II.
Because of how he had watched her when she and Clint had been bantering earlier in the kitchen, as soon as she was on the couch with his arm around her waist and her head on his chest as they watched a movie neither was paying much attention to she said
"I don't love him, Steve."
"I know."
But his response was too casual, too careful.
It almost made her angry, honestly. She felt like yelling at him, demanding to know why it bothered him so much if he knew she didn't love Clint – not like she loved him, not anything close to like she loved him.
He spoke again, in that voice that was so careful not to have anything in it but words.
"You may not love him, but he takes priority for you."
She deflated, and a wave of sadness hit her because she knew it was true.
It would always be true.