It's a Sunday morning and Sam feels like this is the first time he's actually taking a breather since becoming cap (well, being forced to become cap but he prefers not to think about that.) It's 9 am and the harsh cacophony of D.C. is already in motion. Days like these are when he misses Delacroix the most. Misses playing with AJ and Cass, Sarah's jabs, and the ocean air (he DOES NOT miss the intense humidity though.) He makes a mental note to facetime the kids and Sarah later and stops thinking about Delacroix before he starts sobbing into his coffee.
Bucky would generally be here, jabbing at him about how bitter his coffee is ("That tastes like fancy tar but I guess not everyone can have good taste.") But he had some business to take care of in New York. What business can a 106-year old man with a dingy apartment and no friends can have is beyond Sam, but he doesn't ask. He hates to admit it, even to himself but he misses stupid Bucky's stupid jabs.
The old man pretends he doesn't know how to facetime but Sam knows he's a lying son of a bitch. Which reminds him, the lying son of a bitch is also a very generous son of a bitch who got him his suit from the Wakandans, who Sam has yet to thank for their favor. His mama did not raise a mannerless man even if she did raise a man who, for the life of him, cannot get his shit together.
He decides now is as good a time as any to call Wakanda and thank Ayo and Shuri. He doesn't want to be caught dead doing in front of Bucky and give him more ammo. He drinks the rest of his coffee and puts a blazer on because even unwillingly he’s Captain America and that comes with a lot of responsibility. Like putting on a blazer to thank your friend’s acquaintances that helped ease his years-long trauma and adorned you in the stars and stripes.
Ayo is in an office when she picks up his call. But it’s in the Wakandan palace, so it’s more of a museum. He feels a little conscious about his tiny office in his even tinier D.C. apartment but decides to just suck it up.
“Captain America, I must say it's a pleasure hearing from you for the first time,” Ayo says as soon as the call connects.
“Ayo, ma’am, please, the pleasure is all mine. As you may know, we have just been stuck to our necks in problems of all nature. I'm genuinely sorry I could not make this call sooner. I know it was long overdue but we..” Sam starts rambling before Ayo cuts him off.
“Mr. Wilson there is no need for the formalities. You have been our guest in the past and we have saved the world side by side. Twice. I think that warrants some form of acquaintanceship. When James called me two days ago he did not mention you’d be calling.” Ayo replies and she seems smug as soon as Bucky is brought up.
And Sam thinks to himself, of course. Of course, Bucky called all the way to Wakanda and talked to Ayo like they were some long-lost best friends. And yes, she may have helped him ease his lifelong trauma and whatnot but didn’t Sam deserve a phone call too? Maybe even just a text message?
But Sam can think of it right now. Not when Ayo is right there and looking smug. “Oh, Bucky is not here, he is in New York, actually.”
“Oh, believe me, Mr. Wilson I, and all of Wakanda, knows Bucky is not with you at the moment. He can’t stop talking about it, and about you.”
Sam has no idea what she means and he ignores it. Because of course, Bucky doesn’t talk about him to his Wakandan friends. There’s just no way.
“Ayo, I actually called to thank you and Shuri for the suit. It’s sort of a masterpiece. I've worked with superheroes a lot but I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it before. The headgear works amazingly and it's extremely functional and comfortable. I really really appreciate you doing it for me. I know you did it for Bucky because he might’ve come to you with something. But I still want to thank you, guys. It has saved my life on so many occasions and I know my family thanks you for it too.”
Ayo listens patiently while Sam gets all of it out. She can tell how much this means to him. She also knows this is a validation for him too. Knowing that an authoritative body accepts and respects him when his own government doesn’t. Ayo can’t imagine what it must feel like, to serve a nation that refuses to even acknowledge your sacrifices, let alone honor them.
“We didn’t only do it for James, Mr. Wilson. We wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t think you deserved it or if we knew someone else would do it for you. Besides, James did most of the designing. He also insisted we give you the tiny flying robot bird. It was beyond me why he would want that but he was persistent. He knew how he wanted the suit to look and he knew vibranium would be his safest bet. We were just there to assist. Well, Shuri was anyway. I’m good with working weapons, designing them isn’t my strongest suit.”
To say Sam’s dumbstruck would be an understatement. He thanks Ayo once again and asks her and the Dora Milaje and Shuri to visit his hometown in Delacroix. He gives her the details and they hang up. Sam still cannot process what just happened.
Bucky designed his suit? Sam thought he just brought it over but he designed it too? And gave him his redwing? For all his big talk about “Sam I hate your stupid bird” he built him one from scratch. Sam didn’t know what to do with himself. Bucky was supposed to come back in 2 days, he’ll just have to wait to ask him in person.
Sam’s made himself sick with overthinking by the time Bucky gets home. And he doesn’t think about how he refers to his home as their home and how Bucky’s favorite mugs have taken up all of his kitchen’s shelf space or how he stumbles upon Bucky’s stuff lying around even when Bucky hasn’t been home for days. He has more important stuff to worry about. Like why did Bucky spend so much of his time on his suit? So he doesn’t wait and bombards Bucky with questions after he gets home and as soon as they're done with dinner.
Bucky’s sitting on the couch focused on Lord of the Rings playing on their TV and you couldn’t tell from his intense concentration that he has already seen the trilogy 4 times.
“I talked to Ayo the other day.” Sam brings it up out of nowhere like it's just something you say. But it successfully gets Bucky out of his trance.
“Oh, you did? What about? Ayo didn’t tell me.” And Bucky almost looks nervous. Like Sam might know something scandalous from Ayo that would alter his perception of the James Barnes.
“I called to thank her and Shuri for the suit,” Sam says, his eyes focused on Bucky and he sees the man pale.
“Oh.” Bucky replies, helpfully.
“Oh? Is that all you have to say for yourself?” Sam’s angry now and he doesn’t know why.
“What do you want me to say, Sam? Because if you’re looking for an apology you’re not going to get it.”
“What? Of course not! I just want to know why you did it! You could’ve just told them to make the suit and they would've done just fine. And redwing? I thought you hated redwing! And not just redwing, you got me several smaller redwing lookalikes too. Why would you do it, Buck?” Sam can’t look at him anymore. He has no idea where these emotions are coming from.
“I just thought you would like it. That you would like to have your own suit. Black man in stars and stripes and whatnot. If you hated it so much you could’ve just…” Bucky’s rambling now and Sam can’t believe he has fallen for this idiot.
“Bucky, I love the suit. So much. I never thought I would have one for Captain America. I am in love with it. I just want to know why you did it.” Sam says and he thinks if he cries in front of Bucky right now it’s over for him.
“I did it for you. And I’d do it a thousand times again. You’re so reckless and an absolute idiot. For some who is so intelligent and level-headed, it surprises me how stupid you can be on the field. The vibranium headgear and the entire suit can’t prevent your dumbassery but at least it’ll protect you. And I know how much you love redwing. As much as I hate the stupid fucking bird, I know how heartbroken you were when Karli broke it, so I insisted Shuri make one.” Bucky replies and Sam thinks he might collapse into a sobbing heap on the floor.
“Oh” is what he helpfully replies instead.
“So now you’re gonna hit me with the ‘oh’ huh Wilson? A thank you would be nice.” Bucky is smirking now and Sam feels torn between punching and kissing his perfect little face.
“Thank you, Buck. I genuinely mean it. That was… it was really thoughtful. I don’t think anyone’s been so thoughtful towards me before.” Sam regrets the words even before they’re out of his mouth.
“You’re welcome, birdbrain. Someone’s gotta look out for you too. Can't have you going around saving the world with no one to watch your 6.” Bucky says and stands up to put the ice cream bowls away and Sam might just be in love now.
“This doesn’t mean I’m not gonna put redwing on your ass to piss you off, you know that right?” Sam calls out to him.
“Wouldn’t expect anything less of you Wilson” Bucky calls back from the kitchen.
And as the sound of the sink and Bucky washing the dishes fills up the house, Sam knows he wouldn’t want anything more as long as he got to have Bucky. And he hoped that would be forever.