"Find me some clothes," Natalia instructed.
"We can stop and home and get you some," Bucky assured her. "There's nothing we can do now."
"So we're making a stop at your apartment," Steve questioned.
"There's not time to do that James," Nat reasoned. "We need to go straight to SHIELD."
"Babe, I think we can spare a few minutes to get you properly clothed."
"Don't you think that Hydra already has our place staked out?"
"I have a place we could go," Buck mutters. "Hydra doesn't know about it, actually no one knows about it."
"What are you talking about?" Steve cuts in. "Do the two of you have a secret safe house that you've hid from SHIELD?"
"That's a very good question," Natalia growled. "Because I do not know of any such safe house. James, care to explain?"
Natalia looked like she was trying to stare daggers into his head. She had her hand balled up by her side and it almost looked like she was shaking.
"It was just for emergencies. Like I don't know if Hydra was looking for us. We would have somewhere to go, to run."
"Don't you dare turn this around on me," Natalia screamed. "You were the one who didn't even tell me about it. Do you not trust me?!"
"Of course, I trust you. How can you even ask me that question?"
"What is our fucking only rule, James?" She didn't give him a chance to answer before spinning back at him. "No secrets."
"Nat," Bucky started. "Can we not do this now? Can we just go to house and then go to SHIELD or whatever is it that you want to do."
She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to hit someone. She couldn't believe that he lied to her. That he didn't tell her about this house. How could he have not told her?
She told him everything, literally everything. Even the things about herself that she didn't like to talk about. But it's James and he wanted to know; he always wanted to know. They told each other everything or at least so she thought. What else wasn't he telling her?
"Fine." The words came out of her mouth like venom. She didn't even want to talk to him. She stormed out of the door walking out into the hallway.
"You're a dead man," Steve chuckles looking at Buck.
"I am more than aware of the situation. Thank you though for the reminder," Bucky growled.
"Why didn't you tell her?"
"Just stop talking," Buck yelled chased after Natalia. "Here take my sweatshirt."
"I'm fine," she gritted through her teeth.
"Nat, you're literally in a hospital gown. I don't care if you're mad at me, just please take the frickin' sweatshirt."
She hated to admit he was right but she was pretty limited in her options. She snatched the sweatshirt out of his hands and threw it on over the gown. "Let's go. Lead the way, Barnes."
Being called his last name cut him to the core. She only used it when she was mad, almost on fuming. He knew Steve caught it too, based on the look that Bucky received.
"We're going to need a ride," Nat stated.
"Already handled," Steve assured her. "Barton and Sam are on the way. They've got a car for us. I called them earlier. They wanted to see you and now it's going to work out in our favor."
They silently stood in the lobby of the hospital waiting for their friends to arrive. Minus the few odd stares that Bucky received for his arm it basically went without incident. Natalia barely even looked over Buck the entire time instead she stared pointedly out the window, waiting for their ride.
Steve couldn't figure out one single reason why Bucky wouldn't tell Nat about the house. She was right, they didn't keep secrets from each other. They never had, so why would he start now. They only reason he could think of is if Bucky had someone else, another woman and that's where they hid. But that wasn't Bucky's style. He had seen the way Bucky looked at Nat; it was like a kid on Christmas morning, every single time he looked at her. There was no way that he was cheating on her. But Steve couldn't figure it out.
"Hey kids," Sam said storming in the door. He ran up to Nat picking her up and quickly spinning her around in a circle. "We were worried about you. How are you feeling?"
"I'm good. Thanks for coming for us, honey. We owe you."
"You know one of these days, I might cash that favor in," Sam chuckled.
"Hey, Tasha," Clint almost hummed. "How's your head?"
"Feels like it's being split open," Nat laughed.
"Yeah, the anesthetic had that effect on me too. It will fade."
"Guys, we gotta go," Bucky cut it.
She thought about turning and yelling or even just giving him a look but she decided not to even give him the satisfaction of that. All five of them grumbled starting to walk to the car. Out of sheer instinct Bucky went to grab Nat's hand but she ripped it out of his hand faster than he thought possible. "Do not touch me," she muttered in Russian.
"What the hell is that all about," Sam asked Steve under his breath.
"Don't ask."
The ride was near silent except for Bucky barking out directions, and Sam and Bucky bickering about some sports team.
"This is it," Bucky called out after about a half hour ride. "Just give me and Nat a second, okay? We will be right down."
She wanted to be petty. She wanted to tell them all to come but she didn't feel like arguing. Instead she silently got out of the car, slamming the door behind her.
"Seriously what is up with the two of them," Barton asked.
"It's a long story," Steve sighed, watching them disappearing into the building.
She couldn't believe how many times she had passed by this building, she knew exactly where they were.
"Why didn't you tell me?" The words were cold, almost separate outside of her body.
"Give me three seconds and it will all make sense."
"Enough with the damn riddles, James. Just tell me! Are you cheating on me? Do you not trust me? Are you leaving me? What is it?! I can't think of any reason you wouldn't tell me expect for those reasons. And if that's it, then just tell me. I can take it!" The words hurt coming out of her mouth. It wasn't true. She couldn't take it; even the thought of it caused tears to stream down her face. She was refusing to move. She needed answers.
"How could you even think those things," Bucky sighed pulling her into his arms. She tried to fight her way out of them but he wouldn't let her. Instead just pulling her in tighter. "I will never leave you. No person in the world could tear me away from you."
"Then why?" She sobbed. She felt so betrayed. It wasn't like him to lie to her. She honestly couldn't even come up with an instance when he had. Maybe that was why this one was hitting her like a run away truck.
"It's not done yet," James whispered as the keys jingled against the lock. "That's why I didn't tell you. It's not finished and I wanted to surprise you."
"What do you mean it's not done? It's a safe house…"
James opened the door for her and she realized this was like no safe house she had ever seen. Usually they're dark and dingy and only filled with the necessities.
This wasn't like those other safe house, this one looked like home. It looked faintly like their apartment. She gasped walking into the room. Everything was perfect as if he has read her mind when putting it together. The living room walls were a dark blue and light gray. The kitchen had everything that she could have ever wanted to cook a thousand diners in.
"James," she breathed unable to say anything else.
"Do you like it?"
"It's…" she paused spinning around taking everything in. "It's perfect. How…How did you do all of this?"
"It was before you were taken, when you were on mission in Romania. This was supposed to be your surprise for when you got back. Just a place that only the two of us knew about. That if something happened we didn't have to run, well not all that far at least. It could also just be our spot when we didn't want anyone to find us."
"James, I can't believe this."
"There's one more part thing you might like in the bedroom." He grabbed her hand, leading her around the corner. The bedroom was a simple cream color with a bright blue bedspread, but that wasn't drew her attention. There was almost a floor to ceiling canvas of a beach with a few palm trees and a hammock.
"It's like the one from Aruba," he smiles. "I went back and found that picture. Sam helped me find someone who makes it into this. Do you like it?"
She was crying again but this time it wasn't because she was scared or upset. This time it was because she was so happy that she couldn't contain herself. "It's so wonderful, James. I don't know how you did all of this."
"I just thought to myself, what does Nat want the most? And I came up with this."
"I can't think of anything more amazing," she hummed. "James, this is…"
He was waiting for her to turn back around because this is why it wasn't finished. He was kneeling before her, waiting to ask the question that he never thought he would be able to ask anyone.
"Natalia, you literally are my other half in every single sense of the word. You turned me from a weapon that barely remembered how to be human into the man I am today. You make me feel things that I didn't even know were possible to experience. Will you be my wife?"
