[ Sam clenches his fingers around the bottle for a moment, deliberately flexes them. They feel numb. It happens sometimes - Sam knows it's not actual nerve damage, nothing's wrong with him. It's just that sometimes, his fingers and toes feel numb, as if he's half a second away from crumbling into dust outside in. Alone, confused. Unseen, unheard.

There's a symbolism in there that Sam doesn't care to examine.

Instead when Bucky steps closer, Sam holds the water bottle out to him. Bucky probably doesn't need it, didn't even break a sweat. Sam still makes the offer.

I felt like he was disappointed in me over something he knew nothing about.

Yeah. Something small and spiteful in Sam wants to ask 'So, you get what that's like now?', He pushes it down.]

That doesn't make sense. Steve has no reason to be disappointed in you. You didn't do anything.

[ Not to Steve at least. Sam frowns.

It wasn't even really about you. ]

And listen... that weird thing? [ Partnership. Friendship. ] You're not obliged to try and become or live up to some specific future version of yourself. You don't owe me that, and I don't expect that of you.

[ It's an out, but not one offered unkindly. There's truth to it - Bucky doesn't owe Sam whatever their equivalent to fixing the boat would be. He's got enough on his plate with Steve, and Sam knows it would be unfair to demand something from Bucky that he has no reason to want to offer. ]