Disclaimer
I do not own the avengers or the characters. They belong to Marvel. I own only the plot
In which Bucky and Natasha are properly reunited after years spent apart. Takes place after the events of Winter Soldier
Mending old Wounds
It's three days after the Hellicarriers' disaster when Steve wakes up in a hospital bed, surrounded by the avengers minus Natasha who has gone off on her own to fight Hydra. There is a note on his bedSide table. It's only five words but they mean the world to him. "Find me if you can"- Bucky.
It is a week after that that he finds the Winter Soldier, squatting in an abandoned building and convinces him to come back to stark tower with him. It's tough for Bucky. Between Tony's constant pestering, trying to regain his memories, and the general wariness of stark tower's inhabitants there's no time for him to just sit and think.
It doesn't get much better. Bucky withdraws even more and flinches anytime anyone approaches him, Steve included. He hardly leaves his quarters and when he does it's only to relieve some tension in the training room.
"He needs help" Pepper says one day as they're eating lunch, takeout from down the road. Clint shakes his head and lets out a snort. They turn to him curiously.
"No." He says. "I've seen this before. Bucky's too far gone for help. He has to fight his demon's alone"
"How do you know?" Steve asks, the desperation clear in his voice.
"Natasha." Clint answers quietly. "They tore her apart from the inside out. Made and remade her again and again until there was nothing left that was real". With that he exits the room leaving the Avengers in silence.
It's one month later when Steve gets a call. It's Natasha.
"I'm coming home" she says monotonously. "See you in twelve hours". With that she hangs up and Steve grins at the others
"What is it?" Bruce asks curiously.
"Natasha" he replies. "She's back."
Twelve hours later the elevator doors slide open to reveal the Black Widow in all her glory. She hasn't changed a bit and she appears to be uninjured. Clint is the first to approach her, pulling her into a hug. The kind that she only allows him to get away with. They greet her in turn. Pepper's on her third drink and Tony is telling his fifth crass joke when the elevator doors slide open once more to reveal Bucky. The Avengers tense and Natasha wonders why as she senses no danger.
She turns slightly and freezes, her eyes widening with shock. Bucky looks up and freezes himself. Neither seems sure if the other is real.
He makes the first move. He slowly approaches her and the avengers assume a more defensive position not noticing Natasha's growing distress. He stops less than a metre in front of her and just stares.
"Natalia" he whispers in disbelief, emotion swelling in his chest.
"James" she chokes out as she reaches up to caress his cheek, her eyes filling with unshed tears. He leans into her touch almost instinctively and his eyes close.
Suddenly he's pulling her into his arms. Holding her so tightly against him that it hurts but she doesn't seem to mind. The Avenger's look at one another in disbelief as the familiarity between the two is obvious. They fit together perfectly as if they've held eachother like this many times before. It's the most emotion they've ever seen displayed by either assasin and it only gets worse. Suddenly Natasha's shaking and Pepper fears she's gone into shock. It then that they hear it. Sobs. Emitting from Natasha's mouth. Not just any sobs but the sobs of someone who's lost so much and has finally found someone to share her grief with. The sobs of someone who can't bear to go on without getting the closure they need. And now she has it. Bucky pulls her closer. One hand snakes around her waist and the other strokes her hair comfortingly as he begins to shake as well. They stay like that for a few minutes, the avengers standing beside them, open mouthed.
Then Natasha's hands are on his face and she's kissing him as if her life depended on it and as if this is the last time she'll ever see him. And he's pulling her even closer, if it's possible and holding her like he thinks she'll break or possibly disappear. And they're both crying. Tears that hold so much pain and loss. Tears that have been held back for too long.
He's the first to pull away and he just stares at her as if he's just seen heaven itself.
"I thought you were dead" he whispered. "Until two days ago I didn't know she was you. You were just a flash of red hair, a wicked smile, and a pair of ballet shoes"
She smiles then, a proper smile. The kind that not even Clint has witnessed. She smiles as if James has just given her the best news in the world.
"You remembered me." She says "and you came back".
They lean their foreheads against each other and close their eyes, content with just being in each other's arms. It's then that the avengers leave. They feel that this moment is more intimate than all the others they've just witnessed and the feeling of intrusion drives all of them out of the room. Even Thor senses that this is a private moment. They pile into the elevator and as the doors close the couple remain as they are. Trapped in their own little world
It's hours later that they move from each others arms and head to Natasha's room, fingers intertwined almost as if they are afraid to let go of the other. And as they lie down neither finds that they are afraid of the oncoming darkness that the night brings. They are back in each others clutches and they have already unconciously begun to mend the other.