AN I don't own Marvel or any of its characters! Short little follow up for my one-and-a-half-shot. Bucky/Steve/Nat fluff.
Out of the two of them, Bucky had always been the one in control. In the Red Room, Natasha had been his student, his pupil, and even the few times she'd dared to sneak off and take care of him after a fight she had been at his command. And, now that he was back to himself? They had a very old, very familiar dynamic between them and nothing-especially not a blue-eyed blond haired nothing-was going to get in the way of that. It was easy, actually, to just fall into what they both remembered.
Steve, however, threw a wrench in things to say the least. Natasha wasn't really sure what kind of relationship he and Bucky had had before the serum, before the fall, other than that they were close but she knew certain… circumstances changed things. Steve was much stronger now, and bigger too. He was slightly taller than Bucky and muscular in a more obvious way that screamed of righteousness and strength. But it hadn't been that way when they were younger.
It took a long time for Steve to let her see any part of their relationship, but Bucky told her about it before then. Steve was strong, and stubborn, but he'd been that way when they were kids. Bucky said he had to work on it. But, sure enough, Bucky eventually managed to wear the blond down and break him. She hadn't been there to see it-Steve still had a little distrust and bitterness from before-but she could tell the second Bucky walked into their room that things had changed. He looked… better. Happier, like some part of his soul had finally settled comfortably, and she knew Steve had cracked.
She didn't know which man would be in control. With her, it was always about control-always had been-and she noted that before anything else in a relationship because it gave her leverage. But with them, she was just curious. Before the whole incident, Steve had been dominant with her and he had fallen into the role like it was second nature. But, then again, so had Bucky. Part of her burned with curiosity because she couldn't see either of them yielding to the other and they were both so stubborn.
When they walked in together, she immediately caught herself watching and analyzing and trying to figure out who had entered first or who kept their eyes on the floor. Bucky, though, ever the dominant when she was concerned, didn't let her. He stepped up to her and ran a hand through her hair until she met his eyes and then he rewarded her with a chaste kiss. Steve was still standing by the door.
"Stevie." It wasn't a question or a command but Steve moved to stand beside Bucky and kept his eyes down. Interesting. Maybe they'd fallen back into their old dynamic too? But she didn't have long to think on it because Bucky gave her a look she knew all too well and then nodded towards Steve. She knelt between them both, leaning slightly towards the security that was radiating from Bucky.
"Stevie," Bucky said again, his voice lower and more sympathetic but still firm. Steve sighed. He bit his lip as she watched him out of the corner of her eye but he glanced at Bucky and dropped to his knees beside her. Both of them looked to the brunette for reassurance, and he nodded. Slowly, Steve chewed his lower lip and reached for her hands. He took them, one in each of his, and he was so warm and so comforting after the cold shoulder she'd gotten that she almost didn't notice his mouth opening.
"Я люблю тебя, Nat." Her mouth fell open. I love you. She paled, even as he squeezed her hands, and Bucky stepped up to tighten a hand in her hair to steady her but she was reeling. I love you. She honestly had never thought she'd hear those words from Steve again. She'd fucked it up so badly with him that she never expected him to trust her or love her again, especially not to say it the way he used to as a reassurance of their relationship. But she'd definitely never thought she'd hear him say it in Russian. It was slow, measured, and his pronunciation was slightly off like Bucky had taught him the words and he'd merely repeated it back, but it was like honey in her veins. Tears started down her face-tears of relief and surprise and maybe joy? But before she could start sobbing, she was encased in warmth and muscle.
"Я люблю тебя, Talya." Bucky pressed a gentle kiss against her temple as she curled back into him but Steve was there too, in her arms, hugging her back and burying his face in her shoulder like he'd missed her as much as she'd missed him. She wanted to cry. Fuck, she was crying and she still wanted to do something because she was floundering. But they just held her like that. Both just as eager and desperate and protective of her as before, but now just all at once. She felt like she was taking too much of their attention until she lifted her head just long enough to see Bucky with that glint in his eye and she knew. This was for them too.
When she was calm-or at least calmer-Bucky slowly untangled himself from their dog pile and locked the bedroom door. Steve was still hugging her tight but, when Bucky came back, they both perked up. Bucky tangled a hand in Steve's hair-not hers-and lifted the blond's chin with his pointer finger so he could press a kiss to those soft lips. Steve hummed, the way he did to show contentment, and Bucky smiled. Something in her went wild at the sight of the two people she loved most in the world so clearly in love with each other but she didn't get a chance to say anything because Bucky broke the kiss and stared down into Steve's face with nothing but pride and affection.
"Good, Stevie." It wasn't much but she knew from her history with the brunette that that was high praise and Steve, evidently, knew that too because he melted into the words. Bucky just smiled and moved his attention to her.
"Natalya," She was ready for a reprimand or a disappointed sigh but he just smiled that gentle little smile at her. "It's okay now. You're safe, you can trust us, and we love you." Steve couldn't have known the significance of that but Natasha choked. He'd said the words. The actual, forbidden words that were too deep and too strong and too terrifying to ever say to another human being. And he'd said them in English, for Steve to hear too. We love you.
"I love you too." She used the plural you, purposefully, but wasn't brave enough to say it in English yet. It didn't matter, though, because it was similar enough to what Steve had been taught that he understood and they both lifted her back onto the bed. She expected Bucky to put himself between them, honestly, but he made no move to. Instead, he curled up against her back to spoon her and merely threw an arm over Steve's waist as he wriggled his way to cuddle against her chest. They were so warm… One kissed her temple while the other kissed just above her heart and she felt herself start to slip. She had them both, then. It was okay and they loved her-both of them. She glanced down to her waist where a human hand was intertwined with a metal one, and she had to smile. Both.
It didn't have to be a choice.
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