It's early in the morning when he closes the door and leaves the apartment behind. He presses the button for the elevator and leans against the wall. Sam Wilson loves his job, he does. But getting up this early and going to work when he could get sleepy morning cuddles instead? That's annoying. He sighs. It's his own fault, he wanted to run a company so bad, being all big and serious and business. The elevator door opens. He stares at it for a long second, then he looks back at his apartment door. He wants to go back so bad, but he has a company to lead.
When he arrives at work and walks into his office, Riley is already waiting for him. “you look like you don't wanna be here, like, at all”, his best friend says, “I don't want any details at all.”
“you don't?”, Sam grins, “why not?”
“you and your boyfriend? You're cute or whatever, but I don't wanna hear where he puts his tongue ever again, that's so gross.”
Sam laughs. Riley points at the stack of paper on Sam's desk, “you gotta read through that. Sign them. I need them back today. Also, you've got a press conference later. I'm gonna leave now before you kill me. Love you, bye!” And just like that, he's gone. Sam just looks at the papers. He should've stayed in bed.
Sam's nearly finished with his papers when something knocks against his window. He nearly falls out of his chair before he turns around to see what just happened. He opens the window, looks down at the street. There, in the middle of the sidewalk, stands James Barnes, ceo at Rogers and Barnes, the company right across the street and Sam's biggest enemy when you believe what the media says.
“Wilson”, he calls, grinning and waving.
“Barnes!”, Sam calls back before he flicks him off.
James just laughs.
“Get your ass on your side of the street and stop throwing things at my window, asshole”, Sam adds.
James laughs even more, “you're not my boss!”
“No, but I am. Come on, Bucky, stop this”, Steve, Bucky's business partner and best friend since about 100 years calls from the other side of the road.
“Whatever, Steve”, Bucky calls back, still grinning. He waves at Sam before he crosses the road and disappears into the building.
Just when Sam is finally done with his papers, Riley walks into the office again. “You don't get to put more paper work on my desk, you hear me?”, Sam asks. “Whatever you say, Sam”, Riley replies, “you still gotta do press. They saw your very friendly greeting earlier today, so prepare for questions about Barnes.”
“What Barnes and I are doing is none of their business”, Sam answers. He knows that they're gonna ask. Rivalry is so much more interesting than their newest invention, because of course it is. Why would you care about two companies working on green energy when you can ask about the guys behind it hating each other.
“They've been asking for years and still ask every single time.”
“Yeah well, you're not really subtle about it”, Riley tells him, “so you have to deal with that. Wanna grab lunch before the drama starts?”
Press conferences always make Sam anxious. He gets it, he is the face of his company, they want answers from him, but if he could, he'd send someone to answer all these questions for him. He hates how rude they can get, how they make him the target, how they always try to break down his walls. Riley pats him on the shoulder, “I know you hate this”, he says, “you can tap out whenever you want, you know that. You don't have to answer anything, you can throw the rude one's out, everything's gonna turn out fine.”
Sam knows it will. Today it will turn out just fine. He's gonna have a field trip with this one. He nods at Riley before he opens the door. He can see the woman who took a photo of him yelling at Barnes earlier. She grins at him and he already knows what she's gonna ask about. He greets everyone and tells them to ask their questions. It starts easy, questions about the company, his goals, how he wants to achieve them, if working with his childhood best friend is still working out. He answers them all, throws some jokes into the mix. He's doing fine. Until the end, when the woman who took the photo raises her hand.
“Mr Wilson”, she smiles and he already knows what's coming, “I'm glad that everything is going so well for you, but Rogers and Barnes are working on the same goal. Do you think this is gonna cause any problems?”
Sam blinks at her.
“Do I think that two of the biggest companies in the world working on producing green energy is gonna cause any problems?”, he asks.
“Given that you don't get along and there's rivalry between the two companies I think the question isn't as stupid as you think”, she says. Everyone looks at him. It's silent for a moment. Here we go, Sam thinks.
“I don't think so”, he answers, “we may have the same goal, but we don't want to outdo each other. We just want a better world. Clean energy is important, going green is important. Working on the same goal when it's about saving the world isn't a bad thing.”
She seems to think about the answer for a second before she nods.
“I still got another question”, she says.
“Go ahead.”
“How much do you really hate James Barnes?”
Silence. God, he hates press conferences so much. He's tired of this bullshit. Every time. Every single time they ask him about this. He's done.
“Normally? A solid three out of ten”, he grins, “but when he steals my blanket at night? Man, that's a whole other story.”
Now she stares at him. Her mouth hangs open as if she can't comprehend what he just said, “I'm sorry-”, she starts, but closes her mouth again.
“I think that's it for today”, Sam says and claps his hands together, “thank you for coming. I hope you got answers to all your questions, regarding my company and my personal life and my boyfriend. Until next time!”
Then he stands up and opens the door. When he turns around, she's still staring at him.
“I think you broke her”, Riley laughs when Sam closes the door, “what the hell was that?”
“What?”, Sam asks.
“You telling the world about your boyfriend who is the James Barnes, your biggest enemy”, Riley says.
“Oh my god, stop acting like this is brand new information”, Sam groans.
“It is for the press”, Riley shoots back.
“Whatever Riley. I'm tired of this whole bullshit. I love him, I'm done with the world thinking I hate the love of my life.”
“The love of your life you say? He'll be so happy to hear that!”, someone behind them says. It's the second time of the day where Sam nearly jumps into the air because someone scared him. And that someone has the audacity to laugh at him.
“I bet he will be, that guy always needs to hear how great he is”, Sam says as he turns around to come face to face with Bucky.
“Yeah. But he has a boyfriend who's gonna tell him how great and loved he is over and over again and never gets tired of saying it”, Bucky grins and opens his arms. Sam easily steps into the hug and leans his head against Bucky's shoulder.
“Hi baby”, Bucky whispers and kisses his forehead, “you did great in there.”
“Thank you”, Sam murmurs and hides his face in Bucky's neck.
“Wanna go home, sweetheart?”, Bucky asks. Sam just nods. He's tired, he really wants to go home and cuddle up on the couch with his boyfriend.
“See you tomorrow, Sam”, Riley says behind him and Sam looks up. He waves at his best friend while Bucky slides one arm around Sam's waist. They take the stairs to avoid the press and get in the car. Bucky drives them home, one hand on the steering wheel, the other one holding Sam's.
When they get home, Sam drops face first onto the couch. “Sorry for just telling the whole world about us without asking you”, he says into the pillows. He feels the couch dipping when Bucky sits down next to him. His hand finds Sam's neck, stays there and begins to massage the tension from the long day away. Sam sighs.
“It's fine Sammy, I told you I was tired of hiding anyway and Steve was getting on my nerves because we always get questions about you and your company and us being enemies and all that. I love talking about you, but not when I get asked how much I hate you, because I can't even think about hating you, like, ever”, Bucky soothes. Sam turns around to face Bucky. “I meant it”, he says very seriously. “You meant what?”, Bucky says, tilting his head. His hand moved from Sam's neck to cradling Sam's cheek. “That you're the love of my life”, Sam says, leaning into the touch before he turns his head to the side to kiss Bucky's palm.
“My god, you really are a sap, aren't you?”, Bucky says, but when Sam looks at him, he's smiling, all warm and soft and happy.
“Yeah, but I'm your sap and I love you”, Sam answers.
Bucky doesn't say anything, he just leans down and kisses Sam. They've done that so many times, given that they've been together for years, but Sam will never get tired of it. Bucky's lips are warm and soft against his own, moving slow. When they part and Sam opens his eyes again, smiling at Bucky, soft and sleepy, Bucky smiles.
“I can't believe I got so lucky”, he whispers, his thumb caressing Sam's cheek, “I know becoming a big brother was pretty great. Opening a company with Steve was one of the best things I've ever done. But falling in love with you? You saying yes to a date? Kissing you right in front of your door after walking you home? Still being here with you, after all those years and you're still in love with me? That's the jackpot. No one can take this away from me.”
“No one is gonna take this away from you, Bucky”, Sam answers, “I love you.”
“I know you do, sweetheart. I love you too.”
It's silent for a moment after that.
“I still can't believe you blew our cover like that”, Bucky grins.
“I didn't blow anything”, Sam says, sticking his tongue out.
“Not yet anyway”, Bucky says, a smug grin on his face.
“Shut your mouth, Barnes”, Sam says.
“Make me”, Bucky answers.