Steve agrees to the demands. They make sense to him anyway. He’s going to yell, Bucky has given him permission for it. They’re on the same page. That’s more valuable than anything else is right now. Steve also knows that there’s an ice breaker just inside the door. He can hear her snuffling at the space between it and the jamb. He can hear a heavy tail lightly whacking the edge of something hard too. It’s enough to make him stand back up on his own two feet and rub at his already red eyes. It doesn’t do anything but make them even more red.

Such is life.

Steve can’t hear the tumblers in the lock click, which only goes to show how loud Penny is about her desire to be reunited with Bucky. Steve’s almost completely deaf in his right ear, after all. None of that is important, however, because there’s a nose and a snout to contend with the moment that there’s a gap large enough for it to fit. Steve is instantly charmed.

“Peeeeeeenny,” he croons, just about able to see the dog around Bucky’s arm. “Hi sweetheart! Has mean old James been keeping you a secret from me for the last five weeks? Yes he has!”

Maybe it will sting less if Steve just baby talk berates Bucky through his murmurings to the dog?