The Future Is Brighter With You (Bucky Barnes X Reader)

Chapter 1. Sam

When you were younger your father would kiss you on the head before he left. His arms would wrap around you and you'd whine and pout for him to stay. He'd grab your mother by the waist and give her a passionate kiss. Something to "remember him by." You never were close to your father, what with him being gone so frequently. You were a smart kid. Even at a young age you could sense the fear your mother radiated when your father left for war. Her jaw would set in a permanent fixture that would remain for the most of his departure. The only thing that could make her calm was going over to Sarah Wilson's.

Sarah's husband was enlisted with your father. Same unit and everything. Your mother and Sarah would get together and talk for hours. It was probably the few times you ever saw your mother laugh or smile. They'd watch TV together and cook brunch. All while avoiding the tough subject of their husbands being in constant danger. Ignoring the fear that coursed through their minds everytime they watched the news. Hey, they say ignorance is bliss.

While your mother socialized with her friend, you were left to play with Sarah's son Sam. He was several years older than you and treated you like a younger sister. Even though if it came down to it you could most definitely beat him up. When your little brother was born you feared he'd grow up to be closer to Sam, but that never happened. John was always more intellectual. While you and Sam roamed through fields playing army, John would stay inside reading his picture books. Sam became one of your best friends. As a child he was your companion, running through the woods and catching bugs together. As you aged, however, you both confided in each other about living in a military family. Being a teenager was hard enough for the both of you. You, with your struggles with acne, and him with his constant bullying. On top of that you both had to deal with your father's occupation. Needless to say you both took opposite strategies from your mothers. You and Sam could stay up for hours talking about the danger both your fathers were in. Sam was a good friend, so throughout high school you kept him at your side. Even in college, when you stayed in your small hometown and Sam received a scholarship, you still kept in touch. You hadn't seen him in person for years, not since the funeral. So when Sam Wilson came knocking on your door one morning, you were hesitant to say the least.
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"(Y/N)." Sam said with a smile as he embraced you. His hug was warm and friendly

"Sam!" You gave him space to enter the house and shut the door behind him. "What bring you here? Your momma finally forcing you to family dinner?" You poked him in the side. He shook his head with a laugh.

"Can't a brother just wanna come down and visit everybody?" He chewed on his bottom lip slightly.

Not in this town they can't

Nobody ever left your small southern town. It was practically unheard of. So when Sam Wilson left for college it was the talk of the town. You hoped Sam would be smart enough to stay his distance. Wouldn't want small town life to lure him back in.

"Do you want some coffee?" You asked as you poured a cup for yourself.

"No thanks!" He called from the living room. He was looking at all the photos you had sitting up on the shelf, taking each one in his hand and studying them before setting them down. You walked into the lounge and set your coffee on a coaster. "You don't have many pictures of John and your old man up here." He said thoughtfully. You tried not to visibly cringe at his statement. The only photos you had up were of yourself and your mother.

"What are ya here for, Wilson?" You asked, ignoring his statement about the pictures. He let out a nervous chuckle.

"Well, (Y/N), I'm not sure how to say this, but I won't bullshit you. For almost a year now I've been working with the Avengers." He said slowly. As if waiting for you to gasp or scream. You sat on the couch with your arms crossed. Clearly unimpressed. You raised an eyebrow.