As it turned out, going out for that drink with Bucky had turned out to be the best decision of Darcy's life. The night had ended much the way she had figured it would, with her secured firmly beneath Bucky's sheets. She would have been content if that night had been it, but it turned out that Bucky had other plans. She had spent the next night in his bed, and then every night after each event that year.

When the season ended she had taken the risk in asking him to join her at Bifrost Ranch. She had fully expected him to decline; he did have a ranch of his own to return to. To her surprise he accepted, said he had a couple of brothers and uncles that could help his Pa out.

Bucky had spent the summer with her, learning the finer points of breeding and training, and endearing himself to Jane and her Ma. Things had been almost like a dream, spending their days working the ranch and their evenings curled up somewhere and working each other.

Jane and her Ma had visions of wedding bells, but Darcy knew marriage just wasn't in the cards for them. She woke up each morning expecting to find him gone, but he never failed to be curled around her when her eyes opened. And here she was one year later, returning back home with Bucky by her side. The only difference than the summer before being the tall blond following along like a lost puppy.

"Thank you for letting me stay." Steve hitched his duffle up over his shoulder and used his right foot to kick the rusted door of his truck shut. He watched as Bucky slipped his arm around Darcy's waist.

"No need. Now come on, Ma will most likely have hot-cake and coffee ready. And believe me you want that cake as soon as it gets out of the oven."

Bucky tossed his duffle on top of the bed just as Darcy flopped face first into the mattress. He laughed at her dramatics and crawled over her to pin her down, his lips leaving nipping little kisses along the back of her neck.

"I really am grateful that you invited Steve along. I didn't like to think of him back at Ma and Pa's all alone." Gathering up her hair, Bucky pulled it to the side so he could leave a long, heated kiss just below her ear.

"I'm sure he could've survived, but I'm glad to have him." Darcy slipped her hair away from Bucky's grip and turned beneath him until she was looking up into his cool blue eyes. She wound her arms around his neck, reaching up to place a kiss against the thick scar running along the left side of his jaw.

"Really now, only him?" Bucky wiggled his eyebrows and laughed when Darcy left his jaw to nip at the tip of his nose. He had never been as happy as he had been since he accepted the offer for a drink.

"Hm, maybe, I mean you've seen that body haven't you?" Darcy shrieked when Bucky's fingers went to attacking her sides. It wasn't fair really, and she had told him that on several occasions, that she was so ticklish when he wasn't. Though she did know one way to get him back.

"Oh! Shit, I'm sorry, um…" Steve stood in the doorway of the bedroom across from his, the one Bucky had said he shared with Darcy. It probably shouldn't surprise him that they were at it, they were always at it. This wasn't even the first, or the twentieth time he had caught them. "Guys, it just after noon. Couldn't you wait at least until bedtime?"

"Nope, Mama likes a bit of afternoon delight." Darcy copied Bucky from earlier and waggled her brows. She laughed when Steve just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"What was it you wanted, Steve?" Bucky slipped off Darcy, adjusting his jeans as he stood. He knew that look on his friend's face, and he knew it meant that his and Darcy's activities would be put on hold for awhile.

"I just wanted to talk with Darcy for a minute." Steve stood still with his hands in his pockets waiting to see if he would be kicked out or not.

"Yeah, sure, come in." Darcy sat up and straightened her clothes the best she could.

"I'm going to go and find Thor, maybe pester Jane for awhile." Bucky gave a quick kiss to Darcy's forehead and a pat to Steve's shoulder before he left. He had a pretty good idea what his friend wanted to talk about, and figured it would be easier for him if he made himself scarce. Not that he wouldn't get Darcy to spill everything later.

Steve waited until he could hear Bucky slip out the front door before he fully entered the room. He thought about shutting the door, but then thought better of it. He stood just inside, swaying from foot to foot until Darcy took pity on him and patted the bed beside her.

"Take a seat, Steve." Darcy smiled wide when Steve sat down beside her, his hand running over and over through his hair. The man could be so cool and collected, but one thing Darcy noticed was how skittish he was around girls. Mostly her.

"I just wanted to thank you, again, for asking me to stay. I think of Bucky's family as my own, but it isn't the same without him there. I fit, but not perfectly." Steve sighed and scratched at the back of his head. Mrs. Barnes would've been upset if she had heard him, she insisted that Steve was just another son of hers. But Steve never felt like he fully fit, not since Becca died at least. Last summer had been strange, living, working, and training at Barnes Ranch with only Bucky's brothers and uncles. He loved them all, but he had been glad when the summer break had been over.

"I really wish ya'll would stop thanking me. It wasn't any problem. If I hadn't wanted you to come, I wouldn't have asked." Darcy turned on the bed, slipping one leg up on the mattress, so she could face Steve. "We are friends you know. I would even say we are best of friends. So, my place is yours, and we will no more talk on the subject. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, Ma'am." Steve laughed and reached up to yank on a bit of her hair. During the past year Steve had gotten to know Darcy, and like she said, became friends. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't a bit jealous of Bucky for having snatched her up first. But he was glad she was there for his friend.

"That wasn't all I wanted to say though. I… I want to thank you for sticking with Bucky." Steve held up a hand when he noticed Darcy's face pinch and her mouth open to protest. "I know, I don't have to thank you, but I want to. It's just he has had such a hard time of it since the wreck, none of us ever thought he would get better. But then you came along." Steve slid a hand over Darcy's cheek, his thumb caressing her cheekbone.

"It's not really a one-way street, he's helped me too." Darcy felt a waver in her voice at the feel of Steve's hand on her face. This was most certainly a new development.

"I know, but… I didn't like leaving him last summer, but I think it was best. For him I mean. He needed to be away from everything that reminded him of his life before." Carefully, Steve slid his hand down her neck, slipping it along the curve of her shoulder until he rested his hand on the mattress beside her leg.

"Steve, this is a ranch where we breed and raise bucking bulls, hell we were the ones who raised Ultron. I'm not sure this place is vacant of reminders." Darcy settled back a bit from Steve, suddenly unsure of her decision to ask him to sit.

"He's told you about Becca, hasn't he?" Steve was only taking a guess, though he had a pretty good feeling. Bucky had never told any of the women in his life before, but he had seen the way Bucky looked and acted around Darcy. His guess was confirmed when Darcy nodded her head. "He's never really healed from her death. I'm not sure any of us have, but he has had the most trouble. As much as we all hated him being away, we all knew he needed it. And I think it's working. He's healing, and we… I'm thankful to you for that."

Darcy was speechless. Bucky had told her about his sister, about what had happened and how it had affected his family. She knew, but as she sat there in front of Steve she saw reflected the same pain in his eyes that she saw daily in Bucky's. It made her want to gather him up in her arms and never let go. And since Darcy was all about gut feelings that was just what she did.

Steve huffed as the wind was knocked out of him. He hadn't expected Darcy to practically throw herself at him, but there he was being squished to death by a curvy little cowgirl. He laughed a bit and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close.

They remained that way for sometime, just locked in each other's arms. Finally Darcy pulled back, her eyes a little wet as she looked up at him.

"Thank you for letting me look after him." Darcy closed her eyes as Steve leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. She heard him get up and leave the room, but she didn't open her eyes until she felt the bed dip back down a moment later.

"Bucky!"

"Don't act so surprised, you know how nosey I can be." Bucky tapped the tip of her nose. He hoped she didn't notice just how shiny his eyes were, or how he was having a hard time keeping his breath even.

"I… I swear that wasn't what it looked like. He, I… he was just thanking me was all." Darcy wasn't sure how long he had been watching them, and even though nothing actually happened, the intimacy of the moment made her feel guilty.

"Don't fret so much. I know what was going on." Bucky slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her tightly to his chest before flinging them down so she was pinned under him once again. "But I do think that maybe we need to talk. The three of us."

"The, what?" Darcy blinked up at her boyfriend/lover/partner. He surely wasn't suggesting what she thought he was… surely.

"Sugar, there are a few things that I probably should have told you before. Like the fact that we took our Mamas' lessons about sharing very seriously." Bucky winked and delved down to press a heated kiss against her mouth. It wasn't what he been planning, but sometimes Bucky knew that you had to just go with the flow. Plus his Ma had always told him that he couldn't fight the current.

Author's Note: Done! I know, probably not what a lot of you had hoped for when it came to the relationship, but this is where the story took me.

Now, I don't plan on revisiting this story, so I invite anyone that wants to continue this, go ahead. Just let me know if you do so I can read it.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media

franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.