"Good" News
Sam opens his eyes, the sunlight coming through his window. He turns his head to check the the time on his digital clock by the bed.
7:08
Too early.
Sam, along with Wanda and Steve, have been living in a makeshift safe-house in Wakanda, courtesy of T’Challa. Of course this meant Sam had to apologize for his crude comment about him liking cats.
But in all seriousness, Sam still found it a bit weird-looking.
They have been here for roughly three months following everything that happened with the Accords, but Sam can’t complain. T’Challa has provided them with more than enough to make their stay here comfortable: maids who fold their beds, unlimited access to television, a fully-equipped gym, a meditation room, a full-stocked kitchen with a chef that is willing to prepare whatever they request (though they are free to make their own food), and a clothing designer that makes them new clothes.
Life is good….most days.
Clint and Scott got the pleasure of going home, mostly due to them having children, but Sam couldn’t even return to his home in D.C and gather his things, which didn’t sit well with him. He had nothing of his here, and it haunted him.
He wasn’t even able to retrieve any contacts off his phone, including his mother.
All she got was a call from the government saying her son is not currently in the U.S and will be living elsewhere.
He goes to bed many nights with that on his conscious, one of them being last night, which means he barely slept. This is why he is currently trying to get as much sleep as possible.
He pulls the covers back over his head and goes back to sleep. He is woken up over an hour later by a loud knock on the door.
He groans and tries to ignore it.
“Sam, it’s Steve. Open up.”
He sighs before removing the covers off his body and walking to his door to open it.
“Hey.” he says when he sees Steve and pulls him in for a one-arm embrace.
“Good to see you Sam.”
“You too.” They separate after a few seconds. “Come in.” Steve steps inside his room and sits on the couch next to his TV.
“I have some news.”
“Spill.”
Steve blinks. “You’re not in the least bit skeptical?”
“You and Sharon getting married?”
“No!” he answers quickly, a little blush forming on his cheeks. “I wish you would stop thinking that’s going to happen...at least anytime soon.”
Sam chuckles. “It was worth the guess, and your reaction to it. So what’s the news?”
“I promise it’s good news Sam.” He takes a breath before answering. “You’re finally getting your stuff back. Natasha and Sharon are gonna be bringing it over either tomorrow or Friday. Including your cell phone.”
Sam looks at Steve, not really believing what he said.
“Say something Sam.”
“I-” he starts to say. “I can’t believe it. So I finally get to…”
“Yes Sam, you can contact your mom. But there are rules. You have to use the Wakandan landline phone, meaning you can’t call anyone else using your cell phone, at all. You can only tell your mom that you’re in Wakanda, no other information about your location.”
“Okay, deal.” Sam’s mouth stretches into a wide smile. “I can’t believe it; I get to talk to my mom.” he looks up at Steve. “You have no idea how much this means to me Steve.”
“Trust me I do, and it's the least I could do for sticking with me through everything.”
“You talked to Tony lately?”
“No.” he mumbles.
Sam sighs. “You know he’s gonna need some time. It’s hard finding out that the killer of your parents used to work for Hydra, and is your friend’s old best friend.”
“Oh, that’s another part of the news I have to tell you about.” Steve sits up in the couch, his hands clasped. “T’Challa’s scientists believe they successfully removed every piece of technology that Hydra placed in Bucky’s head.”
“So, they’re releasing him?” Sam asks slowly.
“Yeah; he’ll be staying here with us.”
Sam eyes widen, his smile fading. “Are you sure that’s a good idea-”
“Sam, I wouldn’t bring him back here if I thought he was still a threat. I spoke to him this morning; he’s perfectly fine.”
“Well I can’t just forgive him for ripping a car wheel from my hands, dismantling one of my wings, kicking me off a helicarrier, and grabbing me by the chin and throwing me to the ground.”
“Sam, you fought together against the spider-kid Tony recruited.” Steve points out.
“To which all he did was complain about me not using Redwing earlier.” he grumbled.
“You’re both going to have to get over it; because right now, he can’t go back to the U.S either. So he’s staying here.”
“Whatever.”
Steve, a little exasperated, gets up. “I’m gonna go talk to Wanda. You going back to bed or what?”
“Nah, I’ll be in the kitchen making breakfast; tell Wanda if she’s hungry she can come right in and join me.”
“Will do.” Steve then leaves Sam’s room and Sam proceeds to get properly dressed. While he was excited for his things to be arriving, the fact that the former Winter Soldier would be living with them seemed to ruin his mood.
Sam gets it. It’s Steve’s best friends from the '40s. What happened to him is unfair and that's why Sam aided him in finding him. Sam knew he would do the same thing if it was Riley instead of him. But Bucky’s not the same person he used to be, and he may not try and kill anyone, but who knows what the repercussions of what Hydra did to him are. Sam didn’t want take any chances.
Sam has always had trust issues. His father leaving his mom contributed to it, along with his several girlfriends and long line of inconsistent friends, except Riley. Sam felt as though he finally had a friend that would stick around in his life. It got complicated when Sam discovered he saw Riley as more than a friend. Riley eventually found out, and being the great friend he is, refuse to let it affect their friendship, even though he was straight.
When Riley died, it broke Sam. He barely talked to anyone for months, and kind of buried the side of him that liked males. His mother didn’t even know how he really felt about Riley.
The only one that knows now is Steve. Who knew?
He feels a few tears escape his eyes while putting on a T-shirt. He quickly wipes them away and puts on a pair of jeans and some socks. He heads to the kitchen, to discover Wanda was already there waiting for him.
“Morning Sam.”
“Hey Wanda. You hungry?”
“Not really, but I wanted to keep you company.” she says with a smile.
“Thanks. I’m gonna make pancakes. You wanna help?”
“Sure.” She searches the cabinet for the mix while he continues to think about Riley. The memories come to him in flashbacks, and he can't help but smile.
“Is he a friend of yours?” Wanda asks.
Sam looks at her. “Wanda!”
“I’m sorry! But your thinking was pretty loud.”
He chuckles, though there is no humor behind it. “Yeah, he was. He died years ago.”
“I’m sorry.” she says timidly.
He smiles at her. “Not your fault.”
“If you need anyone to talk to; I’m here, you know that. I literally can’t go anywhere.”
“Except when Vision visits and takes you on dates.” Sam smirks.
“They’re not dates! Just quiet, secluded places to talk.” Sam laughs and Wanda simply huffs. “Here’s the mix. Let’s make pancakes.”
Sam concedes, dropping the subject. “Alright, let’s do it.”