Sam had been sure what he and Tony had.
They had started this thing, their relationship, somewhere along the line between looking after Bucky and keeping Steve occupied and when they met up to bitch about their respective charges of the evening it had let to more.
And Sam was glad it had, so damn glad, because he had been in love with Tony for quite some time now. So when he and Tony fell into bed together and woke up to the smile of the other, Sam had thought he couldn't be happier.
Tony and he saw each other regularly, some of Tony's stuff had made it into Sam's house, and a few things of Sam were in Tony's suite, so Sam really felt secure enough to say there were in a pretty great place in their relationship.
Until Bucky brought it all down.
Sam had told Steve and Bucky of course, just like Tony had told Pepper and Rhodey, and so it came a bit of a surprise when Bucky asked: "Are you and Tony really together?"
Sam stared at him before he answered with "Why would you say that?"
It wasn't his life that flashed before his eyes, but all the moments he had had with Tony so far, together in Sam's kitchen, cuddling on the couch, calls that lasted the whole evening. It all made the sentence that came out of Bucky's mouth that much more confusing.
Bucky shrugged. "I know you told us about it, and you keep throwing in causal things you know about Tony or you did together, but I have yet to see you two act as a couple."
"We do couple-y things all the time," Sam defended and Bucky frowned.
"You sure? Because I haven't seen you kiss or hold hands. The most you do is sit next to each other on the couch during a movie and even there you don't really touch or lean into each other."
Sam opened his mouth to protest, but not a word made it over his lips.
He didn't have an example where they did what Bucky had accused them of being lacking.
Sure, they did that all the time; in Sam's house or in the privacy of Tony's suite. Not when the team was around.
Sam frowned down at his shoes and Bucky cursed.
"Shit, man, I didn't mean to make you worried," he rushed out and clasped Sam's shoulder. "I mean I know you love him, it's evident in the way you talk about him, but I just wondered about that."
"No, it's fine, not a problem," Sam pressed out and stepped away from Bucky. "I'm not worried," Sam lied through his teeth and Bucky obviously knew it.
But before Bucky could say something else Sam fled the room, making his way absent-mindedly to Tony's suite.
Tony was in his living-room, obviously as surprised to see Sam as Sam was to see him, but his surprise quickly transformed into a smile.
"Hey," Tony greeted him softly. "What's up?" he asked and then his smile dropped when Sam didn't say anything.
"Are you alright?" Tony inquired and Sam sat down on the couch, a bit away from Tony.
"What are we?" he lowly asked and looked at his hands to avoid Tony's gaze.
"We? As in relationship wise?" Tony asked instead of an answer and Sam nodded.
"Well, since I mostly call you my boyfriend when I think about you or talk to Rhodey and Pepper I sure as hell hope that we are that. Boyfriends or partners. That we are in a committed, loving relationship. And if you tell me right now that you thought this was an open thing we're gonna have a problem," Tony said, obviously trying to joke to hide how worried he was.
"Are we?" Sam asked and Tony sat down next to him.
"Are we together? All of that?" Sam nodded at Tony's question. "I should hope so. You know I mean it when I tell you I love you."
Sam's mind flashed back to the last time Tony had told him that, just this morning when he had stumbled up to Sam in the kitchen, pressing his still sleep-warm body up against Sam's and nuzzled into his neck before he had breathed the words against Sam's skin.
And Sam wasn't about to complain, he loved those little moments, but it was just that: little moments. Tony had never said it outside of the privacy of their little bubble and now Sam could see why Bucky would question the authenticity of their relationship.
"When was the last time you kissed me where someone else could see?" Sam asked and even as he said it, he realized that it was unfair.
He hadn't done anything in public either.
Tony wrecked his brain, it was obvious in the little frown he got between his brows, but Sam knew before Tony that he would come up with nothing.
"I don't remember anything," Tony softly admitted. "Is that why you're suddenly worried?"
Sam shrugged. "Bucky pointed it out, actually. Said he has yet to see us behave like a couple and I wondered..."
"If this was on purpose. If I was keeping you a secret," Tony went on for him and Sam nodded before he shook his head.
"Not exactly. I mean, I didn't initiate anything either. So I guess I just wonder if we both mutually agreed somehow that this was to be kept secret."
"First of all, it's not a secret; at least four people know about us. So I would say it is more of a private thing. And I don't know how that came to be, to be honest. But now that you mentioned it, I don't want that. I don't want to keep this private," Tony said and got up, a determined look on his face.
"Let's go," he said and offered his hand to Sam.
"Where to?" Sam asked but he took Tony's hand.
"To tell everyone," Tony replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world and dragged Sam into the elevator.
By some kind of miracle the whole team was assembled in the kitchen, but once they got close Sam saw that it wasn't such a miracle. Someone had brought doughnuts .
No one looked up when they entered, everyone too busy to get the doughnuts they wanted and so Tony cleared his throat.
"Can I have your attention please," he loudly said and now all the attention was on them.
Bucky's gaze briefly wandered to their still entwined hands and a small smile played around his lips.
"What's up, Tony?" Steve asked and Tony's gaze quickly slid to Sam before he pulled him closer.
"I just wanted to let you know that I love Sam and we are in a very much healthy and not imagined relationship," he declared and he stared at Bucky when he said the last part.
"Good to hear," Bucky said and now the smile on his face was big. "As long as Sam feels the same way."
"Of course I...," he turned around to look at Tony. "Of course I love you as well."
"I know," Tony said and kissed him softly.
"Was that what you wanted to say?" Steve asked with a frown and Tony's grin slowly turned into a smirk.
"That and I wanted to distract you," he said and with that he quickly darted forwards, grabbed three doughnuts and stepped back to Sam's side. "We'll take our leave now," Tony said and was nearly drowned out by Clint's outraged cry.
"You stole the best ones," he complained and made his way around the table. "Give them back," he demanded and now it was Sam's time to smirk.
He leaned over to Tony and quickly licked all the doughnuts, much to Clint's apparent disgust.
"Ew," he whined and Tony laughed.
"I love you," he said again, eyes dancing with mirth and Sam beamed back at him.
"Maybe we should go eat our doughnuts now," Sam breathed and now it was Bucky who made gagging noises.
"I really shouldn't have said something," he whispered before he said louder: "If that is an euphemism I don't want to know. Take your disgustingness out of here," he admonished and Sam and Tony happily obliged.
They had some doughnuts to enjoy.