A Change Of Pace
The building now looked much different from how it did back then. Originally the building was made of thick red wood, it was medium sized which kept it from being seen from above. Now all that was left of the building was piles of chard debris, and a faint memory.
As Sam walked through the mass of wood and stone, he came to the center of the building where an old rusted trap door remained untouched. ‘Good old vampires and their weakness to fire.’ He looked around before kneeling down and ripping the iron door off its hinge’s. It felt good to be himself for once, use his own strength as he pleased. When he had first seen Steve use his super soldier strength he almost felt jealous. To be able to use his abilities out in the open seemed like a dream Sam had given up on a long time ago.
*Past*
Sam sat quietly in the grass as he watched the building burn. Though hesitant at first, he had already grown to like Blade in the short time they had spoken. The question was what to do now? He couldn’t return to the old life he had now that he was well….different.
As Sam stewed in his own thoughts Blade sat down next him, startling the falcon. “Ahh man how do you walk so quietly?” Sam gently shoved the man who laughed. “It comes with the fangs,” he lifted his hand up and removed his tinted glasses, “I can tell what you’re thinking about.”
Sam sighed before lay down in the grass and covering his eyes, “am I that obvious? It’s just…..I’m an army man,”
“Who flies around in a bird suit?” Sam slapped him on the thigh, “you’re making it difficult for me to pour my heart out.” Blade gave him a slight motion that told him to continue and Sam took a deep breath.
“I’m in the military, my parents are home waiting for me. I-I don’t want to just get up and leave my life behind you know?” His uncertainties from earlier started to fill his thoughts once again. “W-what do I do man?” Blade seemed to pause for a second looking off into the ashes of the building. “I’m sorry. I have been like this sense I was born so, I don’t know what it’s like to transform. To become something you’re not. That’s why I asked you if you wanted a second chance.” His eyes seemed to darken in color the longer Sam looked at them. “The army sent you here, which means they don’t really understand or even know about vampires yet. And I don’t want them sticking their fucking noses into my business.”
They sat in silence for a long time, just watching the world around them. Sam knew he was different now. His body felt cold, but more flexible, his hunger from earlier was almost completely gone and he felt like he could run a marathon.
“Look,” Sam brought his attention back to Blade, “what if you stick with me?” There was a hint of uncertainty in his words, “I’ve never….had someone, like family or friends. It’s only ever been me. And I know you have a life, but your different now and you need to learn how to handle your new self. Let’s leave this place, go back to your home and tell your folks about what happened. Leave the army to find the collapsed building and assume you were KIA. So when they go to your family they’ll know you’re still alive, so you can stay with me without having to worry them.”
He finally stopped to take a good look at Blade. Sam knew he was right, that he’d have to learn to deal with his new body. But the idea of completely starting over his life was horrifying. But he needed to try, “alright. I’ll stay with you,” he wiped a stray tear from his eye, “but if I’m not able to fly by the end of this I’m putting a stake through your heart.”
Blade laughed. A genuine laugh. He stuck out his had and Sam shock it, sealing a deal that would last his whole life.
*After first meeting Steve, Sam called Blade*
“Hey Blade, guess who I just met?” The sound of gunshots rang in the background of their phone call, “just spit it out bird.”
“Well I don’t know if I want to tell you anymore.” An angry sigh could be heard over the phone, “Sam.”
Sam laughed a bit at his friends childish anger, “sorry sorry, I met Captain America. They say he’s a hundred, but I doubt it, with a baby face like his he doesn’t look a day over 20.” Sam laid spread out across his large bed, “I got the thing you asked me for and I’ll mail it to you, but I think I’m staying. I can feel it, shits about to get interesting and I want to be there to see it.”
The fighting had died down and now it was just the single screams of one vampire begging for Blades mercy. Sam’s fingers traced over his fangs as he pictured the sight. Blade towering over the cowering bodies of his enemies. He couldn’t deny the appeal of his friends strength.
“If you want to stay in the city that’s fine with me, but you know the rules Sam,” that last line was laced with a commanding tone that made Sam’s blood go straight to his dick. Even he could agree that he was a bit of a whore. “Tell me those rules agin would you big guy.” Now he just teasing him.
“First of all, flirting won’t get you everything,” Sam huffed a hit and stated, “the real rules Blade.”
“Alight, one, always bring extra serum with you. I have Whistler ship me serum every week in return for money, or other services. I’ll have him send you some as well.” Sam hummed his response as he played with one of the serum bottles Blade had given him the day before. “Second, if there is ever an emergency that involves vampires that you run into. You stop everything and tell me about it. Same goes for if I find something, even if you’re off fucking with Captain America, you drop everything you’re doing and come to me.”
A strong crimson blush spread across Sam’s face as he covered his eyes with his arm, “You know I’m not just leaving you to fuck Captain America, right?” Over the line he could hear Blade sit down and huff a small laugh, “sorry I must be mistake. Are you not the person that left for a year to have sex with a bunch of people because you were quote, ‘old but sexy as fuck and deserve some action’.”
“Blade, Buddy, I know you have such a strong loathing for sex, but I was abstinent for 20 years!! Let a brother have some action.” That year had been amazing, so many people lusted over him, it was just incredible. “And you’re no different. Remember that time you went off with Jack for like eight months!?” He could almost picture Blade rolling his eyes at Sam’s petty comment. “In any case the third and final rule is, never use your abilities on normal people, only use them as a last resort if necessary.”
Sam dreaded this rule the most, it meant denying the person that he took years to become. But Blade was right, to show off his abilities would mean to risk the chance of being hunted down again. People nowadays had no idea about what supernatural creatures still lurked around, and Blade wanted to keep it that way. “Aye, aye Captain. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Stay safe, Sam.”
*full present day*
The tunnels underneath the rubbles were completely intact, it was almost picturesque in the way they remained the same for all these years. But he wasn’t there to sight see, he knew exactly where Blade would be. ‘Down the road, to the left, meet at the doors that always go left.’ He echoed the obnoxious mantra as he traversed the winding passageways. When he finally came to the end of the hall he saw the room with no door on the left and entered. In the center of the room stood a dapper black man wearing a black leather jacket, black bullet proof vest, and similar black pants.
“Man, oh man, you never change.” Sam walked toward his friend with open arms, “you haven’t changed much either Sam.” Hugging wasn’t their usual greeting, but it had been so long since they last saw each other that neither party minded the foreign embrace. “Well besides the fact that you look like shit.” Sam walked over and slid down the wall that faced the door, “glad you noticed.” Assuming a similar position Blade watched his friend from the corner of his eye, guess his next move.
“Not even going to ask me big guy?” Blade shook his head, “alright, fine.” Sam tucked his legs into his chest and held them tight, “I was called out on a mission in a few towns over. Bucky and Steve accompanied me in busting a suspected Hydra base. We had basically cleared out the place when I felt something off in the other room.” Blade removed his glasses and now looked at his friend with full attention, “what kinda off are you talking about? You’re kind of off, or my kind of off?” While speaking Blade had took Sam’s face into his hands and took out the small contacts, hiding his red eyes. “Both our kinds of off. That’s why I got so jumpy. Steve and Bucky never faced monsters like us. So I first tried fixing the situation the way the Sam they know would, but after they started opening fire at us I knew that way wasn’t going to work.”
He took a shuttered breath, “so I began advancing, using small bits of my real strength. But Steve couldn’t leave me behind, so he begrudgingly entered as well. The whole thing came to a stop when this scientist got a hold of the ‘off guy’ and pointed a gun at him.” He balled his hands into fists as the red in his eyes grew brighter, “I should have just ended it, shown my real colors and then flew as far away as possible.” Sam’s pointed nails dug holes into his hands, he was angry at himself he thought he deserved it. Blade took his hands and un-balled them, places them at Sam’s sides. “Should means that you didn’t do this, so what happened?”
A stream of silent tears began to fall from his eyes, “I was so fucking afraid of loosing everything I worked so hard for. Steve’s and Bucky’s trust, the symbol of Captain America, my HOME! I just couldn’t do it. Instead I saw this guy come at Steve’s rear, so I went for him and not the guy in front. I called out to Steve, told him to watch out so he blocked his side, left himself vulnerable in the front and that guy took his shot. Blasted through his side. After that some douche through a flash bang and I couldn’t even kill the guy.”
Sam took a minute to rub his sore eyes and compose himself. ‘Crying in front of his friend after they hadn’t seen each other in years. God I’m such a fucking baby.’ “So what are you upset about?”
Blade had taken out one of his journals and appeared to be writing in it, “Sam. You wouldn’t come to me and tell me about a big fuck up you made. You’d get off your ass and solve it yourself, then call me and gloat about it. So what am I missing?”
It was funny how a man who expressed so little emotion was able to understand even the smallest emotional clues. “Damn man, reading me like a book. The event itself did scared the shit out of me. But it was what was said after the fact that really set me off.”
“Bucky, he….you know my feelings about Bucky right?” Blade gave a small nod as he ferociously wrote in his book, “well he wasn’t there when I pulled that stunt with Steve and when he got there. God you-you should’ve seen his face!” He laughed dryly, lacking all emotions that could be considered happy. “It was like when I first met him as the Winter Soldier. Like I meant nothing to him. On the plane ride back he chewed me out saying how I was reckless, and above all else, that Steve was wrong about me. And I just lost it.” Now he was sobbing no longer holding in his emotions.
In a quick motion, Blade dropped his journal and wrapped his arms around his friend.
“You fuck up a lot Sam. But fucking up isn’t always a bad thing. Helps you learn, helps you grow. And listen to me brother when I say that what your ‘friend’ said to you was wrong. Wrong in a sense that what Steve told you was right, you do deserve his mantle. He was wrong for saying all of that to you. Man, I didn’t want to tell you, but I saw your speech online. Saw the emotion in your eyes, that moment meant so much to you. And to discredit it entirely, IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NEVER BE SAID TO YOU!” Blade was practically frothing at the mouth as he spoke. “Let alone it being said by the person you LOVE!”
Blade slammed his fist into the wall causing a crack to form that shattered the entire wall behind them. Sam stared at his friend with wide eyes.
“It’s just…..it’s just not right Sam. You can see that, right?” Blade normally hid his emotion behind a pare of dark glasses and a bad attitude. But now they were fully on display. Anger, confusion, sadness, each emotion danced in his red eyed stare.
“Eric Stevens. You really are my best friend,” pulling Blade by the shoulders Sam engulfed his friend into a tight embrace. After a few moments they let go and stared into each others eyes. “Blade I love my life, how it is now. But when I stop and look back at it, the time I spent with you. Being chased out of towns, hunting, partying. That was the life I loved most of all. And if you’re willing, I’d like to take that life back.”
Blade stared at his friend, wide-eyed, “you should think this over more. I-I get that you’re upset, hell I would’ve probably killed him if it were me. But your Captain America now, you’re a symbol of hope and peace amongst everyone. Do you really want to give that up? Do you even think you could? I told you once that you’d regret me giving you a second chance. It isn’t too late for that to still happen. You have a life now, friends, a sister. Do you really wanna go back to the way life was?”
Sam laughed, a real genuine laugh. “Man your more emotional than I am,” he placed his hand on his friends chest, “our life together wasn’t perfect. We ran around like crazy people every day finding whatever work we could and drinking the night away. Captain America is an idea that one person, one special person can make a difference in the world. Maybe Bucky was right. Maybe I’m not the best fit for Captain America. Maybe he was wrong. All I know now is what I want. I don’t wanna be a symbol, and I don’t want to regret my decisions any more. I don’t wanna hide who I am and if I have to leave the normal life I made for myself to do that. Then maybe that life, isn’t worth living.”
For a long time after this, they sat in silence. Blade could see that his friend was speaking the truth, he wanted this to happen. He wasn’t consumed by sadness or grief. He genuinely wanted to change his life. And who was he to stop him.