#sbsummer2023

Keep reading

FAQ

What is this?

It’s a SamBucky bingo event.

Is there any pressure?

No pressure at all. Fill one prompt. Fill all the prompts on every bingo card. Do however many you please.

Can I fill more than one prompt with one piece of art/one fic?

Yes! You can fill one prompt with one piece of art or fic. You can try to fill all nine prompts on the card at once with one piece of art or fic. If you can fill every single prompt from every single bingo card in one fill, that'd be wild but it's okay by the rules. You can do any number in between.

Are there any prizes for making anything for this event?

Just the satisfaction that you made something cool.

Is it just SamBucky?

Yes please, just SamBucky. There can be side ships, but the main ship should be SamBucky.

How long will this event run?

It will run from June 1st and run until August 31st.

I heard there are badges I can use for each fill?

There are! Here they are:

1) Pride Bingo Badges

2) Beach Bingo Badges

3) Camp Bingo Badges

4) Delacroix Bingo Badges

RULES AND GUIDELINES

What are the guidelines for the bingo?

I will be borrowing some of this from the MYSU Valentine’s Day Bingo 2022 Guidelines, since they were fantastic.

For Everyone:

1. Remember to @sambuckylibrary in the post as well as #sbsummer2023.

2. Please also tag the square you’re filling (for instance, if the square is “Hiking”, use “#hiking” as one of your tags when posting about it on Tumblr).

3. If you’re uploading to AO3, please:

a ) Say somewhere which prompt you’re filling.

b ) Add it to The SamBucky Summer Bingo 2023 Collection (SamBucky_Summer_Bingo_2023).

For Artists:

1. Create at least one piece of new art that can’t have been posted anywhere else before this.

2. All visual art forms are welcome:

a ) Gifsets, at least 3 gifs.

b ) Aesthetic boards or moodboards, at least 4 images each.

c ) Drawing/painting, that is not a sketch.

d) Fan video.

e) Graphics edit.

For Authors:

1. At least 500 words.

2. Posted on Tumblr or AO3.

3. Can be part of a series, but should work as a standalone.

For Podficcers:

1. The podfic should at least be 10 minutes long.

2. It should be posted on either Tumblr or AO3.

3. The podfic can be of a fic made for the event, a fic not made for the event while still adhering to the prompt, or a notfic.

Things to be mindful of when creating:

For Sam

Avoid framing Sam only as a caretaker or emotional support for Bucky. Be mindful of Sam acting angry or aggressive in an out-of-character way and falling into the angry/sassy Black man trope (check out the MCU source material to help with character traits).

Avoid decentering Sam as a main character and refrain from focusing entirely on Bucky.

In art: avoid whitewashing Sam’s skin and research drawing Black characters.

General disclaimer: Race affects every aspect of his life, including interacting with police/government and the white structures of the world when it comes to performing his duties as Cap and simply being a Black man that lives in the U.S.

For Bucky

Avoid phrasing “flesh/normal/human hand” to refer to the contrast between his prosthetic arm and his right arm. The phrasing is ableist. You can simply refer to his prosthesis when relevant, otherwise use “right/left arm/hand”.

For more information, please check out this document suggested by @ninesdb on how to write Bucky as an amputee. @ninesdb is also open to questions if you have any queries not answered by the google doc.

Specific Tags:

Avoid tags in AO3 like “Sam Wilson is a Gift”, “Sam Wilson is a Saint”, and “Bucky Needs a Hug”.

Have fun and we look forward to your SamBucky Summer Bingo fics!

It had been harder to convince Namor that he was a friend, not a foe. The alliance between the Atlantean and Shuri was evidently not as steadfast as Shuri had led Bucky to believe those weeks ago. Namor was intense and smarter than most people Bucky had been dealing with recently. (Shuri obviously excluded) He nettled and prodded at Bucky and his story for hours. Sharks literally started to circle at one point and Bucky had to let the Atlantean know that his threat was received perfectly clearly.

When all was said and done, when Namor was reluctantly on board with the plan though not any happier about it, when Bucky's research vessel was so thoroughly destroyed he didn't even bother trying to fish pieces out of the water, Namor took him to shore and asked who should be contacted.

Bucky had said the first name that came to mind.

Hours later, when the sun had scorched Bucky's chest, shoulders, and face, Sam appeared on a boat. Because of course he knew how to drive a boat. Bucky knew that and yet his heart still tripped over itself in his chest to see him looking like some dashing privateer. A privateer in board shorts at any rate.

Sam read people better than Bucky did. Bucky was great at threat assessment, but that was usually as far as his skills went. (Barring his ability to get free sweet tea from his favorite waitress) Sam knew how to work any angle on any person. He knew to show up dressed down instead of in his full Cap gear. He knew to cut the engine well before the rudders could damage the shoreline kelp life. He knew to approach Bucky and Namor with a somber but not cowed cadence to his steps.

Steve told a story constantly about the first time Sam met T'Challa. About his nigh on irreverence and familiarity. Bucky could see him assessing now if that kind of banter would work. In the end, he went for the safer route, turning his attention to Bucky and narrowing his eyes. "What did you do?" he asked.

Bucky wouldn't say Sam and Namor got on easily. Namor was not as quickly swayed by Sam's pervasive charm and ready smile and moral dignity. But the half-snarl curl of his lip had disappeared and the tension in his shoulders ebbed the longer he and Sam talked. Sam was good at this, winning people over long enough to rectify a situation and get back out of it.

And he did get Bucky out of it. Bucky got an earful on the ride back to some place with a plane, but it was worth it once he got into the cabin and out of the sun.

The next time it happened, Sam showed up in his Captain America uniform, and Bucky felt vaguely betrayed that Sam had been doing real Captain America things without him. The conversation between Namor and Sam flowed more easily as Bucky's shoulders continued to sunburn.

The THIRD time was not Bucky's fault. In fact, Bucky found Sam and Namor already in the midst of a fight that they had started in the shallows off an uninhabited island. Surprisingly, Bucky's new bosses weren't involved, so Bucky had no idea what was going on, but people were throwing spears at Sam and that was unacceptable.

The fight didn't last much longer after Bucky joined. Sam and Namor had had it mostly under control before he showed up, so the extra brute force only helped. The combatants disappeared into the water exactly like the sea monsters of his childhood stories.

"What are you doing here?" Bucky asked Sam so he didn't have to think about what else lurked in the water. He did follow Sam out of the shallows quickly though.

"Your friend picked up your bad habits," Sam answered in a half-teasing, half-stressed kind of way. He wiped his face free of salt water.

Namor scowled at him. Bucky wondered if his own scowls were that unconvincing. It was kind of impossible to actually get angry at Sam. "He is not my friend and I did not call you for help. You stopped yourself."

Sam shrugged. "You looked like you were losing."

"I do not lose!" Namor insisted again.

"Well, hey, next time you aren't losing and don't need help, you know how to reach me," Sam said with a grin. And then, to Bucky, he added, "We share seagulls!" A phrase Bucky completely did not understand.

The next time Namor showed up, Bucky hadn't even bothered him. He and Sam had detoured away from their return home from a mission because they were flying over Nassau and neither of them were passing up the opportunity for a beach vacation. The first two days had been flawless. But that night, tangled together on a high sandbar during low tide, a sudden wave, tall enough and dense enough to blot out the moonlight, crashed over them and left fish and kelp and so much salt water in its wake. It practically flooded the sandbar out and left bits and pieces of their uniforms floating in the water.

"I can see you!" Namor called from somewhere far away, or maybe right under the water. Bucky could never tell. "Go elsewhere!"

And yet. AND YET. They were here now.

Maybe he could actually blame Namor. Thinking about it again, he could definitely blame Namor. Bucky had only accidentally introduced him and Sam. Namor had done this.

"It looks pretty good right?" Sam laughed, smoothing a hand down his perfect body that Bucky should really be napping against right now instead of suffering in the middle of the ocean. How was he actually glistening? He wasn't even wet. What was this golden glow? There was cloud coverage.

It was about the only coverage on this boat.

For an ocean where a battle had just raged with too many combatants and interests at play for Bucky to keep straight, the sea was calm, the sun warm, the bird call familiar. It could almost be any other day on the boat. Except for the blood growing tacky in Bucky's hair and the bruise sprawling down Sam's shoulder and back. He needed to get an ice pack on it.

Actually, he needed to put a shirt over it.

"It is made of the same fibers as all of our warriors' clothing," Namor explained about the "outfit" Sam had quickly changed into. "Yours and mine are the same." And he looked entirely too smug as his gaze flicked to Bucky momentarily.

Despite joking about it, Bucky knew Namor didn't actually wear a speedo. It was shorts and he had fantastic thighs that would make any clothing look smaller. Those shorts--battle garments, his ass--were even smaller on Sam. They were practically molded to his ass. There was almost nothing down the back of his thighs. They were fighting for their life to cover his ass and stay around his hips at the same time. They were a dark navy with subtle, darker striping around one leg, not that anyone could tell because they were so damn short.

"If you're going to spend so much time on the water, you should be equipped to do so. No, Barnes?" Namor looked at him again and was definitely smirking. Suddenly Bucky preferred the scowl.

"Sam flies," he ground out.

"Yes. He's very impressive," Namor agreed. "And then he rescues you from the water all of the time."

Bucky ground his teeth together even harder.

"I know you have many suits for many different reasons. I just wanted to offer a gift of my own," Namor continued. "Talokan is grateful for your help and friendship." He reached out and clasped their forearms together.

Bucky seethed.

This was not a suit. This was obscene. There was a star right over the crotch, for God's sake. (Okay, slightly left of the crotch, whatever) Namor didn't even buy into nationalism. He hated it. It had been a huge point of contention until Sam had explained to him his own struggles with representing a country or ideal that outright rejected him over and over. If anything, this should just be navy. Plain. And longer, dammit. Bucky's brain was going to overheat. He needed to look away from that damn star.

"I appreciate it, K'uk'ulan," Sam said earnestly, like he wasn't standing around looking like a soft core poster. He bowed his head a little and held a hand over his heart. God, Bucky wanted to eat him.

Then Sam kicked his ankle and Bucky turned his irritation towards him. It wasn't enough to make him want to eat Sam any less, but it eased some of the burning need in his chest. Sam subtly tried to nod towards Namor, eyes wide and imploring.

With a sigh that gathered up all of Bucky's willpower, he turned to Namor and tried to ease the scowl on his face. "We will always help Talokan and the Talokanil," he said, and surprised himself with the honesty in his voice. He did really like Namor's home and his people. What of it he had come to see and understand. "I would rather help them than whichever evil bastards are trying to pull the reins up here."

The flash of gratitude over Namor's face was only that--a flash, but Bucky saw it and he tucked that information away. But it was too quickly replaced by a grin. "Then you agree. It is good that the captain now has appropriate dress."

The scowl got deeper by three fold and Namor's grin only turned more gleeful. And, oh. Namor hadn't put Sam in a speedo to leer at him himself. He'd done it to tease Bucky. The asshole.

"We should get Bucky one," Sam joked.

Bucky and Namor pulled twin grimaces, which made, Sam laugh and laugh.

"We need to head out," Bucky said to Sam. "We'll have a better chance of holding off alphabet agencies and suits if we're not right on top of the fight.

Sam frowned, tipped his face up to the sunlight because he was genuinely some kind of sun god and needed the replenishment as far as Bucky was concerned, and then sighed. "You're right," he agreed. "One day, we'll have to meet under better circumstances," he said to Namor. He offered his hand out to the not-merman and they did that gladiator hold thing again. Namor clapped a hand on Sam's uninjured shoulder.

"Yes, I agree. Alas, we both have people to protect and our enemies are becoming bolder. It doesn't leave much time for socializing."

Sam nodded his understanding and then hoisted his wing pack onto his back. He should really put on a shirt before using it, Bucky thought. And pants. "Come on, grumpycakes," he said to Bucky and offered out the harness they had developed together for exactly these kind of low stakes, short hops.

Sam gave Namor a lazy kind of salute and Bucky managed a cordial nod. Namor only offered another smirk and even a thumbs up. He was truly nothing like Bucky had anticipated.

Sam dropped them on the far side of the nearest island. They would have to await extraction--maybe island hop a few more miles away--but there was no rush. They hadn't called for help yet.

Bucky considered the fine white sand of the beach. It was soft and warm, verging on hot. He could lay Sam out right here and get those shorts off. But he remembered trying to untangle kelp from his hair, and discarded the thought. Instead, he walked Sam back into the tropical foliage several meters away and then sank to his knees without a word.

Sam's fingers fell to his hair, head dropping back to the tree behind him. Which was a shame because Bucky liked Sam's eyes on him. Liked to be able to look up and catch his gaze, see exactly what Bucky was doing to him based on the sparkle in his eye.

“God, you’re insufferable sometimes.” Sam says almost immediately, as if he’d been anticipating that all along. His head sags against Bucky’s shoulder blade. There’s no heat to his tone. There’s really no point in getting worked up. They’re plastered together, chest to back, legs in an awkward tangle; arguing is moot.

“Bear’s gotta be gone by now, right?” Bucky whispers. 

“I ain’t taking any chances,” Sam says and tightens his arms around Bucky just a little more, and Bucky would think it’s cute that Sam wants him close but he knows it’s just a ploy to keep him from fighting a bear. Which he will. And can. 

“Alright look you either gotta let me go or let me feel you up, dollface. This ain’t a Glock in my pocket. We’re lying real close here.”

Bucky practically hears Sam’s eyes rolling to the back of his skull. “Christ Almighty.” He lets Bucky go.

Bucky laughs and shuffles onto his knees, tries to peel open the zipper, but it won’t budge, and the smile quickly fades. “You jammed it. Thing’s stuck.”

“Well,” Sam says and rolls onto his back, revealing a bulge in the front of his sweats and a devilish glint in his eye. “Maybe I ain’t in a hurry to leave.” 

A ravenous growl leaves Bucky, a sound he probably shouldn’t make with a bear still in the vicinity, but watching Sam all splayed out for him, his hand toying with the strings of his waistband… yeah. When it comes to Sam, Bucky’s not responsible for his behavior.

He leans down again and crawls on top of Sam’s warm body, yanking his t-shirt off in the same breath. Feels Sam’s legs wrap around him and his fingers ghost along his ribs, their hips pressed together in just the right angle. 

“Hm,” Bucky groans, kissing Sam’s neck, his pulse point, feeling it thud against his tongue, hearing it beat in Sam’s chest. “Maybe this tiny tent’s good for something, huh?” 

Sam gasps and pushes up against him. “Yeah, man, I know what I’m talking about. Gotta trust me.” 

Their bodies start rocking to a deliciously dirty rhythm. “Campmaster 700 who?” 

7:29 AM

Sam feels the brush of stubble followed by a kiss to his left shoulder. He hums and lolls his head back. Bucky kisses a line from his shoulder to his neck and ends with a quick peck to Sam's lips.

"Hey, sweetheart," Bucky rasps.

"Mornin, babe," replies Sam with an easy smile.

Bucky gazes down at that smile and feels his own face split into a grin. He leans down and kisses Sam again, this time with a little more fervor, with much more tongue. Sam rolls onto his back and cups Bucky's face with both hands. Bucky swings his leg over and climbs onto his husband, right arm resting on the pillow next to Sam to steady himself.

When they stop to catch their breath, Sam nips at Bucky's lower lip and scrapes his teeth along his jaw. Bucky dives back in and then makes his way down Sam's neck kiss by kiss to his chest. Just as he takes a bite to Sam's right pec, they hear the other bedroom door slam open and tiny feet run down the hallway.

Bucky sits up just in time for their bedroom door to swing open and a giggling blur jumps into his lap.

"Papa! It's time for the beach! Are you ready to go to the beach?"

"Not yet, Becca. We've gotta get ready first. Don't you want breakfast?"

Becca groans and climbs out of his lap to jump on Sam. "Daddy, time to wake up and go to the beach!" She yells into Sam's face, where he pretends to still be asleep. He lets out a loud snore and grabs onto her, pulls her to his chest, and rolls over. She giggles as he continues his fake snores.

"Daddy!"

Sam pops open his eyes and tickles Becca until she squirms out of reach and off the bed. He leans up on his elbows and says, "Breakfast first, baby girl."

8:49 AM

Becca fidgets as Bucky works her hair into two Dutch braids to match his hair. Sam is busy in the kitchen packing up the cooler. His phone buzzes with the daily weather notification. There are expected thunderstorms in the afternoon, so they need to hurry if they want enough time at the beach.

9:12 AM

Becca fidgets as Bucky does her hair into crown braids instead and Sam pulls out her coral and gold bathing suit instead of the blue polka dot one.

9:43 AM

Becca smathers sunblock over her arms as Sam puts her hair into a simple French braid, while Bucky lays out her sunflower bathing suit and yellow flip-flops. Sam hums louder so that Becca doesn't hear Bucky grumbling to himself.

10:07 AM

Sam and Bucky rush into the crashing waves; Becca squeals in delight from her perch atop Bucky's shoulders.

10:32 AM

Bucky watches from the sand as Sam and Becca jump the waves. Her peals of laughter and Sam's adoring smile warm his heart. He could just sit there for hours and watch them enjoy themselves, but he has plans for today, so he pulls out his phone and sends a text.

Go time.

10:54 AM

Becca is filling her bucket with sand for her castle when a shadow falls over her. She looks up and sees an elderly man wearing headphones and waving some kind of machine slowly above the sand. She watches the determination in his eyes with curiosity before yelling out, "Hey, mister! What are you doing?"

"Becca, no yelling. Sorry, sir, please excuse her," Sam calls out to the stranger from his spot on the beach blanket.

The man looks up and removes his headphones. His bright blue eyes catch Sam's attention and he has to stifle a laugh. He looks over at Bucky, who focuses on his book while biting his lip.

Clearly, this is a setup.

"Well, hello there, what's your name?" asks the man in a soft voice.

"My name is Becca, mister."

"Hi, Becca. You can call me Steve. And this is my metal detector; I use it to find treasure on the beach."

Becca gasps. "There’s treasure on the beach? Where?"

"Well, that's what I'm trying to find out. Wanna see how it works?"

She turns around, eyes wide at her dads. They grin at each other and nod for her to approach this Steve guy.

"OK, Becca. This machine finds metal hidden in the sand and beeps to let me know where to look. Here, listen." He puts the headphones on her and moves the machine around, but she only hears static.

Then Steve hovers over the spot where she was just sitting and she hears it start to beep. They move closer to the blanket her dads are sitting on and the machine beeps faster.

"There's something there! Daddy, Papa, move over!"

Sam just raises an eyebrow at her.

"Daddy, Papa, please move over?"

"Of course," chirps Bucky. He and Sam stand up and roll the blanket out of the way.

The beeps turn frantic at the spot right in the middle of where the blanket was.

"Right here, Mr. Steve!" Becca points to the spot and Steve grabs a plastic stick from the pouch on his hip.

"Alright, Becca, grab your shovel and let's get to work," he says, as he kneels and puts the stick in the ground.

Becca runs over to her castle-making equipment and grabs her shovel. When she returns to Steve, he also has a small shovel in hand. They dig down a few inches until Becca's shovel hits something hard and she shrieks.

"I got it!"

She digs a little with her fingers and pulls out a golden bracelet etched with flowers.

"Wow, look at that!" says Steve.

Becca rolls it over in her hands, inspecting it with wonder. "My Auntie Sarah would love this," she beams up at Steve.

Steve glances back at Sam and Bucky and grins. When he turns back to Becca, he has a mischievous look in his eyes and asks, "Wanna see what else we can find?"

11:27 AM

Sam and Bucky slowly stroll hand-in-hand behind the two treasure hunters. Fifty feet from where they found the bracelet, they find a pair of silver cufflinks. They smile as Becca tells Steve those would be perfect for her cousin Cass' graduation.

11:43 AM

Becca and Steve find some vintage coins that would be perfect for AJ's collection.

12:02 PM

The four of them sit in a circle on the beach blanket, eating cold-cut sandwiches and drinking Capri Sun. Steve asks Becca how she's enjoying vacation; Becca asks him why he's alone at the beach.

12:19 PM

Becca's face is tucked into Bucky's neck as she naps in his lap after lunch. Sam and Steve chat quietly along the edge of the water. 

"That's a great kid you've got there, Sam," says Steve as he glances over at her sleeping form.

"Yeah, she's amazing. So smart. And a bit of a smart-ass, too. I assume she gets that from Bucky."

"Oh, definitely," Steve laughs.

"But the good looks and charm are from me."

"Obviously."

They grin at each other and then share a sad smile. The sky darkens as the promised storm clouds begin to roll in.

"Hey, wanna try your luck at finding some treasure?"

"You sure there's any left out here? Bet you and Becca found everything there was to find."

"Nah, go look near that seashell over there." Steve points at a spot in the dry sand a few feet away from where they stand. 

Sam rolls his eyes but goes anyway. He moves the shell and digs down with his hands. His fingers brush against a slim chain, and he pulls it out and sees it's attached to a locket. With trembling hands, he opens it. 

On one side of the locket is Sam smiling at the camera; on the other is Bucky smiling at Sam. He vaguely remembers the dinner they were attending when the photo was taken. It had been during one of their check-ins while Bucky was recovering in Wakanda. 

"Even back then, I could tell there was something special between you two--that under the snark there was genuine affection. I'm so glad you've found a home in each other, and that you've made a home for Becca," Steve says quietly. 

As the first crack of thunder sounds, Sam sheds a silent tear. He grips the locket in his fist and pulls Steve into a tight hug.

"Thank you for this, and for today. I know you don't get out much, so I'm glad she got to meet you," Sam whispers.

Steve squeezes his middle. "My pleasure, Sam."

Bucky watches them with a teary smile.

10:17 PM

After tucking Becca in, Sam crawls into bed and wraps around his husband,

"It was very sweet of you to drag that old man out of hiding," he murmurs into Bucky's ear.

"Can't hide on the moon forever," Bucky replies, and the bed shakes with their silent laughter. Bucky rolls over to face Sam and kisses him softly. 

"Quick question, though: who hid everything Becs found today? Please tell me you didn't have Steve digging holes in the middle of the night."

"Eh, he said he could use the excitement, keep his skills sharp," grins Bucky. 

Sam smiles back at him and leans in. "Now, how 'bout we finish what we started this morning?"

Bucky happily obliges.

10:23 PM

The super soldier serum heightened everything. The beat from the music felt like it was going right through Bucky’s chest; he felt it in his bones. He had to focus on one thing at a time until his target entered the scene. He chose to watch the throngs of people dancing and enjoying themselves.

Bucky sat at a small table by himself and scanned the area as he sipped from his drink. A few people had approached him and flirted, but he brushed them off by saying he was waiting for someone. Bucky looked out on the dancefloor, and he almost dropped his drink. There, looking like an angel under the harsh lights, was Sam. His Sam, with some strange man dancing behind him, grinding all up on him; with his unworthy fucking hands touching Sam. His Sam. Bucky stood and stomped over to them. People stepped out of his way to let him pass.

Bucky gave the guy the Winter Soldier Death Stare and said, “Get your fucking hands off him.”

The stranger did as he was told and backed away. Sam, surprised at first, and then irritated, rolled his eyes at Bucky and walked off. Bucky followed behind him.

“What’re you doin’ here, Sam?” asked an incredulous Bucky after grabbing Sam by the arm and dragging him into the bathroom.

“Let go of me!” said Sam, pulling his arm away from Bucky’s grasp and straightening his stance. “What are you doin’ here? Didn’t think this was your scene, seeing as you, gee, I dunno, slept with me and then dipped the fuck out like it was a huge ass mistake. Why are you even at this bar if us being together scared you off and made you run?”

Bucky stepped back and let out a sigh.

“It’s not like that, Sam, and you know it,” he replied sullenly.

“Really? Tell me what it’s like.”

“I had to leave.”

“To join the Thunderbolts?”

“Yes.”

“But why?”

“I can’t – this isn’t the time and place to explain anything,” said Bucky as he stared firmly into Sam’s eyes. “Not my choices in work. Not my queerness. Not my reasons for leaving. I’m undercover here right now. I’m on the job.”

“Well why the fuck are you in this bathroom with me if you’re on the job?”

Bucky narrowed his eyes. Sam was being impossible, though he couldn’t really blame him. They had finally given into their mutual attraction and slept together. It just happened at the wrong time, just before Bucky had to work with the Thunderbolts. He wanted to stay with Sam and figure things out; to build something else together. But the powers that be had Bucky in a tough situation; a situation that would cause harm to Sam if he did not go along with what they wanted. Bucky would rather die than see Sam hurt, so he left. He could not have that conversation with Sam, though. Especially not in the bathroom of a bar.

“Well? Big fuckin’ professional secret agent man,” said Sam as he folded his arms over his chest. “Why are you in here with me when you should be out there doin’ this job you seem to love so much that you had to leave me?”

“Because you’re a stubborn, reckless asshole who’s obviously hurting and I’m worried about you!”

“You worried about me? I think the fuck not,” Sam replied as he moved to step around Bucky.

Bucky instinctively held out his arm to grasp Sam by the waist. He pressed Sam up against the tiled wall and crowded his space.

“Move,” said Sam, somewhat weakly, feeling the heat radiating from Bucky’s body.

“No,” Bucky replied firmly, pressing himself against Sam. “You’re out here drinkin’ and lettin’ some asshole put his filthy fuckin’ hands on you. You’re upset at me, and you got every right to be, but don’t be doin’ dumb shit because you’re pissed off at me.”

“I can do what I want. You don’t own me,” said Sam, feeling like a petulant child as soon as the words came out of him mouth.

“Goddamn it, Sammy,” Bucky huffed. “Why are you like this?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because I fuckin’ love you, okay?”

“What?” Sam stammered.

“I. Love. You. That’s why I care. That’s why I had to take this job with this new team. That’s why I’m fucking up this mission right now. Because I love you and I won’t ever let anyone hurt you. I just –”

Before Bucky could finish his love confession slash rant, Sam grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and captured his mouth in a claiming kiss. Their lips fit together perfectly as Bucky kissed Sam back with more fevor, putting all of his love and adoration and frustration and fear and joy into the kiss. Letting Sam know how much he meant to him with the kiss. Savoring in the feeling. They broke apart and pressed their foreheads together, trying to steady their breathing and their racing hearts.

“I love you, too,” Sam whispered, as he clung to Bucky. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too much,” Bucky replied as he drew Sam into an embrace and held him close. “And we’ll work this out, but not here and now. My target is dangerous, so please, Baby, go home.”