When Love Blooms || Bucky Barnes x OC

Chapter 1

Songs: Sucker; Dandelions

Veronica Rogers sat in her car on the curb in front of her dad's house, breathing slowly and purposefully as snow fell lightly, the end of a powerful storm she had just driven through. She was coming home for the holidays and although snow had been predicted, a near-blizzard hadn't been. She had white-knuckled the steering wheel half of the drive, barely seeing the hood of her car in front of her. By the time she was off the highways, the snow was slowing down to a light dusting, on top of the ten or so inches already deposited.

Taking a final deep breath, and sending a text to her best friend, Emma Mills, to let her know she was alive, Veronica turned the engine off and jumped out of the car, snow instantly falling into her boots. Shivering, she quickly grabbed her purse, backpack, and duffle bag, leaving her two tote bags for another trip, rather than risking falling.

She trudged through the snow and made her way up to the front door, pulling out her keys and opening it, crashing through in a flurry as she nearly dropped her duffle, it slipping off her shoulder. It was caught by a strong hand, hovering over her shoulder.

"Thanks Da- Oh, thanks Bucky," she corrected herself, seeing her dad's best friend, Bucky Barnes, holding her bag instead. He was dressed in a parka and snow shoes, thick gloves on his hands. Even so, she could feel her cheeks warming at the sight of his blue eyes and she blamed it on the heat from the house, rather than the stupid crush she had sworn was gone.

"I gotcha, lemme take this for ya," Bucky said, guiding it off her arm and hefting it onto his own large shoulder. Veronica was grateful for how bundled up he was because she flushed deeper and dropped her eyes as Bucky asked, "Need me to take anythin' else, Vee?"

"Nah, I got these, I just gotta get a couple others from the car," she replied, setting her bags down on the stairs and turning back towards the door. Bucky was standing in front of it, his hair tucked into his hood, blocking out the doorway.

"You want me to get 'em? I was gonna plow the drive before your dad got home, didn't know you'd be coming or I'd have done it sooner! I just can't find the damn key," Bucky explained, Veronica nodding and pointing behind her.

"Dad keeps literally all the keys together on hooks by the garage." She rolled her eyes as Bucky laughed, stepping towards her, bigger than she remembered, before stepping past her and heading down the hallway.

"Of course he does, it's Steve. Why don't you go on upstairs and get settled, I'll bring your bags in and get the driveway cleared." Bucky turned the corner, Veronica toeing off her boots and hanging up her coat. She stepped over the puddles that had formed and stood on the bottom stair, waiting for Bucky to come back.

When he walked by, he urged her upstairs. "Go on," he nodded, heading to the front door after another glance at Veronica. She didn't hesitate, grabbing her things and climbing the stairs to the second level and going to her old bedroom, looking exactly as she had left it, bed bare, desk empty, bookcases bursting. She sighed and set her backpack and pillow onto her desk, going to the closet for clean sheets.

The sound of the snowblower starting startled Veronica and she laughed at herself when she jumped, going to the window. She looked out and saw Bucky, bundled up and trudging down the driveway, pushing the machine before turning it around and going back up. She watched for a minute, the snow finally having stopped, leaving everything blanketed in white.

Veronica looked at the clock, seeing she still had a couple hours until her dad got home. She started making her bed, fighting to keep the corners on each side of the king bed, something her dad had insisted he splurge on for her. After trying for five minutes, she climbed on top of the mattress, getting her hands and feet in the corners and flopping down on the bed, laughing at her inability.