"Shit", he thought to himself.
"This is amazing."
Puppies were crawling all over Bucky's lap as he sat on the cold floor, back leaning against the brick wall.
He hadn't planned on spending his Saturday morning playing with the small animals, but his therapist thought it would be good for him. How puppies will help someone who cant speak, he doesn't know, but he finds his heart warming with joy as he watches the little balls of fluff scamper around the room.
Suddenly, he hears the bell above the door chime, indicating that someone has entered the shop. He tenses slightly, hoping that they won't have any need to come to the back room where he currently sits. Bucky is not a fan of new people. Not since the accident. Not since he stopped talking. Not since he had to start writing everything down, explaining that he was mute.
He hears Natalia, the owner of the shelter, speaking to someone at the front desk. He's know Nat since high school, which is the only reason that he's allowed to be in the back room with all the animals alone. She always did have a soft spot for him.
The voices get louder, and Bucky has to resist the urge to flinch when the door swings opened. His eyes snap up from the soft black pug resting on his legs, and is met with the most gorgeous face he's ever seen.
Clear blue eyes stare back at him, blonde hair reflecting the light, making it look like a halo surrounding the mans head. They stare at each other for longer than what's probably considered socially acceptable, until Natalia breaks the silence.
"Bucky, this is Steve. He's a friend of mine," Nat says.
When Bucky looks into her eyes, there's a sort of reassurance there that tells him Steve is safe. If Nat deems him acceptable, he supposes that's good enough for him, and after only a few seconds hesitation, he allows his body to ever so slowly relax from its tensed position.
"He just wanted to look around at the puppies so he could choose one to adopt," she continues.
Bucky nods wordlessly, following the short blonds haired man with his gaze as him and Nat enter further into the room. Steve shoots him one of the most adorable smiles he's ever seen. It's shy but genuine, and a blush fill his cheeks when Bucky does his best to return the gesture.
"Did I do that? Make him blush?" he wonders confusedly.
He doesn't think he's ever made someone blush before, or at least not that he can remember. Even if he has, it was certainly not as pretty as the rosey tint coloring Steve's face.
Natalia leaves Steve to look at the puppies, which slightly surprises Bucky, but she had said that her and the blonde were friends. Just before she leaves the room, she flashes Bucky a dangerous smile and a sly wink, and he buries his head in his knees to hide his embarrassment.
Bucky assumes Nat must've explained at least something to Steve about his 'condition', because he doesn't attempt to start a conversation with Bucky. The two of them are silent as Steve looks at the animals, and Bucky absently pets the fur of a husky that had snuggled up against his side.
They go in like this for a while, until he hears Steve blurt, "Would you like to go out for coffee sometime?"
Bucky almost looks around the room to see if Steve is talking to someone else, but remembers that he's the only other person in the room. He nods slowly before he can fully think about the question. He doesn't know why someone as perfect as Steve would wan't to go out with him, but he knows that he wouldn't mind getting to know the man.
Steve grins at Bucky's response.
"Great...how about right now?"
Bucky hesitantly nods again, smile filling his own face.
He pushes himself off the floor, relieved that Steve doesn't seem bothered by his lack of speech.
As they head out the door together, he hears Natalia call out to them mischievously.
"Make sure you use protection!"