#give me rhodes mentoring riri like he mentored sam dammit

[margokesses]

Sam meeting rhodes

Okay so it all starts out with Sam and Reily being like newcomers in the air force (they both decided to do pararescuse because they wanna save other's lives more than anything)

They both joined for seperate reasons but they both share that bond of "the recruitment guy said that we would get paid" and they both grew up not well off (that's a post for another day)

There's this guy they're teamed up with who's kind of a dick (idk lets call him Brad) and he constantly makes homophobic jokes towards them

They're both not out because of don't ask don't tell but sam and riley give off a different aura than the rest of the guys there so in turn gay jokes

So our duo gets fed up with it and they decide to be the best they can be because of spite and they need something to concentrate on while they're missing their loved ones back home

Eventually they rise through training and get on the air force (brad gets in too sadly)

They continue being the best they can be in the airforce and one of the head guys notice them

So one day the chief calls them into his office and he's like "I've seen the work ethic of both of you and I've noticed you two make a great team do you wanna be apart of this top secret project called project falcon?"

He then explains the whole thing in detail including the exo-7 wings

Sam is 100% on board because flying has been one of his dreams tbh

Riley is kinda hesitant about the whole thing because he's lowkey scared of heights

They tell the chief guy that they'll think about it

Leads to sam and riley talking about it one night and sam says something like "if you ever do fall they have parachutes amd other safety protocols in place"

And riley is like "what if that doesn't work?"

Sam says some cheesy shit like "then I'd catch you. I promise."

And then some lowkey romantic shit happens

They go back a few days later and they agree to it

The chief gives them the prototype wings and their first mission

Its a success so they go on other top secret missions (brad wants to know why they leave all the time and riley shuts him down with something snarky)

Brad doesn't mess with them after that

During one mission something goes wrong and Riley falls out of the sky but as promised sam catches him just in time.

Eventually they do enough successful missions the cheif decides to bring in the big ones

Sam and riley go into the office and james fucking rhodes is there.

Colonel james rupert rhodes the absolute legend is standing across from sam and riley

Sam freaks out a bit. Okay well alot. He constantly trips over his words and he's p sure he's dying??

Riley is just straight chill about it. Like this isn't one of the bravest and smartest men to ever walk the earth.

They get the wings with a special message from rhodes like "don't fuck it up" or whatever

Sam honest to god salutes him before he walks away

The next day sam gets called to the office again and he's confused because "he didn't say anything dumb yesterday did he?"

He gets there and its rhodes again. He decides he wants to hang out with sam for a bit

So they do. They play games and look over mission plans together. Rhodes asks him what his plan is for a specific mission and sam just straight out tells him.

Rhodes is impressed and smiles and says something like "i would do the same thing"

Sam is shocked and out of it for the rest of the day.

Eventually theey swap stories about jow they got into the air force and how they're childhood was. Sam mentions that he used to have a fascination with birds and how he's always wanted to fly like him and rhodes calls him "bird brains" as a joke and it sticks.

Rhodes goes back to Philly when the week is over and he gives sam is personal number ("just in case something happens" were his exact words)

There's a mission that sam and riley does and in it riley falls and sam couldn't catch him in time

Sam leaves the air force and goes home because he can't handle it

The air force decides to get rid of the wings and hides them in a base somewhere

When sam gets back home things are different. He doesn't eat or sleep like he used to. He doesn't make any jokes. He feels so empty.

One day rhodes calls and he sends it straight to voicemail. This happens a fee more times over the course of a few days.

Rhodes shows up to his house one day and they talk it out about what happened. Rhodes mentions one of his buddies in the air force dying.

They eat some food rhodes brought over and he gives sam a card. Its for counseling at the VA's office. Rhodey said that it helped him when he was going through the same thing.

So sam decides to do just that and when he's stable enough he decides to become a counselor himself

Then the whole steve and nat and hunting down the winter soldier thing happens.

Sam becomes an offical avenger and he meets all the other new recruits.

War Machine walks up to him during this and calls sam "bird brains" and sam just laughs it off because "he's dressed a bird he gets it"

But then war machine removes his helmet and sam freaks out because rhodes is under there.

Sam is in shock because "war machine is colonel james Rhodes???"

Rhodes is just like "yeah i help save the planet time and time again no big deal"

They instantly hit it off like they've been besties for since childhood.

Civil war happens and they notice they're on different sides but that's okay because sometimes not everyone can agree (i lowkey have a theory about why they're on different sides based on their backgrounds but thats another post)

And then rhodes gets shot down and sam relives that fateful day all over again. He feels like its his fault.

Sam meets up with rhodes in secret one day after he becomes a fugitive with the rest of team cap

They talk about what happened and rhodes tells sam that it isn't his fault. That if it wasn't him it would've been sam. That he has more protection anyways than sam has and that although it sucks he's glad that they're both okay. Sam tries to pay for his physical therapy or something to male up for it but rhodes stops him. Rhodes says that "you seeing me when its 100% dangerous for you to do so is enough payment for me. You're a good man. Even with your bird brains"

Then they laugh it off and sam leaves.

They see each other again during infinity war and they hit it off again like nothing happened. They're still a badass duo in the sky like always.

Then sam gets snapped and rhodes feels guilty all over again. This kid that looked up to him and always did what he believed was right regardless of what happened died and there's nothing that he could do about it. He and steve end up greiving together over sam

Then sam and the rest of the snapped come back to life and rhodes and sam take some of thanos' army out together.

Rhodes says "glad you're back kid. I'm proud of you for everything you've ever done. Keep doing what you do" when they meet up after the fight.

Rhodey leaves for a while to grieve his friend when he dies.

Sam is right there with him at anytime and leaves his phone on just in case.

One day rhodey turns on the tv and sees sam on tv as captain america

Rhodey calls up so estatic because that's the kid he mentored and now he's gonna be a legend he's so proud of him

They decided to go out and eat together a few days after sam becomes cap

Sam talks about how throwing the shield is difficult and how hes getting used to wearing red white and blue spandex but he's sure he looks good in it

Rhodes just smiles and raises his glass "I'm proud of you kid".

Sam mentions iron man and he's like "so what about that mantle? Is iron man gone now?"

And rhodes just says "not quite" with a knowing grin on his face

Sam begs him for more info and rhodes is like "just know that there's this kid in chicago I'm looking at. She's really intelligent and goes to MIT.."

@thor-lesbianicon-odinson