James Buchanan Barnes/Winter Soldier (russianwinter) wrote in marvel_legends,
@ 2011-04-23 20:24:00

Entry tags:

House-Hunting
Bucky (it was still really hard to think of himself by that name) walked down the streets of New York toward the next loft on his list, which was only a block or two away. Every few steps he corrects his movements so that he doesn't bump someone or only brushes against them, years of training allowing him to slide through the crowd with ease. The movements are so ingrained that they're second-nature. He could do this on the streets of New York, Tokyo or Moscow, in his sleep.

His "baby-sitter" could as well.

He knows why Fury sent Natalia with him and he's annoyed; not at her, but at the situation. They still don't know if he's completely deprogrammed, but if he isn't then Natalia is the best person to deal with him. She could make the tough choice, if necessary.

"You know...you /really/ don't have to do this." James says to Natalia, for the third time as they enter the building on 4th and Baker. He rings the bell and the door opens upon a small, older woman who smiles at him.

"Hello, Mr. Barnes. My office told me you'd be stopping in today. The loft is ready for you to view." she says, looking between the two of them.

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	black_widow 2011-04-24 01:17 am UTC (link)
	"Of course I do, James, don't be silly. You've never had to find real estate in New York before," she said and gave the woman a smile. "It can be brutal." (Reply to this)(Thread)

russianwinter
2011-04-24 01:29 am UTC (link)

The woman leads them up a flight of stairs that opens into a loft that takes up the entire top floor of the building. The sheer amount of space could hold a barracks full of soldiers.

James is already trying to imagine where his workout area would be and where he'll sleep.

"The master bedroom is this door to the left. The kitchen is state-of-the-art and the windows have a view of the harbor. Lots of places to eat around here and things to see for a young couple like yourselves." the woman says as he phone rings.

"Oh, I have to take this. You two look around and I'll be right back." she says, leaving the room.

James turns and looks at her.

"What do you think, Natalia?" he asks.

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	black_widow 2011-04-24 01:37 am UTC (link)
	"I think you should just come and live with me in my penthouse," she said as she started to look around. "Though it's not a bad place. Pretty spacious." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

russianwinter
2011-04-24 02:07 am UTC (link)

"And what happens when I leave the toilet seat up or you decide you want to hog the blankets? Then I'm back to looking for a new place to live." he jokes, giving her a smile.

"Really, though...I need to know I can do this on my own, Natalia. This is the first time in years I've had to fend for myself and I've got know I can do that before I get involved anywhere else." James says.

"But yeah this place is really spacious. I think the weights and balance beam can go over there." he says, pointing to the far left corner of the room.

"What do you think the chances are that Fury can get me an adamantium combat knife?" he asks suddenly.

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	black_widow 2011-04-24 02:16 am UTC (link)
	She turned away from him. "Does that also include us?" she asked. Logically she knew they couldn't just pick up where they left off so many decades ago, but since seeing him a year ago she couldn't do anything but think of him and them. She had a year to think about him and the feelings she had for him. God help her, she still loved him. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

russianwinter
2011-04-24 02:25 am UTC (link)

And he'd managed to stick his foot in his mouth already. Great.

He still loved her. Even in the first days after they'd brought him in, there was something about her that made him stop and /think/ about the things he was doing, and who he was as a person. Her continued influence and caring were among the reasons he'd made the progress he'd made so far.

But he also knew that they were two very different people from who they were decades ago. Did he still love her or only the memory he had of her? Could she love the man he'd become, the Winter Soldier?

"Natalia, are you /sure/ you could love someone like me? I've done a lot of things that, frankly, I don't know if I can forgive myself for. I'm not a good man like Steve.

I'm a soldier and a killer. I'm the kind of man you've spent years taking down.

If you're asking if I still love you, the answer is yes." James says.

"But I can't lean on you. I can't expect you to fix me. I'm trying to show you that I can do that for myself." he says.

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black_widow
2011-04-24 02:42 am UTC (link)

Natasha bowed her head. "Yes," she said. "I have never stopped loving you, James."

The Black Widow was known for a lot of things, one of those being an expert liar, but she wasn't lying now. She had always loved him and he had always been in her heart. Even through the relationships she had been in and out of over the years. Alexi. Clint. Matt. Hercules. Tony. Were they all just attempts to fill the void left when James had been ripped away from her?

"Can you love someone like me? I'm not the same foolish young girl you knew. I've done things that I'm not proud of and that would make Steve go pale."

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russianwinter
2011-04-24 02:57 am UTC (link)

"I'm not coming into this with any illusions, Natalia. I know you've been through a lot, too." he says.

"But...if you can put up with me and my hang-ups, I can definitely put up with you and yours. Besides, you're the one of the only people who can really understand where I've been and what I've been through. We're probably older than the lady trying to sell me this place." James laughs, walking over and pull her close to him.

"I still love you, Natalia. I'm going to, even if you won't let me." he says in Russian.

"Will you help me christen this place if I go with it?" he asks.

	black_widow 2011-04-29 03:59 am UTC (link)
	Dinner had been from Natasha favorite Thai restaurant. She had considered eating there, but she wanted time alone with James so they grabbed it to take back. Natasha tried to catch him up a little on what had happened in the past few decades. It would take time, but she gave him the basics. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	russianwinter 2011-04-29 04:02 am UTC (link)
	It was a lot to take in, but once Natalia explained some things, a lot of other things made sense in relation. James wanted to know more about certain things, but he would get to that information later. "So...can Tony Stark be trusted, in your opinion?" James asks her. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	black_widow 2011-04-29 04:11 am UTC (link)
	Natasha was quiet for a few moments. "I can count on one hand the number of people I can say I trust. Anthony Stark is one of them." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	russianwinter 2011-04-29 04:37 am UTC (link)
	James says nothing for a bit. He'd have to talk to Steve about this, too, but Natalia's word was good for him. If she said Stark could be trusted, he would overlook the things he'd heard so far. "What about the rest of the Avengers? Do you know all of them that well?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	black_widow 2011-04-29 05:00 am UTC (link)
	"I do. I have been an Avenger, active or reserve, for a very long time. They are my family." It was the only way to describe what they were to her. "They gave me a chance when most Americans would hate me just because I am Russian." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	black_widow 2011-04-30 04:43 am UTC (link)
	"Attitudes toward Russians have softened somewhat since the Berlin Wall came down," Natasha said as she stood and picked up her plate. "That's not to say they'll welcome you with open arms, just that it won't be as bad as it would have been twenty years ago." She offered to take his plate. "It could be worse. We'll deal with that stuff as it comes up." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	black_widow 2011-05-03 03:35 am UTC (link)
	"MMmmmm," Natasha purred as she lay stretched out and half on James. Naked skin kissed naked skin and their legs were entwined. The side of her body against James' was warm and the other side felt cool with the layer of sweat on it. "I love you, James. I have never stopped," she said quietly. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	black_widow 2011-05-03 03:53 am UTC (link)
	"If this is a dream, my love, then we are sharing it," she said as she lifted her head to look at him. Fingers ran lightly over his chest tracing intricate patterns. "But it's not a dream," she murmured as she kissed him. "This is real. We found each other again." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	russianwinter 2011-05-03 03:57 am UTC (link)
	"So, what's next for us, Natalia?" James asks. "I know you. You're not going to quit working because you're suddenly happy, and I'm not good at sitting still. Ask Steve." he chuckles. "Where do you and I go from here?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	black_widow 2011-05-03 04:04 am UTC (link)
	"We be Avengers. We kick some ass, take some names and enjoy what time we get alone together," she said. She kissed him. "I don't want to be apart from you again. I couldn't do it again. It took me decades to find you again." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	russianwinter 2011-05-03 04:14 am UTC (link)
	He traces her spine with his fingertips. "You don't have to be. When I go, you go, from now on." James says. "And vice-versa." He turns over on his side. "Hey, about the Avengers...I don't think I can be in the spotlight, like Steve. It'll invite questions I'm not ready to answer. Do you think it'll still be the right fit?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	black_widow 2011-05-03 04:35 am UTC (link)
	Natasha shivered when his finger traced her spine. It was light enough that it almost tickled. She propped herself up on an elbow. "I talked to Steve. I'm going to be leading a new team until you're ready to take over. Shadow team. Black-ops kind of stuff. So you and I can stay in the shadows where we belong." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	russianwinter 2011-05-04 12:51 am UTC (link)
	James looks at her with confusion. "What do you mean 'until I'm ready to take over'?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	wonder_wall 2011-05-15 12:22 am UTC (link)
	-(END)- (Reply to this)