CRAVE - Bucky Barnes x Marvel AU

Part 12

We arrived at 11 Madison Park, James tipped a doorman another Franklin to have him a parking space right outside the door.

I took the place in, sure that I'd seen it in magazines before, maybe Howard had once blabbered about the "fancy restaurant," he'd been to on his trips.

Steve came over and greeted James and myself, I breathed in his cologne- not as nice as James's.

"Lizzie, may I introduce you to my wife," Steve said as she took a step forwards "Natasha Romanoff."

My whole world spun round, her perfectly groomed face and hair hypnotising me.

It was her.

The porcelain clear skin, deep auburn hair that hung just below her shoulders, a figure any girl would see and crush her own self confidence. It's Nat.

Stop it, Nat's dead.

I forced myself to be sane for a single moment- see where that got me.

"Nice to meet you," I barely breathed, I felt James's hand find it's place on my back

"Lovely to finally meet you as well, Lizzie," she gave me a one armed hug "let's go find our table, shall we?"

Steve and Nat walked on ahead, giving James a second with me. He could tell I wanted to keep this on the low down.

"What's wrong, darling?" He said in my ear urgently but keeping his expression calm.

"I-" stuttering, I remembered I hadn't told him my whole story. I needed to.

This is what you get for not opening up.

Before the build up, he had to know everything, his eyes could tell there was something.

I spilled it all out at once; Oxford, the night at the party, Hela and Nat, forcing myself to be successful, and never telling anybody but Howard.

So now he knows it all.

"She probably just looks similar," James tried to reason with me "we'll go sit down, I'll sort it out. Don't worry doll." He wrapped me in his arms, squeezing me that the tears didn't fall this time.

I'm a fucking mess.

We sat down with the others, I ordered Caviar Et Souffle de Pommes de Terre, which I occupied myself in eating while James spoke to Nat.

"So, did you go to uni, Nat?" James asked casually

"No, I dropped out of school at sixteen. Dedicated my time to ballet, but you could call New York Ballet Academy university, then yeah."

"How is it at the moment? Your dancing career?" He asked again, showing no signs of boredom nor intrest.

"It's going good, I'm preparing for an exam in a months time-"

"Did we not tell you, Buck?" Steve butted in, clearly overly excited about his wife's career "it's in Russia!"

"Wow," I said, realising I was a little out of place for not saying anything over the past ten minutes "how long will you be there?"

"A month or so, the timetables get adjusted all the time, so for all I know I could be staying there for weeks on end."

I let the thought brush to the side of my mind, although not forgetting it completely.

It's not her. It's not her. It's not her.

So from what I found out, Nat was born and raised in New York, now a professional ballerina who travels abroad for performances.

The Nat I knew wasn't a ballerina. She was born and raised in Chicago, and only ever travelled abroad to see her sister, who still lives in Ohio. I'd never been in contact with her much, or even seen her not through a screen.

The rest of the night went on as normal, James giving me reassuring looks every once in a while.

We were about to leave, but Nat pulled me aside.
"Mind coming to the bathroom with me for one sec?" She asked politely, I stopped myself from glancing at James and followed.

"I feel like we've met before," she mentioned casually "have you ever seen The Royal Ballet's Nutcracker in London? I've met some of the audience," she began updating her makeup in the bathroom mirror, I stood there awkwardly.

"No, I'm not really a theatre person. But maybe I know you from a press tour or fashion show," I shrugged, she smiled at me "I better get going, James is dropping me off at my hotel. Nice meeting you."

"Oh, Lizzie." She added before I left "You should see the way James looks at you."

"Well," I laughed a little "maybe it's his whiskey." I left the room then, not wanting to stay much longer plus wanting to notice the way he looked at me.

-

"Goodnight, James," I said as he pulled up outside the Plaza, a doorman already on his way to open my door "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night, doll," he said as the doorman opened my passenger door, I leant over him and gave him a kiss on his cheek, sensing his body tense a little.

I walked through the shining doors and waved to him speeding off into the night.

You're such a flirt.

Grinning to myself, I locked myself in my room and fell asleep almost instantly.