Chapter Text
Sam woke up the loop after the Boston trip to a new noise. He practically leaped out of bed at the sound because it was a new sound, which had never happened before. Briefly, he allowed himself to hope that this was truly a new day—but then realized that it couldn’t be because he was in his own bed, whereas the last time he had fallen asleep was in a hotel in Boston.
Checking his phone, he confirmed that, yep, it was 5:00 AM on Wednesday, April 16, 2014. Situation normal, all fucked up. But there was something new. There was a cat at the foot of the bed. A very fluffy cat, with white fur that looked soft to the touch. And she was soft, he discovered when he tentatively stepped closer and offered her his hand, which she sniffed lightly before nuzzling against him.
“How did you get in here, huh?” he asked, not truly expecting an answer. He read the name on her collar. “Alpine, huh? That’s a nice name for a pretty kitty.” She purred as he scratched her head.
By the time Bucky made his way to Sam’s home, fresh from killing off as much of Hydra as he could feasibly manage, Sam and Alpine were cuddled on the couch. Alpine was purring, eyes closed contentedly, while Sam flipped through the channels.
“You wanna know something else really annoying about this loop?” Sam yawned, petting Alpine, “is that we’re still mid-season for Once Upon a Time. I’ve been invested in this show, and yet I fear I’ll never know what happens next.”
“Right, tragic, where’s the cat from?” Bucky asked.
Sam looked up finally to see Bucky standing there and looking at him, mystified and a little bit fond. “Oh, this is Alpine. I think she’s the second present.” Sam shrugged, running his fingers through Alpine’s soft fur once more. The feline stood and gave a big stretch, briefly kneading on Sam’s shirt before jumping to the floor and approaching Bucky, who looked at her in amusement.
“You think?” Bucky asked with a raised brow.
“She was here when I woke up, which is always the start to the loop and before anything we do changes things.” Sam shrugged again. “And my apartment has a cat tree, two litter boxes, three cat beds, and gourmet cat food that I definitely did not have previously.”
“Right, so you have a cat now,” Bucky said, crouching down to scratch her affectionately.
“We. We have a cat. I know nothing about cats, and you had a bunch growing up.”
“That was in the ‘30s,” Bucky said dismissively, though he still picked Alpine up to cradle her large form in his arms. Maine Coon cats really were massive.
“Cats haven’t changed that much. And besides, I’m sticking by you, remember?”
“Okay, we have a cat now, I guess.” Bucky’s tone was incredibly fond, and something in Sam tightened inside, suddenly glad that Bucky was distracted by Alpine and could not see the expression Sam was trying and failing to wipe off his face in reaction to the adorable scene in front of him.
They decided to stay in for the rest of that loop, taking the time to shower Alpine with all the love and affection they were hesitant to show each other. They also, on their last night, finally got around to watching Groundhog Day. If they also cuddled on the couch, well—that was because they both wanted to cuddle the cat, and cuddling each other was just a nice side effect.
They were both thoughtful as the credits rolled, sitting in a companionable silence until ultimately Sam broke it. “The movie ends when he has the perfect day.”
“Is that the win condition, then? Having the perfect day?”
“Maybe. He makes the perfect speech, helps the people of the town, exercises his many new skills, and gets the girl—and moreover is happy to stay in the loop forever because he loves Rita.”
“So what’s your perfect day?” Bucky asks.
Sam takes a moment to think. Of all the elements of all the loops—he’s lost track of how many, but they’ve easily lasted more than a year—what had been the best? Which were his best days, the ones he would try to replicate? “We’ve had a lot of good loops,” he began slowly. “But honestly? I think this has been my favorite.” Almost unconsciously, he leaned more into Bucky. They were already sitting close together, Bucky’s flesh arm over Sam’s shoulder, Alpine laying across both of their laps. She was incredibly long when fully stretched out like this, but that was typical of Maine Coon cats.
“This has been nice.” Bucky nodded. “Hydra is, if not gone, then significantly weakened. I get to spend time with you and our cat.” He laughed. “It’s definitely one of the best loops we’ve had so far.”
“I do like being in these loops with you,” Sam admitted. “It’s—it’s been nice. To have someone.” His lips quirked up into a smile. “I think if I’d been alone in this, I might have also driven off a cliff.”
“Well, I’m glad we were able to avoid that, then. I like you just like this. And even if we really were in this loop forever… I think I could be happy.”
“Really?” Sam asked in surprise, turning his head to make eye contact, and realizing just how close their faces were to each other. Before Bucky could respond, Sam was already continuing. “I think I could be, too. I…” Sam wanted to look away but still forced himself to keep his eyes on Bucky, who looked… vulnerable. As though this conversation might break him. They were on the edge of something here. “I love you. I’ve loved you for quite some time now. And—”
Before he could continue, Bucky had already leaned in for a kiss. It was soft, sweet, and brief. “I love you, too,” Bucky grinned. “In case you didn’t realize.”
“Good to know,” Sam grinned in return before leaning in for another kiss, this one longer and more passionate. As they shifted, Alpine, disgruntled at the movements, jumped from their laps and walked over to the new and luxurious cat bed in the corner of the room.
The next morning, Sam—who had expected to wake up alone and starting another cycle, though hopefully one that also included Alpine—was surprised to find a supersoldier snoring in his bed, their new cat curled up at their feet. His heart leapt as he realized the difference of the situation, and he was wide awake by the time he had his phone in hand and noticed the date: April 19th.
“Bucky,” he said breathlessly. “Wake up.”
Bucky was instantly alert, sitting up quickly enough that the blankets shifted almost violently, much to Alpine’s displeasure. “Sam, what—”
Sam interrupted him with an enthusiastic kiss, and when he pulled away he was still grinning. “We did it, Buck. It’s April 19th.”
“Wait, so that really was the win condition for breaking the loop?” Bucky laughed.
“Correct,” said Loki.
“Did no one ever teach you not to come into other people’s bedrooms unannounced?” Sam exclaimed. “Jesus!”
“Wrong deity,” Loki told them dismissively. “By the way, if you run into Thor, tell him that Ragnarok would be a lot easier to avoid if he was nice to our sister upon our first meeting instead of immediately leaping into a fight. Oh, and also—if he gets the chance to fight Thanos, go for the head.”
“What does any of that even mean?” Sam asked, but Loki was already gone.
“Let’s leave it for now.” Bucky shook his head. “What do you want to do with our first day of freedom from the loops, now that time is moving again?”
“I can think of a few good ideas.” Sam smirked before drawing Bucky into another kiss.