Chapter Text
Steve was never an extremely popular guy, he got sick easily and his asthma prevented him from doing any sports so he never really had a good opportunity to make any friends. So becoming friends with Bucky was definitely one of the best things that has ever happened to him, even if he never had any experience playing with others before. His health had improved over the years, and he had been slowly gaining muscles but his mother being a nurse was always very cautious with him not wanting to aggravate any old problems. Steve got into enough trouble on his own, he didn’t want to worry her anymore than usual.
His mother was so surprised to learn he was going out with a friend and so obviously thrilled (making Steve feel a little guilty making her worry so much) she just made him promise to be careful and told him to have fun. Seeing him off with a bright smile.
Bucky had been so excited to play Steve felt bad telling him about taking it easy, but the last thing he wanted to do was pass out on his first real friend. Bucky seemed to waver for a moment then brightened again and just replied that they could find something easy to do.
Both were tentative with their friendship, not wanting to drive the other off. Steve having had no real friend before and Bucky’s first time having someone who could see him and talk to him who wasn’t another spirit.
According to Bucky every spirit had their own jobs or business to look after and even though he had other friends they tended to always be busy or in a frantic state, so he was usually tried to stay out of their way.
Bucky, Steve knew, was being very cautious in what games Steve could play because of his health condition, not wanting him to push himself. Building snowmen was easy and was definitely something Steve could do with his circumstances, but not something you would consider fun after the eighth snowman especially when your frost sprit friend could easily conjure up a snowman with just a few gestures with his hands. Don’t get him wrong, it is amazing and magical, and can be exceedingly dull after a while.
Steve half-heartedly stuck another stick into the body of an expertly made snowman and tried not to sigh, he chanced a glance over at Bucky to see him viciously stab his snowman in the face with a pebble with an air of frustration until he noticed Steve looking at him and got a sheepish look. They both looked around themselves surrounded by snowmen and started cracking up with laughter.
“Think we made enough?” Steve asked teasingly when he was able to breath again.
Bucky’s face pulled an over contemplative look as he made a show of looking around their small army, hand stroking his chin in an exaggerated manner
“Well it is very heard to say,” he said in a serious tone. “A wise man once said you could never have too many snowy men.”
Steve snorted, “Wise man was mistaken”.
They both snickered and Steve immediately relaxed, smiling at the frost spirit as Bucky looked thoughtfully at the snow around them with a slow grin.
“You know, we could go sledding or something, you could just sit back and I can do all the heavy lifting”. He said eyes playful as he takes a casual step towards Steve making him have to look up to keep eye contact. “Especially since you’re so small, it wouldn’t be much trouble.” There was a slight pause “If you think you can handle it”.
Steve’s eyes narrowed “You think I can’t handle sledding?” he said huffing a little as he tried to broaden his shoulders to seem bigger than he was. True, he had never gone sledding before and he had a feeling Bucky knew that, but he has seen other people do it, couldn’t be that hard right?
Bucky’s eyes widened in what could have been considered innocent, if his smile hadn’t taken a mischievous air to it.
“No not at all, and I will be with you every step of the way,” he cooed as he swirled some snow absently with a lazy hand, eyes focused on Steve.
Steve twitched a little, a tick started forming in his jaw, something bubbling in the pit of his stomach as he glared. Steve knew a challenge when he heard one, and Steve normally was never one to back down from a challenge, but he had promised to take it easy. But really how hard was sledding? Steve glanced around, there were plenty of small hills around here that they could have fun on. Not a problem really.
“Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself after all,” Bucky continued lazily, eyes still focused on Steve, with an over-exaggerated shrug “I doubt I would hardly have to lift a finger anyway, if things get out of hand,” Bucky formed a little ice crystal in the center of his hand looking around them as well “Can’t really get hurt on these bunny slopes anyway. What’s the harm?”
Steve was being baited, he knew he was being baited as he glared at Bucky. He suddenly had the urge to do something, anything to get that smile off his face.
“Unless,” Bucky paused and smiled at him innocently “you can’t handle it?”
Something snapped. He wasn’t sure what his face looked like but Bucky seemed to freeze for a second his smile wavering just for a second, a surprised and then a nervous look suddenly forming on his face.
Challenge accepted jerk
A vicious grin grew on Steve’s face eyes determined, as Bucky’s face grew alarmed.
“Actually,” Steve said with a calm and steady voice, that for some reason only seemed to alarm Bucky more, the snow frozen in place all around them. “I have a better plan.”
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Bucky and Steve stood at the top of a small mountain, it had taken a while to climb and Steve’s breath had gotten ragged at one point, but his determination to make it to the top forced his body onward. When he had made it he had felt better than he had in years.
Bucky on the other hand, had taken a slightly more white color to his face as he stood with him on the top of the mountain. (And really it was just a bigger sized hill if you thought about it.)
Steve let out a breathless laugh as he looked down, Bucky’s head snapped towards him eyes wide. He then let out a nervous laugh running his hands through his hair.
“Wow that was a good hike.” His voice was a little higher than usual and his eyes kept darting between Steve and the downward slope that had a few trees and rocks in the way before you could hit the bottom. “Really I feel better about this fun little outing, we accomplished a lot and I for one, am heading back down this mountain.”
“Chill Buck its just a hill” Steve drawled, casually leaning over the top, Bucky cursed and jerked towards him as if he wanted to grab Steve and pull him back to his side but restrained himself at the last second.
Steve hid a grin and pretended he didn’t see him. “Its not like its far down anyway, and what was it that you said?” Steve’s face scrunched up as if he were thinking, “You will hardly have to lift a finger, on account of I am so small, what’s the harm?” Steve grinned brightly at him turning to face him fully with an expectant look.
Bucky twitched again looking back over the side, then grinned weakly at him “It’s a shame, I would have loved to do this fun not at all life threatening adventure with you but we seem to have forgotten your sled, and last I heard humans still needed sleds to go sledding”.
Steve smiled benevolently at him, Bucky got another look of horror on his face.
“See that’s the thing,” Steve said stepping closer to Bucky. “We don’t need a sled, waste of money, especially when we have a frost spirit whose specialty is making ice.” Bucky’s face grew alarmed again, “from what I hear, over twenty different types of ice.”
“No.” Bucky said crossing his arms over his chest, “Steve have you ever even gone sledding before?”
“Of course I have gone sledding before,” Steve said incredulously looking up at Bucky with wide eyes. And that was kind of true, his mom use to take him around in a wagon. Same thing.
Bucky snorted disbelieving looking back towards the bottom looking uneasy.
“C’mon Bucky!” Steve said clapping his arm then he paused, “unless” he said feeling Bucky tense again under his hand. He turned to look him fully in the eye “You can’t make a single measly block of ice?”
Bucky twitched, face contorting into a frown his eyes still conflicted
Steve sighed gently patting his arm, “Its fine, just forget it”. Bucky looked hesitant but relieved as Steve turned back towards the way they came. Until he heard Steve mumble “I bet Jack could do it”.
Bucky’s eyes narrowed.
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“Ready?” A determined look on Bucky’s face as both he and Steve braced themselves on the top of the mountain. They were both sitting on a large solid piece of ice, Steve’s heart thrumming with anticipation, grinning from ear to ear.
“Ready!” He chirped back, gloved fingers clutching the edges of the block, excitement mounting.
“Its not to late to-“
“”GO!” Steve yelled leaning forward. Bucky yelled as they slid forward and rapidly down the side of the mountain.
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Birds from the distance could hear crackling and yells’ disturbing what was usually a quiet part of their city.
“Oh My- tree, tree, Steve TREE! VEER LEFT! GO LEFT!”
More whoops and bright, cheerful laughter,
“Your INSANE!”
“Help Me Steer!”
“WHAT DO YOU THINK IV’E BEEN DOING? WHY DO YOU THINK WE HAVEN’T CRASHED YET!”
“We’re doing great!
“You have NEVER gone sledding Before!”
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Steve and Bucky were at the bottom of the hill (and Steve is going to maintain that it is just a large hill for the rest of his life) panting, breathless, they both turned to each other with wide eyes; the only sounds are their labored breaths. Than they both collapsed into a fit of giggles, leaning into each other laughing loud and free into the cold air.
“That was insane!” Bucky said smiling wide as he looked back at the conquered mountain (Bucky would forever maintain for the rest of his life it was a mountain) slinging an arm over Steve as he leaned back giving out another breathless laugh.
“That was so much fun,” Steve said quietly looking at the giant battered block of ice, “I can’t believe we did that.”
Bucky let out another huff relaxing fully on the ice in perfect ease. “I can’t believe you lived.”
Steve turned back and grinned down at him
“Lets go again.”
“What.”
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Sara was surprised to see her son come back home late in the night, clothes wet and muddy and with a few bruises that she knew wasn’t there before. She opened her mouth just to close it again, Steve was beaming, absolutely beaming his whole body vibrating with suppressed energy that she was not used to seeing from her usually more tired and fragile son. When he saw her he, if possible, smiled even wider and immediately started telling her about his day. His crazy snow filled day that he spent with his new friend Bucky Barnes.