half-an-hour-hence

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Sambucky textposts #7

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Alpine’s introduction into the MCU is going to be as an ‘I’m sorry’ present from Bucky to Sam, but (although he is grateful for the gesture) Sam decides he’s too busy to look after a cat, and it wouldn’t be fair on Alpine to keep her. So therefore Bucky’s stuck with her. Initially, he plans to give her up, but unfortunately for him he grows too attached. As the resident animal lover, Yelena helps, acting as some kind of co-parent to begin with.

[half-an-hour-hence]

Sambucky headcanons #3

- They take each other’s dog tags when they go on longer solo missions. They’ll keep them close by, whether that be around their necks, hidden under their suits, or stowed away safely in a jacket pocket. At night, Bucky continues to wear Sam’s around his neck, whereas Sam opts to keep Bucky’s under his pillow, his hand still clenched around them when he eventually drifts off. Sometimes, when the loneliness gets too much, they’ll stay up and study the tags, tracing the outlines of each other’s names with their fingers.

- Lazy Louisiana evenings are their favourite shared memories. Sitting on the docks, watching as the sun begins to set. Sam teasing Bucky about the gators in the water, before catching him off guard and pushing him in there. Sam offering Bucky his hand to help him get out, only for Bucky to yank him in the river with him. Sarah coming out and giving them each a towel to dry off with, and Bucky flirting with her just to get Sam all riled up. Bucky then kissing Sam when she turns and heads back towards the house, a confirmation that he was messing with him. Staying outside for hours afterwards, legs swinging over the edge of the docks, watching as the fireflies begin to dance across the surface of the water. Bucky hadn’t known a simpler time for decades. Sam hasn’t known a simpler time since.

- They have a chore chart on their shared fridge, because they squabble over who’s meant to be doing what to keep their house in order.

- Sam learns a fair few pet names in Russian. It began as a joke; Joaquin suggested learning one to see Bucky’s reaction. But once Sam called Bucky ‘darling’ in Russian out of the blue one morning and Bucky almost choked on his cereal, Sam decided right then and there that it was worth learning more. He’ll whip them out at random times, always catching Bucky off guard, always savouring the flush that blooms on his face and ears.

- They buy each other vinyls all the time. Sam’ll always manage to find some obscure 40’s record that Bucky mentioned once, and Bucky in turn will supply Sam with all the classic stuff from his childhood, even occasionally making educated guesses about artists Sam hasn’t heard of before but might like based off of his current music taste. They’ll listen to them together. They might even have a little dance if the mood’s right.

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One day

I am gonna grow wings

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Sambucky textposts #6

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I don’t know about you guys, but I would’ve LOVED to have been a fly on the wall during Sam’s conversation with his nephews about how they have to call Bucky uncle. Because I know they asked all the difficult questions. And I know Sam tried his hardest to gently explain to them about their relationship, but the boys kept interrupting and excitedly asking when he and Bucky are going to get married. And I know it ended with sam burying his head in his hands, too frustrated/flustered to talk, and Sarah in the background laughing her ass off.

[half-an-hour-hence]

Sambucky headcanons #2

- Bucky bought Sam a ‘Kiss the Chef’ apron as an ironic gift on Valentine’s Day. Subsequently, Sam has worn it every time he cooks.

- Sam pushes himself too much. Even now, even when he’s proved himself multiple times to be Captain America, the pressure of living up to this reputation of perfectionism haunts him. And that causes him to over exert himself. He becomes dizzy sometimes after training, and has passed out on several occasions. He shows up with bruises, cuts and scrapes to every mission. And the mental strain causes him to lash out at others, including Joaquin. But Bucky always finds him. Implores him to stop. Relays the words of encouragement Sam constantly offers to him, and silently wonders why he won’t take his own words seriously. Nine times out of ten, Sam relents. He’ll go lie down, or drink something, or simply break down in tears. Bucky will hold him until the sobbing stops, until he’s ready to talk.

- Bucky hates his birthdays. Not because of that fact that he’s getting older; in truth, his age is inconsequential to him now. But he can’t help but think of all the ones he’s missed, how that happiness was stripped from him. How he had to search through old files to find out his exact birthdate after he became free of Hydra’s brainwashing. And the memories of the ones he had celebrated all involved Steve in some capacity or another, so they’re all tainted now that he’s gone. Bucky’ll show up for everyone else’s and join in with the fun, but he’ll never bring the same energy to his own. Sam recognises this. He’ll never push, never prod, never ask. But he’ll always buy a small present. Nothing substantial, yet still somehow meaningful. It isn’t pressure, it’s presence. And Bucky finds himself feeling grateful every time.

- Sam insists that they do movie night once a week. He claims it’s so that Bucky can ‘catch up with the last 90 years of pop culture’. And he does. Sam introduces Bucky to some of his favourite films, and has developed the horrible habit of pausing the movies to info dump about behind the scenes facts and stories (which irks Bucky, but he listens intently all the same.) Sam’ll make popcorn and they’ll sit intertwined on the couch until either one falls asleep with their head resting against the other’s shoulder.

- They bicker like little kids over the thermostat. Sam’s always run a little hot and so prefers the air to be chilly of a night time, and Bucky can’t stand the cold (being in cryogenically frozen can do that to a guy.)

[half-an-hour-hence]

Sambucky headcanons

- Sam talks in his sleep. This doesn’t bother Bucky, who either tries to stay awake in order to avoid the nightmares, or gets sucked into one and wakes Sam up with his screams. Most nights, Bucky’ll stay up and listen to Sam’s mutterings. Usually it’s garbled nonsense; a string of words that hold no meaning, a reference to a movie that Bucky just doesn’t understand. But sometimes, Sam will speak Riley’s name. Speak it, scream it, whisper it. Bucky listens to the variations each time it happens and makes a mental note. He always makes sure the next morning to be prepared to pamper Sam with breakfast in bed and lots of affection when he wakes up. It’s a distraction from a conversation they shouldn’t be avoiding, but it works too well every time for Bucky to want to try something else.

- Sam leaves Bucky sticky notes around the house with affirmative words on them, just to guarantee that Bucky knows he’s making progress. It’s always something along the lines of ‘you did good today’, and it gets Bucky every time. Sam’s become slightly egotistical about the flushed expression he receives when he asks if Bucky got his notes, and so they’ve suddenly increased in frequency.

- Bucky is constantly online fighting the Sam Wilson haters. He has been known to track down their addresses and have a little ‘chat’ with the more aggressively racist ones. But for every hate comment he sifts through, he finds five times the amount of fan mail and Sam Wilson fan pages. He makes sure to show them all to Sam when he gets home to distract him from whatever he’s dealt with that day.

- Sam loves to sing when he cooks. He always adheres to the mood, whether it be something loud and energetic, or something soft and gentle. Bucky can’t help but stare, enamoured, as he watches Sam attempt to hit a high note or add a riff to a slower tune. And Sam will try and get Bucky to sing along with him, only to be shut down every time.

- They don’t say ‘I love you’ often. Not because they don’t feel that way, or because they don’t mean it. But because it feels like they’re tempting fate. They understand how cruel their world can be, and to expose that world to something that precious just seems like an invitation for something or someone to take it away. So when they do say it, it’s quiet. Raw. Only when it matters most, when the risk doesn’t feel too great.

- Sam helps Bucky with his scarring around his vibranium arm. Not just in treating it and checking in on the healing, but with working through the trauma Bucky associates with it. And it’s worked. Sam’s hands are warm. They are soft, they are slow. He’s never rough or cold like the other men were. And he’s constantly affirming Bucky, whispering encouragement into his ears. If not that, he just talks. About his time in the Air Force, about DC before Steve, about the seemingly unimportant things that had occurred this week. And as Sam’s fingers trace the scars on his shoulder, down by his ribs, across his collarbone - Bucky starts to learn to feel safe.

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Oh okay

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Sambucky textposts #5

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‘The guy he is now…I don’t think he’s the kind you save. He’s the kind you stop.’

…are you sure about that, Sam?

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‘Sam and I could move in together’ EXCUSE ME?!?

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When I’m in a yearning competition and my opponent is James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes in TFATWS ep6

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Sambucky textposts #4

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What if after Bucky appears on TV with the New Avengers, Sam (out of pure spite, having waited for a valid opportunity for YEARS) gets Joaquin to release all the footage Redwing caught of Bucky getting his ass whooped to the internet. Every time a new video releases, it goes insanely viral. Sam releases them consistently until Bucky either explains or apologises.

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Sam would’ve asked Bucky to join his Avengers. He would’ve asked when Bucky showed up in Brave New World, had the circumstances not been as dire as they were. But he was trying to find the right words, the right way to put it so that Bucky couldn’t contest, couldn’t interject with some sarcastic joke that would’ve got Sam all flustered and distracted. Bucky would’ve been the first member, had he said yes.

But now, Sam sits in his flat in DC. His room dark, and he’s huddled on the floor. His eyes are trained on the TV screen. The video of Valentina announcing the New Avengers is set to repeat. Sam sits in denial. In disbelief. Sam would’ve asked Bucky to join his Avengers. But as he studies his face flickering on the screen, Sam now couldn’t think of a worse idea.

[half-an-hour-hence]

Sambucky textposts pt3