The Mimic

147

"Tag!" Y/n exclaimed with a laugh, finally catching one of the children.

She stood still as she watched the kid run away to find someone else to tag, a proud grin plastered across her face. Yes, she was a grown adult, and she was much faster than the other kids, but neither she or the kids seemed to care. Y/n was competitive, and she wasn't going to lose to anyone.

Her hands rested on her knees, an excited look in her eyes as she tried her hardest to catch her breath. It was a hot day, a very hot day, so racing through a humid market probably wasn't the best idea, but y/n didn't seem to care. She adored the heat - which was something that Bucky had to learn the hard way when they travelled across the world. If she wanted to actually determine why she liked the heat, there would definitely be some answer related to trauma, but y/n didn't want to delve into that. It was perfect weather for the festival, and that was all that mattered.

However, as y/n finally recovered from practically using the whole marketplace as an obstacle course, someone in the crowd caught her eye. It took y/n less than a second to realise who it was, and when she did, she broke out into a full sprint toward the blonde woman.

Natasha.

She definitely looked different, but she had to, she was supposed to be undercover. Nat had ditched her red hair for a short, blonde bob, which was definitely a drastic change. Usually Natasha was the queen of braids, but apparently not anymore. However, the most confusing thing was the fact that she was in a mission suit. She had a combat vest over the top, but it was still a mission suit. It was something that y/n probably should've questioned, but she didn't. She was far too excited to be reunited with Natasha.

Y/n crashed into Nat's arms, both seeming to happily laugh as they were finally reunited. "Hi!" Y/n exclaimed, a bright smile on her face as she pulled away from the hug to scan her over. "Nice hair! Did you cut it yourself? It looks good." She grinned, gesturing toward Natasha's blonde bob. But, before she could even let her respond, y/n started to talk again. She was so fired up with excitement and adrenaline that she'd forgotten that a conversation typically involved two people. "I've always wanted to buy one of these! Do you realise how many pockets this has?"

Natasha's eyebrows raised slightly at the mention of her vest, a fond smile appearing on her face as if she'd just been reminded of something. But, y/n gave her no time to respond as she continued to ramble on and on - god, this was probably why her and Peter got along so well. She crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her head to the side as she listened to y/n talk. It was nice to see y/n so excited. She'd missed her so, so much. "You look good too! Look at you, all accustomed to Wakanda." She grinned proudly, gesturing to y/n's outfit. Y/n had always felt like a younger sister to her, and now she knew why. She shared so many traits with her actual younger sister. "How've you been?"

"I've been so good! Bucky and I have settled in Wakanda really well, the people are amazing." Y/n smiled happily, not wanting to mention the fact that Bucky almost died, again. That man was practically immortal. Y/n suddenly gasped out of realisation as she continued to ignore the fact that Nat was in a mission suit, she didn't want to accept the fact that they probably had to fight. She wanted to stay in her happy bubble for as long as she possibly could. "Are you coming to the festival tonight?"

Natasha let out a sad sigh, giving y/n a knowing look. They both knew that the festival wasn't going to happen tonight, there was no point in trying to lie to themselves about it. "Not exactly." She hummed, her smile beginning to fall as she wrapped an arm around y/n, beginning to guide her out of the marketplace. "But there'll always be another festival! How about next year? Me, you, Sam, and Bucky." Nat offered, trying to give y/n something to look forward to. She didn't even have to look over at y/n to know how disappointed she was, and she felt horrible for ruining her excitement, but stopping half of the population from being wiped out was probably a little more important.

*****

Bucky walked with T'Challa and Shuri toward the lab, a heavily disappointed look in his eyes. Tonight was supposed to be the most romantic night of their lives, but instead they had to fight some genocidal alien. Missions were always dangerous, but this seemed far more serious. He hadn't been told the entire situation yet, just a few details, but the fact that most of the Avengers were already in Wakanda was enough for Bucky to know that this was more than just a quick mission.

T'Challa knew what Bucky had been planning for the festival, and to see him so disappointed made him feel terrible, but there wasn't any time to waste. "I'm sure there'll be another time, Barnes." He hummed, setting a reassuring hand on Bucky's shoulder. "I'll keep everything safe in the Citadel for you, alright?"

"If I die, could you give it to her for me?" Bucky asked seriously. His graveness was a shock to both Shuri and T'Challa, but he wasn't joking. "I mean it. This obviously isn't a normal mission. I don't want her to think that I wasn't serious about our dream home, and if that means that she has to build it without me, or I have to build it without her, then so be it." He sighed, nervously fiddling with his new vibranium arm. He'd protect y/n with his life if he had to.

"Nobody is going to die, Bucky." T'Challa reassured, but Bucky's seriousness was beginning to make him doubt. Thanos was strong. He wasn't the typical criminal that the team would fight on missions, he was a villain. A real villain.