A car picked Kylie up the next morning around eight, and she was escorted to a private parlor, just off the entryway into the palace. She sat with folded hands until Steve walked in, then she stood.

"You have a very serious look on your face," Steve said. "Is something wrong?"

"Steve… I don't know how to…" She took a deep breath, and looked him in the eye. He deserved that. "I can't keep pursuing this. I'm sorry."

Steve stepped closer and took her hand.

"I noticed that you seemed distant the last few days."

"You didn't say anything."

"I wanted you to figure it out for yourself. No pressure."

She smiled and shook her head. "You're such a good man. I wish we could still be friends."

"Why can't we?"

"I'm going back home today. I already booked my flight."

"So soon? I mean, you could stay the rest of your vacation. You could even stay longer. We could always find you a job here."

"I can't, Steve."

"I don't want to lose you completely."

Tears fell from her eyes. "You'll lose more than me if I stay."

"What does that mean?"

"I didn't want it to happen, Steve. I would never hurt you."

He stiffened. "What happened?"

"I fell for someone else."

"Who?"

She shook her head.

"Kylie, please. Just tell me. Not knowing will be worse."

She looked down, and her voice cracked as she said, "Bucky." She didn't look up. She didn't want to see his face. "That's why I have to leave. I can't come between you."

"Does—" He cleared his throat. "Does he feel the same—"

"No. I didn't tell him."

She hated lying to him, but she'd made up her mind during her sleepless night to put all the blame, if any were to be had, on herself. She was determined not to ruin the friendship between Steve and Bucky.

"Then… stay. Give it some time."

"Steve. I care about you too much."

"We both knew that us being together was a long shot. I've prepared myself for it."

"But not because of this." She finally looked into his eyes, and she couldn't stop her tears. "Not because I fell for your best friend."

Steve flinched. The words seemed to sting him, but he pulled her into a hug.

"Your reasons don't matter."

"I don't deserve you. Or Bucky."

"Hey. No, that's not true. You can't really control who you fall for."

"I'm so sorry, Steve."

"Shhhh. Stop apologizing."

She pulled away and wiped at her eyes.

"I have to go. I still have to pack and get to the airport."

"I wish you would stay."

"I can't."

Steve nodded. "I'll ride back to Clint's to see you off."

"No. Please. I need this to be a clean break. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Kylie—"

"Please, Steve. Just let me go."

Steve brushed his thumb over her cheek and pressed a soft, chaste kiss on her forehead.

"I'll miss you," he said.

"I'll miss you, too."

—-

Steve walked up to Bucky's door just as Bucky pulled it open.

"Hey, I was just heading to work." Bucky said. He took one look at Steve and knew something was wrong. "What happened?"

"Kylie is leaving."

"What? Why?"

"She told me… she's fallen for you."

Bucky ran a hand through his hair. "She told you?"

"Yeah, she said…" Steve stopped and narrowed his eyes. "You knew?"

Bucky nodded.

"She told me you didn't."

"She… she doesn't want to ruin our friendship. Neither do I."

"Wait," Steve pinched the bridge of his nose, then took a deep breath. "You like her, too?"

Bucky stayed silent, but never broke eye contact.

"Buck, do you?"

"I do."

Steve ran both hands through his hair and let out a harsh breath.

"I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean for it to happen. And I would never go after your girl. You know that. Especially not after what happened with Peggy."

"Don't bring up Peggy."

"Sorry."

Steve stared at the ground, unmoving for several minutes, neither of them speaking.

"You know," Steve finally said, "I like Kylie. I could even see myself dating her. But I had trouble picturing a life with her."

"You did?"

"Even she doubted she would make a good queen. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

Bucky nodded.

"Not for me and her," Steve added. "You, on the other hand… I saw you dancing with her last night. I don't know why I didn't see it until now. You really do care for her, don't you?"

"Steve, it doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it doesn't. You're my best friend."

"That's right. I am." He put a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "Go make her stay."

Bucky shook his head. "Steve—"

"She's leaving today. She was going back to Clint's to finish packing." He put his hands in his pockets. "You can stand here and fight it, and try to be the amazing friend you already are, or you can go get her.

"Steve… she was your girl."

Steve shrugged. "We were never officially together, Buck. And I told her I wanted her to stay. She's just worried about hurting us."

"So am I… about hurting you."

Steve held up his right hand, and Bucky clapped his into it.

"I want you to be happy, Buck. She fits into your world, not mine. You like each other. Go get her."

—-

Bucky pounded on Clint's door until Jarvis answered.

"Mr. Barnes, please."

"Sorry, Jarvis. I need to talk to Kylie."

"Miss Shaw has left for the airport."

"Already?"

"Yes, Lord Barton drove her there himself."

Bucky was already jogging back to his car.

—-

Kylie set her bag on an empty seat in the terminal.

"You're sure I can't convince you to stay?" Clint asked.

"I can't. It would be too awkward."

"And you won't tell me who?"

She shook her head. "If Steve tells you that's ok, but I don't want to make it worse for him."

"I just wish you'd give it more time. Even Steve said you should—"

"Shaw!"

Kylie and Clint both looked toward the voice, along with half the terminal. Bucky jogged up to Kylie and stopped in front of her, breathing heavily.

"Bucky, why are you here?"

"Don't go."

She shook her head. "I can't stay. You said it yourself. We can't be around each other."

"Oh shit! It's Barnes?"

Kylie glanced at Clint and nodded.

"Kylie," Bucky said, ignoring Clint, "Steve came to see me."

"I told him you didn't know."

"Yeah, well, I blew that. He knows how I feel."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Why did you tell him?"

"Because he's my best friend. I had to be honest with him." Bucky took her hand. "He told me to come after you."

"He did?"

"I wasn't going to, but…" he cupped her face in both hands, "I can't let you go."

"What about Steve?"

"Come back. We'll work it out."

"I don't know, Bucky, it—"

Bucky pressed a soft kiss to her lips, cutting off her objection. The terminal erupted in applause, and they pulled apart.

"Ok, people, nothing to see," Clint bellowed.

"Stay," Bucky whispered.

Kylie nodded and wrapped her arms around Bucky's shoulders. He lifted her off the ground in his embrace.

"All right," Clint said. "Back home."

"You're riding with me," Bucky said. He put her back on her feet and lifted her carry-on bag onto his shoulder. "Let's go see about getting your luggage back."

Bucky wouldn't let go of her hand, and Kylie didn't want him to. Even when he loaded her luggage into the trunk of his car, he took her hand as soon as he was done, and only released it again to close her door.

"Bucky… is Steve really ok with this?"

He nodded. "I think so. It might be a little weird at first, when we're all together, but… I can tell when Steve's sincere."

Kylie leaned her head back against her seat and stared at him.

"I can't believe you came after me."

"When Steve told me you were leaving, it felt like a punch to the gut. I couldn't let you go."

"Natasha will probably hate me for this."

"Look, Steve said it himself, you two were never officially together. It's not like what happened with Peggy."

"Yeah… Peggy. I met her last night."

"And?"

"She seemed…. nice. She denied cheating, and she told me she still cares for Steve. Told me I'd better not hurt him."

"That's rich. Nice isn't what I'd call her."

"Bucky, people in glass houses shouldn't—"

"No, it's not the same. We didn't act on it."

"We kissed."

Bucky sighed. "But we stopped. It's one thing to have feelings. It's another thing to have an affair. We didn't do that."

"Then why do I feel guilty?"

He took her hand and gave it a firm squeeze.

"Because you care about Steve."

"And that doesn't bother you? That I've kissed him and care about him?"

"Do you still want to kiss him?"

She stared at Bucky while he drove. "No."

"Then that's in the past. I'm glad you care about Steve. I do, too."

"He's a great guy."

"He is."

"Tell me about him and Peggy."

Bucky's eyes flicked from the road to Kylie.

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because I want to know what they were like together, and I want to know exactly what happened."

"She cheated."

"So I've heard. Look, we have a ways back to Clint's house, and I would rather not discuss anything about us while you have to focus on the road, so… tell me about Peggy."

Bucky sighed. "Fine, but when we get back to Clint's we're changing the subject."

"To whatever you want."