questinwitchface

[questinwitchface]

Sam Wilson headcanons, in no particular order

Sam eats skittles by the handful; he doesn't sort them by color.

Sam wears briefs

Sam drinks his coffee with a little bit of cream and sugar, not much, but just enough

Sam's lips are constantly a little chapped because of the wind when he's flying, so he carries lip balm on him

Sam sings in the shower. He doesn't play music and sing along; he just sings whatever songs come to mind

Sam uses cocoa butter lotion pretty much always because it has the scent he likes, but he changes up his cologne fairly often because he gets bored with the scents after about two weeks

Sam hates fireworks

Sam wears sweat pants and T-shirts with the sleeves cut off around the house when he gets those rare moments of rest

Sam blasts a playlist and dances while he does house chores like vacuuming or sweeping/mopping or scrubbing down the counters

Sam's favorite flowers are sunflowers

Sam's favorite color is red, but he also likes yellow

Sam was afraid of the dark and slept with a nightlight until he was ten, though he'd hide the nightlight when his friends came over to stay the night

Sam is bad at playing videogames. Somehow, despite how coordinated he is and his good reflexes, he can't get the hang of using a console controller, and his nephews consider him entirely unteachable at this point

Sam has no tattoos. He's not against tattoos - honestly he'd get one. The problem is that he can't ever decide on a design he likes enough to have it permanently on his body somewhere for the rest of his life

Sam has pictures of his loved ones all up on a wall in his home, and when he feels really shitty, on terrible days where the world's noise is so fucking loud and he almost feels like giving up, he stands in front of that wall and stares at all the people who love him, who believe in him, and it's what drives him to keep going

[questinwitchface]

Awww, thank you for rec'ing my fic!

To be honest, it's not one I go back to very often because there's a lot I'd change if I were to write it today. I think it was the third or fourth fic I posted to AO3, and I have grown so much since then, a lot of that growth being because of this fic. Hmm. Maybe it could be nice to go back and do a re-read, trying to come at it from a reader's perspective instead of the "my own harshest critic" perspective I usually do.

Anyway, thank you again for the rec <3 It means a lot to me!

Next tag of greatness

Up next is one of the greatest didn't know they were dating type of scenarios, which, I really just love because Sambucky are such dumb bunnies (affectionate); it's also a long, slow burn with a delicious word count.

It is The Promise of Cheesecake and Decent Wine by @questinwitchface

I very literally restarted this fic when I was maybe halfway through because I had lost track of it while it was still updating. But I regret not a single moment of it. It was such a fun, good time with our boys being silly and gone over each other but taking their time. I do need a reread of this. I wish there were more hours in a day to dedicate to fun things only. 40hr workweeks are soul and joy stealing

Go read!

The Promise of Cheesecake and Decent Wine. | Explicit | 217,452 words

[questinwitchface]

Just Sam and Bucky, taking a sick day.

[questinwitchface]

🤣 the way I can't quit watching and giggling at this gif

I was just apologizing because I'd been trying to finish this fic quickly so you could read it. Didn't foresee it becoming a whole big thing, but alas. It is a whole big thing that is taking longer than I'd intended. Well, maybe I shouldn't say that. I'm writing it quickly, it's just that I keep finding new things to add, so the end keeps getting further away 😅 Thank you for your patience 💜

Nearly 19k into a fic like "IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A ONESHOT, WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME??!?!!" and then continuing to write more.

[questinwitchface]

23k and I'm planning five more chapters, plus I gotta finish this one that I'm halfway through. Clown behavior.

I'm so sorry @hornymotionalcookie I was going to write a short Joaquín pet groomer SamBuckyJoaquín oneshot for you, but this fic has a mind of its own, and it won't stop growing.

Nearly 19k into a fic like "IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A ONESHOT, WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME??!?!!" and then continuing to write more.

[questinwitchface]

Chapter 2

Brood

Rated Mature, multichap, SamBucky, Yelena Belova, Joaquín Torres, Chose not to use archive warnings

Mission Fic set after TFATWS (canon from CA:BNW and Thunderbolts doesn't apply), a little more Bucky-centric than I would've liked but I'm tired of futzing with it, so it'll have to do.

Summary: Sam and Joaquín are sent on a mission to stop an assassination, and they’re surprised to find that the assassin is a six-year-old girl. The woman who stops the assassin is a former Black Widow who informs them that she’s tracking the girl because she’s worried someone is trying to resurrect the Red Room to create more Widows. Sam takes Joaquín and the woman back home so they can come up with a plan to save the girl and deal with the potential resurrection of the Red Room, only to find out that the woman and Bucky have a history.

Snippet:

Sam is exhausted. Not just exhausted, but the kind of bone-deep exhaustion that comes with knowing that he’s about to deal with a horrible sort of mission involving children. He can’t get the little girl’s face out of his mind. The bright red hair done up in pigtail braids, the way she’d held the knife at the councilwoman’s throat. She couldn’t have been more than six, maybe seven years old. Sam pinches the bridge of his nose. He’d known child assassins existed in the world. He’d been close friends with Nat, after all. He’d seen children wearing bomb vests sent to blow up troops before. It’s not like Sam’s unaware of the awful things that exist in the world. It’s just that it had caught him off guard, that’s all. He wasn’t expecting to see it today. “You good?” Joaquín asks, sitting down next to him. “Shouldn’t you be in the cockpit?” Sam asks, looking up at him. Joaquín shrugs a shoulder. “It’s on autopilot,” he answers. The blonde woman that had actually stopped the assassination sits across from them, watching. She’s wearing a smart business suit, her long blonde hair pulled up in a high ponytail that had only been a little mussed during the fight. She’s got a relaxed posture, a nonchalant expression, but her eyes are focused and intent as they watch, like Bucky’s would be. God, Sam wishes Bucky was here. Sam could use a hug right now. “I’m fine,” Sam tells Joaquín, turning back to look at him. “Just wasn’t expecting a kid.” “No one ever does,” the woman chimes in, her voice flat, a Russian accent obvious. “That’s why it works.”

Read the rest on AO3

[questinwitchface]

Thank you, it's always nice to hear that people will read no matter how long it takes me to write a thing. It can be really hard to maintain my focus on one project for an extended period of time, so I've been writing on the sequel here and there for a long time now, just bits and pieces here and there. I'm really happy with what I have so far, it's just, like I said, that one section giving me trouble, and then needing to finish the last several chapters. But, as I said, I'll get there eventually.

"Now I'm just worried that something bad is going to happen to them" I mean.... it's not really much of a story if everything goes well the whole time, right? ;)

Family can be really hard. Gideon has some valid reasons to be mad at Sam and some not-so-valid reasons. He's definitely a challenge for me to write.

I love the Sarah-Bucky friendship. I try to slip that into a lot of my fics, because I find it just so wholesome and sweet.

I already have a good half of the fic written, maybe 2/3 of it? So I could totally tell you about the baby, but I'll respect your wish to not be spoiled :)

So glad you've enjoyed the sequel so far! I was super nervous posting it because I don't think I can live up to the heights of the first one, but I find that sequels very seldom live up to the first, so maybe I'm just being too harsh a critic on myself, setting my expectations too high. In any case, reading your thoughts has been so lovely, thank you for taking the time to send them to me <3 Now I'm hyped, too, and I might go spend an hour or so working on this fic! Thanks again, and much love!

God, I don't think I can pick a favorite scene.

But where Sam and Bucky go and rescue Sam’s family and Buck does the little follow the leader game... 😫🫠🥺🥹❤️

A part of me was struck by how sweet it was and another just so sad that the kids had to go through something so terrible.

Becca and Bucky dancing was like such a beautiful scene

and all I could wish for in a lover is that they would love reading and talking about books just as much as me ❤️

Also, the little detail that AJ is named after his dad is so good. His dad doesn't have a name in canon, but like this, it feels right. (Would I be allowed to use his name for my fanfic? I would give you credit for it, too. If not, it's totally OK, too.)

Sam, being a selfish person in the beginning and putting Peter and Co's savety before his own is what made me instantly fall in love with the story. (I guess in that case, I'm just like Bucky🤭)

Although I do hate that Bucky didn't kill Walker sooner....

I have yet to read the sequel (it's my bedtime read today), and if I'm not too annoying to you, I will send you my thoughts on that tomorrow

Thank you for your writing. Keep up the good work ❤️🥹👍

My favorite scene in that fic is definitely the scene where Sam and Bucky finally get to dance, that whole chapter was just so satisfying to write, and it haunted me for months before I finally got it written down. I daydreamed about it so many different ways lol.

With the follow the leader game I was definitely going for that mix of cute and terrible. And especially showing it from Sam's perspective, that Sam could appreciate that in the moment but also how heartbreaking it is that they're in the situation at all. It really tugs at the heartstrings.

Becca and Bucky dancing was so fun. I honestly just loved writing Becca in this fic, she's such a character (affectionate).

Sam and Bucky falling in love over discussing books was based loosely on my partner and me. We're both major book nerds, and I fell in love with him over discussion of a book. <3

You're welcome to use that in a fanfic if you'd like! I love when works inspire others :)

Sam being so selfless in the beginning was such a fun detail. He's such a good man, like deep in his soul, GOOD. I love that about him, it's one of the things that makes him so damn compelling as a character, at least for me. I wanted to show him being that good but also let him break away from it a little bit, you know? Let him make some choices for just himself for a change, he deserves it.

Everybody hates john walker in this fic. Which, fair. I definitely wasn't going for sympathetic villain here lmao.

The sequel is still a work in progress. I have full intentions to finish it, but Bucky's backstory is giving me some issues, so I'm a little bit stuck on a particular section. That said, it WILL eventually get finished, and I'll be happy to hear your thoughts along the way. Comments and conversations like this are so, so encouraging! (Also, you're not annoying at all!)

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! What an absolute delight! <3

[questinwitchface]

Chapter seven is up!

Rotten Work

Summary: When Sam is injured in the field and has to have surgery, Bucky cares for him while he recovers.

SamBucky, Rated E, multichapter, updates on Wednesdays

Please read tags and author's notes for CWs! Read the full fic on AO3

Snippet under the keep reading:

“Are you with Sam?” a short woman with greying hair asks softly. Bucky looks up dumbly, wondering when she had appeared there. “Yes,” Torres answers. “We’re here for Sam.” The woman nods and offers a smile that would probably be comforting if Bucky wasn’t so emotionally numb right now. “I’m here to take you to one of the consultation rooms,” she says. “The surgeon will be in shortly.” Torres says something back, but Bucky barely hears him. He stands, feeling oddly robotic in his movements. He has to consciously think about putting one foot in front of the other as he and Torres follow the woman down a hallway to a little room with padded chairs and a small table. Torres thanks her, and then she leaves, closing the door behind them. Bucky sits. There’s a box of tissues on the table. He wonders if every one of these rooms has a box of tissues, or if this room is special, a bad room where they take people to tell them that bad things had happened to their loved ones. Sam could be dead right now, and Bucky wouldn’t know. The thought makes Bucky’s blood feel icy in his veins. Surely, he’d feel it if that happened? Surely, if Sam was no longer breathing, if the ray of warm summer sunshine that is Sam Wilson had gone dark, Bucky would be able to feel it. The world would stop spinning right. Birds would stop singing. Bucky would know. Minutes tick by. With each passing moment, Bucky becomes increasingly desperate. Torres is playing a game on his phone. Bucky is praying to the universe—to any higher power at all—for Sam to be okay. Bucky hasn’t prayed since that cold cell in Siberia, before he’d completely succumbed to the Winter Soldier programming, when he’d begged any higher power listening to let him die, but he prays now. He prays now, and he prays harder than he’d prayed then. He prays for Sam to be okay.

[questinwitchface]

Nearly 19k into a fic like "IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A ONESHOT, WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME??!?!!" and then continuing to write more.

[questinwitchface]

God, I don't think I can pick a favorite scene.

But where Sam and Bucky go and rescue Sam’s family and Buck does the little follow the leader game... 😫🫠🥺🥹❤️

A part of me was struck by how sweet it was and another just so sad that the kids had to go through something so terrible.

Becca and Bucky dancing was like such a beautiful scene

and all I could wish for in a lover is that they would love reading and talking about books just as much as me ❤️

Also, the little detail that AJ is named after his dad is so good. His dad doesn't have a name in canon, but like this, it feels right. (Would I be allowed to use his name for my fanfic? I would give you credit for it, too. If not, it's totally OK, too.)

Sam, being a selfish person in the beginning and putting Peter and Co's savety before his own is what made me instantly fall in love with the story. (I guess in that case, I'm just like Bucky🤭)

Although I do hate that Bucky didn't kill Walker sooner....

I have yet to read the sequel (it's my bedtime read today), and if I'm not too annoying to you, I will send you my thoughts on that tomorrow

Thank you for your writing. Keep up the good work ❤️🥹👍

My favorite scene in that fic is definitely the scene where Sam and Bucky finally get to dance, that whole chapter was just so satisfying to write, and it haunted me for months before I finally got it written down. I daydreamed about it so many different ways lol.

With the follow the leader game I was definitely going for that mix of cute and terrible. And especially showing it from Sam's perspective, that Sam could appreciate that in the moment but also how heartbreaking it is that they're in the situation at all. It really tugs at the heartstrings.

Becca and Bucky dancing was so fun. I honestly just loved writing Becca in this fic, she's such a character (affectionate).

Sam and Bucky falling in love over discussing books was based loosely on my partner and me. We're both major book nerds, and I fell in love with him over discussion of a book. <3

You're welcome to use that in a fanfic if you'd like! I love when works inspire others :)

Sam being so selfless in the beginning was such a fun detail. He's such a good man, like deep in his soul, GOOD. I love that about him, it's one of the things that makes him so damn compelling as a character, at least for me. I wanted to show him being that good but also let him break away from it a little bit, you know? Let him make some choices for just himself for a change, he deserves it.

Everybody hates john walker in this fic. Which, fair. I definitely wasn't going for sympathetic villain here lmao.

The sequel is still a work in progress. I have full intentions to finish it, but Bucky's backstory is giving me some issues, so I'm a little bit stuck on a particular section. That said, it WILL eventually get finished, and I'll be happy to hear your thoughts along the way. Comments and conversations like this are so, so encouraging! (Also, you're not annoying at all!)

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! What an absolute delight! <3

[questinwitchface]

New Chapter! I'm Caught Up in Her Design and How It Connects to Mine

There Is Something Beneath

A Sharon Carter/Joaquín Torres fanfic

Rated E, Work in Progress

Summary: The thing about Sharon Carter is that she’s complicated, and Joaquín is intrigued.

Read it here!

[questinwitchface]

Hi, I just wanted to tell you how much I love your writing!!!!!! ❤️🥰😫💕💓💖🩷💗🫠

The pirate fic is literally one of my all-time favorites, and I just found out about the sequel.

I'm going to be so annoying about this to everybody I know 😁

(No tumblr, I don't wanna send it anonymously. I'm not afraid to show my love)

*tears in my eyes, smiling all wobbly-like*

Thank you!! The Pirate Fic is my favorite fic I've written, so anytime it gets love, it's always extra special to me. If you want, feel free to come be annoying about it with me, too! I love that fic, and I love getting the chance to talk about it lol.

Seriously, thank you so much!

[questinwitchface]

I have too many WIPs.

It might be getting time to do my bi-annual WIP folder purge, and I thought I might document the process this time because, why not? It helps me to externalize my thoughts as I'm sorting through. I'll be sorting them into three categories: definitely keeping, I'll probably work on that again eventually, and possibly discard. All my nonsense is under the cut.

The List of WIPS:

14 Valentine's Day fics (all bundled together because they are part of the same challenge, so if I keep one, I kinda have to keep all of them)

2 Gift fics for my friend (one for birthday, one for holiday)

Brood

Dear Sam, Sam POV Rewrite

Fake Dating SamBucky

Joaquín Pet Groomer SBJ

Joaquín Pet Groomer KYJ

Joaquín Polycule

KYJ Pain Relief

Rotten Work

Sam and Bucky Trapped in a TV

SamBucky movie AU

Sam's Delivery Service

Sequel to The Pirate Fic

Shopping Spree

Snapshots

The one kink fic

The Wind Beneath Her Wings

There Is Something Beneath

Vampire Part 2

We Had Fun, But We Missed You

Werewolf Part 2

So that's 14 Valentine's Day WIPs plus 22 more, for a grand total of 36 WIPs (in the fanfic category, this list obviously is excluding my original fiction, poetry, and other written work - I'll sort all that shit out another day). This honestly isn't even close to as bad as it's been before, but it's not great, so let's get sorting.

Some things can immediately be transferred to the "definitely keeping" category. There's the fics I'm currently posting, as well as fics I know I want to keep working on because they compel me. There's also a couple in this category that are just "nearly done, may as well finish" kind of fics.

Definitely keeping:

Brood - currently posting

Rotten Work - currently posting

Sam's Delivery Service - currently posting

Sequel to The Pirate Fic - currently posting

There Is Something Beneath - currently posting

Joaquín Pet Groomer SBJ - compelling

Joaquín Pet groomer KYJ - compelling (also barely started)

Snapshots - compelling (barely started, but the one chapter I have is so good)

The Wind Beneath Her Wings - compelling

14 Valentines Day Fics - I've already written 5 of them, and Valentine's Day is basically a year away, so I've got time to finish these

2 Gift fics - I adore my friend, and I really want to make these happen for her this year

The one kink fic - I'm only one smut scene away from being done with it, and then I can hide it away in my "Never to Publish" folder. I really should just finish that one scene and get it out of the WIP folder. Like, seriously, I should just do that.

The "I'll probably work on that again eventually" category is a little trickier, because it's hard to know if I'm Just Bored with a project or if I'm Truly Done with the project. These are all fics that I've had fun working on, but I don't really have the drive to work on them right now. They are probably worth keeping, because someday they might compel me again.

I'll probably work on that again eventually:

Dear Sam, Sam POV Rewrite - I think I'm over halfway done with this, actually. It's really fun to go through and try to rewrite Bucky's letters into scenes that Sam's experiencing. I think I just got stuck trying to decide whether to write out one of the scenes or just summarize it, so that's an easy fix, just need to make a decision there.

Fake Dating SamBucky- I'm a few chapters in, and it's not great, but man, I love the fake dating trope. Might play around with this.

KYJ Pain Relief - This might end up being just a fic for myself, but I love the premise and the care in this one. It's a short oneshot, I just need to flesh out bits that I have summarized.

Sam and Bucky Trapped in a TV - Probably will come back to this because it's so funny.

Vampire Part 2 - the next in the Blood and Plums series, will eventually be inspired to do that again, probably after rewatching whichever movie the next fic is set in (I think Civil War?)

We Had Fun, But We Missed You - KYJ getting together fic that I've had in my folder for years at this point, but I can't get rid of it because I love it even though I haven't worked on it in over a year.

Okay, so that leaves only a few WIPs on the chopping block, but that's okay. Cleaning out a few is still good, still progress. And, as always, these will not be deleted, but they will be moved to the "Ideas I Probably Won't Write" folder, just in case I ever get surprise inspired to work on them again.

Possibly Discard:

Joaquín Polycule - it was supposed to be a valentine's day fic for this year, and with me doing a bigger challenge for next year that this doesn't really fit into, I just feel like I probably won't be inspired to work on it for quite some time.

SamBucky movie AU - don't necessarily want to do all the research that this particular movie would require lol

Shopping Spree - I feel like if I was going to do this, I need to get it done before Thunderbolts comes out, and it hasn't been compelling enough for me to want to sit down and write it, so it's probably not gonna get written before then, which means I probably won't write it at all.

Werewolf Part 2 - honestly, I just don't really have many ideas for this one, just a single line. Besides, I don't want to do too much work with the fics from my Halloween challenge last year, like, just because I wasn't super satisfied with the fic I did for the werewolf prompt, doesn't mean I have to try to redeem myself by making a second part and fleshing out the world. Sometimes a fic can just be okay, and that's fine.

Okay. Four fics cleared out, bringing my WIP total down to 32. That's... not the best number lmao. BUT! I'm posting a few fics, so those will eventually fall off the list when I'm done posting them, and then the Valentine's fics will sit in my WIP folder until I post them next Valentine's Day, whether they're done or not, so that number doesn't necessarily reflect how many WIPs are "active" at the moment.

Am I saying all this just to make myself feel better about the fact that I have no chill? Yeah. But at least it's not as bad as this time last year, when I had upwards of 50 WIPs because of the Halloween challenge. At least I learned my lesson from that (he says, having started a Valentine's Day challenge). Anyway, gonna rest on this decision and sort my WIP folder out tomorrow, just to give myself time to change my mind on any of this.

[questinwitchface]

Chapter Five: A Day with Bucky

Sam's Delivery Service

Summary: On his eighteenth birthday, Sam, a young witch gifted in the art of flying, leaves his parents’ home to find a new city to live in and continue his witch training with his familiars Figaro and Redwing, as is tradition for young witches. In his new city, Sam has a run-in with a handsome man he hopes he’ll never see again.

SamBucky; Rated T; Multichapter, Updates on Sundays

Artwork by me, alcohol marker on mixed media paper

Link to the fic on AO3

Snippet under the cut:

Mama smiles when she sees him, and tears fill her eyes. “Sammy,” she says, “you look so grown up.” Sam tries not to be embarrassed. “I’m ready,” he says. “Not quite,” Daddy says, putting a hand on Sam’s shoulder. Then he looks at Sarah. “Go get it, honey.” Sarah runs off toward the back of the house, and she returns a minute later carrying a new broom, bigger than Sam’s old one. She cuts her way through the crowd and then hands the new broom to Sam, taking his old one from him. “No more training broom,” she says, grinning at him. “Daddy and I worked on this broom for a month.” Sam looks from the new broom to his sister to his father in awe. “You made me a broom?” Daddy nods. “Should last you your whole life, if you take care of it.” “Thank you,” Sam says, hugging Daddy first, then Sarah. “Okay,” Mama says, wiping at her eyes. “You’re ready now.” Sam can’t help but hug Mama one more time. “I promise I’ll write,” he says. Then he steps away, takes a deep breath, and mounts the broom. “Wait for me!” Figaro calls, jumping out of Titi’s arms, dashing across the ground, and then climbing up Sam’s clothes to curl himself around the back of Sam’s neck. Redwing flies over from a nearby tree and hovers next to Sam. “Ready!” he says excitedly. “Okay,” Sam says, checking one last time that he has everything he needs. “I’m ready,” he declares. He looks back at his family. “I love you,” he says before kicking off the ground. The takeoff is shaky—this broom has more power than the old training broom Sam is used to. Sam nearly hits a tree as he ascends into the sky, but he manages not to, and then he turns in the direction the wind is blowing, heading north. He doesn’t look down to see his family watching, but he can hear everyone cheering and calling last-minute goodbyes. Sam grins and turns on the radio Titi had given him earlier in the night, and then he’s well and truly on his way, flying fast with the wind at his back.

[questinwitchface]

Now on AO3! A 5+1 co-authored fic by @questinwitchface and @sunsetmaidenwrites

SamBucky Aren't Subtle-by QuestinWitchFace and SunsetMaiden

Summary:

Sam and Bucky are finally together, which is good. They haven’t come out to the public or to anyone else yet, which is fine. However, they really suck at hiding their relationship, which is bad. Thankfully, their friends are willing to put their skills to use helping Sam and Bucky hide it until they’re ready to come out, however long that takes.

[questinwitchface]

In this current timeline, I think now is about the time for a proposal. They’re both kind of stable in their different careers and come home to each other whenever & have a house in DC & Delacroix (lol stay with me I randomly saw this scene in my head earlier this week).

Anyway they’re in Louisiana, it’s sunny outside, in the backyard or some calm breezy nature area they usually go to & chatting and Sam is looking at something while they’re both talking, and turns around to Bucky on his knee.

Chances are I’ve read this and if so, sorry to person who wrote it, it came to me as a random thought. Please let me know so I can read it again! Basically they’re doing the mundane things of life. So comfortable & knowing the other so fully. Right in the throws of having their lives go how they want, including therapy.

[questinwitchface]

Hark! Who it be?

Why, tis another Discord server exclusive, including pic prompt and spiel. Another 2½yr old prompt shared with the world beyond my beloved MYSU.

Sam does this when he's getting comfortable bc habit in a one room/one bed trope sitchy-ation and Bucky is so thoroughly confused and intrigued.

Sam listened to the running water, grumbling as he punched his pillow into submission during his self-encouraged 'everything is stupid but me' meltdown.

Stupid mission.

Stupid Steve.

Stupid Bucky.

Stupid convention and double rooms being booked solid.

Stupid queen sized bed.

"Ugh!" He kicked from under the blanket, jumping out of the bed and crossed the room to the thermostat. If he had to share this space with the walking furnace, he'd need the relief of the cool air. He turned it down to a welcoming 68° basking in the instant kick of the a/c. He nodded to himself before stomping back over to the bed where he tossed the top cover back and over, folding it into a barrier halving the bed.

"Bucky better stay on his side, too." No hanky panky tonight, especially not before dinner. I'm no cheap date... "Wait, wha? Uhuh!" Sam shook his head quickly, immediately jumping off that train of thought. He slid down onto the coolness of the sheets, sinking into its comfort as the cool air wrapped around his body.

Sam groaned as he reveled in his heightened comfort level, forgetting himself a moment as he slid his knee up towards his body, falling into a horizontal ass pop as he's prone to do. When he's at home, in his own bed, alone.

And as luck would have it, there is a witness to this usually private, comfy, happy dance, a stealthy someone who was moonlighting as a cat burglar Sam was pretty sure. "What are you doing?" Bucky spoke softly into the dark, posted up in the doorway betwern bathroom and bedroom, confused at the suspect squeaks sounding from the bed.

He heard Sam's grumbling while he was in the shower. He tried to take his time, washing and conditioning his hair with some applewood scented stuff Sarah had given him on the impromptu birthday party they'd had for him. She'd apologized for the last minute of it at all at the time having just learned from Cass about the date when he'd wanted to read up on Bucky's history with the Howlies. "It's just a small gift for comfort and self-care. If you and my bigheaded brother are anything alike, you don't take as nearly much time for yourself as you should. So here's a simple reminder to indulge a little in your self care."

But back to the matters at hand because someone had been suspiciously quiet after the question. "Sam?" He asked, wondering if he should just pretend he believed Sam was just moving in his sleep. Nah. "I know you're not sleep, Sam."

"Uhhh... stretching? Yeah, stretching. Can't a man stretch out his hamstrings and glutes before sleep in peace?"

Bucky was discovering he had no problem with Sam's stretching; in fact he could kick himself for interrupting instead of just watching, but then he reasoned that'd be wrong without permission. His photographic memory would have to suffice.

"What you stretch and when is fine by me. I just wondered if I should find some Dramamine before climbing into bed if you're not done yet."

"Oh haha, funny. You're lucky I'm a nice guy and letting you share the bed after that quip. I have half a mind--"

"Still a rather generous measure if you ask me--"

"--to spread across this whole bed and leave you to find another surface to call home for the night," Sam raised his voice over Bucky's rudeness. "Floor looks mighty filthy and inviting."

Bucky froze a second time in the doorway, thinking about Sam spread out on the bed, stretched out beneath him, naked, skin glistening with sweat as his body spasmed, Bucky giving him many other reasons to groan...

"Well? What's your decision? You gonna shut up or set up camp on the floor?" Sam sounded, breaking the silence Bucky had fallen into, fighting to shake himself from the images. He again decided to store this new set for a later time, in another darkened room, alone.

"I'm not getting on the floor." Bucky was at his side of the bed in just a few strides. He fluffed his pillow noisily and laid out on his back, his left elbow pillowed on the blanket barrier, hand on his stomach itching to reach lower, the scenes in his head marked for later figuring a minute past counted as later enough. Bucky puffed out a hot breath, quickly raising his right arm to rest under his head.

Bucky heard the sudden sharp inhale from Sam and stilled. There was another few beats of silence before, "What's that, that apple stuff Sarah gave you?"

Brows furrowed, Bucky answered slowly, "Yeahhhh." He waited a few seconds, "Is it, is it bothering you? I can move to the fl--"

"Nonono, it's uh, it's fine. It's nothing... It just. It smells nice is all."

If a smile could harness and project the power of daylight, Bucky's sure it'd be about noon on a crystal clear day with the megawatt smile riding his face.

"Hey Buck?"

"Yes, Sam."

"Don't flirt with my sister."

Bucky still smiled and was feeling a little reckless when he responded, "Wouldn't dream of it...sweetheart."

Again the room fell to silence, but the air felt charged very differently from the earlier intrigued confusion. "Goodnight, Sam."

Sam slapped his pillow again, grumbling some more about stupid supersoldiers thinking they're funny...lucky they're kinda cute...still insufferable...ass

"You say something, Samuel?"

"You heard what I said with your nosy super powered ears. Stay on your side!" Sam demanded pointedly before flopping to the bed dramatically, hugging his pillow to him tight as the bed rocked like it did earlier.

"Sure thing, angel. No touching. Without permission."

Bucky smiled again as he heard the pillow-muffled cussing coupled with the accelerated heartbeat, wondering how long before permission would be given and what it would be like to touch Sam in any way Sam asked of him.