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The phone rang three times before Sam answered with a mouthful of mei fun, lying on a bed in a cheap motel.
Sometimes during Bucky’s calls with Steve, Sam would pop in the background and his eyes would light up. Immediately, the play would begin: Bucky would call out some dig at Sam and he’d respond with something equally biting but better worded, then he’d leave.
Later, when night fell, Bucky would call again, just for Sam, and he’d always answer. Speaking to Sam was comforting. Steve was comforting, too, but Sam was different . Sam wasn’t easy, but he was easy to love. Their relationship became something different sooner than he’d expected.
Bucky and Sam had love in their eyes every morning after speaking to each other. It was the sort of love that seemed to raise them both from tiredness and sadness. Their situations weren’t perfect, but this one thing seemed to be working out better than fine.
Sam scooped more noodles into his mouth and held back a laugh at some awful joke that only worked because Bucky was the one who told it. Bucky propped his head up on his hand and watched him eat for a moment before deciding it’d reached creepy territory. “Is that pork?”
“Beef.”
Bucky laughed. “Is it a secret? Why’s your voice so low, Wilson?”
Sam swallowed and pointed to the side of the motel room that Bucky couldn’t see. “Steve’s taking a nap so unfortunately for the both of us I gotta keep it down.”
Bucky tried to hide his slight disappointment. "Napping? Steve Rogers ? Did someone knock him out?”
Not quite. Every day spent on the run was long and draining. The moments to rest were few and far between. Before laying his head on the pillow, Steve hadn’t slept for nearly three days. Sam tried to close his eyes when they were en route to different locations, but it was easier said than done and a new row of bags appeared under his eyes in the time since he’d last seen Bucky in person.
“Lemme guess, you’ve slept better?” asked Bucky.
Sam shrugged. “I’ve definitely slept worse. I know you’ve never slept better. How’s that Wakandan sunset I keep hearing about treating you?”
“It’s beautiful, you should come see it in person sometime.”
“Maybe one day when I’m not so…”
“On the run?”
“Yeah. We could make it a date. You could bring me flowers. I like peonies.”
Sam kept eating and Bucky’s stomach rumbled with hunger and butterflies. “God, you’re making me so hungry, but I’d have to go to marketplace.”
Bucky expected Sam to say goodnight and go, but he didn’t go. “Alright, show me around.”
“Really? It’s not as good as the real thing.”
“As much as I love looking around your little hut every time we talk, it would be nice to get outside.”
Bucky grinned. “Let’s go then.”
With Sam projected from his kimoyo beads, Bucky got up and made his way out of his quiet place by the river and headed towards the marketplace. The walk was quiet, he made sure Sam got a full view of the nature and stars.
Sam was in complete awe. “Jesus…”
Bucky smiled. “I know, right?” A group of kids spotted Bucky along the way. They shouted ‘White Wolf!’ and asked where he was headed. “I’m going to get food! Say hi to Sam.” The kids waved and Sam waved back. The kids started cheering, ‘Falcon! Falcon!’. “I may or may not have mentioned you a few times.”
“He told us all about you!” said one of the kids.
“I’m touched, Barnes.”
“Don’t let it go to your head, alright.”
With the kids following behind him now, Bucky showed Sam the way to the marketplace. Late at night, it bustled with life and music, couples on dates, and groups of kids looking up at the bright constellations shining over this place that Bucky absolutely adored.
Having Sam with him made it better, but he wished Sam were physically there. A projected image of him had nothing on the real thing. He wished he could see the lights reflecting off of Sam’s smile and his skin. He wished he could make Sam laugh so loud that it vibrated in his own chest. He missed Sam so much just thinking about how much he’d love Wakanda.
He wasn’t alone. Sam loved seeing Bucky’s eyes so warm, completely endeared by the peaceful life he finally had. But nothing felt better than knowing that, as wonderful as this place was, Bucky still thought it would be better if he were there. Sam certainly wouldn’t complain about the shitty motels if Bucky were there with him.
Bucky got his food and the kids helped him carry it back to his place before running back home. Sam watched the steam rise from Bucky’s plate and his mouth watered.
“I’m gonna have to get that when I come see you.”
Bucky paused and looked up at him. “When?”
“Soon enough, I hope…” Sam sighed. “I miss you.”
He nodded. “I miss you, too.”
“A year ago I wanted nothing to do with you and now I’d drop anything to see your dumbass face in person again.”
“You just want me for my body, don’t front.”
Sam laughed. “In my defense, it’s not a bad body.” He looked back at Steve, whose uniform rustled as he turned in his sleep. “I just wanna be in a real bed, with you, maybe a cute little dog.”
“Come here and you can be in mine,” Bucky said. “I’ll clean the whole place up for you, I’ll get you a thousand pillows to make sure you can sleep fine. I just want you here. It sucks loving someone you can’t reach out and touch.”
Sam almost lifted his hand to caress Bucky’s cheek before realising he couldn’t. He kept it at his side. “The world can’t keep me away from you for too long.”
Bucky smiled. “Just promise me we won’t have our first kiss while shit’s blowing up in the background.”
“You don’t think that’s hot?”
“You know what? I don’t. I really fucking don’t.”