[Food is always an excellent distraction, which Sam can attest to. He has to gulp down some water when one taco proves to be a bit too spicy for him to handle though.
Karma? Maybe. But he's still holding those pancakes hostage.]
Can't help it, Bucky, you brought it on yourself. [He's going to remain firm, damn it.] But maaaybe I'll relent if you come over to help me clean up my garage one of these days.
[This is totally not extortion, okay. Maybe bribery. Not that that's much better, really.]
[Aww yeah. Sam raises his glass in a salute to Bucky, now that he's managed to stop trying to cough up this lungs due to the spice.]
Good man. I knew you'd see things my way. As a compromise, I promise to bring out the real kind of butter and maple syrup for you to use on the pancakes after the garage is clean.
[He's not above using underhanded methods to get his way, all right? And Bucky still eats less than Steve does (even if it's kind of close), so he's obviously the better option to rope into this.]
[ it's a small victory but a victory nonetheless, and maybe next time he needs to get bailed out, he'll suggest something less spicy for Sam's troubles. maybe one of those all night coffee shops. ]
Now you're really going to spoil me.
[ he raises his own glass to return the gesture, still managing to keep a smile up. at least, despite how the evening started out, it all seems like it turned out pretty well in the end. as long as Sam holds to his promise of not telling Steve about it. ]
[Sam likes strong flavors, but he has to prepare himself in anticipation of spices, otherwise they sneak up on him and conquer him soundly.]
Least I can do for forcing manual labor on you. That garage hasn't been cleaned out in about two years, so you'll be earning those pancakes.
[He carefully clinks his glass against Bucky's.]
To seal the deal, yeah?
[Also that promise not to snitch to Steve about what happened tonight. That part in particular seems to mean a lot to Bucky, so he'll do his best to cover for him. Speaking of which...]
Okay, so. If we're going keep Steve from finding out about the jail thing, we have to have our stories straight.
[ alright, noted. when planning revenge (because it's always good to have a backup revenge plan just in case--) sneak spices into breakfast and see what happens.
he does grimace a tiny bit at the thought of a garage that hasn't been touched in that long, as he brings his glass forward for that clink and then takes a sip. all things considered, it's easier than trying to come up with bail money on his own and pay Sam back. ]
Consider it sealed.
[ whatever man, he is going to make sure that garage will be spotless.
and oh-- right. it's always a good idea to figure out an alibi, and Steve will be wondering where he's been. why didn't he call, he was worried something happened, what if he got in trouble, etc etc. like an overbearing mother hen. ]
Can we just say I came over to your place to visit or something? Movies, beer-- late night taco run? [ shrug ] Wouldn't be completely lying, that way.
[Oi, oi, that information was shared out of good will. If Bucky tries it, he better be ready to face pancakes with salt in them instead of sugar next time he comes to breakfast.
And don't complain, Bucky. Consider it payment for all the meals Sam's fed you thus far.
He turns over the cover story in his mind, nodding thoughtfully.]
Sounds all right. You can crash at my place tonight to add more credibility to it if you want.
[And now he's over the sudden spice attack from earlier because he's picking up another of his tacos to chew on, though at a slower pace (and maybe with a warier approach) this time.]
[ well, now that that backup plan's thwarted, guess he'll just have to be on his best helpful behaviour from now on. this would be so much easier if Sam's pancakes weren't perfection.
but fine, fine. they made a deal. and Sam bought him tacos. and bailed him out of jail. and is letting him stay over so he doesn't have to bother Steve with everything too. if all he wants in return is a clean garage - well, Bucky can manage that, at the very least. ]
Sure. If you wouldn't mind. [ don't answer that, Sam, he knows you don't. there's only a few tacos left by now, but what remains can still be split evenly so Bucky just helps himself. ] It probably wouldn't be a good idea to show up at his place this late, anyway.
I wouldn't offer if I minded. [He still feels the need to point that out. Bucky's a good friend, and Sam's house is always open to him. Unless he's got a date over.
But Sam gets a feeling that even if that happened, if Bucky (or any of his other friends) ever showed up at his doorstep needing his help, he'd drop everything just to be able to help, even if it meant losing the chance to maybe get lucky.]
You probably ought to text him now that you're with me. Otherwise, he'll tear up the town looking for you.
[That's definitely something neither of them want. A protective Steve is an antsy Steve.
Glancing over at the tacos that are left, he nudges the plate closer to Bucky. He's had about enough to satisfy his belly for now.]
[ in the event of dates spending time over at Sam's, rest assured Bucky will be on his best behaviour. either that, or just really, really sneaky - put those stealth skills to use when sneaking snacks from the kitchen and going back into hiding. Sam will never know.
-- and that's probably a good idea. it's already pretty late and Bucky did say he'd keep in contact. he sighs a little as he nods his head, fishing his phone out of his back pocket. upon turning it on, however, he grimaces. ]
Three missed calls.
[ sorry Steve. he types up a quick message to Steve, telling him he forgot to turn his phone on and he's been hanging out with Sam. hopefully that will be enough to ease his worries, and hopefully Steve hasn't been scouring the streets for him. ]
It's still weird, being on this side of things. [ being worried about instead of doing the worrying himself. he shrugs and reaches for one of the last few tacos left. ] You sure you don't want any more?
[He winces at the thought of Steve getting all worked up over not being able to reach Bucky. They all know how he can get.]
To be fair, if he's really worried, he'd have called or texted me by now asking if I'd seen you.
[It's happened before. He's surprised Steve hasn't tried to get in contact with him yet, considering how often he and Bucky have been hanging out lately. Or maybe that's exactly the reason why Steve hadn't bothered, perhaps assuming (correctly, in this case) that they were off somewhere together.]
Yeah? He used to pull stunts like this on you back then? And yeah, I'm pretty stuffed now.
[ it's a good point that Sam brings up. he knows Steve is close with Sam too, it makes sense that he'd call or message him too if he was really concerned. and Steve knows that sometimes, Bucky just needs space. he was probably just trying to check in on him, and that's understandable.
but it's also Steve and he's probably going to stay up all night until he hears from Bucky, so he makes sure that text is as reassuring and unassuming as possible, and slips his phone back into his pocket after. ]
Sort of. [ shrug ] If you didn't have him in direct sight, it was pretty safe to assume he was getting himself into trouble. Little shit.
[ strangely enough, the memories themselves as well as the fact that he remembers it at all brings a small, but fond smile to his face. the last of the tacos gets polished off soon enough, once Sam's sure he's had enough. ]
Guess I'm just not used to that yet. Being worried about, instead of being the worrier.
[It's no surprise to Sam when Bucky's phone chimes not too long later, likely Steve replying to the message sent to him.
He grins wryly at the thought of younger Steve - skinny, asthmatic Steve with a hell of a lot of health problems if the history books are correct - going out and into all kinds of trouble.]
To be fair, he still gets into a lot of trouble these days - he's just bigger now. It's why he needs us both to look out for him.
And I'm pretty sure Steve worried about you even back then, Buck.
[This last part is said gently because their relationship now isn't just Steve trying to return the favor of Bucky watching his back when they were kids. It's the sign of a bond where that care and comradery had been mutual, and that kind of thing is a hard habit to break.
[ barely half a minute after slipping his phone back into his pocket is when it rings again, and Bucky can't help rolling his eyes a bit as he brings it back out to check Steve's immediate reply (didn't even have to second guess it.) it's just a quick answer, that he's glad Bucky's okay and hopes he's having fun, and a note to tell Sam not to keep him out too late because he's cranky when he doesn't get enough sleep (which is true enough but tch, punk.) his next reply is just to tell Steve he'll call him in the morning "is that okay with you, mom" and then his phone's back in his pocket for the night.
he's just bigger now, huh. apparently that included a sudden spontaneous need to mother hen over everyone around him. ]
Yeah. [ he says it with a mix of fondness and ... something he's not quite sure what - he's proud of Steve, make no mistake about that, but. it's complicated. of course Steve worried about him, even when he didn't have to. it was just different when he was practically half Bucky's size and still incapable of saving his own ass. ] Still a little shit, no matter what.
[ but thinking on how things are now with Steve isn't the best after-dinner conversation, and fried ice cream sounds very intriguing, he has to admit. and Bucky's stomach is essentially bottomless so he nods his head, grabbing his hat from beside him on the seat. ]
Sure, sounds like it could be interesting. [ another one of those future things he just has to try. and better to have Sam's company for it, to recommend the better things and tell him to steer away from others. ] One Hell of an I.O.U. I've got going.
[Judging from the texts that Bucky received and sent before tucking his phone away, Steve's well aware of their cover story by now. Hopefully, that won't come out and bite them in the ass later on - Steve could be amazingly (and annoying) perceptive when he wanted to be.
There's a bunch of mixed emotions that pass over Bucky's face before he jumps at the offered change in topic, and Sam has to smile. Waving over the server, he orders 2 of the fried ice cream before turning back to his friend.]
You don't have to worry about that. It's not like I'm really keeping count on this kind of thing. [Smile turning mischievous, Sam laughs a little.] Though I wouldn't say no to you helping out more around my place if you really want to pay me back. Besides the garage thing, okay.
[ chances are, if he has a few minutes to think about it, Steve's probably going to suspect something happened. but, Bucky's sure they can come up with a handful of other excuses - he just would prefer that Steve doesn't find out about the whole getting arrested thing. the last thing he needs is more worry and concern over him, or worse: more supervision.
a late night out for tacos and whatever deep fried ice cream will be, that sounds much better. even if he still doesn't really understand how that works. ]
Besides the garage thing? [ and an eyebrow goes up at that ] Just how much of a mess is your place anyway?
[ Sam doesn't get any further messages from Steve either, which is a bit of a relief. He doesn't like lying to Steve, even if it's just by omission. Steve's just so earnest about things that it makes it difficult to hide stuff from him without feeling guilty.
(Though when he's being a punk, it's a little easier.) ]
Not all at once, man. [ Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, he grins. ] I mean you helping me keep things in order from time to time aside from the garage thing. Doing chores and stuff when you feel up for it.
I'm not that messy. [ Just a little bit. Sometimes. Besides, it'll be good experience for Bucky to learn what to do around the house for when he wants to move into a place of his own, if it ever gets to that point. ]
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Karma? Maybe. But he's still holding those pancakes hostage.]
Can't help it, Bucky, you brought it on yourself. [He's going to remain firm, damn it.] But maaaybe I'll relent if you come over to help me clean up my garage one of these days.
[This is totally not extortion, okay. Maybe bribery. Not that that's much better, really.]
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those poor pancakes though. ]
Guess I did. [ and ugh, having to work to get back on his good side? what a shame. Bucky sighs, shrugs, figures he might as well relent. ]
Well, seems like I don't have much of a choice. [ reaching for his water glass ] You win this round, Wilson.
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Good man. I knew you'd see things my way. As a compromise, I promise to bring out the real kind of butter and maple syrup for you to use on the pancakes after the garage is clean.
[He's not above using underhanded methods to get his way, all right? And Bucky still eats less than Steve does (even if it's kind of close), so he's obviously the better option to rope into this.]
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Now you're really going to spoil me.
[ he raises his own glass to return the gesture, still managing to keep a smile up. at least, despite how the evening started out, it all seems like it turned out pretty well in the end. as long as Sam holds to his promise of not telling Steve about it. ]
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Least I can do for forcing manual labor on you. That garage hasn't been cleaned out in about two years, so you'll be earning those pancakes.
[He carefully clinks his glass against Bucky's.]
To seal the deal, yeah?
[Also that promise not to snitch to Steve about what happened tonight. That part in particular seems to mean a lot to Bucky, so he'll do his best to cover for him. Speaking of which...]
Okay, so. If we're going keep Steve from finding out about the jail thing, we have to have our stories straight.
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he does grimace a tiny bit at the thought of a garage that hasn't been touched in that long, as he brings his glass forward for that clink and then takes a sip. all things considered, it's easier than trying to come up with bail money on his own and pay Sam back. ]
Consider it sealed.
[ whatever man, he is going to make sure that garage will be spotless.
and oh-- right. it's always a good idea to figure out an alibi, and Steve will be wondering where he's been. why didn't he call, he was worried something happened, what if he got in trouble, etc etc. like an overbearing mother hen. ]
Can we just say I came over to your place to visit or something? Movies, beer-- late night taco run? [ shrug ] Wouldn't be completely lying, that way.
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And don't complain, Bucky. Consider it payment for all the meals Sam's fed you thus far.
He turns over the cover story in his mind, nodding thoughtfully.]
Sounds all right. You can crash at my place tonight to add more credibility to it if you want.
[And now he's over the sudden spice attack from earlier because he's picking up another of his tacos to chew on, though at a slower pace (and maybe with a warier approach) this time.]
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but fine, fine. they made a deal. and Sam bought him tacos. and bailed him out of jail. and is letting him stay over so he doesn't have to bother Steve with everything too. if all he wants in return is a clean garage - well, Bucky can manage that, at the very least. ]
Sure. If you wouldn't mind. [ don't answer that, Sam, he knows you don't. there's only a few tacos left by now, but what remains can still be split evenly so Bucky just helps himself. ] It probably wouldn't be a good idea to show up at his place this late, anyway.
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But Sam gets a feeling that even if that happened, if Bucky (or any of his other friends) ever showed up at his doorstep needing his help, he'd drop everything just to be able to help, even if it meant losing the chance to maybe get lucky.]
You probably ought to text him now that you're with me. Otherwise, he'll tear up the town looking for you.
[That's definitely something neither of them want. A protective Steve is an antsy Steve.
Glancing over at the tacos that are left, he nudges the plate closer to Bucky. He's had about enough to satisfy his belly for now.]
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-- and that's probably a good idea. it's already pretty late and Bucky did say he'd keep in contact. he sighs a little as he nods his head, fishing his phone out of his back pocket. upon turning it on, however, he grimaces. ]
Three missed calls.
[ sorry Steve. he types up a quick message to Steve, telling him he forgot to turn his phone on and he's been hanging out with Sam. hopefully that will be enough to ease his worries, and hopefully Steve hasn't been scouring the streets for him. ]
It's still weird, being on this side of things. [ being worried about instead of doing the worrying himself. he shrugs and reaches for one of the last few tacos left. ] You sure you don't want any more?
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To be fair, if he's really worried, he'd have called or texted me by now asking if I'd seen you.
[It's happened before. He's surprised Steve hasn't tried to get in contact with him yet, considering how often he and Bucky have been hanging out lately. Or maybe that's exactly the reason why Steve hadn't bothered, perhaps assuming (correctly, in this case) that they were off somewhere together.]
Yeah? He used to pull stunts like this on you back then? And yeah, I'm pretty stuffed now.
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but it's also Steve and he's probably going to stay up all night until he hears from Bucky, so he makes sure that text is as reassuring and unassuming as possible, and slips his phone back into his pocket after. ]
Sort of. [ shrug ] If you didn't have him in direct sight, it was pretty safe to assume he was getting himself into trouble. Little shit.
[ strangely enough, the memories themselves as well as the fact that he remembers it at all brings a small, but fond smile to his face. the last of the tacos gets polished off soon enough, once Sam's sure he's had enough. ]
Guess I'm just not used to that yet. Being worried about, instead of being the worrier.
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He grins wryly at the thought of younger Steve - skinny, asthmatic Steve with a hell of a lot of health problems if the history books are correct - going out and into all kinds of trouble.]
To be fair, he still gets into a lot of trouble these days - he's just bigger now. It's why he needs us both to look out for him.
And I'm pretty sure Steve worried about you even back then, Buck.
[This last part is said gently because their relationship now isn't just Steve trying to return the favor of Bucky watching his back when they were kids. It's the sign of a bond where that care and comradery had been mutual, and that kind of thing is a hard habit to break.
Seeing that Bucky's done, his eyebrows go up.]
So. Still up for that fried ice cream?
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he's just bigger now, huh. apparently that included a sudden spontaneous need to mother hen over everyone around him. ]
Yeah. [ he says it with a mix of fondness and ... something he's not quite sure what - he's proud of Steve, make no mistake about that, but. it's complicated. of course Steve worried about him, even when he didn't have to. it was just different when he was practically half Bucky's size and still incapable of saving his own ass. ] Still a little shit, no matter what.
[ but thinking on how things are now with Steve isn't the best after-dinner conversation, and fried ice cream sounds very intriguing, he has to admit. and Bucky's stomach is essentially bottomless so he nods his head, grabbing his hat from beside him on the seat. ]
Sure, sounds like it could be interesting. [ another one of those future things he just has to try. and better to have Sam's company for it, to recommend the better things and tell him to steer away from others. ] One Hell of an I.O.U. I've got going.
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There's a bunch of mixed emotions that pass over Bucky's face before he jumps at the offered change in topic, and Sam has to smile. Waving over the server, he orders 2 of the fried ice cream before turning back to his friend.]
You don't have to worry about that. It's not like I'm really keeping count on this kind of thing. [Smile turning mischievous, Sam laughs a little.] Though I wouldn't say no to you helping out more around my place if you really want to pay me back. Besides the garage thing, okay.
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a late night out for tacos and whatever deep fried ice cream will be, that sounds much better. even if he still doesn't really understand how that works. ]
Besides the garage thing? [ and an eyebrow goes up at that ] Just how much of a mess is your place anyway?
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(Though when he's being a punk, it's a little easier.) ]
Not all at once, man. [ Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, he grins. ] I mean you helping me keep things in order from time to time aside from the garage thing. Doing chores and stuff when you feel up for it.
I'm not that messy. [ Just a little bit. Sometimes. Besides, it'll be good experience for Bucky to learn what to do around the house for when he wants to move into a place of his own, if it ever gets to that point. ]