3

Steve POV 

I wake up to my cellphone vibrating on the nightstand beside me. I try to roll over but a weight on my chest stops me. I open my eyes and smile down at Bucky, who is asleep on top of me. I run my right hand through his hair and use my free hand to grab my phone. I turn it on and find a text from Jennifer. 

Jennifer: good morning handsome ;) 

Steve: Good morning!☀️How did you sleep? 

Jennifer: haha you text like my mom. i slept well, hbu? 

What? I'll google it. 

I quickly look up what 'hbu' stands for and message her back. 

Steve: My roommate woke me up after having a nightmare, but otherwise I slept great! 😁

Jennifer: hmm. 

Steve: What? What is it? 

Jennifer: ur roommate just seems a bit clingy 

Steve: He is a little bit. But that's okay. 

Jennifer: no it's not healthy. for either of you. i was reading an article the other day about how toxic clingy people are. i'll send you the link later. ive gotta get ready for work now. bye <3

Steve: Bye!

I contemplate adding a heart emoji, but that seems a bit too forward. Why did she put 'less than three?' 

Just as I'm thinking about getting up, Bucky shifts in his sleep and presses his face against my chest. Maybe Bucky knows about less than three. 

"Buck," I try to shake him awake but he just grunts at me. "Bucky, I've gotta ask you something." 

"What?" he grumbles. 

"What is 'less than three?'" 

"Two." 

"No. Jennifer texted me and she put 'less than three' at the end of it. Look." 

I show him the text and he smacks my arm. 

"It's a heart, punk." 

"Ohhh, that makes sense."

"Seems a bit early for hearts, dontcha think?" 

"Are you jealous?" I tease. 

He abruptly shoves himself out of bed and leaves the room without a word. I might have upset him. I can't see why, though. It was just a harmless joke. Maybe he suddenly needed to pee. 

--------------------- 

Bucky POV 

Okay. Maybe I am jealous. So what? I won't act on it. I'm not gonna ruin Steve's happiness for my own selfish, wrong desires. I like to think I'm a better friend than that. 

Later on in the day, Steve tells me that he and Jennifer have planned to go on another date this upcoming Friday night. I tell him he doesn't have to update me on every single thing he does with her. He thinks I'm giving him privacy. I just really don't wanna hear it. 

Multiple dates later, Steve asks if I'd like to meet Jennifer. I tell him no. I tell him I don't want to meet her until he really thinks he's serious about her, joking that I might grow attached to her. 

Steve and I don't cuddle anymore. He says I'm a grown man and that if my nightmares are really bothering me that much, we'll see about getting me a therapist. I've stopped telling him about them. He's too preoccupied to care, anyway. I force myself to stay quiet when terror wakes me up. Steve is much happier these days, though I'm not sure if it's because of Jennifer or because he's been getting full nights of sleep for the first time since I came to live with him. I'd be willing to put my money on the latter, though. 

Steve comes home one night after his 23rd date with Jennifer- he's the one counting, not me- and sits me down on the couch, telling me he has something very important to discuss with me. I steel my nerves and prepare myself for being told that Steve is kicking me out. 

"I think I'm serious about Jennifer," he says instead. That's just a thousand times worse. 

If he's serious about Jennifer, I'm still moving out. There will be no room for me in their happy family, and he doesn't know it now, but he will. Soon enough, we'll sit on this couch again and he'll tell me that Jennifer is pregnant or something and that there isn't enough room for a kid if I'm taking up the space. I should probably get a job now so I have money to get a new place when that time comes. 

"Oh," is all I say. What else can I say to that? I can't tell him that he can't be serious about her just because I love him. That's ridiculous. He would hate me forever if I said that. 

I could always just move back to Wakanda and return to my goats. That's good and far away from Steve and Jennifer. 

"Oh?" he repeats. "Is that all you think of it?" 

"I think it's a little early to know if you're serious," I admit, playing with a loose thread on one of the cushions and not making eye contact. 

"I just don't want to wait, y'know? You never know what the future will bring."

I nod silently. 

"C'mon, Buck," he nudges my shoulder. "Nothing big is happening yet. I haven't asked her to marry me or anything. I wasn't gonna do that without talking to you first." 

"You don't need my permission to get married, Stevie." My voice breaks a little and I pray he doesn't notice. 

"That's true, but you're my best friend and I value your opinion. Would you like to meet her?" 

No. I really wouldn't. I wouldn't even want to be invited to your wedding. I wouldn't want to stand idly by and watch you marry someone else, leaving me to be alone for the rest of my life. 

"If I have to," I sigh jokingly and he laughs. "What about Wilson? Have you talked to him about this?" 

"Yeah. He's more comfortable with talking about relationships than you are." 

I knew it. I knew I was the second best friend. 

"Who said I was uncomfortable?" 

"You haven't looked at me a single time during this conversation!" 

I put on a small smile and continue avoiding eye contact. I just want this talk to be over. All I want right now is to go into the room I sleep in, call T'Challa- or Shuri because I prefer to talk to her, and ask how soon I can return to Wakanda. 

 "I'll invite her over this week so you two can meet and you can decide whether or not she's good enough." Steve stands up and pats me on the shoulder. "Good talk." 

I return to my room and look at my borrowed cellphone, seeing a text message from Wilson. 

Birdman: so steve told you about jennifer 

Bucky: Yes, he did. 

Birdman: howd it go 

Bucky: Fine. 

Birdman: i assumed you'd be upset 

Bucky: You assumed wrong. Why would I be upset? 

Birdman: arent you in love with him or some shit like that 

Bucky: What? No! That's wrong and disgusting. 

Birdman: mhm if you say so. so whatchu gonna do 

Bucky: About? 

Birdman: jennifer. you're just gonna let steve bring her into your home? 

Bucky: It's Steve's house. He can do what he wants. 

Birdman: you live there too, man 

Bucky: As a guest. 

Birdman: you should tell steve that you're upset 

Bucky: I'm not. 

I turn off the phone and place it back on the nightstand.

A few nights later, after I've tossed the blanket and pillow on the floor and laid down, I hear the door open and close. I have to force myself not to get up and attack, knowing it is not an intruder; it is only Steve. But it doesn't sound like only Steve. There's two sets of feet. I hear soft giggling and assume that Jennifer is in the house. Steve's bedroom door slams shut and I start feeling sick to my stomach as Steve either ignores or forgets the fact that I'm here and his bed starts creaking.