Do you want the House Tour?
Bucky Barnes (tfaws era) x reader
Summary - You give Bucky Barnes an apartment tour that quickly turns flirty, with mutual attraction building through teasing and innuendos. A shared coincidence about your cats named Alpine adds to the chemistry, hinting that becoming roommates might lead to something more.
Warnings - subtle flirting, Buckyβs bicepts?
Writers notes - no proof read or word count
The first thing you noticed about Bucky Barnes wasnβt the metal arm.
It was everything else.
The way he filled the doorway of your apartment like he didnβt quite belong in a place this soft, this yours. The late afternoon light caught in his hair, His sleeves were pushed up, and yeah, you tried not to stare, but his biceps made that nearly impossible.
βNice place,β he said, voice low, careful, like he didnβt want to disturb anything.
You leaned casually against the kitchen counter, pretending you werenβt already spiraling. βThanks. Itβsβ¦ kind of my whole personality.β
He huffed a quiet laugh, and something in your chest did a backflip.
This was supposed to be simple. A roommate search. A quick tour. Maybe a polite rejection later if it felt weird.
Instead, you were standing here thinking: Oh no.
Because he was walking through your apartment like it mattered. Like every little detail told him something about you.
βLiving roomβs through here,β you said, leading him in.
As you talkedβabout rent, about the landlord, about the weird neighbor who only vacuumed at 3 a.m.βyour brain kept drifting. His hands brushed the back of your couch, testing the fabric. Big hands. Careful hands. Hands that looked like they knew both how to fight and how to hold something gently.
You swallowed.
He turned, catching you staring.
You looked away too fast. βAnd, uhβplants. I have a lot of plants.β
βI noticed,β he said, stepping closer to one by the window. βThey all real?β
βYeah. I name them sometimes.β
He raised an eyebrow, amused. βDo I get introduced?β
You smiled, trying to play it cool even though your pulse had completely betrayed you. βThat oneβs Steve.β
He paused.
ββ¦Of course it is.β
You both laughed, and the tension softened into something warmer, easier. Still, every time he moved, you felt it againβthat pull. Like the room tilted slightly in his direction.
You led him down the hall. βBathroomβs here. Itβs small butβfunctional.β
He nodded, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossing. You immediately regretted bringing him into such a narrow space. There was nowhere to look except at him.
Which was a problem.
A big one.
Because now you were noticing everything. The faint lines on his face, like stories he didnβt tell out loud. The way his jaw tightened when he was thinking. The subtle difference between his metal hand and his other oneβboth equally distracting for completely different reasons.
You cleared your throat. βBedroomβs the last stop.β
βLead the way.β
Your spare room was softer than the restβwarm lighting, a little cluttered, unmistakably you. He stepped inside slower this time, like he didnβt want to intrude.
βItβs nice,β he said quietly.
Something about his tone made your chest tighten.
You turned to face himβand that was your mistake.
Because now he was close. Not touching, but close enough that you could feel the space between you like static.
βBe honest,β you said, crossing your arms to give yourself something to do. βToo much?β
βNo.β
His answer came too quickly. Too certain.
You blinked. βNo?β
βNo,β he repeated, softer this time. His eyes flicked around the room again, then back to you. βFeels like someone lives here.β
Your heart did something stupid. Loud. Obvious.
βWell,β you said, attempting a joke to save yourself, βthatβs kind of the goal.β
He smiledβsmall, but real.
And suddenly, the whole situation shifted. It wasnβt just a tour anymore. It felt like the beginning of something you hadnβt planned for.
Like a song you didnβt realize you were already inside ofβsomething soft and flirty, a little bold, a little dangerous, like House Tour by Sabrina Carpenter playing somewhere just out of sight.
βRentβs reasonable,β he said, though his voice had gone quieter. βIf youβre still considering people.β
You tilted your head, studying him now the way heβd been studying your apartment.
βOh, Iβm considering,β you said.
His eyebrow lifted slightly.
You stepped a little closer, just enough to make it intentional.
βQuestion is,β you added, a small smile tugging at your lips, βare you a good roommate, Barnes?β
There was a pause. Just long enough to feel like a held breath.
βI try to be,β he said.
You glancedβbriefly, deliberatelyβat his arms again before meeting his eyes.
βGood,β you murmured. βBecause I think youβd fit in here.β
And maybeβjust maybeβyou werenβt talking about the apartment anymore.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
βFeel free to look around a bit more,β you said, grabbing your keys off the counter. βI just need to rescue my cat before she decides she lives on the fire escape permanently.β
Bucky Barnes glanced toward the window. βFire escape?β
βYeah,β you sighed, already halfway there. βShe sunbathes like she pays rent.β
He followed you, slower this time, hands in his pockets, eyes driftingβnot just around the apartment, but back to you. Constantly.
You pushed the window open, leaning out slightly. βAlpine!β you called. βGet back in here, you menace.β
Buckyβs voice came from just behind you. βAlpine?β
You turned your head just enough to catch the way his mouth twitched. βWhat?β
He shrugged. βThatβs my catβs name.β
You blinked. ββ¦Youβre kidding.β
βI wish I was that creative,β he said dryly.
You laughed, pulling yourself back inside as a small white cat finally deigned to stroll in like she owned the building. You scooped her up, pressing a quick kiss to her head.
βWell,β you said, holding her up slightly, βmeet the other Alpine.β
Bucky stepped closer, reaching outβhesitant at firstβuntil the cat leaned into his hand like sheβd already decided she liked him.
βGuess I pass the test,β he murmured.
βBarely,β you teased. βSheβs picky.β
βGood to know.β His fingers scratched gently behind the catβs ears, but his eyes flicked up to yours. βSoβ¦ am I allowed one too?β
You tilted your head. βA cat?β
βYeah,β he said, but there was something in his toneβsomething just a little too deliberate. βOr would that beβ¦ too much to handle in this space?β
Your lips curved despite yourself.
βI think I can manage,β you said. βIβve handled worse.β
His gaze droppedβjust for a secondβto your mouth, then back up again.
βHave you?β he asked quietly.
You shifted your weight, hugging Alpine a little closer than necessary. βDepends,β you said lightly. βAre we talking petsβ¦ or something else?β
That earned you a look. Not surprisedβinterested.
βGuess that depends on the rules of the apartment,β he said.
βOh, there are rules,β you replied, setting the cat down and stepping closer to him again. βI just havenβt decided if you qualify yet.β
βHarsh,β he muttered, though the corner of his mouth lifted.
βYouβll survive.β
βNot sure about that,β he said, glancing around the room again before settling back on you. βPlace like thisβ¦ could be dangerous.β
You folded your arms, raising an eyebrow. βDangerous?β
βYeah.β His voice dipped slightly. βEasy to get comfortable. Hard to leave.β
There it was againβthat shift. The air tightening, like the apartment suddenly felt smaller.
You took a step closer without thinking.
βWho says youβd have to leave?β
Silence.
Not awkward. Just⦠full.
His eyes searched yours, like he was trying to figure out if you meant it. Or maybe how much you meant it.
βRent better be worth it,β he said finally, softer now.
You smiled, just a little.
βOh, I think we could work something out.β
Behind you, Alpine jumped back onto the windowsill, completely uninterested in the tension sheβd just left behind.
Bucky glanced past you briefly, then back again.
βThink the cats will get along?β he asked.
You shrugged. βGuess thereβs only one way to find out.β
And somehow, you both knewβyou werenβt just talking about the cats anymore.
