Status: Currently in progress.
Run
17 Natasha
The rest of the meeting was relatively quick, but Bucky felt like it lasted an eternity. Fury invited the rest of SHIELD back inside and Bucky sat across the table from Steve and Fury talked about re-establishing SHIELD and flushing out Hydra and Bucky was well aware of all the stares he was receiving from every person at the table, excepting those he knew, like Tony and Bruce, and the way Steve glared at each person he caught staring until that person turned away. Bucky really wanted to leave.
When the meeting was over, Bucky watched Fury stop Steve and hold him back as the rest of the company exited. Bucky eyed them suspiciously, but eventually turned and left.
While Steve was in with Fury, Bucky stood with his hands in his pockets, facing away from the rest of the group, staring out over the fields of waving grass. He was surprised when a figure joined him on his left and he glanced over.
“Hey,” Natasha said. Bucky looked away, back out over the field.
“Hey,” he said. They stood there in mostly comfortable silence for a moment. Bucky couldn’t fathom what she was doing standing next to him, talking to him. Was this Steve’s doing? A piece of him remembered targeting her and he wanted to shy away, but she didn’t seem scared, so he held his breath and waited, standing next to her. He hoped he hadn’t hurt her, but the trauma in his mind seemed still too fresh and the memory was blurry.
“They’re all a little surprised that you’re here,” Natasha said, nodding back towards the rest of the SHIELD agents behind them.
“It was last minute,” Bucky said.
“I understand,” Natasha said and he wondered if she did, really.
Another minute passed.
“I just wanted to let you know that I’m not afraid of you, okay?” she added. Bucky looked over at her again and studied her face.
“I wasn’t trying to make you afraid of me,” he said. Natasha looked over at him with a small grin on her face and he wondered if he’d said something funny.
“Even when you shot me in the shoulder?” she asked, her voice teasing. Bucky couldn’t laugh. He had hurt her.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said, looking her dead in the eye. She smiled again at him.
“It’s fine,” she said, tossing her hair. “I won’t hold that much of a grudge.” She was trying to tease him, joke with him. Bucky didn’t know how to joke. He remembered back to the plane with Steve, tried to remember how it felt to smile and say something easily, to laugh. He wasn’t sure if he could do it.
“I know Steve can be sort of overbearing,” she added, as though she had known what he was thinking. “He means well.” Bucky looked down and sighed.
“I know,” he said.
“If you need someone to talk to other than him, though,” Natasha continued. “I’d be willing to listen.” Bucky looked over at her, stunned and confused.
“Why are you doing this,” he asked.
“Because I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said and not once did she look away from his face. “And I think we could relate to each other.”
“Could we,” Bucky said.
“Well, we could,” she said, one corner of her mouth turning up. “If you promise not to shoot me again.” Bucky looked down at her and smiled a little bit back. She was so at ease, he couldn’t help but feel suddenly a little bit better, too.
“I’ll make a conscious effort,” he assured her with that smile and she laughed. It meant a lot to him, that he could make her laugh, and suddenly, Bucky really liked Natasha. There wasn’t a lot of pressure, it was fairly easy talking to her. He wasn’t constantly thinking about what he should be saying or what he was expected to be saying or if he was causing anyone any more pain. Natasha was easy to get along with.
She left him with her number, which made Bucky feel like smiling all over again. Needless to say, it was a first for him. At least, to his memory. He would be sure to call her.
When the meeting was over, Bucky watched Fury stop Steve and hold him back as the rest of the company exited. Bucky eyed them suspiciously, but eventually turned and left.
While Steve was in with Fury, Bucky stood with his hands in his pockets, facing away from the rest of the group, staring out over the fields of waving grass. He was surprised when a figure joined him on his left and he glanced over.
“Hey,” Natasha said. Bucky looked away, back out over the field.
“Hey,” he said. They stood there in mostly comfortable silence for a moment. Bucky couldn’t fathom what she was doing standing next to him, talking to him. Was this Steve’s doing? A piece of him remembered targeting her and he wanted to shy away, but she didn’t seem scared, so he held his breath and waited, standing next to her. He hoped he hadn’t hurt her, but the trauma in his mind seemed still too fresh and the memory was blurry.
“They’re all a little surprised that you’re here,” Natasha said, nodding back towards the rest of the SHIELD agents behind them.
“It was last minute,” Bucky said.
“I understand,” Natasha said and he wondered if she did, really.
Another minute passed.
“I just wanted to let you know that I’m not afraid of you, okay?” she added. Bucky looked over at her again and studied her face.
“I wasn’t trying to make you afraid of me,” he said. Natasha looked over at him with a small grin on her face and he wondered if he’d said something funny.
“Even when you shot me in the shoulder?” she asked, her voice teasing. Bucky couldn’t laugh. He had hurt her.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said, looking her dead in the eye. She smiled again at him.
“It’s fine,” she said, tossing her hair. “I won’t hold that much of a grudge.” She was trying to tease him, joke with him. Bucky didn’t know how to joke. He remembered back to the plane with Steve, tried to remember how it felt to smile and say something easily, to laugh. He wasn’t sure if he could do it.
“I know Steve can be sort of overbearing,” she added, as though she had known what he was thinking. “He means well.” Bucky looked down and sighed.
“I know,” he said.
“If you need someone to talk to other than him, though,” Natasha continued. “I’d be willing to listen.” Bucky looked over at her, stunned and confused.
“Why are you doing this,” he asked.
“Because I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said and not once did she look away from his face. “And I think we could relate to each other.”
“Could we,” Bucky said.
“Well, we could,” she said, one corner of her mouth turning up. “If you promise not to shoot me again.” Bucky looked down at her and smiled a little bit back. She was so at ease, he couldn’t help but feel suddenly a little bit better, too.
“I’ll make a conscious effort,” he assured her with that smile and she laughed. It meant a lot to him, that he could make her laugh, and suddenly, Bucky really liked Natasha. There wasn’t a lot of pressure, it was fairly easy talking to her. He wasn’t constantly thinking about what he should be saying or what he was expected to be saying or if he was causing anyone any more pain. Natasha was easy to get along with.
She left him with her number, which made Bucky feel like smiling all over again. Needless to say, it was a first for him. At least, to his memory. He would be sure to call her.