do you understand how big of a deal it is that bucky told sam he loves him. that after literal decades of not being allowed his feelings (and coming from a time when he would have been encouraged to squash them down like a man), after he never even tells STEVE those words, after he is so emotionally constipated that he resorts to arguing and then, later, jokes with sam to let him know without so many words that he cares for him. that after all that, he still said it. not even just 'love you'. he said 'I LOVE YOU'. full sentence. no hesitation. that is such a huge deal for him as a character, and shows us just how much bucky truly does love sam wilson, and is devoted to him. in this essay i will
for the action prompts, 7 for sambucky?! hope you're surviving the relative u don't care for 🫂❤️
7. switching on a lamp in the middle of the night
It figures, given the entire trajectory of Bucky's life, that the best thing that's ever happened to him would occur at a moment when he can't do anything about it. If it were any other day, he might brood about it, but he's made promises to a lot of people, and he can't let himself be distracted no matter how tempting the distraction is.
"Sam," he tries to say, but he's cut off again, Sam's hands gentle against his jaw as he pulls Bucky in for another kiss. "Sam— sweetheart, we should—"
For a moment, Sam pulls away, and Bucky thinks he still has a shot at keeping his word.
"Sorry," murmurs Sam, grinning up at Bucky. "Got a little carried away there. I should've known you were too old school to be necking where the neighbors might see."
There's the beginning of beard burn by Sam's upper lip, and the sight of it makes Bucky want to lift Sam onto the bed of his truck and show him just how much Bucky doesn't care about what the neighbors see as long as he gets to kiss Sam while they're seeing it.
"It's not that," says Bucky, and demolishes all of his own progress by leaning in and kissing Sam again, a single peck that turns into two, three more. He tries to remember why he's not having his way with Sam right here, and eventually lands on a reason that has the benefit of being true. "I just want to do this right. Treat you proper."
Sam's smile softens into something less teasing. "Buck," he says, "how many dates have we been on in the last month, huh? You've been a gentleman for weeks now. I think it's time you try something new."
Bucky raises an eyebrow, though he's not sure he's doing a very good job of faking skepticism. "Something new like what, telling you that I want us to be more than friends in the middle of an argument about parking spots?"
He's close enough to feel Sam's face go warm at that, laughing as he's gently cuffed on the shoulder.
"One of us had to make a move, and it wasn't going to be you," Sam says. "And you're welcome, by the way."
He has no choice but to pull Sam closer, using the movement to glance around the cab of the truck towards the Wilson house—windows still darkened, although he's pretty sure he just saw a curtain fall back into place—before he presses a kiss to Sam's forehead.
Bucky reaches up to take one of Sam's hands, pressing a kiss to his knuckles before he interlaces their fingers. "Come on," he says. "Let's get inside before the mosquitoes eat me alive."
Sam takes the bait, just like Bucky was hoping he would, letting himself be pulled across the yard. With his free hand, he swats at the air, batting away any bugs that might be around them. "I swear, I have never seen anyone the mosquitoes love the way they love you," says Sam. "It's like they can smell that you're not from here and they all want a bite of something new."
"I guess you and the mosquitoes have that in common," says Bucky, and then lets out a soft oof as Sam bumps a shoulder into his.
"How can you be this corny?" asks Sam, and Bucky can hear the laugh in his voice. "You should be cool. You ride a motorcycle and you can punch through walls, but somehow you have no game. How is that possible?"
"The better question is how I landed you in spite of all that."
Sam snorts. "What do you mean, 'landed'? We just made out a little in the car; I don't see any rings on anyone's fingers."
But Bucky has spent enough time down in Delacroix to know better. He pulls Sam's keys out of his pockets and holds them up. "Who needs a ring when you've got me driving your truck all around town and to every cookout we've had in the past few months, huh?"
It's the right answer: Sam grins at him, then uses their joined hands to reel Bucky in towards him and tip his chin up for a kiss. Bucky is still aware of all the promises he made, determined to follow through on all of his plans, but…he's only been allowed to kiss Sam for like, an hour now. He's nowhere near immune to the temptation, so he lets himself be drawn in for one and then another and another after that.
Sam has to be the one to pull away eventually, and it's only when they separate that Bucky realizes they've moved, Sam's back now pressed up next to the Wilsons' front door with Bucky boxing him in. He can hear the way that Sam's breath hitches, feels the pounding of Sam's heart against his own chest. The air was humid and sticky a while ago but it feels cool now compared to the heat between the two of them.
"We should stop, sweetheart," murmurs Bucky, even as he lets his hands slip under Sam's shirt. "We can't—not in the house, not right now."
"But we can," says Sam, kissing Bucky again and grinning against his mouth. "Sarah and the boys are gone, remember?"
Sarah and the boys are very much not gone, as evidenced by the sounds that Bucky can hear behind the door, but Sam's not supposed to know that yet, so Bucky tries the only distraction he can think of: he starts kissing his way down Sam's neck.
Tactically speaking, it's a terrible idea. Whatever the original thought was behind it, it's gone now. Instantly, all that Bucky can think about is Sam, how good he smells and how fast his pulse is thudding and how badly Bucky wants to mark him up, make it obvious to anyone who looks that Captain America might belong to the world, but Sam Wilson is all Bucky's to ruin.
Sam tips his head to the side to give Bucky more room to work with, his hand sliding up into Bucky's hair. When Bucky nips at what must be a sensitive spot on Sam's neck, his grip tightens, pulling a little at Bucky's hair and drawing a noise out of him that's embarrassingly close to a whimper.
"We should"—Sam's breath hitches as Bucky gets a leg between Sam's, his hips immediately grinding down against Bucky's thigh—"we should take this inside."
"Not yet," Bucky says, finding his way back up to Sam's mouth. Then, after another kiss: "We can't, Sam."
Sam pulls away from Bucky, eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong?"
From behind the door, Bucky can hear quiet conversation, enough voices pitched up that he knows they're trying to figure out what's going on on the porch.n"Nothing," he says, just a little too quick.
He feels Sam tense up just a little, his gaze sharpening. "You sure about that?"
"Yes?"
Bucky feels a sudden, retroactive burst of pity for all the people who've had to enter a negotiation with Sam Wilson, with or without the shield. He's determined not to give anything up, but Sam narrows his eyes and stays silent, and Bucky's mouth just starts moving.
"This seems like a sad way to spend time when we could be kissing instead," he says. "Is it because I was a cheap date? Should I have wooed you more? Do you feel like a nightcap? Ice cream? A ride on the boat? Maybe we should go inside and see what's still open this late."
But apparently Bucky isn't nearly as good at distracting Sam as Sam is at distracting him.
"Buck," he says, slow and even, "what are you not telling me?"
"Who says I'm not telling you something?" asks Bucky, but he and Sam are pressed close enough that there's likely no way to miss how Bucky has gone very, very still.
Sam watches Bucky for another moment, head tilted in thought, but then suddenly, miraculously, he seems to buy it. "You're right," he says, putting his arms around Bucky again and leaning in close. "Maybe the drinks just went to my head a little."
If Bucky had developed any level of immunity to Sam's charms, maybe he would've remembered that the aforementioned drinks were a glass of sweet tea and an ice water, but he doesn't. Instead, he mirrors Sam and leans in, too, his eyes drawn right back down to Sam's mouth. Their kiss is hungrier than the last few have been, and it leaves Bucky so tied up with wanting that he tries to follow Sam when he pulls away. It's okay, though, he decides, because he immediately earns a peck for his troubles, and Sam's hands are still toying with the hair at the nape of Bucky's neck.
"Buck," murmurs Sam, close enough that Bucky can hear the heat of it against his lips, "when I open that front door, what am I going to find, hm? Is it something you need to protect me from?"
Bucky steals another kiss before he replies, mostly because Sam's hands feel so good in his hair that he worried he might actually purr if he doesn't give his mouth something to do.
"Uh-uh," he says. Sam's lips move down to kiss his jaw, then trail further down to the place where his pulse beats. Bucky doesn't know what it says about his survival instincts that he instantly tips his head to the side and bares his throat to Sam's mouth. "Nothing like that."
Sam hums in acknowledgment and Bucky feels it through his whole body. "No, of course not," he says. "You'd never walk me into something like that."
"Never," echoes Bucky, his breath hitching when Sam's teeth graze his neck. "You're safe with me."
"I know," says Sam. "I always am."
"Uh-huh."
Bucky shivers a little as Sam leans in to whisper to him, so distracted by the realization that the ear can be an erogenous zone that it takes him a second to process Sam's words.
"I'm safe with you even when you conspire with Sarah to throw me a surprise party," Sam says, and it's only belatedly that Bucky's eyes go wide in shock.
"Wait, wait," he says, stumbling back a half step to get a better look at Sam. "Who said anything about a surprise party?"
Sam raises his eyebrows. "Bucky."
"What, Samuel? Who said anything about a party?"
"Nobody needed to," says Sam. "You think I can't tell when y'all are planning something without me? I know you were some kind of ghost back in the day, Buck, but I think you might be the worst liar I've ever met."
Bucky scowls, but Sam laughs, patting his cheek consolingly.
"That's okay," he says. "It might not work in the field, but terrible liar isn't a bad trait for a boyfriend."
He wrinkles his nose. "Do we have to go with boyfriend?"
"What?" asks Sam. "You want to go back to co-worker?"
"Are those the only options?"
Sam laughs. "Well, there's husband, but you might need to work your way up to that."
Bucky's face goes warm, but he can't be all that embarrassed when Sam is grinning at him that way. "Why don't we stick with partner and we'll negotiate the rest later?"
"Deal," says Sam. Then, with a squeeze of Bucky's hand: "Come on, Barnes, let's go start this party and pretend half the neighborhood didn't hear us almost defile the porch."
"I wouldn't have actually let us get that far," grumbles Bucky, but Sam looks at him with a raised eyebrow and he's less sure than he'd like to be about it.
He lets Sam pull him along, their hands still joined as he unlocks the door and steps into the house. In the darkness, Bucky can hear AJ's muffled giggles, and he knows that Sam can, too, when there's a long pause before he flips on the light.
Everybody springs out from behind hiding places: couches and the dining table, the half-wall of the kitchen and the coat closet right by the door.
"Surprise!" they shout, mostly in sync, and the boys punctuate it with little confetti poppers.
"For me? Y'all shouldn't have!" says Sam, and maybe his performance is a little hammy, but Bucky's not sure anything could stop him from staring adoringly at Sam, not when he's grinning this big at so many of the people who love him.
He knows he's going to have to share Sam for the rest of the night, so he seizes the opportunity while he still can. He uses their joined hands to reel Sam back towards him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Happy birthday, sweetheart," he murmurs, and then lets go.
Instead of moving away and right into the crowd, though, Sam leans back into him.
"Thank you, baby," he says.
His voice is warm, and when he moves into the party, he keeps Bucky by his side all night long: stays in his orbit, holds his hand, ducks under his arm when they're squeezed onto the couch or on chairs by the firepit. It's a claim, just like the truck and the cookout and those kisses from the front porch, and the heat of it feels almost as good.
i love love love it 😭 i NEVER tire of wilson family shenanigans, or bucky being the world’s most infamous assassin but being a TERRIBLE liar, and of course their absolute thirst and affection for each other!!! and it’s so on brand for them to start kissing for the first time right before a surprise party and the fact that sam knew the whole time aghgfsasdfg
Okay, you know what? Given that over the last week I have seen at least one of the common myths of "things you should not do in the heat" come over my dashboard, let us quickly go over this:
If it is hot, you will need to drink more than normally because you are sweating. You can drink too much, though usually your body knows how to regulate it.
Yes, if it is liquid and not alcoholic it counts to your drinking intake. Yes, drinking lemonades, coke and whatever counts. All of it is still mostly water with some sugar and flavors added. It is fine. Be careful about taking in too much caffeine though, as it is a mild diuretic (means it makes you pee more and hence lose more water).
Yes, you also need electrolytes as you sweat them out. But you do not need to drink sports drinks. Eat some yoghurt with fruits, or some watermelon with salt, or maybe cold soup. It will refill your electrolytes.
No, it is not dangerous for you to sleep in front of a ventilator. This is a complete myth that has absolutely no basis in science whatsoever and literally originates with an Urban Legend. Especially with the recent heat wave in Europe for a lot of people the alternative is the possibility of heat stroke. It is fine. Sleep in front of that ventilator. Just make sure you are not getting too cold.
No, using sunscreen does not stop you from taking in Vitamin D, unless you are permanently using super high standard sun screen and are reapplying it every 6 hours as intended. And let's face it: you are not. Your skin gets enough UVB to make Vitamin D, don't worry about it. Skin cancer is worse.
Yes, switching between a very hot outside and a very cold context (be it super high AC or just jumping into cold water) can be a danger for your cardiovascular system, though unless the weather is very hot or the water very cold making the contrast very extreme, it is normally not a danger to people who do not have otherwise issues with their cardiovascular system. Though being a bit careful and allowing yourself to acclimatize is not a bad idea in general.
Yes, you should definitely not leave any living thing in a car while it is hot. Just don't. Cars heat up while standing very quickly and will become a death trap. If you leave an animal or a child alone in the car for even just 5 to 10 minutes, they might die. Don't do that shit.
Yes, you need to be extra careful about your medications. For once, most medications are not meant to be stored at above 25°C (don't ask me what this is in American units). But also a bunch of medications - especially psychoactive medications - will make your body worth at temperature regulation. So be careful.
Yes, you need shadow. Ideally the shadow of trees, because there is indeed a difference between that and the shadow of a building. But any shadow is good, especially during extreme heat.
In the same vein: be also careful about drugs during heat waves - like, the recreational type. Some of them work differently when your body is warmed up like that. Just... ideally read up online on possible side effects that might occur/be worse if taken during the heat.
Generally speaking: stay hydrated. Stay cool. Try to do it as well as you can in your respective situation. Stay safe.
Wait, is there a typo in the second-to-last bullet point? I would have thought the only difference between treeshade and building shade would be that the trees are worse because they let more sunlight through; am I missing something?
You are missing evaporation. Trees are alive and full of water, which constantly evaporates, making shadow underneath trees in general cooler than the shadow of buildings. This is also the reason why people are pushing for green cities, because anything green is lowering the temperature - and of course also green usually comes along with some natural ground which is better at heat exchange than concrete and helps breaking up heat islands.
I would like to say as an editor that when I edit someone's work I am not thinking, "WOW what an idiot this person is, can't construct a sentence to save their life!!"
What I am thinking is, "does this mean what the author intends it to mean, and if not, how can we adjust it so it does?" and also usually, "wow I'm so glad I get to read this, what a privilege it is to help people say exactly what they mean to say."
I think a lot of people get frightened by the prospect of editing and I won't pretend there aren't some editors who come at the task with a suboptimal attitude but a good editor just wants to help. They want the piece to mean exactly what you intended it to mean when they're done. They do not, if they are worth their asking rate, want to scold you for being a bad writer. They do want to make you a better one. It is a helping profession.
If you rely on a hidden phone for your safety, be aware that Australia’s new emergency warning system, AusAlert, can send alerts that override silent and “Do Not Disturb” settings.
If safe to do so, turn off any hidden device before the scheduled test and only switch it back on after the test period has ended.
A national test alert will be sent at 2pm (AEST) on 27 July 2026.
Outdoor in sun perfec t place for president to do speech! Outdoor very warm very soft put old man on green lawn under sun. Put old man in warm sun. no problem ever in warm sun because good view and audience can see long speech. Nice podium outdoor sunny perfect place for old president can trust warm sun to give nice view to President good luck to President. friend sun.
Summary: Bucky is pretty fresh out of cryo and working on the goat farm in Wakanda when he gets an unexpected visit from Sam, who’s fresh out of the Raft and starving.
Haven't read the first fic? Start the series here!
gifmakers in the year 2026 are god's strongest soldiers. could be channelling this creativity and these ideas into fanvids with the potential to go viral on tiktok or get shared by the artist. alas I am still here posting on the website most of the world assumes is dead and for users who half the time won't even reblog if they enjoy it 👍
