SamBucky one shots

Stars

A/N: words: 1348. this is like very adorable. I really love it. But anyways, enjoy!

 Sam woke up in a cold sweat, another nightmare plaguing his mind. He had gotten used to the early mornings, but the images will never be anything he can get used to. He took a few deep breaths and pushed the covers off of him. He made his way to the dock in nothing but sweatpants and a damaged mind.

Sam lied down on the dock, feeling the water crash into the wooden planks. Sam always loved the water, which is ironic as his occupation is flying, but he does. Even when he was a kid, his ma would have to drag him from the water at supper time, he loved it so much. He smiled at the thought of his youth, his ma, the simpler times. Since then, everything has gotten so complicated. He also loved the skies in Delacroix. When it wasn't too cloudy or rainy, the stars shone bright, he could see each clear as day. He and Sarah would sleep on the boat when they were kids, only a few times, but they really loved stargazing. There was something calming about the night sky, the peace it provided. No war, no noise, just stars and the crash of water against the dock. Sam enjoyed it, the small break of peace his hometown allowed him to have. It seemed time stopped here, the most eventful thing happening is Bucky catching a fish with his vibranium hand. Sam smiled at the memory, the look of shock on the boys' face, and the pure happiness on Bucky's face. It was a good day, Sam thinks.

"Couldn't sleep?" Sam heard Bucky's voice from behind him, or above him. "Yeah" Sam answered simply, and Bucky nodded. "Lie down" Sam invited, and Bucky gave him a questioning look. "C'mon, old man, the stars are pretty" Bucky rolled his eyes, but lied down beside Sam on the dock. He wasn't lying, the stars were gorgeous. Each one sparkled differently, but Bucky's gaze fell on Sam in a few moments. Sam practically glowed in the moonlight, his eyes sparkling brighter than the stars, his lips quirked upwards in a small smile. Bucky smiled himself, taking in everything around him. Bucky didn't need to ask Sam if he had a nightmare. He knew. Sam's eyes, though beautiful, looked a bit puffy and red, and his cheeks lined with tear tracks. Additionally, Sam was not a man of few words, Bucky knew this very quickly, and he hasn't said a thing since Bucky lied down next to him. He would normally ask why Bucky was up, start banter, or make general small talk. But Sam's lips were sipped closed, a small smile replacing the dozen of words Sam would say to Bucky.

"When I was growing up," Bucky said, taking his eyes off of Sam for a moment, "me and Becca, my sister, would go stargazing. She loved it, knew every constellation," Sam smiled a bit wider at Bucky. He looked at peace too, and he talked about his past, his family, which is a rarity. Sam smiled wider and wider by every passing moment. "You remember any of em'?" Sam inquired, and Bucky turned to Sam slowly, clearly in thought. "Yeah, maybe a couple"

For the next 15 minutes, Bucky went on to explain in thorough detail each and every constellation, and Sam's mouth hurt from smiling. This man had been through hell multiple times, yet here he lies, listing off constellation in Delacroix next to Sam. "And the swan over there," Bucky explained, pointing his finger at the sky, "it's called Cygnus. Stands for, uh, love and stuff" Sam snorted at Bucky's description. "What's 'stuff'?" Sam questioned, an eyebrow raised. Instead of giving Sam an answer, Bucky elbowed him in the side. Sam burst out laughing, clenching at his side in fake pain. "You've wounded me" Sam cried, and Bucky rolled his eyes, grinning. He let out a soft laugh at Sam's antic, and it grew to be a laughing fit, both men clutching their stomachs.

"Man, shut up" Bucky grinned at Sam, his brown eyes shining in the moonlight. Sam grinned back, having calmed down enough. "Seriously, I'm curious, I AM" Sam looked at Bucky as he gave Sam a pointed look. "You really curious?" Bucky asked, and Sam nodded, a smile still on his lips. Bucky wore his own smile and stared back up at the sky. "Ok, fine, Cygnus is the constellation of love, romance, wedding and anniversaries. It's similar to the dolphin over there, Delphinus-" Bucky is cut off by Sam chuckling, and Bucky raised an eyebrow. "The, the dolphin constellation's name is, it's Delphinus" Bucky rolled his eyes, as Sam continued chuckling. "How long did the name take them, anyway? See a dolphin, slap on a few more letters, take some away, bam, the name" Sam joked, looking at Bucky's face glow in the moonlight. Bucky had to bite back a smile, trying to keep up his fed-up attitude. It had not worked.

"Yes, can I move on?" Bucky shot back, giving Sam a playfully irritated look. Sam waved his hand in the air. "Yeah, yeah" Bucky smiled in satisfaction at Sam's answer, and turned back to the sky. "As I was saying, it is similar to the swan, as it represents love, wedding and mythology" Bucky explained, and Sam listened intently. He was amazed that Bucky still remembered all this from his childhood, and Bucky seemed so happy while explaining, Sam couldn't put a stop to it if he wanted to.

Bucky shivered involuntarily, not because of the weather, but because the damn serum left him running cold. Sam's hand automatically reached for Bucky's, and Bucky's breath hitched. He felt Sam intertwine their hands, feeling warmer by the second. "That better?" Sam mumbled, the atmosphere getting more intimate, more soothing. "Yeah, thanks" Bucky muttered back, and Sam smiled. He gave Bucky's hand a squeeze, letting a wider smile slip onto his lips. The only sounds that filled the air were the soft waves crashing against the dock, the choir of crickets in the grass, and the breathing of the two men. It was all very calming, grounding. Something gave Sam the courage to rest his head on Bucky's chest, and Bucky almost had a heart attack. He recovered smoothly and quickly, he thought, but Sam smirked at Bucky's slight panic.

After a while, Sam broke the silence between them. "This is nice, peaceful" Bucky hummed in agreement, and Sam smiled bright and wide. Sam felt more at home here, in this moment, than he has in his entire life. Just him and Bucky, the dock rocking gently beneath them and the stars. "I'm gonna stay" Bucky told him in a whisper, and Sam smiled even wider. "Good, I'm glad, the boys love ya, the town loves ya" Sam told him, earning a smile from Bucky "just don't flirt with my sister". Bucky rolled his eyes, grinning wider. "Nah, course not, I think I'll go after another Wilson. Loves flying, has an unhealthy obsession with Marvin Gaye, smile that could light up a room, you know the type" Sam felt his cheeks burning, but he couldn't stop it. He also couldn't stop the laugh the erupted from him. "Oh yeah, beautiful laugh too, how'd I forget that" Bucky added, absentmindedly tracing circles on Sam's arm.

Once Sam calmed down, he just hummed in agreement. "Sounds like a nice guy" Sam joked, still looking up into the sky. "Not sure we got the same type, though, Buck. My guy has more of a laugh better than any song I've heard in a while, determination that I admire, and is an absolute idiot" this time Bucky blushed, not having expected that. "Hey, my guys an idiot too, don't think you're special" Sam roared with laughter, and Bucky felt some laughter coming up, and e couldn't resist. Everything was so easy in this moment, so playful, so caring, so gentle, so peaceful.

They both ended up falling asleep under the stars, a smile on their faces, and their hearts fuller.