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Just because he was called the Winter Soldier didn’t mean that he liked winter. Once upon a time when he was just a child, winter had its positives. Running through the streets trying not to slip. Christmas, snowball fights and tugging Rebecca and Steve on a sled. But over time it began to have more unpleasant associations. Steve’s illnesses flaring up and him braving the cold to fetch the doctor. The biting icy brutal storms that had him and his company shivering in their pathetic tents during the war. Finally, there was the final trauma, the freezing and unfreezing of his body again and again as Hydra used him as their killing machine.
No, he wasn’t a fan of winter.
Which was why moving down to Louisiana felt good for him. That state’s weather was the exact opposite of up north. Besides living in the pleasant town of Delacroix, there was the Wilsons. Sam was there, so were his nephews and now most importantly, Sarah.
Beautiful, bright, down-to-earth, she was the embodiment of a summer day, and he adored her. She showed him how to appreciate the simple pleasures in life once more. For her he’d try anything at least once.
“MOM!! UNCLE BUCKY!” AJ shouted excitedly. “There’s snow!!”
The boys ran wildly down the stairs and threw open the door to the rarest sight to have ever graced their young eyes. Before them was a winter wonderland of soft, white, powdery snow. Snow! In Louisiana!
“Boys don’t open the door like that, you’ll let all the cold air in.” Sarah protested, wrapping a robe over herself as she and Bucky took a more sedated pace. Still, she peeked out the window and grinned. “Now ain’t that a sight.”
Bucky bypassed the view and went about making the coffee. “It’s never snowed before?”
“We’ve had the occasional little flurries, but it’s very rare and melted quickly. This? Several inches? Never.” She glanced at her sons. “I suppose it’s a good thing school got cancelled today, huh?”
Cass and AJ’s eyes grew with excitement. “Yes! We’re playing outside, right??”
“Sure.” She grinned. “We just got to find the right clothes cuz a jacket and jeans are not going to do it today!”
They were enthused and quickly went up to throw on some clothes for their new adventure. Sarah grinned until she noticed her boyfriend’s blank expression. “Something wrong?”
He sighed and offered a faint smile. “No, I’m just working up to be as excited as the boys are to go out today.”
“Not fond of the cold?” She asked, taking the coffee offered.
“You could say that.” He shrugged. “Hydra kept me in their freezer until they needed me. It took a long time to shake the cold off my bones.”
Sarah could not even imagine it and after taking a sip, set her mug aside to give her beloved a warm hug. “I’m sorry.”
He gladly snuggled against her. “You did nothing wrong, nor have the boys, so I’m not about to dampen their enthusiasm over today. Just got to suck it up and bear it.”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want you, not even for my boys.” She assured him. “But I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
“I refuse to deny those boys anything that’s within my ability to.” He declared. “I adore them.”
She loved him for his honesty. “And they adore you. How about I join you guys out for a bit and then I’ll make us all a warm pot of chili with some honey butter cornbread and then some Mexican hot chocolate.”
“Mexican?”
“You’ve never had Mexican hot chocolate?”
He shrugged. “You’ve tried one, you’ve tried them all, right?”
“Oh baby, your Caucasian is showing.” Sarah clucked in disappointment. “I’m about to blow your poor white tastebuds clean out your mouth.”
“I doubt this hot chocolate can compete with what you’ve been offering me late at night.”
Her eyes smoldered before breaking into giggles. “Stop it. We don’t have time!”
“Excuses, excuses,” he teased. “Just wanting to keep,” he kissed one cheek, “your core body temperature,” he kissed the other, “nice and toasty.” He gave her bottom a good squeeze.
She gasped, ready to retaliate when the boys called out from the stairs…
“Mom is this okay to wear???”
“Uncle Bucky are you getting ready!?!”
“He’s coming right up!” Their mother replied before giving her boyfriend a firm, strong slap on his ass. “Come on, get dressed, the boys are waiting!”
Bucky glared but smiled before obeying her command.
Soon they were all out on the snowy lawn with the boys whooping and yelling, running around enjoying it.
“Do we have anything like a sled, Mom?” Cass asked.
“Hmm,” Sarah mused before she mused. “We do have the pool inflatables, but I suppose you’d have to drag each other around. Can’t think of a hill you two could climb and slide down.”
“Uncle Bucky can you pulls us if we attach it to your bike??” AJ asked.
Their mother’s eyes widen, “No, you three are NOT attaching nothing to that bike!”
Bucky threw his hands up. “I wasn’t going to consider it.” Even though he kind of was. “I can still pull you two if you want.”
“You can do that??”
Cass rolled his eyes and nudged his brother. “He can flip a car, bro!”
“Oh! Right!”
Upon finding some old car tires and rope, Bucky soon found himself dragging the boys effortlessly through the powdery driveway. Sarah watched with laughter and a small tinge of concern as her boyfriend smoothly drifted and slid them over the wide lawn, successfully weaving through the trees.
Their laugh and giggles sounded like music to Bucky’s ears and the cold temperatures played second to their merriment. Effortlessly, Cass and AJ distracted him from the bad thoughts as they urged him to join in their merriment. After sledding, they asked for a snowball fight, where he gallantly teamed up with Sarah as the boys positioned themselves by the picnic table and threw their powdery weapons. Their mother, a former softball player, had a powerful throw, which impressed even Bucky. Still, they had their impressive, unending energy and at one point managed to pelt her backside.
Skillfully, he pulled her behind a tree, threw a snowball that clocked Cass right atop of his head, knocking his glasses off.
“Man down!” AJ called. “Time out! We’re looking for his glasses!”
Sarah wanted to go help but found herself enfolded in Bucky’s arms. His eyes were an icy, almost laser blue that sparkled with happiness, his lips red and his cheeks pink. Unable to resist, she kissed him.
Not one to ever turn down her affection, he gladly kissed back, letting it linger until he got a sweet little sigh out of her. “Warm?”
“Very.” She agreed and gazed at him, admiring. “How you feel?”
“Good. You guys have a way of pushing the bad memories away.” He admitted, pressing his forehead against hers.
She stroked his face. “…Don’t worry, about a thing, cause everything little thing, is gonna be alright...” She sang to him.
His heart ached with her sweetness, loving when she sang for him, and he squeezed her tight.
“Time in!” They were suddenly pelted with snowballs. The boys had snuck around them and attacked without mercy. Bucky took the brunt of it on his back while Sarah yelped and took off.
Eventually, once he got ahold of each boy and swung them around until they begged forgiveness, they decided to wind down the games by building a snowman. It took some time, as they didn’t have that much untrampled snow but with the help of a shovel they got enough to build a decent fella.
Sarah had decided to leave them to it while she went to the kitchen to begin lunch. The scent of chili and cornbread eventually filled the house and by the time she was beginning to work on the hot chocolate their noses and rumbling bellies led them back inside. They sent the boys to wash up while Bucky helped set the table. Once everyone was comfortable, they settled down to a hearty meal that warmed them all the way down to their toes.
Mexican hot chocolate made with warm milk and stirred until thick and creamy was almost too decadent. Cass and AJ drank theirs down with childish greed and were yawning heavily afterward.
Sarah usually had them clean the kitchen but urged them to take a nap and they didn’t protest as they dragged themselves to their rooms.
Noticing Bucky still lingering over his drink she asked, “So, is this hot chocolate just like the others?”
He licked his lips, savoring it. “I stand corrected. You’re right as usual.”
“You should know by now that I’m always right.” She grinned. “Now help me clean up.”
Turning towards the sink, she didn’t expect Bucky to suddenly sweep her off her feet. “Bucky!”
“We deserve a nap too.” He decided, as he began to carry her to their room.
“But the kitchen!” She protested.
“We’ll clean it later.”
“But…”
He stopped at the top of the stairs, his face soft and gentle, “It’s a snow day. A good day.” He kissed her briefly. “Let me cuddle you.”
Well hell, how was she going to say no when he looked at her like that? “Fine, you win, but you’re scrubbing my chili pot, ya hear?”
“Yes Ma’am.” Bucky winked before carrying her to their room and shutting the door behind them with a foot.