𝙸𝚝 𝚆𝚊𝚜 𝚄𝚜 ✰ 𝙱𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚢 𝚡 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

Chapter 36 - Never Again

Bucky's POV

"Your Highness." Y/n's hands quickly fell to her sides and she gave a small, polite bow when T'Challa stepped into the room, Steve following close behind him.

He waved his hand dismissively and smiled kindly, almost as if he had decided ultimately not to acknowledge the adverse events of last few days. "That is not necessary, but thank you."

"I-I first wanted to express my apologies for all the trouble that we caused, and especially for your father." Y/n began rambling. An old habit. "If there's anything we can do to fix this mess I-"

"You two and my father were all victims, I have come to understand this now. I may not be able to reverse what happened to him, but the least I can possibly do is help you both." T'Challa spoke calmly, his voice authoritative, but humble and understanding. Far from what I feel I deserved.

Y/n glanced my way, before giving him a short nod. One I mirrored.

Steve opened his mouth to speak, before T'Challa added another comment. "We'll first stop in Wakanda, where we'll be clear of public attention for the time being. After we land, you can all decide where you'll go from there. Just know that we'll be of any assistance you require."

"We appreciate it. Truly." Y/n said, stopping herself from bowing again.

He nodded, before exiting the cramped medical room of the ship, leaving the three of us alone.

Steve bounced back and forth on his heels as he waited for the automatic doors to slide shut behind him, his eyes then flicking back and forth from the two of us.

"I'm sorry we didn't come back for you, Y/n." He said finally, clearing his throat.

Y/n looked up from the floor and met his gaze, giving him a small shake of her head. "You did what you had to. Don't worry."

He nodded, leaning against the wall behind him. "Did Nat tell you where she was heading?"

Y/n scoffed and cocked an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Steve chuckled, letting out a sigh. "Guess it's pretty self explanatory."

"And I've been meaning to ask you, by the way." Steve added. "How do you two know each other? The look on her face when she first saw you in DC two years ago... she was pretty shaken, Y/n. And this is Natasha we're talking about."

Y/n scratched the back of her neck and chucked. "I'm flattered that I'm the one who broke the stoic Black Widow." She let out a long sigh. "Well... I knew her as Natalia, or Little Red as I liked to call her. I won't get into it much, but the girl I was assigned to train into a young killer like me, had become the sister I never had. She wanted out, and once I realized it, I tried to break the two of us out. Both of us had been bound to these people, and something that night had sparked my memories again."

The story Y/n had told me in the warehouse, it had finally come back to me. I was ordered to detain her, and she'd fought back. They wiped her back to square one, and her plan to bail us out and run away into the forest had failed inevitably.

Steve stifled a smirk. "So did she learn everything from you?"

"She was already brilliant, she didn't really need me." Y/n continued. "Her skill, her wit and ability to throw out a strategy under pressure. It was everything the leaders had wanted, and that was Natalia's dilemma. She didn't want to kill, and the night I was planning my escape... there she was. I told her my real name, and I told her the first thing I needed to do when we made it out."

Y/n turned to me, a somber expression clouding her eyes. "I told her that I needed to save you."

"Y/n..."