The Winter's Witch || Bucky x Reader

Chapter 4

Note before reading:

Ready to get back into this? I bloody am.

Love,

Nina

-----------------

"This is an opportune moment Juniper, are you certain we shouldn't poison his tea darling?" Auntie Bell offered as she busied herself chopping bits of dried snakeskin and then sliding the cuttings into a jar.

"He drinks coffee auntie," you replied.

"How barbaric."

"Oh Belladonna, I know he is a detective. But surely they aren't so savage to drink coffee on a rainy day?" Auntie Juniper smiled, but then her smile faltered and she looked at you questioningly. You simply blinked and looked at her in astonishment.

"Well? Does he?"

"I don't know Auntie June, how am I supposed to know if he drinks coffee on a rainy day?!" you blurted out, finding your aunties weren't exactly helping in making you less nervous.

"Well, I don't know. You seemed familiar enough with him to invite him into our home," Auntie Bell remarked scathingly.

You sighed loudly. "How suspicious would I have looked if I had not allowed him over?" You had been fitting about all morning; tripping on the uneven floorboards and burning your tongue on your morning tea. You did not want to be nervous, but you definitely were. When, ultimately, you had finally calmed down a little and rationalized that you couldn't be caught for something you hadn't done, you went upstairs to get dressed.

When you did and pulled on one of your favourite plaid skirts which you always matched with your kyanite necklace, your thoughts once again went back to the detective. The necklace was the same kyanite blue as his eyes.

"Do you think he'll stay for lunch dear?" Auntie Juniper asked, but the words barely registered in your mind because you saw a dark figure making its way up the drive, barely visible through the pouring rain.

"If he's still alive by then," Auntie Bell murmured.

You flitted your eyes to the clock and could tell that he was fifteen minutes early. No doubt trying to catch you in some suspicious act.

"He's here," you breathed, hurrying to the front door with the clatter of your aunties starting to hide all suspicious items in a hurry. You felt positive an elephant stampede would have been able to execute it more stealthily. You waited in the hall, hand on the front door until the clatter from the kitchen ceased. You briefly eyed the stacked suitcases in the corner by the door before you opened the door.

You couldn't help but ogle at the man standing in front of you. Detective Barnes stood on your doorstep, struggling to keep his large body under the small portico by the front door. He was completely soaked through; his leather jacket was wet with rain, his hair messily hanging down his head and raindrops dripping down into his beard.

"Morning," he said with a wickedly handsome smile on his lips. It was frustratingly annoying how good he looked, despite having walked through the pouring rain. You felt certain you would have looked like a wet street dog.

"You're awfully early detective," Auntie Juniper huffed out of breath as she stepped up behind you in the doorway, joined by Auntie Bell who gave the young man a reproachful look.

"You know, sometimes it's best to let unexpected guests get caught in the rain. It might wash away their bad intentions," Auntie Bell added ominously, eyeing the detective with her signature glare.

The detective nervously scratched the back of his neck as he wondered how people suspected of murder could possibly be offended by someone showing up a little early. So, oddly enough, he found he felt like the criminal here. You almost felt sorry for him, but then reminded yourself he was here because he wrongfully suspected you of a double homicide.