Neighbors and Their Pets

Inspired by a post I saw on Tumblr. No proofreading, Sorry.

(AU where they were just a normal people living next door.)

Steve adopted his one year old golden retriever from the local shelter with his girlfriend Sharon Carter who was now official ended her relationship with him. Well, they didn't adjust well together at all. They hoped that adopting a dog could help save their relationship.

But it ended anyway. The only problem was he was previously in love with her older sister, Peggy Carter before she died from car accident three years ago. Sharon helped him through the hard time and eventually ended up falling in love.

She moved out one month after they adopted 'Buster'. She took all her stuff and left Steve with his heartbreak. They were dating for almost two years, Steve thought as he sunk himself down on the couch in his living room. Buster jumped up to join him and rested its head on his laps and quietly whined.

"Yeah, I know it suck, buddy." He patted its head gently and drank his beer.

The door to his house busted open loudly and a tall black man walked in.

"Dude, it been a week! You didn't even show up at the museum. Your boss had been asking me about your absence. You better get yourself together before you get fired, Rogers." Sam yelled at his friend "Move on, bro!"

"I'm in a mood of doing nothing." Steve replied.

"You should take Buster for a run. It's getting fat." Sam noted "She's gone, Steve. You have to accept that"

"I know."

They were silenced for another minute when Steve decided to get up and stretch.

"I will take him for a run." Steve said and headed to change his clothed in his bedroom

He came down with a leash and hooked it with Buster's color. He hugged his dog lovingly before led the dog out of this house. Steve inhaled the air and began his run. They both jogged down the street of the neighborhood. Steve wasn't pay much attention of anything and he was surprised that he wasn't got hit by a car.

He noticed something red hair and small figure flew pass him but he didn't catch a glimpse of his/her face. But what caught his attention was his own dog, it stopped in its track and pulled him to stop too. Then Buster began to bark and run to the direction of their home.

"Wait, Buster! Stop!" Steve shouted but his dog didn't listen and ran quickly.

They almost reached their home when Buster decided to stop at the house next to them and began to bark loudly.

"Hey, calm down." Steve knelt down and rubbed his dog gently "Keep it down, Buster. You don't want to disturb the neighbor."

Buster swing his tail eagerly and looked at the house. Steve began to walk and the dog followed him.

"There is some dog barking outside your house, Tasha." Maria said as she looked out the window and saw a tall blonde guy knelt dog next to his dog. "Well, hello, gorgeous."

"What?" Natasha shouted from the kitchen where saw was trying to prepare their food.

The redhead ran and joined her friend but it was too late and he was gone.

"You just missed one gorgeous man, Tash."

"Nah, I'm not interesting in dating right now." The redhead said "I just moved here for a month now and still not settle in."

"It takes time but at least you and I finally live in the same city again."

"Yeah, it was like a million year since high school."

Maria Hill was Natasha's best friend since childhood. They grew up together in the same small town in Michigan. They went separate way after high school and now they lived in New York together again.

"Hey, Truffles seem to like soaking up the sun." Maria mentioned Nat's cat laying on the window sill.

"Yeah, she loves to do that every day."

Truffles was a black and white American shorthair. Nat loved her fat cat so much and even let Truffles sleep on her bed during the night too.

"There is something more than cat in your life, Nat."

"I will try to get back in dating game as soon as I can, Maria."

Steve began to notice something odds about his dog. It was a month after the incident. Steve always found his dog starring out the window to the house next door like three times a day, every single day.

He noticed this because Buster entered his art studio without permission. But the day after the incident, Buster ran into the room and put its paws on the railing of the window. From that day, Steve began to get used to have his dog inside the studio with him.

Buster didn't cause any trouble. He just stood their quietly, swung his tell rapidly.

Steve got up from his seat and walked to the window to find out what caused a sudden interest in Buster. He looked outside, trying to spot anything that could make his dog…well…acted like he was completely falling in love.

His neighbor indeed had a very beautiful lawn. He saw someone wearing a bonnet knelt down at the rose bush. That must be the owner of the house. His eyes slowly moved from spot to spot until her found the source because Buster was now starring at it.

It was the black and white American shorthair sitting at the window sill. Steve looked at Buster again and its eyes filled with sheer devotion and love.

He walked back to his table with a smile on his face.

Damn, his dog was falling in love with a cat.

It's been going on for three months when Steve noticed something about his dog had changed. Buster was still coming to his studio and looking out the window. But now he started to bark once everytime and turned back and walked out the room. He followed it out and saw Buster lay down on his spot near the door, looking so sad it was heartbreaking.

Then it began to constantly whine like it was wounded. Steve knew his dog was now dealing with a terrible heartache that he need to help Buster. Steve observed the house next door closely to that there was any changed or not.

He looked at the window that the cat was always sitting there to soaking up the sun. It was now had large potted plants there, blocking the view of the cat.

The owner must have planted it there. Well, he/she had did a very good job with the garden. It was beautiful than the last time he saw it.

Steve began to write a letter to his neighbor. It must've sound silly for sure but he gotta help Buster in every way he can.

"Dear, Neighbor

This is going to seem ridiculous, but I thought you should know that my dog (a giant golden retriever who lives next door with me) is madly in love with your cat…and has been for probably three months now. Three times a day, he put his paws on the railing to look at him/her in your window sill. Now that you have potted plants there, he is heartbroken…but keeps looking for your cat every day. Maybe your plants could switch to a different window?

From,

Your neighbor + his adoring dog"

Steve walked out of his house to the house next door and stuck the paper on the door before quickly got back to his house. When he opened the door, Buster stood there and waiting for him.

"You make me turn into creepy person to the neighbor."

Steve was preparing to go for a morning run with Buster when the bell rang the next morning. He opened the door and his eyes widened when he saw the most beautiful woman he ever see in his entire life standing in front of him.

She had a fiery red hair matching her pricing green eyes and silky smooth skin. She was small but he could notice that she must have work out a lot to keep in shape.

"Hi…" He could get only one word out of his mouth.

"So you are my creepy neighbor and his lovesick dog?" She asked and showed him the letter before looking at the dog behind him.

"Yes, I am. Sorry to put it like that but Buster has been heartbroken and I need to help him."

She gave him a soft smile, "It's okay. I totally don't mind even it sound a little silly."

"I'm Steve by the way."

"Natasha." She replied and shook hand with him.

"Want to come inside." Steve offered. His face was redden. "A cup of coffee?"

"I'm thinking about moving my potter plant somewhere else" She said "Might could use a hand though."

"Would be my pleasure, ma'am" Steve smiled "Can I bring Buster with me?"

"Of course, Truffles would love to meet him."

Steve helped Natasha move her plants from the window. At the same time, Buster was getting acquainted with Truffles. They ended up spending all day at Natasha's house. Steve was helping her with her garden and they both strangely talked and opened themselves up the way they never did with anyone this fast.

It became everyday routine for them to go for a run every morning with their pets. They may stop for a cup of coffee before walked back home. Nat had her breakfast at Steve's and he had his dinner at Nat's.

Steve asked her to go steady with him after a month. They kept their relationship a secret until one day, the couple decided to stay in rather than handing out with their friends as usual.

Sam was furiously rang the bell at Steve's door because he set him up for a date tonight but Steve didn't return his call. Meanwhile, Maria was heading to Nat's house to pick her up for a party at the club downtown.

"Are you forgetting your key or something?" Maria shouted as she saw same did everything he could to open the door.

"Nah, my best friend was in there and not answering his phone or opened the door for me."

"My friend too is not answering her phone."

Then they both had the same suspicion.

"Do you think?'

"Maybe they…."

"Damn it, that's why he reject every single girl I try to find him!" Sam exclaimed.

"I think they're in her house."

Sam walked over to Maria who opened the door with the keys Nat gave her. They both crept into the house, searching every room but found no one. They moved to the second floor where they heard a TV sound from inside Nat's bedroom.

The door was half open and they peeked inside to see their friend cuddling on bed, sleeping. Buster laid across both humans while Truffles laid on top of Steve's chest and put it head on Buster.

"So our friends are dating and keep their relationship from us?" Sam asked.

"Apparently yes" Maria replied

"Do you think you can come with me to the awesome party downtown? Now that our friends ditch us."

"Sound great. I'm Maria by the way."

"I'm Sam Wilson."

They shook hand and playfully eyed one another before a sound broke the silence.

"You guys should date. We could go for a double sometime." Nat sleepily suggested and didn't open her eyes before went back to snuggle with Steve.