The Winter Cowboy || Bucky x Reader

Chapter 11

Note before reading:

Aaaand- another trigger warning if you are not into smut. ONLY four chapters left to go. I am so not ready to say goodbye to this story. Consider subscribing to my profile to catch the new Bucky story I have been working on for a couple of weeks now.

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You looked fondly at the cabin you had spent many a night in when you were younger. The sign saying 'Alpine' rested somewhat crookedly above the door as you remembered your father messing around while you had sat on his shoulders to hammer the sign on. Liking the strangeness of it, you had both decided to keep it crooked.

"Come on," you smiled as you walked ahead of Bucky and unlocked the small wooden door. It was dark and musty inside as it hadn't been used frequently in a while. You fumbled around for the flashlight and eventually made your way around towards the fireplace. Your family hadn't bothered with electricity, as the cabin was extremely high up on the mountain, and only installed an off-the-grid pump to gather water from the river for the kitchen.

As soon as you managed to light the fireplace, the room became flooded in a warm glow. The cabin was quite small; the entire bottom floor was an open plan with a small kitchenette, sitting area and dining table. The upstairs loft level was completely open and hosted a large queen sized bed from which you were able to look down onto the lower level. At night, the remaining heat from the fireplace would gloriously travel up to the top of the cabin and heat you all through the night.

"This is great," Bucky commented as he put his backpack down and walked around to explore the cabin. You kind of liked the way the warm light of the fire coloured his skin.

"Yeah. Bit off-the-grid, without electricity and such. But I like the simplicity of it," you explained as you started opening cupboards to locate candles and clean bedsheets. When Bucky opened one of the cupboards he pulled out a pack of fireworks with a frown. You couldn't help but laugh a little at the confused look on his face.

"Are we having a party?"

"No we are not sergeant," you chuckled. "-those arrows are used for lost hikers in wintertime. If they find this cabin they can light one and help will come," you explained.

"Why are they blue?" Bucky frowned as he checked out the fuse like he was checking out a new gun and estimating the damage it could cause.

"There's not that many cabins on this mountain. So each cabin has their own colour."

Bucky nodded with raised eyebrows, seeming quite impressed with the ingenuity of it all.

It took the two of you half an hour to unpack your bags and restock the cabinets with all the emergency supplies you had brought. It was important each cabin was stocked with first aid supplies and emergency rations in case a lost hiker would ever come across the cabin in need of shelter and sustenance.

After you had laughed extensively at the military precision with which Bucky had made the bed and organized his clothes, you plopped down on the couch with your favourite book in your hand; Les Misérables. Your copy was worn, battered and contained countless notes and tabs for your favourite parts. Bucky chuckled as he saw the state of it.

"That book is heavy enough to knock someone out," he commented as his steel blue eyes were focussed on your eyes, not the book. You laughed.

"It's nickname is The Brick," you commented with a smirk as you played with the worn cover, holding it up. You never really bothered to keep this copy in great condition as books like these were simply made to carry the wear and tear marks of a well-loved story.