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Bucky had Tumblr.
Sam wasn’t sure, exactly, who had directed the super soldier to the social website. He had prepared some strong words for whoever was to be blamed and he figured that he would find out eventually. The spies weren’t the only ones who were good at uncovering information.
He would’ve suspected Tony but it seemed unlikely. For a narcissist Twitter was more his style and Tony had strong words to say about blogs. If it was Natasha then Sam would still be having words but they wouldn’t be as strong as if it was Clint. Sam really hoped that Hawkeye wasn’t the one who had directed the Winter Soldier to Tumblr.
It wasn’t like Sam had been snooping. He’d just walked into the living room of the Avengers Tower one day and he’d noticed the familiar Tumblr dashboard feed. The obvious recognition had led Bucky to asking if Sam had Tumblr. He admitted that he did but he refused to tell Bucky his username.
Sam wasn’t ashamed of his Tumblr. Not in the slightest. He actually had some of his best stories about Riley on there (the unclassified ones) and he would re-post a lot of recipes and information on PTSD. It was the link to his side blog that he was slightly concerned about.
His main blog was safe and pretty innocuous but his other blog was different. It was where he posted NSFW posts and comments about working with people who were unfairly hot. It also had more than a few photographs and stories of porn. He was an adult and could reblog what he liked on the internet but that didn’t mean that he wanted the people he lived with to know about it. Bucky backed off after a few questions that Sam had answered vaguely. He remembers using the words ‘personal’ and ‘private’. He should’ve known that Bucky would come back at the subject. However, he’d not really expected Bucky to bring it up during the team dinner.
Sam answered, “It’s no big deal and you’ve probably got more followers than me anyway. I’m not very interesting.”
Steve made a sad sound like he always did when someone made a negative comment about themselves and Bucky shrugged, “I saw some photographs that you might like on a post yesterday.”
Tony frowned at them all, “Wait, when did Robocop become familiar with the internet?”
They all rolled their eyes at Tony and went back to eating. Bucky was staring at Sam who eventually caved, “What?”
Bucky smirked, “Nothing. I was just wondering what you don’t want me to see.”
Sam kept his cool, “Just because I don’t want you guys to invade every aspect of my life doesn’t mean that I’m hiding anything.”
Bucky looked at Natasha who answered, “I don’t know anything about his internet history. Clint?”
Clint frowned, “Huh, I didn’t even know that he had Tumblr.”
Tony grabbed his tablet which was always within arm’s reach. He glared at the screen for a few long moments and Sam had to hide his smug smirk. Eventually Tony said, “J.A.R.V.I.S.?”
J.A.R.V.I.S. answered, “Privacy settings are engaged, sir.”
Tony turned to glare at Sam, “What are you hiding bird boy?”
Steve sighed, “Can everyone please leave Sam alone?”
Sam grinned triumphantly because none of them would argue with the Captain over something so trivial. He was also wearing his disappointed face and even Tony wasn’t immune even if he did grumble about it. Bucky was still staring at Sam but he’d gone back to eating and Sam wasn’t going to break under the sniper’s gaze.
Sam wasn’t alone for another week. The time had passed in a blur of fighting, training and trying to avoid Bucky who’d seemed determined to get on his nerves. Finally, Sam fell onto his soft, marshmallow-like bed and sighed softly into the pillow. He was finally going to get a good night’s rest and he was determined not to waste the opportunity.
Unfortunately his body hadn’t received the message and he couldn’t settle. He rolled and shifted underneath the thick covers in his thin boxers but every position was uncomfortable. He finally rolled over and grabbed his tablet off the bedside table. He’d not had time to check Tumblr for a few days so he logged in and spent half an hour scrolling through his feed and reblogging Falcon art work. In his defence the artistic fans of the Avengers were really good, although it was always strange to see the occasional drawing of him as a girl.
He frowned when he saw that he had a new follower and he scrolled through curiously to find more Avengers art work with some pieces he’d not seen before but seemed sort of familiar. He reblogged and liked them. After that he managed to fall asleep eventually.
He rarely slept in but he took advantage of the peace and it was almost midday when he trudged down to the communal kitchen. He had his own small kitchen because Tony didn’t believe in the bare minimum but he was out of his favourite cereal. The only person in the kitchen was Bucky who was hunched over a cup of coffee. Bucky was by far the worst Avenger to be hooked on caffeine even if Tony saw it as a sort of challenge to beat him. Sometimes Sam reflected on his life and despaired.
Bucky looked up when he walked in and Sam noticed a strange expression before Bucky’s emotionless mask snapped into place. He had the feeling that it wasn’t a good day for the assassin so he ignored him and moved around the kitchen. He made as much noise as possible because silence and stealth around Bucky was a hundred times worse if he was in a bad mood. He grabbed his bowl of cereal and nodded once to Bucky before he walked into the living room.
He sat in the armchair that had the perfect view of the television and flicked through channels until he landed on an episode of Friends that he’d seen before. He was halfway through the episode before Bucky emerged from the kitchen and sat on the sofa without saying a word. Sam had finished his cereal but he was feeling sore after all of the fighting and he didn’t want to move.
Sam looked at Bucky from the corner of his eye and impulsively called out, “Hey, J.A.R.V.I.S., can we watch Friends from the beginning.”
“Of course, Mr Wilson.”
The episode started and Sam shifted against the cushions until he was comfortable, “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen this.”
Bucky didn’t speak but Sam could tell that he was paying attention. Sam didn’t think that anyone had recommended the show to Bucky before and he quickly quashed the weird sensation that he was pleased about that. Bucky was a good friend when he wasn’t being a deliberate asshole and Sam was fairly sure that Bucky was in a mostly-platonic-but-still-intimate relationship with Steve.
They watched six episodes before they were interrupted by Natasha’s arrival. Instead of frowning at them until they went to do something productive she just sat down in the chair furthest away from them and watched the T.V. Clint wandered through at one point and rolled his eyes at the red head who was making a quiet commentary with the occasional interjection from Sam. Bucky didn’t look too fussed about them talking so long as they were quiet so Clint kept walking.
After twelve episodes Natasha told J.A.R.V.I.S. to save the next episode for the next time and she went in search of food. Sam stretched and grumbled about being stiff as he rolled to his feet. Bucky looked conflicted but Steve walked into the room and Bucky visibly brightened.
Steve smiled at them both, “Hey, have you two been in here all day?”
Bucky smirked, “Not all day. Sam didn’t get up until midday.”
Sam shuffled towards the kitchen and grumbled, “Some of us are only human.”
They followed him and Steve looked concerned, “Are you okay?”
Sam shrugged and immediately grimaced, “Yeah, my shoulders are just a bit stiff. Those wings are still heavy. I should really talk to Tony about that.”
Sam jumped when Steve walked behind him and started kneading his shoulders. Sam relaxed and a small moan slipped out thanks to Steve’s talented hands. Sam switched his train of thought before he could follow that thought to its obvious conclusion. Unfortunately Bucky just had to comment, “Wow, you’ve got some skills Captain.”
Sam glared, “You’re just jealous. Hey, no, keep going Steve. It feels a lot better than any professional massage.”
Bucky snorted, “Steve is a damn professional. He did a course without telling anyone.”
Sam twisted just enough to see Steve glaring at Bucky, “It was a physical therapy course and I didn’t hear you complain when you hurt your back.”
Bucky yanked open the fridge and Sam bit back a chuckle when Bucky started muttering about “God damn Doombots.”
Steve massaged Sam’s shoulders until he was boneless and Sam fell back against his broad chest, “Thanks.” Bucky was looking at him strangely and Sam twitched involuntarily before he slipped away from Steve and gave them a half-hearted wave on his way out of the kitchen, “I’ll see you later.”
Sam went up to his room and crawled back into bed. Sam had always been the kind of guy who didn’t shy away from hugging or patting someone on the shoulder, but he was working with a team who were theoretically mismatched but somehow they worked. Natasha only tolerated someone touching her if they were sparring or she initiated the contact first. Clint trusted his team enough to catch him if he jumped off a building but Natasha was the only person who could touch him without making him jump. Tony was extremely tactile but, if he was working he didn’t want any sort of contact. Bruce didn’t like to be touched unexpectedly by anybody but if he could see them approaching him he could accept it. Thor was a lot less tactile than people expected, but he had such a big personality that it made up for the absence of physical contact. Steve was constantly touching his teammates like it reassured him that they were really there and even Natasha didn’t complain. Bucky was more relaxed than when they’d first found them but Sam had never seen him hug anyone, not even Steve.
They were a damaged little group but they’d all slotted together like puzzle pieces and even in the time Sam had known them he was always seeing positive progress. The councillor side of him never slept but he kept most of his observations to himself unless speaking out would benefit the group. Most of the time he just flew around fighting bad guys when he wasn’t taking advantage of Tony’s huge flat screen T.V. or working at the V.A. centre.
He slept peacefully thanks to Steve’s massage but he’d gone to sleep so early that he woke up at four a.m. There was usually always somebody up in the Tower but Sam didn’t want to climb out of his comfortable bed so he just grabbed his laptop. He checked his emails and a few other bits and pieces before he logged onto Tumblr.
He felt fine until he saw a post from his new follower:
Being in love with two people…
Before anyone freaks out (why are you following me if this is the case?) polyamory is a completely legitimate thing and being in love with one person is wonderful so two is a miracle. Especially for me. You all know bits and pieces about my life but nothing deeply personal so trust me on this, I’m damaged goods and I come from a place where I have no reference for my current situation.
I’m in love with two people.
I’ve indirectly told one thanks to this confession and the other one knows but we don’t talk about it. They both worry about me. They have every right to but I’m a grown-ass man and I know what I want. What they want isn’t necessarily the same thing but, if I don’t get what I want it won’t be anything new.
Anyway, enough about my life… Polyamory is a relationship involving more than two people and requires complete honesty from everyone involved…
The post went into details about polyamorous relationships which was all interesting but Sam wanted to curl up into a ball. The post felt far too familiar and relatable. He wouldn’t go so far as to say that he was in love but he was definitely attracted to both Steve and Bucky. Sam sighed as he admitted it to himself and he flopped back against his several pillows.
Now that he’d admitted it he couldn’t take it back. He’d never had a problem with being gay even when he’d kept it quiet. He was a calm guy and knowing that he was interested in two men at the same time didn’t faze him as much as the fact that he worked with both of them. It didn’t help that they all lived in the same building.
Sam considered his options and asked, “Hey, J.A.R.V.I.S., what’s the weather like in northern Canada at this time of year?”
J.A.R.V.I.S. gave him a full report and by the time he was finished Sam was falling asleep again and he mumbled, “Never mind. I’ll go somewhere hot instead.”
In the morning Sam stepped out of the shower and frowned at his reflection. He stepped out of the bathroom and yelped. Steve and Bucky were sitting on the edge of the bed and they were obviously waiting for him. He grabbed his towel to stop it from slipping off his hips and sighed, “I’d appreciate a heads up next time.”
Steve’s cheeks were tinged pink, “Sorry Sam. We thought that J.A.R.V.I.S. would’ve told you.”
Sam shook his head and Bucky said, “Hey, you read my post.”
“What?” Bucky gestured to Sam’s laptop which was open on the bedside table with the post about polyamory on the screen. Sam’s eyes widened, “That’s yours?”
Bucky frowned, “Yeah, someone recommended your blog for Avengers fan art and it was easy to work out that it was yours.”
Sam blushed slightly, “Avengers art work... Yeah... I saw some of the stuff you’ve posted. It’s weird that I’ve not seen them elsewhere.”
Bucky laughed, “Not really, they’re originals.”
Sam’s eyes widened, “You?”
Bucky snorted and laughed harder, “No. I’m okay but, they’re actually Steve’s drawings.”
Steve frowned, “What drawings? Have you been going through my things?”
Bucky shrugged, “It’s not like I’ve told anyone that Captain America draws his team mates.”
Steve looked nervous, “Which drawings Bucky?”
Bucky gestured to the laptop and Sam nodded. While Bucky was looking through his dashboard Sam grabbed some clothes and changed in the bathroom. When he came out Bucky was saying, “I wanted to post the other ones but, I figured that you’d prove the serum wrong and have a heart attack if I did.”
Steve punched Bucky in the arm, “I’m not a prude Bucky. I just don’t want to share drawings that I never intended for anyone to see.”
“Then you should hide your sketchpads somewhere more secure instead of beneath your mattress. Even if I wasn’t here it’s still a really obvious hiding place.”
Despite his curiosity about what Steve could’ve drawn that he didn’t want anyone to see, Sam interrupted, “Not that this isn’t cute, really, but did you two want something?”
Bucky looked at Steve who smiled reassuringly at him. Bucky took a deep breath, “Okay, so Steve saw my post because he can use the internet even if he pretends that he can’t and he gave me that disappointed face that everybody hates and makes you feel like you’re a horrible person and…”
Steve interrupted, “Bucky, get to the point.”
Bucky huffed “I was. Anyway, will you, Sam, go on a date with me?”
Sam’s eyes widened, “Me? I thought that you were dating Steve.”
“I am. Well, sort of.”
Steve rolled his eyes, “You used to be smoother than this Buck. What Bucky is trying to say is that he’s just recently admitted that he wants to try dating me but he felt guilty because he likes you as well. Then he found out about polyamory, he won’t admit how by the way, and he asked me if we could try it.”
Sam had to sit down, “Bucky wants to date me and you’re okay with that even though you’re dating him?”
Steve looked hopeful, “I was hoping that you might want to date me as well.”
Sam discreetly pinched himself to check that he wasn’t dreaming and he said, “Yeah, that sounds good.”
Bucky grinned widely, “See, I told you that helping me to set up a Tumblr account was a good idea, Steve.”