Chapter Text
Tony flopped onto the floor. The room was spinning. So much spinning. He glanced over at Lord Stompy and saw that the other cat was also flopped over on the floor.
The laser pointer dot snapped in between Tony’s feet. He batted at it, cursing Steve, and forced himself upright so he could scramble across the floor after the cursed dot, determined to kill it even though he knew there was no way that was possible.
The lights above them flickered.
Steve frowned, turning the laser pointer off. “Jarvis?”
“Sir?” Jarvis said. “I’m sorry – I can’t keep the power on much longer. The building is being breached.”
Tony skidded to a halt, nearly rolling in a somersault.
The lights shut off.
The emergency siren blared once, twice and went dead.
Tony sniffed the air, hair on end. What was going on? How had someone gotten into the building? He reached out with Extremis but there was nothing there to tap into but darkness. Jarvis and the security system was gone.
The first thing Tony noticed was the smell. Something in the distance was familiar, and while that was always technically true for pretty much every room in the tower, this wasn’t a smell from home. This was something bad – something he had smelled while trapped in Madame Hydra’s grasp. Tony gagged. The air around them had gone metallic and his whiskers felt like they were live with electricity. Every particle of dust seemed ready to send him information and while it was invigorating in a strange way it also made him feel sick to his stomach. He was aware of every last piece of fur standing on end, of his tail growing three sizes bigger and his ears flattening against his head. He didn’t like this – he didn’t like this at all.
“Tony?” Steve said. He reached out hesitantly and smoothed down the fur standing at attention on Tony’s back, trying to calm him. “Everything is ok – it’s just a power outage.”
But that was a lie and they both knew it. Jarvis was never off and the power never went out unless it was a planned outage – this was Stark Tower, not a regular apartment building. Something big had happened and it wasn’t something good. Hydra had made their move.
Steve moved to the door, his head cocked to the side as his super soldier hearing drew his attention.
Tony had already heard what Steve had just noticed. He hissed. A bomb had gone off somewhere down below, and it was big enough to send vibrations up through the floor. Someone was forcing their way up the tower floor by floor, and there were enough of them to close to the Avengers without them noticing.
Tony reached out with Extremis but with the Tower’s systems down there was nothing to tap into, no cameras to spy through. His suit was down for maintenance and the arc reactor had been taken out to make sure it wouldn’t cause any shortages when it was turned back on. His mind was inescapably his own again and it was so quiet with no technology bouncing around inside. He didn’t like it.
“Tony, I know I said everything is fine,” Steve said, gritting his teeth. “But I think someone’s broke into the tower.”
‘No Shit,’ Tony meowed in response, wishing Steve could understand him. He dropped down to the floor and scuttled under the couch, diving out of sight, following cat instincts before he could regain control of the fear bubbling up. The floor was vibrating on and off beneath his paws; he could just make out the sound of fighting somewhere below him. Was it Natasha? Clint? His cat senses were good but they weren’t good enough to let him hear through layers of steel and cement.
“I think that was another explosion,” Steve said, tensing. He looked around, and swore when he realized what was missing. “My shield is on my floor and I don’t think I can make it down there with you and Lord Stompy under my arms.”
Tony bobbed his head in agreement.
Shit.
Lord Stompy was going to be a problem. He wasn’t going to hide if someone came bursting into the room, ready to attack. That cat was probably going to try and take a chunk out of whoever breached the doors and that would spell disaster.
Tony sniffed frantically under the couch but the only scent he could pick up was old; he couldn’t find the other cat. Lord Stompy had disappeared somewhere, and while he was still in the apartment, he was out of sight.
Where had Lord Stompy disappeared to? He was almost always under foot and now he was suddenly gone – had something happened?
Tony darted into the kitchen, trying to pick up Lord Stompy’s scent.
“Tony? Where did you go?” Steve called out.
Tony meowed in response, still searching.
Steve didn’t relax; he turned his attention to their only entrance. This was something he was used to, and something he was very good at. He didn’t stumble as he checked the elevator doors for signs of tampering; he moved with a speed Tony had only ever seen in battle as he scanned the room for things he could use to their advantage in a fight.
Tony sniffed at the carpet, desperate to pick up Lord Stompy’s scent before he was snatched up. Somehow, despite the way they had closed the doors to every other room in the apartment to keep the cat out, the hairy little bastard had managed to disappear!
Where the hell had Lord Stompy gone?
Tony was just about to start down a fresher scent trail when Steve scooped him up and kicked the couch across the room; the couch came to rest vertically in front of the elevator, not even wobbling, blocking them from sight.
Tony didn’t struggle to break free, although every part of him screamed to flee and find somewhere darker to hide.
“Natasha and the team are probably taking care of everyone below, so we’ll just stay up here until we know otherwise,” Steve said.
The elevator clicked.
“Or not,” Steve said, heaving a sigh.
The elevator doors creaked as someone tried to shove them apart. Light slipped through the cracks in the door, piercing the darkness in patches.
Steve covered his eyes to protect his night vision.
Tony growled. He couldn’t help the sound breaking free. He pressed his nose into Steve’s chest to keep from outright hissing at the door and dug his claws into Steve’s shirt to steady himself. Steve would know what to do – it would be fine. Steve always knew what to do, and even without the shield he wouldn’t lose.
Steve backed away from the elevator.
The elevator doors groaned in protest as they were forced apart. Someone inside the shaft laughed at the sight of the couch.
Steve slid into the kitchen and yanked open the closest cupboard; he pulled a frying pan from its depths and closed the door so as not to make a sound and alert anyone to their presence. He ducked down behind the counter and waited, listening for their uninvited guests to make their entrance.
The couch rocked back and forth.
Three distinct voices bubbled up from the elevator shaft now.
“Fuck,” someone grumbled. “Some asshole stuffed something in the doorway.”
“It’s probably one of Cap’s genius ideas,” Rumlow said with a laugh. “He’s probably up here trying to kiss Stark’s boo-boo’s. He’s going to be in for a nasty surprise when the Winter Soldier storms through there and whoops his ass.”
Tony’s ears flattened tighter to his head. No. Bucky wouldn’t hurt him. This was just bluster on Rumlow’s part – just bullshit spewed to scare them. Rumlow was always full of shit.
“Get this out of the way and we’re golden,” Rumlow said. “And make sure Cap doesn’t kill you before you kill Stark. We need to finish this before the rest of their team gets through the barricade.”
The couch rocked and flipped over, landing on its side, leaving the elevator door half-open at the top but blocked at the bottom.
“I thought the Winter Soldier was supposed to be on-site already,” a third voice in the elevator muttered.
“He’s on route,” Rumlow said. “But Stark’s definitely hiding up here. These are his personal rooms so be ready for a fight – this isn’t some snatch and grab from the street, boys. This is Tony Stark. He’s not going to go down easily.”
Tony clung to Steve’s shirt as Steve moved them towards the emergency stairs hidden in the pantry; he was impressed that Steve knew it was there, considering he had never actually told him of their existence. Through it they would reach the penthouse above them, but while that would put space between them and Rumlow and his lackeys, it would also trap them. And if what Rumlow had been muttering was true it might put them on Bucky’s radar. The Winter Soldier knew all of the entrances and exits to the penthouse, and there would be little to stop him up there except for Steve and his frying pan. All the gadgets and suit parts were stashed in cupboards out of sight and some of those were locked electronically. Even if Steve brute-forced the drawers, they wouldn’t open.
There was one good thing about heading to the stairwell.
There, sitting in front of the hidden staircase to the penthouse, sat Lord Stompy, licking his paws.
Steve set Tony down. “Ok,” he said, smiling grimly. “This is your mission now. Keep Tony safe for me.”
Lord Stompy blinked slowly at Steve. He grabbed Tony by the scruff of the neck and dragged him up the stairs.
‘Steve?’ Tony meowed, startled by the sudden departure from Steve’s massive chest.
“I’ve got this Tony,” Steve said, shutting the pantry door.
The pantry went dark; Lord Stompy was undisturbed by the change in light. He manhandled Tony up the last of the stairs to the sound of bullets flying, the dull thud-thud-thud only barely muffled by the soundproofing in the penthouse walls.
“Let me go,” Tony hissed as Lord Stompy heaved him up stair after stair. “We have to help him!”
Lord Stompy didn’t even flinch when glass broke somewhere below them. He continued to haul Tony upwards to the penthouse, solely focused on his task.
Tony wanted to run back down the stairs. He needed to help – to be of use – but Lord Stompy wasn’t having any of it. His grasp was so firm, no amount of wiggling could break it.
Tony fell slack in Lord Stompy’s grasp, sullenly allowing himself to be dragged away. He hadn’t practiced combat situations as a cat even though he had meant to; here he was only a liability. But he wanted to help – he needed to help!
Lord Stompy pulled them up the last step.
Something bigger shattered outside the pantry door. It sounded like something big was getting closer.
Tony didn’t care about the breaking glass. He didn’t care about the bullets destroying his things. All he cared about was Bucky and Steve, and the possibility that the super soldier might not be able to defend himself if he had to worry about two cats being underfoot. His fury boiled over into his fear. This was his house Hydra was not going to win.
Lord Stompy growled. ‘Don’t try and go back down there,’ he said. ‘There’s bad people down there.’
‘I know that,’ Tony snapped, licking at his paws to try and smooth down his rumpled hair. It was all he could do to keep himself from diving down the stairs.
‘This place is too bright,’ Lord Stompy said, headbutting Tony out of the doorway and further into the penthouse. ‘It’s all glass and metal. I don’t like it.’
Tony scowled and slid across the marble floor, claws unable to hold him to the flooring. ‘Can you please get out of the way?’
‘No,’ Lord Stompy said. ‘The big one told me to keep you safe so that’s what I’m doing.’
‘We’re fine up here – stop pushing!’ Tony said.
‘It’s too open and the furniture is too low,’ Lord Stompy grumbled. ‘We can’t hide anywhere here.’
‘We can fix my interior design later,’ Tony muttered. ‘We need to think – I need to think.’ He pushed himself upright as he stumbled onto the only bit of carpet in the room, digging his claws in to keep from rolling as Lord Stompy continued trying to hide them under the too-short couch. ‘If they get past Steve we’re screwed,’ he said. ‘We need to do something.’
‘We are doing something,’ Lord Stompy said. ‘We are hiding.’
‘You just said there wasn’t anywhere to hide,’ Tony said with a huff.
‘You are hiding behind me,’ Lord Stompy insisted. ‘It’s fine.’
‘It’s not fine,’ Tony said. ‘None of this is fine.”
‘It’s fine. I will guard the door,’ Lord Stompy said.
For a brief second Tony wasn’t sure had heard correctly. Lord Stompy was going to guard the door. Great. This was going to end well.
Someone set off a flash-bang at the bottom of the stairs; the light flashed up so quickly it left Tony seeing spots.
Lord Stompy hissed in displeasure. It looked as if someone had plugged the cat directly into an electrical outlet. Lord Stompy fluffed up. He became so massive, he seemed more hair than cat. He glared at the stairway in the distance, and leaned forwards, ready for battle, tail thrashing side to side.
‘What are you doing?’ Tony asked.
‘I am readying myself for battle,’ Lord Stompy said. ‘Stay behind me and you’ll be fine.’
‘This is my building,’ Tony said. ‘I’m supposed to be defending it!’
‘No, it’s mine,’ Lord Stompy said. ‘And I’ll defend what’s mine!’
‘I’m the human,’ Tony said, scurrying over to Lord Stompy. ‘I should be defending us.’
‘I don’t care,’ Lord Stompy said. He nipped at Tony’s cheek when Tony tried to drag him away from the doorway. ‘This is my place. You’re my person – I will defend us.’
‘You’re going to die,’ Tony said, dodging another nip.
‘I’ll be fine,’ Lord Stompy said. ‘I’ve battled worse.’
‘No you haven’t,’ Tony said. “These people don’t have mercy.’
‘Neither do I,’ Lord Stompy said. ‘How do you think I lost my leg? I will fight until I can’t. Now go hide.’
‘No! I’m not hiding behind my cat!’ Tony snapped.
Lord Stompy shrugged. ‘Fine. Then try not to die. You’re the one who knows how to open the food containers and I need you.’
Tony sighed. ‘Fine. I guess we die together then.’ He sneezed as acrid smoke drifted up the stairwell towards them. Rumlow and his minions had started a fire somewhere in the building and with Jarvis offline there was nothing there to supress it unless the fire department managed to break in right behind Rumlow. Tony had smelled smoke before but this was disgusting. He gagged again and backed up into the couch, whiskers bristling. ‘They’re burning the place down,’ he said. ‘We need to find a way downstairs.’
‘It’s a trick,’ Lord Stompy said. ‘Besides, the big one said to stay up here. He seems to know what he’s doing even if he’s a little weird.’
‘What if he’s been captured?’ Tony said. He pressed his ear to the floor, hoping to hear the sound of Steve beating the hell out of whoever had accompanied Rumlow up through the elevator, but there was no sound, not even faint footsteps.
Who had won the fight?
Were they going to have to take on Rumlow themselves?
Tony crept closer to the stairwell, dodging another nip; he sniffed the air hoping to find something familiar and when he did, nearly yowled with joy. He did a slow spin as static electricity charged the air. There, floating in front of the glass was Thor perched on Mjolnir, his tail curled in the hammer’s looped leather.
Thor hovered on Mjolnir, lightning crackling behind him, glowing in the darkness.
‘Thor!’ Tony darted to the window. ‘Thank fuck!’
Thor paddled against the glass window with his paws. ‘Tony! Let me in!’
‘I can’t! There’s no window to open up here – you’ll have to find your own way in,’ Tony said.
Thor paddled harder at the glass. ‘Let me in!’
Tony put his head in his paws. This was not his day.
Lord Stompy hissed at Thor and charged the glass, bouncing off it. ‘This is my house!’ he roared. ‘Go away!’
Thor continued to paddle at the window. ‘Do not worry,’ he said. ‘I will be inside momentarily.’
‘This is my house!’ Lord Stompy said, batting at Thor through the glass.
Tony’s left eye began to twitch. ‘Thor,’ he said, trying to stay calm while at the same time vividly aware that he was now puffing up even more than he had been before, ‘You have to go down to the penthouse’s lower level to get in through the helipad entrance. There isn’t a door up here I can open- all the door’s locked when the power cut.’
Lord Stompy hit the window again, hissing and spitting.
‘Can you please not do that?’ Tony snapped.
Lord Stompy reared up on his haunches, murder in his eyes. ‘This is my home!’
‘The big flying cat is on our side,’ Tony said.
Lord Stompy hit the glass again.
‘I will have to break the glass,’ Thor said. ‘Stand back!’
Tony sighed. Well, at least when he was human he could have everything replaced. He pounced on Lord Stompy and grabbed onto his middle with all of his might, pulling; Lord Stompy didn’t move an inch.
‘You’ll have to move,’ Thor said. ‘Tony? Did you hear me?’
‘I heard you,’ Tony said, now dangling from Lord Stopy’s grasp. He swatted at Lord Stompy head to get his attention. ‘We need to move – the big electric cat is coming inside.’
‘I didn’t say he could come inside,’ Lord Stompy said with a growl.
‘He’s my friend, remember? And he’s going to help us defend your house,’ Tony said.
Lord Stompy scooped Tony up by the scruff of his neck. ‘Why didn’t you say that before?’ he asked. He carried Tony away from the window. They rolled out of the way as Mjolnir smashed through the glass, yowling as the cold air blew inside. The safety glass shattered into squares, tumbling to the carpet and marble around them.
Tony found himself squashed under Lord Stompy. He peered out from under the other cat’s fluff, wheezing out a breath. ‘Thor?’
Thor let Mjolnir drop to the carpet and threw himself inside the room. He kicked at a piece of glass that became stuck in his fur and began grooming himself, his large pink tongue moving expertly to smooth the tangles. ‘My apologies for arriving late,’ he said. ‘I was in Asgard discussing matters with Lady Sif and Valkyrie.’
‘You’re not allowed up here,’ Lord Stompy growled.
‘I am here as defence only,’ Thor said, rubbing his paw against his ears. ‘I promise.’
‘Good,’ Lord Stompy said.
‘Captain Rogers called me on the comms,’ Thor said turning to Tony, ‘He made me swear I would protect you with my life. We will have to be careful – the men attacking us are powerful foes and we are small.’
‘Obviously,’ Lord Stompy grumbled.
Footsteps echoed in the stairwell.
Tony tensed.
This was it.
Battle was coming their way whether they liked it or not and they would have to use their claws and teeth as best they could. At least now they had Thor’s hammer at their side.
Thor’s fur bristled as electricity crackled around him. He lifted Mjolnir with his tail, eyes glowing brilliantly in the darkness. He had no armor on, and so the electricity wrapped around him in its stead, making his fur seem to flow in the breeze.
Lord Stompy sneezed. ‘What the hell is that? I don’t like it.’
‘Stay behind me, friends,’ Thor said. ‘I will make short work of our enemies.’
The footsteps grew louder. There, at the top of the stairs appeared Rumlow, grimy and bloodstained from his fight with Steve. He was armed with a stun gun; a handful of grenades hung on his belt, and a knife was sheathed beside it. He was wearing thick armor, gear much more advanced and protective than anything Tony had seen him in before. He had received upgrades from someone, and whoever it was had done a good job; this was no Hammer tech. This was built to last, not to fall apart. Standing in the low light he looked more ghost than man, his scarred face lit only by the pulses of lightning flowing around Thor.
“Figures Stark would have a bunch of magical pet Avengers waiting around to protect him,” Rumlow said, sneering. “I heard he was turned into a cat but I didn’t think he’d still be one by the time I got up here. Guess that’s what being noble does – traps you in a scrawny little body when Hydra comes calling. Should have used your own antidote earlier, Stark.”
‘What did you do to the Captain?’ Thor asked.
“Oh, nothing much,” Rumlow said. “He’s a little tied up at the moment. I didn’t want to kill him until I found you – needed him to watch while I pulled you all apart in front of him. I like watching him squirm.”
‘You are a sick man,’ Thor said.
Rumlow shrugged. “I’m nothing compared to the Winter Soldier. Believe me – you’ll be glad I’m the one killing you. If you saw what he can do, you’d be pissing your pants right about now.”
“Bucky isn’t going to hurt us,” Tony hissed. The Winter Soldier being on Hydra’s side again had to be a joke – it couldn’t be real, even if he had seen the footage himself. Bucky was probably pretending to be on their side in order to get at Pierce. There was no way he would rampage through the Tower – no way.
Rumlow frowned. “Is that fluffball trying to threaten me too? I mean, I was going to ask why I could understand you, but I guess it makes sense if you’re Thor. Asgard speak and all that – seems pretty useful.”
‘Indeed,’ Thor said.
“So if you’re Thor, guess that’s Stark,” Rumlow said. “Good. All the right animals in the right place.”
“You should be fleeing,” Thor said. “Or do you enjoy living in a cell?”
Rumlow laughed. “You might be the god of Thunder or whatever, but you’re not scaring me out of here. Right now you’re just a big dumb cat, and that’s pretty easy to handle.” He smirked and lifted his stun gun. A red laser sight beam slid across the floor.
Tony’s eyes widened.
Oh god.
Not the Laser. Tony dove for Lord Stompy, barely managing to slow the cat as he tore off after the laser sight sliding across the floor. Thor wasn’t so lucky. He moved so fast, he couldn’t stop himself; he flew out the window, chasing the laser dot out into the sky.
Tony stared in horror at Mjolnir as it lay on the carpet, unmoving.
Rumlow laughed the kind of laugh people usually did when they saw an impossibly funny joke. He slapped his legs, shaking his head as the blue glow of lightning dimmed and vanished in the distance. “You know, I didn’t think that would work at first,” he said. “But that was fun. I wish I could have seen his face as he hit the ground. Stupid cat. God of Thunder my ass.” He ran towards them, heavy boots thudding with each step. “I always did love football – let’s see how far you fly, ugly,” he said, aiming a foot at Lord Stompy.
Tony saw red. He clawed his way up Rumlow’s leg, hissing and spitting, trying to pierce Rumlow’s armor at its weak points. Rumlow didn’t react at first – he was still laughing when Tony’s claws found the crease between the armor at his groin – then he started screaming and swearing. He flailed at Tony, trying to grab him with one hand and to club him with the stun gun in his other hand.
Lord Stompy took the distracting as an opportunity to attack Rumlow’s other leg, biting at the laces of his boots with a seldom seen viciousness, kicking and slashing with his good leg.
Rumlow swore louder. “Get the fuck off me you mangy animals!”
The laser from his stun gun went up his leg and so did Lord Stompy.
Tony bit down as hard as he could with each bite, winding his way around Rumlow’s torso until he had his front feet dug into Rumlow’s armor and his back feet kicking Rumlow in the lower back.
“Fucking cats!” Rumlow snarled, still thrashing. He kicked at Lord Stompy and the cat rolled out of the way, turning his attention to the offending foot. Rumlow staggered as his boot fell off, the laces neatly split.
Lord Stompy’s teeth were like daggers.
They could do this.
Tony slipped his body inside Rumlow’s tack vest and clawed at every last inch of skin he could reach, howling and yowling the entire time, not sure if he was saying anything or just making noise; he tasted blood, could see it everywhere in front of him on Rumlow’s shirt.
Rumlow grabbed the front of his vest, throwing his stun gun down in a hurry. He yanked open his vest and threw it off, seizing Tony by the leg. “Fuck you Stark!” He was slick with blood, his eyes as wild as Tony’s. He threw Tony across the room into the couch and kicked at Lord Stompy again, trying to get the gun the cat was now guarding. He drew his knife. “Try it again you little fucker!”
Lord Stompy slapped at the gun, sliding it across the floor under the couch.
Rumlow let out a scream of frustration, stamping his boot-clad foot. “Goddamn you! I’m going to crush you!”
Tony heaved himself upright, blocking out the pain, and went for Rumlow’s back again. He had never purposefully stabbed anyone before but it felt a little bit like he was doing just that as he slashed and punctured Rumlow’s unprotected back and neck again. He was more than a little gleeful when Rumlow’s attention turned from Lord Stompy back to him.
Rumlow yanked Tony off his back and held him in front of him. “Time to die, Stark.”
Lord Stompy heaved himself up Rumlow’s boot-free leg with an ungodly growl and slashed Rumlow across the face.
Rumlow shrieked and dropped Tony, slapping at Lord Stompy, desperate to get rid of the attacker, but too blinded by the blood in his eyes to do much more than knock the cat and his knife to the ground. Still, the damage was done, and Lord Stompy limped away, still ready to fight but sluggish in a way that scared Tony. He had been lucky; the knife had bounced harmlessly across the marble.
A bullet tore through the glass behind Rumlow; he jerked backwards, and collapsed to his knees as another shot blew through the remaining glass, taking the entire panel out.
The air in the room dropped. Tony shivered.
Light flickered as a Quinjet came into view. There, perched on the wing was Bucky and tucked under his arm was an embarrassed looking Thor, still fluffed up from his dive out the window. Bucky’s hair was greasy and his eyes were rimmed in black make-up that looked days old; it was smeared on the side of his face. He was pale and filthy but he was alive.
Tony took a running leap at Rumlow, slashing at his back again, drawing a high pitched yelp for his efforts.
The Quinjet moved closer.
Bucky jumped through the broken window and tossed Thor onto the carpet, drawing his gun in an instant. He aimed for Rumlow but didn’t fire. “I told you to stay the hell away from Tony.”
“You’re not my boss,” Rumlow said, wiping at the blood dripping in his eyes. He spat at Bucky’s feet. “And I guess this means you’re not on my side anymore.”
“I was never on your side,” Bucky said. “If you want to live, lie down on your stomach and put your arms behind your back.”
“You’re a bastard,” Rumlow said, glaring at Bucky.
“Lie down or get thrown out the window,” Bucky said.
Rumlow sighed and lowered himself slowly to the floor. “Fucking cats,” he muttered into the carpet. “Fucking Winter Soldier.”
Bucky fired twice; both shots were precise and gruesome. Rumlow’s knees would be repairable if he was lucky, but the pain would be unforgettable. Rumlow sobbed into the carpet, clawing at it but there was nowhere to go. He stilled, still sobbing.
Tony couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for him.
The lights flickered as power went back on in the Tower.
Jarvis came back with a startled apology.
Tony reconnected with Jarvis in a blast from Extremis that staggered him. He could feel the tower sing to life around him, could see the security system blaring warnings that were too little too late. He lifted his head, sore and tired but not defeated. ‘Bucky?’ he meowed, even though he knew Bucky couldn’t understand him.
Bucky holstered his gun and scooped Tony up, cradling him gently against his chest. “Tony,” he murmured, hugging him close. “I thought I was too late.”
Tony rubbed his face against Bucky’s chin. He didn’t care that fur was flying off of him in clouds, or that he was shaking. All he could see was Bucky’s smiling face.
Bucky pressed his face to Tony’s soft fur. “Oh god I thought I was too late,” he murmured again. “Dottie only snapped me out of it a few hours ago – they sent me to the lower floors to take out Natasha and Clint so I had to fight my way up.” He stroked Tony’s back, wincing when he found the blood in his fur. “Is this yours or Rumlow’s? Fuck – I hope it’s his.”
Jarvis’ voice was tentative, as though he was afraid of interrupting. “I should have all systems restored in a few minutes. According to the scans I have available Mr. Stark is uninjured aside from incurring several bruises and sprains.”
“Good,” Bucky said, voice muffled by Tony’s fur. “I love you so much Tony – so much. I thought I was too late, fuck I thought I was too late but its fine – everything is fine.” He lowered Tony slightly so he could look at him again and let out a shaky laugh. “You’re still a cat – an adorable cat – but it’s fine. We’re ok.”
Tony squashed his face against Bucky’s chin, launching another cloud of cat hair into the air.
Bucky laughed.
“He is happy to see you,” Thor said. “He may not want me to speak for him but I think you should know he has been most distraught at your absence.”
“I missed him too,” Bucky said. He pressed a kiss to the top of Tony’s head and smoothed down the fur still puffed up from the fight. “You, sir, are covered in blood. I thought that was my thing – you’re not supposed to throw yourself into a fight without your suit!”
“I believe he was almost entirely responsible for Rumlow’s defeat,” Thor said.
“I see that,” Bucky said, rising from his knees. “Remind me never to make a cat angry.”
“Only if you remind me as well,” Thor said with a laugh.
Lord Stompy stepped out from behind the couch, crouched low. He sniffed hesitantly at Bucky’s shoes, unsure of what to do.
‘It’s alright,’ Tony called out.
Lord Stompy looked up at Tony, growling at Bucky when he tried to step around the cat. ‘Who is this? He smells familiar but I’ve never seen him before.’
‘It’s fine,’ Tony said, snuggling closer to Bucky. ‘He’s mine.’
‘Oh,’ Lord Stompy said. ‘Well I suppose that’s fine.’ He sat down and aggressively rubbed his face against Bucky’s boots. ‘If he’s yours, then he’s mine too.’
Bucky stared down at Lord Stompy, cocking an eyebrow. “That’s – normal, right?”
“The cat? Or the scent marking?” Thor asked.
“Both,” Bucky said.
“I believe so, yes,” Thor said. He sauntered over to the stairs, mindful of the glass on the floor, leaving Mjolnir behind him. “We should liberate the Captain from his bonds.”
“Right,” Bucky said. He nearly tripped on Lord Stompy as he stepped over him and had to catch himself on the couch. He waved to the pilot of the Quinjet and gave them a thumbs up, sighing to himself when instead of landing, the Quinjet took off. “I guess that means Dottie isn’t coming in to check up on us.”
Tony buried his nose in Bucky’s vest. This was yet another thing he owed Dottie. He wouldn’t forget it.
“I will keep an eye on Mr. Rumlow,” Jarvis said. “Please feel free to retrieve Captain Rogers.”
“Thanks Jarvis,” Bucky said.
“Welcome home Mr. Barnes,” Jarvis said.
“I’m glad to be home,” Bucky said with a smile.
The trip downstairs to his floor was uneventful; Tony noted the damage as they moved, using Extremis to file the list of broken furniture away for future use. He would need to redo and repair less than he had expected, but it would still be quite the job and he was sure Pepper wasn’t going to be happy about it. She had helped him pick out the countertops and Steve had ripped one of them off to use as a shield.
Plates and pots lay scattered around the room; the metal pots dented, the plates broken. Two Hydra goons were sprawled on the floor, unconscious but alive. They had been disarmed but untouched otherwise. Tony wasn’t sure who had done the disarming, but judging by Rumlow’s love of violence it was likely Steve had done the deed rather than him.
Steve was lying on his stomach, unconscious and hog-tied with his feet and hands bound together. He wasn’t unconscious from defeat, rather, he had been gassed and was now snoring away like a foghorn. He was battered and bruised from his fight, but was no longer bleeding; his super soldier serum had heald the worst of the damage. The remains of a gas canister lay beside his hip.
Bucky sighed. “Jeeze,” he said. “Leave this guy alone for five minutes and he’s sleeping on the job.”
Lord Stompy hobbled past Bucky and sniffed at Steve’s prone form. He sneezed on Steve’s shoulder and sat down, propping himself up against Steve so he could groom himself and tame his bedraggled fur.
“Guess everything is right in the world again,” Bucky said. “Hey – quick question. Do you think he’s good with other cats?”
Tony nuzzled Bucky’s chin.
“Do you want me to ask him?” Thor asked, ducking behind Bucky’s leg when Lord Stompy looked up at him suspiciously.
“Uh – wait do you mean asking the cat or Tony?” Bucky asked. He set Tony down and used his knife to slice through the rope holding Steve’s feet and hands together. “Technically it’s Tony I want to ask. I may have accidentally been adopted by one.”
Tony sniffed at Bucky’s leg. There was a hint of cat there – another cat, one he had never smelled before. And there was white fur stuck to Bucky’s pant legs. The blood and gunpowder almost entirely masked it, and if he hadn’t known to look for the smell he might have missed it.
Bucky had found another cat? When had that happened?
“She’s a stray from the Hydra base I was stationed at,” Bucky said, hefting Steve upright. He carried him over to the couch and set him down, picking bits of broken table out of his hair. “She’s fluffy and white – more skin and bones than she should be, but she’s fiery and she bites like a piranha. Like really bites – I think that’s how she got out of her cage at the base.”
Tony hovered at Bucky’s foot, watching carefully. His chest ached at the sight of Bucky fussing over Steve’s hair; he wondered if he should back away and leave space between them so Bucky could work. He had known something like this might happen but he hadn’t been prepared for how soon it would be. Maybe it was for the best. He could sneak away –
Bucky scooped Tony up and hugged him close. “I know we talked about getting just the one but she’s super sweet and you’ll like her. She’s not as grumpy as the one you brought home but she’ll probably be just as useful in a fight.” He plucked the blanket from the back of the couch and tucked Steve in before carrying Tony over to the remains of the kitchen. He pulled a can of mushy cat food from the stack Pepper had so dutifully loaded into the cupboard and popped it open with his cybernetic hand. “I couldn’t say no after she picked me. She’s downstairs in the lobby – I left her with Bruce. Hulk changed him back the second he saw her so I guess she’s not a threat.” He scooped the mushy food into a bowl with his free hand and set Tony down on what was left of the counter beside the food. “I bet you’re hungry, huh?”
Tony couldn’t help himself. He started eating before he even realized what he was doing. Food tasted better than it ever had, and even the coppery taste of Rumlow’s blood in his mouth seemed to melt away.
“We can talk about it later,” Bucky said, stroking Tony’s back. “Don’t worry. I’ve been where you are, remember? Honestly, it was kind of nice not having to think up responses. Not that I don’t want to talk with you – I don’t mean I don’t want to talk with you.” Bucky heaved a sigh. “I know things were weird when I left, but everything’s ok now. I killed Pierce – he won’t be causing any trouble.”
Tony nearly choked on a mouthful of food. He looked up at Bucky, startled. Pierce was dead?
“I didn’t do it intentionally,” Bucky said quickly. “Don’t look at me like that – I know I’ve killed people but I really tried not to this time.” He ran his fingers through his bangs and scowled at them. “I need a shower. God this is such a fucking mess.”
Tony squinted up at Bucky. There was a lot he wanted to say to him. He wanted to tell Bucky that it was alright – that he wasn’t being judged, that no matter what had happened he would still love him – but he couldn’t do anything other than get Thor to translate all of that for him, or perhaps to get Jarvis to translate his words in speak-to-text and neither option seemed like it would be enough.
“I was tracking Pierce and he started putting out LMD’s to try and trick everyone hunting him down,” Bucky said. “I disabled all of them but he had a heart attack and they couldn’t resuscitate him.” He hung his head. “I …. I wanted to throw him in jail again. And I wanted him dead – but I wanted it on my terms not his.” He stroked a line down Tony’s back again, steadying as he felt Tony’s fur beneath his fingers. “I left him downstairs with Fury’s agents. Hydra isn’t going to get him back as a martyr. They’re going to throw him in an incinerator and get rid of him for good.”
Tony rubbed his cheek against Bucky’s hand. He wanted to say he loved him. He wanted to hug him and kiss him and tell him that it would be alright – they would get through this.
Bucky smiled grimly down at Tony. He looked tired, like he hadn’t slept in months – or maybe years. He hadn’t been gone that long and yet it felt like he had been gone forever.
“I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you – and if you don’t want that, that’s ok. I can love you from afar. I know that I’ve done bad things, and I can’t promise that I won’t fuck up again but I promise you this – I will do my best to be the best person I can be.”
Tony rammed his face into Bucky’s hand again.
“I don’t mean to intrude,” Thor said, clearing his throat. He hopped up on the broken counter and balanced on the edge, tail swaying back and forth.
Bucky grimaced at the intrusion, curling in on himself. “What’s up?”
“I believe it might be helpful for you to know that Tony loves you more than anything,” Thor said. “He would do anything for you. He would not blame you or be angry with you for killing Pierce. He has had to kill his share of enemies, whether he wanted to or not. He is a very understanding man.”
Tony nodded wildly and bumped his head against Bucky’s arm. ‘Thank you Thor,’ he said. He didn’t know if cat’s could cry tears or not, but he was sure he was going to find out.
“I do believe that you may also wish to clarify your relationship with Captain Rogers before he awakes,” Thor said, glancing over at the still snoring Steve.
“Clarify? What do you mean?” Bucky asked, baffled. “I told you all about – oh. Wait. He thinks – but – what? Why? Why would he think I’m – no. Ok, I get it.” Bucky took a deep breath in through his nose and held the counter to steady himself. He picked Tony up gently, cradling him in his arms. “Ok – so you found out about how Steve and I used to date, right?”
Tony nodded, feeling more than a little dizzy at how fast things had gone. He hadn’t known Thor had even known about Bucky’s relationship with Steve, let alone how Thor had known he was confused by it.
“Steve and I used to date. Used to. Not currently. I am not in love with Steve – I am in love with you. I did love Steve, and I do still love him but I am fully and totally committed to you, ok? I am not going to wander off and get back together with him. He knows that – I know that and now you know that,” Bucky said. He glanced over at Thor. “Is that what he was worried about?”
“I believe so, yes,” Thor said.
‘How did you know?’ Tony asked.
‘I can’t read minds,’ Thor said, ‘I can, however, understand the romance between brothers in arms.’ He chuckled. ‘Also, Heimdal is very invested in the two of you being happy, and he would be very upset if I did not intervene.’
‘Heimdal?’ Tony blinked at Thor, baffled. ‘Wait – the guy who sees everything saw my– oh dear god.’ He buried his face in Bucky’s chest again. Every last inch of his body felt like it had suddenly burst into flames. How did things like this happen to him? No one else had their innermost secrets spilled across the universe!
‘Don’t worry, Tony. It is nothing to be ashamed of. In Asgard we are encouraged to speak of past lovers so we do not cause hardship for our new loved ones –,” Thor said. “I apologize if I’ve said something out of turn. I did not realize this was something Midgardians do not do. I am still learning after all, but fear not – Heimdal has been most helpful when it comes to learning your customs. He has always been kind, and while he doesn’t normally ask anyone to intervene, he does try his best to help those worthy,’ Thor said with a shrug. ‘With all the darkness he sees, it brings him joy to see things go well for people who have suffered so mightily.’ Thor put his paw on Bucky’s arm. ‘I like you. Have the others had the customary Midgardian Shovel talk with you? I wish to have my own if you do not mind.’
This time it was Bucky’s time to nearly choke. His cheeks went bright red; he ducked his head and cleared his throat, coughing into his forearm, Tony tucked tightly to his chest as though trying to hug him for safety.
‘Thor!’ Tony sputtered. ‘Who taught you that?’
‘Natasha was quite adamant that it was the most important Midgardian friendship ritual to know,’ Thor said. ‘It isn’t?’
Bucky sighed. “That sounds like a Natasha thing to do,” he said. “Did she tell you it involves giving someone a death threat too?”
Thor grinned broadly, flashing the sharpest teeth Tony had ever seen on a cat. “Oh yes. I am, however, choosing to ignore that part and am simply hoping that you two try your best not to hurt each other.” He patted Bucky’s arm again, his paw massive even against Bucky’s biceps. “You are much loved by those of us who spend time with you. We wish nothing but the best for you.”
‘Thanks?’ Tony said, trying not to laugh. Luckily it was a lot harder to laugh as a cat than it was as a human. He had always been awkward with conversations like this, but it made him happy to know that the team was rooting for him – for both of them –, and that if he needed them the team would be there.
Bucky smiled, stroking Tony’s head. “Don’t worry – I won’t hurt him,” he said.
‘And I won’t hurt him,’ Tony said. ‘Can you tell him that?’
‘I will indeed,’ Thor said. He cleared his throat. ‘Tony wishes to let you know that he will not hurt you.’
Bucky beamed.
‘Do you know what your apology cake will be?’ Thor asked. ‘So far that has been my favourite Midgardian custom.’
Bucky let out a groan.
Tony nuzzled his chest.
“I’m still thinking about it,” Bucky said after a moment. “I’ll let you know.” He leaned back against the wall, cradling Tony against his chest. “How big do you think I need to go to make it up to Tony?”
Thor laughed. “I believe he will happy with whatever you choose to offer. Although I’m sure he would appreciate the cake more once he is human.”
“You’re definitely right,” Bucky said. He glanced around the penthouse, taking in the damage. There was debris everywhere, broken glass and broken plates embedded in the walls. It looked like a hurricane had taken over the living room, but despite the damage it still remained home. One of the grunts that had come in with Rumlow sat up with a groan, looked around and held his hands up. Bucky didn’t even have to move to make him surrender.
Tony stretched out in Bucky’s arms, snuggling into his chest. This was where he wanted to be, and it would take more than just Hydra and a misunderstanding to make him leave. This was home. Here with Bucky with home; here with his friends was home. Here with Steve napping on the couch was home – with Natasha and Pepper threatening harm to anyone who messed things up. With Rhodey and Sam and Thor – with all of their friends. He was happy to have found it and glad that it had found him.
“I love being home,” Bucky said.
‘Me too,’ Tony meowed.