[ There's a faint note of encouragement over the link, another flare of warmth like gentle fingers stroking through hair. Sam's learned to take what he can get when it comes to grounding and comfort, mental or physical, and he's already started incorporating the mental link into that.

It feels reassuring, here, especially when followed by Bucky's smile. ]

Mmmm. [ Army. It's a huff of mostly playful distaste, and he leans in to lightly bump his shoulder against Bucky's good one. ] But I like you anyway, I guess. Got that one when I finished survival training, pretty sure it was because they never found out I was the one hiding chocolate covered crickets in our instructor's lunch.