Chapter Text
Bucky let out a breath of relief as his feet touched the ground. Sam tried to put him down as gently as he could. They stumbled slightly as they came in contact with the soft soil. They had just arrived back home after a long few days on a mission. The sun was setting, and it bathed everything around them in a golden light. Tired looks were exchanged as they approached the front door of their house at the edge of the woods. It wasn’t far from Sarah’s, meaning they visited often. Sam had wanted to move in near his sister, and had offered Bucky the opportunity to live with him. Bucky had agreed, having nowhere else to go, and of course he wanted to live with Sam. Sam unlocked the door and they went inside. They ate dinner in silence. It wasn’t awkward exactly, they were both just so tired. Bucky stared at his plate, sometimes looking up and meeting Sam’s gaze. Bucky would quickly look down again, his cheeks turning pink. Had Sam been staring at him? After dinner, Bucky made sure to feed Alpine. He crouched by the white cat as she ate. He watched her, his mouth pressed in a line. The sky was turning dark now, stars slowly starting to appear. It was nice out in Louisiana, Bucky liked it. Bucky looked over at Sam as he trudged up the stairs. Bucky thought about saying something, but couldn’t bring himself to. He stroked Alpine before standing up and clearing away anything left in the kitchen or dining room. After that, he went upstairs to get ready for bed. The next morning, Sam got up early. He showered, got dressed, and was out in the garden by 7:30. Sam hoped Bucky had gotten enough sleep, and he realised he probably should’ve skipped the shower since it probably woke Bucky up. Sam pulled the shield out of the tree again. He turned around when he heard the door open. Bucky stepped out, shutting the door behind him.
“Mornin’,” said Sam softly, strapping the shield onto his arm.
“Morning,” Replied Bucky quietly, looking out over the garden. It was peaceful in the morning.
“I was thinking about visiting Sarah and the boys today,” said Sam, gripping the shield tightly. Bucky nodded, a small smile forming on his annoyingly handsome face. Sam bit his lip. Neither said anything for a few seconds. Those seconds felt like an eternity to Sam. He really hoped Bucky knew he was asking him to go with him, because for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“Well, I’d be happy to come,” said Bucky after a minute of silence. Sam smiled, exhaling a breath of relief.
“Just… don’t flirt with Sarah,” said Sam, his tone turning serious and his brow furrowing. Bucky shook his head, his smile small but still there.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
₊ ⊹ ♡ ˖ .
They arrived at Sarah’s and were promptly greeted by AJ and Cass.
“Did you bring the shield?” Asked AJ eagerly, practically bouncing circles around him to see. Sam chuckled and shook his head, much to the disappointment of his nephew. Sarah came into the room with her arms crossed and a smile on her face.
“So you don’t carry that shield around with you everywhere,” she said, leaning against the doorframe. “That’s a relief.”
Sam scoffed. “Course not.” He said, then going to greet his nephews. Sarah smiled and turned to Bucky.
“Nice to see you, Bucky,” said Sarah, walking into the kitchen to start on some lunch.
“You too, Sarah,” said Bucky with a smile. Sam glared at him. Sure, he might be a bit over the top, but that’s his sister. And he couldn’t help but feel jealous that those charming smiles and warm looks weren’t directed at him. They all sat down to lunch.
“How are you finding the new house?” Sarah asked the two of them. They looked to each other, then back to her. Sarah raised an eyebrow, prompting for them to say something.
“Good,” said Bucky shortly, looking down at his plate and focusing on his food.
“Yeah.” Agreed Sam. Sarah nodded slowly, taking a sip of her water.
“We’ll have to come see it soon,” she said. Sam laughed sheepishly.
“Trust me, you don’t wanna see how messy it is,” he said, shaking his head. “Especially staring-machine over here’s room,” said Sam, biting his lip so as not to laugh at Bucky’s hurt expression.
“What–that’s not–“ Bucky spluttered, putting down his knife and fork.
“Dude sleeps on the floor, I swear. It’s too messy, you can’t see his bed, so he gave up looking, and just sleeps on the floor.” Laughed Sam. Sarah raised her eyebrows. Bucky gaped at Sam as he continued to laugh, Cass and AJ joining in.
“That’s–that is not true,” said Bucky, his cheeks turning red.
“I just…” He trailed off, looking down at his plate again. “My bed’s too soft,” he said after a moment, a small frown on his face. After they’d had lunch, Sam and Bucky headed home. It wasn’t that far, so they walked. The air was tense, and Sam couldn’t help but feel he had upset Bucky with his comments before. Sam stopped, which caused Bucky to stop as well.
“What’s wrong?” Asked Bucky, his eyebrows furrowing. Sam frowned, biting his lip. He thought about what to say, and after a few moments, he managed to speak.
“Sorry for what I said earlier,” said Sam. It came out quieter than he’d hoped. Bucky shrugged it off.
“It’s fine,” he said. Sam noticed the underline of sadness or… hurt in Bucky’s voice. This made Sam frown.
“Is it?” Asked Sam. Bucky faltered. He said nothing for a moment. Sam waited for a response.
“No, yeah, it’s fine,” Bucky reassured eventually, smiling. Sam nodded slowly.
“You can always have my bed if yours isn’t comfy enough,” said Sam, starting to walk again. Bucky jogged to catch up with him.
“Where would you sleep?” He asked, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. Sam turned to him.
“Well, I could try and find your bed in the mess that is your room, or I could sleep on the sofa,” replied Sam. Bucky nodded, slowing down to a walk. He couldn’t deny he felt his heart sink with disappointment. He liked the idea of sharing a bed with Sam.
₊ ⊹ ♡ ˖ .
Bucky lay awake that night. Sam had insisted he take his bed, and Bucky couldn’t deny it was comfier than his. He felt his heart weigh down with guilt, Sam was sleeping on the sofa because of him. Bucky turned over again, staring at the curtains. He could see the moonlight behind them. He shivered slightly, snuggling deeper under the thick duvet. It was soft, and it smelled like Sam. Bucky smiled. It felt like he was close to him, like he was wrapped in an embrace, and yet Sam was all the way downstairs. He almost felt like telling Sam to take his bed back, but the feeling of closeness was so nice. It was a battle in his mind.
“Buck?” Bucky blinked his eyes open. Had he fallen asleep? What time was it? He turned his head towards the door. It opened seconds later and Sam was there.
“You alright? I could hear you tossing and turning, and talkin’ in your sleep,” said Sam, walking over to the side of the bed. Bucky said nothing for a moment. Sam furrowed his eyebrows. He seemed fine.
“Oh…” croaked Bucky, his voice raspy. He cleared his throat. “I’m fine, thanks, Sam.”
Sam nodded. He was about to leave again when Bucky sat up and grabbed his wrist.
“Take your bed back,” said Bucky quietly. Sam turned back to him.
“Why? Is it not comfortable enough?” Asked Sam, worry in his tone. He had hoped Bucky would’ve slept better, and that he would’ve found Sam’s bed comfier.
“No, it’s not that…” said Bucky, biting his lip. Sam raised an eyebrow.
“What is it then?” He asked, crossing his arms. Bucky clenched his jaw, looking around the room. Sam waited for an answer. He wasn’t impatient, he just wanted to make sure Bucky was happy and comfortable. He watched Bucky closely, blinking to keep his eyes open. He couldn’t deny, he was tired. He hadn’t managed to get to sleep on the sofa yet, and it probably wasn’t going to happen. But he would sacrifice that for Bucky. He would sacrifice anything for Bucky.
“I just…” Bucky started, but trailed off. “I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable on the sofa,” said Bucky quietly.
Sam’s heartbeat sped up. That’s what he was trying to do for Bucky! Make sure he was comfortable! And turns out Bucky wanted the same for Sam. It made Sam smile, knowing he cared.
“Well… I could always just go sleep in your bed,” said Sam, blinking again. He felt very sleepy.
“Please don’t,” said Bucky, grabbing Sam’s hand and pulling him closer. Sam’s heart beat louder.
“Oh... um… OK,” said Sam, his cheeks heating up. Bucky looked up at him. Sam choked on his own breath. He swore no one could ever have prettier eyes than James Buchanan Barnes. You look into them for a second and you get trapped, lost in the sea. It was like drowning, but in the best possible way.
“Just sleep here,” said Bucky. Sam blinked again.
“But–“
“No buts, you’re too tired,” said Bucky, taking his other hand. Sam sighed. He was very tired.
Bucky scooted over and Sam climbed into the bed next to him. He let Bucky tuck him in, and give him a kiss on the forehead. He couldn’t help but smile. He never thought he’d get a kiss from Bucky Barnes. He felt so special, and loved. Sam fell asleep almost immediately after that. Bucky stayed awake for a while, making sure Sam was sleeping. He watched his chest rise and fall. He looked so peaceful and so beautiful whilst sleeping. Bucky smiled to himself, Sam was so special to him. He eventually lay his head down and closed his eyes. They both managed to sleep well that night.