Insatiable Habits

Soul

Together, the team made their way through to the front hall where Tony prepped the plan. Rather foolishly, you payed little attention, rubbing your thumb across Natasha's hand - you were predominantly focused on all the ways you could keep her safe. That was until Tony announced that you would be travelling to Vormir with Steve.
"Nope. That doesn't work for me."
Natasha spoke loudly, with conviction, as she adamantly denied Tony's plan.
"Either I go with her or nobody retrieves that stone."
Tony caved quickly. A look of concern swathed his appearance. You wondered why.
Steve was now set to travel to 2012 New York, Natasha and yourself to 2014 Vormir. You stepped onto the pad, turning to face Natasha, offering her your hand and pulling her up. Bucky, Wanda and the others stood by the door. You shared eye contact with them, smiling softly as reassurance, watching as Wanda wiped the odd tear from her eye. Natasha moved you, forcing you to look away. She knew you'd linger too long otherwise.

You shared looks with the other members of the team, making your way round the circle. Finally, each one of you raised your arm into the centre, before swiping the screen of your traveller and descending into the Quantum realm. You sped through, hundreds of thousands of flashes and colours passing you by. In what seemed an instant, you arrived at Morag alongside Natasha, Rhodey and Nebula. After an abrupt farewell, you boarded the Benatar - ready to make your way to Vormir. You held Natasha's hand across the dashboard as she squeezed occasionally to ease your nerves. Much of the journey was spent in silence, just content in one another's company.
"This is a long way from Edinburgh, huh."
Natasha grinned at you widely before lifting her hand to hold your jaw. She ran her thumb across your cheek before letting go to navigate the spacecraft. In a flash of bright light, the ship had abruptly come to a halt. You hastily unbuckled your belt and swivelled from your seat, standing next to Natasha. The landscape before you was a sandy terrain, the entirety of the it stained with a deep purple and blue hue. Within the land stood a tall mountain, armed with angular rock and a deep gunmetal fog decorating its upper. This was presumably the climb in which you and Natasha would have to face.
"Wow...in different circumstances this would be totally awesome."
Natasha laughed at your comment, pulling you by your elbow to the exit.
You trudged through the sand, quickly reaching the base of the height. The walk up took time, which was spent reminiscing on old times with Natasha. She joked about Steve knowing that she'd taken a liking to you, even though she was too far gone to admit it. You joked about how you had to convince yourself to hate her, most of the time having to drive your own mind away from thinking of her. The atmosphere was littered with silence, only your mixed voices echoing in the barren land. It was lifeless, alone.

You made the final few steps of the journey before reaching the summit, an undoubtedly breathtaking view encasing your position at the top. Your observation was interrupted by an unexpected voice.
"Welcome." came the deep rasp of a sinister figure before you - their face obscured by the hanging shadow of their floor length gown. You gripped your knife, readily awaiting a fight that the dark frame failed to give.
"Consider me a guide, to you and to all who seek the soul stone."
Natasha lowered her gun, while pushing your arm down to your side.
"Oh good, you tell us where it is and we'll be on our way."
She spoke with declaration, yet the tremble in her grip told a different story.
You followed the individual, trudging just a few steps behind before reaching an even further peak - the ground flattened with just an edge baring itself. The fall to the floor unavoidably deadly. You took in the surroundings quickly, wondering what good this place was to harbour the soul stone.
"In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love."
You stood with your back to the personage, refusing to turn at his words.
"An everlasting exchange. A soul for a soul."