Headphones
"It's just fireworks," Bucky whispers to himself like a mantra as he strokes Lucky's fur with probably too much pressure. Even though he's aware that it's just fireworks, part of his brain isn't convinced. With every colorful rocket that explodes outside, this part of his brain increases in size.
He tries to focus on Lucky and Alpine, who he has taken into the closet with him to take cover. While Alpine is wearing one of his sweaters and is wary of the noises, Lucky seems quite relaxed and occasionally licks Bucky's free palm.
Bucky knows that licking has a calming and calming effect, especially on Clint when he's having a panic attack. But unfortunately it doesn't help him. He wishes it would stop banging. Or better yet, people would start at the specified time and not hours before. The closer it gets to midnight, the more people shoot rockets into the air and he wishes it didn't bother him so much.
He regularly fights aliens and robots and other unidentifiable objects, so things like that shouldn't bother him. The bomb that exploded in the Brazilian jungle two weeks ago didn't bother him either. At least not so much that he had to hide in a closet.
“It’s just fireworks,” he murmurs again, wincing as something explodes right in front of the building. “Bucky!” Clint exclaims, relief flooding through his body. Clint is home. Safe and well protected and -
“It's not a war outside,” he reminded himself. “In the bedroom,” Bucky calls and he hears Clint climbing the stairs. A wooden floorboard squeaks and then the door is pushed open further. “Hey,” Clint says with a slightly worried expression, as he kneels in front of them. "Hey," Bucky replies happily, tapping against the closet wall.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"I'm sorry I left you alone," Clint says in a sad voice, reaching for Bucky's hand, which is still buried in Lucky's fur. "It's nothing. It is usually a day for celebration. If you had wanted to stay at the party-” “I wasn’t at the party. The party hasn’t even started yet,” Clint explains and Bucky frowns. "Then why did you have to go to Stark again?" It's not unusual for someone to be ordered by Stark to come to the Tower.
These things are often work-related, but for days Stark hasn't been busy with anything other than organizing the party, which is why he was a little surprised when Clint told him he had to go to Tony again.
“Because I have a gift for you. Well, gift is a bit exaggerated-" Clint starts to say, reaching for something with his free hand that Bucky can't see due to his limited position. "It's just to help you and make the night a little more pleasant," Clint finishes and hands it to him Headphones. "That's nice. But if these are noise-canceling headphones, they don’t work.” They tried it days ago.
“Put them on,” Clint asks with a slight grin and makes an inviting gesture. Bucky looks skeptically at the headphones, but he follows the instructions. When does he not follow Clint’s instructions?
It's like a switch that is turned off. One moment he hears and the next everything is silent. Is this how Clint feels when he takes out his hearing aids and suddenly there's nothing left?
"That's-" incredible. Frightening. It's a lot of things. He puts her down when Clint makes a gesture. "It's super soldier tested," he grins. "Thanks," Bucky says, leaving the position would he kisses Clint. "I heard there's a party up on the roof with homemade cakes and no dress code other than the fact that you have to wear clothes. Do you want to go?”
“What about the animals?” Bucky asks and looks at Alpine, who has now stuck her head out of her sweater. “They get to test a new product,” Clint explains and reaches for something again, something that looks like a small cassette recorder . “According to Tony, it works with sound - something and ensures that all sounds from outside stay out. He's already tried it on some super animals... Chewie, Rocket, Jeff and Loki...The alligator, not the... God... and it worked on them. If it helps with both of them it will be on the market next year.”
“That sounds…wow”
“So you want to eat some cake and watch fireworks and kiss me in a few hours?”, Clint asks hopefully.
Bucky carefully rises from his sitting position, pushing Lucky off his lap.
"Yes. Yes and definitely yes."