X║Rᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴍʏ Lᴇᴅɢᴇʀ

   “I know that… It’s just hard to let go of some things. Especially, with what I did to him and his family… Yeah, it wasn’t me, but it was.” He felt awkward and lost with almost everyone else in the Avenger’s establishment, and with pretty much anyone he talked to recently. Yet, with her? He always found himself strangely feeling a little more relaxed. It was the more calmer memories of his bloodied past. “You know… You’ve seen that side of me many times… Stark’s a prick, but I feel like I somehow deserve it.” @redlcdger​

     “I know...”

It wasn’t an easy thing, it wasn’t just some faux pas than Bucky could sleep off and mend over drinks with Stark. Natasha knew that, but she hated to see the look in his eyes when he said that he deserved to be treated badly. She wondered how many times that look had torn Steve’s heart in two. 

“Listen, I know this is the last thing that anyone wants to hear, but in the end you’re gonna have to forgive yourself.” She sighed, looking up from the tiled floor, forcing herself to look at him. 

“I went through it too, felt like I didn’t deserve to be on this team. I mean, between the walking American flag and ya know, a God, former spy seems kinda out of place.” She game Bucky her best smirk, even if it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “But then I learned that they weren’t looking at me like some walking advertisement of my past. They looked at me as a teammate, as someone who fought the Chitauri beside them, and then Ultron. They’ll get there with you, Bucky. Even Stark.”

“Tony doesn’t trust you, you’re right. But...he’ll come around. And if not, you shouldn’t let it get to you. You’re here to do something for the world, not Stark. Even if his ego can seem as big as the entire planet.”

     "T’Challa?”

She looked over, voice tinged with equal parts surprise and intrigue. Of all people to show interest in her second ticket to the ballet, he wouldn’t have been her first guess (she had expected a facetious bout of interest from Tony, however).

The Wakandan King wasn’t a frequent guest of the Avengers, considering the duties he bore to his kingdom. When he was present, it was usually all business and very little ‘team bonding’. Natasha had never been one for getting too close to comrades, but these days she found a little connection with her team did something to lighten the dark cloud that sometimes settled over her.

     “You really want to go? They’re good seats.”