Chapter Text
After being back from Wakanda, it was a given that Bucky would live with Steve. The unexpected part was Sam being evicted from his own house and ending up being roommate with the other two. Well, unexpected wasn’t exactly right. After all, he has been an enemy of the States for a hot minute and even with his name pristine again, the damages were already done.
Being near Steve that much was intense but in a good way. They supported each other’s, fought for each other’s and it was clear that their friendship was meant to be till death and beyond. If the idea that they were something a little deeper crossed their minds sometimes, nobody had to know.
Being near Bucky that much was the reason Sam thought he wouldn’t live old and his heart would just give up and say “bye” one day.
The man seemed to have the unique ability to give Sam a headache even without saying a single word. Sam knew exactly why Bucky and Steve were friends, they both had this “little shit” attitude that Steve had displayed many times since they had meet. Having Barnes sass him every day was awakening his own unsavory side. Their relationship was a mix of jealousy, miscommunication and tentative friendship at best. They would never be alone with each other but they talked together if someone else could act as a buffer.
The blond tried to talk to them, together and on little one on one on several occasions. Sam wanted to be the bigger man, really, but something was off between them. He didn’t know how to address it because it would requires him to actually talk about their feelings and history with Barnes. The way he looked at him sometimes wasn’t really inviting, like, at all.
Then, by the end of the first month, Bucky developed the weird habit to take clothes that weren’t his. Officially, he couldn’t know if they were Sam’s and he always shared clothes with Steve once he got the serum. He remembered the day, last Sunday to be exact, when Bucky appeared with one of Sam's favorite jean. Yeah, his ass was great in them but not as good as Sam’s and, in a moment of anger, he started to try to take his jeans back, which meant trying to undress Bucky. Natasha, Wanda and Steve had found them, in the living room, Bucky squirming away on his back, with Sam tight grip on his hips. It had looked bad then and it was almost worse in Sam’s memory.
Not only Bucky didn’t gave it back but now he started wearing belts “just in case” and LOVED to make a show about it.
“Look Sam, I have a new belt, do you like it? Stark told me he would make me one with some gadgets inside, isn’t that neat? Beside, this pants ain’t going nowhere with it.” He had say, followed by a hip movement forcing Sam to close his eyes.
He had begged Steve not to talk about the incident to T’Challa when he had called the day after. Bucky was so smug when the phone was handled to him and started with “do you know what the Pigeon did Your Majesty?”
Sam had been ready to be homeless and run into the sunset after that but Steve, half laughing, found a way of making him stay with one of his look and a discourse about how they were great, all together and how they balanced each other’s out yada yada, yada.
He was weak, and he started to understand that he was a little weak for Barnes too. Allegedly.
Bucky had days where he wanted to be left alone, days were he would disappear. Steve and him would respect his needs and everything was fine. Other days, Bucky was needy and seemed to want to be as close as someone as he could. At first, Steve was always around Bucky during those times so it was fine, until Steve wasn’t and Bucky started following Sam like an attached twin.
Sam hadn’t totally shake the sleep off him that morning, preparing breakfast slowly with the Shadow Soldier near him.
“Uh, can I do something for you Barnes?”
The man looked uneasy, as if he was costing him to just be here. He wasn’t even looking at Sam but he could see the frown on his face. Slowly, his metal arm came up to Sam's hand and tug a little to direct them toward the couch, abandoning breakfast in the process. Sam didn’t know what to say so he decided to just follow the movement here. They sat, Sam at one side, leaving all the space Bucky would want. Instead of sitting opposite, the long haired man decided to lay his head on Sam’s lap.
“Oh, ok, this is a thing now?” he asked to no one, visibly surprised. He did not know what to do with his arms, keeping them in the air a moment before really slowly dropping them until they were on Bucky. He gave him the remote, his hand on his head now. Five minute after, he was gently petting the long hair, letting his finger go on his scalp. How was his hair this soft? He had no idea but now that he had touched them, he wouldn’t mind doing it again. He was wondering if he was overstepping some boundaries but Bucky wasn’t complaining so maybe it was ok, just in case, he deliberately stopped and not ten seconds passed, Bucky turned his face with a scowl.
“Ok, ok, wow, don’t look at me like that, you know, if you want cuddles you could just say so”. For sole answer, Bucky hand came to take his and put it right back on his head. “Unbelievable” whispered Sam, feeling Bucky smile against his tight.
Ten minutes later, Steve was back, not even sweating a little from his morning run. Grinning from ear to ear at the view.
“That’s better, I knew you would finally come to your senses” he said approvingly.
“I am so hungry, dude, he basically kidnapped my body and now uses it as a pillow, I didn’t even eat, I’m dying” complained Sam without realizing that his fingers were playing with Bucky’s earlobe. The man turned, one of the looks Sam couldn't decipher for his life. It was deep, kind of heavy and almost like desire, except, it was Bucky so that was stupid and impossible.
Sam shook his head, excused himself by saying he needed to go to the bathroom and left in a little rush.
Sometimes, the day was just good. Everything was flawing perfectly. The shower temperature, Barnes back from wherever with breakfast (bringing some for Sam too), a training session with Natasha and Steve where Sam finally got a move right, a good news from his sister…everything was good today to the point where he thought buying a lottery ticket was a good idea, also, his mother just called and talked about it for a good twenty.
Deciding which numbers he should play needed a proper decorum, an “ambiance” if you want, so once he was back in their apartment, Sam put on some music in the living room while changing into more casual clothes and started to sing and dance, grey sweatpants, no shirt on.
The paper he needed to file with the numbers and some options was on the bar, a pen sitting next to it. Sam wanted the music to guide him, he needed seven numbers in total and so far, only choose three. The Spotify playlist was giving him some surprises as the recommendations weren’t exactly the kind of music he was used to listen these days but Peter did use his account the night prior when they had hanged out with America and Steve. He wasn’t mad, he couldn’t understand everything but it was catchy as hell.
“Lip, and liiiiippp” was singing the, it seems, Korean woman.
He was on his second time listening to the song and he was already waving his body in rhythm. He did not saw Bucky, back from god knows where, looking at him with amusement. He just danced, body rolling, and crossed the fourth number. He continued, stomping with conviction, took a chair, dropped on the floor, ass bouncing.
He was feeling himself.
“Someone is having a good day” commented Bucky with a smile, trying not to look too much below the chin (and failing because one, Sam was still squatting on the floor in an unseen position and two, he may like what was happening here but whatever).
Sam, turned to see the other man staring and got up in a way that made Barnes gulp a little. Not really like he was putting on a show but still with a sensual elegance Bucky wasn’t exactly used to see in that kind of body type.
“Hell yeah ! Nobody tried to kill me, I got some music, tomorrow I may or may not be rich, I mean, life is good right now”
“Yeah it is” muttered Bucky an appreciative look on his face.
“You want a picture Barnes?” asked Sam teasingly, knowing full well that Bucky didn’t look at him “like that” at all.
“Why? I already got the real deal here” he answered, easy like he was serious and got no shame.
Sam laughed. “Perv”
Bucky blushed a little, turned away toward his room. “Yeah but at least, I am not freeballing in grey sweatpants”
Sam, who was still dancing a little, tripped over himself, covering his junk, suddenly self-conscious.
“I’m at home, nobody got time for underwear!” he shouted way more confident than he really was.
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing. What was is about becoming rich tomorrow?”
Sam shook his head as the song ended, followed by a sad, slow rhythm song. The change of topic was sudden.
“I am buying a grid for the Super Powerball tomorrow. Can you believe the grand prize hadn’t been won for two whole months now? And tomorrow is special because they really want to draw people in so the jackpot is two billion dollars. Even my mama has her ticket already and she never plays”
Sam resumed his dancing when the song changed, humming along, turning back to his paper and crossing another number.
“Okay Barnes, give me two numbers between one and forty”
Bucky frowned, Sam was asking him for numbers? Did he looked like a lucky guy?
“Six and nine” he proposed with an innocent smile.
Sam crossed the two specials numbers and arched an eyebrow.
“Oh really? I wonder what could possibly makes you choose those” he said, dryly while Bucky just smiled and went back to his room.
Steve wanted the team to bond so he came with the idea of a weekly meeting with whoever was around a few weeks ago.
Tonight, it was Clint, Vision and Wanda. Steve and Bucky were taking care of the food (mostly Bucky because if Steve was left alone, they would eat crackers and butter and boiled apples or something like that). It was good, really, being around friends, chatting, drinking a little. The TV was on, playing as background noise when something caught Sam attention he focused on the now familiar spot.
“This Saturday, you’ll have a chance to win the golden prize, not one, but TWO billion dollars and for this time it’s free from all taxes. Yes, you heard that right! No taxes (“No taxes?” repeated the family with dollar sign in lieu of eyes). Be sure to play and be our next billionaire”
“That’s…uh…a lot of money” commented Steve a little shocked.
“Yes, and my bank account is ready for it” Sam almost shouted with enthusiasm, showing Steve and Bucky his precious ticket. “Look at it Rogers, this is the winning ticket, the numbers of God himself and Bucky, because he did help surprisingly” he added, winking at the long haired man.
Maybe he looked a little cray-cray, with the loving eyes he gave to the blue and white paper. He really seemed ready to kiss it.
“Have you ever won with them?” asked Clint with interest.
“Well…No”
Clint, and Bucky started laughing while Steve dropped a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Vision told him the really, really low chance he got to win while Wanda tried to cheer him up.
“Laugh all you want, I won’t even offer you a gelato, you non-believers when I won, apart from you Wanda because you are my fave. Anyway, since you are here, gather around, yes, all of you, come on.”
They looked at each other’s, Clint and Bucky still laughing but doing it anyway, putting themselves near Sam.
“I need you to think of me and touch it. Send me good vibes”
“This is kind of gross Wilson, at the very least you had the decency to make diner first” Clint was almost crying of laughter now.
“I won’t use my powers to make you win, you know that right?” warned Wanda with a sorry smile.
“Of course you won’t, I just want good energy, please?”
Each of them did as asked then touched the paper. Clint first, then Wanda, Vision (who wondered what kind of custom this was, he had nothing about it in his extensive database), Steve and the last one was Bucky who didn't drop his gaze from Sam eyes while touching it. Sam smiled a little, pleased that everyone did it then put it near the TV under a small book. He didn’t want to lose it before the next night.
After everyone was back home and they were almost done putting everything away, Bucky went to Sam on the couch, thoughtful. He stayed silent and just stared. Only the TV and Steve taking his shower could be heard.
“Can I do something for you Barnes?”
“Your lottery ticket, the numbers you used, are they special to you? Not counting the ones I gave you I mean”
Sam took a deep inspiration, smiling to himself.
“Nah, My dad used to play so it reminds me of him a little. Maybe the number three because of us, Steve, you and me we are kind of a perfect team, you know? And the day we moved in together was the third of March” he smiled. He could almost swear Bucky was blushing but he couldn't really be sure. «Did you play? I mean, before”
Bucky put his body against the couch, head to the ceiling but not looking at it.
“No, Steve and I, we didn’t have that kind of money. It would have be nice thought. Maybe I should now. I don’t know. It’s the kind of silly things you always wanted to do as kid and then just don’t do it as an adult I guess”
He seemed almost shy, his metal hand lightly scratching his head, a little lost too maybe on memories he couldn’t always piece together. Sam reached for his back pocket, took the ten dollar bill he had put there after some shopping in the morning and handled it to Bucky who looked at him with curiosity written all over his face.
“You know what? Take it, go buy yourself a ticket in my name” proposed Sam as the other man accepted the bill between his metal-fingers.
“I have money you know?” said Bucky with a serious face.
“Well, this is my way of wishing you good luck, this is the “good bill” bringing you joy and prosperity” he pats Bucky’s shoulder while getting up “I’m going in the bathroom after Steve, I am ready to sleep. Goodnight Bucky. Don’t forget to play the “three””
“Night Sammy” said softly the man looking at the bill, wouldn’t it be funny if Bucky won something thanks to the money Sam gave him? He really, really didn’t consider himself a lucky guy, in fact, since he knew Wanda and her powers, the possibility of him having been cursed in his teenage years seemed more and more plausible. He wondered if it was because of Molly Grady. The girl, he remembered, liked the occult. Maybe she did something when he broke up with her? Anyway, he didn't knew much about the lottery or what kind of numbers should he play? Three was indeed a good fit for them but other than that? He remembered what Sam played and they were just…numbers to him and none of them bared any attachment to him.
That night he dreamed of said numbers and TV shows and Sam giving him gifts. Not so bad he thought when he woke up in the small seconds before it all faded away.
The day had been uneventful. To Sam, it meant it was a “good” day. Barnes did snatched his coffee to drink it instead of getting his own but besides that, he didn’t have any reasons to complain. He had spent the afternoon doing more grocery shopping with Steve in prevision of the night, the second of the week where they invited their friends.
“Sam, I was wondering…” started Steve casually as they put the groceries in the car “I know Shield doesn’t actually pay that much but with your job at the VA in addition, you have enough to live in your own place. Yet, you stayed with us”
“Is this a way to say you want me gone Rogers?” Sam joked, a part of him a little hurt at this idea. After all, not for the first time, he wondered if he was getting in the way of “something” between them. He had try to remove himself gently once but Steve had just looked hurt and was already saying thing like “are you abandoning us?”. While he had been a little nice for his ego, Sam was wondering if some things were a little beyond him in this relationship.
“No, no way, living with you is…it’s nice” he admitted with pink cheeks.
Sometimes, the way Steve talked to Sam was making a weird tension between them. He knew Steve was as straight as they could be (except for Bucky) but he definitely was sending mixed signals. He had thought the guy was flirting with him at first but then Sharon came in the picture and Sam had lost his window to try to make a move. After some times, he realized that what they felt for each other, while lingering just out of pure and simple friendship wasn’t romantic per say. They would die for each other and they would live for each other, but they would not be in a romantic relationship together.
He was looking at Steve with worry.
“I was just wondering if you only wanted to live us because you felt kind of obligated to”
Sam blinked while Steve starts to drive.
“I don’t know where that came from but it’s not like that. You should know by now that I don’t do things for that kind of reasons. I like being around your dumb but brave pasty ass”
“And you like being around Bucky too” said Steve with a soft voice not ticking on the “pasty ass” part, because it was true. Sam wondered if he heard correctly because it was an affirmation, not a question.
“He isn’t that terrible” Sam conceded. He stopped, took the time to look at him “Why are you even asking me about him? Are you sure you don’t want me to move out? I knew you were going to be together, I knew it”
“No, we really don’t! Of course not! I just want to make sure that you’re happy. You two are closer now. At first you always were arguing about something but lately you do nice things for each other.
Sam was a little concerned.
“Like what?”
Steve glanced at him like the answer was evident. Based on the face Sam make, he felt the need to elaborate.
“Well, you just took his favorite ice cream flavor”
“Yeah because I like it too”
“You always invite him to your pop culture night” continued Steve.
“We are all living together, it wouldn’t be polite to not ask him, you missed a lot of the same things, one stone two birds”
“You trusted him around your mother Sam”
“Okay, I don’t have an answer for that. Come on, she wanted to visit us once we were back after being fugitives, what was I supposed to do? Hide Bucky or send him away?” Sam chuckled, rolling his eyes.
Steve stayed silent for two minutes but Sam knew the conversation wasn’t over. Whatever was on his mind, he was deciding if he should say it or not.
“You like him”
Sam just laugh like Steve was the funniest guy in the world. He patted his shoulder and made Steve blush with embarrassment. The worst part? He knew Sam was genuinely thinking he was joking right now since he got tears in his eyes and trouble to breathe.
“Who would waste their time like that?” he asked, eyes sparkling.
“What do you mean waste their time?” he quickly questioned, a little too defensive. ”What’s wrong with liking Bucky? He is handsome”
“Handsomely annoying, that’s what he is” he stopped laughing before continuing with a soft smile” There’s nothing for me here. Come on, you really have to be joking right now” he looked at the straight driving the car, eyes on the road but definitely not looking like this was meant to be laughable.
“I am not joking Sam. I think you have romantic feelings for him”
Sam was kind of shocked because, once again, Steve wasn’t asking something, he was sure of what he is saying. That Sam liked Bucky. For some reason, it made Sam more defensive too.
“Steve, you know me and you know him, can you really pictures us in a romantic relationship? I thought you loved me but I must be wrong because no sane friend of mine would want to pair me with him”
“For the second time, you seem to imply that something is wrong with him. Why?”
Here we go Steve and his mono-idea mind. Never in his life has Sam met someone that stubborn.
“Okay let’s just forget about the whole conversation, I am sorry, nothing is wrong with him, he is perfect, he is beautiful”
“Sam” warned Steve, glaring at the other man who made a dismissive sound with his mouth (a sound Steve was never able to replicate).
“No, I won’t say anything to you about him, you act like you are stating a fact and it’s just not. It makes no sense to me, you’re looking at something that isn’t there. And you of all people should understand that this is not a road I should get on Steve”
“Then tell me what the problem is because you two sure looked cozy when you were giving him a head massage last time”
“Wow, isn’t that a little hypocrite of you to say that when you literally slept with him the entire first month he was out of cryo? But you are not in love with him, so how does that work? Suddenly you’re a fucking expert on body language yet act clueless when it involves you. Where was all that expertise when we have met uh?”
Surprised by the implication of what Sam just said, Steve calmed himself down. He was still red in the face and clearly, Sam was mad but he didn’t know how to make him tell what was inside his heart. He was certain something was there, he knew Sam cared about Bucky way more than he wanted to admit, he didn’t understand why he would do that to himself.
He planned to try once more.