CHAPTER THREE —
( Are you taking a cat for a walk? )

────────────────

        Life had a knack for tossing unexpected curveballs in Angelina's direction, which was precisely why she loathed its unpredictable nature. No matter how much effort she poured into her life, it always felt like love and fortune escaped her grasp, and just when things began to look up, fate intervened to knock her back down. Today was no different. As she brushed off the dead leaves and sticks and picked up the dead bouquets that cluttered the area around the stone, her mind was running with thoughts.

The sky mirrored her mood; dark, ominous clouds hung low that smelt like impending rain as if nature was mourning with her. Yet, Angelina remained unaffected by the gloomy palette of the day. She stood firmly, hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets, her gaze fixed on the dirt patch before her, thinking over life's disappointments.

Georgia Olivia Moore

Angelina didn't spend much longer there; instead, she jumped on her motorbike to head to the supermarket and then back home. Days constantly blurred together when she wasn't given a bounty to bring in. She did nothing special with her life and had no one special. She did everything by herself, and she was okay with that. She had always struggled to connect with others on an emotional level. As she reflected on her life, she wondered if she had unconsciously built walls around her heart to protect herself from the sting of disappointment and heartache. Most interactions felt fake, leaving her questioning the warmth that should have accompanied companionship.

Arriving back at her apartment, Angelina decided to take Lilo for a walk while the day was young. Lilo enjoyed walking around the block, especially because some neighbours would give her treats as she passed by. It was a warm March day, perfect for a short walk. However, just a few steps onto the street, Angelina unexpectedly encountered Bucky Barnes.

"Barnes," Angelina spoke at the same time as he said.

"Are you taking a cat for a walk?"

Angelina raised her eyebrows. "I am. What are you doing here?"

"You said that if I ever need more movie and music recommendations, I could come see you," he replied, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Angelina squinted her eyes. "You're just here for movie recommendations?"

Bucky looked uneasy as he explained, "You're the only person who knows who I am."

Angelina paused, considering Bucky's request. She glanced down as Lilo nuzzled against Bucky's leg and purred, then nodded. "Okay. Walk with me."

As they began walking, Bucky positioned himself on Angelina's left. "Lilo loves going for walks. She's an indoor cat, so this is her only opportunity to go outside."

Bucky observed Lilo as she sniffed the ground and investigated everything they passed. "It's like she's a dog," he remarked.

As they strolled, they approached an elderly woman who suddenly spoke up. "Lilo!" she exclaimed with a smile. They stopped before the woman and watched as she gave Lilo a small cat treat. "She's looking a little thin, you know," Leslie remarked as she began to pet Lilo. "Is she losing her fur?"

"Winter coat, Leslie."

"Ah, yes. That's right!" Leslie then looked up and grinned. "Is this your boyfriend?"

"No," Angelina replied instantly.

"Oh, well, you might want to snatch him up soon." Leslie leaned in closer to Angelina. "That young man is quite handsome."

Angelina couldn't help the smirk that pulled onto her face and nodded. "Okay, Leslie. Lilo and I will see you next week."

"Bye, you three."

Bucky and Angelina continued walking, and after a few short moments, Angelina said, "You heard what she said, didn't you?"

"Well, I do look good for my age." They both let out a chuckle.

Once they arrived at the pet store, Bucky inquired, "What are we looking for?"

"We're looking for treats and toys," Angelina replied before handing Lilo's leash to Bucky. "You can pick out a few toys for her. She'll let you know which ones she likes."

Bucky awkwardly shifted the leash to his right hand. "I don't think you want me to do that."

"I do. Now go on, you two," she insisted, then turned and walked away.

Angelina needed to buy treats, cat food, and kitty litter for Lilo, her cat. Lilo was quite picky, so Angelina carefully chose the right brands and flavours of food and treats. She also picked out a couple of different packets of treats. After that, she grabbed a bag of kitty litter and headed to the counter to pay for everything.

The worker at the counter asked, "Lilo not with you today?"

Angelina replied, "She's here, just down the toy aisle. Wait a few moments for her to come back with some toys."

The clerk looked puzzled until Bucky arrived at the counter, holding two toys in one hand and Lilo in the other. "Sorry. She wouldn't walk," he told Angelina.

"Stubborn cat," Angelina muttered as she took the toys from Bucky. "Now, did she choose these, or did you?"

Bucky paused. "She picked them."

Angelina narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked again.

"Yes."

Angelina hummed and put the toys on the counter. "Okay," she replied and began to take out her card.

"One hundred and ninety-two dollars and nineteen cents." Angelina groaned quietly as she swiped her credit card to pay for the items.

Standing beside her, Bucky couldn't help but mumble, "All this was much cheaper in the forties."

Angelina overheard him and gave him a look. "It's been eighty years, old man. Everything's gone way up in price since then."

Angelina carefully gathered the bag filled with delicious treats and fun toys for Lilo, then picked up the nutritious cat food and finally hoisted the heavy bag of kitty litter onto her shoulder. "I can carry them for you if you'd like."

Looking at Bucky with a hint of scepticism, Angelina raised her eyebrows. "You would?" she asked. "Because I can manage it all. I do it every fortnight."

"Yeah, I'll carry it. It's no problem," Bucky reassured her. He gently placed Lilo on the ground, handed over her leash, and then effortlessly lifted the bag of kitty litter with his vibranium arm. With his free hand, he effortlessly grabbed the two other bags. "Not even heavy."

Angelina furrowed her brow, studying Bucky momentarily before giving a brisk nod. "Thank you," she said appreciatively.

Bucky smiled warmly as they both turned and strolled out of the pet store.

They made their way back to Angelina's apartment, and along the way, more and more people stopped to admire Lilo, offering her treats and pats when she allowed it. Despite the weight of everything he was carrying, Bucky didn't appear to struggle during the entire walk. Angelina felt inclined to offer help, asking if he wanted her to hold at least one bag, but Bucky was determined to manage everything on his own.

Upon reaching the apartment complex, Angelina scooped up Lilo and paused at the staircase, turning to face Bucky. "You really should let me carry something now," she insisted.

"No, it's alright," Bucky replied.

"Bucky, we're about to climb five flights of stairs."

"I'll manage. I promise," he reassured.

Taking a deep breath, Angelina turned and started her ascent. Lilo almost drifted off to sleep in her mother's arms, but as they reached their floor and Angelina opened the door, Lilo leapt out of her arms and dashed towards her pet bowl for a meal. Holding the door open, Angelina waited for Bucky to enter.

"Where would you like these?" he asked.

"On the kitchen bench."

Bucky carefully carried the bags and kitty litter into the kitchen, setting them on the smooth bench surface. Angelina began to sort through the bags, her hands searching for the toys Bucky had chosen. When she found them, she handed the toys to Bucky. "Take these to the TV and play with her. I'll bring over the treats."

Bucky nodded and took the toys and made his way over to the living room. Angelina continued to organise the assortment of cat food flavors and left a packet of treats out to bring into the lounge room. Afterwards, she headed to the laundry with the kitty litter, stowing it away in the cupboard, ready to be used.

Angelina returned to the kitchen to fetch the treats and looked over towards the lounge room at Bucky and Lilo. Lilo was fascinated with Bucky's left glove, ignoring the toys before her. Bucky attempted to coax her with the toys, but Lilo remained fixated on the glove. Angelina chuckled softly, catching Bucky's attention.

"She's not interested in the toys," he grumbled.

"Because she didn't choose them," Angelina replied, walking over and joining Bucky on the floor.

Bucky looked sheepish. "How did you know?" he inquired.

"She only plays with toys she chooses," Angelina explained, then nodded toward his arm. "She chose your arm the other day when you patted her, so she'll want to play with it every time she sees it."

"I don't want to hurt her," he mumbled as he looked back down at Lilo, who was pawing up Bucky's sleeve and wanting to see what was under it.

"You won't," Angelina reassured him. "If anything, she might scratch it up a bit."

"She can't, it's vibranium," he said.

"Then take your glove off and play with her. Neither of you is going to get hurt," she insisted.

Bucky paused briefly, observing Lilo as she gently pawed at his glove. He hesitated, slowly removing the glove, revealing the gleaming vibranium prosthetic beneath. Raising his hand, he made a fist, prompting Lilo to meow and bat at it. When he opened his hand, Lilo dashed off to the side of the couch and crouched down.

"I-I didn't mean to hurt her," Bucky stammered, hastily concealing his prosthetic arm.

"You didn't," Angelina reassured. "Hold your arm back out." Bucky hesitated momentarily but then extended his arm again and rested his hand on the floor. "Now, wiggle your fingers." As he wiggled his fingers, Lilo, the cat, crouched down and began to stalk toward Bucky's hand. With each pause in Bucky's movement, Lilo would freeze, then resume her approach when he moved again. When Bucky paused, Lilo raised her backside and wiggled it before pouncing on his hand, meowing and wrapping her paws around his arm.

Bucky smiled as Lilo playfully tried to attack his arm, gripping it with her tiny paws and attempting to nibble on the vibranium. Angelina noticed the cat's claws extending as she tried to grasp Bucky's arm. Even as Bucky lifted his arm and gently shook it to dislodge Lilo, she held on tightly. "See, you're not hurting her, or else she wouldn't come back to you," Angelina reassured Bucky, smiling at the joy on his face.

Bucky watched Lilo as she tried to hold onto his arm while he raised it. "She's a little stubborn," he remarked, a fond smile on his lips.

"She gets it from her mother," Angelina said, watching the interaction with amusement. Bucky glanced up at Angelina, and she shrugged lightly. "You don't know me yet, but I'm incredibly stubborn."

Amidst the scattered new toys Angelina had bought and would return the next day, Lilo enjoyed playing with Bucky and his arm for over an hour. At first, Bucky hesitated, but gradually, he began to trust Lilo and even playfully shook her when she lay on her stomach. Angelina couldn't help but smile as she witnessed Lilo's evident affection for Bucky and his arm.

During playtime, Angelina incorporated tricks, and with a bit of bribery, Bucky watched in amusement as Lilo obediently followed commands to sit, stand, lay down, and even roll over.

As the sun set, Angelina ordered a pepperoni pizza to share before Bucky could say anything. The two of them found themselves sitting on the couch with Lilo curled up against Bucky's left side, eating pizza while watching Grey's Anatomy.

"He's not going to make it," Bucky commented, watching as a man who had been stabbed in the ribs was being rushed into the operating room.

"He will," Angelina replied confidently.

"The knife went into his left ribcage," Bucky stated. "It looks like it punctured his left lung. He's not going to survive."

"Let's wait and see," Angelina said calmly.

To Bucky's surprise, the man pulled through the surgery. He was left speechless.

"That's impossible. I've seen firsthand—" he paused.

"It's a soap opera. Loads of people survive extremely dramatic situations that they normally wouldn't in real life," Angelina told him.

Bucky's expression turned sombre as his focus drifted away from the room entirely. "I'm going to go," he muttered and rose from the couch, paying no attention to Lilo and Angelina, and headed for the door.

"Woah, slow down," Angelina spoke, hurrying after him and pulling his shoulder to turn him back around. "Can I get your number first? So instead of showing up unannounced, maybe you could give me a text before dropping by?"

"Yeah. Sure, yeah." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a flip phone while Angelina took out her smartphone.

A smile tugged at Angelina's lips. "A flip phone?" she teased.

Bucky gave a small smile. "What? Give me a break."

"No, it's cute," she reassured.

He frowned, finding it hard to believe her. "Really?"

"Yeah, I haven't seen one in years."

Bucky's cheeks seemed to turn a bright red as he looked down at his phone. "Yeah, and let me guess, you last saw your grandfather use one?" he muttered.

"No, he passed away when I was ten," Angelina replied. "But my parents had flip phones until 2012. Then they got iPhones, and if you didn't know what phone that was, it's this one."

He playfully narrowed his eyes. "I know what an iPhone is."

"Sure, you do," Angelina teased, then took Bucky's flip phone from his hand and quickly put in her number. "Now you don't need to just appear out of the shadows to hang out with me. Just text me a simple 'coming over' text or ask me if I would mind your presence. If texting is too difficult, press my name and the little phone symbol, and you'll call me instead. I sometimes respond."

Bucky nodded in gratitude. "Okay. Thank you for today."

Angelina smiled gently and shrugged. "It's okay. Lilo enjoyed the extra company. I actually think she's in love with you."

As if on cue, Lilo appeared and began to rub herself against Bucky's leg, and a smile spread across his face. "She's the first girl I've danced with since forty-four," he joked.

Angelina raised her eyebrows in surprise. "That's surprising," she told him, but then smirked. "Next time you want to meet up, I may be able to help you with that."

AUTHORS NOTE
Just Angelina and Bucky living smol civilian lives :')
Shout out to quicksilvrs. I probably wouldn't have posted this right now if it wasn't for you <3
Don't forget to like and comment your thoughts!!!
Pheebs/-rosepetal