Walk the Line: An Avengers Soulmate Story

2. Happy Couple

Steve woke up and reached out to hold Bucky but found cold sheets. Sitting up, he saw the steam billowing from under the bathroom door. He listened to the running water for a moment before moving towards the noise only to find it locked. Rattling it a couple times he gave up with a frustrated sigh. Maybe Bucky was still mad about the last mission, Steve knew he, himself, was. As he changed into his uniform to go to the shield office, he allowed his brain to review the whole scene and felt his anger return in full force.

Steve turned to the hostess and in his most confident voice asked her if  she knew how gorgeous she was and how lucky he was to lay eyes on her. Fury had given him explicit instructions to do what was necessary to find the information he needed. His mission was the secret file that was stolen from Shield. As he flirted with the hostess, his eyes flitted to the bar, only to see Bucky leaning into a pretty redhead with short hair and petite frame. Watching his soulmate flirt with her was hard to see. He was seething but trying to focus on the job at hand. He kept glancing over, only to see Bucky gently brushing his knuckles across the woman's cheek or leaning in closer than would ever be necessary to whisper something to her. As the night went on, it became apparent that Bucky was aware of Steve's eyes on him, but he never showed any signs of stopping. He dropped his chin to chuckle intimately at something the woman said and kept her completely engrossed in him and his company. Steve snapped his eyes back to the hostess before storming off in the direction of the office that she had indicated. His mind never dismissing the image of Bucky's flirty smirk making the woman swoon in front of him. He barely made it out of there before he was laying into Bucky. His voice raised as his finger poked his soulmate in the chest hard enough to hurt them both. Bucky glaring right back and accusing him of taking missions where he got to flirt with women all the time and that he was only selling the idea of being a single male. 

Snapping out of the memory Steve finished pulling on the last of his uniform before heading towards the Shield office. He rode the lift with an agent Rusher who was gushing over the newly appointed trainer. He was telling Steve all about the woman, gushing over her accomplishments and how she always remains professional, in every setting he had tested her in. Steve simply nodded along as he thought about how to get Bucky and himself back on the same page. He thought about asking Fury to dial back the missions or to not send them on missions together if the work was taking this type of toll on his relationship. 

As the doors slid open, he found himself face to face with the Director in question but before he could ask for an audience, he was handed a file and told to follow him. The file was on the new recruit trainer he had just heard all about from Agent Rusher. Sighing and accepting that this was going to be his day, he leaned in closer to Fury as he passed him at the door of the office, he asked about speaking privately later. Fury nodded in acknowledgement before joining the pair further inside his office. Steve was trying to focus as his spine began to itch and burn. He hadn't felt anything like it in decades. The feeling making him freeze in recognition. He couldn't have another soulmate, especially not now. He had felt what it was like to lose one though. Steve had felt Bucky die when he was with Hydra. It had turned out that it was just the death of Bucky's memory and knowledge of Steve and their bond but it didn't change the amount of pain and anguish. He was always told that rejecting the bond is a very similar pain and he wasn't sure he could handle that but he also knew Bucky would never forgive him for having a second soulmate, especially so soon after their fight. He needed to make up with him before even approaching the idea of another bond. What was stopping this new bond from tearing him and Bucky apart. He would never allow that, would he? It felt like they needed something recently. Was it possible this person was a soulmate to them both?

He eagerly awaited the arrival of whoever was behind the door, only for it to reveal a delicate doll. The girl was petite and small, her fiery red hair was done in a professional manner but there was a love-bite on her neck, barely showing. It was enough to turn Steve's hope to bitter jealousy and anger. Who had she allowed to touch her in such a way? Letting his eyes slide briefly to the tall man beside her, he knew immediately. As they introduced themselves, he had a name to add to the hated face he was seeing. Agent Brenton. The man was staring at Steve's mate in a possessive manner that had Steve more than half tempted to shoot him. He never felt this type of possessive rage when it came to Bucky. Sure, he got jealous and felt territorial but not ready to rip someone to pieces for touching what was his. The emotions made him reflect on how he thought he would be able to have both relationships. Bucky would be heartbroken. Would he  be willing to understand that Steve had no say in the bond and the feelings it elicits? He kept staring at the beautiful woman, trying not to focus too hard on any single body part or what she had been doing with the man next to her before the meeting. He needed to get some air soon because he was very seriously beginning to weigh the pros and cons of murdering the man who was still lustfully staring at his soulmate. He could see the admiration and happiness in his mate's eyes when she glanced sideways at the man but only hungry possession when the man would look at the beauty next to him. Steve was disgusted that his soulmate was with such a vile human being. The man knew nothing of love if his look said anything.