#i hope that dusk knows that her creatures are the cutest things ever

[apolunatic]

[daredevile]

Noir

Summary: No matter how much he longed for his own man’s best friend, Bucky knew that he will never be able to care for one—till he receives a request from an old friend.

A/N: As much as I love angsty fics, you gotta come back to some fluff once in a while. This is the result of me seeing the cutest Samoyed puppy in my life.

Hope you enjoy and feedback is always welcome

Just like an immediate reflex, Bucky checked his antique watch—one that had stopped ticking long ago—as he made his way through the crowded streets. Head tucked in and a hand stuffed into a fuzzy pocket, he entered the distinct-smelling store. Stanley’s Pet Shop.

“Good evening, Mr Barnes,” Irene teased him with an enthusiastic smile as Bucky dropped a large bag on the tarnished desk. Her usual prolonged stares always made him shift between his feet. She chuckled, taking note of Bucky’s obliviousness.

Bucky raised his eyebrows as he looked around the usually energetic room, now barren, “Where are they?”

Irene’s expression morphed into one of sympathy before tenderly shaking her head, “Stan’s waiting for you.”

Minutely nodding, Bucky made his way to the back room, side-stepping several cardboard boxes and empty kennels. A sense of doubt seeped through his thoughts as he absentmindedly navigated through the familiar hallway. Bucky smiled seeing Stan, the two old souls who had instantly connected during their first encounter.

“I was getting worried you wouldn’t show up, son,” Stan sighed in relief, seeing the kind-hearted brunette. Leaning back into the rocking chair, he hooked his glasses onto the checked shirt.

“Never,” Bucky asserted, taking a seat opposite Stan, “Irene said you wanted to speak to me.”

“Son, you ever get that feeling where you just have to accept all the cards life has dealt you?” Stan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath while Bucky gave him his undivided attention, “I’m barely hanging onto the ropes.”

“I don’t understand,” Bucky moved to the edge of the seat, reaching for the white file on the desk. 

“Listen, son—” Stan let out a string of deep coughs, making Bucky wince at the sounds. Bucky understood the circumstance, reading the precise words in bold.

“How long?” Bucky gently passed a glass of water, shutting the file close.

“Months maybe weeks,” Stan sighed, “Terminal illness they said,” letting out a short laugh, “They’re stowing me away in the ICU soon which means the shop’s gone.”

Bucky creased his eyebrows, realising that his only place of serenity will vanish. Just as he was about to speak, a sudden patter of paws on the wooden floor grabbed his attention. The snow-white coated creature leapt onto Stan, licking his face in excitement. The metal armed man froze, not wanting his presence to damage the purity of the scene.

“And, that leads me to this,” Stan grabbed the dog’s front paws and wiggled them humorously, “Someone needs to take care of my Noir and that someone is you, son.”

“I can’t,” Bucky backed up into the chair, he was absolutely certain he could not take care of himself let alone another living creature. Every time Bucky used to play with the animals, he longed to eventually take one home. But, in the back of his mind, he knew he wasn’t ready. That he’ll never be ready.

“Son, you are the only one I trust to take care of someone who means everything to me. I know a good man when I see one,” Stan assured him, eyes glistening as he spoke.

Bucky’s eyes flitted around as he looked at the mess of an apartment. Mentally checking to make sure no hazardous objects littered his home. An unexpected jolt of fear rose at the thought of him harming Noir by accident. After all, dogs can’t speak or lingually emote. Looking at his frozen watch—a reflex out of nervousness—Bucky paced around.

“Mr Barnes?” Followed by a knock on the door, shook him out of his trance. Irene’s signature smile gave him a tiny speck of hope as she handed him the dog carrier, “Don’t worry, Stan is never wrong.”

Bucky waited. He waited for Noir to finish sniffing every single object he could. He was starting to get impatient and insisted Noir to come at least somewhat near him. An idea sprouted in his mind and he retrieved a bag full of colourful toys Irene had asked him to buy. Much to his dismay, Noir remained in his corner despite noticing the enticing objects in Bucky’s hands. Bucky had had enough, he began walking towards the dog, who crept further into the corner.

“Come on buddy, I’m new at this,” He begged softly, remembering Stan’s plea. Receiving no change in demeanour, Bucky sighed, wanting to divert his mind for a while. 

Tossing his old clothes and towel in the laundry basket, he threw on a hoodie and tracks. Secretly hoping his change in appearance would somehow ease the reserved dog. Well, Noir definitely behaved differently—he was chewing on the corner wall. But, what had startled Bucky the most was that his beloved fuzzy pillow was strewn all over the floor.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Bucky slapped his hands on his face, slowly dragging them down. Noir paused what he was doing, tiny ears perked and Bucky would have sworn he saw the dog smiling, “You punk,” He chuckled, shaking his head.

“All right, g’ night buddy,” Feigning defeat, Bucky set down two bowls next to Noir’s bed, food and water, in case, Noir was remotely like him and often got up in the middle of the night seeking comfort. Before entering his bedroom, Bucky glanced at Noir stuffing his face into the pet food. That brought a smile onto his face.

Sleepless nights were common to Bucky. Usually, he whiled away the night by severely contemplating his past actions. So, naturally, a new living and breathing addition to his lifestyle scared him to his core. Not only was he burdened by Stan’s faith in him but also his own conscience. Just as he was about to slip back into his routine thoughts, soft whimpers filled the quiet apartment. Bucky perked up at the sounds, immediately recognising the source.

Laying on his side on the soft quilt, Noir’s paws twitched randomly and quiet howls left his mouth. Bucky’s heart ached, watching him suffer through his nightmares, sighing at the unfortunate similarity between them. He approached the poor dog cautiously and reached his flesh hand out. Eyes closing as he brushed through the soft, white fur, giving not only Noir but himself a sense of relief. 

“It’s ok buddy,” Bucky whispered, delicately holding a paw, “I’m here,” Bucky picked up the distressed dog and brought him to his bed, laying his blanket over the both of them. An arm stretched over the fur, making tiny circles which seemed to be silently appreciated.

A few weeks had passed and Noir had returned back to his usual jovial self. Ever since Bucky had calmed him, Noir began resembling Stan’s detailed descriptions of him which the old man often gushed about to any listeners. Bucky realised how he had adapted to having Noir in his life. His nights were rarely interrupted by nightmares or his strong feelings of guilt. In fact, Noir had gotten him to socialise with strangers who wished to pet the dog. His weeks were filled with frequent trips to the nearby park, where they ended up watching the dusk after an intense game of ultimate frisbee.

However, Bucky always had an inkling that all good things came to an end. Dreadful nightmares infected his dreamless sleep, reducing him into a puddle of sweat and tears. Heavy breaths resonated through the apartment, loud enough for the pawed creature to sense his obvious anguish. 

Noir pushed his arm, intently watching Bucky violently thrash around in his sleep. Moments later, Bucky followed the wagging tail to Noir’s bed. Fluffy, white paws lightly pushed his chest to lay down on the obviously tiny quilt. Bucky chuckled through the tears, realising what Noir was doing. Noir snuggled into Bucky’s side, with his paw across Bucky’s stomach. Though his furry counterpart had fallen asleep, Bucky remained awake for the rest of the night, mindlessly brushing the fur, listening to the crackling sounds of firewood. Overwhelmed with emotions, he decided to get some fresh air. Stealing a long look at the warmth that surrounded Noir, he left the apartment. 

Nightfall was Bucky’s favourite time of day. The dark and bare streets pleased him as he walked without care. He couldn’t remember the last time he was desperate enough to relieve his mind from the bad thoughts. But now, Bucky only intended to appreciate all he was dealt with. A messy home. Plums. Stan. Noir. 

Bucky returned a couple hours later. Both arms clad with bags and bags of things just for Noir, ones he had eyed on their walks or visits to the supermarket. Bucky unlocked the door and let out a laugh, beaming from ear to ear. Noir had moved from his bed to sleep by the door, eagerly waiting for his return. Crouching down, Bucky stroked the pristine fur, speaking the only words to express his gratitude, “I love you, Noir.”

finis.

[mmaudsgone]

the whole fuckin fruit basket (for the fruit ask)

Boy, oh boy, this’ll be a wild ride... Here we go!

peach: do you have any piercings or tattoos?

No, well, I used to have my ears pierced, but I don’t think that’s what the question’s asking. I can’t wait until I can actually get tattoos, though. I want so many!

raspberry: favorite flower?

Either lavender, sunflowers, or roses. (yes, I know, generic)

lemon: do you have any pets? what are their names?

I have a 4-year-old mutt named Lilly and she’s the cutest little (actually, rather large) thing ever! I love her!

mango: what is your trademark?

Honestly? I don’t know.. It really depends on who I’m around.. It’s either puns, my music taste, being a massive nerd, or being a flaming homosexual.

passion fruit: how would you describe your style?

“I try to be cool and edgy, but also trendy and stylish. That doesn’t work, though, and I usually end up dressing like I’m an emo from 2012 who wants to live in the past and the future at the same time.”

pineapple: sexual orientation?

Hella heckin lesbian (please, somebody be my girlfriend, I’m so lonely)

strawberry: favorite desserts?

Literally any kind of dessert is my favorite, but probably some sort of pie... My dad used to buy us oreo cream pies all the time and I miss those a lot...

cherry: can you play any musical instruments or can you sing?

I can’t sing to save my life, but I used to play trumpet for like two or three years and I just picked up electric guitar about a month ago!

grape: if you could take a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?

London. Definitely. I’ve wanted to visit England for about three years now.

banana: favorite horror movies?

I don’t watch a LOT of horror movies, but I do watch the more recent ones.. I thought Lights Out was well-written and it definitely scared me a lot. I still liked it! I’m really excited for the new remake of It, though.

blackberry: is your life an action film, a comedy, a romantic comedy, or drama?

Definitely a mixture of drama and comedy... My life is an angst-filled and remarkably depressing joke.

pomegranate: when do you feel the most confident?

When I have on an outfit that I actually like on me and my eyebrows look good.

cantaloupe: what are your parents' names?

Melissa and Michael

guava: dark & dramatic makeup or natural makeup?

Depends on my mood.. I wear natural makeup but I’m such a huge fan of the dark and dramatic look!

tangelo: if you could be any mythical creature, which would you be?

Probably an Occamy from the Harry Potter universe. I think they’re really beautiful and they lowkey remind me of a badass dragon, which is my second choice.

plum: favorite clothing brands?

I don’t really have any favorites at the moment, sorry!

coconut: favorite perfume?

The only perfume I use is Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift and I have no shame in that because it smells fantastic.

lychee: satin or lace?

Lace

blueberry: what do you want to dress up as for halloween?

I wanted to go as the four Hogwarts houses, me being Slytherin, this past year with my nerd friends, but I was a Pokémon hunter instead while they were all Pokémon. This year I hope to go as a Slytherin, haha!

apple: what do you use more, tumblr or twitter?

Tumblr

kiwi: what's something that fascinates you?

The universe is just so endless and beautiful and some people don’t think about that constantly?? Like... What’s out there?

watermelon: do you have a job? if so, what is your job title?

Nope, sorry, I’m an unemployed teenager! But I do want to be a travel blogger and take and post photographs for either a living or a hobby! It would be so cool!

papaya: what song describes your aesthetic?

Currently? Robbers or If I Believe You by The 1975 or maybe Edge of Town by Middle Kids.

cranberry: favorite time of the day; morning, afternoon, dusk, or night?

Night

nectarine: would you consider yourself an emotional person?

Very much so, yes.

orange: do you have long eyelashes?

Yeah, but you can’t really see them because I’m blonde and they’re invisible. (much like my eyebrows)

apricot: what do you do when you're sad?

Listen to music, rant on my social media, and cry.

star fruit: favorite sea creature?

Probably an otter or maybe a whale.

dragonfruit: do you drink alcohol?

Nope, I’m a good noodle!

-Morgan