A/N - Just a short scene that popped into my head and wouldn't go away. Inspired by the Death of Captain America comic book story arc.
Legacy
The shield was propped against Bucky's knees and he ran his fingertips lightly over the edge of it, the vibranium ringing softly under the metal of his hand. Natasha sat down next to him, her shoulder brushing against his. She rocked to the side, bumping into him, a small smile turned up the corners of her mouth but didn't reach her eyes. Sadness radiated off her.
"Heavy weight to carry," she nodded at the shield.
He shrugged. "Not as heavy as it looks."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know. But I can't think about that now. Steve would hate …" his voice trailed off and Natasha took his hand in hers, her touch light and warm.
"Hey, you're not alone in this." She tightened her grip.
Bucky laughed, the sound dangerously close to a sob. "Now you sound like Steve."
She leaned her head on his shoulder, the red spilling over the dark blue of his new uniform. "Greatest compliment you could ever give me," she said and he didn't miss the wobble in her voice. They were both so damn close to breaking.
"How are we gonna be able do this? It should've been …"
"James Barnes, if you're going to say it should have been you, I'll smack you over the head with that shield myself."
"It's the truth."
Standing up, she took the shield out his hands and propped it against the wall. "The most important thing in Steve Rogers life was saving you. You can't throw that away."
She took his hands and tugged him to his feet. Brushing her fingers over his shoulders, admiring the uniform he hadn't had a chance to break in yet, she gave him a wry smile and raised an eyebrow. "Not bad."
He looked down, his face growing warm at her scrutiny. He shrugged again. "It'll do, I guess."
"Hey, guys, we're just about at the landing site," Clint interrupted from the cockpit of the quinjet. He was glancing over his shoulder at the pair. "Two minutes, tops. Getting word that there's already gunfire, so it's gonna be a bit dicey when we land."
Natasha picked up the shield and handed it to Bucky. "Ready to go, Captain?"
He took the shield and clamped it onto the magnets in the arm of his uniform. Pulling a gun from his side holster, he took a deep breath. "As I'll ever be."