You Are Free

Fandom: Avengers / Falcon & Winter Soldier

Pairing: Natasha & James Bucky Barnes

Rating: Teen (Sexual Content)

Summary: Continuation of the Wakanda Forrest Scene. After Ajo proclaims he is free, Natasha comforts Bucky in the woods.

Story inspired by Episode 4 of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. I merely wished they really made these 2 a couple.

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"You are free."

It had been hours since Ajo's declaration, yet her words echoed in his mind endlessly. Ranging from loud as thunder to as soft as a whisper, his ears were ringing from the words he'd longed for for decades. Decades of fighting and killing and being controlled were finally behind him. He was in fact free. Free from the control of Zemo and Hydra, free from his compulsion to kill whatever was in his path, free of his ruthless missions. He was now free to be.

So what was he to do now?

Though the words had brought him joy, James couldn't stop crying. There were moments when he managed to compose himself to a point where only silent tears fell down his cheeks, but it soon would turn back into a blubber of choked and uncontrollable sobs. Rocking back and worth, his only arm he still had wrapped tightly to his side, trying to give himself some sort of comfort. It offered him none, and he continued to cry, his head bowed down. He was too distraught to realise he was no longer alone at the fire.

Natasha had come in search of her lover, worried when he had not returned after so many hours. Ajo had informed her that the training was complete and that she had left him alone to give him a moment of solace, but as the hours passed, she grew restless. Her heart broke at the sight of him, rocking himself back and forth and crying as if he was an abandoned child left to the wolves. Not to startle him, she walked up behind him and slowly reached down to hug him from behind.

"Shhhh, I'm here," she whispered soothingly in his ear, wrapping her arm around his chest. James immediately breathed rapidly before resuming a heartbreaking sob. Turning his head to rest against her arm, he left out a sorrowful wail and continued to cry hysterically. Natasha, not entirely sure what to do, hugged him tighter, pulling him flush against her chest. "It's ok, it's ok," she tried to reassure him with a shaky voice, her own eyes welling up with tears. The man she loved so dearly was in a state of shock and painful relief and she had no idea what to do. Emotion and support wasn't exactly her strong suit, but she knew she needed to be there for him in whatever way she could.

They sat like this for a very long moment and slowly his crying subsided and calmness returned and the only sounds to be heard were the crackling of the fire and the animals of the night. They both took a seat next to each near the fire.

"What do you need?" She offered some words to break the silence as she wiped his tears soaked cheek. James shrugged, wiping his nose as he sniffled loudly. "I need to make amends I just don't know where to start. I don't know how I am even going to be able to apologise to the family of all these people Tasha," he exhaled. Natasha didn't reply, merely offered silent support as she tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear. Because we don't really need to give advice, we just need to listen to somebody that needs to be heard.

"And Tony, Tony will kill me if I even get within 20 feet of him."

"Tony will see in time, don't worry." Her words offered no comfort, he simply felt more dishonour.

"How am I going to go back to the world and pretend everything is ok now?" His voice broke at every word, fresh tears streaming down his flushed cheeks. He was exhausted.

"One day at a time I guess," he mumbled, bowing his head in shame. Natasha frowned at his demeanour, and squeezed his had in support. "You are bigger than what is making you anxious. We will get through this together." She raised his hand to kiss the back of it and in response James lifted his gaze to meet her eyes.

"Together," she reassured. James offered her a sad smile and she smiled in return. In that moment James took a second to take in the sight of her. Her hair was pinned loosely back in beautiful red bouncy curls that reflected against the flames of the fire. Her eyes shone brightly in the moonlight and her lips curled beautifully in a perfect smile. She looked and felt like peace and tranquility. She was his safe place. And to him she never looked more beautifully. He lifted his hand to cradle her cheek.

"God I love you," he breathed before pulling her face to him in a sweet kiss. He captured her lips in a delicate kiss and he kissed her lips softly as his hand snaked past her cheek and into her hair.

When he broke the kiss she whispered her response against his lips. "Ya liublyoo tibya bol'she fsivo na sveti" she breathed. Her Russian declaration of her own love for him made his heart flutter and he pulled her face back to him again, this time kissing her more passionately. Natasha let him lead the kiss and he lustfully lapped at her lips as his tongue sought entrance into her mouth. She granted him access and they both moaned as their tongues met.

Though he only had one arm, his super soldier strength made it easy for him to pull her by her hip on to him and Natasha straddled his hips. The kiss turned more fervent, her fingers tangled into his hair. His own fingers raked over her back, pulling her more flush to him. Natasha moaned loudly into his mouth her her breasts squeezed against his chest. James bit her bottom lip as a reward and she responded by rolling her hips into him. He was already hard but the movement got him even more excited.

"Baby, not here," James whispered with a strained voice against her lips between kisses. Natasha whined and rolled her hips again and he groaned. "Baby please, not here," he whispered as he squeezed her hip, "this place is sacred and I'd rather not get banned from Wakanda." Natasha chuckled and offered one more kiss. She moved to get off him but James kept her in place. His hand returned to her cheek and he stared into her beautiful eyes.

"You are the love of my life. And I will spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I love you." Natasha smiled against hand before turning to kiss his palm. "And I will do the same Lyubimiy."

He frowned for a moment. "How can you even love me, after all the things I have done to hurt you." Natasha gazed at him without judgement. "Because your love as healed me much more than it has hurt me. Besides, I can't judge the walls you've put up. I don't know what those bricks are made out of." Her fingers ran over his heart, and he broke out in goosebumps.

"You've been breaking that wall, brick by brick from day one." They kissed softly for another long moment. When the moment had ended, they sat in silence for another hour watching the fire as she snuggled up to him. When it was time to go back to camp, they walked in silence, fingers enclasped together. No more words were needed for the night, just being together was enough. When they settled in for bed, Natasha laid her head on his now bare chest and entangled her legs with his. She wanted, no needed to feel him close so she could sleep peacefully.

She drifted off into sleep fairly quickly, right after she reassured him of her undying love and kissing his shoulder. But he couldn't sleep yet. He wanted to savour the moment. This was the first night he was truly free from his mind prison, and he wanted to remember the feeling of having her in his embrace. The fingers lazily played with her hair and he pulled her closer when a gust of mind made her shiver.

He was going to figure out how to make amends.

And her was going to start with Natasha.