Despite everything, Sam smiles back, huffing out a soft laugh. "Leave it to you to make being infected sound romantic."
There's a pause as he just looks at Bucky, knowing that the way he feels right now, that just how damn much he loves Bucky is written all over his face, but he doesn't bother to hide it. It's all he can do not to say it, to lean in and murmur 'I love you,' in Bucky's ear, but he holds himself back.
Bucky making him smile or not, there's still a hollow of grief in his heart, the kind that doesn't lend itself well to making love confessions. He doesn't want Bucky to think he's just saying it because of the desperation burning in his chest. And he's already dropped enough on Bucky right there. If you go you're gonna take damn near all of me with you never ends will, and last time it'd damn near done Sam in. He's honestly not sure he could make it out on the other side if it happened again - but it's too late. He's already there, and he's not sure if it's better or worse that Bucky's right there with him.
There's only four people left in Sam's life that haven't died on him, one way or another, and just because he knows there's no guarantee of that moving forward doesn't mean he's not already in too deep.
But it's easier to forget that when Bucky smiles at him, when he makes jokes about courting customs and meeting the family. Maybe Bucky's teasing, but the idea still brings a little bit of warmth.
"Yeah? You gonna show me some of them, or leave me hanging?"
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There's a pause as he just looks at Bucky, knowing that the way he feels right now, that just how damn much he loves Bucky is written all over his face, but he doesn't bother to hide it. It's all he can do not to say it, to lean in and murmur 'I love you,' in Bucky's ear, but he holds himself back.
Bucky making him smile or not, there's still a hollow of grief in his heart, the kind that doesn't lend itself well to making love confessions. He doesn't want Bucky to think he's just saying it because of the desperation burning in his chest. And he's already dropped enough on Bucky right there. If you go you're gonna take damn near all of me with you never ends will, and last time it'd damn near done Sam in. He's honestly not sure he could make it out on the other side if it happened again - but it's too late. He's already there, and he's not sure if it's better or worse that Bucky's right there with him.
There's only four people left in Sam's life that haven't died on him, one way or another, and just because he knows there's no guarantee of that moving forward doesn't mean he's not already in too deep.
But it's easier to forget that when Bucky smiles at him, when he makes jokes about courting customs and meeting the family. Maybe Bucky's teasing, but the idea still brings a little bit of warmth.
"Yeah? You gonna show me some of them, or leave me hanging?"