[ of course that would be the conversation steve would want to get into. of everything that sam has said, of everything he's learning, that is where his focus pulls. sam can't quite blame him, it's the same thing he'd be drawn to if their situations were flipped, it would be where his attention would hover. it's also why sam follows up with everything beyond that, too. because no, he's not going to lie to steve if he asks. he'll give him the lists of names of people he will probably never know. and then sam will shake it off and keep moving, because what else is there to do?
there's still work. and sam has already gone through the worst of it - that empty apartment, the end of the trail, no answers and nowhere to even go with the questions. he let it trip him up and it complicated everything, and now sam is more relieved, than anything. no matter what all it brings up and what all sam now has to consider, having steve here is a relief. a familiarity. something sam hasn't really had for...well. longer than he's been here, that's for sure.
but there it is, that look, that tension, and sam just keeps walking them to the stables as the reality of it passes through steve. he's well aware of what that tension looks like, the guilt. sam felt a fraction of it, himself, when he found that house in the horizon. when he saw that lake. and now? sam huffs out a sound that is equal parts a sigh and a laugh. ]
He's compartmentalizing and refuses to process and honestly, kind of a pain. I don't blame him. He knows what happened, knows what he left behind, and now he's stuck here. From what I can tell, he's making the most of it, but... [ sam shrugs, moving towards the opening closest to his borrowed horse. that's when steve stops, when he turns and turns those eyes on him, his hand coming to rest on his shoulder, to give him a tight squeeze, to ask. and damn, sam...almost forgot what that was like. that look. the attention. steve rogers, turning the attention away from him again, with his stupid all American everything.
god, sam missed him.
he laughs, his eyes glancing off once more to the courtyard around them. not an overly obsessive or worried look so much as a natural movement with the laugh. when his eyes find steve's again, there is a single, arched brow. the kind of look that says I know what you're doing, and you're not subtle. ]
Well. I didn't just get pulled through a portal into a weird Medieval Fantasy world and find out that my ex co-founder of the Avengers is alive. [ it's not wrong, and it's not a deflection. not really. sam brings some humor to it if only to try and break through the heaviness of it. steve might be able to stand strong in a storm, but there's no reason for him to ice over. again.
and then it's sam's turn to offer up a look that's a little more genuine. because while the smile is there, its less together and more tired. relieved, for sure. glad for a friendly face. smaller, in some ways, but not in any way that matters. ] I'm tired, Steve. It's been a long few months. [ which...steve will probably understand more of, once they get into things. for now, sam ends up shrugging. ends up standing strong a bit himself. he's picked up a few things, after all. ]But the work never stops, and hey- now you get to join the party.
no subject
there's still work. and sam has already gone through the worst of it - that empty apartment, the end of the trail, no answers and nowhere to even go with the questions. he let it trip him up and it complicated everything, and now sam is more relieved, than anything. no matter what all it brings up and what all sam now has to consider, having steve here is a relief. a familiarity. something sam hasn't really had for...well. longer than he's been here, that's for sure.
but there it is, that look, that tension, and sam just keeps walking them to the stables as the reality of it passes through steve. he's well aware of what that tension looks like, the guilt. sam felt a fraction of it, himself, when he found that house in the horizon. when he saw that lake. and now? sam huffs out a sound that is equal parts a sigh and a laugh. ]
He's compartmentalizing and refuses to process and honestly, kind of a pain. I don't blame him. He knows what happened, knows what he left behind, and now he's stuck here. From what I can tell, he's making the most of it, but... [ sam shrugs, moving towards the opening closest to his borrowed horse. that's when steve stops, when he turns and turns those eyes on him, his hand coming to rest on his shoulder, to give him a tight squeeze, to ask. and damn, sam...almost forgot what that was like. that look. the attention. steve rogers, turning the attention away from him again, with his stupid all American everything.
god, sam missed him.
he laughs, his eyes glancing off once more to the courtyard around them. not an overly obsessive or worried look so much as a natural movement with the laugh. when his eyes find steve's again, there is a single, arched brow. the kind of look that says I know what you're doing, and you're not subtle. ]
Well. I didn't just get pulled through a portal into a weird Medieval Fantasy world and find out that my ex co-founder of the Avengers is alive. [ it's not wrong, and it's not a deflection. not really. sam brings some humor to it if only to try and break through the heaviness of it. steve might be able to stand strong in a storm, but there's no reason for him to ice over. again.
and then it's sam's turn to offer up a look that's a little more genuine. because while the smile is there, its less together and more tired. relieved, for sure. glad for a friendly face. smaller, in some ways, but not in any way that matters. ] I'm tired, Steve. It's been a long few months. [ which...steve will probably understand more of, once they get into things. for now, sam ends up shrugging. ends up standing strong a bit himself. he's picked up a few things, after all. ]But the work never stops, and hey- now you get to join the party.