#designated

Steve slings on his jacket and heads across to you with a dashing smile. You might have melted on the spot if it wasn’t for the niggling doubts coursing in your brain.

“Wait, I’ve heard there’s gang activity around here-”

He’d hardly taken a step before Pietro was in front of him, blocking him from you.

“-And you’ll what? Hit them with your walking stick? You’re much safer with me frumoasa.”

They both cross their arms and give one another the evil eye once more and you sigh, conscious of the other people in the diner staring at the three of you. This is getting ridiculous.

“Look, whatever this is…,” you gesture between them, “I only live a couple blocks away I’ll be fine… so…bye.”

You give them an apologetic smile and wave before rushing out of the diner. Fucks sake, what’s wrong with you? Why couldn’t you be more like Nat? She’d have them both eating out of her hands. Finding out what they were up to and if necessary crushing them and spitting them out in thirty seconds.

This kind of attention, it never happened to you - let alone with two gorgeous guys? There must be something else going on, right? Whatever game they were playing you weren’t going to be a part of it.

If only fate had the same idea.

Your belly does a flip and you pause as you turn the corner onto your street. Pietro’s sitting on your steps. How the hell did he get here before you? Hang on, how does he know where you live? You go to fish your pepper spray out of your bag then curse realising you left it at the diner.

“Pietro? How do you know I live here?”

“You left this.” He jumps up with a sheepish grin holding your bag and phone, showing the emergency screen. 

“Oh, right. Thank you.” You take them, feeling a little less like he was about to murder you. 

“I wanted to, apologize? My brain it doesn’t always keep up with my…ahm…,” he struggles to find the right wording and you can’t help but smirk, raising an eyebrow at him, “heart! I meant my heart! I go too fast sometimes.”

“Apology accepted.” You grin and he steps beside you, nudging you like he did in the diner. 

“Soo? Can I at least get your number?"  

You giggled, again. Him managing to put you at ease, none of the bravado or even confidence that he showed in the diner. He oozed nerves and you could have sworn he blushed. 

Don’t let this be a huge mistake.

You hold out your hand for his phone, Pietro staring at your hand a second his seeming surprise so endearing. 

"I meant what I said frumoasa."  Pietro kisses your cheek and leaves, grinning back at you.

As soon as you shut the door your phone started beeping. You peer down at it, throwing your keys in the bowl and yourself down onto the sofa.

Evening Ma'am :)

Steve? How did you get my number?

Nat gave it to me.

Of course she did

Sorry is this too forward?

No, I’m just surprised :)

Me too, I hate these damn phones ;)

You chuckled to yourself. You were joking when you met him, now you were starting to wonder. In the middle of typing a reply, your phone beeped again. You smile down at Pietro’s message, what was happening? This was insane.

Goodnight frumoasa x

Night Pietro x

How long had it been since anyone had called you beautiful? And actually meant it? You groaned. Don’t be stupid. All this attention all at once, isn’t it too good to be true?

So what do people talk about on these things nowadays?

Nowadays?

What’s wrong with that?

Nothing. My nan uses it all the time :p

You comparing me to an old lady?

:P

hey listen, I acted like a jerk at the diner, I guess I’m a little rusty

How could someone that gorgeous be rusty at dating? Steve must get asked out all the time. You switch on the TV and make a drink, replying as the kettle heats up. 

No worries, that comes with old age I guess :p

Ouch, that hurts :p

For hours you texted Steve, surprised how easy it is to talk to him. Usually, you struggled to come up with the right replies to people. Either you seemed too keen, too weird or too off with them. For some reason Steve thought you were funny, and after a while you didn’t have to work out what to say, you could just say it.

Sleep well doll x

You too Sir :p x

Be careful talking like that ma'am, I’m starting to like it :p

Oh. You stared wide-eyed at the phone not expecting him to be so flirty and a moment later you’re laughing.  

In that case, Good Night Sir ;)

—

"Who’s the broad?”

Steve flinched at the gruff baritone of his friend’s voice, nearly dropping his phone and stuffing it in his pocket. Hiding it like he’s been caught doing something naughty, a blush creeping over his cheeks.

“What broad?” Steve shrugs and Bucky chuckles.

“Come on pal, you’ve been staring all googly-eyed at that phone for days. I ain’t seen you use it for so much as a call before.”

Apart from a few dates that had gone nowhere, it had been a long time since he’d let himself even think about a relationship. Yeah, he got more attention but their adoration is a new thing to him. So much harder to know who was genuine, who liked Steve and not Captain America. 

He had to admit he liked this way of getting to know someone. Either of them could call it off, just stop texting. He thought he might put her off at first, her funny replies only spurring him on. He found himself looking forward to her messages, almost addicted. He could talk to her about anything and he loved the feeling.

Plus, there was a lot less pressure asking y/n on a date over text. That and he wanted to ask her out before that punk.

“Did you talk to Nat yet?”

“I just got back." 

Steve notices the shift in his friend at the change of subject, frowning and rearranging the cutlery while he waits for his toast to cook. 

"Didn’t she just leave?”

Bucky smirks, “We didn’t do much talking.”

“Buck.”

“I know, I will. I need to find the words you know?”

Bucky was avoiding his questions again. Steve thought he and Nat had a solid thing going, lately, he wasn’t so sure.

“You love her Buck, start with that.”

“Right. So, you gonna tell me or what?”

Steve groans and rubs the bridge of his nose. He might as well tell him. Buck would never let up otherwise.

“She’s one of Nat’s friends, her best friend I think.”

“Y/n?” Steve’s surprised by the furrowing of Bucky’s eyebrows and the clench of his fist. Anyone else would have missed it. In a second it’s gone replaced by a smirk as Bucky nodded in recognition.

“The one with the pretty eyes and the great rack?” Steve rolls his eyes at him but nods, “good girl, though damn shy, good luck getting a date with her-”

“I just asked her to a movie.” Steve’s stomach drops. Had he made a move too soon? He ignores Bucky’s amused smile as the seconds ticked by with no reply from you.

Didn’t people reply straight away? What if he’d scared you off? Man, he was so out of his depth, why was dating was so complicated these days? Moments later the phone beeped and he nearly dropped it. Again.

“She said yes.” Steve grinned at his friend.

“Pleased for you pal, no sex on the first date though got it?”

“Call Nat, don’t be a jerk.”

“Yeah yeah.”

—

You’d been talking to Steve and Pietro for days as friends and Steve’s invite caught you off guard. You couldn’t say no, however you’d also agreed to meet Pietro tomorrow. Shit. You should have said no.

Up to now, it had been fun. You still had that doubt that they would get bored of you or it was just a game to them, this is pressure. This is the next step. Either towards finding out you’re getting played or even more frightening, what if they’re actually genuine? Who the hell would you choose?

“What’s with the face?” Steam billows behind Nat as she steps out of the bathroom.

“It’s Steve and Pietro-”

“Both of them asked you on a date?!” She grins barely containing her excitement and sitting next to you on the sofa.

“Yes, how did you-”

“Wait, will it be a threesome?"  

"Nat calm down, what should I do?”

“Them both? Repeatedly, in many, many positions-”

“Nat, I’m serious!"  You give her a playful shove and she laughs.

"So am I.”

“What if they’re betting on me? If it’s some game? Won’t they talk? They both seem genuine? What if it’s-”

Nat puts her hand over yours, mainly to shut you up, but also to stop you panicking.

“Y/n. It’s one date. If you like them see where it goes, if not then no harm done.”

“I guess…”

“Not everyone’s an asshole y/n. Give them a chance.”

She carries on getting ready for her date with Bucky, talking while she’s in and out of your spare room. Well, it’s now mostly her room, she may as well live here. Her excuse being it’s closer to work. You knew it was the same reason you liked having her here. Though neither of you would admit it, you liked the company, the guarantee that someone was waiting for you, to stave off the loneliness. 

There’s a knock at the door and you open it to Bucky holding out your pizza with a shy smile.

“Pizza delivery.”

“Hi Buck, you didn’t have to pay-”

“It’s no problem.” Nat runs in, hair still wrapped in a towel and jumps on Buck, peppering him in kisses. 

“This is my apartment you know.” You cover your eyes and pretend to puke making them both laugh.

“I’ll be five minutes.”

You invite Bucky to sit with you while he waits for Nat, it’s always a little awkward with him. Probably more in your head than anything to do with him, you were only friends because of Nat really.

“So, you better take her somewhere nice.” 

“Don’t worry, I value my baby maker.”

You laugh, eating a slice of pizza and he gives you that good-natured smile you were never quite sure was genuine or if he felt sorry for you. 

“She’s missed you.”

“Yeah, this assignment wasn’t an easy one.“

He glances down to his hands, but you catch that faraway look he got now and again, full of mystery and sadness. One that made you want to ask what was wrong, ask how to make it better.

"What are you up to? Seeing anyone new?” 

Just like that it was gone, the cheeky sparkle back again. You scoffed at ‘anyone new’ he said it like there was ever anyone. Well, maybe there could be, until they saw you again and realised what an idiot you were.

“Not unless pizza and Netflix count.”

Nat walks out in a figure-hugging red dress, hair in a braid and both your eyes bug out. She just smirks pretending not to know how beautiful she is. You roll your eyes as she pulls Bucky up kissing him again, turning back just before she shuts the door.

"Take care bitch.”

“Love you too!”

The apartment feels way too quiet after their whirlwind. No matter how hard you fought off the idea, you wanted what Nat and Buck had. Would it be so bad to feel like that for once? To have someone love you, think you were the most beautiful person in their world? Then you glance down at your grotty pyjamas, greasy pizza and cheesy film starting to play on screen.

Ugh, like that would ever happen.

—

Part 4

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