The Winter Highlander || Bucky x Reader

Part 4

Note before reading:

Thank you guys so much for all the votes and comments. They are so uplifting. I hope you enjoy this new chapter as I incorporated some actual history on Bucky's middle name. 

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You had spent the rest of the week fully equipping the kitchen, putting up the Tales & Tarts sign above the door and preparing the many picture frames and bookshelves for the walls. That Sunday you woke up way too early, so instead of staying in bed and staring aimlessly at the ceiling, you had decided to do some baking and to try and widdle down the massive amount of recipes you had to the ones you would actually start selling next week. As you had to wait for Steve to arrive anyways, you had put cupcakes in the oven which you would cover in a vanilla cinnamon buttercream and cover with crumbs of Scottish Tablet.

Just when you were contemplating on which filling you were going to use, your phone beeped. You picked it up clumsily as not to smudge it with any batter. It was a text message from Steve.

Sorry, I won't be able to make it. The Jones' basement flooded and I need to help them out right away. I sent Buck to finish up the fireplace.

Steve.

Oh no. Oh fuck no. Smudging the phone be damned, you immediately started typing like a maniac to get a reply out to Steve. He could come by later, or maybe you could do without a working fireplace during the cold Scottish Winter. Becausefreezing to death would definitely be better than having Bucky in your shop. Just when you were about to hit send, the door opened and you heard a sleepy and slightly annoyed voice speaking to you.

"Tales & Tarts? What kind of name is that?"

You sighed, closed your eyes for a moment and put your phone to the side as you took in a deep breath. Get it together. You could do this. You needed that fireplace and if that meant suffering Bucky Barnes all day, you would do it. You opened your eyes and put up a fake smile.

"Well- I think it's humorous," you replied as you took off the apron you were wearing. You were wearing a simple cream coloured jumper, jeans and fluffy socks. Not much for Bucky to critique. When you stepped in front of the counter you saw Bucky carried a large iron slab under his left arm and a toolbox under the right. By his feet sat Alpine, sitting down neatly as if waiting to be invited in. She was wobbling around a lot, impatient to get to you.

"Sure you do Hollywood," Bucky said as you rushed to the door to close it behind him. Alpine followed immediately and ran up to you, moving her head down in preparation for you to scratch her behind the ears. She remembered. Bucky set his stuff down while he looked around, moving about a little to see everything more clearly. Contrary to what you were used to, both eyebrows were perked up. He seemed.... impressed?

"Right. Let's have a look at this thing," Bucky then said out of the blue, making you smile because it told you he couldn't find anything to insult and therefore changed the topic as soon as possible. He liked what you had done to the place, but simply didn't dare to admit it. That's fine, because you could see it written all over his face.

"Thanks by the way, for- helping," you struggled, feeling it was unnatural to pay him a compliment. Bucky simply grunted as he, like Steve had a couple of days before, semi-disappeared into the fireplace.

He spent the next two hours trying to install the new damper. You had just finished piping the buttercream on top of the cupcakes and sprinkling them with small chunks of Scottish Tablet when you heard Bucky Barnes growl. GROWL. The sound of it gave you goosebumps and made you bite your lip. It even made Alpine look up who was, like she had been all afternoon, perched on top of one of the couches like it was a throne.