Like no one does

Half a chance

Steve's POV

The sound of a light, but instant knock woke him and Bucky from their postcoital nap. Their sudden movement had Ronnie shifting in her sleep. Not wanting to wake her, Buck got up and ran to the bathroom to get dressed quickly so he could answer the door. Cracking it open he ran his hands through his sleep mussed hair as he spoke quickly and quietly to Ayo. Bringing the sleeping woman closer to him Steve murmurs for her to go back to sleep as he listens to the Wakandian woman tell Bucky his presence was requested by Strange and Shuri. They had some more labs and other tests they needed to run on him because they had a new idea they wanted to try before Stephen had to go back to New York.

Shooting a glance over at him he silently asked what he should do. Bucky was reluctant to leave, but this was for him to have a better future. Telling him to go, Steve told him he'd let Ronnie know where he was when she woke up. Crossing the room he leaned down to kiss her forehead, looking at her one more time before he reluctantly left. The expression of love he had for her was clear in every look and glance directed at Ronnie. It was the same expression he knew he had when he was around her or someone was speaking about her. This was strange for Steve and not just because he was sharing Ronnie's affection, but because of how natural it felt to share her. Like this was how it was supposed to be.

Snuggling back down he softly carded his fingers through Ronnie's hair as he watched her sleep. His eyes caressed over every inch of her beautiful face. Steve didn't fool himself into thinking that this wiped away any of the hurt his omission about Howard and Maria's deaths that had her pushing him away. It was more like he was hopeful that her feelings for him would open her up to really forgiving him. These last few weeks being forced to stay away had been hard. Harder than the year he'd spent in DC because at least when he was there she was at least still talking to him and coming to visit him. All this had shown him was that he'd do anything to not lose Veronica from his life. If he did he was afraid it was something he'd never be able to recover from.

He could feel the moment she woke up nearly an hour later. Ronnie's soft sigh feathered a light trail of her breath over his collarbone tickling his skin had him smiling. Leaning back enough to see her eyes he brushed his thumb over the apple of her cheek. "Hey there sleepy head." Her answering smile had his heart swelling with happiness.

"Hey." Voice still filled with sleep, she shifted her head back where it lay on his arm while she gave a small stretch to try and wake up her body. Noticing that the space behind her was empty she turned to see for herself that Buck was gone.

"Strange and Shuri had some more tests they wanted to run. He'll be back later." He was quick to reassure her that he hadn't spooked and taken off. Relief coursed through her tense body because he could feel her relax back into him.

"We slept together. All three of us." Okay, she was diving straight into it. He nodded as he shifted her leg up and over his hip and ran his hand up and down her spine. He couldn't help it, he needed her as close to him as possible. Ronnie's breath hitched when his hardening cock brushed against her lower stomach. Normally he'd have been thinking of anything to get it to go down or shifting away to be polite, but he was done hiding how he felt for this woman so he pressed closer while keeping their conversation going.

"Yes, we did. Do you regret it?" He hadn't wanted to ask, but he needed to know where she stood so he could prepare his heart to be broken. Slowly shaking her head Ronnie licked her lips while she thought about her answer. That small gesture was enough that he instantly felt more at ease. If she didn't regret sleeping with him then that was a good sign. Still.. "What does this mean for us now?"

"Honestly? I don't know. Things are complicated and not just because of Bucky, but because of us. I do forgive you. I wasn't lying when I said that. It's just, things are happening so fast and I think we both need to think about what this really is." At his small frown she rushed on to say, "I mean what happened today was emotionally fueled. Feelings that the three of us have been feeling came out in an explosive way. What I'm trying and failing to say is, was this a fluke or could this be something real?"