Bruce gives you a once-over and says it's okay to leave, but you need to rest for a while. Bucky walks you to your room.

"Promise me you'll do as Bruce says and rest for the day?" Bucky says as he watches you sit down on your bed.

"I promise. Being voluntarily electrocuted still takes a lot, even for a super soldier." You say, giving him an exhausted grin.

He walks over and stands in front of you. He kisses the top of your head. "I love you, Pip Squeak. But let's try not to do this kind of thing for a while, ok? "

"I'm all for some normal life, well as normal as we can get. I love you too, Bucky."

You start to scoot back into bed. "Get some rest. Have FRIDAY call me if you need anything, " he says as he watches you get comfortable.

You grab your pillow and lay your head down. "I will, I promise."

Bucky dims the lights as he closes the door behind him. You fall asleep for maybe a half hour when you hear a knock on your door and a familiar but unhappy voice. "Barnes..Barnes, are you in there?"

"You can come in, Tony." You say groggily.

Tony opens the door and comes into the dimly lit room. "What the hell were you thinking? Electrocuting yourself to prove a point, seriously?!"

"Stark, it was the only way to know for sure that Alpha was gone?" You say rolling over on to your back.

"Did you have it planned when you left me this morning?" He looks at you, a little hurt, as he sits on the side of the bed.

"No, I didn't. Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I didn't want you to see me go through that. It was hard enough for me to follow through with it, let alone do it with you watching me." You reach out and touch his leg. "I'm really sorry, but it did prove without a doubt that Alphas is gone."

Tony lets out an exasperated sigh. "You're killing me, Barnes, you know that?" He crawls over to you and starts to kiss you. "Now, where did we leave off this morning?"

You hum a little against his lips. "Mmm. Can you just hold me? I'm still a little wiped out from the test."

"Of course. I'll say it again: you're always in control when you're with me,"

"Well then, get those clothes off and come hold me." You say rather demandingly.

Tony quickly sheds his clothes down to his boxers and climbs under the covers with you.
He wraps you in his arms as he tucks you up against him.

"Now that's more like it, " you say as he plants light kisses on your ear. You try to hide it, but you give a little yawn. "I'm sorry. I swear it's not the company."

Tony gives a little chuckle and kisses your head. "Thought never crossed my mind. Just close your eyes and rest. I won't go anywhere."

He can feel your body relax with those words. You both lay there in silence for a while, just enjoying the comfort of each other's presence. Tony starts to shift a little. He whispers in your ear. "You know we could just move this to my suite?"

" If we continue THIS, I'm keeping my place. I need to keep my independence for a while." You say softly as you get sleepy.

"I can accept that, but then we need to get you a different bed. I can have the same carpenter who custom-built mine do yours, " he says nonchalantly.

"I like my bed, Stark. Not only that, but I think it's humbling for you." You say as you roll over and kiss his nose.

"If by humbling you mean causing my sciatic nerve to become extremely angry with me, then yes, it's definitely humbling." Tony says as he shifts his back a little.

"Okay, Tony, I concede you can get me a new bed. Besides, then we get to break it in." you say with a sly grin.

"Lieutenant, I commend you on your negotiating skills. You drive a hard bargain, but it's a deal."
He presses his warm lips against yours as he pulls you against him. You close your eyes and drift off into one of the best sleep you've had in decades.

The next day, you look to talk to Steve, but Bucky says he took off early in the morning on his bike. He assumed he was on a mission, but you know better. He can't avoid you forever. So you set an alarm to get up before dawn the next day.

You get up and check the security camera in the garage, which shows Steve's bike still there.

"FRIDAY, is Captain Rogers still in the building?" You ask the AI.

"Good very early morning, Lieutenant Barnes. Yes, he is currently in the gym. Would you like me to tell him you want to speak with him?" The smooth voice asks.

"No, I don't need him running off on me." You say as you head for the elevators.

You take the elevator down to the gym. You're not looking forward to this conversation, but it needs to happen now. You stand in front of the gym doors and take a deep breath.
You quietly push them open, but you know he hears you anyway.

You stand back for a few minutes and watch him as he takes out some very serious aggression on a punching bag.

Steve has been down in the gym for the last two hours already. He's trying to drown out his thoughts of you. How could you choose Stark over him? The two of you have a long and happy history between you.

Memories of the two of you growing up flash through his mind on fast forward.
He remembers the day you and Bucky moved into the neighborhood. You were scrawny and had a small lisp because you were missing your two front teeth. He honestly fell in love with you at that moment; he just didn't understand it.

The image of you going to your first dance with someone else broke his heart, but he hadn't really asked you either. You were too good for him; you deserved someone who could spin you around the dance floor without having an asthma attack.

Then there was the time you passed on homecoming in your senior year. He found you sitting quietly on the fire escape. When he asked you why you didn't go, your reply was the right guy hadn't asked you. It was at that moment he thought maybe you felt the same way about him as he did you.

A few years later, on your birthday, he knew you felt the same way. You had gone to the movies and to a carnival that was in town. You stood watching all the eligible bachelors have their try at the strong man game. Several ringing the bell and looking for your approval.
"You know you could have your choice of suitors, Joey?" He said as he watched you.

You didn't say anything at first, but when you did speak, it was music to his ears. "I don't want the perfect specimen of physical strength. I want someone who can move the earth with his heart and character."

His punches become harder and faster as more moments flash across his mind. You were there for him when he got his fourth 4f form from the army recruiter. That was when you kissed him for the first time.

There was a shock on his face when Dr. Erskin brought him to the army base for the super soldier program, and you were there. You were recruited by Erskin to help with the experiment. It was top secret, so you couldn't tell anyone about it. Not even Steve or Bucky.

You sat with him until he fell asleep the night before the experiment. You were there to catch him when he came out of the radiation capsule.

"What do you want Jo?" He asks tersely as he keeps his focus on the bag.

"I need to talk to you." You say softly.

"I'm a little busy right now. Why don't you go talk to Tony!" He lashes out as the punching bag breaks loose from its anchor and flies across the room.

"Steven Grant Rogers! Don't you dare play that bullshit with me. I'm going to talk, and you're going to listen. You have 10 minutes to clean this up and meet me on the balcony." You snap back with a drill sergeant's tone. You turn and head for the door but stop and turn around. " And so help me god, if I have to come looking for you, you are going to end up worse than that bag over there." You narrow your eyes, giving him a steely look as you point to the ruptured punching bag.

You sit on the balcony, watching the sunrise, as you wait for Steve. You don't blame him for being angry, but how he found out about you and Tony was literally out of your control.

You hear his footsteps as he walks out onto the balcony.

"Have a seat." You say without turning and looking at him.

He sits down next to you but stares out at the sunrise. "Who did you sleep with first, me or him?" He says bluntly.

"You. What happened with Tony the first time was not something intended." You say quietly.

Steve's head whips around to face you. "The first time! How many times have you slept with him? So this is still going on?"

"It's none of your goddamn business, but yes, it is." You snap back.

Steve stands up. "Who else have you slept with? Did you take your little tango with Barton in between your sheets? Did Sam get a taste?"

You bolt up and slap Steve in the face. "How dare you! What I do and who I sleep with is none of your fucking business. You don't own me! I told you I couldn't promise anything." Tears start to run down your cheek.

Steve's head drops and his voice cracks. "I love you, Jo. I always have. My life was never the same after I lost you. Then I got you back, and I just wanted us to be happy again."

You reach out and touch his face softly. You talk through the tears. " I never wanted to hurt you. I tried to feel what we had back then, but too much had changed. We've both changed too much." You let out a soft sigh. " I want you to know it's not something I went looking for it just happened. Honestly, Stark was the last person I expected to feel this way about."

Steve holds your hand to his face. "I know you didn't, but it doesn't make the pain disappear. And I know the urge to punch Tony's face will eventually pass." Steve looks up at you. "Does he make you happy?"

"Yes he does, very much so." You answer back with a small smile.

He reaches down and takes both of your hands. "I used to make you happy once, " he says as he looks down at your hands.

"You did. I cherish every moment and what you gave me. I will always love you Stevie. I just can't be in love with you." You say as you bring his hands up to your lips and kiss them.

"Do you love him?" He ask softly as his hands tighten around yours

"It's been a long time since I've actually felt love, but I think so. I know it sounds cliché but he gives me butterflies in my stomach."

Steve gives you a soft smile. "No, that's not cliché. It's good to hear. Does he love you?"

"He does." You answer with a smile. "Look we are both worthy of love. We are both worthy of happiness. It just can't be with each other, Stevie." You give him a soft kiss on the cheek.
"You'll find someone, I promise. They may even be closer than you think." You remember how Wanda smiles when she talks about Steve.

Steve pulls you into an embrace. "You'll always be my first love and I'll never stop loving you, Jo. But you deserve happiness wherever you find it."

You hug him back. " I know Stevie. I'll never stop caring about you, I'll always be here for you."

Steve kisses the top of your head. "Just don't ask me to go on any double dates anytime soon, okay." He says with a chuckle.

You laugh back. "Yeah, I agree."

You both stand there and enjoy the last of the sunrise in each other's arms.