She kept hearing Rhodey and Bruce talk about how unbelievable Wakanda is, but Natasha wasn't marveling. This wasn't her first time in Wakanda. This was, however, her first time going to war in the country. That was the only thing that was unbelievable for her.
The first time she'd been invited here was with Steve. They'd just finished some work in Japan, ending another plan to bring Hydra back to power. Steve had gotten the call that Bucky was awake, and he wanted to go straight to Wakanda.
When they got to the farm, they were shocked to see Bucky feeding goats. She had expected to visit a hospital or something, but there wasn't much recovery time needed, apparently. Shuri said he was good to go, and he wanted to see Steve and Nat. The latter hadn't realized that she was invited specifically.
They all hugged and sat down for tea. Bucky and Steve did most of the talking, but Cap eventually excused himself. "Shuri said you asked to see me," Nat mentioned.
"I remember everything, you know. Everything," Bucky said.
"You didn't want to block out all the bad parts?"
"You were the only good part," he smiled before sipping his tea.
"I'm not that person anymore," she warned.
"I know. Natalia and James are both gone. So, I just–I guess…" Bucky took a deep breath. "I would like to know you, Natasha, and I'm really hoping that you would like to get to know me as Bucky too. You could even stay for a while…if you want."
It was going to be a few days, and then Steve got a call from Sam. He said it was a quick mission, and they could handle it themselves. He left her with Bucky, and when he came back, he found that Natasha's belongings had moved from the guest room into Bucky's room.
She stayed for two months, but it was clear that this wasn't just recovery for Bucky. "Look, if there's a fight that you need me in, I'm there. But I don't go looking for that," he said. "And you don't have to either."
"Yes, I do. We've been over this," Nat sighed.
"Yeah, I know. I've got red in my ledger too. But this is the only place I've ever been for more than a couple weeks where no one has been killed because of me. I think I do more good by staying here."
So they came to the conclusion that Nat would come and go as she pleased. They never labeled the relationship, but if you asked any of the farmhands about the White Wolf's love life, they'd simply say his wife works a lot.
Natasha started to think of Wakanda the same way Bucky did. It was a sanctuary. Even when she dragged him off the farm and into the city for a play or to a nightclub, it never ended in anything more dramatic than figuring out how to fly a hovercraft.
Coming to Wakanda with the Avengers made her nervous. After getting the rundown from T'Challa of who was joining the fight, she finally had a moment with Bucky. "Do you like the arm?" she asked.
He sighed. "Fine. You were right. It's a lot easier to have a second arm."
"My three favorite words," she smiled. She understood why he resisted taking the replacement, despite having the port ready in his shoulder. It was a symbol for him of all the violence in his life. He didn't want that. She felt bad that he had to take it now.
"I'm sorry we brought the fight here," she tells him.
Bucky kissed her forehead and wrapped both his arms around her waist, a strange feeling after getting used to his one-arm hugs. "This isn't your fault, and whatever happens today doesn't ruin anything for us, OK? We'll rebuild the farm if it gets destroyed. I'll break you and Steve out of jail if the U.N. comes after you for saving the world. We'll be fine, OK?"
Natasha ignored the nervousness in his voice. "Yeah, we're going to be OK."
"I know you think love is for children and all, but I love you, Nat," Bucky said. It wasn't the first time he said it, but it was the first time she said it back.
"I love you too," she said quietly before pressing her lips to his.
They weren't discussing the fact that people were going to die today, but this wasn't their first time on a battlefield. They knew the risks. They knew that their sanctuary was about to become a memorial.
What Natasha didn't know was that there wouldn't be any bodies to count. She didn't know what it would feel like to watch the only place she felt safe become the setting for the worst day of her life. She didn't know how defeated Steve would look like after watching Bucky fade to dust. She didn't know how her heart would sink down to her stomach when she realized he was gone. She didn't know what the world looked like without Bucky in it.
"We're getting them back," Natasha said as she piloted the quinjet back to New York.
"I know," Steve said. "I just don't know how."
So when Scott Lang turned up with a plan, they were ready. "I can't guarantee how safe this is, but I think it's our only shot," he said.
"Whatever it takes," Natasha said.
Author's Note: This is the first time I've written for fun in FOREVER, so hopefully I'm not too rusty. It's also my first fic in the MCU. Let me know what you think!