Locked, Loaded, Loved ✔️ COMPLETE | UNDER EDITS

Chapter 4.5--Steve

Occuring at the same time as the previous part

Once Sam and I were off the compound premises, I told him what I'd been keeping a secret. Well, actually I showed him.

"Wow, Steve, this is...I mean...wow," Sam said.

"It's pretty spectacular, huh?"

"This view...Steve, this is amazing. But, um—" he gave me a sideways glance "—don't you think it's kinda a major step? I mean, how long have you been dating?"

"If you start from the first time we kissed..." I thought about it. "Factoring in our six week break, we've barely been dating a month. I know it's fast, but had things been a little different, we would've been together for much longer. Plus, it feels longer because we work together."

"So things are getting serious?" Sam asked.

I ran a hand through my hair. "Yeah, kind of. I mean, I definitely see us having a future together."

"When were you thinking of going?"

"Well, we need to tell Bucky about us first. So, sometime after that."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "How long do you think Nat is gonna wait?"

I shrugged. "No idea. And well, the house...it's not technically mine. It's um..." I blew out a puff of air. "It was Howard's."

"Wait. Howard...Stark? As in, Tony's father?"

I nodded. "He told me about it in the forties. Said he'd take me some time." I looked out onto the water. "He obviously never got the chance."

"And Tony—does he know?"

"He's the one who gave me the keys. He took me up here to show me the place, since Howard always wanted me to see it apparently. Tony said it was mine to use whenever I wanted. He and Pepper now have another lakehouse that they use. This was always gonna be a guest lakehouse."

"Wow. That's pretty incredible."

"Yeah. I never expected Tony would just let me have it."

Sam walked down the grass a bit and I followed. He put his hands in his pockets as we looked out over the water. "I think she'd love this. Nat seems like the type of girl who likes secluded areas. You know, like the fewer people around, the better."
"I agree. I think she's getting tired of us always being interrupted. If it's not someone barging in because we forgot to lock the door, it's someone telling us we have a team meeting. And honestly, I get where she's coming from. I love the team, but sometimes I just want some privacy with my girlfriend, you know?"

Sam laughed. "Hey, as long as I can't hear you two when you're together, I'm happy to support your decisions."

I lightly punched his shoulder. "C'mon, I'll show you inside. Then we can head back to the compound."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

After giving Sam the grand tour then getting stuck in afternoon traffic after stopping for a bite to eat at a roadside diner, we finally got back to the compound by dinner time.

Tonight was lasagna night which meant that Pepper was cooking, Wanda was helping, and Tony was staying as far away from the kitchen as humanly possible.

"Hello, ladies," Sam greeted Pepper and Wanda when we returned.

"Hey, how was your day?" Pepper asked, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

"It was good," I said.

"Did you show him the house?"

I nodded and grinned. "Yeah."