The rest of the day was spent adjusting to having a dog in the house. Bucky, initially took 'owner' to mean 'body guard.' He trailed the young dog, keeping her away from anything potentially harmful, keeping her out of the way in the kitchen so that Steve wouldn't accidentally tread on her paws while preparing lunch or dinner. Eventually, Steve encouraged Bucky to let young Liberty do a little of her own exploring. He explained that she would be alright, and that it wasn't Bucky's job to make sure that she never got tripped up, it was his job to love her, and to see that she was fed and happy.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
That night, Bucky stripped out of the clothing he had been wearing all day and changed into the soft flannel pajama pants Steve had given him. It was too warm to sleep with a shirt. Liberty sat by the closed door, her thick tail sweeping curiously back and forth.
"You sleep here." Bucky said firmly, pointing to a small pile of towels he'd created beside his nightstand. Liberty, obedient to her somewhat grumpy owner, padded over and curled up in the nest of towels. Bucky blinked, surprised by the lack of struggle. "You…follow orders well…" He murmured hesitantly, walking over to the light switch. He clicked the over-head off, feeling his way through the darkness back to his bed. It was good to be curled up, safe, and warm, in a place where he knew he wouldn't be hurt.
The dark-haired man had almost drifted to sleep when he heard the skittering of nails and then a thunk against his bed frame. His eyes flashed open, and he felt a small spike of adrenaline rush through him. Again, he heard the skittering of nails, and this time, Liberty made it all the way up onto the bed. The mattress squished underneath of her as she experimentally padded around, snuffling at the covers before finding a place near the foot of the bed to curl up.
"Lib-" Bucky started, and then stopped. His eyes were adjusted to the darkness by this point and he could see Liberty's soft shape at the foot of the bed. He could see her piercing blue eyes staring, pleading. Bucky gave a resigned sigh and lay back down. After all, Steve hadn't said she couldn't sleep on the bed.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Steve was going through his standard morning routine of preparing breakfast when Bucky stormed into the kitchen, his bed sheet clenched in his fist, Liberty on his heels.
"She peed on my bed." Bucky snarled, and Steve suppressed a smile, seeing Liberty looking so cheerful and unrepentant at his heel.
"Well, I hate to say it, but cleaning up after her falls under your jurisdiction Buck. I told you that you may want to keep her on the floor."
Bucky pinched his lips together tightly, wondering how long it was going to take him to clean this.
"Here," Steve said, setting the pancake batter aside and touching his shoulder. "Let me show you something.
Steve led Bucky down the hall and past the bathroom. Near the back of the house, there was a little alcove that held a washing machine and a dryer. "Remember when were little, and your mom would drop you off at my house. My mom would just be starting the laundry, and when you were picked up at eight or nine at night she's be just bringing it in?" asked with a small smile.
"No," Bucky admitted, and Steve's face fell a little, but he didn't dwell on it.
"Well, it happened a lot, these…they take an hour for a load, maximum. It's incredible Bucky, things have really changed." Bucky studied the machines skeptically.
"Will my bedding still smell like piss in an hour?" He asked, and Steve's lips tugged into a smile.
"No, I don't think so. Now come on, I'll show you how it works."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
No more than an hour later Bucky opened the dryer door, pulling his bedding from the inside of the barrel. It was warm and completely clean and dry. Bucky allowed himself a brief moment of sensitivity. He pulled the warm laundry close to him, pressing his face into the soft folds of the fabric. It felt safe. He stood there for a long time, enjoying the safe, warm feeling, before he was startled by Liberty's wet nose on the back of his knee and continued on with his day.