Haunted By Him

Chapter Fourteen

They get off the train at Magadan and the Winter Soldier considers himself lucky to not have been attacked more than once. He’s almost sure that he will be as he’s getting on the plane, however, and he steals a hat inconspicuously as they walk through the airport to hide his face. When Natalia turns around, she notices it.

“Where did you get that?” She demands and he looks up over her head and shrugs, muttering a vague answer. She stares at him and then rolls her eyes.

“Alright,” she says. “But if someone calls you out for stealing, it’s your problem.”

“I’d rather have to explain myself to a police officer than be noticed by a Hydra agent,” he tells her and he’s not kidding and she looks back up at him to gauge his expression.

“Yeah,” she finally says thoughtfully. “I guess you would.”

Luckily, everything goes off without a hitch and they board the plane and the Winter Soldier looks out the window and watches Russia disappear.

“Think you’ll miss it?” He asks Natalia and she looks over.

“Miss what?” She asks and he motions to the window.

“Russia,” he says. “It’s your home.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “America will be better. For the both of us.”

“I guess,” he says and looks back out the window. Then he turns back and says, “But after you pick up the money, you won’t ever see me again.” She looks at him.

“I guess so,” she says. “You could find me.”

“I could,” he says, and then after a minute, she sighs and looks down.

“Don’t,” she says. “Don’t find me.”

“What?” The Soldier exclaims. “Why?”

“You don’t want to go where I’m going,” she says vaguely and he doesn’t know what she means, but when he starts to ask her where she’s going, she silences him by reaching up and taking a piece of his hair in her fingers. He’s so surprised he quiets and watches her study the strands, waiting for her to look up into his eyes.

“We’ll need to get you a haircut,” she finally says sharply and drops her hand and looks away. “Bucky Barnes wouldn’t look like he just crawled off the street.”

“Well maybe he did,” the Soldier grumbles and looks away huffily. He doesn’t see the look she tosses back to him over her shoulder with soft eyes while he’s glaring out the window at the clouds.