NOTE: this fic was written as a response to TipsyFic's "Sheltered Hearts"
The ride home from the shelter had a certain rare tenderness to it, partially due to the soft light of the setting sun but also the chocolate lab curled up next to Bucky in the back seat. Bucky insisted on sitting in the back with the dog, Taco, to make sure Taco didn't freak out during the car ride. This was fine was Steve; he was content with watching their little romance reflected in the rear view mirror. Steve didn't expect to return to the compound with a new pet (and another mouth to feed), but his inability to say no to Bucky was astounding. Once Steve saw the way Bucky relaxed next to Taco, he knew they were taking him home.
Steve gently laid his hand on Buck's arm while Bucky successfully coaxed Taco out of the car. It was nice to know that Bucky didn't tense under his touch anymore.
As it turned out, getting Taco into the compound wasn't as hard as they thought it would be: Taco naturally followed Bucky everywhere he went. To the bathroom, to the gym, to the bedroom when Steve and Bucky were….well, when they preferred no one else was around, including beloved furry friends.
It became a common sight to see Bucky and Taco together; it looked odd when they weren't. Steve didn't mind once Taco finally warmed up to him, though not the rest of the Avengers team. Steve was allowed to pet him, but even then only Bucky was allowed to pick Taco up and cuddle with him on the couch.
Taco was a bit jealous when it came it Bucky's affection, though. Steve and Bucky were cooking dinner in the kitchen together— a recipe Steve found on Pinterest ("The Internet, it's just so helpful") and things inevitably got a little flirty. Steve doesn't mind public affection while Bucky shies away from it, but Steve just thinks that makes Bucky even cuter. Steve had hid the directions from Bucky and would only tell him the next step by coming up behind him and whispering gently in his ear, which, instead of being sexy, just made Bucky giggle (Steve didn't mind—he could listen to only Bucky's giggles for the rest of his life and still not mind). At one point, in lieu of whispering to Buck, Steve surprised him by grabbing his waist, spinning him around, and kissing him gently on the lips. This would-be-perfect moment was quickly ruined by Taco jumping up between them and pawing at Bucky's stomach, accidentally getting him in the groin. That's okay, Steve thought, I'll get my turn later.
That night, a crash of thunder woke up a Bucky drenched in cold sweat. His heaving breaths quickened into hyperventilation when he jutted his arm out next to him on the bed and realized that Steve was missing. This was common for Bucky: panic out of nowhere. His uncontrollable, irrational thoughts started a game of "What Happened to Steve" that was in no way helpful to the fear wracking his body. A flash of lightning filtered through the curtains, showing Taco climbing into bed and curling up next to Bucky. His inexplicable panic had paralyzed him and he couldn't bring himself to get out of bed to search for Steve, so he folded into the warmth and sense of protection that Taco provided. A few minutes later, Bucky heard footsteps shuffling into his room through his hitching breaths that still hadn't slowed down.
"Steve?" he managed to barely make the sound.
"Bucky? Oh, Bucky, Bucky, Bucky," Steve whispered as he crawled back to Bucky's side. He reached across Taco's wet nose to cradle Bucky's haggard face in his soft hands; he was shocked to see tears pooling in his eyes, one already slipping down his chin. Steve smoothed it away with his thumb. "Bucky, what's wrong?"
"I didn't know…you weren't there wh—when I woke up. I didn't know where you were," Bucky spoke between soft sobs. Tears formed in the time spent fearful of not knowing where Steve was; they fell in relief now that he was back. Bucky was afraid to blink in case Steve suddenly disappeared from his side again. He finally began to let his muscles relax as he pulled strength from Steve's pale blue-green eyes. The feeling of Steve's thumb softly gliding over his cheek and Taco's even breathing comforted him more than words could say, so he said nothing. He simply kept his eyes on his Steve as Steve scooted closer, lining up their hips and entangling their legs to make sure as many points as possible were touching with Taco still smushed between them. Steve pressed his forehead against Bucky's, the tips of their noses touching. Bucky took a deep breath and listened to the sounds made by his two loves and drifted into a rare, peaceful sleep.