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Challenges listed at the bottom.
Word Count: 1465
In Any Form (I Adore You)
The moment Steve set the bundle in his arms on the floor, it shot off to hide behind the cabinet, squeezing into the small gap.
"Uh. What's with the kitten, Steve?" Bucky asked from his place on the sofa. He'd been reading in front of the fire, waiting for the team to get back from their mission, but he hadn't expected Steve to fetch a cat home.
"Uh. Well, that kitten is, uh. Tony."
Bucky blinked. "Tony?"
"Reed Richards," Steve offered as explanation, shrugging his shoulders. "Bruce has gone over to try and help him fix it, but it's probably gonna be a few days."
"That's… different," Bucky said slowly, looking back over to the cabinet. He could just see the tiny kitten's feet under the cabinet, and then a pink nose poked out of the side of it.
Bucky bit his lip because awwwww.
Bucky placed his book down on the table and slipped onto the floor, crossing his legs in front of him. He'd always loved animals, and since he didn't want Tony to hide for however long he was going to be a kitten, he figured it was better to try and make friends with him now.
He waited with a patience borne from the Winter Soldier, and eventually, Tony had poked his full head out, looking around curiously. When he caught sight of Bucky, he froze for a moment.
"Don't be scared, Tony." Bucky held a hand out, steady and waiting. "It's going to be okay."
Slowly, Tony came out from behind the cabinet on the tiniest paws Bucky had ever seen, and padded shyly towards him. When he got within touching distance, he paused again, waiting to see what Bucky did.
When Bucky didn't move, Tony shifted, nearing the still outstretched hand. He butted his little head against Bucky's warm hand, and then did it again, a second and then a third time.
Bucky smiled and patted his lap with his free hand, not caring for the fur that would undoubtedly attach itself to his black trousers. "Come on, sweetheart. Up you come."
It was painstaking, but eventually, Tony curled himself up on Bucky's lap, purring softly as Bucky stroked his back soothingly.
The rest of the team joined them one by one, but apparently comfortable now, they didn't scare Tony away.
Clint produced a camera from somewhere and took a few quick snaps of Tony. Bucky snorted. Tony would ensure he got payback for that. Still, Bucky would be cornering Clint later to get a copy of one of the photographs before Tony could find and destroy them.
It was a quiet evening. Steve and Natasha had sourced—or rather, they'd had JARVIS source—cat appropriate items, and though Steve tried to tempt Tony with premium cat food, the little kitten had turned his nose up until Bucky had prepared him some fresh salmon on a little plate instead of the cat bowl.
"Even as a kitten, he's a spoiled little monster," Steve said, shaking his head as the two of them watched him licking his paws clean.
Tony looked up and stared at Steve for a long moment before he walked over. He tried to jump up into Bucky's lap, but couldn't quite make it. Bucky really had to restrain his laughter when Tony ended up back on the floor, looking completely uncertain of how he'd ended up back there.
Steve didn't do quite so well and chuckled softly when Bucky leant down to carefully scoop Tony up in his hands to lift him up onto the sofa. Tony butted against Bucky's stomach and then, being careful where he put his claws, moved over to Steve.
He ended up on his back legs, his paws resting on Steve's chest, the two of them locking eyes for a long moment. And then, from nowhere, Tony reached up with one paw and bopped Steve on the nose.
Bucky didn't have a hope of restraint this time, and he started laughing. He wasn't sure if it was a tiny kitten doing such a thing, or if it was the complete shock on Steve's face, but Bucky thought the whole thing was hilarious.
Having Tony as a kitten was certainly going to make for an interesting few days.
…
Clint flicked a piece of popcorn onto the floor. Steve opened his mouth to reprimand him, but Bucky caught his arm and shook his head, pointing to Tony, who was watching the popcorn with a predatory look. His tail flicked behind him.
With no warning, Tony pounced on the popcorn, sending it skittering across the floor with the kitten close behind it, his claws extended. The team watched him go with various expressions of amusement and fondness.
Once the popcorn had been totally obliterated, a quick word to JARVIS had a laser pointer spinning a red dot around the floor in circles, sending Tony mad as he chased after it.
Bucky was quite sure he'd never seen anything so adorable.
Eventually, Tony stopped, panting with his little pink tongue sticking out. Steve got him a fresh saucer of milk, and when he'd drunk his fill, he sat by Bucky's feet, looking up at him expectantly until Bucky took the hint and picked him up.
Tony curled up in a ball on Bucky's legs, his thin shorts allowing his natural warmth through.
"You only like me because I'm good for keeping you warm, don't you?" Bucky asked, scratching Tony behind the ears.
Tony purred loudly, and Bucky decided he didn't care if that was the reason. It didn't matter his form, Tony Cuddles were the best cuddles.
…
By the time Bruce came back, Tony had been a kitten for three days, and Bucky was so very ready to have human Tony back. As much as he'd loved his time with kitten Tony, he missed the soft smiles and shy looks the genius gave him.
He missed being called Snowflake, and the hands on his shoulders or in his hair as Tony passed him.
"We've fixed it," Bruce said, sitting down tiredly at the kitchen table. Steve put a plate full of taco's down in front of the scientist, and Tony hopped onto the table from where he'd been sitting on Bucky's shoulder.
They all watched as Tony neared the plate curiously, and then sneezed when the spices on the taco's reached his nose.
"Oh my god."
Bucky snorted at the look on Clint's face. He looked as though he was in pain, staring at Tony in disbelief.
"That was the cutest thing ever, and now I need to go shoot things to feel manly again, oh my god. I'll never be able to look Tony in the face ever again."
As Clint walked out of the room, shaking his head and muttering to himself, Tony sneezed again and gave the taco's an affronted look.
Bruce chuckled. "You're a cute little monster, aren't you?" he murmured, slowly reaching his hand out. Tony butted against it immediately, doing a happy little hop on the table, and Bucky thought if there was any more cute, he might actually die of the squishy.
"Did you fetch the device with you, or do you have to take him over to Richards?" Bucky asked, smirking when Tony wandered back over to him and started nibbling on Bucky's fingers happily.
"I'll have to take him to the Baxter building to have him fixed, but it should only take a few minutes," Bruce replied, tucking into his food.
Bucky nodded. "Here that, Tones? You'll be human again soon."
"Meow," Tony agreed, eyes gleaming up at Bucky.
…
Tony flopped down on the sofa, tucking a bronze pillow behind his head. His legs lifted over Bucky's lap, and Bucky immediately started massaging them gently.
"You're so good at that," Tony complimented blissfully. "Oh, hey, gimme your phone a minute, I want to show you something."
Bucky handed over the phone unthinking, and then frowned when Tony spluttered.
"What is this?" the genius asked, turning the phone around to show Bucky.
Bucky realised the problem and chuckled. "Uh, oops? Clint took it on the first day and I just… really loved the picture?"
On the screen was a photo of kitten Tony curled up on Bucky's lap. Bucky is smiling down at him like he'd the most precious thing ever been seen. Though in fairness, he tended to look at Tony like that in any form.
Tony looked at Bucky and then back to the screen.
"Hmm. Barton is going to regret that."
"I can keep the picture though, right?" Bucky checked, smiling when Tony looked back at him.
"Of course you can. I just really enjoy having a reason to get back at Clint."
Bucky snorted. "I love you."
"I love you too, Snowflake."
Written for:
Record Collection: 25. Popcorn
Showtime: 15. Cat
Amber's Attic: 21. Read by the fireplace
Film Festival: 15. Photograph
Marvel Appreciation: Hulk - Black trousers / Taco / Bronze
Lyric Alley: 7. Keeping you warm
Forecast: 25. Shy
Hot Chocolate Station: 18. Bronze
Write Letter's To Santa: Prompt 5: 8. Camera
Big Dinner Bash: Red Onion: "Don't be scared, Name. It's going to be okay."
Toy Making: Book: 1. Animal transformation
Pop Figures: TV. 03. Bart - Shorts.
Hogwarts Talent Show: Designing: Lime Green / Pillow