We'll Meet Again ~Pre-War!Cooper Howard X Reader~

XVIII

"Wooow, you sure know how to show a lady a grand time, Mr. Howard," I joked as he chuckled, he was pitching the tent at the campsite. "Why don't you go find us some wood?" he asked as I tried not to smile, "oh my...go," he said laughing as I giggled, I gathered some sticks and branches.  I walked back to the campsite and saw he had the tent pitched. "Nice work," I said as he saw the sticks, twigs, and small branches in my arms. "Same to you," he said as I set the wood down and dusted my hands off. "What next master outdoorsman Cooper?" I asked as he chuckled, "Now, we build a fire, we're by the lake so it'll get colder in the mornin' and at night. Don't wanna freeze do ya?" he asked as he placed some of the wood in the firepit we had made with large rocks. "You know how to light a firepit right?" he asked as I snorted and kneeled. "Do I know how to..." I scoffed as I pulled out some paper and my lighter. "Well, do you?" he asked as I looked at him, "yes I know how to light a fire Cooper," I said as he laughed, I lit my lighter and the flame blew went out, so I lit it again, the flame when out again, I lit it once more, that's when I heard the soft quick sound of someone blowing it out. I looked at Cooper, "you're fucking with me" I said as he laughed, "go ahead darlin'" he said as I turned from him and he chuckled, I lit the light, placed the paper over the flame, and then placed the flaming paper in the middle of the woodpile he had put in there. 

"All right, back up some," he said as I backed away, he walked over to his bag and got into it. "What are you doing?" I asked as he poured a little bit of clear liquid into a plastic cup. "Little trick I learned," he said as he tossed the cup into the firepit, this caused the flame to catch the wood a lot quicker because there was a brief moment where the flame grew large with a soft woosh, "Ta-da! Fire!" he said as I chuckled, "men and their fires" I shook my head as he chuckled, "what next?" I asked as he walked over and wrapped his arms around me, "now we enjoy our weekend" he smiled as I cocked my head, "you mean dragged me out here" I started exasperating in a playful way causing him to chuckle, "forced me, mind you..." I said as he started to nod a little, "oh, forced you huh?" he asked as I smiled and he grew a smile too, "yeah, you forced me to go out into the wild to find some sticks and shit..." I said as he laughed, "god" he shook his head laughing, "just so we could do nothing for the next two days? What kind of crazy person are you?" I asked laughing, "you're so silly" he whispered as he kissed me. "I wouldn't say we have nothing to do," he said as I arched an eyebrow, "oh? You got some stuff planned for us, Mr. Howard?" I asked as he smiled.

"Yeah, we can go hiking, swimming, I think I grabbed the fishin' poles," he said as I blinked and smiled as he continued to ramble about fishing and everything we could do while camping. "What?" he asked breaking me from my thoughts, "huh?" I asked still smiling, "you've been starring at me with a smile, so, what?" he asked as I smiled some more, "Just...you are probably the first person I've been with that doesn't start thinking with your dick," I said as he chuckled, "I mean, I just figured you'd like to do something else before we decide to test how comfy the blankets are..." he said as he lifted me, my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, "but if you'd rather, we can go ahead and get to it, we'd have to lay the blankets out first though" he said, "get to it...wow, way to make it sound like a chore" I joked as he chuckled, "you know I would never," he said as he set me down, "see, I was gonna wait until tonight, cause it'll be cold and I know you think I'm warm" he told me as I laughed, "you were gonna wait until I cuddled up to you before making a move?" I asked as he smiled, "exactly" he said as I giggled, "it was gonna be all romantic and shit" he added as I smiled, "then you'll just have to think of a way to make it even more romantic to surprise me..." I said as he chuckled. "All right, shall we go hikin' or something?" I asked as he chuckled, "if you wanna" he said as I smiled. 

~That night~

I sat in my chair with a book in my hands and a blanket draped across my legs. I was far enough from the fire that the blanket wouldn't catch. "Okay...blankets are laid out..." he said as he took his seat next to me and sighed. I smiled as I continued to read, "whatcha readin'?" he asked pulling out his cigarettes and lighting one. "Lord of the Rings," I told him as he looked at me, "which one?" he asked as I looked at the cover, "Fellowship of the Ring," I told him, "what chapter?" he asked again and I looked at him, "they just started talking about someone named Smeagol, or...", "Gollum, meaning you're on chapter 2, now...they talk about him a lot in that chapter, don't get annoyed and put it down, everything they talk about is important...it's lore," he said as I stared at him, "Janey like the Hobbit, it talks about how Bilbo got the ring, I used to read when I was in the Army, brought it home, read it to her and she loved everything about it." he explained, "Cooper Howard is a nerd" I joked as he chuckled, "I just like fantasy," he said as I nodded, "nerd," I said as he looked at me and smiled. "Just a bit, don't go tellin' my secrets," he said as I smiled, I leaned over and kissed him. "Guessin' you got that out of my study?" he asked as I turned the page and nodded. 

"I'm glad you like being in there, I'm glad you're feelin' comfortable at my home, I would hate if you weren't," he said as I smiled at him. "I don't know why I wouldn't," I said as he chuckled, after a few hours of silence, me reading, and him just enjoying being outside, I yawned. I closed the book and stretched. "I'm gonna head to bed, you coming?" I asked as he looked at me and smiled, he tossed the cigarette into the fire and got up. We removed our shoes, walked into the tent and I lay on the semi-soft ground. He sighed as he wrapped his arm around me and held me protectively.