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Scott's in prison, an underwater fucking prison. He never wanted to be in this situation again. He couldn't be in this situation again. He had to be there for Cassie. He paced the cell for what felt like hours until he collapsed, crying against the wall at the side of the cot "Fuck!" Scott hit the wall, the tears streaming down his face.
"Scott?" the first time he hears it, it's so quiet that he thinks he's imagined it. He presses his side to the wall craning his neck, hoping to hear it again,
"Scott is that you?!" He hears it again louder, this time realizing it's coming from the other side of the wall.
"Sam? Sam!" He turns towards the wall, desperate for a response he's afraid won't come.
"Scott, it's me, it's Sam, oh god Scott, I'm so sorry" he starts to cry harder, relief and fear hitting him in a wave. He doesn't know if he can do this.
"I'm never going to see her again, am I, Sam, I'll never see Cassie again."
"I don't, I don't know Scott, I'm so sorry I got you dragged into this, you have so much to lose, but I decided to bring you into this anyway."
"Sam, I chose to help you, it's not your fault you gave me a choice. I had every chance to say no, to leave, I don't blame you."
"But you should, you should blame me, hell I blame me I couldn't live with myself if you never saw your little girl again just because I decided to pull you into something stupid and dangerous and," Sam trails off, making Scott shiver the silence cutting through him.
"and?" Scott asks he's not sure what doors he's about to open with this question, but he doesn't want him to feel guilty for something he can't control
"And I can't take the thought that I might never get the chance to kiss you, or hold your hand," he laughed nervously, "or tell you how I feel without a six-inch-thick wall separating us and
I'm so sorry that I'm telling you like this you don't deserve this, hell I don't deserve you, you're smart, and you care so much, you care about Cassie so much anyone who's ever seen you with her can tell, you care about this cause which you didn't have to, you could have said 'thanks but no" and not gotten involved in this absolute insanity. I hope that one day you could care about me." Sam trailed off Scotts crying again, a steady stream of tears falling down his face
"Sam, I already care about you. From the moment we first fought, I knew I'd see you again." He hears him laugh through the wall, and let's put his own chuckle, "You're so brave. You fought hydra alongside Captain America, you've lived through tragedy and felt helpless, but you still pushed forward and chose to continue fighting. Do you know how quickly other people would give up? And it just makes me care about you so much, and I'm not sure if you remember this Sam, but I'm a convicted felon, you say you don't deserve me but Sam before this moment I never imagined me deserving you" he presses his palm against the wall taking a deep breath "I'm sorry that you might never get to meet Cassie, did you know that you're her favorite Avenger?" He hears a short burst of hoarse laughter
"She sounds amazing tic-tac. I'm positive I'll love meeting her," Sam says as he wipes his eyes with the heel of his palm. A smile creeps onto Scott's face from hearing Sam's correction.
"Sam, if we get out of here, you're taking me to one hell of a dinner."
"Yes, sir, and I better be meeting your daughter."
"Of course."
"Scott."
"Yes?"
"I care about you."
"I care about you too."