on Steve’s bed.
“My scans indicate that this kitten has had a very positive effect on your mental health, Captain. I would advise you to keep it.”
“Welcome to the family, then,” said Steve with a smile, and the kitten paused and let himself be petted, almost as if he understood exactly what Steve was saying.
The rest of the team reacted very well to Steve’s announcement of his new pet, all things considered. Clint and Thor were ecstatic, rushing forward to pet him, and rushing back just as quickly when the kitten growled at them, baring his tiny fangs in a way that was both threatening and adorable. Natasha didn’t seem interested at all, just patting Steve on the shoulder in congratulations before returning to her coffee. Bruce stayed away a little nervously, but smiled as he watched the kitten’s antics.
“Not a big fan of animals the Other Guy could crush,” was his only explanation, and none of the others asked for details.
“Did you ask Tony if you could keep him?” asked Natasha, who’d finished her coffee and was now eyeing the kitten with mild amusement.
“No,” said Steve. “Should I?”
“I mean, it is his Tower.” Clint poked at the kitten, quickly pulling his hand back when the kitten went into a defensive stance. “I don’t think he’d like having competition.”
“Competition for what?”
Clint opened his fat mouth to reply, but Natasha slapped a hand over it, not even flinching when Clint started licking at it wetly. “Ignore him,” she said smoothly. “But you do need to tell Tony, Steve. It’s his Tower, after all, and he’s letting us live here rent-free. The least we could do is tell him if we bring someone new in.”
“I—” Steve was wildly confused. Not only had he not thought of telling Tony, the idea that he needed to involve Tony in this at all was not something he had considered. “But if I ask him, he’ll say no.” He looked up at Natasha pleadingly. “I can’t risk that.”
“Tony wouldn’t say no. He’s let us do anything and everything we want in here. Compared to Clint’s popcorn machine, a kitten isn’t even that bad.”
“He’s still mad at me,” Steve mumbled, “For last week.”
The team let out a unanimous sigh of understanding. They’d all been there, after all, for the epic screaming match between their leaders, after one of their first missions together as a team after the Battle of New York. It had gotten heated and ugly, with neither of them willing to back down, and Tony had exploded and said some not-exactly-very-nice things to Steve before storming away. He’d avoided Steve like the plague that week, locking himself in his workshop and only coming up to the communal floor for meals if he knew Steve wasn’t there.
Steve had tried to apologize, even as Tony’s words stung him. He’d pushed his hurt aside and brought Tony food the next day, his customary peace offering. Not only had Tony not let him into the workshop, he hadn’t even touched the food, letting it rot on his doorstep until Steve admitted defeat and took it away. He’d asked JARVIS to pass along messages and to tell Tony he really was sorry and that he wanted to talk, but JARVIS said Tony was in a temporary blackout and couldn't be reached. Tony really was stubborn about not talking to him, and Steve couldn't do anything about it.
“It’s been almost ten days now, Steve,” said Bruce, gently. “Don’t you think he’ll be over it?”
“I’m still not taking the risk,” said Steve shortly. He carried the kitten and let him rest on his shoulder. “I’ll tell him about this when he starts talking to me again. Don’t see why I’ve got to be the bigger person all the time.”
He stormed away to his room, only calmed when he felt the kitten wrap itself around his neck, his cool fur gently cooling Steve down as well. He didn’t need to tell Tony; Tony had much more important things to do, like ignoring Steve and acting like a complete ass. Steve, on the other hand, could now get down the most pressing business he had: what to name the kitten.
“Why the fuck,” said Tony, managing to sound cold and terrified at the same time, “is there a cat in my house?”
The rest of the team looked at each other, wincing.
“He’s Steve’s,” said Clint, “He got him last week.”
“And none of you thought it would be a good idea to tell me?” The others could practically see the steam coming out of his ears, and Bruce made a quick, quiet exit. “What the fuck does that star-spangled icicle think he’s trying to pull?”
“I think he was trying to tell you,” said Clint quickly, trying to mitigate the damage. “He just, uh, couldn’t find the opportunity.”
“Couldn’t find the opportunity,” said Tony coldly. “So you’re saying this is my fault, Barton?”
“No, I just meant—”
Tony ignored him, shooing the kitten away from his path. “Where the fuck is Steve?”
“He’s out. Running. That’s probably why the kitten’s up here, Steve usually takes care to keep it in his room—” Clint stopped, shrinking under Tony’s icy glare.
“How long have you known about this, exactly? And why for the love of god did not one single one of you think to tell me there was a cat in my house?!”
Clint was saved from having to answer by Steve, who walked in right then, sweaty and panting. He’d originally run in for a quick gulp of water, but paused as he felt the tension in the air.
“Tony,” he said coolly, before noticing Bucky Jr. sprawled on the floor next to him. “Okay, I can explain,” he said immediately.
“You’ve had this thing for a week and you didn’t tell me?”
Tony didn’t sound angry or enraged. If anything, he sounded a little… disappointed. Sad, even. Steve suddenly felt guilty, and then angry that he felt guilty. He was allowed to feel whatever he wanted to feel.
“I found him on the street, and I couldn’t leave him there to starve,” he said simply, picking Bucky Jr. up and scratching behind his ears. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Tony, and you can kick him out if you want to. I’ll just go with him.”
Tony threw his hands up in frustration. “You’d leave the Tower for a stupid cat?!”
“Don’t call him stupid,” said Steve warningly. “And why wouldn’t I? I haven’t exactly felt very welcome here the last few days.” He picked up his discarded water bottle, making his way out of the kitchen. Fuck this. He’d rather die of thirst than stay one more moment in Tony’s vicinity. “And don’t give me shit for not telling you when you’re the one who’s been avoiding me.”
He heard Tony call his name behind him, but he ignored it, rushing to his floor to take a shower. He stayed under the water for a long time, trying to focus on the sensation of hot water on his skin and the smell of the insanely expensive soaps and shampoos Tony usually kept for him. Suddenly, he felt an almost nauseating wave of guilt wash over him.
This was all Tony’s. It was Tony who worked day in and day out in his workshop, his way of earning enough so that Steve could be spoiled with hot water and luxury soaps. Without him, Steve would probably still be stuck in the tiny room SHIELD had given him in their headquarters, cold and plain and dull and just so, so lonely. While that feeling hadn’t really left him since he’d come here, he had to admit it was a lot better when he was surrounded by his friends and teammates, rather than polite but unknown SHIELD agents. And it was all thanks to Tony.
Steve turned the shower off quickly, feeling too guilty to continue staying motionless under the hot water. He toweled himself dry and collapsed on the soft couch in his bedroom — again, courtesy of Tony Stark — fighting the tears that were threatening to fall.
Bucky Jr., seemingly noting his father’s distress, climbed up the couch and settled himself on Steve’s knee, looking at him with an inquiring eye.
“This is all your fault,” Steve grumbled quietly, and the kitten made his way up Steve’s shirt, grabbing on with his little paws until he was settled on Steve’s neck. He nestled his tiny head in the crook of Steve’s neck, purring softly. “Giving me a shoulder to cry on, huh?” Steve smiled, scratching the back of his little ears. “I take it back. You’re the best thing that’s happened to me since I came out of that stupid ice.” Bucky Jr. purred again, softer this time.
“Y’know, sometimes I wish I didn’t ever come out. Life was certainly much easier when I was stuck in there.” Bucky had stopped purring now, and placed a soft paw on Steve’s shirt. Steve knew he was just getting ready to fall asleep, but the little action comforted him anyway. “But I guess I’d never had found you if I hadn’t, so maybe it was worth it.”
He watched Bucky Jr. as he fell asleep, his eyes closing slowly, his furry little chest rising and falling in a pleasing rhythm, until—
—until Bucky Jr. yelped and fell back onto Steve’s lap, startled awake by the loud knock on the door.
“Steve, open the fuck up.”
Oh. It was Tony.
Steve knew he had to apologize, but he hadn’t expected it to be this soon. He thought he’d have time to collect himself, maybe write a nice little speech, and deliver it with one of Tony’s favourite cheeseburgers.
But, well, no time like the present, right?
“Tony,” he started as he opened the door, but the man cut him off.
“I am going to say something that I will probably regret, but Clint and Nat and Thor convinced me, and now I have to do it or I’ll never forgive myself. And also, Natasha might maybe stab me.”
Steve couldn’t make head or tail of what Tony was saying, but he listened as Tony continued on in an unbroken flow.
“Look, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I said that stuff to you, I know we were fighting, but it wasn’t fair of me. I’m sorry I’ve ignored you this whole time; that was my mistake and not yours and I fully understand why you didn’t tell me about the cat. I’m sorry I overreacted about the cat in the first place. Like you said, it didn’t do any harm.”
“Tony, stop,” said Steve when he was finally able to get a word in. “What’s— why’re you apologizing? I should be apologizing to you.”
“I forgive you for the cat,” said Tony quickly. “And anything else you may have done. And please don’t say anything else until I’m done because I have a very good flow of words planned and you’re interrupting it.” Tony paused to take a deep breath. “Okay, so now that I’m done with all the “I’m sorry”s, I have something else to tell you, and I’m begging you not to punch me for it until I’m done.
“I wasn’t mad about the kitten because you didn’t tell me, or because I was worried about the property damage. It was just… the fact that the great Captain America was literally rescuing kittens from trees and taking them in and here I am, a stupid worthless mess that didn’t do shit except kill people. And then you said you’d leave the Tower with it and all I could think of was, have I been so shitty to him that he literally likes a cat better than he likes me?” Tony had started pacing around Steve’s room by now, and Steve couldn’t get a single word in. “I… I thought I was a good guy, Steve, good enough for you, at least. But how the fuck am I supposed to compete with that?” He gestured bitterly towards where Bucky Jr. was seated, licking his paws and making for an absolutely adorable sight.
Steve was confused, and maybe a little woozy from the rollercoaster of emotions he’d felt today. “Tony, wait — what do you mean good enough for me?”
“Well, I can’t make it any more obvious than that,” sighed Tony, and then, Steve couldn’t tell you how, his lips were suddenly pressed to Tony’s, kissing him like the world would end tomorrow. He was shocked, surprised, speechless; but that was only for a moment, before he registered what was happening, and kissed Tony back, much, much harder. He hadn’t known he wanted this, hadn’t even thought about it until this moment, when it all felt so absolutely, wonderfully perfect.
“Oh,” was all he said as he and Tony pulled away from each other. He raised a hand to his lips, which still seemed to be tingling. “Oh.”
“Steve, say something,” said Tony, almost pleading. “I… I don’t know why I said all that. I never meant to. But the others… they convinced me, a little bit, and they promised me you’d feel the same way. I’m sorry, and it’s perfectly okay if you don’t feel the same— oomf!”
Steve pulled him in for a kiss again, trying to tell Tony everything he couldn't just say with his words. By the way Tony’s eyes were shining, the message had gotten through, loud and clear, and it was another couple of hours before either of them whispered their apologies to each other once more.
Bucky Jr. had his cat bed moved outside that night, but he had a strangely satisfied smirk on his face as he slept.