#cabnw

You were in your house, the one that Tony bought you when you refused to sign the Accords. You gave up being a hero instead of signing the Accords, you said your morals wouldn’t allow you to sign it but you had a reason not to not fight them. Only Tony knew why, them having been there when you found out. Which is why Tony got you a house in the DC area so you could be by family.

It was late when the knock on your door happened, you felt this was coming. You were just in the waiting game until he acted. Opening the door, you stood there, an ever imposing force that somehow radiated kindness and terror at the same time.

"Sam," you looked him up and down, he looked good. That much you would allow yourself to think.

"Y/n," he breathed out, you knew you looked different. You had let your hair grow out since you were no longer fighting.

"I’ve been expecting you, come inside," you stepped aside to let him in and took a deep breath. It had been 8 years since you saw Sam last and you could feel the reason you left start to wake up.

"We need your help, I know you gave this life up but," Sam was cut off by your 6 year old daughter, Charlotte, walking into the living room where you all stood. You could tell by the look on Sam’s face that he had already figured it out.

"Charlotte, baby, go back to bed," you turned to face your daughter but she walked forward and tugged you down gently by the arm.

"Is that my daddy?" she whispered into your ear while looking at Sam. You nodded gently and she looked at you with her little doe eyes.

"You can meet him later, go to bed for now, ok?" You knelt to relieve the ache in your back from bending at an awkward angle. You watched as Charlotte looked between you and Sam before leaving, letting you turn towards Sam again.

"She’s mine, isn’t she?" Sam questioned.

"Yes, she’s the reason why I couldn’t fight the Accords," you could see the anger rise on his face and you didn’t blame him; however, you didn’t let him speak before you started talking to him again. "You have to understand, Sam. If I told you, you would have either signed the Accords or given up the Falcon title. I couldn’t have you make that decision, it would have been unfair," you couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore.

"It would have been my decision to make, but you made it for me,"Sam countered and you sighed.

"And I’m sorry, but I love, loved, you. You love your job and I didn’t want you to have to go against your morals for me, for us," you barely realized that Sam had walked to you until his hands were grabbing yours.

”You love me?”

"I," you considered lying but you had messed up enough already, so you cleared your throat. "I do," you confirmed.

"Can I meet her?" There was a hopeful look in Sam's eyes, one you couldn't ignore.

"Yeah, she’s been waiting to meet you," you told him.

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She’d suggest they raincheck date night when he got the call from Joaquin that they needed him out on the field. But Sam had refused, reassuring her that he wouldn’t miss the twentieth anniversary of their meeting each other no matter what. 

The night was going to be a simple but very meaningful thing of them recreating the day they met in a small arcade in Delacroix when they were only eleven. Sam was the first friend she made after moving there and they’d been inseparable ever since. 

They’d spent the next five years dancing around each other on tiptoes— both too scared to make the first move while everyone they knew watched on in suspenseful agony— until Sam had decided he’d had enough and took matters into his own hands. She smiles fondly at the memory of him stumbling over his words when he’d asked her to be his date to the prom. 

“I’ll just give him a call.” she mutters to herself, going to her favorite contacts list. She barely hears the first dial tone before she spots Sam at the entrance of the arcade. Relief floods her. She hangs up and waves him over. 

A radiant smile breaks out on his face as soon as Sam’s eyes land on her. “Hey.” he says when he reaches her. His grin is a little tired, a little sheepish. “Sorry I'm late.”

She immediately scans him for injuries—  he sometimes fights like he’s Steve— and cradles his face when she finds nothing wrong. “Don’t do that.” she says. He’d always been selfless and hard working but the shield changed everything. “Don’t apologize. I know being Captain America comes with strings.”

Sam smiles and ducks his head for a kiss. “Yeah, Captain America doesn't get Saturdays off apparently.”

She scrunches up her nose at him. “Third person? Again?”

“Just tryin’ create a work-life boundary, sugar. It’s necessary when I’m off the clock.” he defends himself. “And I got a bouquet of your favorites and sent them ahead to the apartment so we wouldn’t have to worry about them getting ruined while we tear this place up.” 

Looking into Sam’s warm brown eyes and his beautiful smile, she feels herself falling in love with him all over again. “I’m the luckiest girl in the world.” 

“Yeah, you are.” Sam slips his fingers through hers, tugging her back towards the change counter. “Now come on. There's a stuffed parrot in that claw machine calling me by my full government name to come win it for you.” 

With their tokens secured, they make a round of all the games that catch their eyes, sampling a bit of everything and going for a second round on whichever game is most fun. 

They eventually end up at the snack bar where they get pizza slices for old times sake. 

“This is vile.” Sam complains with his first bite into the lukewarm chewy slice. 

She agrees but decides to mess with him anyway. “You used to love arcade pizza.”

“When I had the taste palate of a seven year old.” Sam grouses. 

“There’s a food truck outside. Wanna go take a look?”

The stars that prick the velvet sky outside are icy bright. A light summer breeze— a welcome relief after the stuffy inside of the arcade— plays among the leaves of the ginkgo trees lining the sidewalk. The smell of sizzling meat and toasted bread hits them before they even get to the truck. 

There’s a huge selection of savory foods printed out on the side of the truck and after much debate and compromise, they settle on grilled cheese sandwiches with a side of bacon and an extra large basket of fries. 

Sam takes a deep inhale and sighs. “Now this is food.” he says and turns to the vendor. “How much do I owe you?”

“Oh.” The truck owner shakes his head. “Your money’s no good here. Captain America doesn’t pay at my truck. In fact, take whatever else you want. On the house.”

Sam glances at her and wiggles his eyebrows before turning back to the vendor. “Thank you but we’re good.” he says, polite as ever. 

“You sure?” the vendor asks. 

“I still gotta fit in the suit.” Sam jokes, earning a laugh from the vendor. 

She bumps his shoulder as they head for the park benches with their haul. “You know, you can always just make Bucky get you a new suit.” 

Sam’s eyes sparkle from the fairy lights strung above them as he laughs. “Yeah. I’m sure he’d love that.”

They sit at a park bench directly under an old-fashioned streetlight, small shadows fleeting over them every time a moth glides close to the luminaire. 

They dig in while Sam tells her about his mission, going into fascinating detail— everything from the weeks of planning and tracking down their target down to the actual part about capturing the cartel he and Joaquin have been after. “And what did you get up to today?” Sam asks, his tale complete. 

“Well, nothing as crazy as yours.” she says, wiping her hands on a napkin. “But we had in this cute Pomeranian today. He came to the clinic for a tooth extraction, the poor thing. He was so well behaved—“ She interrupts herself when Sam yawns. “Am I boring you?” she teases.  

“No.” Sam says quickly, eyes heavy from the long and demanding day he’s had. “I was listening.”

“I’m kidding.” she reassures him. “I know you’re exhausted. Let me take you home.” 

Sam's shoulders sag in relief. “That sounds like a great idea.”

“Come on, Captain.” She takes both of his hands in hers and pulls him up from the bench. “You’ve earned a good night's sleep.”

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