π‘Β NATALIA ROMANOVAβ !!
@nashazimaβ - bucky barnes x natasha romanoff
a part of her had missed the quiet that the soul stone had provided. it had taken her a solid forty eight hours to block out the other voices; the ones that accused her of the crimes of her past. her victims. and the ones that loved her, the ones sheβd forgotten, the oneβs that she could not place.Β
sheβd taken the time to herself when everyone had began to arrive. to prepare for what would be reunions, confusion, and loaded questions. standing behind one of the ruined buildings, she closed her eyes - allowing the parts that made her human to return. and that was when she knew she wasnβt alone. opening her eyes, she looked over towards her gained companion.Β
βbarnes,β she stated, offering a small smile.Β βi figured it would be steve seeking me out, not you.β she turned to face him.Β βwelcome back toβ¦β she inhaled a bit and shook her head,Β βwelcome.β
bucky recognized her immediately. even from behind she was unmistakable β the way she stood, the slight tilt of her head. heβd been trained to notice details, but training wouldnβt have been necessary for him to notice her. natalia romanova was unlike anyone heβd ever met β with such a capacity for both brutality and love. how both things could coexist in one person was unimaginable to him when they met, but she was quick to broaden his imagination.
barnes. it was cold. meaningless. there was a time where she said his name β james β and he could hear the tenderness in it. tenderness was a rare thing where they came from, so when you got it, even for a moment, you held onto it. and thatβs what they did with each other. for him, she harbored his only moments of clarity and kindness at a time where his life was defined by death and torture. he wondered if she remembered any soft moments in her past without him in them. he hoped she did. she deserved that much.
βnatalia.β that was what he always called her, but not what she went by anymore. it was a habit he would have to break for her sake. there was no reason to rattle any memories that might be somewhere in her mind.Β βi wanted to talk to you.βΒ what could he say?Β what excuse did he have for lingering behind her the way he was? moreover, what excuse would she believe?Β βi never apologized,β he said finally,Β βfor the times i tried to kill you. i may have been the winter soldier when i did it, but i was still in here.βΒ he touched his temple and smiled without joy.Β βfor what itβs worth, iβm glad i failed.β