“You look like shit.” Silence pervaded the small space before Sam rubbed his hand over his face and added, “Sorry. Sorry. I’m tired.”
Bucky nodded his head knowingly as he leaned against the wall a moment.
“I’d say the same about you, but then that’d be a lie,” said Bucky, aiming for something between playful and the God honest truth. “You always look good.”
Sam smiled then, small and sad, but a smile, nonetheless. Bucky pushed off the wall and moved toward Sam. His intense eyes roamed over Sam’s form, appraising yet awash with concern.
“I’m fine,” said Sam in reply to the unasked question. “The news footage made it look a lot worse than it was. A bump here, a scrape there. I’ll be fine.”
Bucky closed the distance between them and reached his right hand up to caress the side of Sam’s face. There was some swelling that was going to bruise. Bucky touched him so gently Sam wanted to cry.
“Good,” Bucky whispered as he searched Sam’s pretty eyes. “Good.”
Sam leaned into his touch, and soon they were holding one another. Arms wrapped tightly around each other’s bodies. Grounding and steadying, as they stood there swaying in the dim light.
“I miss you,” said Sam, softly and shakily as he clutched Bucky’s shirt and buried his face against Bucky’s neck.
“I miss you, too.”
“When’re you coming home?” asked Sam as he pulled back to look in Bucky’s eyes.
“When I know for sure that they can’t touch you,” said Bucky. “When I know for sure that you’ll be safe.”
“I don’t feel safe when you’re not with me,” Sam admitted and it broke Bucky in half.
“Honey,” whispered Bucky as he pressed his lips to Sam’s brow.
“I need you, Buck.”
“I need you, too. You make all o’ this shit worth it.”
They stared at one another for a moment before Bucky tilted Sam’s chin with his hand and then placed a kiss to his lips. It was full of longing yet somewhat desperate. Bucky poured everything into that kiss, and it stole Sam’s breath away.
Bucky broke the kiss, pulled Sam flush against him, and then said, “I love you. I love you so fucking much it makes me crazy. You don’t know what you do to me, Sam. You don’t know what I’d do for you. What I’ve done for you. If – if you knew, I’m afraid you wouldn’t want me anymore.”
“I’ll always want you,” said Sam in hushed tones. “Always.”
Bucky’s lips ghosted across Sam’s skin before he pressed them to Sam’s cheek, jaw, and then neck. He felt Sam’s body tremble from the attention.
“Tell me you love me back, Sammy,” said Bucky as he kissed Sam’s neck and whispered in his ear. “I might die if you don’t.”
“I love you, Buck. I love you so fucking much it hurts.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” said Bucky as he lifted his head and held Sam’s gaze. “I never want to hurt you.”
“I know,” Sam whispered as he placed both hands to either side of Bucky’s face. “But you are. Every minute you spend with them is hurting me.”
Tears welled in Bucky’s eyes before he lowered his head and said, “I know and I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, Baby,” Sam replied, drawing Bucky into a hug. “Just come home to me.”
“I will,” Bucky replied resolutely. “I’ll be home soon.”