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James Buchanan Barnes: A Winter Soldier Story

Synopsis: Why does Natasha, the Black Widow, act so strangely when Steve comes to her for help in his search for Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier? Could it be that she's already found Bucky? And, if so, why is she keeping it from Steve?

Chapter 1 - Reservation

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Listen to "Prayer in C" by Lily Wood and the Prick

Natasha removed her sunglasses and looked Steve straight in the eye, baffled as to how he'd figured out where she was staying.

"Is there a reason you're so hard to find these days?" He asked, squinting in the sunlight until he raised his hand to shield his eyes. Reaching for his back pocket, Rogers pulled a cap onto his head.

"I'm working." Natasha shrugged, brushing past him and hoping Steve wouldn't read too much into her body language. He'd caught her off-guard, showing up in the parking lot of her hotel when she least expected it, and that wasn't his style at all. Barton, she mused. Barton must have said something. But he shouldn't have. Clint knew what Natasha was up to—why had he compromised her like this?

"Working." Steve repeated dryly. "Right. Even though Shield isn't up and running right now?"

Natasha cleared her throat and shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she stood beside her car. "Did you need something? I'm kind of busy."

"I'm still on the hunt for Bucky. That folder you gave me is full of dead ends and I burned through it faster than I should've been able to. I just thought there might be more to it."

"That's all I was able to find in Hydra's files." Which, she admitted to herself, wasn't much.

Rogers crossed his arms, coming to stand at the passenger's side. "In Hydra's files… why do I get the feeling that's a technicality? I'm asking for any information you might have dug up on your own."

Natasha paused and glanced at the ground, considering all the things she might say. She'd promised herself a long time ago that she would never outright lie to Steve. Not if she could help it. He'd earned enough of her trust to be given that much decency. "That's pending right now, Rodgers."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked with a frown.

"It means," she leaned over the top of the short car, willing him to get the hint, "it's pending, so leave it alone." Natasha waited for some kind of acknowledgement, either verbal or facial, but Steve just stood and frowned at her, not liking that answer.

Natasha sighed and shooed him away from the car with her hand. "I've got errands to run, but I'll let you know if Bucky Barnes turns up."

She opened the door, pausing when Steve asked in a scolding tone, "What kind of errands, Nat?"

"Groceries." Natasha grinned wryly, ducking into the driver's seat and rolling down the windows to see the roll of his eyes.

"And dry cleaning, I'll bet." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he backed further away, but at least he sounded like he wouldn't be pressing her any further.

"Nope," Natasha called, turning the key in the ignition. "That was last week."

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res`er`va`tion: (noun) The action of withholding something

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Just a warning, some will be short and some will be long!

Please leave me a review if you liked this chapter, it would make me so so so happy! :)

If you know of a good Bucky/Steve story, please refer me to it! I love reading much more than writing!

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