Characters: reader, Kurt (Steve), Jana (oc), Brent (oc).

Summary: The moment he walked into your Wintery, small town, you knew there was something different about him. Little did you know that the man you began to fall for wasn't who he appeared to be. On an unexpected, snowy night, the truth comes out and everything changes. Can one night alter the course of your entire life? [Canon]

Warnings: Mentions of drinking, that's it I think.

Word Count: 2.1k

A/N: Aah! I'm so excited to share this new series with you! I know, it will seem a little mysterious at first, but trust me, it'll all be explained as we read on. I hope you like this and I'd love to hear what you think! You're all lovely and I adore you.<3

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March 2014

Barren tundra. Frigid wasteland. Isolating Hell-frozen-over. Uninhabitable nightmare. These were the most accurate ways to describe your current location, which was a small logging town in the mountains of North America. Although you spent a good portion of your life growing up here, you never claimed it as home and despite having returned two months previous, you still felt no true affection for the place.

Returning to your "hometown" had been a difficult decision, but in the end it was for the best. Job options had run dry and your father offered you an opportunity. Telling yourself it was only short-term helped ease the sting, although you still didn't exactly have a solid exit plan. Be here now, you told yourself. Do the work, save money, bide your time, and maybe even salvage some sort of relationship with your estranged father. That's as far as you let yourself think into the future.

The town primarily existed because of your father's company, so the residents were almost exclusively employees and their families, if they had them. You were one of the few single females in town so the result was dozens of burly, overly-macho, hairy, and often intoxicated men hitting on you on a regular basis. Some of the older men watched you grow up, so they kept an eye on you now that you were back in town. Not that you couldn't take care of yourself, but the North can be an isolating place. Never hurts for someone to have your back.

The days became monotonous, though. There wasn't much to do in town and you would have to travel at least an hour to ski or shop beyond groceries. You also rarely felt inspired to hang out in random bars with your co-workers. The cold kept everyone inside during the winter months so for you, if you weren't working, you were at home snuggled in front of the fire with a book or movie and a glass of wine.

Once in a great while, the only female friend you had would coerce you into going out for a drink, such as that particular night that was now permanently etched in your mind. Wearing at least three layers of clothing on every part of your body, you were still somehow freezing for the few minutes you lingered outside before your friend appeared.

That was when he came into view, walking with a large duffle bag slung over his shoulder and a look of determination in his eye. You knew everyone in town, so he was definitely a stranger and an attractive one at that. A dark knitted hat was pulled down low over his head with the scruffy beginnings of a beard speckling his chiseled chin. He strode down the main street running through town, wide shoulders and fit physique apparent even under multiple layers of bulky clothing.

Pausing for a moment, you watched from a distance as he took a slow turn. He seemed to be familiarizing himself with the area, shifting his huge bag from one shoulder to the other as if it weighed nothing. He took a deep breath of frigid air, steeling himself, before he walked onward toward the boarding house across the way and disappeared inside.

You exhaled a breath you didn't even know you'd been holding as the icy cloud hung in the air before you.

"Y/N. Y/N," Jana spoke to gain your attention with a snap of her fingers in front your face.

You turned her way and offered a smile. "Hey! Sorry, I...zoned out for a bit. What was keeping you?"

"Couldn't get the little one to sleep, she kept asking for more bedtimes stories and Brent was already asleep on the couch so he was no help. Finally had to wake him before I left telling him to mind the baby monitor," your dear friend declared with a frustrated huff before perking back up with a grin. "But let's not talk about that now, I don't get many nights out so let's get inside and out of the cold! I need a drink."

You laughed at that and followed her inside, squeezing past the throngs of people as the appearance of the stranger was pushed from your mind.

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Two weeks later, you sat at your desk squinting at the outdated computer program that was frozen on your screen. One of the biggest grievances you had was this stupid computer that often failed to boot up and barely functioned when it did. It was time to push your father once again for an upgrade. Pounding on the keyboard one last time, you gave up and turned your focus to the paper files on your desk.

Your job description at Snow Peaks Lumber was always fluctuating as you took on many different tasks that your father couldn't deal with or just didn't want to. Mostly involving personnel and other human resources-related projects, you were responsible for updating employee files, health benefits, and company safety. It became tedious to be stuck behind a desk, but better than being out in the cold cutting down trees. You'd leave that to the professionals.

There was a knock at the trailer where you worked, which was located near the current job site for convenience. You vocally beckoned for them to enter, preparing yourself for the frigid gust of wind that blew in as someone climbed the steps and shut the door behind them. The two space heaters under your desk mostly kept the chill away, but you still wore several layers and even gloves on occasion.

Pulling a knit hat from his head, the man shook snow from his jacket before taking the few steps toward your desk with something in his hands.

"Ms. Y/L/N? Sorry to bother you, but Darryl said I should come see you about this," he said as you stood up from your desk.

"Please, Y/N is just fine Mister...." you began, extending a hand.

"Sanders. Kurt Sanders. Nice to meet you, ma'am. I mean, Y/N," he corrected himself nervously.

Finally seeing him up close, you recognized Kurt as the stranger you saw that night. By now his beard had grown in but he kept it neatly trimmed, unlike many of the other disheveled men in town. His whiskers matched the dark blond shade of his medium-length hair with a few strands wandering down to his forehead. What you hadn't seen from a distance that night was how brilliantly blue his eyes were and suddenly you were captivated, grasping his hand a moment too long before breaking from your stupor.

"Uh...Nice to meet you as well, Kurt. I saw your file come across my desk but I hadn't met you in person. Good to put a face to the name, although...you don't strike me as a Kurt. Probably a strange thing to say, but..." you admitted as you took a seat and gestured for him to do the same.

He waited a beat and then barked out a laugh. "No offense taken," he replied with a warm smile.

You held his gaze a moment, then glancing down at the file on your desk. "So, how are you liking it here so far?" you asked as he pulled the zipper down halfway on his down coat, making you a little warm yourself. He must be sweltering in all those layers inside your heated trailer. "You've made quite the impression on the boss already, it seems. He's starting to count on you more every day."

He shrugged with a smile. "I like to make myself useful. And I enjoy the work, you know, being outside and staying active. All that. The fellas are great, too. Can't complain," he confessed, running one hand through his hair as something jangled in his other.

"So, what happened there?" you asked, nodding to the harness in Kurt's hand.

"Oh, um...safety harness broke earlier. Thought I'd let you know and get a replacement," he answered, handing the contraption over as you set it on your desk to examine it.

"Wow," you uttered, turning the harness every which way, perplexed. "This strap is practically ripped in half. I researched and bought these myself, I know what they can withstand and it shouldn't break like this," you said with concern. "How did it happen?" you asked, turning back toward the man before you.

He reached up to scratch the back of his head. "Um...I'm not sure, I guess it got caught on something. Luckily I wasn't up too high," he said, pursing his lips.

"Hmm." You considered the broken strap a minute longer before standing from your desk and opening the closet door. Plucking a replacement from a hook, you walked back and handed it to Kurt. "This one is brand new, so hopefully it lasts a while. I'll have to contact the manufacturer and find out why that one gave out so soon. Can't have you men strapped to a tree 50 feet in the air in faulty harnesses," you said with a reassuring smile, which he returned.

"No, we can't have that. Safety first," he said with a wink, causing a small flip of your stomach.

"Exactly," you uttered with a hitch in your voice, attempting to remain calm.

He maintained eye contact a moment longer before standing and pulling his hat on. "Well, I better get back to work. Thank you, Ms...Y/N," he said with a nod and then he was gone, leaving you barely breathing.

Later that night, you collapsed on your couch with a glass of wine in hand, determined to forget the small moment you had with Kurt earlier. There was no way you could get involved with someone in town. You didn't need anything tying you here, even if he was tall, blond, and gorgeous. Besides, it was probably a momentary infatuation. He just happened to be the first new guy in town in a long time so he was bound to catch your eye, nothing more. So you let it go.

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A few days later, you found yourself at the bar seated at a table once again with your friend Jana, but this time the gathering was your idea. Try as you might to forget The New Guy, he somehow lingered in your mind so you thought getting out of the house could effectively distract you.

Jana was talking about her upcoming trip to see her in-laws and how perilous traveling with a baby was when you spotted him across the crowded bar. Of course your plan would backfire and he would show up. Kurt was accompanied by a few of the guys from work whom you recognized. The blond then caught your eye and raised his drink at you in greeting with a smile, which you returned.

Your friend followed your gaze and let out a low whistle as the man broke eye contact and returned to his colleagues. "Ooh. Who's that handsome hunk of plaid-wrapped muscle?" she asked, intrigued.

"Jana!"

She laughed. "What? Brent doesn't care. I can still appreciate a beautiful man from afar. So?" she asked again, waiting.

You deflected with a shrug. "It's um...he's no one, just a new employee. He came in to see me a few days ago. It's nothing."

Jana nudged you then, sly smile upon her lips. "Uh huh. Sure didn't look like nothing. You should send him a drink or some...oh, hold on," she paused when her ringtone sounded and she searched for her phone to answer.

As you barely heard the one-sided phone conversation, you snuck covert glances back at Kurt, who had his back to you now. He wore a plaid button-up with the sleeves rolled to the elbow and jeans hugging his thighs and butt just right. Running a hand through his butterscotch locks, he threw his head back in laughter with a wide smile upon his handsome, bearded face. You were transfixed.

"I'm sorry, I have to go, YN. The baby is running a fever," you heard Jana say and you finally realized she was speaking to you. "And I was selfishly dominating the conversation, so rude. There was something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's fine. Go, take care of your little angel. We'll talk another time," you assured her with a dismissive wave.

"You sure? Alright. Call me later," she replied with a hug before donning her coat and heading out the door.

You thought about leaving, too, but figured you might as well finish your drink. You took a sip and turned your glass this way and that, the liquid swirling and catching the light. A shadow fell upon your table then, causing you to look up only to find the smiling, bearded face of your unbidden crush.

Oh boy. 

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Part 2 Coming Soon....

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So???? Any questions or theories so far? I've had this story living in my head for months so it's strange to share it with others, but I'm excited. :D Yes, I know it's a little odd with Steve being called "Kurt" but trust me, it'll be fun when everything is explained. I hope. ;) Any and all feedback is appreciated! Thank you all so much for your interest and support! I love you guys. <3