December 12. "i slipped on ice outside your house and you ran out barefoot to help me quick let's get inside under a blanket"
Bucky was having a great day. It was Friday and all his classes were canceled because of snow and so he had the day free to work on a presentation that had been due today that he hadn't even started on yet. He was currently trudging his way across town through the ice to Natasha's house to beg her help on his presentation. For most of the way, he had been fairly sure-footed, stumbling and slipping in places, but never falling; but of course, his luck ran out.
He was passing in front of a group of small houses when it happened. He slipped on a thick patch of ice-that he could have sworn wasn't there a minute ago-adn fell straight on his back. His computer bag flew from his hands as he slipped and his head bounced off of the sidewalk so hard that he was seeing stars.
For a few seconds he just lay there in defeat as the ice seeped through his clothes until he heard the slap of feet on the ground coming towards him. He turned his head enough to see a pair of bare feet running towards him from one of the houses. When the owner of the feet reached him, a small man with a halo of wild blond hair and soft blue eyes knelt by his side.
"Are you okay?" The man asked with a slight wheeze to his voice. "I saw you fall and it looked nasty. Can you sit up? Are you bleeding? Do you know your name? what day is it? Crap, should I have called an ambulance?"
Bucky shoved his hand over the man's mouth. "I'm fine." he growled out. "I'm just a little dazed and a lot embarrassed." Bucky sat up and felt the back of his head for blood. All there was in his hair was muddy snowy sludge. "Ew. This is gross."
The blonde who had helped him had started shivering and Bucky gave him a once over. He was barefoot like Bucky originally observed, but now that Bucky got a real look at him, he realized that he was dressed only in a thin t-shirt and boxers.
"Oh shit." Bucky said. "You must be freezing! Let's get you back inside."
The blond nodded. "Okay, but only is you agree to dry off too." He said with chattering teeth.
Bucky stood up and held out a hand to the blond. "I'm Bucky."
"Steve."
After their brief introductions, they hurried up to Steve's house and inside the door.
"Would you like some coffee or tea or something?" Steve asked as he grabbed a towel from the bathroom and threw it to Bucky.
"Tea would be great." Bucky said as he dried himself off as best as he could. He dropped his coat in a heap by the door and stripped off his shirt so that he could let it dry while he warmed up and started towel drying his hair.
He heard a small sound behind him and he turned to find Steve staring at his chest with his mouth slightly open. Bucky felt his cheeks warm as he cleared his throat and Steve jerked his eyes up to Bucky's face with a blush creeping across his face and down his neck.
After a brief awkward silence, Bucky spoke. "I hope this is okay." He said with an a jerky gesture to his chest. "I was-um, I wanted my shirt to dry a little bit."
"No, you are fine." Steve said.
There was another silence that was broken by the whistle of Steve's teapot.
"Oh, thank God." Steve whispered before hurrying from the room to make the tea. Meanwhile, Bucky just stood in the living room looking around until Steve returned with two steaming mugs of tea.
He set them on the small coffee table in the middle of the room before gesturing to the couch. "Go ahead and sit of you'd like." He said.
Bucky sat and grabbed a mug while Steve snagged the blanket that was laid over one of the chairs and sat beside Bucky. "If you want any blanket we will have to share. For some reason I only own the one."
They scooted closer until they were pressed against each other and drank their tea making conversation. They sat on Steve's couch sharing a blanket for hours just talking and getting to know each other.
While they were talking, Bucky couldn't help but notice the little glances Steve shot down to his lips every few minutes and after talking for as long as they had, Bucky decided to do something about it.
The next time there was a lull in conversation, he grabbed Steve by the face and leaned in until their lips were nearly touching. "If you don't want want this, tell me and I will back off, but I couldn't help but notice you looking." Bucky whispered.
Steve's answer was to close the distance between them and press their lips together.
When they pulled bak, they were both smiling.
"And to think, I could be at Natasha's right now working on my presentation." He said before his eyes widened. "Shit! My computer!" He shouted, jumping up from the couch and heading for the door.
Steve giggled as Bucky ran shirtless outside and got up to make him another cup of tea.
Part of a 25 part Christmas AU series.