Roswell (S. Rogers & B. Barnes)

53.

Bucky and Roswell find a pretty empty bar, it's the middle of the afternoon and it's a bit of a hole if Bucky is honest, but he thought Roswell would prefer somewhere where people can't stare at them or take pictures. Bucky taps his fingers on the glass in his hand. He currently sits alone. Roswell having gone to the bathroom. The door opens and closes causing Bucky to look up. Steve shrugs out of his jacket and takes a breath looking around. It's not somewhere he would choose but...it is what it is. His eyes land on Bucky who gives him a tense smile. Roswell is leaving the bathroom when she sees Steve, he waves at her. She smiles at him but there is still a sadness in her eyes and he hates that their so called friends put it there. He sets his jacket into the booth and approaches her. Bucky stands to follow him. Just in case, plus he wants to part of this.

"I am so sorry" Steve tells Roswell. "It should never have happened like that" he clasps her face between his hands. "You didn't deserve that"

"Steve" she whispers as she wraps her fingers around his wrist. "It's not your fault" he lets go of her face and she steps away from him, she lets out a breath. "You think this is the first time people have said things about me?" she asks turning back to them. "I was the little ginger Scottish girl with powers that liked books and the supernatural growing up" she gives them both a look. "Being called names...it's nothing new"

"It shouldn't have come from our friends" Bucky argues with her. "They made you cry, Kitten"

"Yes, it upset me, but it doesn't matter...." Roswell offers.

"Of course it matters" Steve tells her. "Roswell" he takes her hands in his. "They drove you from your home, from your boyfriends....because they misunderstood the situation" she looks down. "Because they couldn't be bothered to talk to us first, that matters" he squeezes her hand gently in his. "They shouldn't have gone about it that way, but they know now. No more hiding what we have" Bucky touches her shoulder and nuzzles into her hair from behind, his free arm wrapping around her waist.

"What about the public?" Roswell asks them. "They're going to have an opinion"

"An opinion that doesn't matter" Bucky whispers in her ear. "It doesn't matter. When I first joined the Avengers, they had all sorts of names, comments, and opinions for me, but they like me now, it's just going to take time for them to come around but they will"

"What if it's too hard?" she whispers, her eyes pleading with Steve to make all of this okay. "What if it hurts?" Steve brushes her hair back from her face and takes a deep breath.

"I can't promise you that it's not going to be hard, and I can't promise that it is not going to hurt" He gives her a sad smile. "All I can promise, is that me and Bucky, we're going to be right here, at your side....no matter what" Bucky nods in agreement. Roswell curls into Steve's chest and lets out a breath. She's missed him. Both of them. She reaches back for Bucky who takes her hand and holds it to his chest.

............

Bucky whistles as he looks around the hotel room Tony had booked them. It is spectacular. Beautiful. Steve shrugs out of his jacket as Roswell fiddles with the end of her scarf.

"Stark really wants this to work, huh?" Bucky asks as he turns to his best friend and his girlfriend.

"I think he's more excited than us" Roswell teases slightly before turning to Steve. "Thank you" he frowns at her. "For my book" he smiles softly.

"To be honest, it was a rouse. I was trying to see you, to make sure you were okay" she touches his cheek and lets out a small breath.

"You know I wasn't in the office when you dropped it off" Steve frowns at her. "It was Tony...."

"I'm stating to believe you" Steve mumbles pulling her closer. "He really does want this to work" he nudges her nose with his and smiles at her. "I do too" he assures her. "More than anything.....you have to know that"

"I do" she whispers. "But just because we want it to work doesn't mean it should or will" Bucky and Steve share a look, Steve nods a little. Bucky grabs the bottle of champagne from the ice bucket as Steve takes a breath.

"Roswell, if you decide that you just want us all to be friends, we'll support you" Steve assures her. "But I don't want you to just make a decision based on what other people think" She pulls off her scarf and sits on the edge of the bed. "I want you to make a decision because you've thought it through and that it is what you want"

"Why are you laying this choice at my feet?" she asks him. "I'm not the only one in this relationship, why is it just up to me?"

"Because you are the one that was hurt" Bucky answers as he opens the champagne. "You are the one that has more to deal with, you are the one that has move to adjust to" she lets out a breath and closes her eyes. "We know you love us" he assures her. "That's not in question here"

"No" Steve agrees with him.

"But this is a big deal" Bucky continues. "And you have to be okay with this and everything it comes with" she looks down at her wrist where the bracelet Steve gave her lives, she hasn't taken it off since he gave it to her.