This won't make much sense without reading 'What Really Happened'
"I have to go back to Wakanda," Sam announced a week later and he cursed himself when he saw Tony hunch in on himself again.
He had made good progress with Sam there at his side, though it didn't keep the nightmares at bay. But he was not as tense anymore and he also smiled every now and again. Sam counted it as a win.
"Of course," Tony said and turned away from him. "Your team is there. I knew you couldn't stay, it's fine," he went on and Sam could tell by the tone of his voice and the way he held his shoulders that he was near tears with these words.
"I don't care about my team," Sam declared and stepped up behind Tony, wrapped his arms around him. He could feel Tony shake against him.
"I am not going back for them," Sam said and rested his chin on Tony's shoulder. "T'Challa got some stuff from my place and that is all still there."
"You don't have to lie," Tony told him and Sam gently turned him around.
"Why do you think I'm lying?"
Tony shrugged in his arms. "If that was the only reason, T'Challa could just send them here. You wouldn't have to go back personally."
"No, I don't," Sam admitted and Tony forced himself to smile.
"I don't mind. I knew you would be leaving again," Tony admitted and Sam wanted to punch himself in the face. He should have started this differently.
"I am going back for Steve," he told Tony who nodded, like that was exactly what he had expected.
"I know," Tony began but Sam interrupted him.
"No. You really don't. I am not going back because he needs me or because I want to be there. I am going back because someone needs to tell him how massively he fucked up."
Tony stared at him. "You want to what?"
"I am taking a plane across the whole damn planet to yell at him. That's what I'm going to do. Getting my stuff back is just an added bonus," Sam said and gently kissed Tony. "I'll be back in a day. It's already arranged with T'Challa."
Tony stared in awe at him but then he looked down. "You scared me," Tony softly admitted and clutched Sam's shirt.
"I know, and I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to."
Tony hugged him at that, burrowing into his warmth and Sam kissed his head before he said: "I'll leave in three hours. Want to go cuddle until then?" he rhetorically asked, because of course the answer was yes.
They spent the remaining three hours on the couch, wrapped up in each other until Sam sighed and gently untangled himself from Tony, who clutched at him.
"I have to leave, Tony," he sighed and Tony petulantly shook his head.
"Nope. You can yell at Steve from over the phone. He left me a phone, you know. You can use that."
"I don't think that will get my point across," Sam gravely said and Tony stared at him.
"If you're going to hit him, I want visual proof of that," he eventually breathed and Sam kissed his forehead.
"No promises," Sam told him and then got up.
Tony was reluctant to follow him but he did when Sam walked out of the room to get a little bag. Tony stayed close to Sam's side this whole time and he gave him one last bruising kiss right before Sam stepped towards T'Challa's plane.
"I'll be back in a day, I promise. I'll just go in, grab my stuff, yell at Steve and be back out. You won't even notice I'm gone."
"I always notice when you're gone," Tony whispered and Sam cupped his cheek.
"I know. But it'll be over in a blink. I promise." He pressed a kiss to Tony's brow and then turned around to board the plane.
Tony stood on the field until he was ushered away, so that the plane could take off and Sam promised himself to not leave him alone ever again.
When the plane landed in Wakanda it was like a switch was flipped. He was bristling with anger the moment he stepped out of the plane and T'Challa greeted him.
"Did you know?" he snapped at him and the king only raised an eyebrow.
"Know what?" he asked and Sam wanted to strangle him for his calm.
"What happened in Siberia?" Sam hissed and T'Challa shook his head.
"No. I left when Zemo started to play the footage. I suspected that something was wrong when only Captain Rogers and Barnes came out, and given by the state they were in, I should have checked on Tony. But Barnes was badly hurt, and I did not have the restrains to keep Zemo in place, so I trusted them when Captain Rogers said Tony would be just fine. I guess I shouldn't have."
"You're damn right you shouldn't have," Sam told him and then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let it out on you."
"I understand," T'Challa said with a little nod of his head. "We packed your belongings up, everything is waiting here. Captain Rogers is with the others in the living-room," T'Challa told him with a small smile and Sam nodded his thanks to him.
At least he wouldn't have to look for him.
Sam quickly made his way over to the room, not caring in the slightest that T'Challa and at least two of the Dora Milaje were hot on his heels. No one tried to stop him, so Sam didn't pay attention to them.
He barged into the room, only distantly noticing Wanda, Clint and Scott there as well, too focused on Steve.
Steve perked up when he came in and smiled when he saw him.
"Sam. You're back," he exclaimed and Sam had to remind himself that hitting Steve would probably break his wrist.
"Only to get my stuff," he coldly said and Steve frowned.
"You're not staying?" he asked and Sam stood before him, arms crossed in front of his chest.
"No, Steve," he said. "I'm going back to my husband."
Steve's eyes grew huge at that and he looked torn between admonishing Sam for not telling him about that and for being happy for him.
"Your husband?" Clint asked from behind him and Sam didn't even turn around to him.
"Yes, my husband," he said and kept his eyes on Steve. "Tony, who happens to be hurt and left alone on the compound."
Steve's face drained off colour at his words and Sam still stared him down.
"You never mentioned that," Steve weakly said and Sam brought a cutting smile to his lips.
"Like you never mentioned to Tony that Barnes killed his parents? Like you didn't tell us that you three fought at the end? Like you didn't tell us that you left Tony hurt and alone in the middle of nowhere?" he demanded to know and behind him Clint whistled.
"There were reasons, circumstances you don't understand," Steve tried to explain and Sam saw red.
"I don't understand? I understand enough, Steve. I understand that my husband is drinking again. I understand that he hasn't slept a single night since that happened. I understand that my husband is alone in the facility. I understand that he is afraid and hurt and shying away from everyone," Sam spat and Steve obviously wanted to say something but Sam talked right over him.
"I understand that you're not losing a single hour of sleep over this whole mess, that you don't have to worry that Ross will come to imprison you at every single second of the day. I understand that you sent him the most obnoxious letter, Steve, that you hurt him enough that I wasn't even allowed to touch his chest the first few days, that he is afraid that I kept something from him as well."
"I tried to apologize," Steve lowly said and there was a split second where Sam thought 'Fuck my wrist' before he hit Steve in the face.
Steve either let him or didn't see the punch coming, because Sam got him good. Steve's head snapped around, he stumbled and Sam was in the process of going after him when arms wrapped around his middle and pulled him back.
Sam didn't fought against them, but his hands were still clenched and the arms didn't loosen.
"How dare you," Sam spit out. "How dare you say that. You didn't try to apologize. You tried to make it easier for you. You tried to ease your conscience and you didn't spend a second to think about Tony."
Steve stood before him, holding the side of his face and staring wide eyed at him. Sam roughly shoved the hands off him before he said "Don't you ever dare to tell me again that a team needs to trust each other. That there cannot be secrets. Because you are a damn hypocrite, Rogers. You lied to him all the time, you betrayed his trust and I want nothing to do with any team you lead."
"Sam, I didn't," Steve started but Sam didn't give him a chance.
"Don't," he warned him. "You beat him bloody and left him behind. Did you even stop to think about that? That you could have very well left him there to die?"
"Bucky was hurt," Steve defended himself. "Tony tried to kill him and I had to stop him."
"Of course. Of fucking course your actions are all reasonable. You ganged up on him. You left him there with no way out. And if you would have talked to Tony in the first place none of this would have happened. Don't pretend, Rogers. This is as much your fault as it is everybody else's. You don't get to justify your actions and condemn his in turn."
It seemed like that finally shut Steve up because he didn't protest again. "I am done with this," Sam said and turned around to see a smiling T'Challa, who shoved a phone into his pocket, and one of the Dora Milaje behind him. It was her who had held him back.
"I would like to leave now," Sam told him and T'Challa nodded.
"Of course. The plane is waiting for you."
"Thank you, King T'Challa," Sam stiffly said and left the room without a glance back.
"Wow, did you really," he heard Clint's voice right before the door fell shut behind him and Sam briefly stopped to take a deep breath and shake his throbbing hand. It wasn't broken, but it hurt like hell. It felt good.
When the plane landed, this time on American ground, Tony was waiting for him. He was also grinning.
"What has you in such a good mood?" Sam asked as he walked down the stairs and Tony walked towards him, holding up his phone.
"It seems like I have a very loving husband," he said and then practically jumped at Sam. "I didn't think you would really hit him!"
"Excuse me? Who told you that?" Sam asked with a smile and kept an arm around Tony when he let go of him.
Tony held up a phone and Sam could hear himself yelling at Steve before he even realized that this was a video.
"Who filmed this?" he asked and took the phone from Tony, relishing a bit in the hurt look on Steve's face.
"T'Challa," Tony said with a laugh and Sam gaped.
"You're kidding. T'Challa filmed this?"
"Yes! I called him once you left and asked him for a favour. He was more than happy to oblige. Seems he isn't totally on board with Steve's decisions as well."
Sam looked at his husband. "How often have you seen this already?"
"It played on loop since I got it," Tony admitted with another laugh and Sam pulled him close to kiss him.
"I love you," he said against Tony's lips and Tony sighed against him.
"You know, if I ever had doubts about that, this video is clear proof of that," he told Sam who chuckled.
"Good. Because there should never be any doubts."
"There aren't. And I love you, too. Even though I have no one to punch to prove it."
"You don't need to prove anything," Sam told him and guided them towards the car.
"Want to go back home and watch this another ten times?" he asked Tony, who laughed delighted at that prospect.
"Only if there is cuddling involved," Tony teased and Sam pulled him closer.
"Always," he promised.
"Then that sounds like a damn good plan to me," Tony agreed and laughed when Sam kissed him again.
Once home, that was exactly how they spent their evening.