Chapter Fifty-Six
The night before the party, Steve and Bucky sat in the bathhouse together, luxuriating in the hot water and the presence of one another. There had been a few kisses and caresses shared, but nothing more than that, as the tub was a little cramped with both of them in there and they didn’t want to risk burning themselves on the metal sides of the tub or the exposed concrete. That was also why Runa wasn’t there with them; it was far too cramped to fit the three of them comfortably. So, Runa was back in the house, waiting her turn.
“I realized something last night.” Bucky pointed out as he finished rising out his hair. “We’re still missing something.”
Steve frowned, and Bucky took a moment to appreciate the shape of his face, the angles and the fullness of his lips. “What are we missing?”
“Not a single one of us is wearing a wedding ring.” Bucky pointed out. “Hell, you and Runa never had rings.”
Steve stared at Bucky, “I didn’t… She never said anything.” Steve stumbled over his words. “I didn’t think it was important. Lots of people don’t have rings.”
“Stevie, the only time she has ever said a thing to you was when she thought you had run off to Nat’s.” Bucky pointed out. “You really think she’s going to complain about not having a wedding ring?”
He frowned. “When you put it like that, no. She wouldn’t.”
“We should get a ring for her. Get rings for each of us.” Bucky corrected himself. “I want to see you wearing my ring just as much as I want to wear yours, and see her wearing ours.”
“I know that Scott has a few simple rings, and he can order more by catalogue.” Steve mused.
“Maybe something different, not out of a catalogue. We should see what Runa wants.” Bucky reasoned, before wincing as Steve laughed. “I know, I know…”
“She’s going to tell us she doesn’t need a ring and to not waste money on her.” Steve pointed out with a grin.
“I know. I realized it as soon as I said it. She’d do exactly that.” He sighed. “Let me think on it a bit. I have an idea, but I need to mull it over some.”
“Well, let me know when you’re done mulling on it.” Steve smiled, reaching and taking the soap from him.
~*~
The following evening the dance was in full swing, food cleared away and dishes done, the musicians gathering and striking up a lively tune. Runa stood on the sidelines, watching her husbands dance, but she smiled as Laura approached her and eagerly reached to take Nathaniel from her, the little one looking about as he chewed on his fist.
“You go on and give Missus Barnes-Rogers a cuddle.” Laura told the baby, who looked up at Runa, his fist still in his mouth. “He’s got a new tooth coming in and has been miserable for days.” Laura cautioned Runa.
“Poor little man.” Runa said, running a hand over the top of Nathaniel’s head. “I’ll watch him while you share a dance or two with your mister.” She told Laura. “Let his mother and father have a little time together, hm?”
“A little time together is how we wound up with this one!” Laura laughed. “Lilah can keep an eye on him while we dance. Or Nat, I know she planned on coming tonight, but she doesn’t generally dance. You should be out dancing with your misters as well.”
“Oh, I will. Right now, Bucky and Steve are dancing together, and I’m taking a bit of a breather. I’ve been running around all day to make certain everything was ready for tonight.”
Laura smiled at that. “Been a little tired lately?” She asked lightly.
“Not really.” She saw Laura’s interested look and sighed, though she still smiled. “I’m not expecting. It hasn’t even been that long.”
“You’ve been married to Steve since June.” Laura reasoned. “Long enough.”
Runa flushed. “It wasn’t like that.” She protested softly, making certain that no-one was too close or paying attention to them. “We never had relations, not until we moved into the new house.”
Laura gaped at her. “You what?”
Runa flushed. “We wanted to get to know each other a little more naturally at first.” Runa scrambled for an excuse, seizing on the one they had given Bruce, “Then there was that entire mess with Brock Rumlow, and then there was no privacy with the ranch burned down. We had to wait.”
“Take it from me, you learn to make your own privacy.” Laura told her, firmly yet gently. “You’ll know what I mean when the babies do start arriving.” She hesitated. “No one ever would have guessed things were like that from looking at you. You always had a smile on your face… But I’m seeing that smile in evidence a lot more since you three had your wedding at the barn raising. You looked like you were the happiest woman in all the world that night.”
Runa flushed slightly. “Probably because I was.” She said so simply, looking towards where the area had been cleared for dancing, “I love two very wonderful men, and they at least like me enough to share their lives with me. All three of us together. Who wouldn’t be happy about that?”
Laura smiled. “Well, when you put it like that…”
“Now go.” Runa urged. “Let me take a turn with this little man before one of my misters pulls me onto the dance floor.”
“You give him to Nat or Lilah when they do!” Laura said, before turning to head towards the dancing with a smile.
~*~
The dance was quite the success, everyone having a good time of things, particularly Runa, who spent most of the night dancing once she surrendered little Nathaniel to Nat. She had finally met Nat, and had a brief talk with her, and found herself liking the other woman. She certainly saw what Bucky and Steve saw in her. It made Runa feel a little insecure, until Bucky swept her off her feet and onto the dance floor, passing her off to Steve when the music changed. She couldn’t feel insecure in their arms, not with them smiling down at her the way they did.
She was still smiling the following night as she sat in her rocker, working on knitting a pair of socks. After a while, Bucky set aside his carving with a sigh and she looked over at him curiously.
“Something the matter?”
“I need to go out of town on business for a few days.”
She frowned. “Business?”
“We were looking at bringing in some new breeding stock, but one of us has to go take a look at them first and discuss the deal. Steve and I flipped a coin to see which one of us had to go, and I lost the coin toss.”
Runa frowned. “Why didn’t either of you say something earlier?” She looked over to Steve, who looked a bit guilty.
“My fault. I didn’t want you to think on it while we were planning for the dance, maybe feel a little low.” Bucky said quickly.
“We won’t keep anything like this from you again.” Steve promised. “We just wanted you to have a good time, and were worried that you wouldn’t be able to, one of us going away for a few days.”
“The only reason I’m not upset is because you’re right.” Runa grumbled. “It will only be for a few days?”
“Only a few days.” Bucky promised. “You want me to get you anything while I’m gone? I’ll be passing through a couple cities, could make a stop.”
“I have everything I need right here. Or at least I will when you come back home.” She smiled, looking back to her knitting.
“I didn’t say a thing about what you needed, I asked you what you want. A fancy new brooch? A necklace?” He offered.
“I have Steve’s mother’s brooch. I don’t need any more than that.”
“There’s that word ‘need’ again.” Steve chuckled. “We know you don’t need anything else, sweetheart, but there has to be something you’d like.”
She paused in her knitting, thinking. “Books.” She said finally, before looking to Bucky. “If you could bring us a few books, that would be a nice way of spending winter evenings. We could take turns reading aloud so we can all enjoy them.”
Bucky smiled at that. “That’s something for all of us.”
“I like things that bring all of us together.” She countered.
“Well if you want to put your knitting down and come upstairs with Bucky and I, I can think of a something that brings us all together that we can do right now.” Steve said with a charming grin, making Runa laugh.
“Well, who can argue with an idea like that?” She asked as she put her knitting aside. Bucky grinned, standing.
“I sure can’t. I don’t think any of us can.”
“I think you’re right.”