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⇢ 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘺

MENTAL RECOVERY WAS something Y/N had to go through. Three weeks of mind control. Three weeks of being Dreykov's puppet. Three weeks of being something he longed to avoid becoming.

It's been a few days since the Red Room was taken down. He and Natasha stayed in a safe house provided by Rick Mason which was located in the outskirts of Ohio. The super-soldier sat at the edge of the bed in his boxers and t-shirt as he'd just awoken from a nap. He looked out the window, catching his breath after experiencing a nightmare during his slumber.

Was it really him? All the things he did as Taskmaster...was that his true nature? Was the chemical subjugation just a way to unearth his true personality?

Y/N sighed and buried his face into his hands. He was right. He reckoned that his ability to mimic could be exploited. It was a gift and a curse, and he just experienced the danger of it.

There was a light knock on the door behind him. He looked back and saw Natasha with an arm propped against the door frame, wearing comfortable clothing as well. She also now sported short blonde hair.

"Hey." Y/N greeted in a whisper before looking down.

"Hey." She answered back. "Mason called and said he'd have our jet ready in a few days."

All the man did was nod. He continued looking out the window, and Natasha walked up beside him.

"What's wrong?" She asked although she had a slight inkling of what was troubling him.

He let out a sigh and looked down. Natasha sat next to him on the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him.

She placed a kiss on his cheek. "Come on. You can talk to me."

After a moment of silence, Y/N decided to speak.

"I was given a second chance at life. Fury found me, and despite knowing the threat I could be, he decided to take me in. I never wanted to become what HYDRA intended me to be...the monster I saw in my nightmares...but it happened." He said. "I killed those agents. I don't know if Dreykov had me kill any more people during my constant reactivations. But worst of all...I tried to kill you."

"That wasn't you." Natasha reassured him.

"I don't know which part was me." He replied. "I'm still not sure."

His statement mirrored what Yelena told her back in Budapest. The mind control put doubt into the minds of who it affected.

Y/N continued. "Like I said before, Nat, as long as I can mimic...I'm susceptible to being exploited." Tears welled up in his eyes. "I feel like I'm stuck. I'm stuck with this...curse."

Natasha held his chin up and looked into his eyes. "Don't think of it as a curse. It's a gift. They didn't instill that in you out of nothing, it's because you had that ability already. It's what makes you...you."

"Nat...I hurt you." He replied, recalling their encounters in Budapest.

"No, you didn't." She said with a reassuring tone. "And it's never going to happen because I won't let it. Nobody will ever exploit you again."

Y/N gave a light smile as a tear ran down his cheek. Natasha wiped it away with her thumb.

"I'll always be by your side, моя сияющая звезда (my shining star)."

She placed a kiss on his lips which Y/N reciprocated. Natasha gripped the back of his head as their kiss deepened, and her lover reached over to cup the side of her face.