Meant Just For You

Three: Small Talk

This Sunday went the same as the last one.

Hannah woke up and got ready, walked to her favourite coffee shop on the corner, ordered one of their sweetest lattes, and enjoyed it while making her way to Barnes Books. It was another warm, sunny morning. The city still half-asleep but just beginning to show signs of life.

As she got closer to the store she felt her heart begin to race. Would he remember her? Would he even be working today? He said that he usually didn't work on Sundays, maybe it Daphne would be back today. Hannah shook her head and sighed. Why was she already so obsessed with a man that she had only met once? She needed to get a grip.

Like always, she finished her coffee as she approached the shop. After throwing the empty cup into a nearby trash can, she took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

And there he was.

A blue shirt that brought out the ocean colour of his eyes, black jeans that fit him extraordinarily well, and a smile that made his whole face light up. "I was hoping you would come back today."

Hannah smiled. "Well, yeah, of course. It's what I do every Sunday. But what are you doing here?"

I wanted to be here to see you. She hoped he would say. 

"I did inventory this week, so I'm just finishing that up today." 

"Ah." She nodded her head and briefly looked down at the floor before meeting Bucky's gaze again. "I'll keep out of your way then."

His face dropped slightly. "Oh no, I don't mind. It's nice to have someone else here while I do this. It is pretty boring by yourself."

"So, Hannah," he picked up a tablet off the counter and started tapping on it, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. She couldn't help by notice the Stark logo on the back of it. "What do you do?"

She fell into step behind him as he worked his way down a row of cookbooks. "Nothing exciting. I do data entry at Stark Industries. It is incredibly boring."

Bucky chuckled. "It's not like Tony to have things be boring."

"We don't see him too often, thankfully. We get more work done that way."

He laughed again and continued tapping on the screen while his eyes skimmed the shelves. "And anyone special in your life?"

Hannah caught his eyes with hers for a moment before he quickly looked away. She shrugged. "Just my family. And my cat, I suppose."

"You have a cat?" 

"I do. A grey tabby named Storm. She is probably the laziest cat I have ever met."

Bucky paused his counting and slightly turned his body towards her. "I have a cat too. A white one, named Alpine."

Hannah's eyes swept over his chest, only because with the way he was twisted his shirt was pulling tight against it. She looked back at him, where she noticed a corner of his mouth was lifted, like he knew what she was looking at.

She cleared her throat. "That's a cute name. Maybe I'll get to meet her one day."

"Hm. Maybe." 

Bucky continued moving his way down the aisle of books, until he suddenly stopped and turned to face Hannah. She nearly bumped into him with how quickly he moved. "Do you wanna get outta here?"

Hannah looked at him with confusion and shock. "Wha-what? Like, go somewhere else?"

He smirked. "Yeah. Would that be okay? You don't have to. I don't want to force you or make you feel guilty or anything like that."

Was he nervous? In the brief time that she had known Bucky, she had never seen him ramble or fumble like he was right now. Maybe she needed to stop reading into things so much. Why would she make Bucky Barnes nervous?

Hannah nodded her head after considering his proposal. "Sure. Why not. Where are we going?"

His face broke into a wide smile. "You'll see."

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It took Bucky all of five minutes to close down the book store and lock up. She waited for him out on the sidewalk then followed him to a nearby car.

"Hop in," he said as the lights flashed and he pulled open the door for her.

Hannah blushed a little as she slid into the leather seat. She was going somewhere with Bucky Barnes. Was this real life? Again, she shook her head. Get over yourself. He is just being friendly. He just wants to be friends.

Bucky got into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition so the car roared to life. They both fastened their seatbelts, and Hannah turned her face to him. "You going to tell me where we are going now?"

He met her eyes, almost making her melt on the spot. Why was he so dreamy? "It's a surprise, Hannah. But don't worry, I'm not kidnapping you or anything."

Not that I would mind. "Okay, I'm trusting you to keep me safe, Sergeant."

Bucky briefly stiffened at the title, but then his mouth lifted into a soft smile. "Let's go then."

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They drove for a while, Hannah switching between watching out the window and looking at Bucky as they continued the small talk that they started in the book shop. Talking about life, work, friends, family, and everything in between. It was mostly her doing the talking and Bucky asking the questions, but he listened intently to every word she said.

Finally, the car began to slow as Hannah realized where Bucky had taken her. "Wait... did you bring me to Coney Island?"

He laughed as he parked the car and shut off the engine. "Is that okay?"

She let out a little squeal and opened the door to jump out of the car. "I haven't been here in forever! Let's go, Barnes!"

Bucky smiled and laughed again as he watched Hannah express her excitement for what the day had turned into. He hoped to keep making her smile like that, because he couldn't get enough.

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Fluffy Bucky. Gah, I just love him.

Make sure to keep looking out for the song references in the chapters! (Taylor Swift's "You Are in Love" if you forgot!)

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