[oom] take it easy

[from_the_outside]

By the week after Bucky had found Alpine caught in a soaking downpour and brought him home, Sharon can hardly remember a time when she woke up and didn't feel the little white cat curled somewhere nearby.

Today's no different, although it seems like he's decided to set up camp on her chest instead of by their feet as usual. Sharon mumbles, tired, and pushes at the sheets to get the cat to move, in the process realizing two things:

First, she's lying on her side, not her back.

And second, when Alpine's small miaow? comes, it comes from the floor, not the blanket. 

Sharon takes a breath to respond to him and instantly breaks into a series of wet coughs that she does her best to stifle.

Well, crap.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

Alpine chirrups in her ear and starts trying to find a way through her hair while Bucky makes sure to hold the video so Amanda can see them both.

“I couldn’t leave him there.”

[from_the_outside]

"Of course not," Amanda says, amused.

"Well, you'll have to bring him the next time you come for a visit. We haven't hada cat in the house for ages."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky thinks about Amanda’s carefully decorated house with small breakable things on shelves and how Alpine likes to climb, and winces. He gives Sharon a helpless look.

[from_the_outside]

"Don't worry," Sharon says, laughing at the look on his face. "Mom and Dad will just have to cat-proof the house first."

"Maybe we'll come up there for a visit first," Amanda says. "We haven't been to the city for a long while."

[nerves_of_ice]

“You’re always welcome,” he says, because what else is there to say?

[from_the_outside]

Sharon narrows her eyes at him very slightly while her mother prattles on about the hotel they stayed at the last time they were in New York and the shows they saw and the restaurants they ate at.

It's unlikely in the extreme that Harrison and Amanda will leave their comfortable retired life and hobbies in Richmond to come up to New York, but she lets her mother entertain the fantasy anyway as Alpine settles against the back of her neck, purring. "If you do come up, I'm sure we'll have a good time," Sharon tells her, when she can get a word in edgewise.

"Otherwise we'll be down around Christmas, I'm sure."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky gives her a level stare in return. What was he supposed to say? Sharon doesn’t want her parents to think he’s avoiding them, does she? Or hiding something?

“Definitely,” he says, when she floats the idea of the holidays.

[from_the_outside]

Her eyebrows flicker before she shrugs with a non-verbal fine, whatever as the conversation turns to holiday plans and the party her parents are hoping to host in the mountain house for the first time in years.

"Well, honey, I don't want to keep you," Amanda says, after a little while. "Feel better soon, okay? And Bucky, thank you for taking such good care of my baby girl."

[nerves_of_ice]

“She’s no trouble,” Bucky tells her, as he turns the phone so Amanda can see all three of them. “Good to see you, Amanda.”

[from_the_outside]

"Bye," Sharon says, lifting her hand in a wave. "Tell Daddy we say hi and I'll call him later, okay?"

"Okay, kitten," Amanda says. "Rest up. Talk soon. Love you!"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky disconnects the call and puts the phone back in his pocket rather than give it back to Sharon.

“I think she liked Alpine,” he muses. “Want me to make you that toddy now?”

[from_the_outside]

"Yes," she says, and unwinds Alpine from around her neck, handing the cat to him. "But first I want you to tell me why you're so squirrelly about the idea of my parents visiting us."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Huh?” He runs a hand down Alpine’s back and automatically shifts him to his shoulders. The little white cat nudges against the back of his head before draping himself comfortably with front and hind paws on either side of Bucky’s neck.

“I’m not being squirrely.”

[from_the_outside]

"A little squirrelly," she says.

"Do you not want them to come?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“No! I meant it, they’re welcome.” He starts to get up to go make her the hot toddy.

“And we can have the guest room ready before they get here. They’re just used to … more.”

[from_the_outside]

"Baby."

She pushes the blanket off and pads along behind him towards the kitchen. "First of all, they probably wouldn't even stay here. They'd get a hotel. And if they did, they wouldn't care what shape the guest room is in."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Hey! You’ll get a chill,” he protests, turning around.

“And I mean, it’s okay. It is. I just don’t want to - to disappoint them.”

[from_the_outside]

"I'll be fine for thirty seconds without a blanket," she points out.

"And they wouldn't be disappointed. We have a beautiful place and they adore you."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Okay then.” Alpine, annoyed at the sudden about-face, eels to the ground and goes to investigate his food dish. “I like them too. They’re good people.”

[from_the_outside]

"Okay."

She steps out of Alpine's way and comes to lean against the kitchen door opening, arms folding. "But for my own sanity I'll probably tell them to get a hotel anyway."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky stares at her. “What? No. Of course not.”

[from_the_outside]

She stares back at him. "Why not?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Because that would be rude?” he tries, visibly and honestly confused.

[from_the_outside]

"How?" she asks, bewildered.

"That way we all get to see each other and we don't have to worry about them being in our space. Win-win."

[nerves_of_ice]

He stares at her, then shakes his head and sets water to boil while he gets the whiskey, lemon, and honey.

“Is this - am I being old-fashioned?” he asks. Sam had understood, though, so maybe not, but he’s really not sure.