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"The uncle Winter Soldier here trying to crack a joke and I told him it wasn’t funny,” Sam said, and that truly warmed Bucky’s heart. He had never believed that the words “Winter Soldier” could be tied to something as sweet and familiar as “uncle.” But there was Sam, making those two words—so different and opposed—fit together perfectly.
With just one sentence, Sam Wilson had turned Hydra’s fist, the killing machine they had made of him, into someone valuable. Into someone who could have a family, a home. Someone who could belong, who could be worthy of love. And Bucky Barnes couldn’t be more grateful or value Sam Wilson more for it.
He didn’t even care that Sam was mocking his sense of humor and saying he wasn’t funny. Because, in exchange, Sam had given him something a thousand times better. What made it even more special was that everyone at the table seemed to agree: no one was horrified by Sam’s words. They made him feel like part of the family. They made him feel at home.
After decades of darkness, of losing his identity, of being a weapon without will, little more than an object at the service of others, for the first time Bucky felt there was hope for him. A bright light on his path in the form of Sam Wilson. He was allowed to be human. To live, to have beautiful things, to want them—and maybe, just maybe, to deserve them.
With that new warmth in his chest, Bucky enjoyed the day. He played with the children, who didn’t see him as something terrifying but as someone cool. He chatted with the neighbors. He even admitted that, if it were up to him, he’d move in with Sam. Then he tried to play it down, saying Sam wasn’t good at sharing anything. But probably everyone in Delacroix knew that wasn’t true—at least not about important things. Sure, Sam hated sharing his orange juice. But he would give his life for others. And for that, and for many other reasons, he was the best Captain America anyone could imagine.
He enjoyed himself a lot with the neighbors and the kids. They all made him feel accepted and welcome. He was deeply grateful to have been invited, but at the end of the day, there was only one person he truly wanted to be with. Despite how annoying Sam could be sometimes, Bucky wouldn’t mind being with him for the rest of his days. So he went to look for him.
He found Sam watching the sunset and placed a hand on his shoulder to let him know he was there. They both exchanged small smiles before heading toward the Wilsons’ boat. As they walked, Sam placed a hand on his shoulder, then moved it to the other one without lifting it from his skin. It felt like a caress, but also like magic—as if Sam’s touch left butterflies fluttering across his skin. And that made him want more and more, even though he already had more than he’d ever imagined. And he was happy with it.
Bucky couldn’t remember being this happy since the 1940s. He loved Delacroix. He loved its people. He loved Sam. Curiously, the thought wasn’t as terrifying as it should have been—or as it had been months earlier, when he first realized he was drawn to the man. Now, even if the feeling had grown stronger, it felt right. And Bucky didn’t know if it was hope speaking, but he believed it could be mutual.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked before he even thought about it, as they stood on the boat’s deck. Sam, who was coming back from inside with two beers in hand, stopped in his tracks.
“What?”
“Sorry, forget it,” Bucky said quickly, his face burning.
“Hell no, Barnes,” Sam said, dropping the beers on the first surface he found. He stepped close enough to take the hand of a very confused Bucky, then led him quickly inside the boat to make sure they were alone and no one would interrupt them.
“Ask me again,” Sam said, and couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. It made Bucky smile too.
“Can I kiss you?”
“Since you asked so nicely.”
Bucky rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t erase the smile from his face. Their hands were still intertwined, and he didn’t want to let go. But he had one free hand left, which he used to caress Sam’s cheek before leaning in—until their lips finally met in a tender, sweet kiss.
At last, after so much time and even more suffering, Bucky Barnes felt he had found his home.