Goat Herder Bucky - Tumblr Posts

Bewitched

A fill for square Y5 - Magic of my @buckybarnesbingo​, as well as a fill for the @tonystarkbingo​ November flash 002 - “Witches/Witchcraft” - WinterIron - General Audiences.

Based on this Tumblr post.

Every single person in town knew about Tony. Incredibly attractive, insanely wealthy, astonishingly intelligent… and magical. It was difficult to find someone who was not fascinated with him, and his list of suitors went on and on.

Unfortunately, there had been one too many incidents with people trying to get into his good graces on false pretenses. His experiences had made him hesitant about getting close to people, let alone close enough to get romantically involved. As much as people tried, he couldn’t stop wondering if it was truly who they were, or if they were pretending in order to get something from him.

So he came up with a plan - he let all of his admirers know that he would marry the person who would enter his house with the key he’d attached to his cat’s collar.

For the first few weeks, it could best be described as a hunt. People fell over one another to try to catch the cat any way they could. But it was too smart, too fast, and it got away every time. No one even managed to get close to the cat, though there were a few people it would tolerate - notably, those who would not chase it too fiercely, though it was still wary around them.

Bucky had long ago figured out he didn’t stand a chance. Oh, he was certainly attracted to the other man, but a one-armed traumatized veteran didn’t even come close to being what Tony deserved.

So he herded his goats, and he watched as others tried and failed to catch the cat. He worried, sometimes, that they would hurt it, but it always managed to get away before that happened.

And then, one day, he found it watching him. At a distance, certainly, and it stiffened the moment it realized Bucky had noticed it, but it was just… there. He hummed, keeping his voice calm like he always did with skittish animals. “Wanted some rest from the hunt today, didn’t you? Don’t worry - I’ll keep my distance, you just relax.”

He stuck to that promise, keeping his distance and focusing on his goats. By the time evening fell and he had to return to the hut that was all he could afford, the cat was a lot more relaxed in his presence.

Despite that, he hadn’t expected it to come back the next day. Or the day after. Or the day after that. But come back it did, sunbathing as Bucky took care of his goats the best he could. As the days went on, he found he’d started talking to the cat. Nothing big at first, just introducing his goats and telling the cat about them. And then he started mentioning thoughts he was having. And before he knew it, he was telling the cat about losing his arm as he tried his best to breathe through the panic.

Without warning, there was a warm weight sitting in his lap. The cat, looking up at him with what appeared to be concern, purring softly. Bucky was distracted enough that his breathing started to slow down, no longer a point of focus.

Instead, he looked reverently down at the cat. He didn’t think it had ever been this close to anyone else, except maybe Tony himself. But here it was, sitting in his lap, helping him out, and the feeling was indescribable.

Trembling, he reached out and touched that soft fur, stroking gently. The cat purred louder, nuzzling its head into his hand, and Bucky felt himself melt. “You’re a sweetheart, you know that? So sweet, helping me out, such a great cat,” he murmured, mesmerized by the smoothness of its coat on his work-rough hand. “So soft, so gorgeous, he must take great care of you.”

Still, he didn’t touch the key. It wasn’t about that, not right now. Instead, they sat together quietly in the warm sun, Bucky keeping up his gentle petting and the cat keeping up its soothing purring.

He’d expected it to be an exception, because he’d been panicking, but the cat kept coming back, coming close and allowing him to touch it. Which he did, happily - but he never touched the key, didn’t even make a motion as though he’d grab it.

They were sitting in the warm sun together, watching Bucky’s goats, when the cat pressed its neck into Bucky’s petting hands. Somehow, it managed to make its “mrow” sound like a question.

“Why I’m not taking it?” he asked, looking down at where the cat looked at him with inquisitive eyes. He should’ve figured that the familiar of someone as magical as Tony wouldn’t be any regular cat. “It’s… He did this to find someone good. Someone worthy. And I can’t say how much I’ve appreciated your presence, or how much I’d like to get to know him better, but… I sincerely doubt I’m the kind of person he’d like to have showing up with that key. I don’t want to walk into that house and… and have him look at me with disappointment.”

A headbutt pulled him out of his thoughts, and he smiled sadly down at the cat. “I just want him to smile, you know? Someone as amazing as him deserves to be happy.”

Suddenly, instead of a cat, it was Tony in his lap. Speechless, Bucky stared.

“I’d like to think we could make one another happy?” Tony said and, despite everything, he sounded almost shy. There was no mistaking the hopeful look in those beautiful eyes, though, or the way that he had willingly spent his time with Bucky these past weeks.

So, a little hesitant despite it all, Bucky reached out his one hand and took Tony’s, whose fingers interlaced with his like they were made to fit together. “I… I’d like to try,” he admitted.

When Tony smiled brightly, his entire being lighting up, he figured they were off to a good start at least.