The Night We Met | Steve / Bucky

fifty-two - shallow

Tony and Steve watched Pepper and Katherine leave - both knowing exactly what they were doing by leaving the pair alone. Steve exhaled, looking to Tony. "What are you drinking?" 

"Red." Steve took too wine glasses from the cabinet and began to pour two generous glasses of red wine into the glasses. Steve handed one to Tony, "Look," Tony spoke, taking the glass from his host. "I'm sorry for how I spoke to you - you know - when I came back from space or whatever."

"No. I get it." Steve reassured Tony, "It's been a tough time on us all. I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me to be."

Tony shrugged, "You were there for Katherine when she needed you, so that's something." Tony paused for a moment, taking a sip of his wine, "We can't change the past. What's done is done." Tony paused once again, almost trailing off in thought, "But, it's good to see you, Cap. And good to have you a part of the family." Steve smiled lightly to Tony, holding up his glass in salute and taking a sip. 

Katherine brought Pepper upstairs, showing her each bedroom, "Not that any of these bedrooms have any use at the moment, but you know - if you and Tony ever wanted to stay, there's space for you." 

Pepper smiled to Katherine, "The house is lovely." 

"And you know, I'm already throwing my name out there if you're in need of a babysitter." 

Pepper's eyes widened, "Tony told you?" 

Katherine's cheeks flushed a bright red, "Oh, I'm sorry. Was I not supposed to know? Me and Tony were having a moment last night and -"

" - no, I just wanted to see the look on your face when you found out." 

"Oh." Katherine spoke, "Well, it went kinda something like this -" Katherine acted surprised and ecstatic, reenacting her emotions from the night previous. Pepper laughed along, taking hold of Katherine's hand and heading back downstairs. 

Pepper, Tony and Steve sat in the dining room while Katherine began serving dinner. She opened the the oven door and pulled out the dish containing the lasagna, "Oh no!" Katherine wined. Steve, hearing Katherine's distress, excused himself from the table and entered the kitchen. He found Katherine, her head hung low, looking down at the dish in front of her, "It's burnt. I burnt an easy meal to make. How am I -"

Steve approached the stressed Katherine, looking down at the blackened cheese, "It doesn't look that -"

" - Don't lie to me, Steve."

"It looks pretty bad." 

Katherine left Steve's side and entered the dining room, leaning against the doorframe, "So -" Katherine exhaled, "Dinner is burnt so what do you guys want on your pizza?" 

The two couples sat at the dining table, three large pizza boxes spread out - cheese, hawaiin and pepperoni. "So," Tony spoke, half a bottle of wine down, chewing onto the crust of his pizza, "How did this thing happen?" He pointed between Katherine and Steve, "Like it happened right under my nose and I still didn't figure it out." 

Katherine blushed slightly glancing to Steve, "It was -" She spoke trying to think back, looking to Steve for some aide. 

"Just after Sokovia." 

"Sokovia!?" Tony exclaimed, "That long!?"

Steve and Katherine giggled slightly, "Well, it was on and off. It wasn't until we were in Lebanon that we were serious."