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It’s been a few years since Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson first met, on a highway and under the worst of circumstances. Buck was still under Hydra’s control, while Sam was the newest addition to Captain America’s little team of rogue agents looking to unmask a terrorist organization that had been hiding under their noses.
Nowadays, those times of uncertainty and unrest have been left behind, yet a problem remains from that period in time. The relationship between the Falcon and the former Winter Soldier hasn’t improved that much since their first meeting when Bucky jumped onto the car Sam was driving and ripped off the steering wheel.
It’s fair to say that Wilson took it somewhat personally, despite later learning about the brainwashing program Barnes was subjected to during all his years as Hydra’s unwilling asset. And ever since, he has held a grudge against the Sergeant. One that it’s reciprocated out of pure spite and that makes his presence on little things from time to time.
It could be seen already all the way back in Germany when the Sokovia Accords affair events were going down, with Sam refusing to move his seat up in the tiny Volkswagen Beetle car that Steve had gotten them to escape on while keeping a low profile.
Then, Bucky had politely abided his time, keeping his suffering silent until his best friend had left the car before asking the other man to move and give him a little more room in the backseat. Yet Wilson refused his request, leaving the other to stew in his own discomfort. The former pararescue airman had done that as a form of petty revenge for what had happened about two years prior which, in Bucky’s opinion, was a little outrageous and unfounded.
Still, the petty rivalry didn’t stop there. On the contrary, it only grew bigger and stronger, with the two men constantly messing with each other just for the sake of it. Although, they have a silent agreement to never do it in Steve’s presence, and to maintain a facade of friendliness while in front of him. That way, they’ll never make their mutual friend worry, nor will they get called out by him for it.
“Did you touch this glass?”
Sam questions Bucky with an accusing tone as soon as he enters the kitchen, finding the other man sitting at the island and eating cereal.
“Why would I touch it?” The annoyed Sarge tosses back before eating another spoonful.
“I feel like you touched it, just to mess with me. This is the glass I was drinking from before.”
“What if I didn’t touch it, knowing that I wouldn’t need to since you would suspect me anyway, thus messing with you without actually doing anything? Also, why would you leave it out in the open if you feared that I would do something to it?”
Barnes settles down his spoon while he tries to flip the issue on Sam, not only attempting to get himself rid of all the blame but also trying to cement himself as the possible mastermind behind whatever mind game Wilson thinks is being played on him. Just to mess with him, of course.
“I don’t need to watch where I leave the stuff that I use, you just need to learn to mind your own business.”
As Falcon retorts scathingly, crossing his arms over his chest and reading himself to get into an argument with the other man, a few seconds of silence pass by.
“You drank from it, didn’t you?”
“Seriously, what’s your problem?”
“You are my problem!”
“You guys should get hobbies,” Tony comments as he passes through the kitchen, rolling his eyes at his teammates’ antics before disappearing down a hallway.
It is after Stark’s (un)timely appearance that both men engaged in the blame-throwing contest decided to call it quits, for the time being, afraid that behind the engineer might also show up the Captain himself. If they had been kept going, they would have risked getting caught, and thus their fake friendship would have been put in jeopardy.
After all, they are good friends. Not to each other, but to Steve. And that’s probably what keeps the Captain in the dark about the true nature of Barnes and Wilson’s relationship. Ignorance is bliss, they say.
“You know, one of the things I’m most happy about is that Bucky managed to make other friends besides me. He and Sam get along so well, despite starting off on the wrong foot,” Steve muses while nursing his cup of tea, a small smile showing up on his face.
He’s sitting in one of the meeting rooms, going over some files for their next mission. Alongside him, enjoying a steaming cup of black coffee is Romanov, reading some files of her own.
“Yeah, you’re right. They’re such good buddies.”
Natasha’s comment is made with such dry sarcasm that it goes completely over Rogers’ head.
The former Russian spy is as aware of Bucky and Sam’s frenemies status as pretty much everyone else in the Avengers team. Except for Rogers, of course. And although none of them have been directly asked by either of those men to keep silent about the whole ordeal, they all know better than to pile more problems, worries, and stress on top of the Cap’s plate.
And that’s also part of the reason why Barnes and Wilson’s rivalry remains alive and well to this day.