#ok I gave you some bonus Torres AND an Ayo mention!!

[sesamestreep]

My friend I’ve also had to cancel my holiday plans due to c*vid etc so I am here to send u sympathetic AND empathetic prompts. Sam and Bucky with 36 (lifting the other up) (platonic, if that’s okay?)

“Okay, so, now comes the easy part,” Torres says as he configures the screen behind him to zoom in on the building schematic.

“No offense, Torres, but since you’re not going to be the one to actually do this mission, I’m taking your assessment of its difficulty with an enormous grain of salt,” Sam quips. Next to him, Bucky makes a noise that sounds like an honest-to-God harrumph, which he takes as some form of agreement and also files away as something to make fun of him for later.

“First of all, I’m your point man on this, so I’m as much a part of this mission as you and Barnes are,” Torres replies.

“Your job is to wait in the van, Torres,” Bucky says, belligerent as always in these meetings.

“Hey, if you’d like to try this without a getaway driver, be my guest.” When neither of them rises to the bait, he nods and continues. “But seriously, this next part is actually easy. The perimeter is protected by this ten foot fence. All you need to do is scale it and you’re in.”

“It would be even easier if you’d let me bring the wings,” Sam says, unable to keep the petulance out of his tone.

“You won’t need them for anything else and they’ll make things more difficult once you’re actually in the facility. The less you have to carry, the better off you’ll be.”

“I think I can handle it, Torres.”

“Still, I’d rather not have you in a position where you have to choose between bringing back the target or your wings, because I know what you’d choose.”

“Yeah, and I’ve used up the last of my favors from Ayo, so if you need a new pair, you’ll have to make ‘em for yourself out of scrap metal,” Bucky adds, helpfully.

“Lucky for me, we got plenty of that leftover from when we fixed up the boat,” Sam replies, with a sunny smile that just makes Bucky roll his eyes.

”Can we please focus?” Torres asks, looking pained. “We’re almost done, I swear.”

Sam leans forward to get a better look at the aerial image on the screen. “So, we scale a ten foot fence and then what?”

“Whichever one of you climbs the fence just has to open the gate for the other from the control panel at the guard post here,” Torres explains, indicating a spot on the schematic.

“Sam should do that,” Bucky says, without hesitation. “I can give him a boost and wait for the gate.”

“Wait, why do you get to wait around doing nothing?”

“I’m not going to be doing nothing. I’ll be helping you over the fence and then watching your back.”

“I could just as easily lift you up and cover you while you get the gate,” Sam fires back, on his dignity for some reason.

“I mean, I wouldn't go so far as to say you could do it easily, but…”

Sam scoffs. “Not this again.”

“Guys…” Torres says, warily.

“Sam, you don’t have to take this so personally every time,” Bucky says, so gently that Sam is certain he’s doing it on purpose to annoy him. “I am just objectively stronger than you are.”

“And Buck, please take it extremely personally when I tell you that you’re an idiot.”

“Seriously, guys, we are almost done here, if we could just—” “Tell Bucky he’s not stronger than I am!”

Torres looks pained at the request. “Sam, you’re the best,” he says, faintly, after a moment. “You’re great at what you do.”

Sam glares at him. “But?”

“Sergeant Barnes literally has a vibranium arm, dude!”

Bucky makes a you see gesture with one hand, like that’s going to win the argument for him.

“And I’m literally Captain America, dude,” Sam says, hotly.

“No serum, though,” Bucky replies flippantly.

“Okay, you know what? I can lift you and I will prove it! Let’s take this outside,” Sam shouts, pushing himself out of his chair.

“Fine by me,” Bucky says, rising to follow him.

“You guys!” Torres calls after them. “This is only, like, step three of the plan! We have more to talk about. You’re going to come back this time, right?”

When he gets no response, he sighs and sinks into his chair to wait. “Work with Captain America, they said,” he mutters to himself. “It will be fun, they said.”