#winterwidow x reader

Let it, you think. Maybe then I’ll have an excuse to skip work.

“Long day doll?” Bucky’s standing at the stove—long hair tucked behind his ears, soft grey henley stretched across his broad chest, wooden spoon in hand as he stirs the pasta sauce. You could almost cry as the smell drifts over to you — garlic and butter and something sweet. The smell of home.

“Mhm, m’so tired,” you grumble, frowning softly before flopping onto the couch where Nat was sprawled out—TV playing in the background.

She lets out a small oomph when your weight drops onto her before adjusting herself to tuck you between her legs and kisses your temple.

“Hi baby,” she mumbles against your hair.

You let out a sigh in response.

“What’s wrong?”

You shrug, shutting your eyes as you nuzzle your face into the crook of Nat’s shoulder, breathing her in like her scent is what you’d been waiting for all day—coconut and vanilla and something so inherently Nat, it makes your chest ache.

Nat gently combs through your hair, fingertips brushing the skin of your neck and you curl into her further.

“Need us to take care of you baby?”

You look up slightly, eyes meeting hers — your heart swelling at the sheer amount of love you can see there.

You nod firmly, pouting up at her and she chuckles before kissing you. You sigh into her mouth as her lips part against yours, whining when she pulls back and moves you off her chest.

“Yeah? Need us to turn all that noise off for you?” She brushes a piece of your hair behind your ear.

“Please.”

“Bucky?” She calls out to him.

“Yeah?” He turns away from the stove, spoon in hand, raising an eyebrow in question.

“Can you take her to bed? Needs us to take care of her.”

The air thickens at Nat’s words and you swear you can feel the way Bucky’s breath hitches.

“Course.”

Your stomach flips in anticipation, breath quickening as Bucky moves over to you, soft smirk already playing at his lips—big hands sliding under your knees and waist, lifting you like you weigh nothing at all.

You tuck your head against his shoulder, wrapping your arms around his neck, relishing in the feel of his lips pressed to your forehead as he places you down onto the bed with a quick peck. You let out a soft whimper when he withdraws his touch—mind already going into that soft space where you need nothing but closeness.

Bucky turns to kiss Nat, tilting her chin up towards him, smiling against her lips.

“You get her undressed. I’ll just finish off dinner.” He smiles back at you before leaving the room—bare feet padding against the wooden floor quickly—eager to get back to you.

You’re already breathing heavily when Nat climbs over you, her fingers trailing down your sides, settling at the waistband of your slacks.

“Want me to take these off?” Her voice is velvet in your ear. It sends a shiver down your spine and your body arches up into her, answering her like it knows this is where home is.

“Please,” you breathe out, body twitching in anticipation as her fingers work the button, slowly pulling down the zip before hooking her fingers into the sides and pulling them down, lifting your hips slightly with a whispered ‘Up.’

Her fingers glide along the smooth skin of your thighs and Nat hums in appreciation at the sight of your bare legs, placing a kiss to each ankle as she pulls your socks off.

Her touch is gentle—fingers wrapped firmly around your ankles. The mere suggestion of restraint sends heat licking up your spine, breath growing even heavier as her thumbs press into the arches of your feet, rubbing slow deep circles and you sigh at the relief.

You shift a little on the mattress and feel the wire of your bra dig into your sore ribs.

“Nat,” you whine her name soft and sweet, tugging at your shirt to signal to her.

She places one last kiss to your ankle before moving up your body.

“I’ve got you baby, s’okay, just relax.” She kisses the pout off your face, hands already spread across the expanse of your ribs, before moving to the clasp under your shirt and unhooking it.

You sigh, deep and heavy and full of relief and Nat can’t help the smile that comes to her face, placing kisses along your belly as she pulls your shirt off, careful to not let it tangle around your hair, keeping your body pressed as close to hers as possible.

“That better?” She asks as you shrug your bra off.

“Mhm.” You’re so soft and pliant underneath her, body arched up into hers—wearing nothing but your blush pink thong, pressing your cheek into her hand, eyes half-lidded.

“God, you’re gonna kill me.” Nat kisses your sternum, lips dragging heat across your skin down to your navel before resting at your hip.

“Nat,” you whine, hands threading through her hair as she kisses the wet spot forming on your panties.

“Mm, should we wait for Buck?” She murmurs against the soft cotton, nose pressing into the fabric, savouring the sweet smell of your arousal, hands massaging the flesh of your ass before pinning your hips to stop your squirming.

You whine unintelligibly, not knowing yourself what you want.

Just more.

More touch.

More closeness.

More of her.

Nat sits back, taking off the loose shirt she’d been wearing—one of Bucky’s.

Your eyes land on the soft curves of her breasts, falling perfectly in front of you, nipples already hard. You reach for her, hand moving to her back and trailing your fingers down her spine before pressing your thumb into her nipple.

“Baby—” Nat gasps, leaning into your touch as your thigh pushes up between her bare legs.

Nat’s eyes go dark, pinning your hips to the bed with one hand, using the other to pin your wrists above your head. You gasp at the sudden shift and Nat swallows it—lips meeting yours, tongue slipping into your mouth as she pushes her thigh up to meet your throbbing cunt.

You moan into her mouth, grinding your pussy onto her leg as much as you can with your hips still pinned. Your chest arches up into her, the feel of her nipples against yours almost too much to bear.

Nat practically growls at the soft sounds you let out into her mouth, moving to swirl her tongue around one of your nipples, fingers twisting the other, tugging and pulling. You gasp, pleasure shooting through you so fast, it’s almost embarrassing.

You whine her name, writhing under her touch as she continues to suck, letting it go with a slick pop before moving to the other.

You’re so wrapped up in each other, you barely notice Bucky enter the room—his cock twitching at the sight of his two girls in nothing but their panties, already writhing and wet.

“Fuck—” Bucky murmurs appreciatively, arms crossed over his chest as he watches Nat pull your panties off.

She turns at the sound of Bucky’s voice, smirking before moving to make space for him. Your chest rises and falls quickly as your back arches off the bed, breasts bouncing softly when you shift.

Bucky’s lips part at the sight, eyes locked on your chest before looking up at you—your hair slightly mussed, eyes wide and wanting and lips already kiss-bitten and wet. Your hands are still pinned above your head by Nat, legs bent at the knee and spread wide, pussy glistening and clenching around nothing.

You look like all his dirty dreams and the rest of his life wrapped in one and the thought does something indescribable to him. He pushes himself off the wall, walking over to you and you feel the desire roll off him in waves.

Bucky’s hand cradles the side of your face, warm and steady—holding you in place when his lips find yours. He kisses you hard, desperate, guiding your mouth along his, tongue slipping past your lips. Your wrists twitch against Nat’s grip, wanting nothing more than to run your hands through his hair.

He pulls back with a soft bite of your lower lip before letting it go. He has to shut his eyes at the sound of your soft whimper. The sound runs down his spine, going straight to his dick. Nat finally lets go of your wrists, moving down your body to settle between your legs.

Her arms hook around your thighs, pulling you to her mouth. You let out a gasp at the sudden movement. Bucky comes to sit up against the headboard, shifting your head gently into his lap. He brushes your hair out of your face before tracing his fingers down to your lips.

“Open.”

You obey instantly, parting your lips and looking up at him through your eyelashes and Bucky has to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from picking you up, putting you on all fours and fucking the soul out of you. Wants to see those pretty eyes roll back when he pulls your head back to look at him.

His cock hardens at the thought, heat rushing downwards and spreading through his lungs, making his breath hitch in his throat.

Oh the sight of your lips wrapped around his fingers so pretty. You moan as you suck, taking a third finger now, whining when Natasha’s tongue breaches your opening, pushing inside. Your thighs threaten to close around her head before she pushes them open further.

“Look at you, always need something in that pretty mouth of yours, don’t you?”

Bucky’s hand brushes your hair out of your face, pressing down onto your tongue with his fingers.

You nod slightly, sucking harder with a muffled moan as Nat’s mouth closes around your clit. Your hand flies to her head, fingers curling into her hair and you don’t know if you’re trying to push her away or pull her in closer.

Bucky pulls his fingers out of your mouth with a wet pop and you whine at the loss, writhing under Nat’s tongue, holding onto Bucky’s hand to ground yourself.

“Shh, relax baby, gonna give this pretty mouth my cock now.” His thumb traces your bottom lip and you try sucking it into your mouth, eyes rolling back as Nat’s tongue works your soaked cunt.

“Greedy girl,” Bucky chuckles.

“Mm— Bucky pleaseee,” you whine, breaking off into a loud moan when Nat’s mouth closes around your clit once more, sucking hard. Your back arches off the bed at the overwhelming pleasure, hand twisting into the fabric of Bucky’s sweatpants, head leaning back until your nose is brushing against the hard outline of him.

You tug at his pants almost absentmindedly, eyes slipping shut, hips rolling against Nat’s face as her tongue moves slow and filthy against you. Her fingers dig into the skin of your thighs, not hard enough to bruise, but enough to feel pinned—completely hers.

“Taste so good baby…so sweet,” Nat mumbles into your thighs.

Your eyes are still shut, lips parted around a gasp when you feel the tip of Bucky’s cock press against your mouth, pre-cum spreading against your lips. Your eyes open lazily—soft and wanting as you look up at him, shirt and pants discarded on the floor and you open your mouth to take him.

“There you go baby, that’s it.” He feeds his cock slowly into your mouth, just the first couple of inches and you suck softly, tongue swirling around the tip, moaning at the heavy weight of him in your mouth, warm and leaking against your tongue.

The angle is overwhelming, filthy. Your head resting on his thigh, his metal hand brushing your hair back gently like he doesn’t have his cock pressed between your lips. His big body looms over you and he could so easily ruin you—fuck your face until you’re crying and sputtering against him.

But he doesn’t.

He just lets you suck and taste him like it’s more for you than for him.

You gasp around his length when Nat pushes two fingers inside you. Bucky takes the opportunity to push himself slightly further into your waiting mouth, groaning at the wet, warm feel. Your tongue drags against the underside of him and he grunts, pushing your head down further. You gag slightly, tears pricking your eyes, determinded to take all of him, throat relaxing around his cock, nose pressing into him, moaning at the heady smell of him, the brush of coarse hair.

The weight of him in your mouth, the ache in your jaw, the overwhelming pleasure building between your legs, pussy clenching around Nat’s fingers, stomach coiling tight—all mixes together until your mind goes completely blank and you come. Hard.

“That’s it baby, come.” Nat murmurs into your pussy, tongue continuing her slow strokes against you while your hips buck up against her face, riding out your orgasm, muffled whines leaving you, spit dripping out around Bucky’s cock.

Bucky pulls out of your mouth and you whine, mouth chasing his length like it’s the only thing keeping you tethered to the earth.

You’re still coming down from your orgasm, hips rolling, soft gasps leaving your lips, body going soft and limp against the mattress. Bucky’s between your legs before you even know what’s happening—thick fingers stretching you out, tongue flicking against your throbbing clit.

“Needed to taste you, sweet girl.” Bucky kisses along your folds, tongue laving over you as his fingers continue fucking into you. You’re writhing, head tilting left and right as your clit throbs against his lips. The sounds leaving you are obscene—whining, moaning, Bucky’s name leaving your lips in soft pleas as his fingers rub against that spot deep inside you relentlessly. His fingers are longer than Nat’s—thicker.

Tears slip down your temples as you feel your orgasm build too fast—too strong. You cum again, this time more violently than the first, pulling at Bucky’s hair, mouth open in a soundless O as your hips rut against his face.

Bucky doesn’t stop, moaning into your pussy at the taste of you, sucking your overstimulated clit into his mouth until you’re kicking your legs, squirming on the bed as you try to move away, hips locked in place by his big hands.

“I can’t— I can’t— please, s’too much— can’t—”

Bucky’s hand wraps around your ankle, holding you in place, tongue dipping inside you as you writhe, whining for him to please please wait. He knows your limits, knows you’ll say stop if you need him to stop, knows that when you kick and squirm and tell him to wait, you want him to push past what you think you can handle, want him and Nat to overwhelm your senses until the overstimulation melts into something else, until your brain goes soft and quiet and completely pliant.

Nat’s mouth is on yours before you can make another sound, hands pinning your waist to the bed, slowing your movements to get away from Bucky’s tongue.

She pulls away suddenly, lips spit-slick and swollen, tasting of you. Her fingers dip into your slick where Bucky’s mouth is before pulling them out and pressing into your mouth before you can protest, letting you suck and taste yourself.

Her other hand cards through your hair, rubbing gentle circles into the base of your neck and you soften, melting into the bed, letting the throbbing overstimulation turn soft, taking whatever they both give you, sucking gently on Nat’s fingers.

“Doing so good for us baby. So good.”

You melt further at the praise, another orgasm building as Bucky’s tongue moves in fast circles over your clit. You come—hard, body convulsing under their combined touch.

“That’s it sweet girl, I’ve got you.”

He pulls back finally, wiping his chin with the back of his hand, eyes blown wide with want, cock leaking thick and heavy against his stomach. Your mouth waters around Nat’s fingers, already aching to have him in your mouth again.

“Look at you, got my fingers in your mouth and you still need more, still need Bucky’s cock to suck on?”

You nod helplessly, tears dripping down your temples, wetting your hair.

Bucky’s on his knees between your legs, stroking his thick cock in his hand, groaning at the sight of you spread beneath him—pussy glistening and puffy, nipples perked, lips swollen around Nat’s fingers.

Nat moves to wrap her hand around him, tight strokes that have him groaning, before taking him into her mouth—lips wrapping around his thick, flushed length, hollowing her cheeks as she moves her mouth up and down his length.

You whine around Nat’s fingers, pushing your knee up to Bucky’s leg to get his attention. Your legs are still shaking from your orgasms. He looks over at you, smirking at the furrow between your brows as he pushes himself further into Nat’s mouth, hand twisting into her hair.

“Bucky—” Your voice is muffled, spit dripping down Nat’s fingers before Bucky pulls her hand free, taking your face in one big hand, the other still guiding Nat’s head up and down his cock.

“What’s wrong doll? You need my cock?” His tone is mocking, squishing your cheeks slightly in his metal hand.

“Yes Bucky please, please need your cock.” Your hands reach for him fruitlessly as Nat continues to bob her head up and down his length before finally releasing it with a wet pop, smirking down at you.

“All yours baby, mommy just wanted a little taste.”

She lies back next to you, smirking and pushing your hair out of your face, kissing the tears that had dripped down your cheeks and you nuzzle into her, eyes fluttering shut.

Bucky’s flipping you over before you know what’s happening, sliding a thick pillow under your hips to angle yourself for him. You gasp, scrambling slightly before settling into the position, moaning at the feel of Bucky’s blunt head nudging between your oversensitive folds.

Your wriggle your hips slightly to get comfortable, loving when Bucky takes you like this.

“You comfortable baby? Need another pillow?”

You try to answer, voice leaving you in a desperate moan as his cock pushes in just slightly, coating himself in your slick.

“Words, doll.”

“I— yes, m’good, just please—”

Bucky pushes in then, stretching you around his thick length, the burn sweet and intense as he pushes further and further. You always forget how big he is, how much it takes to adjust to his size.

“You just lie there baby doll, let daddy take care of you, gonna fuck all the thoughts out of that pretty head.”

Your thoughts are already gone—mind blissfully blank, thinking of nothing other than the stretch and drag of him inside you. The way he fills you so completely.

He’s only just started, hands pressing into your hips, spreading you wide for him, the pillow angling your body so that he hits that soft spot inside you that has you reeling, seeing stars behind your eyes, breathless moans leaving your lips every time his thick head nudges against it.

You’re already close, your pussy still sensitive from your earlier orgasms.

“Fuck doll you feel so— fuck— so good— so good around my cock.” Bucky’s voice is wrecked, groaning at the sounds of your wet pussy sucking him in, the sounds of his skin meeting yours.

“Bucky, fuck please— m’so close—” You trail off, pretty little ‘uh-uh’s’ leaving your lips before Nat’s lips meet yours in a hungry kiss. You can’t take it, the feel of Nat’s hands pulling at your nipples, roaming your body, stroking through your hair as she kisses you stupid. Bucky’s cock fucking you higher and higher onto the bed until he pulls you back to him with a growl.

“I’m— oh— Buckyyy.” Your head falls limp, pleasure building so fast, you feel your vision go white, eyes rolling back until you can’t feel them anymore, nerve endings sparking so hard you might just give out completely.

Nat’s fingers press into the sides of your neck, whispering against your ear.

“Just relax for us baby, let go.”

You do then— you feel your body transcend, going completely limp against the sheets, mind going blank in a way it only does for Bucky and Nat, relaxing until the pleasure feels like it’s a part of you.

You’re so pliant now, quiet, mouth open soundlessly, eyes slipping shut, feeling yourself dragged deeper and deeper under until you feel like you might be asleep—pleasure still hitting in fast bursts, but your body registers it like a dream, reacting to it with no input from you. You feel your pussy clench around Bucky’s thick length, can hear his voice far away, like you’re underwater.

Bucky’s dragging your hips up to meet him. You feel hands and lips drag over your body, not sure whose they are. Your stomach goes tight before relaxing completely and you gush, squirting wet and hot and endless around Bucky’s cock, soaking the sheets beneath you.

“Holy shit baby, you just squirted, fuck— fuck—” Bucky fucks you through your orgasm, your release still gushing out of you, his voice coming back into focus, now aware of Nat’s hands on your body. You sob through it, Nat shushing you and kissing your tears.

“There she is. So good baby, such a good girl for us, just a little more, a little bit more.”

You’re shaking your head, soft sobs leaving your lips at the feel of Bucky’s cock still dragging through you, legs shaking around him, the pillow beneath you embarrassingly soaked.

“Just one more, you can do it, one more for us.”

You sob, nodding, leaning into Nat’s touch as she wipes your tears, kissing you soft and slow.

You don’t even feel your next orgasm build, it hits you fast and hard, liquid gushing out of you once more and you melt against the bed, the slick sounds mixed with Bucky’s grunts filling your ears.

“Fuck baby, that’s it, gonna fill you up now. Just a little more, doing so good.”

He thrusts in twice more, and you feel him swell inside you, stretching you impossibly further before he cums inside you, hot spurts filling you over and over, his thrusts slowing, hands gripping your hips, holding you to him as the last of his cum spills out.

Bucky presses himself to your back before rolling onto his side, pulling you with him, his cock still heavy inside of you. He presses himself closer, letting you feel every bit of warm skin pressed to you.

“We’ve got you, we’ve got you.” Nat presses herself to your front, kissing your wet cheeks, stroking your hair until your eyes finally flutter open, a small soft smile playing at your lips.

“There she is. You okay sweetheart?” Nat’s voice is laced with concern, never having seen you lose it that completely.

You nod gently, nuzzling back into Bucky’s warmth, his comforting scent that brings you back down to earth.

“So good.” You mumble, eyes fluttering closed with a smile.

Bucky pulls out then, shushing you gently when you whine at the loss.

You’re half asleep as they move you around gently, cleaning you and lifting you slightly to change the soaked sheets. You barely register their movements, letting yourself be moved side to side. They never once leave you on your own, skin pressed to yours, lips peppering kisses down your sweaty back.

You lie there, spread against the sheets, leg hooked over Bucky’s thigh, head resting on his chest. His arm wraps around you, pulling you impossibly closer. Nat’s leg is tangled with yours, head resting on your shoulder as her fingers trail up and down your back, pressing gentle kisses to the skin there.

Bucky’s lips are pressed to your temple, metal fingers pushing the strands of hair falling into your face. His thumb presses into your cheek gently, stroking the warmth there. You nuzzle into his chest—steady and warm beneath your cheek and your eyes flutter closed.

You’ve never felt so safe.

So loved.

So completely taken care of.

“Sleep baby, we’ve got you.”

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Natasha was a good friend of yours. A great friend even. So great that she’d been enquiring about you joining her and Bucky for weeks.

You weren’t an Avenger like them, just a mixologist that Tony had hired for one of his many parties. You’d been around a few celebrities before, but to say you weren’t the slightest awestruck about serving literal superheroes would’ve been a lie. They were all impossibly hot, yet surprisingly down to Earth considering they lived in a tower that was a hundred or so feet above everybody else in New York. 

“You know, I’ve been to almost every bar across town, and yet I’ve never seen you before…” she’d questioned, sharp edge of her brow raising slightly. Her eyes tracked your graceful movements across the counter. 

“I had an article in Time Out. Since then, I mainly get private hires,” you spoke earnestly. “I used to slum it down in seedy nightclubs.” 

“How long have you been at this?” 

“Five years or so,” you shrugged. “I feel like I know half the city by now.” 

“And now you’ve got me. Wanna hang out sometime?”

And so, whilst you laughed through peculiar space stories from Thor, you tried to ignore Nat’s gaze from across the room; penetrating, hungry. A distant smile hung off her lips as she sipped slowly at her gimlet – that you’d made, of course – savouring the tangy taste of lime on her tongue as the slight foam of the drink bubbled on her lips.

A gimlet; simple, soft even…such a contrast to the dirty thoughts that swirled around the back of the redhead’s mind. 

“So, what’s it like being an Avenger?” 

“Pretty standard. Get a lot of back pain,” she said cooly. “Met a great guy who helps me blow off a lot of steam, though.” 

Your eyes widened, leaning across the counter and clasping your hands in front of you. Nat made a mental note of a distinctive tattoo on your wrist.  

“Really? Is he here now?” 

“Yep,” she hummed, shamelessly glancing across the room to where a brunette was speaking to Sam over a game of cards — Bucky.

He hadn’t introduced himself to you, surprisingly a little shy as the dark-skinned man had ordered for the pair of them. As if on cue the soldier looked up, eyes darting between yourself and Nat before flashing a smirk and focusing his attention back on the game. “Don’t tell the captain.” 

From there it’d become a friendship; she had you over any time she was free and the pair of you made the most of Tony’s seemingly limitless bottles of alcohol. Or sometimes you’d go to the club. Or shopping.

Everything and anything, really.  

Still, you’d always sensed that Nat had rather affectionate feelings towards you — lingering glances, gentle touches that grazed the length of your body — and it would’ve been a lie to say that it didn’t flatter you. 

The dynamic of your relationship changed in an instant one night…all because of a drunken confession. 

“Be honest. You ever hooked up with a customer?” 

“That’s a stereotype. We usually just hook up with other bartenders, but occasionally… I third.” 

“A unicorn…” she’d grinned, the words dripping off her tongue like honey as her eyes practically sparkled at the confession. “You’re full of surprises, honey.” 

Which led you - or rather Nat - here. Sipping on a Cosmopolitan that she definitely didn’t pay for whilst she watched you at work; today less focused on the choice of music and instead on you.  

The sight of your lip-gloss shimmering in the soft glow of bar lights. The dexterous way your hands curled around a bar knife (you could probably make a great assassin some day). Most importantly, the way you weren’t wearing a bra — or a flimsy one at that — tits jigging as you shook the cocktail shaker, air conditioning meaning that your hardening nipples pressed against the fabric, just enough to leave an indent.  

You seemed to ooze an effortless sex appeal, and judging by your escapades you seemed to know it too. Which made it more enticing that you were nervous – bashful, even. 

“You don’t need to be scared, sweetie. You’ve done this before, remember?” Nat hummed, playing with the stem of her glass. 

“Yeah. I do that sort of thing with random people I’ll never see again. I’ve shared breakfast with you, Nat. You’ve seen me puke.” 

That was true. Natasha had seen you in ways that broke the illusion of mysterious stranger you’d invite to share a night with you. You could argue that her seeing you vulnerable made so that she only respected you more, but how could one deny the pressure that being sandwiched between two Avengers and former assassins brought? One wrong move could ruin their relationship and the team dynamic, possibly jeopardising the fate of the universe. 

It wasn’t as if you didn’t want it, though. Whatever you had going on with the redhead was already unresolved – why let it linger any longer? 

“And I’m still here, aren’t I?” She smirked, cocking her head before she lowered her voice, words nothing but honest. 

“Look, I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to. Maybe you and I could just have some alone time…” 

“For the record, I’m not scared,” you replied bluntly, distantly wiping a glass. “But is there anything I need to know about sex with a super-soldier?” 

“Just come as you are, don’t do anything too fancy. He’s seen enough of you to know you’re just right,” Natasha smirked, tossing her hair to the side. “Oh, maybe practice those Kegels too…” 

Jarvis – or FRIDAY – had let you in, elevator bell ringing with a chime as it took you Nat’s floor. You’d been in this position before; stumbling back at 3am after your night out and Nat’s insistence that you stay with her, but this was different. Completely sober, you adjusted your leopard print halter top as your leather jacket dangled across your forearm, bracelets making a clinking noise with the motion.  

Natasha was waiting for you – her room gently glowing behind her, as lights seemed to flicker to the soft hum of music. Of course, the bed took centre stage, maroon-coloured sheets hanging slightly off the mattress; inviting, yet lived in. 

She stood in all her sultry glory, black dress clinging to the toned curves of her body, a delicate gem necklace placed like a crown on her décolletage. Her plump lips curved into a smile at the sight of you. 

“Oh, honey,” she cooed, tracking your movements as you discarded your jacket somewhere on the side. With every slow step towards her you felt heat rush to your core in anticipation. After months of late nights and increasingly flirtatious comments, you were about to have each-other. “You ought to wear low rise jeans more….” 

The compliment, though wedged in your mind, disappeared in a hot breath, her lips feverishly breathing life into yours. It wasn’t graceful – nothing about this was going to be – kisses sloppy and uncontrolled as your tongues meshed against each-others, saliva trickling to the edges of your mouth. 

Lost in her dark allure, you kissed down to the crook of her neck and inhaled her scent; a potpourri of incense, coffee grounds and rose, and back up towards her needy mouth, leaving translucent splashes of lip gloss along her skin.

Meanwhile, Natasha’s hands roamed your torso; fixated especially on the back of your neck and caressing your cheeks, pulling away ever so often just to admire you.  

“Pull my hair…” she whispered, words ragged. Desperate to please, your hands balled in her roots, stroking the back of her neck lovingly before you gave it a tug, causing her to throw her head back in glee and let out a soft moan. You were so caught up, bodies running hot from just a kiss that you hardly noticed that Bucky was stood in the doorway, eyes hungry as they took in the sight in-front of him.  

The door closed with a sliding sound, alerting you to his presence.  

“Am I interrupting here?” he spoke, a gruffness to his voice that had you startled. 

“Bucky…” Nat said in her signature cool tone, affection evident in her inflection. She raised a brow, haphazardly brushing a strand of her hair that had stuck to her lips from your gloss. “You want to join us?” 

“Not yet,” he hummed, giving you a once over. “She’s even hotter in up close.” 

“You hear that?” Nat grinned, a hint of playful teasing yet reassurance as she eyed you with a gleam. “Your clothes aren’t even off yet…”  

She turned to Bucky who’d closed the gap between you, and up close you could see the beauty of his blue eyes. The man’s hands lingered on Natasha’s waist, holding his gaze on you as the pair kissed; just as messy, if not a little more passionate than the one you’d shared with Nat. 

She ran her fingers over the stubble of his beard to pull him closer, and just as his teeth grazed her bottom lip she pulled away, satisfied. 

“You taste perfect, doll.” 

“I haven’t even gone between her thighs yet…” Nat lamented, the words seemingly code for Bucky to take his place on the bed, running a metal hand through his hair as he watched the pair of you slowly undress.  

Nat was hasty to untie your top, a sigh escaping her lips as they revealed your bare breasts, nipples pebbling at the sudden temperature change. You weren’t exposed for long, however, with Nat pressing her chest up against yours, fabric grinding against your skin as she groped you, her hands wandering down to the jeans that hugged your hips.

You could practically feel her heart pound, much more the clamminess of her skin as she edged you towards the bed, the back of your shins connecting with the mattress. 

Gently, you fell back, and there wasn’t much time before Nat straddled you. Still clothed, her breasts threatened to spill as they massed against your own, jiggling as she worked her way down your chest. Her lips latched onto your nipple, fondling the other as you propped yourself up on your elbows. Beside you, Bucky had slid off his sweatpants, palming himself through his boxers. The size of his bulge was obvious; far too prominent to ignore.

Nat really hadn’t been lying.  

“I think we were cut off the last time,” Nat lulled, glancing up at you. “Let Bucky hear how pretty you moan.” 

The man hissed as the whine escaped your lips, leaning over as Natasha made space for him to suck on your left nipple. Writing in your jeans, you grew more desperate by the second to be removed from the unbearable heat in your core. You wanted them. You needed them. 

With a ‘pop’, Nat removed her mouth from your chest, the skin on your areola now sticky. Gently squeezing the ball of fat, she eyed Bucky, revelling in the sight of him playing with your body.  

“Bucky…Would you be a gentleman and unzip me?” 

Her semi-nude body unravelled like a bud; the man’s hands all too gentle as he also pulled down the straps. First out were her breasts - full and almost too perfect even when shielded by a lacy bra, and down towards her stomach, the shape of her hips moulded like that of a Greek statue. To your surprise, she wore no panties.  

In a swift motion she undid her bra. A moment felt like years as she lathered her hot body over yours, skin bursting with goosebumps was your nipples brushed against each-others. You could feel the vivacious heat of her body even through your jeans; and, desperate, your teeth grazed Nat’s bottom lip in a frenzy as you tried to remove the trousers, longing to have the girl touch you. 

“Hasty, are we? I admire your enthusiasm, but I think Bucky wants to take this one.” 

Bucky’s metal arm was cold, but not unfeeling against your hips as he pulled down your jeans. He wasted no time in running his metal finger along your aching slit, teasing as he pressed against the sensitive nerves.

You were hot and wet — disgustingly so — squirming as he pushed your panties to the side with his thick fingers, tongue flat against your folds as he gave you one long lick, peering up at you the entire time. 

Squeezing your eyes shut, you only let out a whimper — much to the redhead's dissatisfaction. 

Whack! 

One unexpected strike to your clothed pussy. 

“Aw, don’t be a church mouse, honey. Let Bucky know how good he makes you feel…” she lulled, holding your panties to the side as the brunette swiped his tongue across your entrance once more, this time slipping his broad fingers inside of you.  

You were full.  

So full that you hardly noticed that he’d detached his tongue from your privates; eyes almost glimmering as he finger-fucked you, every outwards motion producing the sticky sound of your arousal coating his fingers. There was no holding back now, and just as your moans began to increase in volume, Natasha pulled Bucky’s hands away, playfully pinching the man’s cheek. 

“My turn,” was all she spoke with a raised brow, all too hasty to switch positions with the man. Pressing kisses against your stomach, she made her way down the lower half of your body before snaking her fingers around your panties and pulling them off for good.  

Trousers off, Bucky sat beside you, a front row seat into the salacious view of Nat’s red hair disappearing between your thighs. Through half lidded eyes you got an eyeful of Bucky’s cock; hard, swollen…thick. 

Super solider thick. 

Fat tip and bulging vein thick. 

Didn’t-know-whether-it-would-fit-in-you thick.  

His hands were around his shaft in an instant, smearing precum along the length as he began to stroke himself, free hand leisurely roaming your body.  

Meanwhile, your knees were to your chest; legs trembling even under Bucky and Nat’s joint grasp.

It was impossible to keep them open – not when her tongue probed every inch of your pussy, right from the outside to the very depths. She seemed to know you inside out (literally), paying attention to the sweet spot at hood of your clit, lapping and kissing and sucking at your folds in a sloppy, hungry way that could only be seen in a porno.  

Her lithe fingers pumped skilfully in and out of you with every flick of her tongue, fingertips now shiny from your juices. Bucky heaved; pink lips parted in want as Nat kissed along the inside of your thighs before delving back in — her nose brushing along a sensitive spot this time. 

“Fuck, Nat!”

You exclaimed, reaching down to brush a strand of her hair to the side. With your mind on autopilot, you  smeared yourself against her face, determined to have her envelope your core entirely. 

She laughed; wholly satisfied and almost teasing. Bucky’s heavy balls were almost as red as Nat’s hair, desperate for a release. 

“Don’t make her cum yet,” he grunted through languid strokes. “You wanted me to have a turn, remember?” 

Nat pulled away, a string of saliva visible from where you were conjoined.  

“Of course, honey,” she said knowingly, cocking her head slightly. “But don’t forget that I saw her first.” 

Though your mind is cloudy, the transition is swift. A sloppy kiss between the superheroes’ lips has Nat taking Bucky’s position by your side, and the soldier dragging your weakening legs to the edge of the bed, positioning himself between you. It occurs to you that it’s the first time you’ve seen him in his full glory – bulky, heaving…yet undeniably handsome and boyish as he combs his long hair back from his face.  

Condom on, Nat licked her fingers; slowly, deliberately, lust stormy in her eyes as she took Bucky in the palm of her hand, guiding his tip towards your entrance.  

“Be gentle with her, okay?” The redhead said teasingly. “We don’t want to wear her out too early.” 

She held him there for a moment before pushing him into you, awestruck as his prominent head disappeared with ease. Brows furrowing, you could barely form a word as you watched all six or more inches penetrate you – stretching every nerve to its absolute.  

“Shit…” Bucky grumbled. “So tight…” 

You felt your body inch further up the bed with every thrust, your euphoria remaining even as Bucky’s firm grip held you towards his pelvis, keeping you in place as he began to buck his hips against yours. He slid with ease, digging deeper into your hot core as if there were some kind of gold mine at the end.  

Natasha hummed with glee, nails pressing into the back of your knees as she kept you wide open to receive him. It was probably going to leave a scratch tomorrow, but you didn’t care. She pecked at your nipples with every bounce, every so often kissing back up to your neck, skin sweaty and sticky with the mingling of their musky scents. You tasted like the both of them. That was just how they wanted to have you. 

“God, Bucky…” you whined, voice trailing off into the night as his hands gripped tighter on your thighs, tip hitting all the right parts to make your back arch.  

“Never had one this big before, hm?” Nat grinned. “Louder. I know how fucking good his cock feels. Tell him how good he makes you feel —“ 

You did. Repeatedly. Seemingly louder and less coherent with every thrust. It was all too much; the clapping sounds of skin-to-skin contact, the squelching as he began to bottom out in your pussy…so much so that you didn’t notice Nat pull out a sleek purple vibrator.  

Fuck, what if it was some Tony Stark X-rated prototype? 

You came to your senses upon the ‘click’, followed by a whir, with Nat brandishing the object like a weapon. In a way it was – but the good kind. 

“I’ll be gentle, sweetie,” was all she said before placing it on your hood, just above where Bucky’s cock was pounding you. Ripples – sparks, even – flew through every nerve on your aching privates as the nub rolled against you, paired with the steady, filling rhythm of each of the man’s frantic pumps.

There was no hiding it now, looking and sounding a total degenerate at the simultaneous intrusion — moans messily switching between a bumbling mess and completely breathless.  

“God, you’re perfect,” Bucky groaned, hair now completely tousled. “We’ve wanted you since we met you, y’know that?” 

You could feel your heart everywhere – your head, your ears and even your legs, loins throbbing as they reached their limit. The room spun. Your eyes rolled in the back of your skull. Your body quaked, all under the grasp of an assassin and her super soldier.  

“Mhm, are you close?” Nat sung, eyes gleaming at the sight of you swallowing Bucky whole.

You’d done good for them. So good for them.

“Cum all over us, hun. Make us feel good —“ 

You came with a tremor and a blank vision, their names on the edge of your mouth as your juices glazed the length of his cock, squeezing him in tighter than before. 

Now you were free from that. At least that was what Natasha and Bucky told you. The couple found you when the team raided a HYDRA base they thought was abandoned. Instead, they were met with heavy fire and found you - covered in your own vomit and blood. You were barely conscious as Bucky carried you out. You woke up in the med bay with the Black Widow by your side. “You are free,” she said. “You are safe here.”

That was a hard concept to understand. Everything had a price, and it was paid with your blood or bruises.

Though you liked the compound, it was too big and loud. Every time you went into a room with more than 3 people, you left. You flinched when they got too loud, trusted only Bucky and Natasha, but hated bothering them.

Instead, you suffered inwardly and discovered that sleeping on anything besides your bed helped, and that you only slept in 30-minute periods. Any longer, you could slip into a nightmare and wake up screaming. But you could manage that. Besides, you were free, wasn’t that what mattered?

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Natasha opened your room with a laundry basket on her hip. Most of the other team members had the cleaning service Tony hired to handle it, but Natasha preferred to do it herself. The choir of making the bed was therapeutic. It gave her a sense of normalcy outside of fighting.

The sight of your room stopped her in her tracks. It had been 5 months since the team saved you from that facility. You were making progress. You were eating - one big meal and a few snacks throughout the day. She managed to convince you to do a movie night with her, Bucky, Kate, and Yelena. The biggest accomplishment was that Natasha saw you smile as Bucky and Yelena bickered about the perfect pizza topping.

The flinching would take time, and you would learn to trust the others on the team. Healing wasn’t linear. She knew that better than anyone. But Natasha felt stuck as she stared at your bed, which looked like it had been set up 5 months ago. It looked like you slept in it once, maybe twice. Truthfully, this was the first time she’s stepped into your space. She knew you were sleeping. The bags under your eyes weren’t as prominent when you first arrived at the compound.

Now, there was a possibility that you made your bed every morning, but Natasha recognized the way she folded the corners. The question became, “Where were you sleeping?” The place she checked first was the closest. There were many times she found Bucky in there after a nightmare. There was no sign of a bed - just clothes that consisted of old clothes given to you by members of the team. Natasha wanted you to have some of your own stuff.

Next, she checked the bathroom. An uncommon place to sleep, but she learned that Wanda would go in there when the noise would get too loud. The itch would hide in the tub when the bombs would start falling around her home. But nothing. It was clean.

Sighing, she left the bathroom and was about to give up until something under your bed caught her eye. Natasha knelt down and saw a stuffed lion. Bucky gave it to you. It stayed by your side while you recovered in med bay. Then it disappeared. Natasha wasn’t sure if you kept it, but here it was - under your bed with a singular pillow and a thin blanket.

She sat down with the lion in her lap, and she was brought back to the room she and Bucky found you in. You were on the ground, covered in blood and vomit. Natasha barely felt a pulse when she checked. Next to you was your bed, if Natasha would even call it that, when it was a coffin. HYDRA was terrified of you and your ability. That small prison was all you knew. Of course, you tried to find something similar to sleep in.

Natasha knew that feeling too well. The first 6 months at SHIELD, she still needed to sleep with those godforsaken handcuffs on. She wanted you to break that cycle sooner than she did. She wanted you to heal and be free of those monsters. Every step of the way, she would be there.

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

“Here,” Yelena passed you two pizza boxes. “Cheese on top, supreme on the bottom.” You thanked her with a small smile and took out two slices of cheese pizza. You discovered early on that pizza was your favorite. Yelena turned her attention back to the conversation between her, Wanda, and Kate.

You liked this trio. They never looked at you with pity or made you feel awkward when you would rather sit and observe than join in on the conversation. It was perfect. You ate your pizza and listened to them banter about the latest reality TV show they were addicted to.

You saw Natasha enter the common area before Yelena. The redhead managed to steal a piece of pepperoni. “Ugh,” Yelena slapped her sister’s hand away. “You are so annoying.”

“And yet you love me.” You smiled at their interaction. Then Natasha’s attention turned to you after she got her own slice of pizza. “How are you, malysh (little one)?” Her voice was always softer when she spoke to you. Plus, the nickname that she and Bucky used filled you with warmth that was impossible for you to describe.

“I’m okay,” you answered. It was hard for you to sleep last night, but you weren’t going to worry her about that. They saved you from HYDRA. They’ve done enough for you.

Natasha opened her mouth, but an alarm began to sound, followed by FRIDAY’s voice: “All Available Avengers report to the hangar.” Yelena groaned.

“I just want one day without the world ending.” The blonde complained while Natasha rolled her eyes.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” She asked. “You can sit this one out.” You shook your head.

“I’m fine,” you said. “I promise.” A week ago, you were cleared by Helen to join the Avengers on a mission. You were itching to fight and feel useful. Natasha was less than thrilled about it.

“Okay,” she sighed. “Just stay beside Bucky and me, okay?”

“Okay.”

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The team was small. It consisted of you, Wanda, Yelena, Bucky, Natasha, and Steve. Everyone else was either unfit to go on a mission or needed to be elsewhere. But a small team was fine. You were investigating an abandoned HYDRA building, hoping to find more information on the super soldier program.

While everyone sat and listened to the plan, you were standing. Mostly listening but also warming up with your spear. Since using your powers left a negative physical effect, the Avengers had to find a way for you to fight. You hated guns. The Black Widow bites weren’t your favorite. Then the Wakandans came to visit to check on Bucky, and you were amazed by their melee weapons.

It took some time, lots of training, and bruises, but you became comfortable with the spear in your hand. You placed the weapon against the wall and stood behind Natasha, arms crossed over your chest.

There was an energy radiating through you. You were excited, anxious, and maybe a little worried. You felt a hand on your shoulder, and you couldn’t help but flinch slightly. “Sorry, malysh (little one),” Natasha said softly. “You are vibrating out of your skin.

“No, don’t apologize.” Besides, it was your fault for flinching. “I’m good. Promise.” Her green eyes looked you over.

“Okay, just-”

“Stay with you or Bucky,” you smiled. “I know.” Everyone would be fine, and you’d be back at the compound, ready to eat more pizza.

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There was a beating in your heart. The organ pounded against your ribs like a drum. No matter how many times you tried to breathe through it, nothing helped. Sweat was running down your back. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. The team was expecting some resistance, but this was an army. A wave after wave of HYDRA goons kept pouring out of the building. Steve was the closest to the entrance but was simply overrun.

With your time at HYDRA, you had moments where your life passed through your eyes. At that time, there wasn’t much to think about. But now, there was so much for you to lose. Natasha was pinned against a tree with agents surrounding her. She was leaning heavily on her right side. Yelena had a HYDRA agent on their back but was being pulled off. You had no idea where Wanda was.

You and the world weren’t ready to lose the Avengers. But if you were to die, no one would blink an eye. You were broken, flawed. The amount of blood on your hands didn’t make you deserve a shred of worth. You were just another fucked up lost cause.

One act was all you needed to save them all. The amount of weapons in the area would no doubt kill you. But you were fine with that. “Kid,” you looked at Bucky. “Don’t.” You gave him a smile.

“Thank you,” you said. “Tell Nat the same.” With the Avengers, you’ve learned to turn this part of your brain off. But now, you felt all of them. The cold metal pulsed at the edges of your mind like dozens of tiny magnets against your skull. Pistols tucked into waistbands. Knives hidden in boots. Rifles aimed at everyone.

You could feel every weapon aimed at them. Every trigger was tightening. Every safety clicked off. It was as easy as breathing as the HYDRA agents shouted in surprise as the guns they wielded tore from their grips.

Using your power on one weapon was like holding a weight above water. This felt like drowning under steel. Pain raced through your skull as you yanked a hand gun out of an agent’s hand, forced it up, and shot him through his jaw before he could touch Natasha. A rifle moved downward. The burst of bullets went into the agent’s leg near Yelena.

God, you hated this. The blood. The death. Everything you hated. You could hear every mechanism - the shift of magazines and the slide of champers.

Then someone fired towards you. Pure instinct snapped over you. Every bullet stopped midair. Naturally, it would have been easy to hold the weapons and have the team take every agent into custody. But that wasn’t going to happen.

One by one, the HYDRA agents fell. Killed by the weapons they once held. You fell to one knee, flinching as the bodies dropped across the field. Silence, besides some of the agents that were barely hanging on. Your body felt wrong. Too light. Too cold. There was a ringing in your ears.

You fell forward, hands gripping at the blades of grass. The world spun around you. Drops of blood fell from your nose and onto the ground. You felt bile rise up your throat. Footsteps came running towards you. The sound pounded in your ears and felt like a herd of elephants. “Hey, hey, sweetheart,” Natasha’s hand softly cradled your cheeks and forced you to look at her. The sudden movement caused your stomach to twist. You turned to the side and threw up the little food in your stomach. The Black Widow wasn’t deterred by the mess. “Easy,” she brought you against her chest. You had no energy to fight her as you rested your weight against her. “Bucky.” You heard the super soldier run over to you. His vibranium hand was placed against the back of your neck. The contrast sent a shiver down your spine. “She’s burning up.”

“We gotta get her back to the compound,” he said. “If her fever gets any higher, her organs will start shutting down.” Natasha turned you onto your back but kept you in her arms. Your eyes fluttered open.

“Hey, malysh (little one),” she whispered. “Can you stay away from me?” You shrugged.

“‘M sleepy, mama,” you whimpered and closed your eyes. You knew they were talking, could feel the vibrations against Natasha’s chest, but their words weren’t reaching you. Static filled your ears. Sleep seemed easier to fall into.

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Bucky was still unsure about many things. The world around him moved way too fast. He missed the slow way of life in the 40s. It was hard for him to understand how he had lived for so long. Sometimes he wished that the fall from the train had killed him. Then he wouldn’t be plagued by nightmares. Blood wouldn’t have been split because of him. So many people would still be alive.

Then if he died, he wouldn’t have been reunited with Steve, never have fallen in love with Natasha, and never have met you.

He saw so much of himself in you. The guilt. The anger. The self-hatred because of things you were forced to do.

Bucky felt helpless as he raced back to the tower while Natasha used the limited supplies to try to lower your temperature. Now, Helen said it was a waiting game because no one knew about your powers. There were wires and tubes attached to you that kept you alive.

Sighing, Bucky rubbed his hands across his face and leaned back in the chair. He should have seen it coming. That look in your eye as you were so willing to sacrifice your own well-being for everyone else. He had seen that look in Nat’s eyes, Yelena’s, and Steve’s. “Any update?” Bucky looked towards Steve’s voice.

“No,” Bucky said. The blonde pushed himself off the door frame and walked to the empty chair. Yelena finally pulled Natasha away so the redhead could shower and get better rest in their bed instead of a chair.

“Sometimes no news is good news.” Bucky hummed and nodded his head. He wasn’t in the mood to talk. All he needed to hear was the constant beep of your heart rate. “Buck,” he glanced at his friend briefly. “This isn’t your fault.” Bucky scuffed.

“Natasha said to me she wasn’t ready to go on missions. She worried too much about her savior complex.” Bucky explained. “But I said she was going to be okay. That we would keep her safe. She acted quicker than I did.” It felt selfish to grab onto your hand.

“You did keep her safe,” Steve said slowly.

“Not from herself.”

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Helen took the tube out. She said your vitals were great and that if you could breathe on your own, it would prove you were on the road to recovery. Still, Natasha wasn’t put at ease until she saw your eyes. You called her mama. The moment replayed in her head, and it was the only thing giving her hope.

Natasha rested your head back on the pillow after she was done brushing it. Wanda helped her wash your hair and the rest of your body. The Black Widow felt the presence of her boyfriend without looking to see him come in. His vibranium arm wrapped around her waist. Before, he barely touched her with that arm. It felt strange when his flesh hand touched her.

She went willingly as he pulled her close to his chest and buried his face in the crook of her neck. His beard tickled her skin. It seemed impossible for her to hide the smile, and a soft laugh escaped past her lips. “There it is,” Bucky whispered against her skin. “Was wandering if I’d ever hear that laugh again.” Natasha sighed and closed her eyes. She hadn’t allowed herself to laugh or smile in 6 days.

“Do you think she did it because she wanted to kill her?” Natasha questioned. The thought had been lingering in the back in her mind when she saw the weapons leave the HYDRA agent’s hand turned on them. Bucky sighed, his face still in her neck.

“I think,” Bucky said slowly. “She was struggling, and this was a way that she thought wouldn’t hurt us.” Natasha wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Maybe that was the point. There was nothing to say when you learned that someone you saw as a daughter wanted to die. “She called you mama.” Natasha smiled.

“She did,” she whispered.

“Then maybe she still wants to stay.” That was what Natasha wanted so desperately. But it was your choice. If you wanted to stay, she would love you through every bad day. But if you wanted to find peace somewhere else, she would understand that, too.

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

It was the noise that woke you up. Signing mixed with the steady beat of medical machines. “Somewhere over the rainbow,” the voice was scratchy, a little unsure of itself. But it was peaceful and calm. It made you feel safer than you’ve ever felt. You tried to open your eyes, but your lids felt heavy, as if they were glued together. A dull ache pounded in the back of your skull. “Way up high,” soft fingers moved through your hair. “There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.”

Finally, your eyes fluttered open. The singing stopped, but the movement of a hand in your hair continued like they were trying to bring you back. You blinked a few times to clear your vision as you were overcome with deja vu. Again, you were back in med bay with Natasha.

“Nat,” you mumbled. Your throat felt dry like cotton. The redhead appeared in your vision. Your throat was killing you.

“Hey,” she whispered. “Hi. Try to stay still, okay? Your body went through a lot.” That seemed like an understatement. It felt like you were trampled by Aragorn 4 times.

“Can I get water?” You asked.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll get Helen and water for you,” you tried to nod, but it made your head spin. You winced. “Easy,” Natasha said, running your hand over your hair and kissing your forehead. It was the first time she’s done that to you. “I’ll be right back.” She left before you could respond, mostly because it hurt too much.

Alone. The room you were in felt so much bigger. You closed your eyes and sighed. You weren’t sure how to feel about surviving. Dying was easy, living seemed so much harder.

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Recovery was hard. The use of your power on all those weapons brought you to the brink of death. You had to relearn everything - how to walk, eat with silverware, and go to the fucking bathroom. Until then, you had to rely on everyone to help you. Natasha helped you shower and go to the bathroom. Wanda was in charge of your food. Then Bucky helped with your physical therapy. It was fucking humiliating. You hated relying on others. Sometimes, you wish you had never woken up.

“One step at a time,” Helen said. That was the motto: through strength training in the gym and in the water. One step forward - no matter how little the progress was. You sat in the wheelchair, decorated with stickers from other team members. Yelena started it. She wanted to add a little color. At first, you liked them, but now they seemed to mock you. Like the parallel bars were mocking you, too. This was the next step in your recovery: to train your body how to keep itself up and walk again. Bucky was nearby. Not hovering, but there if you needed him.

“You got this,” Helen smiled. “You’ve made incredible progress.” Sighing, you grabbed the bars. They were colder than you expected. You wrapped both hands around the, fingers trembling as Helen stepped back. “Don’t look down,” the doctor said. “One step at a time.”

It took everything in you to pull yourself up from the wheelchair. Sweat prickled at the back of your neck despite the chill of the rehab room. You inhaled shakily. Then you moved your right foot forward. Barely an inch, but it moved.

“You’re doing great.” Helen encouraged. “Try another.” You tried. You really did, but your arms were shaking too much. Every part of you felt heavy. It happened faster than your brain could catch up to it - the sudden drop and loss of balance.

You were expecting to hit the ground hard, but it never came. Instead, Bucky caught you. His grip was steady and grounding. “I got you,” he said as he gently brought you back to the wheelchair.

Part of you wished you had fallen. The pain would be better than the humiliation you were feeling. “I can’t do this.” You finally said after your heart calmed down. Helen knelt in front of you.

“Falling is part of this,” you shook your head. No. She wasn’t understanding. You used to be able to do everything on your own, without help from others.

“You stood,” Bucky spoke softly. “You stood,” he repeated. “For the first time.” You looked at the man. His blue eyes weren’t filled with pity but something along the lines of hope.

“I stood,” you managed a smile. Still, the small accomplishment felt hollow.

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

The compound was quiet. Everyone seemed to fall asleep easily, except you. Without the watchful eyes of Helen and Bucky, the parallel bars seemed more daunting. But you were so tired of relying on others. This feeling of helplessness consumed your body. You sighed and grabbed the bars. The mission was simple. All you needed to do was hold yourself up. The goal was longer than 30 seconds. With a nod, you pulled yourself up.

It was like you were learning the extent of your powers for the first. In the beginning, you could only rattle a knife. As you got stronger, you could move the knife and slash it through the air. If you could master your powers, you could learn to be independent again. You hated relying on others. Relying on them meant they cared about you, and you couldn’t afford that.

However, your arms gave out. Instead of hitting the ground, you fell into the wheelchair. You whipped the beads of sweat off your forehead. Good. Better, but nowhere you need to be.

You allowed your heart rate to return to normal, wiped the sweat off your palms onto your shirt, and gripped the bars. It felt easier as you held yourself up. Before you could overthink it, you took a step forward. Your left leg followed slower, dragging slightly. The muscles in your thigh screamed, weak from disuse.

You made it to where you fell in front of Bucky and Helen. Then one step passed it. Then another. Halfway through the bars is when it happened again. Your body gave out. Pain burst through your hip and elbow as you hit the floor.

A sob that you had been holding back for so long finally escaped. The sound echoed in the silent room. Everything felt too much. You were so fucking tired of the nightmares and the pain. You were so tired of living. Each cry seemed louder, making it harder to breathe. You twisted your hands into fists and dug your nails into your palm. Why wasn’t it enough to kill you? Why was the universe tormenting you? Was this your punishment? All the souls you killed, you were forced to live.

Two pairs of hands rested on your back. One warm. One cold from the metal. Their sudden appearance made the tears come harder. It wasn’t fair to them that they were responsible for someone who had broken as you. “Breathe, malysh (little one),” Natasha’s voice broke through the fog. “Breathe for us.” You shook your head.

“I can’t,” you whimpered. “Everything hurts.”

“I know,” Bucky’s voice was so soft. You’ve never heard it like this before. His hand worked to undo the fists. Your body fell against his, eyes squeezing shut as tears continued to fall onto the fabric of Bucky’s shirt.

“I’m tired, Dad,” you whispered. Natasha’s hand rubbed circles against your back. “Why didn’t it kill me?” Natasha’s hand hesitated. You even felt Bucky tense. “I wanted it to kill me.” You admitted.

“Come on, malysh (little one),” Bucky said. “Let’s get you back to bed.” He lifted you easily in his arms. The super soldier always ran warm. Mixed with the steady beat of his heart, you fell asleep.

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

It was the pounding headache that woke you up. If it were up to you, you would still be sleeping. Since the near-death experience and moving in with the Avengers, this was the soundest sleep you’ve gotten. Blinking your eyes open, you discovered you weren’t in your room but Bucky’s and Natasha’s. There was a pair of ballet shoes thrown in the corner. An old picture of Bucky and Steve hung on the wall. It smelled like them too. Sandlewood and leather. Your hand rubbed the rest of the sleep out of her eyes. When your hand came back down, it touched something soft. You knew what it was without looking - the stuffed lion Bucky gave her. You smiled and pushed the animal to your chest. “FRIDAY,” your voice was rough. “Where are Nat and Bucky?”

The AI was quick to respond. “Your parents are in the kitchen. I have informed them you are awake.” Parents? That singular word froze you to the bed. Parents. No, no, no. Bucky and Nat were not your parents. Why would FRIDAY call them that? It wasn’t like you’ve called them your parents before. Right?

But then two memories appeared in your brain. The first was from last night. All of your energy was gone, and you felt safe against Bucky. Calling him dad seemed easy. Then you were on that battlefield, dying in Natasha’s arms. The word ‘mama’ slipped out so easily. All of this was a problem. If you saw them as your parents, did they see you as their daughter? Then your death would hurt more than you thought it would.

The door opened, and your eyes widened to the size of saucers when the couple walked in. Bucky was holding a tray of food, and Natasha had a tall glass of water and apple juice. You preferred it over orange juice.

They always seemed to remember everything about you, no matter how small. Natasha knew you liked your sandwiches cut in half, so you could avoid eating them all. Bucky remembered the music you liked to wind down to after a training session. Your favorite snacks were always in the kitchen. They always made sure to clean the cuts and bruises after your training. They cared about you in a way you’ve never experienced.

“Are you okay, kid?” Bucky asked, placing the try on your lap. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Natasha placed the drinks on the nightstand. Everything was correct. Pancakes with syrup on the side, sausage over bacon, and blueberries.

“I-,” you cleared your throat.

“Take your time,” Natasha smiled. “Last time was a lot.” The couple sat at the edge of the bed, giving you space but close enough so you knew they were there.

“I called you mom and dad,” you said slowly. “And I don’t know what to do with that.” The couple looked at each other, having a silent conversation born of years of knowing each other. Then they looked at you.

“You said it both times when you were vulnerable,” Natasha said. “We understand if things change.”

“No!” You suddenly said it faster than you intended. They were giving you an option to back out. “No,” you said, slower. “I just-” you closed your eyes to steady your heart. “I don’t remember my biological parents. HYDRA has been all I’ve known since you both saved me.” You reopened your eyes. “I’m worried,” you ignored the crack in your voice. “That I am too broken. Too flawed. I’m just a fake fucked up lost cause. And you’ll see that and leave.”

Natasha was the first to move. She took the tray of food off your lap and set it on the ground. The redhead pushed a few tears away that you let fall. “You are not broken, a burden, or a lost cause.” Her touch was soft as she ran her fingers through your hair and rested it on your back. “You have been hurt and hurt, but that does not mean you are damaged. It means you need to heal.” Your hands gripped the fabric of her shirt and pulled her closer.

“I don’t want to be alone again.”

“You won’t,” you heard Bucky move from the original spot on the bed to the empty space next to you. “We are here. Through the good and the bad.” You closed your eyes, letting more tears fall and soak into Natasha’s shirt.

“Don’t let go of me,” you whimpered. “I wanna live.”

“We got you,” Natasha promised. “We will always have you.”

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

2 weeks later

You were back at the fucking parallel bars. This time, only Natasha and Bucky were in the room. “You got this,” Bucky said. He stood in front of you, on the other side of the bars that seemed to stretch for miles.

“You’ll catch me,” you said to the super soldier. “If I fall.”

“You won’t fall,” Bucky said with a confident smirk. You rolled your eyes with a huff.

“Yes,” Natasha said. She stood behind your wheelchair. Even without seeing the Black Widow, you knew she gave her boyfriend a stern look. Bucky only shrugged and kept his eyes on you.

“We got you, malysh (little one).” He promised. You nodded, gripped the bars, and pulled yourself up. This was the easiest part and the part you were good at. You could hold yourself up for 40 minutes.

The first step was the hardest. Your body shook from the strain or fear; you weren’t sure. But you took another step, clearer than the first. Even though your legs shook violently, you kept moving. You thought you would fail, but you were still standing. Halfway down the bars, you stopped abruptly. “Are you okay?” Bucky asked.

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Yeah. Just,” you let out a slow breath. “Never made it this far.”

“And you are going to make it further,” Natasha said from behind you. You nodded and took another step forward.

Everything hurt. Every muscle burned, and nerve screamed. You were terrified, but you kept going. Kept moving. Kept lifting one foot in front of the other. Until there was no more bar to grab and you fell into Bucky’s arms, exhausted but so happy. “Atta girl,” Bucky praised and kissed the top of your head.

“Thanks, Dad.” You smiled up at him. Natasha was quick to wheel your chair around, and you slumped down into it. “Give me a minute.” Your chest was heaving. “And I’ll go again.”

“Take your time, sweet girl.” Natasha pushed some of the sweat off your forehead. “I’m so proud of you. We will be here when you are ready.”

bυᥴkყ bᥲrᥒᥱs

𑁍 taste test - @metal-armed-muse

Bucky Barnes doesn’t lose control. He doesn’t blur lines. But when his new sous chef looks at him differently, control doesn’t feel so important.

𑁍 the long way back to you - @phoenix-in-writing

After years of traveling abroad, you are called back to your hometown to help settle your grandmother's estate. You expected to quickly sell the house and return to your life in the city, but an injured bunny leads you straight back to your high school sweetheart...and a life you thought you wanted to leave behind.

dᥱᥲᥒ wιᥒᥴhᥱstᥱr

𑁍 hard knocks - @lunexiax

Dean is not in the habit of accepting help - especially not from rich, pretty college girls - but this time it really can't be helped. Badly injured and without his Baby, he is forced to take a lift from you for one long road trip to try to save Sam. He finds there are worse things than playing passenger princess. (series - ongoing)

ᥣᥱᥱ bodᥱᥴkᥱr

𑁍 pretty young thing - @tw1sters

When a pretty girl walks into the station looking for the sheriff, no one ever thought that she could be his wife.

stᥱvᥱ rogᥱrs

𑁍 playing house - @blowingbarnes

After Peggy found out Steve cheated, things took an unexpected turn. (pt 1)

stυᥴkყ

𑁍 bucky and steve live happily ever after - @buckybsdoll

wιᥒtᥱrwιdow

𑁍 no place like home - @/buckybsdoll

You're exhausted—one of those weeks where it feels like the world is personally out to get you, tiredness spreading through your bones like it was made to live there. You can't wait to be home—Bucky & Nat waiting for you, knowing exactly how to take care of you, how to turn your racing mind off and be here—home with them.

Bucky looks up from the couch, raising an eye-brow as he sees you standing in the doorway “And where are you going all dressed up like that?”

“This is actually the part where you tell me I look beautiful.” You tell him, giving a small spin so he can see your outfit in all its glory. You’re ready for a night out, your hair perfectly styled, your make-up perfectly applied and you’re wearing your favourite dress.

Bucky rolls his eyes “You look beautiful. But seriously, where are you going?”

“Out.”

“Very specific.” Bucky says, folding his arms.

Natasha appears behind you, wrapping an arm around your waist and pressing a kiss to your cheek “You look gorgeous. What’s the occasion?”

You grin, running your hand over hers “I’m going out, I told you guys about this.”

“Uh no you didn’t, we would’ve remembered.” Bucky says, standing up and crossing over to you “Where are you going? With who? How are you-”

“What’s with the interrogation?”

Natasha squeezes your waist and mumbles “Humour us baby. I don’t remember you mentioning that you were going out either.”

You groan and roll your eyes even though come to think of it, maybe it had slipped your mind to tell them… Your partners weren’t controlling but they did like to know where you were going. Being the civilian in a throuple with two Avengers meant that they were pretty overprotective of you. Which was cute. Until the interrogating began and you hadn’t felt like spending all week reassuring them that you could handle yourself “I’m going clubbing.”

“Which club?” Bucky asks “With who?”

You sigh dramatically “Asteroid and with my friend Megan, it’s her birthday.”

Natasha and Bucky exchange a glance. They’d never said anything to you but they didn’t like Megan. They’d met most of your friends and got on well with them – except for this Megan, who seemed to cause drama wherever she went.

“How are you getting there?” Natasha asks.

“Megan’s on her way in an Uber, we’ll Uber back later as well-”

“No, one of us will come and get you.” Bucky says firmly. You open your mouth to protest but he cuts you off “No arguments. You know we don’t like you getting Ubers by yourself late at night, anything could happen.”

You huff irritably “Megan will be with me and last time I checked I’m an adult-”

Natasha laughs and presses another kiss to your cheek “Yes you are but we’re just looking out for you. Don’t rush; we’re night owls so one of us will still be awake when you’re ready to come home. But we’ll feel better coming and collecting you.”

You huff but nod, mumbling “Fine.”

“Keep an eye on your drink at all times. And don’t have too much.” Bucky sighs, watching you pull on a pair of high heels, wobbling a little as you do so “And stick with Megan, don’t go splitting up.”

“And keep your location turned on.” Natasha says, wrapping an arm around Bucky’s waist as they watch you get ready to leave “And if we text you for God’s sake please text back within an hour.”

“Yes, yes, all of it, you got it.” You give them a wave, already halfway out of the door “Bye, love you both!”

They both watch you go and Natasha sighs “I don’t like that Megan.”

Bucky shakes his head, his voice gruff and irritated “Me neither.”

“What happened last time they were out?” Natasha asks, sitting down on the couch.

Bucky sits down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and sighing “Y/N came home in tears saying Megan had drank too much and then got really nasty. Something Megan conveniently forgot about the very next day when you text her.”

“Can’t believe Y/N forgave her after that, she’s too goddamn kind.” Natasha sighs “I’ll check in with her every couple of hours and I’ll go pick her up when she’s done.”

Bucky shakes his head “We’ll both go, I won’t sleep until she’s home safe and sound anyway.”

Bucky and Natasha watch a couple of movies, checking up on you every hour or so. Bucky groans as your texts become a bit more incoherent as each hour passes, grumbling “We told her not to drink too much.” Natasha reassures him that at least you’re still answering and that you’re having a good time.

At about 1AM Natasha’s phone rings and she picks it up, feeling relieved when she sees it’s you “Hey, ready to come home?”

“Nat-” Natasha sits up straighter as she hears how tearful your voice sounds “Nat, will you come and get me?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Where are you?”

“Outside Asteroid. Megan’s not here. Can you come now please?”

“Oh for- Yeah, stay right there baby, okay? Me and Bucky will be there soon.” Natasha hangs up the phone.

Bucky stands up, having heard Natasha’s side of the call “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”

“She’s crying. I think something’s happened, she said Megan isn’t with her.”

Bucky grits his teeth “For fucks sake, that damn girl-”

“Come on, she needs us.”

They both head out and climb into their car, Natasha in the driver’s seat and Bucky in the passengers. The nightclub, Asteroid, is about a fifteen minute drive away and the two of them travel in silence for the duration. Natasha finds a spot to park just down the road from the nightclub and they both hurry down the street to find you.

When they get there they see you immediately, standing outside the club, your arms wrapped around yourself for warmth, your cheeks tear-stained. There’s a man stood next to you, talking a mile a minute and Bucky stomps over, grabbing the man and shoving him away from you “Go find someone else to talk to. Now.”

The man turns, his mouth open ready to argue but sees Bucky’s thunderous face and seems to think better of it, slinking back inside the club.

Natasha comes over and pulls you into her arms. You bury your face in her shoulder immediately, letting out a sob “It’s okay, we’re here to take you home…” Natasha rubs your back “Where’s Megan?” Natasha doesn’t like the thought of another woman out by herself, drunk and vulnerable, even if it is Megan.

“She- She met up with some other friends and- they went somewhere else.” You sob into her shoulder.

Bucky’s jaw tightens with anger and he runs a hand over your hair, sharing a look with Natasha “Oh Sweetheart… It’s gonna be okay, let’s get you home.”

Natasha transfers you to Bucky who keeps a protective arm around you as he leads you back to the car. He gets into the backseat with you whilst Natasha climbs back into the driver’s seat, both of them wanting to get you home as soon as possible. You’re pretty upset, the alcohol you’ve consumed definitely not helping as Bucky keeps his arm around you, letting you cry loudly into his shoulder.

Once they reach home Natasha and Bucky bundle you back into the house – Natasha helps you change out of your dress and into your comfiest pyjamas, wiping off your make-up whilst Bucky makes you a pizza, knowing that’s your favourite ‘sobering up’ food. You hiccup and sob as Natasha takes you to the couch, pulling you onto her lap and getting you to take small sips of water as Bucky comes in with your pizza.

“Tell us what happened Sweetheart.” Bucky says gently, his hand coming out to rest on your knee “Why did Megan go off with some other girls?”

“I don’t know, I thought we were having fun.” You sob, taking a bite of your pizza “I went to the bathroom and when I came out I couldn’t find her anywhere. I called and called and eventually she answered and I heard laughter and other girls and- and-”

Natasha sighs and strokes your hair “Oh baby, I’m so sorry. That was really mean.”

“You’re not going out with her again.” Bucky says firmly.

“But-”

“No buts, I’m serious, you always come home in tears and it’s me and Nat who-”

“I’m not a child!” You whine loudly “I’m not!”

Bucky sighs, giving your knee a squeeze. You’ve called him and Natasha out for babying you before and he knows how much you hate it. They can’t help it though; they love you so much and hate seeing you get hurt. His voice softens “Okay Sweetheart, I’m sorry, I know you’re not. So I’m asking, not telling, okay? Please don’t go out with her again. She’s not a good friend.”

You nod tearfully and mumble “Okay.”

“You have loads of lovely friends.” Natasha says, wiping a tear from your cheek “You don’t need her, you don’t need anyone who would treat you like that.”

You sniffle and they both stay near you, making sure you eat and drink something, and gently reassuring and petting you. By the time you’ve sobered up a little it’s late and they both help you upstairs to bed, settling you down between them, both of them wrapping a protective arm around you. You let out a soft sigh, snuggling into them and they both press soft kisses to your face “You’re safe here with us Sweetheart,” Bucky says quietly “We love you so much.”

“We’ll always look out for you,” Natasha promises “Even though we know it drives you crazy sometimes.”

1951 , november 16th | “y/n karpov” , eight years old | subject number : n/a

you and your father had a weird relationship , nothing you two did as a “family” could be classified as normal . his job couldn’t even be classified as normal , not that you actually knew what it was . normal fathers would take their kids out to play ball or go shopping , yours took you to shooting ranges where he taught you how to shoot different guns and how to take them apart then put them right back together . normal fathers would come home after late days working and embrace their kids while eating dinner together at the table , yours took you to work with him and let you sit in the corner while he did . . whatever he did .

you didn’t know what you father did but you knew it wasn’t good , you could always hear screams and cries echoing from the halls of the cold building . the only part you liked was the traveling , every few months your dad would pack you guys some bags and you’d just disappear for however long he chose . sometimes it was for a week , two the longest you’ve gone was a few months , he always had the same excuse — “ work has us moving around but we’ll be back home soon . ”

you never knew your mom , never asked about her either , you only did once whenever you were little which led to a huge “demonstration” from your father . he led you to a room full of women , all lined up , perfectly , not a hair out of place , they looked beautiful and deadly all at once . the woman was terrifying , Melina , your father called her . she tried to have a nice face around you but that only made her scarier , especially when you saw what the girls did , what she made them do . “ your mom worked for them . a dangerous woman she is , I took you away from her . had to keep you safe . ” since then you’ve never asked about her again . not if it was going to make you return to the “red room” , it was a stupid and childish name that you had made up but it was fitting . the halls were always covered by red , whether it have been due to crappy lighting or the crimson from someone’s body .

today was just like any other trip , your father packed your bags and you two took off . you always came back to your penthouse in Kazen , the place was nice , not to much the people but the place was comforting and cozy . you were homeschooled so disappearing was never a problem , you just did work on the plane or while your father worked . “ afternoon Mr. Karpov . ” the guard stood up tall , the chill from the Siberian weather , he gave a smile in your direction , voice and expression softening upon seeing you — stuffed animal held tightly in one hand while you held your math homework in the other . “ Ms. Karpov . ” you gave him a wave before the doors opened , your father wrapped his arm around your shoulder , pulling the heavy coat you wore over you a bit more with a small tug .

“ now I have to work for a few hours but you’re gonna finish your math homework . then after that you can watch tv , can you do that for me ? ” he’d crouched down to your height , you were barley eight years old so you weren’t necessarily tall . his hand rubbed lightly against your cheek as you nodded excitedly by his question . you weren’t allowed to watch tv often , your dad always mumbled about American propaganda making its way to the Russian screens which made your eyes roll . you didn’t care about America or the war , though it had ended , the tvs were still filled with hatred . you learned about it obviously because you had to but the war only caused you and your father more anguish . you never believed any of the things you saw on tv or the flyers that were up in other countries or cities , you only listened to your father . he was all you had and the only one you wanted to make proud .

1953 , june 12th | “y/n karpov” , ten years old | subject number : n/a

next was the “cold war” . a weird name . the war been going on for almost six years , you’d really only realize three years ago that it was real and it wasn’t just some thing that conspiracy theorist were talking about . your father’s work started to ramp up in the past two years , your trips lessening more and more and your ultimate holding place being Siberia . you hated it , Siberia unlike Kazan didn’t have seasons , it was almost always cold — freezing . the spring and summer were short , they were warm but a fleeting moment . your father was always working , he never came to see you anymore , it was annoying and you were getting upset .

the guards that shadowed you were nice but they were never your father . they couldn’t be him . they couldn’t give you the same love that your father could , why did he rip it away from you like that ? what had you done to deserve it ? you didn’t upset him , you always did you work , you never asked questions . but he stole it from you anyways , deprived you of the one thing that kept you going . your studying got lazier , your schoolwork got sloppier and sloppier , you even stopped enjoying tv , you’d just stare at the walls and groan and complain about being left alone to guards that did nothing but mumble and apologize .

“ can I go to the bathroom ? dad’s not back , I’ll be back soon . pop in and out , promise . ” she spoke to the guard across the room , he was supposed to follow you everywhere but you didn’t want him to follow you there . it was invasive . you stood up , heading towards the door and he went to turn , to follow behind you but you held your hand up . by technicality you had some authority , not much but some . “ I’ll be fine , you don’t need to follow me , it’s just to the bathroom , right ? ” the guard was skeptical but let you go , however you went everywhere but the bathroom . heading down a empty hallway , guards were everywhere but you just managed to catch a time where they weren’t on duty . perhaps it was a shift change or someone just wasn’t were they were supposed to be .

your eyes came across a lab , through the window of the door you could see your father standing before a guy . his face was covered by the man’s body but he was quite obviously uncomfortable . he was strapped down to the table , body shaking and moving uncontrollably as if he was trying to escape . your father yelled , you rarely heard him yell but he was basically screeching at the man before him . you felt bad , your father sounded terrifying and then he hit him . hard . your eyes widened as you watched the treatment the man was receiving , he already looked disheveled , eyes drained of color and hope .

then the machine started and everything just got worse and worse . soon came his screams , the screams you had gotten accustomed to hearing because you didn’t truly think they were real or filled with such pain . a gasp escaped your mouth and your hands clasped over it quite quickly — eyes widening even more after you recognized your action . everyone in the room stopped , the buzzing sound from whatever machine on the man stopped and everyone turned to look at you , finally you were able to see the man’s face ; it was odd , you saw a little bit of yourself in him . you didn’t have time to stare at him because soon you locked eyes with your father and ran .

“ dad , I’m sorry , I’m sorry . I didn’t mean to walk around , I didn’t see anything , I swear ! I didn’t see anything ! ” you’d begged and pleaded for the last hour , asking for his forgiveness . it was his fault anyways , has he not deprived you of the love you so desperately needed then you would have never have gone looking . you would have never tried to see anything at all , all you wanted was him to love you . “ I do everything for you . I do everything and yet you still manage to screw things up somehow . Was going to wait till you were older for this but it seems like now is a better time than ever . ” your father grumbled before grabbing you harshly by the arm . it was insufferable , terrible , the pain spread through your entire arm immediately . you pulled against him with every bit of strength you had , though it wasn’t a lot .

the punishment for your crime was spending time in a cell . it was cold , disgusting , absolutely grimy and fillies with the stench of blood . there was a bed that had basically been ripped to shreds , the door was completely solid and no matter how many times you banged on it and begged to be let free . he never listened , it was almost as if he didn’t care . he kept you in there for the rest of the day , didn’t visit or talk to you . any time you messed up , that would be your punishment , so you made sure not to mess up often because when you did it would be hell . you hated that cell , to the point where you couldn’t sleep with the lights off and door closed anymore — too dark , only one or the other .

1959 , february 17th | “y/n karpov” , sixteen years old | subject number : 43XX

stopped talking to your father after the first time he hit you . you’d yelled at him , finally broke after six years of silence and asked what he was keeping the “soldier” downstairs for . the war was over , there was no reason to harbor a man in their basement and he responded by slapping you so hard you were disoriented . your body fell to the floor , hand covering the warmth blooming on your cheek from the pure force he held behind the hit . “ when I tell you to stop talking , you stop talking . when I tell you to be good , you be good . why do you always have to disappoint me ? ” that was the last time to disappointed him before the testing started .

it was countless injections and being wired up to machines , every day , all day , you hated them . any time you tried to move and fight back it resulted in shocks . electro shock therapy as your father called it , they needed to get you ready and in shape . for what ? you’ve never known but if you hated this then you were worried for what was next . the therapy got worse and worse , to the point were they would shock you until you couldn’t think straight , couldn’t move your body without help and your eyes couldn’t stay open . your brain was mush , you didn’t remember much during those sessions or much that happened before or after them . just the pain , all you remembered was the pain . now it was your screams that filled the room and the hallways and instead of being outside , coloring , doing homework or watching tv , you were experiencing it and you hated it .

“ You share DNA with him . That soldier , you know that ? My blood , his blood — it all runs through those veins of yours . took it from him when we captured him . You are his child , just as much as you are mine . ” you didn’t understand what he was saying , the man in there was clearly older than you but not old enough to have kids , especially not for you to be sixteen , it didn’t make sense . how did you share DNA with him ? you wanted to ask but your mouth wouldn’t open , your eyes were barley keeping open but managed a struggle just to look at him .

“ do you remember the red room ? I took you there whenever you were younger . one of those women , was lucky . the rest of them have their ovaries removed but that one , she got to keep them , for just a pinch longer than the others did . to have our child . our creation . unfortunately Barnes missed the birth of his first child but I didn’t . I was there for you . I will always be there for you , my experiment . ” your father was just rambling at this point , it didn’t make much sense . experiment ? you were an experiment ? a test subject ? for what ? “ why ? ” you just barley managed to croak out , your voice was hoarse , throat dry and cracking .

“ the winter soldier . he can topple governments , countries , win wars , our greatest weapon against our opposing forces . however where one goes right , there is always room for improvement . for more . ” now it made more sense . he was a power hungry bastard . your father was the worst man alive but you were truly his daughter . perhaps even his favorite . with the way he talked you were positive he had more , you’ve never met them , probably never would if you couldn’t get off this damn table .

almost as if he read your mind , your arms and legs were unhooked from the table , you couldn’t move them on your own but it was still a little bit freeing . only for a few moments , it was quickly replaced by you being hauled into a chair within a chamber . that was the first time you’ve ever witnessed the cyro chamber . it was colder than any winter in Siberia . the chill never left , even after the seasons passed and the years went by , the chill remained but you were barely conscious enough to remember what season it was — to even remember what seasons were .

2003 , march 9th | y/n barnes karpov , “Scylla” , sixteen years old physically , mentally ?? | subject number : 4384

you had been let out of the cyro chamber a few times , at least six times through out the years . they tried to disorient you , perhaps thinking that it would keep you from remembering where you were and what time period you had been in and honestly it worked . you could never understand what year you were in until it was too late and you were back with the uncomfortable chill . you tried your best to prove that you weren’t going to be a good investment , that you would fail in the moment of danger but with the “super soldier serum” (as they called it) running through your veins you were quite the opposite . you were strong , stronger than the average teenager , with enough strength to take in a man in his average thirties and forties even if he worked out — they tested it . young men , old men , each came in and out of the training room and as much as your body shook at the sight of them and the thought of hurting someone when you were told to attack , you did . biting just like a lap dog .

very rarely , whenever you and the soldier were awake at the same time , they’d let you train together . see who could hold their own the longest , it was always him . no matter how many times they’d run your two up against each other , he reminded you that you were nothing more than a child and it was so insulting . you trained hard and long , went through suffering and pain and torture just to be treated like a child and worthless by “the soldier” .

your hands gripped at his arm , the metal one holding you down by your throat to the ground , cutting off your air supply and keeping your body pinned to the floor . he didn’t feel a thing whenever your nails scratched against his silver arm , an attempt to rip it off or get it off of your throat , anything to get you to be able to breath again . “ off . winter , six . scylla , none . ” he finally pulled off of you , allowing you to take in greedy gasps of air . your arms flailed helplessly as you forced yourself upwards onto your feet .

your hand rung your own neck , feeling at the injury that was certainly to bruise . there was so mumbling from the soldiers behind the two of you before your “father” spoke once more . “ you two are done for the day . take them back . scylla to the chair , we have something else to do . ” the brainwashing had embedded itself in you . they didn’t need to drag you anymore unless your body was weakened but you had enough strength to walk and if you were being honest you hated their touch being on you so you would have forced yourself up anyways .

they say you down , back in the chair , usually you’d wake up here with no memories of what had happened before , only that you needed to follow the directions of the men before you and your father was the only one who truly cared about you . it was ridiculous but you couldn’t find yourself to deviate from what they said . they had strapped you down once more , body pushed backwards and the edge of the wall was your only view before your father graced your line of vision . “ we were trying to wait until she had developed further to do this but we’ve run into some complications . so what better time than the present , eh ? ” he held up a freaky looking vial , it was obvious that there was blood inside but it had mixed with something you couldn’t place .

“ inside this is the blood of our most powerful assassin , winter is good but everyone needs a femme fatale , don’t they ? but you , you my creation , my child . you will be a mix of everything great — everything good to have ever come out of this organization . mixed all into one , my hydra . ” this is what he meant all those years ago , not that you remember , when he called you an experiment . you were a mix of everything great and the only hope was that you would come out even better than everything you had been mixed with .

2016 , april 12th | y/n barnes karpov , “Scylla” , eighteen years old physically , mentally ?? | subject number : 4384

Bucky Barnes . the Winter Soldier had escaped and with him he took down Hydra , not all of it but most of it . he disappeared off the face of the earth then , you couldn’t find him , at least not for a little bit . bucharest , romania , the area felt familiar to you , every country did , as if you’d been there before . ever so slowly everything had been coming back to you , the torture , the murder , the pain . everything hurt and it never got better . your handler , at least the one you had been left with , Alexander Pierce was dead — murdered by Nick Fury . a subject was never supposed to be on their own , wander alone with no place to go but you and one objective in mind . find the winter soldier .

unfortunately following him through romania led to problems , one star spangled man , a flying bird man and a cat man . . . what had superheroes nowadays come to ? “ uhh cap , I got a child following you and Bucky down the building . ” Captain America , you’d heard of him a little during the wars and whenever they’d allow you to see what America was trying to produce in respond to the winter soldier — he was a specimen in the minds of Hydra but a joke of your own . Bucky and Steve were on foot , running across the roof of a building and you followed closely behind them , you didn’t think you’d be seen but you also didn’t account for a man with wings to following you .

you never actually engaged in the fight , didn’t need to tire yourself out for no reason , besides they didn’t think of you as a threat yet and you would have liked to keep it that way . that was until you all reached the underpass , you’d run up on them just as Bucky had been disarmed and thrown off of his motorcycle , his only way of transportation . the man dressed as a cat was seconds way from clawing the man’s face off but was thrown away by the strength of Captain America . it was intriguing to watch him fight in real time however he wasn’t your concern . without sparing him another glance you reached Bucky’s side , sirens and ringing from cop cars starting to filled the area . “ there’s a kid here ! a kid ! be careful , would you ? ” Steve pleaded to the cops , your eyes hadn’t left Bucky as you stood in front of him , mocking his movements , kneeling down on the ground and putting your hands behind your head .

“ long time no see , Отец . ” Bucky’s eyes widened at your words . he was expecting a “soldat”or maybe for you to try and kill him , force him to pay for the crimes he might have committed against you that he just didn’t remember . the cops were barely gentle with you , forcing your face into the ground with such harshness that everyone there turned their head with guilt and disgust . “ be careful with her , she’s still a kid . ” Sam spoke up , he hadn’t talked much but at least he had the balls to say something about that . Bucky’s eyes never left your , even as they dragged him away , he wouldn’t let it happen . when they placed him in a glass cage , you just in handcuffs (what a mistake) , he still never looked away . not until they forced him away from you .

“ what are you doing here ? ” Tony Stark . he wasn’t a cop , barely a S.H.I.E.L.D agent so he shouldn’t have been interrogating you but they allowed him to — god only knows why . you just looked behind him , the two way glass , trying to figure out who was back there . “ why were you following Barnes and Roger’s ? ” you could answer both questions but didn’t want to , he didn’t give you any reason to . “ come on kid , you gotta give me something- ” “ you talk too much . ” your eyes met his for once , getting a ticked off chuckle from his lips . this man was ego and pride , perhaps if you could knock him down then you’d be allowed another interrogator . “ where is . . . Barnes , I want to speak to him . ” Tony shook his head at your statement , he most likely took it as a question but you weren’t asking . “ I’m the one asking the questions here , alright ? You can see him whenever he gets done with his psych eval and his questioning . ”

you shook your head and tried to stand , the handcuffs holding you to the table being the only thing keeping you down . “ no . now . I need to go now . ” instead of answering you , Tony walked out , probably joining his friends behind the two way glass . you hated being treated like a child , being ignored , being disrespected .

Tony entered the room with the two way glass , glancing towards Romanoff . “ I don’t know what’s wrong with that kid . she’s not even afraid she just- stares , it’s freaky . are we sure she’s even real ? not something somebody built in their lab ? ” she rolled her eyes at him, “ not everyone had the money to do that Stark . you are right though , something about this kid just isn’t right . how did she know where to find Barnes ? ” before she could get an answer to her rhetorical question the sound of you breaking the handcuffs that connected you to the table , you approached the two way glass , without knowing it looking Natasha directly in the eyes . “ I want to see Barnes . now . ”

Some of your earliest memories weren’t soft or warm.

They were sharp, like the way Natasha’s green eyes would scan every exit before walking into a room. Like the cold press of Bucky’s metal arm against your back when he held you as a child, murmuring reassurances when you had nightmares you didn’t understand.

You never knew why they were so cautious, why they watched you like you were something fragile, something precious.

But there were good memories, too.

There were late-night stakeouts where Bucky would teach you how to shuffle a deck of cards, the two of you huddled together in the back of a van while Natasha handled a mission. There were mornings in the compound kitchen, where Natasha would attempt to make pancakes and always burn them—Bucky teasing her, you laughing between bites of something that was more charcoal than food.

They weren’t normal parents. But they were your parents.

And that was enough.

Until the day you learned the truth.

Your first official mission wasn’t supposed to be high-risk. A simple recon job. In, out, report back.

But nothing was ever simple when it came to Hydra.

You crouched behind a rusted crate, your earpiece buzzing with Steve’s voice.

"Do not engage. I repeat—do not engage."

You rolled your eyes. Like you’d ever been good at following orders.

Through the dim lighting of the abandoned warehouse, you could hear two men talking. You adjusted the audio enhancer on your suit, focusing on their conversation.

"Romanoff took her before the program could start," one of them muttered.

A pit formed in your stomach.

"She was one of Dreykov’s best prospects. The Red Room never got their hands on her, but she was meant to be one of us."

Your heartbeat thundered in your ears.

They couldn’t be talking about you.

Could they?

The other man scoffed. "Does she even know?"

A pause. Then, a cruel chuckle.

"Of course not. Barnes and Romanoff raised her like she was theirs. Poor thing probably thinks she belongs with them."

The world tilted.

The words slammed into your chest like a bullet, but you forced yourself to stay still, every muscle locked in place.

"She’s not Barnes’s. Not Romanoff’s. But they took her anyway."

You were never their daughter.

The mission ended in a blur.

You weren’t even sure how you got back to the compound—only that your hands were trembling the entire way. The words still echoed in your head, slicing through every memory you had with Natasha and Bucky.

"She was meant to be one of us."

"Does she even know?"

No. You didn’t.

And now, you needed answers.

The moment the quinjet landed, you stormed through the hangar, your steps heavy with anger and confusion. The compound was quiet—most of the team was still out on other assignments. That meant no interruptions. No distractions.

Just you and them.

You found Natasha and Bucky in the training room. They were sparring, but the second you entered, Natasha’s sharp gaze flicked to you.

She noticed everything. The tension in your shoulders, the way your breathing was uneven.

"Something’s wrong," she said immediately, stepping toward you. "What happened?"

Bucky’s expression darkened. His metal fingers twitched at his side, like he was already preparing for a fight.

You didn’t know how to say it. The words got stuck in your throat, tangled up in years of trust and love—love that suddenly felt false.

So you just said it.

"I know the truth."

Silence.

Natasha’s face didn’t change, but you saw the way her fingers curled into fists. Bucky’s jaw clenched, his blue eyes flickering with something unreadable.

They knew what you meant.

"You lied to me." Your voice wavered. "All this time, you lied."

Bucky took a step forward. "Kid, we—"

"Don’t." You took a step back, shaking your head. "I need to hear it from you. No deflections. No excuses. Just tell me."

A muscle in Natasha’s jaw twitched. She glanced at Bucky before exhaling, her voice quieter than you’d ever heard it.

"You were taken by the Red Room as a baby."

Your breath caught.

"It wasn’t just some random Hydra mission that led us to you," Bucky said. "We went there for you. We—" He hesitated, eyes dark with something close to guilt. "We took you before they could finish their training. Before they could turn you into one of them."

The room tilted.

"Turn me into one of them," you repeated, voice hollow. "You mean… like you?"

Natasha flinched. Bucky’s eyes dropped to the floor.

Neither of them denied it.

You let out a short, bitter laugh, though nothing about this was funny. "So what? You saved me and decided I should just never know? That I should grow up thinking—" Your voice broke.

"Thinking we were your real parents?" Natasha finished.

You didn’t answer.

Because the worst part was that, in every way that mattered… they were your parents.

And now, you didn’t know if that was even real.

Bucky’s voice was low, pained. "You are ours. We didn’t tell you because we wanted to protect you."

You looked between them, your chest tight. "Protect me, or protect yourselves from losing me?"

Neither of them had an answer.

And that hurt more than anything.

The silence stretched between the three of you, heavy and suffocating. Natasha was the first to move, stepping forward as if she could close the distance that had suddenly become unbearable.

But you stepped back.

The movement was small, barely noticeable, but the way Natasha froze—it was as if you had physically struck her.

Bucky exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "We never wanted you to find out like this."

"Like this?" Your laugh was hollow. "So when exactly were you planning to tell me? Or was the plan to just let me live my whole life without ever knowing?"

Natasha’s face was unreadable, but you knew her. Knew that she was battling with the right words, searching for something that wouldn’t make this worse.

"Yes."

The single word made your breath hitch.

Natasha swallowed hard. "Yes, that was the plan. Because telling you wouldn’t have changed anything except hurt you. And we never wanted that."

"You never wanted that?" Your voice rose, shaking. "Then maybe you shouldn’t have lied to me my whole damn life!"

Bucky flinched at your tone. Natasha’s fingers twitched, like she wanted to reach for you—but she didn’t.

"Everything I know about myself—everything—feels like a lie now." Your voice cracked. "I trusted you. I trusted that you were my parents, that the life we had was real."

"It was real," Bucky said desperately. "You’re ours. No matter how you came to us, no matter what happened before—you are our daughter."

"But I didn’t get to choose that, did I?" You shook your head, tears burning your eyes. "You decided for me. You took that choice away."

Neither of them had anything to say to that.

You didn’t even realize you were crying until Natasha’s expression changed—until the slightest hint of pain flashed in her green eyes.

"Do you even regret it?" Your voice was barely above a whisper. "Do you ever wonder if you should have just left me there?"

"Don’t say that." Bucky’s voice was raw, his hands curling into fists. "We would never—"

"Wouldn’t you?" You cut him off, glaring at them through your tears. "If you could do it all over again, would you still take me?"

"Yes," Natasha said instantly.

"Without a second thought," Bucky added.

The certainty in their voices made something in your chest ache.

But it didn’t change the fact that you didn’t know who you were anymore.

"I just… I need time," you whispered, backing away toward the door. "I need to think."

"Please, don’t leave," Natasha said softly.

But you already were.

The halls of the compound felt colder than usual. Maybe it was just you.

You had no idea where you were going—just that you couldn’t stay in that room with them any longer.

Your feet carried you to the one place you knew would be empty this time of day: the rooftop.

You sat near the edge, knees pulled to your chest, staring blankly at the horizon. The sky was dark, a storm rolling in. It felt fitting.

Everything felt like a storm now.

You barely heard the door open behind you.

"You know, when I ran away as a kid, I picked rooftops, too."

You sighed. "I don’t need a lecture, Stark."

Tony walked over and sat beside you. He didn’t say anything right away, just pulled out a protein bar and took a bite.

"You want half?" he asked.

You glared at him. "No."

"Good, ‘cause I wasn’t really offering." He smirked, but the usual arrogance in his tone was softer.

Silence settled between you.

Then, Tony leaned back on his hands and let out a breath. "So. You found out, huh?"

You whipped around, staring at him. "You knew?"

He didn’t flinch. "Of course I knew. Most of the team does."

You turned away, throat tightening. "Great. So I was the only one being lied to."

Tony sighed. "Kid, it wasn’t like that."

"Then what was it like?" Your voice cracked. "Because from where I’m standing, it looks a hell of a lot like they just decided to rewrite my whole life."

Tony was quiet for a moment. Then, he said, "You know, they could’ve left you there."

You blinked. "What?"

"They didn’t have to take you," he said simply. "Natasha and Bucky… they weren’t exactly the ‘adopt a kid’ type back then. Hell, they could barely deal with their own trauma, let alone raise a child."

You swallowed hard.

"But they did it anyway. Because the thought of leaving you in that hellhole wasn’t an option for them. And yeah, maybe they made the wrong call keeping it from you. Maybe they should’ve told you years ago. But if there’s one thing I know, it’s that those two love you more than anything."

You bit your lip, staring down at your hands.

Tony nudged your shoulder. "Look, I get it. You’re pissed. You should be. But don’t let this make you forget everything they’ve done for you. And don’t pretend like you don’t love them, too."

You didn’t answer.

You didn’t have to.

Because the truth was, no matter how angry you were…

You still did love them.

And that made everything so much harder.

You weren’t ready to face them yet.

But you also couldn’t sit on that rooftop forever.

So you found yourself outside Yelena’s room, hesitating only a moment before knocking.

The door swung open almost immediately. Yelena stood there in sweatpants and a hoodie, chewing on a protein bar. When she saw you, her expression shifted—concern flickering in her sharp eyes.

"You look like hell," she said.

You snorted. "Thanks."

She stepped aside. "Come in before you start crying in the hallway and make everyone uncomfortable."

You rolled your eyes but walked in anyway.

Yelena’s room was nothing like Natasha’s—where Nat kept things organized, Yelena had an absolute mess. Clothes were draped over the back of a chair, empty coffee mugs sat on her desk, and there was a throwing knife stabbed into the wall near the bed.

She flopped onto the couch and gestured for you to sit. "Alright, kid. Talk."

You hesitated, then sighed. "I found out."

Yelena didn’t ask what you meant. She just nodded, chewing slowly. "About the Red Room."

"Yeah."

"And about how Natasha and Bucky stole you like little rebels in an action movie?"

"Yeah."

She studied you, tilting her head. "So what’s the problem?"

You blinked at her. "What’s the problem? Yelena, they lied to me my entire life—"

"To protect you," she interrupted.

You clenched your jaw. "That doesn’t make it okay."

"No, it doesn’t," she agreed. "But it makes it understandable."

You ran a hand through your hair, frustrated. "I just… I don’t know what to do. I feel like everything I knew about myself is gone. Like I don’t even belong to them anymore."

Yelena scoffed. "Are you stupid?"

You stared at her. "Excuse me?"

"You belong to them more than anyone," she said, standing up. "Do you have any idea who my sister used to be before you?"

You frowned.

Yelena crossed her arms. "Natasha Romanoff was the deadliest assassin in the world. A soldier with no attachments. No real reason to live except to make up for the blood on her hands." She exhaled sharply. "Then you showed up."

You swallowed.

"She changed because of you," Yelena continued. "She learned what it meant to have a family. To fight for something real instead of just trying to erase the past." Her voice softened. "You gave her a reason to be more than what the Red Room made her."

You looked away, throat tight.

Yelena walked over and nudged your shoulder. "You are the best thing that ever happened to her, sestrenka."

Tears burned your eyes, but you blinked them back.

"I don’t know how to fix this," you admitted.

"Start by talking to Steve," Yelena said, plopping back onto the couch. "He’s good with dumb emotional stuff."

You let out a weak laugh. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Now get out of my room before I start charging for therapy."

Steve was easy to find.

He was in the training room, throwing punches at a sandbag hard enough to make it swing violently.

"You’re gonna break that," you said, leaning against the doorframe.

Steve paused, wiping sweat from his brow. When he turned and saw you, he gave you a small smile. "Hey, kid."

You hesitated, then walked inside.

Steve grabbed a towel and draped it around his neck. "Yelena told me."

You exhaled. "Of course she did."

He gestured for you to sit on the bench beside him. You did.

"You know," he started, "when I found out what Hydra did to Bucky, I thought I’d lost him forever. He was my best friend, my family… but he wasn’t him anymore."

You stayed silent.

"For years, I tried to bring him back. But it wasn’t until you came along that I really saw him start to heal." Steve looked at you. "You brought him back to life."

Your breath caught in your throat.

Steve smiled softly. "Bucky isn’t just your father—he’s your biggest protector. You ground him. You gave him something Hydra never could: a real life. A reason to fight for himself, not just for survival."

You pressed your lips together, looking down at your hands.

Steve reached out, squeezing your shoulder. "You don’t have to forgive them right away. But don’t push them away forever. They need you just as much as you need them."

You swallowed hard.

Maybe… maybe Steve was right.

You stood outside their door for what felt like an eternity.

Your heart was hammering against your ribs, and your hands were curled into fists at your sides.

Steve’s words echoed in your mind.

"You don’t have to forgive them right away. But don’t push them away forever."

Yelena’s voice, too.

"You are the best thing that ever happened to her."

You inhaled sharply and knocked.

For a second, there was silence. Then footsteps. The door opened, and Natasha stood there, eyes widening slightly when she saw you.

“Hey,” she said cautiously.

Behind her, Bucky was sitting on the couch, looking exhausted. He glanced over, his expression unreadable.

You swallowed. “Can we talk?”

Natasha stepped aside, letting you in. The room was dimly lit, cozy, but there was a tension so thick you could barely breathe.

You didn’t sit. Neither did Natasha.

Bucky leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “We didn’t think you’d come back.”

You shifted on your feet. “I almost didn’t.”

Natasha’s jaw tensed. “We were giving you space.”

“I know.” You exhaled. “But I don’t think space is helping.”

They both stayed quiet, waiting.

You hesitated, then clenched your fists. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Bucky sighed. “We wanted to. A hundred times over, we wanted to.”

“But we were scared,” Natasha admitted. Her voice was softer than you’d ever heard it. “Scared you’d hate us. That you’d see us differently.”

You let out a bitter laugh. “Congratulations. That worked out great.”

Natasha flinched, and guilt twisted in your stomach.

Bucky leaned forward. “We never wanted to lie to you.” His voice was heavy, rough. “But you have to understand, kid, we didn’t rescue you—we stole you. If they’d found out, they would’ve come for you. And we weren’t going to risk losing you.”

You swallowed hard. “So you just decided for me?”

Natasha’s green eyes locked onto yours. “Yes.”

There was no hesitation. No excuses.

Your throat tightened.

“We chose to be your parents. We chose you, every single day, for your entire life.” Natasha stepped closer. “And we’d do it again.”

Bucky nodded. “No regrets.”

Your breath hitched.

No regrets.

After everything, they still meant that.

Your hands trembled. “I don’t know how to just forgive this.”

“You don’t have to,” Natasha said quickly. “Not yet. Maybe not ever.”

Bucky ran a hand through his hair. “But we need you to know that no matter what you decide, we love you. We always have. You’re ours, and nothing changes that.”

You clenched your jaw. “I don’t feel like I belong to anyone.”

Bucky’s expression turned pained. “You belong to yourself. But if you ever want us, we’ll be right here.”

There was a long silence.

You stared at them—two of the most dangerous people in the world, your parents, the people who raised you and lied to you.

And yet…

And yet, a part of you knew you were still their daughter.

Maybe forgiveness wouldn’t come easy.

Maybe it would take time.

But for now, you took a shaky breath, let your walls down just a little, and whispered:

“…I want to come home.”

Natasha let out a sharp breath, like she had been holding it for hours.

Bucky stood first, crossing the room in a second, pulling you into a tight hug. You stiffened, then melted into it, gripping his shirt like you were afraid he’d disappear.

Natasha wrapped around both of you, pressing a kiss to your temple.