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Sam had been looking for a roommate and was lucky when he stumbled on Bucky Barnes. The guy was openly bisexual; he kept odd hours; he ate any food; he was clean; he was polite; he didn’t ask questions. He was what Sam Wilson was looking for to share his apartment with when his old partner moved out.
Riley was a brewing Storm. While they still worked together professionally, the roommates and dating thing had been a bust, nearly destroying their years of friendship. Riley had left and taken his things to go stay at a flat on his own, and Sam had needed a quick roommate.
Sam himself was gay, and he kept his own odd hours. He had a busy job – trying to make sure justice was delivered as he saw fit. Some called him and his partner vigilantes; they believed they were hero’s.
They sniped food for the good of the poor. They tried to take out people who deserved it.
Unfortunately, recently they had found themselves on the radar of the White Wolf and his band of misfits – Captain and Widow. Sam was sure they just completely misunderstood the mission of Sam and Riley, but they kept coming to blows.
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Bucky had been at his whit’s end with his best friends Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff. They’d finally gotten together, and it had become sickening sharing an apartment with the two. Or Bucky felt a little lonely. He’d gotten lucky finding an apartment with a roommate like Same.
Sam was easy to get along with. He was quiet, clean, and cooked. If Bucky was honest, he thought he was hot too. The guy was just easy to get along with. He also never asked Bucky where he was and could care less about the weird hours he worked.
Bucky led his team of good guys as a segment of Shield – him – White Wolf, Steve – Captain, and Natasha – Widow, worked to do good in the world. They tried to take out the bad guys when they could. Recently, they’d crossed Dark Falcon and Black Hawk who seemed to be on some path of their own that Shield had flagged. Bucky was unsure on if it was good, or bad.
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Sam stumbled in at 3am to find Bucky awake staring at the T.V. Sam was a bit woozy – Captain had gotten a decent hit on him tonight, he was pretty sure he had a gash above his eye, and maybe a concussion. Bucky took one look at his wounded roommate and got up to look closer.
“Dude, you look like shit!” Bucky stated, coming closer to inspect the wound Sam knew was there. Sam gave a blank look to his roommate. Bucky sighed and grabbed Sam’s dark wrist gently leading him off to the bathroom.
“Sit, let me patch that up. Pretty sure I saw some butterfly Band-Aids in there when I was cleaning up earlier.” Bucky stated, sitting Sam on the toilet seat. His roommate finally looked up at him.
“What happened to you earlier?” Sam asked, distracted, finally looking his roommate over. He saw the scratch on his cheek and the bandaged knuckles. Bucky let off a nervous chuckle looking the other way.
“Stevie and I got in a bit of a bar fight with some asshole who grabbed Nat’s ass.” He allowed the lie to roll off his tongue with a practiced ease. They’d been up against the flying duo again. Shield had called the trio in to deal with some “ruckus” around the docks. It was completely unclear to Bucky what they two were up to, but they weren’t keen on being interrupted clearly. Him and Nat had double teamed the Black Hawk, the guy in the suit moved fast and it took a bit to wrangle him. Although ultimately, the two had eventually retreated, but not after some good blows were shared.
Sam gave a dry laugh at the bar fight and flinched as Bucky applied some alcohol to the cut on his head. He felt Bucky pull the skin together gently and place on the bandage.
“Should I be worried for a concussion man?” Bucky asked looking at Sam. He got at eye level and started tracking for signs.
“Not sure, if you want to continue whatever you were watching though I can grab a snack. If I’ve got one I’ll probably get sick so ya know, we can use that as a test?” Sam said standing up slowly. His head was pounding, and he reached into the cabinet for some Motrin to ease the pain. He dry swallowed it and followed Bucky from their shared bathroom.
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Bucky had a rough night. Dark Falcon had caught him on the arm with a wing and it had left a gash. Bucky was pretty pissed that Nat and Steve had sent him off on his own too and stubbornly left the moment he could allowing Dark Falcon to get away as he made the slow walk to his apartment.
His arm stung like a bitch as he slowly took off his long-sleeved shirt; his uniform was nano-tech so fit nicely in his white necklace and fixed itself on its own. He ran the water warm to put his arm under the water. His brain wasn’t in it right now as he let the water flow.
He heard belatedly Sam’s door open and took in his roommate’s surprised brown eyes at first his shirtless form and then the arm bleeding in the kitchen sink.
“Uh… that need stitches Buck?” Sam asked looking at the gash like he was unsure what to do. Bucky shrugged and flinched at the pain in his shoulders.
“I mean maybe, but I’m not inclined to go the hospital or urgent care, and I’m pretty pissed at Steve and Nat, so I’m not going to go deal with them.” Bucky rattled off not pretending to hide his irritation in his friends.
“C’mon I can stitch it up in the bathroom. Had some med training while in the Air Force.” Sam states, grabbing a dark towel for Bucky to hold over the gash. Sam walked off to his bedroom to where Bucky assumed he had more first aid supplies and walked back to the bathroom.
Sam cleaned the wound quietly, grabbing a numbing agent and slowly starting to stich back up his roommate. Around halfway through Sam finally spoke again.
“What the hell’d you do to get this? It’s a weird gash.” Sam asked. If he was honest, it looked like the kind of gash that came from his wings. He’d caught Riley enough times when they were learning to work together to have seen it, although usually those ended up deeper than this.
Bucky stared forward not saying much for a moment. “Did something stupid. Don’t really care to talk about it, no offence.” Bucky stated, leaving it at that.
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It went on like that for almost a month, back and forth, showing up at odd hours to patch each other up. Sometimes on the same night exchanging patch jobs. Other nights it was individuals.
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It was just over three months later that Bucky invited Sam and Riley – who Bucky had learned was both Sam’s ex and his best friend – out for drinks with Nat and Steve. His friends wanted to meet his roommate who they liked to tease him about. Bucky, trying to not make this an interrogation of his friend invited him to bring along Riley as well. They it also would not seem like some weird double date like he knew Steve and Nat wanted to make it.
Bucky had left to hang out with Steve and Nat and calm down before going to meet up with Sam and Riley. He was nervous and his friends loved seeing him suffer.
“I can’t believe your dumb ass told him to bring his Ex-boyfriend along.” Steve laughed as Bucky told them the plan for the rest of the evening.
“You’re cockblocking yourself there Buckaroo.” Nat added, snuggling into Steve’s side.
“First off guys, no. There is no cockblocking because there is no cock. He’s off limits as roommate. Second, you both know I’m not comfortable dating someone who only knows a part of me. While Sam is chill and patches me up, not sure he’d be cool with the rest of the gig.” Bucky stated. It was a weak excuse, but it’d saved him many times. Tonight, would not be one he realized as Nat smirked at him.
“Except this one is different, you’re completely smitten.” The cackle didn’t help Bucky’s stomach from rolling nervously at her words.
Back in the apartment, Sam was looking at his ex-boyfriend sternly.
“Do me a favor Riles, don’t fuck this up.” Sam stated. Riley smirked at the other man.
Sam glared at his partner-in-crime. It was moments like this where Sam questioned his judgement on remaining friends and partners with the other man. He knew too much and could destroy Sam was the problem.
“Sammy, I’ll just vet that he’s good enough…” Riley started. Sam held up a hand.
“No you won’t. He’s a decent guy. I’m not sure on his friends, but he’s good to me. They number of times he has patched me up after running ins with White Wolf and his friends… He also doesn’t ask questions. He accepts that I do what I do and that’s it.” Sam states rambling on.
Riley looks at him and laughs, “Is he at least hot? Because you’ve yet to tell me.”
Sam glares at the other man, grabbing his wallet and keys and holding the door open to usher his friend out the door.
At the bar, the two groups of friends met up, Sam and Bucky exchanging a quick nod to each other, introducing their friends. It didn’t take long for Riley to hit it off with Steve and Nat, finding fun in poking at the other two as unsubtly as possible.
Sam finally gave up on telling Riley to knock it off, grabbing his drink and going out to dance, followed closely behind by Nat he soon learned. She sauntered up to him on the dance floor backing into him and swaying her hips.
“I know this isn’t my business honey, but if you hurt Bucky, I’ll kill you.” She stated, still swaying her hips with a scarily charming smile for the dangerous words exiting her mouth. Sam took a swallow as he swayed with her, unsure of how to respond so paused to dance to the music with the woman.
He finally took a deep breath before murmuring in her ear, “It was never my intention to try to get with him. It’s still not. It’s all on him to decide sweetheart. You’ve met my ex, and I handle him just fucking fine.” Sam took a deep breath. “I will tell you though, he starts it and I’ll go in because that man has it all going for him.” Sam states, giving a snakes smile of his own.
His eyes scan the crowd to where he sees Bucky, Riley, and Steve approaching the two. Bucky hands Sam a shot and smirks as they down one together.
No one says anything when they leave together that night.
No one says anything as the two grow closer, spending more time together, and sometimes less time fighting.
They still don’t talk about the patch jobs.
And if one night, Sam discovers the outline of a walk tattooed out of sight on Bucky’s outside right hip, they don’t talk about it.
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It takes nine solid months where Bucky and Sam are happy before things abruptly change.
Sam is out taking care of a man who is assaulting woman in the dark of night. They’d watched him and the police were no closer to taking out the trash. The woman were terrified and Sam and Riley had a plan to take him out.
Until the White Wolf, Captain, and Widow showed up. Then hell broke loose. Dark Falcon and White Wolof were going at it like two men on fire. Exchanging rough blows and fighting with everything they had. Dark Falcon caught the White Wolf on the leg with a well-placed laser right on the right hip of the comrade, splitting his pants and exposing a familiar tattoo.
“Abort mission, to your apartment. NOW.” Dark Falcon said over coms to the Black Hawk. He himself took off and raced in the dark to where he knew Riley’s apartment was.
Sam stripped from his uniform as Riley touched down next to his hyperventilating and panicking roommate.
“Sam!” Riley shouted trying to get the other man’s attention. The wild brown eyes that looked up at him were startling. “Talk to me man?” He stated more calmly trying to get to Sam.
He led him to the sofa to sit and was thankful he followed directions. It took a few minutes of trying to regroup before Sam finally spoke.
“I’m going to be sick Riles…” He stated quietly. He finally met the other man’s eyes. “I know who they are.” He stated before dropping his head between his legs and taking slow deep breaths.
Riley looked startled at him. Still lost in what exactly was happening in his living room. What was going on with his best friend?
Riley asked quietly who and got a one-word answer. “Bucky.” Before Sam ran to the bathroom and threw up everything he had eaten all day.
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Bucky: Sam where are you?
Bucky: Dude you coming home tonight?
Bucky: are you alive?”
Bucky: Nat traced your phone…. Should we talk?
Sam read his text messages as he woke up on Riley’s couch, the previous night coming back to him in one burst.
Riley looked at him.
“For what its worth Sammy, I think you should hear him out…” Riley stated calmly looking at Sam who still had his eyes on his phone, unsure of how to answer. Riley went on without being heard.
“Bucky, Steve, Nat – and you and I both know if he’s White Wolf, that is who they are… They’re good people. Trust him. He cares about you, completely unconditionally and you know it. Don’t break both your hearts over something you can work out…” Riley said, placing a soft hand on Sam’s shoulder. Sam gave him a quick hug.
“I’ll try.” He stated, grabbing his shoes and jacket to walk back to his apartment.
It was a quiet walk back to his apartment as Sam thought through his options. He knew this could make them, or break them and it scared him. Could he give up his Dark Falcon for Bucky? Yes. But could Bucky meet him halfway to understand why he did his job? He hoped so. He hoped they could align themselves. Or at least stop fighting… At least survive this?
Because if Sam was honest with himself, he was head over heels for Bucky. They understood each other so well that it made no sense they missed this key detail that they were enemies… Nemesis really. It scared the shit out of him.
Too quickly and too slowly he opened the apartment door.
Bucky’s head snapped up to look at Sam as he walked through the door. His eyes had red rims around them, Sam presumed from crying. Sam took in his boyfriends and sighed… Staying where he was knowing that he wouldn’t be able to have this conversation if he didn’t.
His desire was to ease Bucky of his fears that Sam was leaving him. To tell Bucky he loved him and it was all okay, but he know it was now or never for the truth. The man he loved hurting. He knew Nat’d be after him if this didn’t work out. He knew he’d let her have him if this didn’t work out. Everything in him needed Bucky to understand and work with him. It scared him.
Sam finally took a deep breath, “White Wolf.” he said softly, staring Bucky straight in the eye. He watched as his boyfriend’s pupils’ expanded and the shocked looked flash across his face before he stood up and let the blank look overtake his face. He took his own deep breath.
Sam watched the thoughts flick through his boyfriends’ mind as he tried to figure out how to handle this. Finally he settled on just working with it.
“Yeah, how do you know Sam?” Bucky asked. The shake in his voice was subtle but Sam could hear it. The fear that his name carried. Sam looked at the ground before answering.
“The night I stitched your arm up… Before we got together,” Sam clarified before continuing. “How did you get it?” He asked again, knowing now the answer. “The truth Buck, because it’s time we start being honest about our injuries.” Sam went on, speaking calmer than he felt.
He watched his boyfriend’s eyes widen at the realization. Then the words… “No… Sammy… Seriously? Dark Falcon?” Sam gave a half shrug at the unstated accusation that Bucky tossed his way. Bucky to his credit sat down on the couch and covered his face.
“That makes Riley Black Hawk huh?” Bucky stated more than asked. Sam nodded when Bucky looked up. Bucky took some steadying deep breaths before Sam finally spoke again.
“What I don’t get Buck is why you would stop us from what we were doing?” Sam stated. “We’re trying to deal with sub-cells of trash and you guys are on us all the fucking time and frankly knowing who it is… I get it even less because y’all aren’t fucking stupid.
“Riles and I might be non-government, but its just staying out of the politics.” Sam finished.
Bucky finally stood up.
“Sam… I love you… and while I don’t know what’s fully going on here… Just please. Can we put this to the back burner for fucking five minutes right now. I need to know just one thing right now,” Bucky took a deep breath before finishing. “Are we done? Or are we working this out?”
Bucky held solid eye contact.
“I really hope working this the fuck out because I love you too… I’d choose you if you made me… and Riley knows this already.” Sam stated and that was all the affirmation Bucky needed before walking over to embrace his boyfriend in a long hug and kissing him senseless.
They’d figure out what came next… together. And maybe with the help of some friends!