Bucky huffs as the cat scurries up the tree. He walks over and folds his arms across his chest as he looks up at it.

"Do I really have to come get you?" He asks Ripjoint the fluffy Persian cat. Ripjoint meows pitifully and Bucky sighs heavily and begins climbing.

He makes it up and steadily balances on a branch, clinging to the tree trunk. He looks up at the cat and whistles softly to her, beckoning her over. "C'mon, детка," (baby) he croons, motioning her over. Ripjoint mewls, eyes wide and tail puffed up.

Bucky slowly reaches out to grab her and pulls her close to his chest. "There we go, that wasn't so bad, huh?"

He looks around him and frowns a little. Getting down was the problem now. He takes a step back as he tries to find his footing, and he curses as the branch snaps. He holds Ripjoint close as they fall to the next branch. Bucky nearly slides off but his foot gets caught in between branches. Ripjoint scrambles from his grasp and streaks down the tree and back into the house.

Bucky hisses a curse and tries to pull himself up. He tugs at his leg for several minutes before giving it up as a lost cause. He dangles upside down and sighs.

Steve steps out a while later - no more than a couple minutes. Bucky's face was red.

"Buck? What're you doing?"

Bucky gestures to himself then lets his arms dangle towards the ground again. "Oh, you know, just... hanging out," he replies. He couldn't pass up the opportunity. Steve sighs and steps closer then tilts his head up at him.

"Hilarious," Steve scoffs and observes him quietly. "Alright, want me to get you down?"

"Useless." Bucky shakes his head then looks at the ground thoughtfully. "Oh well, it was a good life, anyway." He pauses to think on this for a second. "Oh, wait."

"Shut up," Steve sighs as he starts climbing. Bucky folds his arms across his chest and attempts to lift his head to watch the blonde.

"How did this happen?" Steve asks as he studies the damage done.

"I saved your angel of a cat," Bucky huffs and tries swinging forwards and backwards. Steve nudges his foot and frowns a little.

"She is an angel," he insists. Bucky rolls his eyes.

"She nearly killed me!"

"She was scared," Steve dismisses and shifts positions carefully. "So your options are either to hang here forever or I can push your foot out and you'll probably land on your face."

"Fantastic," Bucky says sarcastically.

"Can you reach the ground?"

"Nope," Bucky responds and stretches towards the ground. He was a couple feet in the air, about a foot taller than Steve was standing on the ground.

"What if I break my face?"

"I can get you a pillow or something," Steve suggests and Bucky shrugs.

"Fine, whatever works."

Steve hurries back inside and grabs several pillows then spreads them out underneath the brunette. He starts climbing the tree again and gets ready.

"Okay, Buck, you ready? I'm about to push," Steve mentions.

"What if I break my everything?"

"I'll still love you," Steve promises.

"That's great, Steve, I feel so much more confident now," Bucky says sarcastically.

"Good. Ready?"

Bucky nods and squeezes his eyes shut. Nothing happens for a second. The tension was killing him.

"Geez, Steve, could you be any - agh!" He crashes down through the leaves, and lands safely on the pile of pillows.

Steve climbs down and hurries to his side. "Buck? You alive, sweetheart, nothing broken?" He prompts and Bucky hisses something Russian as he pushes himself to his knees.

"Only my dignity," Bucky hisses. Steve offers him his hand then pulls him up. "This is why I don't go outside," he adds and glares up at the tree. Steve wraps an arm around his shoulders and pulls him close.

"You're a human disaster."

Bucky sighs and shrugs. "Yeah. I know."