“I think you should have a shot at this,” Steve says, uncovering the shield from its cloth case and pushing it over towards Sam. “You’ll have more use for it than I do.”
The shield looks like how it did when it went into the battle that gave Thanos a taste of his own medicine, shiny and bright and classic. Sam touches it and feels the smooth finish of it, years of memories held into one thing. If it could talk.
Sam looks back up to Steve. He’s looking off into the lake, the blue water and the blue sky reflecting off his eyes, matching the shade of his eyes almost exactly. Those eyes have seen lifetimes of suffering and happiness and war and love.
“So you’re telling me that you actually listened for once and lived your life? Got married? Had kids? Had pets? Complained in the supermarket and got stuck in traffic like normal people?” Sam says as he sits down next to the former Captain America, arm hanging on the back edge of the old bench.
Steve laughs. “I hope you know that I always listen to you. This time… Your advice just happened to be what I picked. You give fine advice, Sam.”
Sam smiles as Steve gives him his left hand to see the simple silver band, engraved with words in cursive that wrap around.
“Who’s the lucky person?”
A moment of silence.
“My best friend... Bucky. We couldn’t be separated when we were younger. He… He used to save me from bullies and every danger in the world until I became Cap. And then.. then I was protecting him, but it still felt the other way around.” He pauses, looking at Sam.
“He made me better. He loved what I was when everyone else loved what I could be. Falling in love with him was the best thing that ever happened to me. And the worst thing I ever did was never telling him… I knew he loved me too. I always knew.” Steve squeezes Sam’s hand.
“I got a second chance. With him. I’m lucky to be even saying those words. I thought he was long gone for me when Hydra captured up the 107th back when I was just a clown acting like a symbol for the USA. Something for them to put their hope into. I couldn’t even put hope into myself. God, how I felt... I was disappointed in what I was doing, and I was being forced to go on without him, and the only thing that hurt more than thinking he was dead was thinking he was out there, trying to move on, or trying to wait on me. I know I couldn’t have done anything.”
There are tears in Steve’s eyes. Sam reaches a hand over and places it on his shoulder.
“You couldn’t have done anything.”
“I know. I know. Sam.”
“Yeah?”
Steve wraps his arm around Sam and pulls him in for a hug.
“You got this, if you want it. You were always there for me and I want to thank you. I want to thank you for being there when everyone turned on us. I… I don’t know if I ever told you this, but before I got the serum, a person told me to be a good man above everything else. To stay who I was. To put my morals and beliefs over what others would consider right.”
Steve pulls back.
“I know you can do that. You’re a good man. A great man, even. I have no doubt you’ll stay who you are. Before anything else.”
“I told you I do what you do, just slower. Might take me awhile to get acquainted with this here,” Sam gestures to the shield and laughs, but he knows what Steve means.
“You can do it faster. And you can do it better. Try it on.”
He nods and stands up, removing the shield from the case and fitting it onto his arm. It glints in the morning sunlight, shining onto the dark green grass.
“Thank you. I’ll do my best.”
Sam begins to step back. He has work to do.