A/N: Thanks for reviewing!
I'm trying to be better, working to understand
He had been on a lot of planes lately, using a lot of different aliases. It was sometimes difficult to keep track of them. With HYDRA, they had just put him where he needed to be. Sometimes plans went wrong and he had to fend for himself for a few days, but he'd never had to cross long distances when left to his own devices. Plane travel was pretty unrecognizable now compared to what it had been the last time he'd been in the world. Despite his fear of heights, he generally enjoyed the ride. After all, falling from cruising altitude would in all likelihood kill him quickly. So that was easier to accept.
Natalia had politely taken the middle seat, and he was on the aisle. Some poor soul was squeezed into the window seat and was not to be envied. Although, sitting next to Natalia was no hardship. The men around them kept glancing at her before looking at him and then looking away. Until that moment, he hadn't really considered his physicality as – well, as anything positive. Since Steve was bigger than he was, it wasn't really all that impressive. And, when he'd been hiding out, it had been more of an inconvenience – something that made him stick out. But now… He felt the slightest hint of pride. Which maybe he shouldn't, given the circumstances.
They didn't do much talking on the plane, since there were ears everywhere. Not that there was a particular danger, except maybe being recognized. The authorities might hold the plane and try to arrest the two of them. However unsuccessful that was likely to be. Bucky didn't mind the silence, in any case, because it gave him some time to think.
He wasn't going to take out his notebook and add to it, but he was comparing what he remembered of her to what she was like now. There were a lot of differences. Her sense of humor had been much darker, more biting, and rare in the Red Room. But her self-confidence and directness were the same. She had been well on her way to being the best and he couldn't help but wonder what had happened to bring her here. Why had she left? Would they have seen each other again if she hadn't? Would he have known her if they had?
The flight wasn't all that long, and soon they were disembarking. Though he was bothered a little by the landing – and the crowd – he kept that to himself and followed Natalia. She was very convincing in her ability to blend in anywhere. He was sure he would give them away in some fashion, but not one stopped them or asked them any questions out the ordinary. Natalia chatted with people politely so their silence wasn't remarked, either.
A taxi took them to a hotel. "I don't own property in every country," she told him under her breath on the way over. "But I've stayed here before. It's a nice place."
He wasn't sure why she felt the need to reassure him, but he smiled in response. HYDRA had invested more in bases and laboratories than in safe houses. So most of his ops had required him to return to his handlers immediately instead of hiding out somewhere on the way. Other agents – like the Widows he'd trained – had relied more heavily on employing safe houses during missions. He was somewhat aware of the concept, but hardly expected Natalia to have one everywhere she went.
Using one of her numerous covers, Natalia got them a room and he tried not to think too much about the rooms they'd shared in the past. If she was aware of those times, she didn't show it. And he was content to wait for a sign from her.
"Well, at least there are two beds this time, hmm?" she teased lightly, tossing her bag onto one of them.
He nodded but didn't answer, remaining in the doorway while she checked the room.
"Clint's sources say she's working nights as a sort of security in a suspected AIM facility across town. So we have a couple hours before we should go check that out," Natalia explained once everything apparently passed muster.
"Alright," he assented when it became apparent that she was waiting.
She was looking at him, standing by the bed she'd claimed, an unreadable expression on her face. "So, Barnes, what do you like to do to kill time?"
"Um. Read, I guess?"
Her smile seemed genuine. "I imagine you didn't get to do much of that on your other missions."
Steve always talked around what he'd been doing for the last seventy years. Sam was more direct, though he didn't often refer to it, either. Everyone else studiously ignored where he'd gotten his skills from. So it was a relief to have her talk about it so matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, they were pretty intent on keeping me from knowing much besides what they told me," he said with a shrug, mirroring her nonchalance about the subject.
"What would they let you do?"
Smiling a little grimly, he walked over and sat on the untouched bed, then looked up at her. "I don't think keeping me entertained was particularly high in their list of priorities."
She snorted and opened her bag to rifle through it. "So you were bored a lot," she stated, not looking up.
It hadn't occurred to him before, but it was true and he smiled. "Yeah."
"Well, I'm sure missions with Steve are never boring, so I'll try to keep things interesting."
He was surprised at the sentiment, and more so when she tossed him a – what were they called? – a tablet. Catching it was automatic and his expression must have shown how he felt because she smiled again.
"There's a whole library on there. Pick something good." Pulling out her laptop, she sat on her bed and settled back against the wall.
"Thank you," he said quietly and began to browse the selection she had. It was expansive and he wondered how much time she spent reading these days. What did she do when she wasn't on a mission? In the Red Room, she would have trained – often with him – or worked on learning another language or two. After that, he had no idea. He wanted to ask her what she'd done when she left, but he didn't want to bring up something she wasn't willing to share. They'd been getting along well with minimal awkwardness so far, and he didn't want her to send him back to Steve.
So he found a book that looked interesting and read quietly while she worked on her laptop. It was distracting, having her there, making him have to reread whole paragraphs from time to time. But he managed to enjoy the story until she decided it was time to go.
Her bag contained a lot of useful things for the mission – her Stingers and Widow's Bites had made it through security somehow, as well as other less personalized tech. Neither of them had any firearms or anything more dangerous than a garrote. Except, arguably, his arm. So whatever they did would have to be at close-range. She didn't seem worried, and he wasn't, either. There weren't many people who could beat him hand-to-hand.
She went into the bathroom to change into black clothing – not the tac suit she'd worn during the fight in Leipzig, since that would be too obvious. Just black pants and jacket. Mysteriously, she tossed him a similar wardrobe and he couldn't imagine when or where she could have gotten it. But he changed as well and then they set off.
The facility was a few miles away, too far to walk, so they took a few taxis incrementally nearer. It wasn't yet sundown, which meant they were still early. Once Natalia deemed them close enough, they walked the rest of the way and set up shop in a building next door. It was mostly empty offices this time of day. Natalia got them inside easily, and they settled around a window on the third floor.
He wished he had his sniper rifle – or at least the scope. It would make keeping an eye on everyone going in or out a little easier. Not that he was much help – he didn't know what the woman looked like. But he kept that thought to himself and stayed quiet so as to not distract Natalia. It was her op and he'd do what she told him.
Suddenly, Natalia tensed, leaning forward intently. "That's her," she breathed.
There was a blond woman walking toward the guarded front door of the facility. As they watched, she spoke to the guard and was admitted inside.
"What's the plan?" he asked as Natalia adjusted the Bites on her arms.
She looked up at him with a grin. "We go in there and get her."
