Winter's Redemption [winter soldier//Bucky Barnes AU]

Chapter Four

STEVE'S POV

I opened the door to the bedroom for Natasha, gesturing for her to go in first. She smiled and walked through the door, straight to the dresser. I closed the door behind us as she opened a drawer. She searched for a minute, and then pulled out black leggings, a navy tank top and a dark gray sweatshirt.

"I'm going to change," She said. I nodded, and she disappeared into the adjoining bathroom with a smile. I took my dirty shirt off, putting it into what I believe was a hamper in the corner, and leaned down to search for a new one, along with a pair of pants. I found a pair of gray sweatpants and slid them on. Not even a minute later, I heard Nat's voice calling from the bathroom.

"Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you help me with my necklace? It's stuck in my hair."

I stood up as the bathroom door opened, revealing Nat in her freshly changed clothes. I wondered how on earth she could've changed so fast. She looked at me in a brief moment of surprise, and I realized I didn't have a shirt on. My cheeks reddened on instinct.

"Oh sorry, m'am. Let me get a shirt on-" I started, but she cut me off.

"No no, it's fine. Don't worry about it. Could you help with my necklace, though?"

I nodded and headed towards her. I towered over her small, petite frame. The old Steve would've reached just below her shoulders, a height difference I could hardly even fathom now. The only woman who had seen me both ways was Peggy.

And Peggy- oh god, Peggy. I felt my heart constrict just thinking about her. She was still alive now, but she was a shadow of the strong, vibrant, fierce woman I had come to love back in 1945, and it hurt to see her so broken and forgetful. The Peggy I knew never forgot a thing. She used to be so resilient and unwavering and God, how I missed the Peggy I'd fallen in love with. I will never stop wondering about what could've happened with us if my plane hadn't gone down that winter.

It took me a second to come back to present time, where there wasn't an ongoing war and Bucky wasn't dead and Peggy wasn't here and I was helping Natasha remove her necklace. Times had changed, and as much as it stung to know that I could never go back, I had to shake it off and assimilate myself into the modern world if there was to be any chance of me being happy ever again.

Natasha turned around, seemingly unaware that she had just lost me to my memories for a second and moved her hair, revealing the necklace clasp that was tangled in a few strands. I took the clasp and gently pried the strands off, trying to not cause her any harm. My fingers brushed against Natasha's bare neck, and I tried desperately to not think about the way Peggy's neck had felt in my hands when I had kissed her, the last time I ever saw her in her right mind.

When I removed the chain and handed it to Natasha, she glanced at me with concern and I think she noticed that I wasn't all there. She had triggered an onslaught of memories of one of the people I love most in this world, and even though she hadn't meant to, I couldn't stop it now.

I barely even registered her brief thank you before I stumbled over to the bed, collapsing in a heap of memories and lost dreams.

---

BUCKY'S POV

My eyebrows furrowed. Who the hell was she? And why is she here? I put my gun into a sleeve on my combat suit and walked in. She was no threat to me.

She widened her eyes in panic when I came in, grasping at the arms of the chair in an effort to stand up.

"I-I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were here-"