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Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, and Sam Wilson had been friends pretty much since they were born. One of Sam’s earliest memories was actually a fuzzy recollection of he, Steve, and Bucky playing with Legos on one of their bedroom floors. He didn’t remember whose, but it didn’t really matter since they spent so much time together anyway. They all lived on the same floor of the same Brooklyn apartment building, and they had been tottering to each other’s apartments since they could walk; tiny hands knocking on doors and asking if their friend was home, please.
Clearly, it was inevitable that they became best friends. Sheer proximity would have led to friendship at least, but their shared tendency to get in trouble created best friends.
Sam and Steve were the main troublemakers, while Bucky tried to make sure they didn’t get hurt or in trouble. It was his charming smile that tricked angry moms and dads into thinking that that was an accident, honest. It didn’t hurt that all three of them looked like little angels, to the point that they were rarely actually punished for anything, even if they were obviously guilty.
By the time they started kindergarten, they were inseparable. Somehow they were always seated near each other despite the constant talking and laughing and playing during class.
Over the years, they stayed best friends through new school years and different classes. They never did stop getting in trouble, but they did get better at covering it up. Oh, really, someone broke that lamp? Don’t ask Steve, Sam, or Bucky; they were definitely somewhere else not getting in trouble, and could prove it.
Once they were in junior high, their other friends started talking about girls and crushes and dating, but Sam noticed that Steve and Bucky never really seemed interested in all of that. They would rather talk about that episode of whatever they were binging at the time, or planning some complicated prank on their families or friends. Not that it was a big deal; Sam only half participated in those conversations too. But he did notice.
Halfway through their seventh-grade year, Sam got home late after having to stay behind for a group project where he was forced to work with people other than his friends. He walked into Steve’s apartment--their go-to spot since Steve was an only child--without knocking, as Mrs. Rogers had gotten tired of answering the door for Sam and Bucky after so many years. Steve and Bucky were sat on Steve’s floor, their hands clasped loosely between them as they watched TV.
The second Steve and Bucky noticed Sam, they pulled their hands apart and turned red, looking at anything but each other. Okay, that was weird, but whatever.
“What’s up, guys?” Sam asked, setting his backpack down.
“Just watching Doctor Who ,” Bucky said, scooting away from Steve. He patted the ground between them, so Sam sat and tried to figure out which episode they were watching. Luckily, it was one he had seen before. Steve was still pink, and very clearly not looking at Bucky.
“Hey, Steve,” Sam said.
“Hey, Sam,” Steve responded, “How was your project?”
“Okay. I did most of the work, though. This is why I hate group projects where I can’t pick my group,” Sam said, rolling his eyes.
Bucky laughed and agreed. Steve smiled and nodded and looked down at his hands, absently rubbing a thumb over the palm that had just been in Bucky’s. Bucky changed the subject to the episode they were watching, and Sam quickly forgot about what he saw.
Through junior high and then high school, Sam caught Steve and Bucky holding hands or leaning on the other’s shoulder so many times that he started to just expect it. What he didn’t understand was why, exactly, they were always so embarrassed about it.
Finally, when he walked into Steve’s apartment their senior year and Steve was practically sitting on Bucky’s lap--on the floor, of course, why did they always sit on the floor?--he had enough.
“Why don’t you guys just tell me you’re dating, already?” Sam asked. They hadn’t seen him walk in and jumped at the sound of his voice, Steve nearly falling over as he scrambled away from Bucky.
“What?” Bucky asked, trying very hard to look like he hadn’t just been cuddling one of his best friends.
“You guys. Dating. Obviously,” Sam said, raising his eyebrows. “I’m not stupid.”
“We’re- we’re not-” Steve started, trying to explain.
“You really aren’t together?” Sam asked.
Steve and Bucky mutely shook their heads, but wouldn’t look at him. Sam looked up at the ceiling and took a breath.
“Well, why not?” he asked. His friends just stared at him. “Man, you guys are dumb. Please, have a conversation. I can leave if you want. Actually, yeah, I’ll be in the living room.”
He left Steve and Bucky staring after him in silence. After maybe twenty minutes spent absently scrolling through tumblr, Sam heard footsteps. It was a blushing Steve and Bucky, holding hands and looking guilty.
“So, I see you two talked,” Sam said when it was obvious that no one else was going to say anything.
“Uh, yeah,” Bucky said. “I guess you were right.”
“Just, how did you know?” Steve asked.
Sam looked at him for a minute with a face that said he was only seconds away from leaving them to figure it out on their own. “Seriously?” he asked. “I’ve had to watch you two dancing around each other our whole lives.”
“So, uh,” Steve said after a second of silence, “I’m gay.”
“Me, too,” Bucky added quietly.
“Cool,” Sam said.
“Really?” Bucky asked. “You’re fine with all of this?”
“Wait, you guys really thought I would be homophobic to you?” Sam asked, indignant. “I’ve known you for literally my entire life, you really think this would change anything?”
Steve and Bucky looked even more embarrassed, but still hadn’t dropped their hands.
“Sorry, Sam,” Steve said. “I guess we thought you might think it was weird for your two best friends to be dating.”
“Okay,” Sam said, closing his eyes for a second. “Look. I’m happy for you guys. Really. But you’re both idiots.”
Steve smiled and Bucky laughed, and Sam couldn’t resist grabbing them both into a hug.
“I love you guys, you know that?” Sam said.
“I love you, too,” Steve and Bucky said, nearly in unison.
“Now, please,” Sam said, stepping back to look at them. “Go on a date.”
It turns out, Sam was right, and Steve and Bucky had been in love pretty much their whole lives. They just didn’t know it. Because apparently Sam had all the brain cells while they had none.
Prom that year was a spectacle; Bucky and Steve winning best couple after petitioning the school to be allowed to attend the dance as a couple. There were lots of photos of the two of them standing close together in their coordinated-but-not-quite-matching suits, with Sam standing next to them looking fond.
All three ended up going to the same college, though they all studied different things; Bucky robotics and engineering, Steve political science, Sam psychology.
Later, they fought over who got Sam as their best man at their wedding. Steve finally won when Bucky conceded that he had a sister who probably wanted to be included.
Sam stood by them the whole time, usually rolling his eyes at his dumb, disgustingly cute friends.
Basically, they all lived happily ever after. Thanks to Sam, that is.