The Night We Met | Steve / Bucky

fifty-three - slow dancing in a burning room

It had been several days. Several days of silence, eating meals separately, sleeping in different rooms - being a part. Katherine didn't want to approach Steve and vice versa. 

Steve left the house early in the morning - before Katherine left her room. Katherine slept in the bedroom, Steve sleeping in the first guest room, the larger of the two. Steve took the car and made his way to see his only friends. 

He pulled up to the Compound -  a place he hadn't been to in a long time. He emerged from his car and made his way inside. The place hadn't changed. He wished he had visited more often instead of communicating through his phone. He walked through the Compound, everything being in the exact place it was in when he left. 

He eventually made his way to the labs, Natasha and Rhodey in discussion at a table in the middle of the lab. Their eyes lit up upon seeing their old friend. "Steve?" Natasha asked, getting up and wrapping her arms around her friend. 

Steve smiled, wrapping Natasha in his arms, "Thought I'd swing by." 

He greeted Rhodey with a hug. "It's been a long time, man." Rhodey spoke, resuming to his seat, offering Steve the chair beside him. Steve sat down beside him, leaning back in his chair. "What brings you out here?" 

Steve shrugged, "Hadn't seen you guys in a while. Thought I'd change that." 

Natasha's eyes scanned Steve, her eyes widening noticing his hands, "What is this?" She asked, picking up his left hand, her eyes gazing at the band around his ring finger. 

Steve blushed slightly, "Yeah. It's nothing."

"Nothing?" Natasha asked, "You're married, Steve. That's not nothing."

Steve shrugged, "It was spontaneous. We didn't have a party or anything, just signed a piece of paper." 

"I'm sensing something is wrong considering your wife hasn't joined you." Natasha spoke, removing her hands from Steve. 

"Where's Katherine at?" Rhodey asked.

Steve just exhaled. He assumed this conversation would be later on in the day, not upon his arrival. "She's at home. She was still asleep when I left." Steve unenthusiastic answers made Natasha and Rhodey feel doubt in what Steve was saying. 

Rhodey and Natasha shared a look, "I'll go make coffee." Rhodey spoke, climbing from the table and heading toward the kitchen. 

Natasha looked to Steve, "Is everything okay?" 

Steve shrugged and nodded his head, "Yeah, we just had a disagreement. That's all."

"What kind of disagreement?" Natasha knew how fiery Katherine could be but also knew how stubborn Steve could be. Natasha almost felt overwhelmed with so much new information coming at her at once. 

Rhodey soon returned with three mugs of coffee for each of them. Steve took the mug in his hands, "I didn't come here to vent about my relationship." He spoke, almost trying to reassure himself that that was not what he was doing, "I came here to see my friends and get out of the house for a while." 

Natahsa nodded, taking a sip of her coffee, "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to talk about it." 

Steve sighed, "It's just been so hard - these last few months." 

"Yeah." Natasha sighed, "We're back up and running soon, you know if you ever want to -" 

Steve shook his head, prompting Natasha to stop talking. "I don't feel right coming back, for now anyways."