Steve throws the ball and knocks down the bottles. The man sighs and hands him a bag full of water with a fish in it. Steve looks closer to find it's a little merman, a really little merman. He swims in frantic little circles. Steve rushes home and gets him into a big... Pot, it was the biggest bowl he could find. He puts the little merman in and watches him swim around. Steve had never seen anything like him then he was struck with the realization that he didn't know how to care for him. The mermaid pops it's head out of the water and looks at him, from head to toe he looked to be about four and a half inches or so. He had these pretty blue eyes that stared at Steve, filled with curiosity and wonder. Steve smiles.
"I'm going to call you Bucky," he smiles and the little mermaid beams. "Can you speak?" He asks and Bucky nods eagerly. "What do you eat?"
"Fish!" He chirps, his voice cute and tiny.
"Fish?" Steve frowns and Bucky nods, splashing the water with his sparkly tail.
"This is boring," Bucky informs him, resting his head on his arms.
"What?" Steve asks confused.
"This... Thing is boring," Bucky pouts, gesturing to the pot. "It's small too."
Steve sighs because he couldn't deny that. "I could fill the bathtub? At least until I can get a fish tank," Steve suggests and Bucky claps.
"Yay!" He cheers. Steve smiles slightly and takes the pot into the bathroom and fills the tub. He puts Bucky into the tub and watches him swim laps. He drops in a rubber ducky and watches Bucky try to climb onto it. Bucky's tail was gold and an almost rust color and it slaps the water as he falls off the rubber ducky. Steve laughs and Bucky pouts up at him. Steve picks him up carefully and sets him on the rubber ducky. Bucky beams, until he slips off again when the duck flips. Bucky falls into the water with a loud splash and Steve laughs.
He purchases a fish tank the next day as well as some toys and decorations.
"I'm home!" Steve calls, setting the tank down on the table. He hears splashing and goes to the bathroom to check on Bucky. Bucky was tangled up in a loofah. Steve sighs softly and kneels beside the tub, Bucky whimpers and whines, struggling and getting himself more tangled. "Stop squirming," Steve scolds. Bucky looks up at him pleadingly, a strand of the loofah was wrapped tightly around Bucky's throat and Steve couldn't untangle it. He runs to the kitchen and grabs a pair of scissors before running back and cutting apart the loofah. Bucky looks up with big, scared eyes. Steve pets his hair gently with his pointer finger and Bucky clings to his thumb. Steve transfers him to the fish tank and takes care of him.
Steve was starting to get worried, he hadn't seen Bucky in a while. He'd been curled up in his little his little castle and the fish Steve had given him to eat still swam around. He takes Bucky to a vet. The man looks at him closely, Bucky claws at the man's hands when he tries to stick him with a needle.
"Don't do that," Steve snaps, holding him close. Bucky whines. And the man sighs. Steve takes him away, scowling. Bucky sits at the bottom of his tank and Steve sighs. "I wish you were happy," he wishes before crawling into bed.
He wakes up to coughing and sees a figure on the floor. When he gets closer he realizes it's Bucky. He pulls him into his muscular arms, speechless. Bucky hugs him tightly with his scrawny arms.
"Thank you," he croaks and Steve hold him close, burying his face in the brunettes hair.
"Of course," Steve nods, holding him close.
"I think I love you," Bucky whispers and Steve smiles into his hair.
"I love you too Buck."
"Can I sleep in your bed?" He asks and Steve nods.
"Of course you can," Steve assures. He helps him to his feet and carries him to the bed. He wraps his arms around the smaller brunette and holds him close as they sleep.
Bucky stumbles slightly and then falls over a few seconds later. Steve laughs slightly and smiles at Bucky's pouty face.
"It's okay. You'll get the hang of it eventually," he assures and Bucky pouts.
"You said that yesterday," he whines. Steve shrugs.
"It takes time," he offers. Bucky sighs. Steve pulls him to his feet and kisses him gently. "It's okay baby. I still love you," he assures. Bucky blushes and kisses him back.
"Can we have pizza for dinner?"
He asks eagerly and Steve grins.
"Yes, but absolutely no sardines," Steve answers with a smile. Bucky pouts slightly.
A/N: 107bucky here ya go. Thank you for doing yours. 107bucky also wrote a oneshot like this so go check that out. It's in her Stucky oneshot book which is really awesome.
~ Love spideymanandloki
