Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Written for Lo, who I both adore and hate because she inspires my brain far too much. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it, Ily.
Word Count - 11178
Beta'd by Sam and Pandakins
On Your Left (On Your Right)
Sam wasn't sure how he ended up here; sitting on the grounds of Wakanda, with the rest of the world thinking him an international criminal.
Sometimes, he wondered how much easier his life would have been, if only he hadn't recommended Marvin Gaye to Captain America.
What even was his life anymore?
He felt rather than heard Steve join him, their shoulders brushing together as Steve sat down. Steve's wing brushed at his back, making Sam shift uncomfortably. He knew it wasn't purposeful, but he nodded when Steve apologised for it quietly.
"You okay?" Steve asked.
Sam shrugged. "I guess. I just… this is… messy, Steve. Messier than it had any right to be, and it doesn't help that I feel like I've missed out on a whole lot of what this was even about."
Steve sighed but nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I know. I'm sorry you got dragged into this."
Sam turned his head to look at him. "You know I've got your back," he replied simply. "I just would like to know what I'm actually defending you from."
Steve snorted. "I don't deserve your loyalty," he muttered depreciatively. "I dug myself into a hole that I had no idea how to climb back out of, so I just kept digging, hoping I'd come out the other side. It didn't work, and I messed up."
"What happened in Siberia?" Sam asked quietly.
"A whole lot that I wish hadn't," Steve admitted. "I… Tony came to help. Like he told you, he really did just want to help. I know that. Zemo, he played a video of Bucky killing Tony's parents, and Tony… he went mad. He asked if I knew, and when… I didn't, not for sure, but I suspected, you know? And Tony, that just made him even worse. He attacked Bucky. I… I didn't want to hurt him, Sam, I really didn't, but he just wouldn't stop. So…"
"So?"
"I broke the suit. Smashed the arc reactor with the shield. Tony, he said I didn't deserve the shield. He's probably right about that, but I just… I couldn't let him kill Bucky, not when I just got him back."
Sam sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ward off the threatening headache.
"I… am surrounded by morons," he muttered. "You know I'm your friend, right?"
Steve frowned. "Sure."
"Then you'll know that I'm saying this as a friend; you're a fucking idiot."
From the corner of his eye, Sam saw Steve's wings wilt, drooping behind him in a show of guilt and remorse.
"I know."
"I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, but you've gotta stop making these unilateral decisions, Steve. You should have told Tony about your suspicions about his parents, you know that, right?"
Steve nodded. "Yeah, of course I do. I guess… I was scared, and I was a coward. I sent Tony a letter, apologising for that but… I'm relatively sure that he's probably not even going to read it."
Sam frowned. "A letter? Are you sure that was wise?"
"What else could I do? I sent him a phone too, so he can contact us if he needs us. He was always so sure that there was something coming… he needed to know that if it did, we'd be there to help."
"Do you think he'll sell us out?"
Steve bit the inside of his cheek, but after a long pause, he shook his head. "No. No, I don't. Tony and I have had issues in the past, and we have issues now, but… he's a good man. A great man. He wouldn't do that."
Sam shrugged. He didn't really know Tony, didn't want to make false judgements on a man he'd met a couple of times for not very long at all.
"This… whole thing, was never really about the accords, was it?"
"What? Of course it was!" Steve replied. "You read them; you agreed they were wrong."
"And I stand by that," Sam replied calmly. "But I mean, for you, none of this was about the accords. It was about Bucky."
"I, no, it was—"
"Lie to me all you want, Steve. But don't lie to yourself." Sam stood, resting his hand on Steve's shoulder for a long moment. "I'm going for a run. I'll see you at dinner."
…
Steve sat beside the cryo chamber holding Bucky, his head in his hands. He'd spent much of his time here since they'd arrived in Wakanda, finding peace with Bucky even in his frozen state.
Shuri was working tirelessly on a method to remove the brainwashing from Bucky's mind, but it was slow going. Steve tried his hardest not to be impatient about it, but it was hard.
For so long, he'd believed Bucky dead and now that he was alive, and yet Steve still couldn't talk to him, hold him, kiss him; it was torture.
"He's going to be okay, you know?"
Steve looked up to see Shuri perched on a nearby table. He nodded, not really knowing what else to say. He wanted to believe her, but until Bucky was in his arms, he didn't know if he ever would.
"We're getting closer. I don't want to give you a timeframe, but it shouldn't be too much longer."
"I… we were actually… I think we'll be leaving soon. I don't want to leave him behind but… we're still needed out in the world, even if the people don't want our help and… we can't just leave Hydra to gain more power."
Shuri sighed. "It is not up to you to save the world on your own."
Steve smiled slightly. "Perhaps not, but… I'm going to try anyway."
She let out a small laugh. "Of course you are. I'll take care of him for you, I promise."
Nodding, Steve looked at Bucky for a long moment. "When he wakes up… if I'm not here… tell him I love him?"
Shuri's eyes softened. "Of course."
…
"I'll miss this place," Sam said quietly, as he hefted his wing pack onto his shoulders. Natasha nodded, but Sam knew how eager she was to leave Wakanda. Her wings were fluttering slightly behind her, the silver catching in the sun. Sam loved Nat's wings, and he wondered if they'd changed when she'd become the Black Widow, or if the spider web esque pattern on her wings had prompted the name.
He'd never quite worked up the courage to ask her.
Steve joined them a few minutes later, his own wings noticeably subdued. Sam supposed he'd been saying goodbye to his still frozen boyfriend, so he didn't comment on it.
"Are we ready?" Steve asked quietly, looking between the two.
Sam nodded. "We're ready, Cap. Know where we're headed?"
Steve nodded, his eyes determined and his lips set in a grim line. "Hydra base in Siberia. Close to where Zemo—"
"Got it," Sam replied, not wanting to see the haunted look in Steve's eyes that always came when he talked about that last encounter with Tony. Sam wondered if anyone could ever make Steve feel worse than he made himself feel when he felt guilty about something.
…
Time passed in a hail of fights and long periods of waiting.
Sam hated the waiting. Steve hated the waiting. Nat hated the waiting.
There was nothing for it though, because they had to be in and out, every movement planned down to the second because they weren't just fighting the bad guys anymore, they were also hiding from the supposed good ones.
Steve was quiet, much quieter than normal, and Sam worried about him. He knew Steve had a lot on his mind, but it was almost unnatural, how still the man could sit for hours at a time, staring at a blank wall like it held the answers to the universe.
Sam was intimately aware of the symptoms of depression and PTSD, and he knew the signs well enough to recognise them in his friend. In the same breath, he knew Steve. He knew the man would never admit to such things, would see them as a weakness in himself even as he accepted them in other people.
So, not knowing what else to do, Sam bought music. He bought movies and books and anything else he could think of that would make Steve engage with something other than his own mind.
It didn't always work.
Sometimes Steve offered him a wan smile and promised to read or watch or listen to whatever Sam gave him and placed it carelessly off to the side to gather dust.
But sometimes… sometimes, Steve would listen to a CD with a smile. He'd laugh quietly at a comedy, or become so involved in a book that he'd forget to eat from being so caught up in the lives of those on the pages.
It was nice to see, and everytime it went right, Sam felt a warmth in his chest from being able to help.
So caught up in helping Steve, Sam didn't realise the date until it took him by surprise and brought him back down to earth with a rather harsh bump.
…
He woke with a start, Riley's name still on his lips. He was panting, sweat pouring from his damp skin, and tears fell from his eyes without his consent.
Sam rubbed at his face wearily and sat up, knowing it would be pointless to attempt more sleep. He never could after that dream, never wanted to for fear that he'd see it again.
"Are you okay?"
Sam startled badly, pressing a hand to his chest when he focused on Steve.
"Did I wake you?" he asked, noticing how sleep mussed Steve looked, his hair a mess and his eyes bleary.
"It's fine," Steve murmured, his voice low and rough. "Are you okay?"
Sam swallowed around the lie he wanted to tell. "Not really. I… it's the anniversary today. Of Riley."
Steve winced. "I'm sorry, man."
Sam nodded. He knew there wasn't anything to say, knew nothing could or would soothe the ache in his chest that came with loss, but he thought that maybe Steve at least understood his pain, even if he'd been given another chance for happiness with Bucky.
"Is that… you never talk about it, but… your wings?"
"Or the lack of, you mean?" Sam replied, shifting on his bed. "Yeah. The loss… it happens. Sometimes they grow back but most times, once they're gone, they're gone."
Steve nodded. "I wondered, after Bucky… why I still had mine. I'd been so sure that I'd wake up and they'd just be… gone, and yet they stayed and it made me question everything I'd ever felt for him. Peggy, she told me it was probably the serum that had made them stay but…"
"Sometimes, people don't lose their wings to the grief. It's a really shit lottery, really," Sam added bitterly. "I was lucky, because the Army valued me enough to give me the Falcon wings, but…"
"It sucks," Steve murmured.
"Yeah. Yeah, it sucks."
"Were you two, you know, together?"
Sam smiled. "No, we weren't dating, but… if I believed in soulmates, Riley would have been mine without question. He was… he was part of me, will always be part of me, and I miss him every single day."
Steve nodded. "I'm sure he was a great guy. He must have been, if he was so close to you."
"He was the best."
…
"The accords have been scrapped," Nat informed them. She'd been away for a few weeks, checking in sporadically. "Tony's work. He's trying to arrange for full pardons, but it's slow going."
Sam saw Steve's eyes widen slightly. "For… all of us?"
Nat nodded. "All of us. Bucky included."
"I… have no idea what to think about that," Steve admitted. "Why would he even want to help after everything that happened?"
"I think… Tony is a fixer," Nat said, her tone soft. "No matter who was at fault, he still believes something is coming and he truly believes that as a team, we can win. He wants to make sure we'll have that opportunity."
Sam nodded slowly. "So… we'll be able to go home?"
Nat smiled. "Eventually, hopefully. He's working on it, anyway."
…
"Okay, who told these guys they were allowed to shoot at us?" Sam griped, barely avoiding another bullet.
"I don't think they asked for permission," Nat replied dryly as she rolled out from behind a wall, both of her guns raised to shoot. She took out three of them and managed to get herself back behind another wall.
"Steve?"
"Here, fine," Steve grunted, panting as he fought hand to hand with four of the men.
Sam flew overhead, taking out men as he saw them, dodging bullets as best as he could. It was times like this, when they had to be overt, that he really hated the split second delay in wing response.
Unlike real wings, he had to actually concentrate to make them work, and it made close calls all that much closer.
A bullet shot too close again, and he moved, but it was the wrong move and a second bullet grazed his ribs, making him call out.
"Sam! Sam are you okay?" Steve called, his tone anxious.
"Fine," Sam gasped. "But I think my wings are… fuck, yeah, I need to land. I have a bullet hole in one of them."
"Head out of the line of fire, we'll come find you when we're done," Steve ordered.
…
"It's just a graze, Steve," Sam repeated, as Steve carefully cleaned and covered the wound on Sam's side carefully. The worry in his eyes didn't dissipate in the slightest and Sam sighed. "Steve, I'm fine."
"It's just…" Steve shook his head as he applied the last bit of tape to hold the patch in place. "It's just that you're out here because of me. So when you get injured… that's on me. This is my fault."
Sam rolled his eyes.
"Stop being so egotistical," he said, shaking his head. "I'm out here, fighting because it's the right thing to do. Yes, I have your back and yes, I follow you into battle, but Steve, I don't do it because I'm following Captain America. I do it because I know what's right, and I know what I believe in. Stop making everything your fault, okay? Own your own mistakes and leave the rest to the people they belong to."
…
Touching the jet down back in Wakanda was strange. Sam was eager to be back, to shower in luxury and sleep in a bed that he didn't need to worry about finding bugs in, but it was still… odd. He'd gotten used to moving from place to place to place, to being on edge almost all the time in case they were found and had to run.
To be somewhere safe was novel, but still, definitely strange.
T'Challa was waiting for them, his pure black wings splayed out in all their glory around him. Sam knew it was a show of strength and power, but it also wasn't threatening. His guard around him as they always were and it was as impressive a sight as it had always been. Sam wasn't sure how it worked, but every single one of the Dora Milaje had identical eagle-like wings lifted from their backs.
Sam smiled a greeting to Okoye before he followed Steve in shaking T'Challa's hand. As the Dora Milaje scattered, Sam's eyes widened when he saw who was standing behind them.
He heard Steve gasp, saw his wings fly up and out as wide and tall as they could as Steve stumbled forwards to wrap his arms around the waiting Bucky.
Their wings, Steve's large white ones and Bucky's speckled brown ones seemed to wrap around them, hiding them from view.
Sam averted his gaze, feeling like he was watching something practically indecent, the embrace was so intimate. He shared a glance with Natasha, who smiled fondly, glad that the two had been reunited.
T'Challa gestured them to follow him, and Sam did so gladly, Nat at his side. He heard Steve and Bucky bringing up the rear, murmuring softly to one another.
"I don't know how much you have heard, while out in the world, so forgive me if I'm repeating information you already know," T'Challa said, when they reached his office. "The Accords have been repealed, and as of last week, pardons have been issued for all of you. I have copies of the paperwork here for you, so you'll know exactly the few conditions that have been added."
Sam nodded along with the others.
"Tony Stark has asked me to pass along the message that the Avengers Compound is open to all of you, and your home there is unchanged. Miss Maximoff is already there, having joined Vision at the first opportunity. I know there is still a lot of… unfinished business between you all, but at least in this, I believe everyone is in agreement. The world needs her defenders."
"And Tony? He's okay?"
T'Challa nodded. "As far as I am aware, he's well."
Steve nodded. "I… don't quite know how to thank you, T'Challa, but if there's ever anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."
T'Challa smiled. "I've had rooms prepared for you, but I'll understand if you wish to return home immediately."
Sam glanced at Steve in question.
"A chance to rest and freshen up before we leave sounds… wonderful, to be honest," Steve admitted.
Sam noticed his hold on Bucky's hand tighten.
"Then you shall have it," T'Challa agreed. "Okoye will show you to your rooms."
…
Showered and shaved and wearing clean clothes for what felt like the first time in forever, Sam felt a hundred times better. That he had the knowledge that he could go home just made that so much more.
"Hey, Wilson."
Sam entered the communal area between their rooms to find Steve and Bucky sitting together on the sofa. If you didn't know how much they loved one another, you'd think them friends, sitting side by side talking quietly.
Sam, who'd spent so many hours listening to Steve quietly talk about their relationship, he could see the connection between them immediately.
They were joined from shoulder to hip to knee, and the look in Steve's eyes whenever he met Bucky's was almost painful to look at. There so much vulnerable joy there that it hurt Sam's heart.
"Barnes," Sam greeted in turn, dropping himself into an armchair across from them. "Good to see you."
Bucky snorted. "You mean, good to see you now that you're not a murder-bot."
"That too. The absence of Steve's pining is also helpful."
Steve glared playfully Sam as Bucky laughed and nudged Steve's shoulder with his own.
"You always were a sap," Bucky murmured, rolling his eyes.
"As opposed to you who literally used to recite poetry," Steve replied dryly.
"That was one time and I was drunk!"
"Still did it."
"You're a punk, Stevie."
Sam chuckled at them, shaking his head. Steve looked back over at him and smiled, his eyes bright and happy and sparkling.
"You ready to get home, Sam?"
"So ready," Sam replied. "When are we leaving?"
"In the next couple of days, definitely," Steve replied.
"I was thinking I should maybe stay here," Bucky said quietly, wincing when Steve turned sharply to glare at him.
"No."
"Stevie, do you really think that I should be moving into the same place as a man who's parents I murdered."
"It wasn't you!"
"Actually it was," Bucky replied flatly. "It wasn't my choice but it was still my hands. The brainwashing is gone, Steve, but the memories are still there. They're always going to be there. I just… I don't think it's fair to Stark."
"He worked for that pardon for you," Sam said quietly, before Steve could actually explode. "It would be unfair of you to throw that back in his face by not making use of it to go home and help in the fight. It would be unfair of you to stay here when the man you love, who loves you, is out there risking his life when you could be at his six. It's unfair of you to hide away from things you didn't have a choice in, rather than accept the second chance you've been offered."
Bucky stared at him for a long moment before he nodded slowly. "You're right."
"Of course I am."
Steve cornered Sam hours later and hugged him so tightly, Sam thought his ribs might actually give under the pressure. When he said thank you, his tone low and rough and with far too much emotion, Sam understood.
…
The tension in the jet was palpable. Even Natasha seemed tense, and Sam knew how much it took to make her show any kind of emotion. When they touched down on the landing pad, they found it empty.
Steve seemed disheartened by that, but said nothing. He tugged Bucky onto the roof and then through the doors, down to the main floor of the Compound. They saw a few people dotted around though they didn't seem to pay them any mind.
On the main floor, Steve was about to talk when Tony strode into the room with Bruce, Thor and another man at his back.
"Welcome back," Tony said breezily, lifting his sunglasses to meet their eyes. "Don't get comfortable. We've got a mad Titan on his way, and this is probably going to be dicey. Meeting room in ten. You remember where it is?"
Steve nodded, and Tony smiled briefly at them. "See you there then."
He walked off, the man Sam didn't recognise following him, talking quietly, while Bruce and Thor lingered.
"It's good to see you," Bruce said first, moving forward to hug Steve and Nat. He shook hands with Sam and Bucky.
Thor offered them all a tight smile but held himself back. "Tony is correct; we must plan," he said, his voice oddly low. "If we get it right, there will be time for catching up when this is over. If we do not… it will not matter."
Sam raised his eyebrows but didn't comment. There was barely concealed fear in Thor's eyes, and that didn't bode well for anyone. Thor was a God, anything that could strike fear into him spelled disaster for everyone else.
They followed the path Tony had made to the meeting room, surprised to find people already there and waiting. They'd barely walked through the door when Nat was gently sliding past him to make a beeline for Clint, who was seated on the other end of the long table.
Sam recognised some of the people already assembled, and he felt his throat dry when he saw Rhodes sitting at the table, Tony behind him with his hands on his shoulders.
Rhodey's wings, regal and large, were pushed back and almost seemed to be wrapped around Tony protectively.
"Come in, come in, sit," Tony instructed, waving them into their seats. "Usually, we'd have done the whole welcome back party and all the rest but we really don't have time, so we'll save the catching up for when the world isn't about to end."
"This is Dr Strange, our new resident Dumbledore, and he's going to explain what's happening in a few minutes. This is Captain Marvel," he said, gesturing to a woman sitting on Rhodey's left. "And Spiderman."
Sam recognised him from the airport fight, and barely held back a smile when he waved at them. If Sam had to guess, he'd say whoever was behind the mask was young.
"Valkyrie," Tony continued, gesturing to a woman in battle gear.
Sam lost track as Tony introduced the new faces around the room, but he smiled at Wanda when she looked up and waved at them, and he nodded to Rhodes when the man met his eyes.
Something in his chest tightened when Rhodes nodded back with a small smile.
"Okay. Mad Titan," Tony said eventually. "He's called Thanos, and his main objective is to collect the infinity stones. There are six in total, and we have two of them. The mind stone," he gestured at Vision, "and the time stone."
"Thanos is already on route for Earth, and he will stop at nothing to get his hands on these stones," Dr Strange said, his eyes flashing angrily. His wings fluffed behind him, as though letting out an angry huff, and Sam was slightly mesmerised by them. They were green and purple and very… there. He'd never seen wings like that before. "I have looked at over fourteen million futures to try and define a way to defeat him, and there is a way. It won't be easy, and it's going to take everyone we can find that's willing to help."
"T'Challa has already offered up himself and Dora Milaje to help, and we've got more coming in from Hell's Kitchen, Xavier's lot, and the moronic four are on their way in," Tony said rolling his eyes.
"Play nice," Rhodey murmured, tapping at Tony's hand still on his shoulder.
"Uh huh. Thor is leaving briefly, but will be back for the fight with possible allies. The Iron Legion are also ready and waiting for my call. We've got two days before he arrives. Is everyone willing to fight?"
…
Being thrown straight into battle mode threw Sam for a bit of a loop, especially with the complex plans Dr Strange and Tony were laying out on them. So much seemed to be riding on every single person doing their part, and there was so much that could go wrong.
Sam would be lying if he said he wasn't terrified.
Everywhere he went on the Compound, he saw clusters of people all talking lowly. Some were working on hand to hand in the gym, others working over maps and notepads, others still working with blue holograms.
"You alright, Wilson?"
Sam turned to see Rhodes walking towards him. Now that he was up and walking, Sam could see the braces around his legs that enabled him, and he felt the guilt churning up inside him.
"Yeah, it's just… a lot. I wasn't expecting to come home to… this."
Rhodes nodded. "Are you ready for it though? At this point, it'd be better to sit out than go in unprepared."
Sam shook his head. "I'll be fine. I just… I'm sorry. I know we said that we were going to do the whole catching up and big conversations afterwards, but… I'm sorry. I—"
"It was a fight, you moved out of the way of a shot, it wasn't your fault."
"Still."
Rhodes smiled. "Things like this are part of the price of what we do. There's always the chance of accidents and injuries. There's always the chance that we won't come home at the end of it. These are the chances that we take because we fight for life and we fight for what we believe in."
Sam nodded slowly. "I know. I… Thank you. I think I needed to hear that."
"Anytime."
…
They gathered one last time before leaving to make sure everyone had everything they needed.
Everywhere Sam looked, it was almost like people were saying their own private goodbyes as they got onto various jets or flew off. They were planning to gather at Wakanda, which had already been evacuated of everyone unprepared or unable to fight.
"You ready, Sam?" Steve asked, walking over to Sam's side with Bucky at his back.
Sam nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready."
"It's going to be okay, you know," Steve said quietly. "We're going to win."
Sam offered him a small smile before he stepped onto the jet. He was glad that Steve believed in them, and he tried to force himself to follow his Captain's lead, but he couldn't deny it was difficult.
This was more than a fight over something small. This was literally a fight for the planet, and if they failed, billions would pay the price for that.
It was certainly enough to put things into perspective.
…
Sam stood beside Bucky on the large grounds sprawling around the Wakandan castle. They were in the final minutes before the invasion would start, and everywhere people were staring up at the sky, waiting.
Steve stood on Bucky's other side, reunited with his shield which was strapped to his arm. It was good to see it there, where it belonged, and the way Steve ran his hand over it, Sam could tell he felt the same.
He wondered when Tony had found the time to hand it over.
Speaking of Tony, and he'd certainly been busy. Behind them, shoulder to shoulder, was a long line of Iron Man suits. Each of them were functioned by an AI, something Sam found both worrying and amazing.
Tony himself and Rhodey in the War Machine suit stood just in front of them, their helmets down as they talked quietly.
Sam couldn't hear what they were saying, but Tony looked terrified and Rhodey seemed to be trying to settle him. Sam looked away, not wanting to intrude on a private moment. He'd wondered, a few times, if Rhodey and Tony were more than friends, but he'd been assured they weren't.
Just the closest of friends, he'd been told. Watching them together never failed to make Sam's heart pang for his missing best friend.
"It's here," Bucky murmured, and Sam turned and looked up, biting his lips when he saw the approaching ship. It was huge.
The spaceship cast a shadow over them before it hovered on the outskirts of Wakanda's defences. The doors opened, and strange looking creatures seemed to pour out of it. At first glance, it was just a mess of black and silver limbs as they arrived in droves, but as they plastered themselves up against the invisible barriers surrounding the castle, Sam got a better look.
"What the fuck," he whispered, staring at the creatures. They were like particularly vicious dogs, except they were bigger than any dog Sam had ever seen and they had six arms. "What the actual fuck!"
"Creepy looking bastards, aren't they?" Bucky replied. He sounded as shocked as Sam did.
Sam looked around to see his teammates mingled in with the vast Wakandan Army and the many other heroes that had arrived to see off this threat to the planet. Even with the amount of people, the sudden battle seemed impossible.
There was no end in sight to the space dog things, piling up on top of one another in an attempt to get over the barriers.
They all watched for a long moment before T'Challa gave the order to release part of the forcefield keeping them out.
The space dogs piled through the gaps and Sam hit the air, his metal wings sweeping him up above the battlefield.
"Jesus, you see the teeth on these things?" he asked, hearing Bucky chortle through the coms.
The battle was brutal. Sam flew over head, shooting wherever he had a clear shot, trying to keep his eyes on his team mates in case they needed assistance. There didn't seem to be an end in sight, and he watched, frustrated, as people fell to the dogs. Worse was to come, since Thanos and his Black Order hadn't even debarked yet.
"We've got trouble," Nat hissed through the coms, and Wanda joined her, the two of them engaging the first of their enemies to touch ground. When Okoye joined the women, Sam knew that the three of them had it in hand.
Tony and Rhodey flew the sky with Sam, swirling around him and each other in what seemed like an almost choreographed dance. If they weren't fighting so hard, Sam would have liked to just sit back and watch the two of them.
Thor arrived with a flash of lightning and took out a sweep of the dogs with one movement. He was literally crackling with lightning, and it seemed to be coming off his skin and from his eyes.
Sam had never seen anything like it, but he was very, very glad that Thor was on their side.
Finally they seemed to be making a hole in the amount of space dogs, and there was a moment's reprieve to breathe and look over the field, to see the bodies strewn. Sam was grateful that he could see most of his teammates spread out across the way.
"Holy fuck," Sam heard in his coms, though he wasn't sure who'd said it. Turning, he saw Thanos himself walking their way.
He was actually purple.
Of everything, that shocked Sam the most. He wondered briefly if he'd actually gone into shock as he giggled.
Really? Purple?
"Sam? Are you okay?" Steve asked, his concern evident in his tone.
"I'm fine," Sam assured him, trying to pull himself together.
Thor let out a roar when he saw Thanos and engaged him immediately, giving the others chance to surround him and engage his order in battle. Tony joined Thor in battling Thanos, and Rhodey joined Sam in circling the others, taking out the dogs that still remained.
He didn't see it until it was too late, couldn't get his throat to work to shout out a warning before Rhodey was hit hard in the side. Sam forced his wings forwards but he wasn't fast enough to catch the rapidly falling Rhodes and the next thing he knew, all Sam felt was pain.
…
The medical wing of the Wakandan castle was filled to maximum capacity. Steve and Bucky sat together at Sam's bedside. They were holding hands, and Bucky had his head on Steve's shoulder.
They were both tired, exhausted even, and yet neither wanted to sleep. Neither wanted to sleep without knowing the final numbers.
Tony was in the next room over, fighting for his life and nobody was sure if he was going to make it at all. Clint and Natasha were both injured badly, though a full recovery was expected for both of them.
Many of the Wakandans had given their lives to defend the world, and each death weighted heavily on all of them.
None more so than that of Rhodey.
Steve winced at the thought of it. If Tony lived… he couldn't even imagine how he was going to deal with the fallout from that. At the moment, Spiderman, who'd actually turned out to be more of a Spiderkid, was sitting with him along with Bruce.
Steve wondered who would be the one to inform Tony, and then winced again when he realised that it should probably be him, if anyone.
The bleeping from the machine monitoring Sam was comforting though, in that it told Steve the man was still here, still living. A little bent but not broken.
"Do you love him?" Bucky asked suddenly.
Steve frowned and looked at his boyfriend, confused.
"What? Who?"
"Sam," Bucky replied, gesturing to the bed with his chin. "I see the way you look at him sometimes. I was going to ask before but there was never time and…"
"I love you," Steve replied, squeezing Bucky's hand. "You're the one I need, so if you're thinking that I'm going to leave you or—"
"No, I wasn't thinking that," Bucky assured him quickly. "I just… you look at him like you look at me. It's okay, Stevie. I… I like him."
"Buck…"
"I'm just saying. I wouldn't be against it. If that was something you wanted."
"He's lying in the bed, still unconscious after being knocked from the sky," Steve said, shaking his head.
"But he will wake up, Stevie."
"Yeah… I know. I just… I can't deal with this right now, Buck. I'm not… I'm not saying it isn't something to think about but. Not right now."
Bucky seemed to accept that and settled back down against Steve's shoulder.
Steve closed his eyes and let his head rest against the top of Bucky's. They'd done what they needed to do, but nothing was ever going to be the same. The world have been saved, but it was also forever changed.
…
Three days later, Sam opened his eyes.
…
"Poor Tony," he murmured, accepting the water from Bucky as Steve gave him a rundown of what had happened after he'd fallen. "I tried to save Rhodey but I wasn't fast enough. He was already… and then I was hit and I—"
"It wasn't your fault, Sam. From what the doctor said, he was killed by the initial blow, not the falling."
"How's Tony doing with it?"
"He doesn't know yet," Steve said, sighing heavily. "Tony hasn't woken up yet. Nobody knows if he's going to. It's just… more waiting."
Sam leant back against his pillows and closed his eyes. Part of him wished that he hadn't woken up yet.
"You two are okay?" he asked, blinking his eyes back open to look at them critically. Steve looked picture perfect, but Bucky had a healing cut on the side of his neck and the remnants of a bruise around his eye.
"We're okay," Steve assured him, patting his leg gently. "We were worried about you. You went down pretty hard. For a moment I thought—"
"Hey, no, don't do that. I'm okay, Steve."
Steve nodded and swallowed hard. "Yeah. It's just… a lot."
Sam couldn't really argue with that.
…
The screams hurt Sam's ears, and he was ashamed to put the pillow over his ear but he just couldn't listen to it.
The raw pain was savage and it was so familiar that it made Sam ache all over. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus on something else, anything else.
A hand on his arm startled him and he looked up to see Bucky, eyes rimmed red, taking the pillow away gently.
"He's stopped. Shuri sedated him," Bucky said quietly, sitting down in the seat closest to Sam's head.
"I know that pain," Sam whispered. "I know it because I've felt it and it's horrible, Bucky."
"He'll be okay," Bucky murmured, pressing his face against Sam's bed. Sam didn't know if he was trying to convince Sam or himself.
"Where's Steve?" Sam asked, hesitating slightly before he reached out to run his fingers gently through Bucky's hair.
"Sitting at Tony's bedside, feeling guilty for being the one to deliver the news that caused those screams."
Sam sighed. "Is he ever going to learn to not take unnecessary guilt?"
Bucky snorted and shook his head. "I doubt it."
…
The return to the Compound was subdued. There would be no victory party when they were all grieving the loss of one of their own. There was a funeral to plan, and they knew Tony would need a lot of support; if he'd let them.
He'd left a day earlier, snuck out before anyone could stop him from leaving. Pepper had called to let them know he was safe, but they still worried about him. Bruce attempted to go down to the labs only to find them on full lockdown.
FRIDAY assured them that Tony was… not fine, but alive and safe and relatively well, so for the time being, they were giving him space.
Steve and Bucky, not knowing what else to do, had taken to mothering Sam. They wouldn't let him move for anything, fetching him food and drinks before even he knew he was hungry, wrapping blankets around him and sitting for hours at a time watching movies on the tv.
Sam let them, for lack of knowing another way to make them feel useful. He knew what it was like, to want to help and not be able to do much and taking care of Sam seemed to be helping them, Steve in particular.
Nat and Clint were on the mend and had holed up together in Clint's room, sending messages via FRIDAY occasionally to assure everyone of their continued wellness, and Thor had disappeared again.
Bruce was fairly tight-lipped about Thor, but he did say that he thought the Demigod was mourning his brother and craved privacy.
The days passed by slowly, and Sam healed. A week in and with Rhodey's funeral looming, Sam forced Steve and Bucky off to the gym. They were being overly attentive and it was starting to get a bit much for him. He knew they needed to let off some energy, and so he ordered them away.
They went, albeit with sulky faces and puppy eyes that almost made Sam reconsider.
Sam dragged his aching body from his room and moved towards the living room, pausing when he saw Tony in the doorway, his eyes red and watery. This was the first time he'd seen the genius since before the battle, and he wanted to offer condolences, or ask him how he was doing, or at least say he was sorry for Tony's loss but the words stuck in his throat as Tony passed him. The realisation was like a punch to the gut, and Sam could only watch the other man walk away.
Tony had lost his wings.
…
Sam searched the room for any sign of Tony, frowning when he couldn't see him in the sea of black. The funeral had been… like any other funeral, Sam supposed.
Heartbreaking.
Tony had ordered the wake be held at the Compound, since that was where Rhodey had lived before… before. Sam had watched the man in the church, sitting on the front row with who he assumed was Rhodey's family.
Sam had watched as Tony had caught an old lady when her legs gave out, helping her sit back down on the bench as tears streamed unchecked down his own cheeks. It was horrible to watch and yet Sam hadn't been able to look away.
He hadn't been able to look away from Tony at all.
The lack of the showy silver and gold wings made Sam hurt for Tony, and now, searching him out at the wake of his best friend, he couldn't find him.
"Where are you going?" Steve asked, as Sam walked past them.
"Tony's missing," Sam murmured. "I just want to make sure he's okay."
Steve nodded, his eyes sad. "I think, if anyone could get through to him right now, it would be you."
Sam nodded and patted Steve's arm as he continued his path. He checked Tony's rooms, before he asked FRIDAY where Tony was. He should have known, really.
…
Sam stood in the doorway of the lab, watching Tony. The genius was sitting on the threadbare sofa, his suit jacket thrown haphazardly on the floor and replaced with a worn MIT jumper that Sam would bet his life on being Rhodey's.
"Hey," he said softly, not wanting to startle Tony.
Tony looked up at Sam's voice but didn't reply. When he didn't protest Sam's presence, Sam entered the lab and hesitantly sat down beside Tony.
"It was never supposed to be him," Tony whispered. "He promised me, before the fight, he promised me that he'd make it through, that he'd be okay. I wanted him to sit it out, I begged him to stay back and not get involved."
"He fought because it was what he believed in," Sam said softly. "You can't deny a man his beliefs, nor the right to fight for them."
"But he wasn't supposed to leave me," Tony cried, burying his face in his hands.
Sam rubbed at his back soothingly. He didn't have any words, because comforting words in the face of such powerful loss were worth absolutely nothing.
Tony sat up eventually. "You know, Rhodey's always been my one constant. It never mattered what was going on, who I was annoying, who I was fighting with, Rhodey was there. I don't… I don't know what I'm supposed to do without him."
Sam sighed. "When I lost Riley, I thought it would have been better if I'd been the one who'd died, because then at least I wouldn't feel the pain of his death. But… then I asked myself, would I really want to inflict that pain on him? It's not easy, Tony, and I can't say I know what your friendship with Rhodey was, or what it entailed, but I know he loved you. I know he would want you to be happy, and I know he always wanted the best for you."
"He protected me from everything. Mostly myself, to be honest, but he… he was the one I turned too, whenever I had a problem. I know I have other friends, I have Pepper, I have the team, and… I know that. But none of you are him. I need him."
"I'm not saying let someone take his place. Nobody will ever be able to take Rhodey's place in your heart, but that doesn't mean you have to close yourself off to the rest of the world. Just… always ask yourself what he would want for you. It's what I did. What I still do, to this day."
"Riley… he died on a mission too, right?" Tony asked softly, clutching at the sleeves of his jumper.
Sam nodded. "I had to watch him fall and couldn't save him."
"And your wings…"
"Gone with him, yeah. I… won't say I understand what you're going through, Tony, because nobody can. Nobody understood what I was going through when I lost Riley either, because loss is personal. But… I can empathise. And I'm always here, if you need to talk, or even if you don't. Even if you just don't want to be alone."
Tony stared at him for a long moment before he nodded. "Thanks."
Sam nodded back and smiled slightly.
"I should probably go back up there, shouldn't I?" Tony asked then, wiping the tears from his face.
"There is no should. Do what you need to do, nobody is going to blame you for not wanting to be surrounded by people right now."
Tony sighed. "Mama Rhodes is up there. I… I should be with her. I uh, thanks, Sam. Really."
…
Time moved on as time did.
Clint and Natasha decided to go and spend some time with Clint's family on the farm, and without them, the compound seemed much quieter. Sam was spending a lot of time with Tony, which while good in it's way, left Steve and Bucky with entirely too much time on their hands.
"I miss him," Bucky said, holding the punching bag for Steve.
"Hmm?" Steve asked, stopping to wipe the sweat from his head. Bucky held his hands out for Steve's to unwrap them for him.
"Sam. I know he's helping Tony, but… I guess I got used to him being ours."
Steve choked. "Ours?"
"I meant what I said in the hospital, Stevie."
Steve stared at him for a long moment. "So… you really want that? It wasn't just because you thought I wanted him?"
Bucky shook his head. "It was… maybe a little bit because I thought it would make you happy. But. I like him. A lot. And I want him to be ours."
Steve sighed, wrapping his arms around Bucky and pulling him into a hug. "Even now, three-people relationships aren't really an acceptable thing, Buck."
"It's called a polyamorous relationship, and it's perfectly acceptable. People are always going to be assholes, Stevie, no matter what relationship you have."
Steve pulled back to look at him. "How do you know that?"
Bucky snorted. "Even I figured out Google, Stevie. God you're such a technophobe."
"How do we even know if this is something he'd be interested in?" Steve asked then, dropping his head to Bucky's shoulder. "I don't… I don't want to ruin our friendship by making things awkward."
"We… ask him?"
"And if he says no, it'll get awkward," Steve reiterated.
"Have a little faith, Stevie."
…
Sam looked up, smiling when he saw Bruce entering the lab. "Hey, Bruce."
"Sam," Bruce replied with a smile as he crossed the lab to rest his hands on Tony's shoulders. "Hey, you."
"Brucie," Tony replied quietly, leaning his head back to look up at Bruce. "What can I do for you."
"I just came to see if you wanted something to eat. I'm going to order Thai."
"Hmm, the usual?" Tony asked, eyes lighting up.
Bruce nodded and turned to Sam. "Want anything while I'm ordering?"
"Green curry?" Sam asked, and Bruce nodded. Sam saw him squeeze Tony's shoulders before he left.
It was a familiar scene, one Sam saw at least twice a week, often more. Bruce had taken to looking after Tony like a duck to water, but there was something more there, just bubbling under the surface.
Sam thought it was good for both of them.
"I see you looking at me, Wilson. It's not like that," Tony muttered.
Sam laughed. "But do you want it to be?"
"No," Tony snapped. Sam waited, and Tony sighed. "Maybe."
"What's stopping you?"
"I just… it shouldn't be that easy, should it?"
"Why shouldn't it?"
"Rhodey…" Tony trailed off, unable to say anymore. He cleared his throat roughly.
"Would be very happy for you," Sam finished softly.
"I just… feel guilty, I guess. Everytime I'm happy, I remember and then…"
"I think that's normal," Sam admitted. "Just because you're moving on, it doesn't mean you're going to forget your best friend. He's always going to be a part of you, Tony."
"I know," Tony agreed. "What about you and the snowcones?"
Sam blinked. "What?"
"Oh come on! They've been watching you like starving men staring at a steak. They want you, Wilson."
Sam laughed. "You're getting senile in your old age."
Tony threw a screwdriver at him.
…
"Hey guys, what are you watching," Sam said, entering the living room to find the super soldiers lounging on the sofa.
"Sam," Steve greeted with a smile. "Come sit," he added, sitting up so there was room.
Sam gestured to the armchair. "I'm good, lie back down."
"We're watching something offensive that was left on," Bucky said, answering Sam's initial question. "Jersey Shore, I think he said it was called."
Sam laughed. "Why would you torture yourselves?"
"Couldn't be bothered looking for the remote."
"We haven't seen you for a few days," Steve said then, getting himself more comfortable again. "We missed you."
Sam smiled at him. "It's only been two days."
"We missed you," Bucky repeated. "Don't be gone so long again."
Sam frowned. "Did… I miss something?"
Steve rolled his eyes. "Ignore him, he's being grumpy. What have you been up too?"
Bucky sat up. "We like you."
Sam blinked. "That's… good? I like you both too."
"No. I mean, yeah that's good but. We want to date you."
"Are you—" Sam cut himself off and looked at Steve, who was blushing from his ears down his neck. "Is he high?"
"He's just… impatient," Steve replied, glaring at Bucky. "He's not wrong though. We would like to date you, if that's something you would… like?"
"You're dating each other," Sam replied blankly. Tony words from days previous suddenly popped into his head but he shook them away. "What… what on earth would you want with me when you have each other."
"We want you to join our 'us'," Bucky said, as though it were a perfectly reasonable thing to say. "We made lots of elaborate plans for dates and wooing and… things, but…"
"But you're an impatient asshole," Steve said, shaking his head. "I am sorry for just springing this on you like this, but… I won't deny it's what we want."
Sam felt like his head was spinning and he stood up. He couldn't deal with this right now. He turned to walk away and Steve called him back.
Sam shook his head. "I can't… not right now. Just…"
He could feel their eyes on him until he left the room.
…
"Tony sent me to find you," Bruce said, when Sam landed on the grass outside the compound. "He's worried he offended you the other day?"
Sam shook his head. "No, he didn't. I just… I guess he was maybe right about something and I'm confused by it. It's… I just had a lot to think about."
"Anything I can help with?" Bruce asked, looking concerned.
"Nah, I'll figure it out. Tony okay?"
"He's fine," Bruce said with a small smile. "Complaining about not having someone there to throw screwdrivers at but aside from that, he's good."
"You're good for him," Sam said, as he shook his wing pack off. Bruce walked alongside him to the equipment room.
"You know, he's the first person to ever look at me and accept all of me. It took me a long time to realise that he truly doesn't mind the Hulk, that he just… likes me for me."
"Are you kidding?" Sam asked. "Tony loves the Hulk. Same as he loves Bruce."
Bruce blushed. "I wouldn't go that far."
"Uh huh."
Sam stopped at the door when he saw Steve and Bucky inside. It was the first time he'd seen them since he'd walked out on them and he didn't really know what to say.
"Hey Sam, Bruce," Steve greeted cheerfully.
Okay, so… pretending it didn't happen. Sam could do that.
"Hey guys," he replied. "You both good?"
Bucky smiled and nodded. "We're good. You?"
"I'm good. Debating food, you wanna go for a pizza?" he offered. He figured he'd made the right choice when their faces lit up in matching smiles.
"Bruce? You wanna see if you can drag Tony up from his lab?"
Bruce nodded. "Sure thing. Meet you in the living room in… fifteen?"
When Sam nodded, Bruce walked off to find the errant genius and Sam looked back at Bucky and Steve.
"We're sorry," Bucky said quietly. "I pulled a dick move, just throwing it at you like that."
Sam shook his head. "I was surprised and… yeah, really surprised. And confused. It's fine."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, we're good."
…
The pizza was great. Tony hadn't been in the mood for going out, so they'd called for delivery instead and had just settled down when FRIDAY interrupted the conversation.
"Sir, it would appear that Victor Von Doom has arrived in New York and it threatening an imminent attack," FRIDAY announced.
Tony sighed and slumped back on the sofa. "And let me guess. The Fantastic Four aren't around to go and play."
"Got it in one, Boss," FRIDAY confirmed.
"Urgh." Tony looked at Steve. "Suit up?"
Steve nodded. "Suit up."
…
"You remember what you said to me, after Rhodey's wake?" Tony said, looking up from where he'd been tinkering with the Falcon wings.
Sam blinked. "Yeah."
"You should take your own advice, you know?"
Frowning, Sam tilted his head to the side. He'd been playing fetch with DUM-E, and listening to Tony talk about the Wings, so he had no idea where this had come from.
"What do you mean?"
"Spangles and his deep frosted compatriot. Why are you pushing them away?"
"Has someone said something?" Sam asked.
"No. I just… pay attention. They're pining after you like love sick puppies, and you're hiding down here with me so you don't have to deal with it."
"You—"
"You can come down here whenever you want, Wilson, don't give me that look. I just… you like them, they like you, what's the deal?"
"I could ask you the same thing about Bruce."
Sam smirked when he saw the light flush on Tony's cheeks, but it was quickly wiped away when Tony replied, "And yet, we're talking about you, tweedle dum and tweedle dee."
"I'd tell them that you called them that but they probably wouldn't get the reference," Sam replied with a chuckle.
Tony put a hand to his chest. "You haven't shown them the wonder of Alice in Wonderland yet? I'm wounded, that movie is amazing."
"Anyone ever tell you you're a child."
"Everyday," Tony replied. "But stop changing the subject."
Sam sighed. "I just… don't really understand what it is that they think I could offer them, you know? They're already together and happy; what are they going to gain?"
"You?" Tony replied, as though it was obvious. "All jokes aside, you should have faith in yourself and faith in them to know what they want, Sam."
"Maybe. Or maybe I'm setting myself up to get my heart broken again."
Tony stopped working and turned on his seat to look at Sam. "You told me not to close myself off to other people, and you also told me to ask myself what Rhodey would want for me. I know my Platypus well enough to know that above all else, he would want me to go for what made me happy. So… what would Riley want for you?"
Sam snorted. "He'd be asking me why I'm not already in the middle of a super soldier sandwich."
"And you'd tell him?"
"That I'm scared they'll get bored."
Tony's eyes softened. "It's no secret that I've had my problems with Spangles," he said, and Sam chuckled at the understatement. Tony rolled his eyes and continued. "But, one thing I've always admired about him, is how he sticks to his decisions. If he says he wants you, then that isn't going to change. And if you tell him I said that, I'll feed you to the Hulk."
"Bruce is so smitten with you, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd allow it," Sam replied, shaking his head.
"Ask yourself if they're worth the risk," Tony said quietly. "And if they are, hold onto them with both hands."
…
"You okay? You were quiet at dinner."
Sam turned to see Bucky walking towards him. He nodded and smiled, patting the step beside him for Bucky to join him.
"I'm good. Just thinking. I spoke to Tony earlier and he said some things I… probably needed to hear."
"Oh?"
Sam smiled. "I think… I still don't really understand what it is that you and Steve want with me. I know you said a relationship, and that you both really like me, I mean, it's mutual obviously. What's not to like. I just… don't really understand why you need me, when you have each other."
Bucky nudged his shoulder. "We gain you. Before, before Steve got the super soldier serum, and it was just us in a tiny little flat, we used to cuddle up for hours. I loved the weight of Stevie in my lap, the feeling of having someone to look after. I miss that. And Stevie, he loves the way you don't put up with his shit, but that you can still be nice about it. You make us laugh, Sam. You only have to walk into a room and we smile automatically, because it's you, and you belong with us. Or at least… that's where we want you to belong."
Sam stared at him for a moment. He could feel his cheeks heating up and he shook his head. "You're a charming bastard, Barnes."
"I was, once."
"You still are. After everything that happened… you were never going to be the same person, Bucky. Same as I'm sure Steve's changed from the angry little runt you tell me stories about. Same as I've changed over the years as life happened. Inherently, you're still the same Bucky Barnes that you were then."
"How do you know?" Bucky asked, his head tilted curiously. "You didn't know me then."
Sam smiled. "No, I didn't. But I spent years listening to stories about you before you were healed. And the spunky asshole Steve told me about? He's looking right at me."
Bucky didn't do anything for a moment, and then he scooped Sam up in his arms and pulled him onto his lap, burying his face against Sam's neck.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Sam wrapped his arms around Bucky and held him close for a moment. "I'm not making any promises," he said quietly. "But I like you and Steve. A lot. So… I'm open to it, okay?"
"Okay."
…
"Are you hurt?" Steve asked, when Sam winced as he sat back on the sofa.
Sam shook his head. He was sure he'd remember if the doom-bots had actually managed to hit him, and he couldn't think of anything else that could have injured him.
"Must have slept funny," he said, wincing again. "My back's aching."
"Come on," Bucky demanded, holding his hand out for Sam to take.
Sam raised his eyebrow. "Where are you planning to take me?"
"Medical."
Sam shook his head. "There's really no need for that. Honestly, I haven't hit it or anything, I probably twisted it in my sleep or something, is all."
Steve shuffled closer on the sofa and pulled Sam into his chest. "We care about you, you can't blame us for worrying."
"I don't," Sam replied quietly. "I just really don't think I need to go to medical with an aching back is all. If it gets worse, I'll ask Bruce to check me over, okay?"
Bucky sat down on Sam's other side, and with a single look between them, he and Steve easily arranged Sam so he was laying down across both of their laps. He was about to protest when warm hands rubbed carefully at the base of his back.
His protest turned into a moan of pleasure and he melted against them. He ignored their low throaty chuckles as his eyes closed.
…
"You know I'm not that kind of doctor, right?" Bruce asked, raising his eyebrows.
Sam chuckled. "I know. I just really don't want to deal with two overprotective super soldiers dragging me to medical is all. You were my compromise."
Bruce rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Alright, get your shirt off, let me have a look."
Sam did as he was told, pausing when he heard Bruce gasp. He twisted, raising his eyebrow for an explanation.
"I, uh, I'm definitely not trained to explain this to you," Bruce choked out. Sam could see the small smile on his face though, so he figured it probably wasn't anything too bad.
"What's the diagnosis, Doc?" he asked.
Bruce didn't reply. He moved around his lab until he found what he was looking for, and then, oddly, raised a mirror to show Sam his back. Sam twisted his neck until he could see properly, and he immediately felt like his heart had just dropped into his stomach.
"Oh, my god," he whispered. His eyes stung, and he knew if he'd been alone, he'd already be crying. "I don't… I don't believe it."
…
"Did you speak to Bruce?" Steve asked, when Sam joined him and Bucky in the gym later that evening.
"I, uh, yeah. I did."
"And? Are you okay? Did he figure out why your back's been hurting?"
Sam's lips tilted automatically at Bucky's motherhenning, and he just nodded. "He did. It's… I don't even know what to say or think. I just…"
"What is it, Sam?" Steve asked, his brow furrowing.
Sam reached for the bottom of his shirt and slowly pulled it over his head. He took a deep breath and turned to show them his back.
Twin gasps sounded and when he turned, he saw Bucky holding a hand to his mouth and Steve's smile widening.
"You…"
"Apparently. Except… they're different. Before I lost them, my wings were speckled brown and white, a bit like Bucky's," Sam said.
"Those look like they're going to be red and white," Steve murmured, taking a step forwards towards Sam.
Sam nodded. "They… I'm pretty sure they will be. With black speckles at the base of them."
Bucky frowned slightly. "How do you know that?"
"These aren't my wings," Sam said quietly, his eyes filling with tears. "They're Riley's."
…
Sam smiled when he looked around the room. It had grown since he'd first come to the compound, more chairs and beanbags filled the floor than ever before, and almost all of them were full.
His smile widened when he saw Tony sprawled on Bruce's lap, Bruce slowly running his hand through Tony's perpetually messy hair.
Steve and Bucky were sitting on the sofa, trying to make it very obvious that there was a Sam shaped space between them without actually calling him over. They'd been more overt in their interest in him since Sam and Bucky's talk, but they were clearly trying very hard not to pressure him.
It was sweet if completely unnecessary. Sam sat down between them, chuckling when Bucky immediately pulled him into his side and Steve leant into him, letting his head rest against Sam's shoulder.
Sam still didn't completely understand why they wanted him, but they did and he wasn't a stupid man. He'd take their love as it was offered, and he'd cherish it because both of these men were special.
He didn't know what the future held.
It could be spectacular, or it could burn down around him and leave him with nothing but the ashes of what could have been, but it was worth taking the chance to find out.
They were worth the chance.
"What are we watching?" he asked the room at large.
Tony opened his eyes and smiled at him, shrugging his shoulders. "Whatever is next on Spangles' list."
"Uhh, Jurassic Park," Steve said, looking doubtful.
Tony snorted. "I'm suddenly very glad that Thor isn't here."
Bruce started laughing. "That would have been hilarious. Can we save it until he's back?"
"Bruce, no," Tony whined. "Do you know how long it took me to convince him that the Lord Of The Rings wasn't actually a real thing? He wanted to join them on their goddamn next quest!"
"Exactly," Bruce said. "It'll be hilarious."
Sam rolled his eyes. "They do know that Thor trolls them for shits and giggles, don't they?" he asked Bucky quietly.
Bucky laughed as the opening credits for Jurassic Park appeared on the screen and the lights lowered.
Sam settled back and dropped his arm so it settled on Bucky's thigh. His fingertips absently drew patterns there and Sam thought he could stay here forever and never get bored.
...
He could hear footsteps pounding behind him and he rolled his eyes before they even reached him.
"On your left," Steve teased as he passed him, barely breaking his stride as he kissed Sam's cheek.
"On your right," Bucky said cheerfully, seconds later, repeating Steve's kiss on Sam's other cheek.
Both of their wings brushed against Sam's as they passed, sending a spark down his spine. It was still new enough that Sam got a thrill from it every time it happened.
Sam sighed and shook his head. "You're both hilarious," he called dryly as he watched them move swiftly away.
He couldn't deny it though; the view was fantastic.
Written for;
365 - 105. Luxury
Insane - 188. Theme; Grief