Holding his breath as they shook hands, Steve was about to sigh in relief that so far, everything seemed to be going smoothly--
Then he saw Bucky's face go slack, his eyes widening in surprise, and he jerked back slightly, at the same time Marie pulled her hand back. Steve could feel his heartbeat pick up and his breath quicken in panic - except he wasn't panicking, because he didn't know what was going on! Still concerned about Marie, his head whipped around to look at Bucky, who had to be the source of the panic.
Bucky, who'd undone his shirt cuff and pushed it up to his elbow... revealing a slowly-darkening mark on the middle of his forearm. He watched as Bucky looked at him, and was confused for a moment at the look of almost despair on Bucky's face. Why was Bucky upset? It wasn't as if Marie were replacing either one of them, this might actually--
Oh. Oh. Bucky still didn't know that he and Marie were also soulmates. And for Buck, he probably figured Steve would do something noble and step out of the way for them to-- well, do what most soulmates did.
This exchange of looks and flash of understanding happened in only a couple of seconds. It actually made Steve feel better about the whole thing, on more equal footing. He always seemed to do better when he had a problem to solve, or someone else to help out. Rolling his eyes, he told Bucky, "you're an idiot," and pushed up his own sleeve, revealing his own mark from Marie.
Jerking his head toward the chair by the couch, Steve moved over and flopped down beside Marie, who was staring at her - now doubled - soul marks. In an unconscious move he never would have tried if he'd actually thought of it beforehand, Steve draped his arm over the back of the couch, behind Marie. Not quite around her shoulders, but it was still a somewhat proprietary gesture. It felt natural to try and be a little closer to her; just like he and Bucky were always sharing friendly, casual touches, his body recognized Marie as someone he shared a bond with, even if his brain and his propriety hadn't quite caught up yet.
"Like I was about to say," Steve said, in a tone of voice that implied before you went and screwed everything up, "I met Marie earlier tonight, and turns out, we're soulmates. Thanks for stealing my thunder." His hand moved off the back of the couch and onto Marie's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.
Bucky glared at him. "You're such a punk," he gave his typical response, but it was lacking any real heat, still sounding weak from the surprise.
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Then he saw Bucky's face go slack, his eyes widening in surprise, and he jerked back slightly, at the same time Marie pulled her hand back. Steve could feel his heartbeat pick up and his breath quicken in panic - except he wasn't panicking, because he didn't know what was going on! Still concerned about Marie, his head whipped around to look at Bucky, who had to be the source of the panic.
Bucky, who'd undone his shirt cuff and pushed it up to his elbow... revealing a slowly-darkening mark on the middle of his forearm. He watched as Bucky looked at him, and was confused for a moment at the look of almost despair on Bucky's face. Why was Bucky upset? It wasn't as if Marie were replacing either one of them, this might actually--
Oh. Oh. Bucky still didn't know that he and Marie were also soulmates. And for Buck, he probably figured Steve would do something noble and step out of the way for them to-- well, do what most soulmates did.
This exchange of looks and flash of understanding happened in only a couple of seconds. It actually made Steve feel better about the whole thing, on more equal footing. He always seemed to do better when he had a problem to solve, or someone else to help out. Rolling his eyes, he told Bucky, "you're an idiot," and pushed up his own sleeve, revealing his own mark from Marie.
Jerking his head toward the chair by the couch, Steve moved over and flopped down beside Marie, who was staring at her - now doubled - soul marks. In an unconscious move he never would have tried if he'd actually thought of it beforehand, Steve draped his arm over the back of the couch, behind Marie. Not quite around her shoulders, but it was still a somewhat proprietary gesture. It felt natural to try and be a little closer to her; just like he and Bucky were always sharing friendly, casual touches, his body recognized Marie as someone he shared a bond with, even if his brain and his propriety hadn't quite caught up yet.
"Like I was about to say," Steve said, in a tone of voice that implied before you went and screwed everything up, "I met Marie earlier tonight, and turns out, we're soulmates. Thanks for stealing my thunder." His hand moved off the back of the couch and onto Marie's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.
Bucky glared at him. "You're such a punk," he gave his typical response, but it was lacking any real heat, still sounding weak from the surprise.