Upstairs in Steve's room, I changed into the spare outfit I had stashed in his closet. He locked the door.

"So, how was your day?" he asked, snaking his hands around my waist.

"Mm, nothing special." I put my arms around his neck. "I'm glad you're back."

"And we're alone," Steve said, smiling that wonderfully addictive smile of his.

"Finally." I reached up and kissed him.

He spun me and we fell onto the bed together. I kissed him back, hard. He moved his hands down to my stomach and traced circles with his thumbs. That was my favorite move of his. I loved how gently he touched me, as if he wanted to know every inch of me.

Out of nowhere, someone jiggled the door handle. Steve and I sat up in a panic like two teenagers caught in a scandalous rendezvous. Which technically, was what we were doing.

"Closet," Steve said. I nodded, quickly slipping inside as he went to open the door.

I had barely hidden when I heard Steve talking with Bucky. I peeked out through the slats in the closet door and listened to their conversation.

"Hey, sorry to bother you. I forgot my key and didn't think that the door would be locked," Bucky said.

"Don't worry about it. I was just changing because Wanda and I got caught in the rain on our way back from our assignment. How was your day with Nat?"

The bed squeaked. "It was good." He paused. "You've met Emery, right?"

"Yeah. She is part of the reason we had the whole Alexei situation."

"Do you trust her?"

"I...I don't know. Nat trusts her, and I trust Nat. So...I'm still being cautious."

"Do you think there is any reason why Natasha wouldn't want me to meet her?"

Steve glanced at the closet then back to Bucky. "Um...I'm not sure. But if she said that, she must have her reasons."

Bucky sighed. "I knew you'd say that. You have a thing for her, don't you?"

"What? No, that's not—I'm just saying, if she said she doesn't want you to meet Emery, she must have a reason for it."

He smiled. "I'm just messing with you, man. But good to know where you're at. Well, I'm gonna get cleaned up from my workout—I'm getting dinner with Nat tonight. Hopefully it'll stop raining by the time we have to leave."

"Wait, you're getting dinner with Nat tonight?" Steve asked.

I closed my eyes. Damn it. I wish I had been the one to tell him.

"Yeah. Why, were you supposed to do something?"

"No, I just—I didn't know she'd made plans." Steve coughed. "Anyway, have fun at dinner—I'll see you after?"

"Sure thing."

I watched as Bucky rummaged through the dresser on his side of the room and then as he disappeared into the bathroom. Steve quietly opened the closet door and I slipped out. We carefully left the room so Steve could walk me upstairs and we could talk.

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea he was going to come in," Steve said once we were safe in my room.

"It's fine! I shouldn't have suggested your room for us to fool around with Bucky here. I also wanted to apologize—I should've told you I made dinner plans."

"You don't need to apologize, Nat. He's your friend and I'm not gonna be the boyfriend who says you can't go out with guy friends."

"Steve, has anyone ever told you that you're adorable when you try to be macho?"

"I'm not trying to be macho. I'm trying to be a good person," he countered, but the corners of his mouth still twitched into a smile.

I kissed his cheek. "You know that's the first time you've ever called yourself my boyfriend."

"Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I kinda liked it." I picked out my outfit for dinner and took it into the bathroom to change.

"Well, then you should get used to me saying that." He paused. "I had no idea Bucky suspected something about us—or at least about my feelings for you."

In the bathroom, I slipped a strapless greige top over my head. "That's not your fault either, Steve. Bucky is really perceptive. I would've guessed he would've said something to you at some point."

"You still don't want him to know anything, right?"

"Right. I really appreciate you understanding this." I walked out of the bathroom and twirled, not something I did unless I was in combat and had my batons. But this was a special circumstance. "What do you think?"

Steve pulled me to him. "You look beautiful. As always."

I shrugged. "It's just something I threw together. No biggie."

"Well, I think it makes you look stunning. Is that a new top?"

I laughed. "Nah, I've had it for a while." I checked my watch. "I have to go, but I'll let you know when I'm back."

"See you then." He kissed me again, deeply.

It was almost as if he was trying to remind me he was mine and I was his.

"Mm, and I thought you weren't jealous."

"Oh, I'm not. Believe me, you'd know my jealous kiss."

I raised an eyebrow but smiled at the teasing note in his voice. "Good to know. C'mon, let's go downstairs." I grabbed a pair of white heeled boots from my closet and put them on before heading downstairs.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Bucky was waiting for me when we got downstairs. His eyes lit up when he saw me.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey. You ready?"

"You bet. Now, here's a major decision we have to make—" Bucky held up two sets of keys. "Lamborghini or motorcycle?"

I laughed. "Considering the state of my hair...let's go Lambo tonight."

"Let's go then."

"Do you even know how to drive a Lamborghini?" I asked.

"It can't be that difficult," he teased. "C'mon."

I waved to Steve as Bucky and I headed out to the garage and started up the car. "Where are we going tonight?"

"I got a few recommendations from the others at the compound," Bucky said, staying vague.

"Who else did you tell about tonight?"

He took his eyes off the road for a quick second to glance at me. "Just Steve. And Sam. He's the one who made the suggestions."

"Really?"

Bucky nodded. "Yeah." We pulled into a parking lot and handed the keys to a valet.

The restaurant was an outdoor live music fest with couples sitting at tables eating by candlelight and others out on the dance floor. It seemed a little date-y and romantic. I bet Steve would love a place like this.

"Reservation for Stark," Bucky told the hostess.

She smiled, winked at him, and got us two menus. "Right this way."

Once the hostess had left us to peruse our menus, I lowered mine and smirked at Bucky. "Does Tony know you used his name to get us a table here?"

Bucky nodded. "Yeah, he's actually the one who suggested it."

The waiter came by to give us each a glass of water and take our drink order. We each ordered a glass of merlot. Once the waiter left, we returned to our conversation.

"So you told Tony about tonight as well?" I asked.

"Did I forget to mention that before?" Bucky teased. "Sorry, yeah. He sort of walked in on the conversation, so he suggested I put the reservation under his name."

"Makes sense."

The waiter returned with our merlot and we ordered dinner. After the waiter had left, we once again returned to our conversation.

"Listen, about earlier—about Emery—" I started.

"Nat, it's ok. I understand that you don't want me to meet her. And I respect your decision."

"Thanks, but I've actually been thinking you're right. I'm letting my personal reasons get in the way of this assignment and that is harming our ability to make progress. I'll see if the four of us can get coffee tomorrow. That way, if there's any trouble, you have back up."

"Four?" Bucky asked.

I nodded, taking a sip of my drink. "I'll have Steve come along. He's part of my cover, so it'll work."

"I thought Emery knows that Steve is part of your cover?"

Damn, he's good. "Uh well, yeah. She does. But, for the sake of maintaining the cover in general, it makes sense to have him there. Plus, if we need backup, we have more than just me. Not that I couldn't take Emery—because I totally could—" I stopped when I saw Bucky hiding a smile behind his glass. I rolled my eyes. "Ok, you get the point."

The music changed out on the dance area. Bucky and I locked eyes across the table. Now, I've known Bucky for a long time. And there have only been a few times we've ever been in sync with one another. Mostly because at any other time we were always either fighting or otherwise...preoccupied with each other.

This was one of those times when we were definitely not in sync.

"Dance with me?" he asked.

I choked on my wine. "Now?"

"Why not?"

I looked around us, mentally planning an escape route should we need one.

"Nat?" Bucky asked, pulling me out of my wandering mind.

Screw it. "Let's go."

He smiled, putting out his hand for me to take. I hesitantly accepted it and we made our way out to the center of the dance area. Bucky put one hand on my waist as I put one hand on his shoulder. We let the music take us from there.

As we danced, memories began flooding back: we'd danced to this song once before. It was the night I decided my engagement to Alexei was over. Bucky had pulled me away for a dance and we'd ended up fooling around together afterwards.

I lost myself in the moment, letting my body move to the tempo of the music and getting way too close to Bucky considering I was in a relationship with his best friend. He spun me and the music ended when we were face to face, our lips mere inches apart, breathing heavily.

Fireworks exploded overhead. Like, actual legit fireworks.

"That was...um..." I started, trying to catch my breath as we moved apart.

"Intense," Bucky finished for me. He let the corners of his mouth twitch up into a smile. "You remembered the dance."

I nodded. "How could I forget?"

"Oh just kiss her already!" one of the bystanders shouted. The remark was followed by a shower of "yeah!"s and "get it!"s.

Bucky and I looked away from each other uncomfortably.

"We're not—" we started to tell the crowd, but they insisted with cheers and chants.

"They're not gonna give up, Buck. We might as well just...for the cover, right?"

Bucky nodded. "For the cover." He ran a hand through my hair as I tucked mine around his neck, pulling him down to my height. Our lips met for a brief moment. He tasted like wine and smelled smoky. The difference was: he wasn't Steve. When we pulled away, our eyes locked once again. The crowd that had gathered began cheering. Bucky and I went back to our table after that.

"Can you promise me something?" I asked. By this point, our food had arrived.

Bucky nodded. "Sure."

"Never tell anyone about this."

Bucky smiled as he took a bite of his meal. "My lips are sealed."

We ate the rest of our meal making small talk. By the end of the night, I had almost forgotten that I had kissed Bucky. Steve's best friend. My ex. Someone I should not have been kissing. But it was a cover. Spur of the moment. No harm done, right? It was hard not to feel guilty. Did part of me actually want any of it to be real? No, definitely not, I told myself. You know he probably did all of that on purpose—to see if you still have feelings for him. He wouldn't. But it's Bucky. You know he one hundred percent would. Gah, you're so annoying sometimes.

"Nat, you good?" Bucky asked, snapping me out of my internal conversation with myself. The look on his face was clear that I wasn't exactly subtle in my mental argument.

"Yeah, why?"

"You were muttering in Russian. You do that when you argue with yourself."

Heat rushed to my face. I tried to mask it by taking a swig from my wine glass. "Sorry. My mind is...I'm not really myself tonight."

Bucky nodded. "You've been quiet since the dance earlier."

Of course he was going to bring that back up. "I thought we agreed not to talk about it."

"I agreed not to tell anyone. And since there's no one here to tell..." Bucky furrowed his brow when he saw my unimpressed expression. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Fine." I sighed. "I'm sorry, Buck. I just...I have a lot on my mind right now."

"I understand. But we'll get through this whole Alexei thing. I promised you. And I don't back out on promises."

He was right about that. For as long as I'd known him, Bucky had never once gone back on his word.

"I know. Thank you."

We picked up the check and headed out soon after. The drive back to the compound was silent, but we didn't really need to say anything. Once inside, it was still pretty quiet and I was exhausted. Bucky and I headed for the elevator—only I realized after we'd passed his floor that he hadn't clicked the button to get off.

"Wha—you're not getting out on your floor?" I asked.

"Now what sort of friend would I be if I didn't walk you back to your room?" he teased.

I laughed. "Such a gentleman." We stopped outside my room. "Well, this is me. I'll, um, see you in the morning?"

Bucky nodded. "Yeah."

For what seemed like the millionth time that night, we locked eyes. My heart pounded in my chest as I realized what he was about to do. As he leaned toward me, I gently pressed my hand against his lips, stopping the inevitable.

"Bucky," I said.

"I know, I just—"

"I can't do this. I—I'm sort of, um, I'm seeing someone."

Ball. Dropped.

"Oh." Bucky stepped backward and I let my hand fall to my side.

"I'm sorry, I should've said something earlier, it's just—"

"No, I get it. I shouldn't have ...I'm sorry." He turned to walk away.

"Bucky, wait."

He turned around. "Nat, don't. I know what you're going to say."

"No, you don't." I walked toward him. "Listen, things aren't how they used to be. We can't just return to what's comfortable."

"If things were different..." his eyes flickered up to mine. "If you were single, would I have a chance? I mean, would you still have feelings for me?"

I hesitated. This was a test. It had to be. "Those are two very different questions, Bucky."

"I know."

I swallowed hard, knowing exactly what I wanted to say and what I had to say were two completely different things. "If I was single and things were different, it's possible that something could have—past tense—happened between us. But that's not the reality."

He nodded. "I understand."

I watched him walk away. He glanced back when he got to the elevator and I nodded to him. We had an understanding. He knew what he had to know, and my secret was safe. As for my feelings...well, at that moment, I wasn't quite sure what to think. All I knew for sure was that part of me enjoyed the kiss and another part felt guilty for engaging in it.

And in the morning, we'd have to go on as if nothing had ever happened. Steve would never have to know because it didn't mean anything.

So why did that frighten me?