rogue_america | Soulmates Through Time

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verse } soulmates

Soulmates Through Time

"Not tonight, Buck," Steve said, unable to hide the weariness in his voice. He shuffled some papers on his desk, tidying up, and pointedly not looking at his friend.

Bucky sighed, tilting his head as he watched Steve, his mouth pulling down to the side unhappily. "You gotta get out there more, Stevie," he tried coaxing. "You'll never find--"

"I got you, don't I?" Steve's brows drew together in upset, but he still didn't look over at Bucky.

The two had known each other since they were little, and as soon as they'd shaken hands upon first meeting - imitating how they'd seen their parents do so - they'd stared at each other, wide-eyed, just knowing that they'd spend their lives together. They'd never questioned it, even though at the time they hadn't really understood the idea of 'soulmates', besides hearing snippets of adult conversations that mostly went over their heads.

Steve had asked his mother about it, several months later. When she'd described the utter feeling of rightness, of knowing this one, single person would always understand and be there for you, supporting you, but also pushing you to be your best... Steve had nodded, and with all the gravity of a five-year-old, had told his mother that Bucky was that for him.

Unlike how most mothers probably would've reacted to the precocious statement, brushing it off as a child enjoying having a new best friend, his mother had stilled and become quiet, looking at him for long moments. "Is he really, baby?" She'd finally questioned, in her sing-song Irish lilt. Steve hadn't been able to take his eyes off her, even as he nodded, willing her to believe him.

Sarah had bundled him up close, kissed his forehead, and just held him in her lap (he really was too old to be held like that, but he still fit, and he liked it, so he never complained). "I'm glad, Steve. I'm so glad you found your Someone so soon."

Now, Steve finally turned to look at Bucky. "Why're you still even goin' ta those things? They're for people looking for their soulmates." He rubbed his right palm heel with his opposite thumb, almost looking like he was massaging a cramp; it was a nervous, comforting gesture he always did, but especially when discussing anything concerning soulmates. Right over the odd oblong shape at the base of his hand, that matched Bucky's. Their soulmarks. Steve had never seen one so low on anyone else's arm; usually they were higher, denoting how old the person was when they'd first touched their soulmate, and found their Someone.

"Some people just like havin' a good time, Steve," Bucky sighed; it was an old discussion. Most soulmates were romantic partners, but it wasn't unheard of for people like them; soulmates who were just friends, or even relatives. Steve knew it, too - there was a sweet old lady in the next apartment house over who was soulmates with her female cousin. The two had never married, but had raised a couple orphans they'd adopted. "I've met some others who've already found their Someone--"

"They weren't like us though, Bucky," Steve interjected, "they were swingers."

Bucky rolled his eyes, but bit his tongue on the angry words that wanted to come out. Steve was under a lot of stress right now, and he was not going to add to that. "So what're you gonna do tonight?"

Steve's brows furrowed together, glancing down. "I was gonna go visit Ma." He looked up quickly and shook his head, interjecting before Bucky could hardly do more than open his mouth, "An' no, you don't gotta come with me. I'm just gonna sit with her for a while. She'll prob'ly sleep the whole time, anyway." He hoped she did, at least; she was in a lot of pain these days, always coughing.

Sighing, Bucky acquiesced. A few more words to figure out their plans for later, and Bucky left, for one of the dances frequently held on weekends that doubled as "meet-n-greets" for people hoping to find their soulmate. Steve had gone to a few, just to be social, but no one was ever that interested in him, so mostly he propped up the wall while Bucky flitted around like a damn social butterfly.

They were such opposites in so many ways, Steve mused as he walked down the street toward the hospital, and yet they complemented each other so well. He knew that was the whole point of soulmates, but he could never stop thinking how incredibly lucky he was to have met Bucky when they were children, before pre-conceived notions had been crammed into their heads, and the rest of the world's problems and issues had become their own. No way would someone like Bucky now, ever glance twice at short, scrawny, chronically sick Steve Rogers. If Steve would even have made it to young adulthood without the bond between soulmates that helped make you stronger.

People with found soulmates could die, of course, and did - his own Da had been killed in the Great War, and his Ma had survived it. But once you'd found your soulmate, it was a lot harder for you to succumb to illness and disease, and you healed faster than otherwise. He'd read an article once talking about potentially the synergistic bond between the very cells of a soulmate, boosting each other's immune system, or something like that.

There was a florist shop just down the block from the hospital - probably did a lot of business with visiting family, Steve thought, only a little bitterly - and he jiggled his wallet in his trouser pocket in contemplation. Ma might be sleeping now, but even if she was, it'd be a nice surprise for her to wake up to fresh flowers. It'd play hell on his allergies, but he'd only be carrying them for about 10 minutes, so it wouldn't be all that bad. Nodding decisively, he stepped into the shop.

It was bright and cheery inside the store, with warm yellow lighting casting a golden glow over the gleaming hardwood counters; ribbons and strings in a myriad of colors seemed to explode out of display stands, and dozens of pre-made bouquets were on every available surface. Steve's fingers started itching for his pencil and sketchbook - there was so much detail in the little shop; not actually so little, but made cozy with the sheer volume of product vying for space.

He picked a ready-made bouquet of baby's breath and orchids, his mother's favorite (she said it reminded her of the flowers back home), and went up to the cash register to pay for it.

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It was with a smile and not a second of hesitation that she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. A polite and familiar gesture, but not too familiar. They might be soulmates, but they had only just met.

"Not unless you have somewhere else to be, sugar," she informed him brightly, leaving him an opening just in case he did have another engagement. "With things as they are, I'd like to get to know you. Might as well start tonight."

...Oh. Huh. Steve's mind blanked for a few seconds, completely thrown for a loop at her willingness, and apparent want, to get to know him better. He had to keep reminding himself that Marie wasn't just another girl he'd met, or set up on a date, but his soulmate. It made things different.

"Oh...I mean, no! No, I don't really... actually..." Steve chewed on his bottom lip, glancing over at her. "So, I just had a thought. And, feel free to say no, I'll completely understand... but, umm... would you wanna go back to my place? Not!" He interrupted himself almost right away, realizing, slightly too late, how that would sound. "Not like--that! It's just, my-- my other soulmate," he reached up to rub at his eyebrow in an unconscious awkward motion, "Bucky, he lives upstairs. I-- he's..."

Steve sighed. "Honestly? He's a lot better at talkin' ta people. I'm good at listening and remembering, but not so much with the polite banter. In case you hadn't caught that yet," he added deprecatingly.

His words certainly took Marie by surprise, especially with the way he started out. It was instinct that had her not jumping to those false conclusions and assuming the worst about her soulmate, and so she took it in stride as he finished tumbling over himself with his words.

She was quiet for a moment after he finished, thinking over everything he'd said, before she gave him a soft smile and a light squeeze on his arm. "Not everyone has to be a smooth talker, Steve," she told him gently. "Sometimes the fellas who do all the talking are the ones who never spare a second to hear what anyone else is saying." That smile broadened as she added, "And I would love to meet Bucky. Lead the way, sugar."

"Aww, it's not like that," he said, scuffing his shoe on the pavement as they walked. "He's a good guy. He... Well, he kinda does the talking for me, I guess? I always get all these thoughts in my head and 'm not great at articulating them, sometimes. Buck's the outgoing one, always draggin' me along so I don't stay cooped up in my apartment, shuttin' everyone out. Not that I do it on purpose," mostly, he silently added, "I just get lost in my own head a lot.

"Anyway," he shrugged. "We're kinda a package deal. Even if we weren't soulmates, he's been there basically my whole life, so he's... like my brother. My obnoxious, really annoying brother sometimes," he joked, casting a grin at Marie. "But he's a constant. So, I figure... an' I mean, he'll definitely want to meet you too. He actually wanted me to go out tonight with him. 'You never have enough fun, Stevie,'" he paraphrased, in a rather close proximity to Bucky's usual cajoling drawl. "Boy, is he gonna be surprised."

'Surprised' probably severely underrated how shocked - and delighted - Bucky would end up being when he met Marie.

A friend who was like a sibling--it was something she'd always wanted and envied of others who had it. Such a simple thing that meant so much and had such a profound affect on someone's life, and that was what Steve had with his soulmate. She wondered briefly what they would become, how this would shape their lives that were still just beginning.

"He sounds wonderful, I really am excited to meet him," she assured him, enjoying listening to the way Steve talked about his other soulmate. She hoped that Bucky liked her, because otherwise her relationship with Steve would never develop beyond mere acquaintances. They were a packaged deal, as Steve had said, and she took that very seriously.

"I've never had anyone like that in my life before. I'm glad that you two found each other so early on, that's really an amazing thing."

Steve had often wondered what it would've been like if he'd been like others, still searching for his soulmate. Unfortunately, his circumstances would never be considered 'normal', so the things he thought about were different; he still probably would've been preoccupied with eeking out a living, worrying whether his soulmate would like him - but he'd also be worrying if he'd survive long enough to find his soulmate. He knew people with soulmates were healthier than those without, which made him seriously question what his life and health would've been like without Bucky around to shore him up.

"It's weird, growing up with it. I know I'm real fortunate," he murmured, hoping she understood that he wasn't just taking her words as polite speech. He could hear the sincerity in her voice, and wanted her to know he took it seriously. Some day, maybe soon, she'd be able to tell when he was being genuine - which, really, Steve was always genuine, that's what got him in trouble a lot of the time - but so many people weren't, too worried about being polite and proper when they spoke. But for now, he'd just have to give her the verbal cues.

He continued in a lighter tone, "And he's gonna be over the moon to meet you. He always... Well, he thinks I need a gal in my life. Not that-- we'd have to-- ahh, jeez. I mean, there's the whole stereotype that most soulmates end up gett'n' romantic wi' each other. We just met, so I mean, soulmates or not, that's not-- I'm not pushin' fer that. Bucky might, but I can totally tell him ta back off, 'cause he's just like that sometimes." His accent was growing thicker as he tried, ineptly, to explain himself.

He was making a complete cock-up of this whole thing. She was gonna think Bucky was some overbearing, loud-mouthed asshole who had Steve under his thumb, or something. He hoped she'd get a chance, before she formed a solid opinion, to see what they were really like. Because honestly, the only reason Steve didn't hold all the power in their weird pseudo-brothership, was because he was too nice to take advantage of it. Usually.

Before long, Steve would realize that she was also someone who genuinely spoke her mind, despite that ingrained southern politeness that would never leave her no matter how long she lived in the north. She could be the most polite person in the room and she would still find a way to make herself known. Her mother used to comment on it with pride for her little woman who wouldn't be pushed down by anyone or anything.

"He's just worried about you, I'm sure," she reasoned, thinking the best of Bucky because that's clearly how Steve thought of him. "If he's like a brother to you, then he wants you to have a good life, and to him that means having a woman in your life. I can't fault him for caring about you." She smirked slightly and nudged him gently with her elbow. "But I can handle myself if he gets too pushy about matters, don't you worry."

Not that she wasn't still considering the possibilities, of course. She just needed more time.

Steve chuckled a little, nudging her back the tiniest bit, almost out of habit. He and Bucky were always in each other's space - which had made more than a few people over the years comment on just how 'close' they were, which had led to not an insignificant amount of the fights Steve got into. He was glad Marie seemed to be the same, not hesitating to take his arm, or playfully invade his space. Steve knew he gave off a certain air of 'don't notice me, leave me alone', but it was a defense mechanism - he loved the playful banter and friendly touches everyone else seemed to take for granted.

"Wull, that's good," he teased. "'Cause it ain't jus' Bucky you'll haveta be on the look-out for. I, maybe, have been called stubborn. A lot. Prob'ly 'cause it's true," he laughed. He realized that he was warming up to Marie astoundingly quickly. It shouldn't surprise him as much as it did, he supposed; soulmates were compatible with each other, and were meant to hit it off right away. But Steve, for all that he was an expert on long-term soulmates, didn't remember much besides that initial shock of meeting Bucky. But she was easy to talk to, and he was slowly beginning to realize that... this might work.

Don't go puttin' all yer eggs in one basket, he scolded himself, nudging her again before turning down to his street. She still hadn't met Bucky yet, and as much as he was trying to talk him up to Marie, he was maybe a little worried about Bucky's reaction. Yeah, he'd been truthful in saying that Bucky would be overjoyed; but Bucky got funny and possessive at the strangest things. He was fine with Steve being friends with people, so long as everyone knew that Bucky was his best friend, not to mention soulmate. How was Bucky gonna react to learning he had to share that spot with someone else, now?

It was strange how at ease Marie felt with Steve. Sure, she'd always gotten along well with people, that's just how she was, but with him it was more than that. She'd immediately let her guard down with him, which wasn't something she did with many people.

She hoped desperately that Bucky liked her.

"I am the queen of stubbornness, sugar" she informed him with a grin. "It looks like we're both gonna have our work cut out for us." It would certainly be interesting dealing with someone like her in that way.

Steve couldn't quite stop the smile that spread over his face at her words. He'd always been the most stubborn between him and Bucky - but when Bucky wasn't trying to make him happy, he could definitely give Steve a run for his money in that department. If Marie was that stubborn too... Well, life certainly wouldn't be dull for him, that was for sure.

Reaching the block his tenement was on, Steve glanced around, trying to see it the way Marie would. All the residential buildings were crammed together, with tiny alleys here and there, littered with papers and a little refuse, but not so bad, he thought. Hoped, anyway. It was a pretty rundown neighborhood, obviously meant for the transitory immigrants always arriving in the country. It wasn't exactly a slum, but except on rent day, he pretty much didn't have a landlord at all; that suited Steve fine, because it meant he could do pretty much whatever he wanted to his apartment and not get in trouble for it.

Still, Steve didn't know what Marie was used to, or what she might've been hoping for in a soulmate, as far as worldly possessions and money went. He didn't think she'd be so shallow as to turn her nose up at the fact that he didn't have money (because she was his soulmate, and he just couldn't imagine anyone compatible with him being that kind of person); even if she didn't mind though, he still wished he could give her at least a slightly better impression.

"It's, uh, it's right up there," he explained, pointing to one of the near-identical buildings, just past halfway down the block. "'s not much, but I mean, it's a roof and four walls, at least. And usually heating," he tried to joke. Then immediately wanted to slap a hand to his face in chagrin.

Marie had grown up in a fairly well off family and had never lived anywhere like the neighborhood Steve took her to. It was like being in a different world, really, and rather than think poorly of the life Steve had led or pitying him for it, she simply found herself wanting to know more about this person she'd suddenly found herself intimately connected to. How had living here shaped him? And it made her think about just how her own experiences had shaped her life.

She smiled at his joke and gave his arm another little squeeze. "Did you grow up here?" she asked him with genuine curiosity. "There are a lot of immigrants living in this area, aren't there? That must make things interesting, with all those different cultures and accents mixing together."

Her curious, genuine tone of voice kept Steve's admittedly sensitive hackles from rising at the question and commentary she made. Instead, he nodded, remembering that she didn't know anything about him, and was trying to figure things out. This was a good way for him to explain things to her, a little at a time.

"Yeah, my mom came here from Ireland when she was 17. On her own, because they could barely afford the one ticket, let alone get the whole family over here. Bucky's father came over from Italy, and his ma's second generation Italian. When I get angry or upset, I start soundin' more Brooklyn, but when Bucky gets mad - hoo boy, he starts soundin' like he's talkin' a whole different language. Half the time he is, too. If he says something in Italian, don' ask what it means, 'cause it's usually not polite," he laughed.

He shrugged. "It's a pretty big mixing pot, around here. I don't think it's so much 'Irish here, Italians there, Chinese over yonder', it's more... 'Catholics here, Protestants there' - waaaay over there, because we do not like the Protestants, an' they don't like us." Steve bit his lip and glanced at Marie with a grimace. "...Please tell me you're not Protestant. Because that's...it's the Irish Protestants and Catholics who don't like each other, that's all. Stupid old world grudges."

Christ, could he not say anything to her without sticking his foot in his mouth?

Irish and Italian. It was fascinating to Marie, whose own family was historically English and not all that interesting, at least with what records they had. She suddenly wanted to meet their parents, to hear those beautiful accents and ask them about the homes they'd left behind.

She did figure that sort of discussion should probably wait until at least their second meeting, though. If the boys introduced her to their parents at all...

"I'm Baptist, sugar," she told him with a grin. "And I don't put much stock in those religious feuds, though I know a lot of people do, so I'll remember that about the Irish one. It just doesn't make any sense to me, when we're all under the same God and just worship a little differently is all."

Baptist. Steve's first thought was an image of a traveling preacher, yelling at people and hitting them to drive demons out, and speaking in tongues. At least his brain had enough common sense not to let him blurt that out loud, though.

He opened his mouth, then paused, unsure what he could say that wouldn't offend her. He agreed, to a certain extent, with what she was saying - but on the other hand, he was firmly entrenched in his own religion, which put emphasis on requiring an intermediary in the form of a priest or bishop, to intercede with God on his behalf. He knew enough about other religions to know Catholicism was about the only one that did that, as well as several other practices that had the rest of the country calling them superstitious and other things.

Finally, reaching up to rub his neck, Steve shrugged. "It's complicated, I guess." Suddenly he was remembering his mother telling him not to discuss religion or politics at the dinner table; by that she'd meant 'with acquaintances you don't know well, and don't want to alienate'. Whoops.

They'd reached the apartment, and Steve moved forward to open the door for Marie.

It was a polite way of not stepping into potentially rocky territory, Marie knew, and she didn't hold it against him. Religion was a touchy subject for many, and her own mother had been a staunch advocate of avoiding the subject with most company, even her older sister. Marie had just never been very passionate about it or overly concerned about following the strict rules of the church -- her father could be credited for that mindset.

"Thank you," she murmured, stepping inside before glancing over her shoulder at Steve. "Don't worry, sugar, I won't argue religion with you. You have your beliefs and I respect that." And then she turned and took in the clean but lived in space, noting the signs of bachelor life that had settled in, along with the hints of a woman having lived there. There were also...

"You're an artist?" she asked in surprised curiosity, moving further into the room to pick up one of the pencils that had been left lying around.

It wasn't what he'd expected her to say, when Marie got her first look at his place. Steve rubbed his neck, glancing around. He was tidy by default, so it wasn't some horrible pigsty in his apartment - but he was also rather absentminded when it came to mundane chores, easily distracted and always coming up with new ideas he wanted to jot down right away, before he forgot them.

"Oh, yeah," he responded, a little distractedly, grabbing the broom stick tucked in a spot beside the front door. "I was in art school for a while. Had to drop out when ma got sick, but at least it gave me some experience. I've been buildin' up my portfolio, tryin' ta get into comics. I helped with a few murals and things for the WPA. Uh, don't be startled," he told her, before lifting the broom handle up and rapping sharply three times on the ceiling. A few seconds later there were two corresponding thuds from above, as if someone were stomping on the floor.

"It's-- Bucky lives upstairs, it's an easy way to let the other know we're around, that kinda thing. We could do Morse code, except Bucky can't spell for sh-- anything." He caught himself just in time, before swearing in front of Marie.

Marie was a bit surprised at the sudden thumping on the ceiling and the answer that came so quickly after. They really were close, she realized. Best friends, brothers, soulmates. Whatever label you put on them, they came as a set, and she was suddenly extremely nervous about meeting Bucky.

She did manage an unsteady chuckle at Steve's almost swearing, finding his gentlemanly ways to be absolutely adorable because they were so genuine. She might be just getting to know him, but she could tell that it was a part of him. His mother had raised him well.

His mother... She hadn't known the woman was sick. It made sense why Steve had been in that part of town, so close to the hospital, and why his mother wasn't currently living with him. Was it serious? Would she... No, now was not the time to remember her own mother and get emotional.

Steve set the broom back in its place, suddenly even more nervous than he had been at the thought of Marie and Bucky meeting. Before it had seemed more abstract, an 'of course they're going to meet' sort of idea; but now Bucky was on his way down, and it was steadily approaching and inevitable. He wondered suddenly if they should've done this somewhere else. This was his turf, and by extension Bucky's, which put Marie at a disadvantage, which wasn't at all fair to her.

Glancing around, he thought about offering her a seat - but he kinda thought she'd be too polite to take it, and it would probably be better if she were standing when Bucky showed up, anyway. She'd want to stand to greet him, and just-- Steve didn't know, it just seemed like a good idea if she were standing. Still, he wanted to be a good host: she'd literally followed a virtual stranger to his home, regardless of the fact they were soulmates. "D'you want somethin' ta drink?" he asked.

Everything was happening so quickly that Marie was fairly certain her head was about to start spinning. Meeting her soulmate, following him to his home to meet his other soulmate... It suddenly felt like too much too soon, but there was nothing to be done for it now.

She glanced over at Steve, blinking for a moment in confusion before slightly shaking her head. "No, thank you, sugar," she murmured before turning her eyes down to her hands - she was still holding the pencil. Setting it back down where it had been, she folded her hands together in front of her and straightened her back a little. It would have been nice to have a drink to hold in her hands, but she'd probably just end up spilling it with the way her nerves were right then.

Steve wanted to take her hand, because he could see that she was nervous, but he didn't know if she'd accept the gesture. Maybe she would. But then it might give Bucky the wrong idea when he came in, and that wasn't--

The front door swung open, and Bucky walked in. His usual swagger was gone, and instead he looked concerned. Steve had been preoccupied with worrying about Marie, but now he could feel Bucky's worry through their bond.

Bucky stopped a couple steps in past the door, glancing over at Marie in surprise. Steve found himself straightening to his fullest height, lifting his chin with a confidence he didn't quite feel. He was suddenly realizing he had no idea what to say. He hadn't had any time to go over his words, consider the consequence of what he said, and more importantly, how he said it.

"Hey, Buck. So...this is Marie. Marie, this is Bucky. Uh, we... we met earlier tonight, when I went to buy some flowers for Ma."

The look Bucky gave him said he knew something was going on, but he hadn't quite parsed out what yet. Still, he didn't seem agitated, and reached out to shake Marie's hand in greeting. He even flashed his typical debonair smile at her. "A pleasure, miss."

She would have gladly taken Steve's hand for support, but it probably wouldn't have been the best way to meet his other soulmate. She wasn't there to replace Bucky, Steve wasn't trading in for a newer, different model and she didn't want to give that impression. And then suddenly Bucky was there, looking surprised and a bit worried with that handsome face that she bet made him a hit with the ladies.

The smile he gave her was charming and she didn't hesitate to reach out to set her hand in his... But then she couldn't breathe because of the feeling that swept over her, the same sort of one when she'd first touched Steve.

Two. She had two as well, and the three of them...

Pulling her hand back quickly, she shook her head and stepped back, looking as lost and overwhelmed as she felt while she turned and started for the couch. "Excuse me, I need to sit down," she murmured, half-falling down onto the edge of the seat. Sure enough, when she pulled up her sleeve again, there was another mark nestled just behind the one she'd gotten earlier.

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.

It was good that Steve came over to sit beside her; she needed someone to anchor her while she felt like she was being washed out to sea. She pressed a hand to her mouth, still staring down at those two marks, and only looked away from them when a hand came to rest on her shoulder.

Her hands dropping back into her lap, she glanced over at Steve and then to Bucky and back. "I don't know what to say," she offered quietly, sounding exactly like someone whose entire world had just been turned upside down. Because it had.

She had suddenly, all out of nowhere, been shoved into their lives and now they were supposed to... what? Get to know each other? Make room for her in their lives? She was an outsider who they knew nothing about. When it had just been Steve, it had seemed almost doable, but now with the two of them the entire thing was daunting and entirely overwhelming.

Because Steve was a gentleman, and precisely because he knew (at least to an extent) how Marie was feeing, he did not say 'now you know how I felt.' (If it had been Bucky, he would've said it without hesitation; but with Bucky, he knew Steve was only teasing.) So instead, he wrapped his arm fully around Marie's shoulders, pulling her a little against his side. "Sorry this all got sprung on you so fast. It's pretty overwhelming."

He glanced over at Bucky, who was watching the two of them with a closed expression. He didn't seem upset though. Almost... calculating. Contemplating the repercussions of the whole situation. Steve had a head for strategy, but Bucky was no slouch himself, and was better at it even than Steve, at least when it came to interpersonal relationships, just by dent of more experience. He understood people, and their motivations, better than Steve ever had, for some reason. Steve had even complained on occasion that he didn't understand why people acted a certain way or other; Bucky's response had always equated to 'I know you don't. That's what makes you special.' Which explained absolutely nothing, but at least he said it affectionately, and never condescendingly.

Steve widened his eyes at his friend, a clear expression of 'well? are you going to help or what?'

Bucky gave a sigh, leaning forward in his chair so he was marginally closer to Marie. "This doesn't really change anything, ya know," he said quietly. "I mean yeah, two soulmates is kinda rare, and a whole... triangle thing is really rare. But Stevie and me, if he didn't tell ya - we kinda come as a set anyway. So, the thing is... this doesn't really change much, or it doesn't have to. Me, and Steve, we've never had to look for a soulmate. We didn't grow up wondering and imagining what this whole encounter would be like, or what might happen afterward. So, this is your chance to let us know what you want to happen. It's up to you. You wanna get to know us for a little bit, that's fine. If you wanna head home and wrap your head around it for a while, that's fine, too. Or something else. Just let us know."

Steve relaxed as Bucky spoke, saying the words that had been circling around in his brain since he'd first touched Marie, but hadn't had any clue how to say.

What she wanted to have happen -- that was the big question, wasn't it. What was she looking for out of all of this? What did she want from them, to give to them? Did she need time to digest all of this before delving into things?

Leaning against Steve, she took a deep breath that she held for a few seconds before letting it out slowly. It helped, if only just a little.

"I don't want this to cause any problems for either of you," she finally started, her voice shaking a bit with nerves. "I know it's all unexpected, especially for it to be like this, but I... I'd like for us to at least be friends. I don't really... have anyone else, and I didn't think I would for a long time."

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