Disclaimer: Everything belongs to The Marvel Universe except for my characters Sophie and Jeremy and any other SOs that become introduced – they are my own creations and are not meant to resemble anyone else's OCs in any way.
A/N: You guys, OMG. I am overwhelmed and completely overjoyed by all of the reviews and responses to the last chapter. ESPECIALLY because I had kind of a tough time writing it and really felt it wasn't on par with my usual work. Honestly, it's been the same with this one too. So please keep them coming as it's incredibly motivating and rewarding to see your responses. I absolutely LOVE it! THANK YOU AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Chapter 20: This Is Not Enough
(All The Things She Said — The Weight of Atlas)
Nothing was as it should be.
He stared down the punching bag like it was Zola's face he was boring holes into. Teeth grinding, his jaw ached with the force of his clench. Last night had not gone how he'd planned. Or how he'd expected it would. He thought Sophie would come over, they'd get some takeout, and pick some silly romcom that she loved. And then, while watching the movie, he'd tell her about Rose. He thought she'd be happy for him. A slow hiss of air released through Bucky's nose as he attempted to calm the anger licking up his spine. When it first happened, he'd felt awful. Guilt had consumed him as he watched Sophie's face crumble. The fear of losing her and ruining their friendship made him want to shove the words back in his mouth and swallow them down. Even long after she'd left, he continued to stress out.
But the longer he thought about it, the more his guilt and worry transformed into anger. Why now? Never before, not once, had she shown the slightest unhappiness about their arrangement or about Bucky dating, not even when they'd paused their escapades before. He thought back on all of their conversations regarding their agreement, mind whirling through everything she'd said to him, wondering if he'd somehow missed something. Anything. But no. In fact, there had been more than once that they'd put their dalliance on hold due to her own dating habits. But now, the one time that he tells her that he found someone he could see a future with…
NOW, she chooses to get upset?!
The rage shot through him with the sharpness of a knife and he lashed out. The punch hit the bag with such a force it flew back fifteen feet and hit the wall, coming apart at the seams. Unable to leash himself now, he let it flow out of him in torrents of hot fury, moving from one bag to the next with the exact same result each time.
Why? Why? WHY NOW?! Why when I finally have a chance at happiness with someone?!
His chest heaved as he looked at the destruction he'd left in his wake. At least this was the perk of working out at the Tower instead of his usual gym — no one would bat an eye at the wrecked bags. Hands shaking slightly as the adrenaline began to ebb, Bucky ran his palms up and down his face. They travelled up to his hair, fingers lacing behind his head as he paced around. This just wasn't fair. If Sophie had had any true feelings towards him, she'd had all the opportunities in the world to say something. Or to even hint that she wanted more. Or that his dating upset her. But she didn't. She waited. And then a harsh and bitter thought filled his head. Breathing deeply, Bucky fell down heavily on the bench against the far right wall. His hands gripped the edge of the seat as his head hung low and he dissected this most unwelcome notion.
Maybe that's not why she's upset. Maybe…she'd always thought that she'd be the one to end this. That she'd be the one to find someone first. And she just always expected me to be there, single and waiting in the wings to provide physical and emotional support whenever she needed it. Maybe what she's really upset about is that she suddenly realized that someone may actually want more with me — that I won't always be there for her to just use when it's convenient…maybe she isn't who I thought she was after all…
That idea was so heartbreaking, he had to squeeze his eyes shut against the unexpected wave of grief that washed over him. But he refused to allow himself to drown in this feeling. There was finally a glimmer of hope that he could find happiness in this Godforsaken life of his and he was going to grab it with both hands and hang on as tightly as he could. And if Sophie couldn't find it within her to be happy for him, then maybe it was time he reassessed their friendship. Perhaps he needed to take a step back. He'd been rung out emotionally more times than he could count and things with her had just become so confusing and complicated.
And then there was Rose. Sweet, gentle, Rose. Things with her felt simple, easy, uncomplicated. Being a veteran herself, she was used to seeing amputees. Having learned his lesson, Bucky had wanted to be upfront with her as quickly as possibly. She hadn't even blinked at his arm. She didn't ask the hard questions either. She'd just let it be. The relief of having his arm out in the open but simultaneously not having to relive everything was immeasurable. The potential for the two of them was there, he could see it, simmering hot just beneath the surface. So why couldn't he get his conversation with Sophie out of his head?
What we've been doing…can't she see…this is not enough.
…
All night long and throughout the next two days, Sophie felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Thoughts of Bucky plagued her, leaving her a distraught mess. How had this happened? How is it that the moment she decides to be brave and admit her feelings, he's suddenly unavailable?
Maybe we're just not meant to be together. Or maybe I'm just lucky and Bucky's announcement saved me from the heartache of him letting me know he's not interested.
She grit her teeth and straightened her shoulders as she approached her lunch table, steeling herself for the inquiry she knew would come within moments. Natasha looked up from the menu she was holding and smiled at Sophie.
"Hey!" She chirped at her friend.
"Hey," Sophie managed a smile in return.
"Ok, let's just order so we can get some drinks going and then I want to hear everything!"
Inwardly, Sophie cringed at Nat's barely contained excitement. They perused the menu for a few moments before making their choices. Once the waiter had left them, the two women sat in silence, Nat staring at Sophie and Sophie looking anywhere but at Nat.
"Sooo? How did it go? What did he say? Was he floored? Did you guys have amazing, emotional sex all night? How are you even walking today? I bet that man is a beast in bed. In the best way possible of course."
Sophie sighed. Heart hammering painfully in her chest she turned her wary gaze on her friend.
"I didn't tell him. Not really anyway."
"What? Why not?"
"Well…I got there and…I was going to…but…"
She paused, chewing on her lip for a moment.
"But then he told me he's calling off our friends with benefits arrangement. Because he's met someone."
Natasha remained quiet for a moment, digesting this.
"And it's not just that. He said he really liked her and he could actually see a future with her."
"Well shit."
"I know."
Their drinks arrived and the two friends took a moment to organize their thoughts as they sipped quietly.
"Ok, ok. It's not an ideal situation. But you should still tell him."
"What? Are you insane? I can't do that!"
"Why not? He's probably only gone on a handful of dates with this woman."
"That's not the point. First of all, I can't tell him now because he'll think I'm just saying it because I don't want to stop our thing. Second of all, it's just cruel. He likes this woman and it would be putting him in an unfair position."
"So what are you going to do?"
Sophie sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly.
"I don't know. I haven't gotten that far. But as I said, I won't put him in the position where he's forced to choose between us. It's unfair to him."
"Alright. Well, I hope you know what you're doing."
"Yeah, me too."
…
Steve walked into his apartment, kicking off his shoes and tossing his keys onto the small table that stood by the door just as Natasha came around the corner.
"Well this is a nice surprise! I thought you had a mission tonight?"
She smiled up at him before stretching up on tiptoes to give him a kiss.
"It got cancelled. Faulty intel."
Steve frowned.
"Been a lot of that going around lately."
"Yeah I know."
She took him by the hand and led him down the hall, to his living room where they settled down on the couch together. Putting his arm around the Black Widow, Steve grabbed the remote and turned the TV on, setting the volume to a low murmur.
"Well I have some fun news."
"What is it?"
"Get this — Buck's finally got himself a girl!"
Natasha's stomach plummeted. She desperately wanted to confide in Steve but she knew she couldn't. Sophie had told her everything privately and she hadn't received permission to share the information. But at the same time, she didn't want to sit by and watch the two of them throw everything away.
Maybe I can convince Sophie to let Steve in on the situation? He could definitely suss things out with Bucky.
"Oh yeah?"
She searched her brain for something else to say that wouldn't give Sophie away or turn their conversation toward dangerous territory.
"Yeah. I think he really likes this one. He wants us all to meet her."
"Already?"
Steve shrugged.
"I guess he doesn't want to waste any more time."
Natasha turned her attention to the TV, her mind buzzing. If she was going to intervene somehow, she'd have to figure it out fast.
…
It took nearly three weeks to be able to arrange a dinner where everyone that Bucky wanted present could attend. Within that time, Sophie had hardly seen him, if she didn't count his missions. Between a ramp up in non-Hydra related assignments and the time he spent with Rose, there wasn't much left over for her. Truthfully, she couldn't bring herself to be too sorry about it. Things had been weird and strained between them the few times that they had spent time alone. And now that she'd finally admitted to herself how she truly felt about her best friend, she found it increasingly difficult to keep the words to herself. The urge to kiss him and blurt them out each time she saw him was nearly overwhelming. But Sophie refused to be that girl. The last thing that she wanted was for Bucky to think she only wanted him because she suddenly couldn't have him. She took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves, ignoring the feeling of Nat's eyes coming from her left.
"You ok?" She murmured just loud enough for only Sophie to hear.
"Fine."
It's ok. This is fine. You can do this.
Then, as if drawn by an invisible force, her eyes drifted to the restaurant entrance and right to his brilliant blue ones. Her heart stuttered for a fraction of a second as a small smile tugged at the edge of his lips. Then he turned, reaching behind him. She watched him pull gently until a tiny, raven haired beauty emerged from behind him. Sophie's stomach twisted in knots. Bucky gazed down and gave Rose a reassuring smile, her features clearly reading as nervous.
"Well damn," Sam muttered from Sophie's right.
Steve stood up and walked a step forward, closing the distance between himself and his best friend. He gave Bucky a big hug as Rose stood by and watched anxiously. As if they'd had a telepathic agreement, both Nat and Sam simultaneously stood as well. They rounded the table, each one greeting Rose and then Bucky. Hesitantly, Sophie followed suit. She reached the other woman and gave her a tentative hug.
"Hi, I'm Sophie. It's really nice to meet you."
Rose pulled back and a huge and genuine smile spread over her face.
"Sophie! It's so nice to finally meet you! I've heard a lot about you!"
Sophie flushed, unsure of how to respond. But she was saved from the awkwardness as Bucky stepped in. His arms wrapped around her in a gentle hug that was so achingly familiar that she found it hard not to melt into him. She'd missed this. She'd missed him.
"Hey Soph," he whispered in her ear, then placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
"Hey Bucky."
They moved apart and Sophie returned to her seat just as Bucky pulled out a chair for Rose. Then he himself sat down between her and Steve — directly across from Sophie. Stomach still flip-flopping with the stress of the situation, she took a moment to study him as everyone else's attention was pulled to Rose. She watched as he carefully observed his girlfriend and his friends and her heart squeezed painfully. Whether or not this would last between them, right at this moment, Bucky was happy. As much as it hurt to know that his joy wasn't because of her, she could never begrudge him this — she loved him too much for that.
Slowly, Bucky's mesmerizing blue orbs slid over to hers. They stared at each other for a moment, then a soft smile stretched his lips and her heart faltered. Things had been too strained and strange between them the past weeks. But this single moment, this lone smile, and a warmth flooded her chest. Everything would be alright between them. No matter what happened, they would be ok. At the end of the day, she would force herself to move on if that's what it took to keep him around. She'd have to. Because Sophie knew without a shadow of a doubt that she could never take the peace and happiness that he now had from him.
He looked at her a second longer before his attention returned to the group. Sophie followed suit. She sat there quietly and listened as her friends chatted around her. She came to learn that they had met at the VA when Bucky was there to drop off a few things for Sam and Rose had been leaving an appointment. After retiring from the Air Force she joined some company Sophie didn't recognize and now worked a desk job as a computer programer. She seemed calm, solid, even keel.
Exactly what Bucky needs.
Sophie sucked in a quiet breath, letting it out slowly through her nose. She had attempted to interject her own comments here and there, but it was stilted, and she suddenly felt timid and out of place, not dissimilar to how she'd felt around Jeremy's friends. Startling slightly, her eyes darted over to Nat at the feeling of her friend's hand covering her knee. But Natasha stared straight ahead, continuing to engage in the conversation around the table. She felt a light squeeze. Covering Nat's hand with her own, she squeezed back, grateful for the well timed moment of support.
Everyone seemed to love Rose. And truthfully, she was finding it hard not to like her herself. The woman actively attempted to engage Sophie in conversation, obviously knowing she was an important person in Bucky's life. She also seemed kind and real. But there was one thing that irked Sophie more than it should have. For some strange reason, she always called him James. No one else seemed to notice. Or maybe they just weren't bothered by it. But calling him James…that was her thing. Sophie wasn't even sure how it had come about, but somehow it had turned into something special between them. It was something that she reserved for very specific moments and his reaction whenever she used his given name was immediate. She could tell in his expression and even in his body language. If she called him James, he would pay attention, or he would soften, or calm. Whatever it may be that he needed in that moment, that single uttering from her seemed to provide it for him. But here was Rose, tossing it left and right.
"Why do you keep calling him that?"
Every head at the table swiveled in her direction. Sophie felt herself flush from embarrassment, unable to believe she'd spoken the question aloud. Rose clamped her mouth shut and a blush crept up her face.
"I-I'm sorry?"
Sophie cleared her throat, mind racing, trying desperately to think of something to say that would make her crazy and rude comment ok.
"I just mean…everyone calls him Bucky…so…"
Rose glanced nervously at Bucky, but he was busy staring wide-eyed at Sophie, a look of pure disbelief etched on his face.
"I just…I like 'James'. It's so much more…dignified than 'Bucky'. Don't you think?"
Sophie felt like her jaw was glued shut. Their gazes seemed to be locked together and as much as they each wanted to look away, neither one seemed capable of it. Sam coughed uncomfortably from Sophie's side. Finally, Rose blinked, then looked back up at Bucky. She reached under the table and squeezed his thigh.
"You don't mind, do you? You'd tell me if you didn't like it, right?"
Brow furrowing, Bucky finally yanked his gaze back over to his girlfriend.
"No, darlin'. I don't mind," he smiled down at her.
Sophie's stomach churned as Rose grinned brightly up at him. She desperately wanted to run out of there and hide under her pillow from mortification. Her jaw was starting to ache and she wasn't quite sure if she was still breathing.
You're fine. This is fine. No matter what happens, you will be ok. You will be ok. You will be…ok.
Bucky shot her a displeased look and she thought she might burst into tears. The quiet awkwardness was becoming unbearable.
"You know what?" Nat spoke up. "I'm not feeling too good. I hate to, but I think I should probably head on out."
"You did just get in a few hours ago," Steve chimed in. "Your jet lag is probably hitting. Do you want me to take you home?"
Sophie's head whipped over to Nat, eyes wide in alarm.
"Oh…no. That's ok. I was actually hoping Sophie would come with me."
Steve looked over at her quizzically and with a sting of rejection.
"It's not the jet lag Steve."
His brow furrowed in confusion. Nat stood up, tugging Sophie to her feet with her.
"It's cramps," she stage whispered at him.
Steve immediately turned red as a tomato and commented no further. Then, before anyone could question her, the two women said their goodbyes and quickly hightailed it out of there. The group was left sitting in quiet confusion.
"Wait," Sam finally broke the silence. "Didn't she…she can't be…am I missing something here?"
Bucky sighed and rubbed a hand down his face.
"She can't," he ground out.
Rose looked around the table, completely baffled.
"Ok, what just happened? What are you talking about?"
"Nothing," Bucky grumbled.
…
As grateful as Sophie was for Nat pulling her out of the awful hole she'd dug herself into that night, there was no saving her from the many similar outings that followed. Rose continued to try to befriend Sophie, ensuing a series of get togethers where Sophie third wheeled it. But while she found the woman easy to get along with, she was in no hurry to make her a best friend. And yet, Sophie knew she was slowly becoming someone very important to Bucky. Everyone else seemed to see it too, as they'd accepted her into the fold with open arms. So she tried her best to be friendly and welcoming, despite feeling like she was dying on the inside each and every time they all hung out. In an awful attempt at convincing herself that she was ok with everything going on between Rose and Bucky, she began to date in earnest once more. But no matter how many times she went out, she returned home feeling hollow and numb each time.
It was after one of these dates that she laid in her bed, trying to calm the ache in her chest, when her phone pinged. She looked over at the screen, brow furrowing as a number she didn't recognize lit up. Clicking the phone open, Sophie rolled over onto her stomach and opened the text message.
Unknown: Hey Sophie. Sorry to text so late. This is Rose. James gave me your number, I hope that's ok? I just wanted to see if you'd be free to hang out this weekend?
Bile rose up her throat as she read and reread the text message. She didn't particularly want to meet up this weekend, or any weekend for that matter, but she couldn't very well say so. Taking in a steadying breath, she responded.
Sophie: Hey Rose, it's no problem. I'd love to see you. What did you have in mind?
Rose: Ok great! Maybe we could do coffee on Saturday?
Sophie: Works for me.
Rose: Yay! James mentioned you guys really like that little place not far from his apartment. I can't remember the name. How about we meet there at like 10?
Sophie: The Brick and Stone. Yeah, it's great. 10 works. I'll see you then.
Rose: See you then! Have a great night!
Sophie: You too.
She threw the phone facedown on the bed and pressed her cheek against her blanket.
Why the Brick and Stone? That's our place — mine and Bucky's.
She sighed and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Stomach roiling, she could feel the anxiety already choking her heart.
…
The hands in her lap fidgeted restlessly, fingers wringing together. She moved them up to lay on the table, wrapping her palms around the steaming mug of coffee in front of her. But her nerves wouldn't settle. Bringing the mug up to her lips, Sophie sipped gingerly. The bell above the door jingled and her gaze shot over to it. Rose stood just inside, eyes scanning the tables. They landed on Sophie and she smiled and waved, then began making her way over. Sophie took in a fortifying breath and stood to greet her. The two women gave each other an awkward hug.
"Hey! Thanks for coming to meet me."
"Yeah, of course."
"Let me, um, grab some coffee."
"No problem."
Rose set her things down and went over to the counter. She returned shortly after, a simple coffee with creamer in hand. Sitting down across from Sophie, she took a small sip and gave the other woman a tentative smile.
"Sooo…" Sophie began awkwardly.
Rose took a deep breath, letting it out quickly. Her hands fidgeted with the mug in front of her as she chewed on her lip, clearly thinking over what she wanted to say.
"Look…I get the feeling that you don't…particularly like me. And, although I'm ok with that, I know that James isn't. He's important to me. And you are important to him. So I'd like to try for us to get to know one another better."
Sophie's jaw dropped slightly and she gaped at the woman before her.
"I—I don't know what gave you that impression. But I completely agree. Bucky is someone important to me too and I'd like for us to get along."
"Good."
Rose lifted her gaze to meet Sophie's. There was a sharpness there that hadn't been there before.
"The thing is, for us to get along, I need to set some boundaries."
"What?"
"I understand that you two have been close for a long time and you're one of his best friends. But you have to understand that I come first now."
Sophie blinked several times, completely in shock and unsure of how to respond.
"O-of course you do," she answered quietly.
"You can't keep texting and calling him so much. You already talk to him at work every day —"
"That's purely work stuff. It's not like we can just chitchat when he's on a mission."
"—And you have your weekend runs together. I'm willing to concede those things. But the rest of the time, I can't have his attention constantly getting split between you and me. It sometimes feels like we can't get through a single meal without it being interrupted by you somehow."
"Hey now," Sophie interjected defensively. "That's not true. And I have consciously been texting and calling less. Because I know that you two need time together without interruption."
"Honestly, if that's true, then it's kind of ridiculous how much you two talk. I get the best friend thing, but honey, maybe you just need to put that time and energy into finding your own boyfriend."
Sophie bristled.
"I'm sorry, but it's not up to you how often we communicate. If Bucky didn't want to hear from me so much, he'd tell me himself."
"Maybe he just doesn't want to hurt your feelings because he knows you don't have anyone else."
Sophie's mouth opened and closed a few times, perfectly mimicking a fish out of water.
"There's no way he said that to you."
Rose gave a noncommittal shrug.
"Don't you think you're being a little too needy?"
Her stomach plummeted and she could feel her face growing hot at the comments being hurled at her. The raven haired woman gave a theatrical sigh and sipped on her coffee.
"We've kind of run off the rails here. I didn't come to start an argument. I really do want us to get to know one another and maybe eventually become friends. But you also have to let me and James develop our own relationship. And to do that, you have to give him space."
Sophie continued to stare at her in disbelief. Her mind raced, trying to figure out how to respond but coming up empty.
"Right," she replied quietly. "Space…"
…
"She said WHAT?!"
"Ssshhh! Oh my God. Do you want everyone and their mother to overhear?!" Sophie hissed at Natasha.
"Sorry," Nat whispered, then sank back into her massage chair.
Sophie let out a huff, then sat back herself.
"So what do you think of the color? You like it?"
"Hell yeah I do. Midnight black with a gorgeous shimmer. What's not to like?"
Sophie smiled weakly at Nat's comment.
"I just can't believe she actually said all of that."
"I suppose better to my face than behind my back, right?"
"I don't know. I think she was trying to establish her territory. She was low key telling you to fuck off."
"I'm not sure it was so low key," Sophie grumbled.
"Damn. She seemed so nice and sweet too."
"Maybe she's not wrong though," Sophie responded after some time.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…maybe I am being too needy? I thought I had backed off pretty good. I don't actually text or call half that time that I want to. But maybe it's too much anyway. I mean…I'm not his girlfriend…she is."
Nat let out a sad sigh.
"Oh Sophie. I wish I knew what to say. The truth is, I always thought the two of you would end up together. You guys have been…like two peas in a pod for so long. But I guess it's hard to disentangle yourself after all that you've been through with him."
"Yeah. I suppose I better start figuring out a way how though. Or Rose will do it for me."
"Let me tell Steve what's going on."
"What?! No way!"
"Why not? You know he and Bucky talk. He might be able to provide some insight here."
"Natasha. No. If you tell him how I feel about Bucky, there's no way in hell he won't tell Bucky."
"That's not true."
"Really? He's literally gone to the ends of the Earth for him. You really think he'd keep something like that a secret from him?"
Natasha hesitated.
"Exactly."
…
It was late when Steve finally stepped into his apartment and locked the door behind him. Slowly, he set his keys down, body on high alert after picking up the noise of the TV coming from his living room. He quietly crept down the hallway and then peeked around the corner. Letting out a slightly exasperated exhale, he straightened fully and walked into the room.
"Hey. I didn't know you were coming over. I thought you were an intruder."
Nat looked over her shoulder at him and smiled.
"Hey there yourself. Heard you were getting back today and thought we could order in and watch a movie."
Steve smiled, shoulders relaxing.
"That sounds great. Let me take a quick shower and I'll be right with you. Want to order some pizza?"
"Already done. It'll be here in 15 minutes!"
"You're amazing. You know that?" He leaned down and kissed her softly.
"Sure do," she grinned up at him.
Shaking his head, he let out a laugh. Then turned and made his way to his bathroom. Once he was showered and in comfortable sweats, he joined Natasha on the couch. They surfed through their movie options, deferring to Nat's choice of a romcom just as their food arrived. They chatted here and there at the beginning of the movie, but eventually grew quiet. Until Natasha began to feel the tingle of annoyance running through her veins. Her mouth twisted in a frown and she unknowingly emitted a noise of disapproval at the main male character. Steve looked over at her.
"What? What's wrong?"
She startled.
"Nothing."
"That face is definitely not a nothing face."
Natasha huffed.
"He's being such an idiot! Why doesn't he just tell her how he feels?! It would save her so much grief and heartache!"
"Well…because if he did that, then there would be no movie."
She glared at him. Steve held up his hands, palms out, in a show of surrender.
"I mean, he's really just stringing her along, honestly. First he's super nice and flirty. Then it turns out he's got a girlfriend. But he still wants her attention. Like, what? If you like her, break up with the other girl and tell her!"
"You're having some really strong feelings about this movie."
"You're damn right I am!" She snapped.
"Is there something you want to talk about?"
"No!"
"Ok…"
They sat and watched the movie silently for another several minutes.
"Ok but see, now she's the one being unreasonable."
"What?!"
"Look! He's broken up with the girlfriend because he likes her! He's there for her, supporting her, being her rock. He's giving all the signals. They're both single and she has her opportunity. Why doesn't she say something to him?"
"Are you kidding me? After everything that's happened between them, there's no way she's putting her heart out on the line like that. She's terrified he'll crush her. He needs to make the first move."
"What if that's how he feels? What if he feels like she's had every chance to say something to him or even hint to him how she feels and since she hasn't, she must not love him the way he loves her. Maybe he's scared too."
They glared at each other from opposite sides of the couch, neither one sure how they'd migrated apart.
"Is there something we need to talk about? Do you…know something…?" Natasha asked Steve slowly.
He stared at her with narrowed, suspicious eyes, contemplating her questions.
"No." He stated firmly. "Do you know something?"
She stared back, unwilling to back away.
"No."
The two of them continued scowling at each other as they regarded one another. They both desperately wanted to spill what they knew, but neither one could betray the confidence of their friends. Steve was the first to relent. He let out a slow breath and turned back to the TV.
"Let's just finish the movie. Unless you want to turn it off?"
Natasha looked at him for a moment longer, still hesitating in indecision. Then at last she too gave up and turned away.
"Don't turn it off. Let's finish it. Maybe they'll still get a happy ending."
A/N: AAAAHHHH! This chapter was crazy hard for me to write! I had such awful writer's block. And I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to put it out. I'm really hoping things will settle down as we get into the new year and I'll have some more free time to write. In the meantime, I hope this isn't too painful for you all to get through and that you'll stick with me. I have some good ideas brewing for the next chapter, but I could really use some encouragement right now!
Anyway, a massive thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! RollwiththeTide, Season Two, Alices Rabbit1, BigMamaKat, Bellatrixskr, L, Guest (AO3), Vokunkendov, isabetta1463, captainfukal, Allie, Stacy, Allie (are there two of you on AO3? Lol), Mandy, Mimi, Paisley12, Clarkewrites, and Guest (FF)
RollwiththeTide: Yay! So glad! Thanks for the review :)
Season Two: Ok, I sent you a PM but I'm never sure anymore about whether or not people are getting them so I'll respond here too: Omg, thank you so much. I feel like I've had so many conflicting reviews! And thank you for being a constant reviewer. It really means a lot! 3
Alices Rabbit1: I got your latest PM and sent you one back lol. Let me know if you didn't get it. In regards to your review…you are always SO freaking on it! Or maybe I'm just being too predictable? Nat and Steve are definitely having their own struggle over this! I'm still deciding on how much interference I want from them though haha. You are 100% right about Bucky's relationship with Rose…and yes, things are definitely approaching a boiling point. But we've got at least a few more chapters to go I think.
BigMamaKat: Hahaha, omg thank you! And sorry for the long wait! I'll try to do better with the next one!
Guest (FF): Even though you likely won't see this and I obviously can't send you a PM, I'd still like to respond to your latest review on the off chance that you glance this way after all. I am sorry that the story did not go the way that you wanted it to. But I also will not apologize for what I have written. I disagree with your assessment that Sophie has shown no growth. Personally, I think she's shown a lot of growth (albeit rather slowly) in recognizing what she wants and needs. The fact that she went to tell Bucky that she loves him and wants to be in a relationship is proof of that. Though it turned out to be poor timing on her part. I understand that not everyone will like my stories, and I'm ok with that. To each their own *shrug*.