Gold Rings ⚜️ Bucky Barnes X Reader

13: Cook With Me

The walk to Songbird's home was long but easy to walk. The trail had been well worn into the nearby tall grasses by the feet of a thousand men and slid slightly under your feet due to the loose, sandy soil. The trail followed along the tree line of the nearby forest with the tinkling of the river just barely able to break past the rustling of the canopy.

The trees provided a nice shade for much of the walk, but as the sun began to set the shade grew weaker and weaker until the sun no longer shined above the canopy, casting Bucky's shadow along the path in front of him.

Seeing the elongated version of himself shuffle with a walking stick in one hand and no arm on the other side would bring most a sense of dismay, but Bucky smiled at his shadow. Knowing he was physically free of the Hydra tech that defined him for years brought him a joy that was as difficult to define as it was to contain.

After 20 minutes of indulging in Africa's bliss, he walked up a slight incline that slowly snaked it's way up the hillside, snaking back and forth like a river in a desert before curving over the horizon.

Once Bucky climbed the hill, he could see in the valley below a line of smoke trailing up from Songbird's simplistic chimney, waving in the wind as if it was asking for Bucky to come in and take a seat. He obliged to the whims of the smoke, descending into the valley until he was mere moments from knocking on Songbird's door.

As he approached, he could hear a displaced slight whistling sound. He stopped, curious for the source and turning towards the tree line to watch for a bird in the trees. It took a moment to realize the lovely melody was coming from inside the house, though it mimicked the songs of nature with an eerie similarity.

He paused for a moment, taking in the sweetness of the song. Instead of singing any traditional tunes, she chirped as the birds do. The unique sound looped endlessly between his ears, swaying back and forth from ear to ear as if the melody itself was rocking him to sleep.

Then suddenly, it stopped.

The next thing he heard was words, and though they were muffled by the walls of the house, he was able to hear it well enough.

"Why are you just standing there?"

Confused on how she could see him, he hurriedly glanced around trying to determine the source of the noise only to notice a nearby window that was cracked open less than a hand's width. The incoming breeze caused curtains to sway, revealing his shadow to her across the house.

"Oh! Uh, sorry, I... Well, I was..." He stammered, but just as his excuse began to form on his lips, she cut him off with the shaking of her head.

"Just come inside already, ya Cienias."

He did not notice the smirk that escaped his lips as he opened the door, making his way into the kitchen.

"Cienias?"

"It's polish."

"What does it mean?"

She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the cast iron pan in front of her. "You'll have to learn that on your own."

He rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms, leaning against the countertop and facing her. "Could you cut me some slack? I speak five languages, you could at least translate one for me?"

"Oh wow!" She smirked sarcastically, turning towards him and waving a wooden spatula in his face. "Lookout world for Mister five languages! If you're really learned that much, you can learn a sixth just fine."

Really, he thought to himself? She knew the Hydra program just as well as he did, and she was going to mock his training? Not on his watch. She was about to get a linguistics lesson.