Amends (Sambucky)

Chapter Thirty-Six

"Sam?"

Bucky waited for a moment, contemplating nudging Sam awake. He had moved him to the bed awhile ago, mostly because he looked too uncomfortable on the floor, but the day was slowly wasting away, and Bucky figured Sam wouldn't sleep at night if he didn't wake him.

"Sam." Bucky tried again, becoming satisfied when he saw the man stir.

Sam's sigh became more noticeable as he turned his face into his pillow, stretching out, "What?"

"It's six o'clock," Bucky informed, putting on his shoes. While Sam slept, he had time to shower and change his clothes. Sharon said that she was releasing each of the people they'd captured, blindfolded and far away so that they'd have no connection to them. Bucky saw it as an opportunity to get Sam out, away from the mission.

"Oh," Sam checked his watch lazily, turning his attention to Bucky. He noticed the navy blue button down immediately, a difference from Bucky's usually casual choice of attire, "Where are you going?"

Bucky shrugged as if it were no big deal, even though he'd asked around the hotel for hours to find a place. He stepped out of his box, made a friend, and now he was almost as excited as he knew Sam would be.

"There's this Botanic Garden Anastasie Fătu," Bucky's normally dormant accent rolled through, "I met a girl, who said that she could get me in when no one else was around. So I figured, why not? Sharon won't be back until at least tomorrow."

Sam sat up a little straighter, "A girl?"

"Yeah, she's really sweet."

"Oh," Sam rubbed his eyes, sitting up fully in a crisscrossed position. He watched Bucky finish quietly, "When will you be back?"

"Not sure. Don't really have a set time," Bucky explained, standing up and brushing himself off. It was only then that he met Sam's gaze, "Soo?"

"So what?" Sam glanced up at him, trying not to show how flat his mood felt. He was failing.

"Are you coming?" Bucky questioned as if it were obvious.

Sam blinked, "Uh, no? I'm not crashing a date you have with some random woman."

"Wha- huh?" Bucky hid his embarrassment.

"It's not like that," he clarified while clearing his throat, "She was just being nice."

Sam didn't say anything, but instead he rolled back under his covers. Bucky stood there for a moment, stunned.

"What's wrong?" Bucky made his way to the bed, leaning over Sam's body to see his face.

"Nothing," Sam huffed, annoyed as he turned onto his back. His arms naturally crossed as he stared back into Bucky's unrelenting blue eyes.

"Okay," Bucky raised an eyebrow, trying to tone down his excitement as to not pressure him, "What is it? Do you not want to go out?"

Sam's brow furrowed in disgust, "No, Bucky, I don't want to third wheel you and some rando."

He watched as Bucky struggled for words, realizing that he actually had no right to be angry. Bucky had done nothing wrong. He shifted, "But.....go have fun. You need to get out."

"I do?"

"Yeah. Can't stay cooped up here," Sam shrugged, "Making a friend would do you some good. Since, you know, you have no friends."