pov- imagines

SNOW DAYS- B. BARNES

pairings: bucky barnes x reader

warnings: a lot of falling, embarrassment, this is a little old and short!!

about: based on lol

a/n:so i was going to post this like two weeks ago, but then i got caught up with requests and this week i decided that if i posted this any later it would be very weird to do so, so here it is!

bucky doesn't particularly like snow days.

he can remember back in the twenties when his face would split into a grin, rushing out the door while his ma yelled at him to put on something warmer to protect him from the cold, and in the beginnings of the thirties when he would stay inside with steve once he knew him, watching the white sheet cover the outside until steve's mother had wrapped her son in enough thick coats and mittens to overheat a bear so he could go outside with only half the worries they would have had otherwise. he had ended up with a cold anyway, and steve, even after he'd laid in his bed miserable and red-nosed, said it had been the best day of his life.

however, bucky can also remember the cold-induced numbness from cryo. he can catch glimpses of the harsh bite of the ice during missions in which the scientists and officers of hydra couldn't care less if bucky froze to death. those memories are enough for him to never enjoy the gentle snowflakes as they fall to the pavement.

but he had wanted the shitty dinner from the old diner he frequented nearly every day, just for a sense of comfort, even if the food was cold and less than good. at least this time while he was standing in the chill, it was by his own volition, bundled in a coat wanda had gifted him on his birthday. he had thanked her, deciding to not tell her his serum protected him from the cold. he was happy he didn't, because although she was kind, she wouldn't help a raise of her eyebrow when he realized he did, in fact, need a coat.

the crunch of the snow under his boots goes unnoticed by him as he crosses a frozen-over parking lot in order to get to the compound faster. he's silent, breaths coming out in white puffs, ignoring the clear-cut pathway to the compound that would take him more time to cross.

suddenly, his feet slip forward from under him, the slippery ice under his feet too smooth for his super-soldier self and boots that have protected him from worse.

he falls to the ground, grunting when his head hits the snow and then the ground underneath. his eyes are shut in embarrassment for a moment until he catches the sound of steps nearby. he realizes there's someone else on the sidewalk, having caught his fall and now rushing over to him to make sure he's okay.

"oh my god—" you begin frantically, moving fast to get to where he is when your own feet slip, and you come crashing down, too. "ow," you say, cheeks heating in embarrassment even through the cold.

"are you okay?" he asks you, pushing himself to sit and turning to you, watching as you laugh lightly, a small, embarrassed smile tugging at your cheeks.

"i should be asking you that," you respond, beginning to sit up as well. he's on his feet before you can even sit all the way, your feet sliding on the ice while he has no problem standing. he offers you a hand that you take, making a sound of surprise when he helps you up with ease, your hands suddenly on his chest from the speed. "thank you," you blurt in surprise, backing up and almost falling again until he settles his hands on your waist, steadying you.

"careful there," he advises quietly.

he can feel the the warmth of your gloved hands on his chest even through the layers, the color of your eyes shining from underneath your lashes, decorated with small snowflakes. "thank you," you repeat, blinking fast when you realize you've been staring at him for too long.

"'least i could do for the girl who fell for me," he tells you with an embarrassed smile, blinking awkwardly when he realizes how smooth it sounds. you laugh at him, tilting your head and surely thinking he did it on purpose. he finds he isn't too against you thinking that.

"maybe i could buy you a coffee or something," you offer. "you know, since the only reason i'm still standing right now is you." you give him a nervous smile, your eyes searching his.

your eyes glimmer when he agrees, beginning to walk towards the sidewalk again, both of you seemingly forgetting how slick the ground is at the moment and going down once again.

even if his knees hurt now, the crinkle at the edges of your eyes as you laugh with him makes him think that maybe the snow isn't as bad as he thought it was.