Avengers High School - Winter Soldier

18 - Black Widow and Winter Soldier

"...The Winter Soldier showed up at my school. But as himself, not as HYDRA's puppet," Natasha finished. She offered him a sad smile, wiping at the tears littering her cheeks.

Bucky didn't know what to think. So many thoughts and memories and emotions collided in his mind that he felt numb. He turned to blink at Natasha instead of boring his eyes into the ground. Nat's heart sunk further as he looked at her, full of despair.

"I'm sorry I didn't remember sooner. I wouldn't expect you too... God, no. But I guess it's a healing thing, repressing the memories," Nat said quietly. "And I'm sorry to bring it up but I had to... I couldn't not say-"

"It's okay," Bucky pretty much whispered. "I'm sorry too. For everything. It's terrible what happened to you."

He looked to her sincerely before flicking his eyes to her stomach before his metal hand. He slipped the uncomfortable glove off and flexed his fingers. Natasha hated the way she involuntarily flinched at the sight and she noticed the way he bit his lip self-consciously, avoiding her eyes.

"I forgive you," she said. Her hand moved slowly to reveal the side of her stomach with a nasty scar. He remembered shooting her as the Winter Soldier. Guilt ate him up even more after that. She lowered her shirt. "I'd say 'bye bye bikinis' but I don't care, it looks cool.

"I don't know what you're feeling but it's okay. You don't have to say anything. I know this would be hard for you."

Bucky raked his hands through his hair, clutching his head and pulling a pained expression as he failed to hold in a sob. One hand gripped the dog tags around his neck, pulling on them tightly. It had become some sort of comfort over the years. So many memories were flashing through his mind - and everything to do with the Red Room and the Black Widows and Natalia was revealing itself. He felt a sense of relief but also guilt. And pain.

The best Black Widow of the treacherous Red Room delicately shuffled closer to Bucky's broken form. "Can I touch you?" she inquired softly.

He glanced at her caring face, nodded softly and slowly leant into her as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. As Natasha's tears grew heavier so did his and he struggled to contain his sobs and shakiness.

Soon, Natasha Romanoff had the Winter Soldier wrapped in a hug. This time, however, not through the bars of his HYDRA cell.

It took Bucky a moment to accept the embrace, just sitting in her gentle arms, before he broke and couldn't contain his pain anymore. With a small cry, he returned the hug. Natasha tried not to tense as she felt his metal arm, which he was barely using anyway, but eventually felt them both relax into the embrace. Both needed the hug, but never had she felt someone that desperate for comfort.

They stayed like that for a while, both comforting each other and listening to their shaky breathing. Natasha noticed how after a while Bucky's cries subsided, she hoped he wasn't embarrassed, and it became sniffly and shaky gasps for air. His head rested on her shoulder and half-buried in the hood of her jumper, arms clutching onto her for dear life as gently as he could. She too leant on his shoulder and managed to avoid the raw scarring where the metal arm met flesh.

"It's okay," she assured him. "Everything will be alright."

Natasha lost track of time, feeling a weight off her chest - but not literally. Whilst she had told him what she was nervous to and the heaviness was off her chest, the weight of Bucky in her arms greatened as he fully calmed.

She realised after a moment that his slow, even breathing meant that Bucky had fallen asleep in her arms.

She was glad they could trust each other after everything and happy for his sake that he could rest. If the bags under his eyes and her experience with nightmares meant anything, as well as his lack of support and help, he was mentally and physically exhausted.

The sun dipped below the porch roof and scattered across them through the trees, reflecting daintily off of Bucky's left hand. She felt him shuffle slightly in his sleep and snuggle his face deeper into her hoodie as she too closed her eyes. Despite the circumstances, it was peaceful.