figure you out ✓| Bucky Barnes [ENG]

0.04 || Oh god, did you...?

I woke up in the middle of the night. In less than a few seconds I realize what the reason is:
Bucky.
I hear glass break. That happens a lot. I always worry about what makes him riot at 3 in the morning. I cringe when something gets smashed at the wall that separates him from my bedroom. My heart pounds faster until I throw the blanket aside to stand up and get a bottle of water in the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible so I wouldn't disturb Michael's sleep. When I open the fridge to grab a bottle my eyes catch the muffins from Friday. The muffins Bucky forgot. It is sunday in the morning now and I haven't seen him ever since. I grab the muffin box and look at it. Should I bring him...? I wanna know if he is okay and at the same time I don't want to disturb him.

The next thing I know is me standing in front of his door. I knock before I could rethink about it. It was quiet when I knocked and it still is. Maybe he went to bed. Or he sleepwalked. Or he...

Bucky opens the door. Awake. He looks wack and good at the same time in his white sweater and grey joggers. As soon as he realizes me, his eyes widen in surprise. Before I can see it, he covers his left arm behind the door. I bite my lips, because I didn't see it once again. I really wanna know what he hides so hard. His hair is all over the place and his eyes look red. The door is opened just so he can slip his body through it, hiding what's behind him.

"Madison?"

My stomach contracts when he says my name.

"I'm sorry to bother you but...I brought you your muffins. You never came to get them."

I lift the box so he can see them. His eyes fix the box and then his eyes wander over my body, till they meet my eyes. Biting on my lip, I try to ignore that I'm standing in a green pijama and blue slippers right in front of him, I smile carefully. His eyes look so dark in the night.

He lifts an eyebrow, his mouth a little opened, completely confused."You brought me muffins in the middle of the night?"

"Yes?" This was supposed to be an answer but it sounded more like a question. My heart beats a little faster when he just quietly stares at me.

"Are you alright?", he aks then. Which is definitely the most unexpected thing he could say.

Now I'm the confused one.

"Yes, of course, I am. I just woke up and heard you were awake so I thought I could bring them to you. In the middle of the night."

Bucky seems to understand. His face says it all. The horror of thinking I could have heard him. And I did. All the time.

So I ask quietly: "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you could hear me." His sorry face makes me want to hug him.

His eyes pin the floor. He's ashamed. Now I feel sorry.

"It's okay, no worries. You still want them?"

When he looks up, his eyes meet mine and once again I feel like he could actually see what's inside me.

"You're too kind." Finally, he takes the box and fixes my eyes again."You look...sad."

I almost puked. He's not supposed to see that. My smile completely fell apart.

"Did you get along well with your grandmother?"

"Yes", I say, realizing how interesting the floor suddenly is, "She raised me when my parents died when I was 10 Years old."

A quick check on his face told me to continue talking.

"She was the mother of my mom. And seeing me baking made her really happy. She teached me old recipes her mother taught her. She always bought me all the ingredients I needed, even when we were out of money, she did her best to make me happy. Because baking made me happy."

It was quiet for a few seconds. I quickly wiped off a tear and looked up to him just to feel butterflies wrestling in my stomach. His look was so soft and I almost thought he drifted away.

"I can assure you your pastry makes other people really happy too. I am one of them."

His voice was a little scratchy when he said that, but it made me smile.

I sob. "Thank you, Bucky, truly."

Bucky smiles back, so softly and filled with warmth. My heart is racing.

"Enjoy your muffins, then." I whisper because I lost my voice.

"I will."

I turn around, about to leave when I hear him say: "Good night, Maddie."

Next day I woke up tired. But Aaron I planned to finish a big cake and donut order today so I had to get up on time. It was a stressful day, but a good kind of stress.

"I'll replace you in a minute" , I shouted from the kitchen to him.

"Take your time", he answers. I shove the cake into the oven and join him at the checkout counter. "Thank you", I say.

" You know what's weird?" Aaron looks at me.

"Huh?"

"There is this guy who walked past the bakery for the fifth time now. He looks familiar but I cannot..." He claps into his hand, when he realizes, but then he looks serious.

"Maddie, you got to tell me if your neighbor is stalking you. "

"What?"

"Mr. Grumpy is stalking the bakery."

"Bucky?"

Now he looks confused. "You know his name?"

"Is he still around?" He was probably looking for me.

"No, it's been a while now."

Disappointed I exhale.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I don't know, Maddie? Maybe because he could have turned out as a crazy serial killer who waited outside the bakery just to stab you in the back, literally."

I shake my head at his crazy look.

"You watch too many crime shows."

"It's called true-crime for a reason."

Now I smile and he calms down.

"So, how do you know his name?"

Aaron knows Bucky. He knows how grumpy he is because he comes over a lot.

"Uhm...remember Michael visiting? Well, he came earlier and met Bucky in the hallways and then he came over to us and we drank beer and he ate my muffins." I rattle down, leaving poor Aaron confused.

"Wait, why did he come over to you?"

"Because apparently Michael found his long lost friend." I shrug and lower my face. "And he turned out to be very nice. Bucky, I mean."

Silence.

,,Maddie, are you blushing?I cannot believe you are blushing, oh my god!"

He's such a drama queen. But that makes me blush even more.

"And last night..." I start but stop myself. I shouldn't feed him so much with my tea.

"Oh god, did you hook up?"

My jaw drops at his words. I wave around with my hands so he would talk a little more quiet because the guests start to listen too.

"No! I heard he was awake and brought him the last muffins."

"Oh. That's lame."

"Aaron!" I try my best not to scream.

"Just saying. You seem to like him."

I shrug. "He just turned out to be much nicer than I expected. "

"And he's the definition of a snack."

"Ye- Stop it!"I laugh and bump his arm playfully.

"Now go!" I shove him into the private room so he can change and leave to babysit his nephew.

" You're running away from the truth!" He calls dramatically but I ignore him. Ignoring the warmth that fills my body when I think about Bucky's smile and his sea blue eyes.