The Mimic

162

Y/n noticed the car before she even caught sight of it. Cars were pretty rare in the town, especially newer models, so the sound of a car was always unusual.

Y/n had been busy digging up all of the freshly-grown carrots when she'd heard the car. It was a harvest day on the farm, which usually meant a lot of work needed to be done. Many of the town's children were helping, but Maria wasn't able to bend down far enough to pick most of the crops, so she was washing them all and preparing them to be sold at the market. It was a busy day, but one that many looked forward to. It meant fresh food, and there was something about homegrown crops that just made everything taste better.

From y/n's fingernails to her cheeks, she was caked in soil. Everything was. The two dirt-covered smudges on her knees were so normal that it seemed more like a design choice on her clothes than anything else. Her feet were covered in blisters and sores from wearing rubber boots every day, and her back ached from being constantly hunched over. It didn't sound pleasant, but y/n wouldn't have it any other way. She had a giant list of things to do every day, and not only did that list keep her in a routine, but it also kept her distracted. She rarely had time to sit and reflect, and that was perfect for y/n. Reflecting meant that all of her bad thoughts and memories would come back.

Reflecting meant that she'd remember that Bucky was gone.

Y/n lifted her head at the sound of the car slowly rolling to a stop. She frowned in confusion as she slowly stood up from where she had been kneeling on the ground. Her eyes stayed trained on the car as she tossed a few more carrots into the wooden cart beside her. "Stay here. Keep working." Y/n said in Swedish to one of the older boys before she picked up the handles of the cart and wheel it toward Maria's house.

She had a pretty good assumption as to who it was, but y/n was always cautious. She had no choice but to be cautious after everything that had happened to her. So, y/n continued to wheel the cart out of the dirt and toward Maria's house. She had decided to mimic super solider strength just in case, preparing to throw the cart at the car if she had to. She didn't want anything bad to happen to the town. They were already struggling enough, and y/n was the only person that could possibly incite some unwelcome visitors.

Y/n took a nervous breath as she continued to step closer and closer. She hadn't needed to be on guard for a long time, but that didn't mean that y/n had forgotten how to do it. She masked her nervousness with ease, forcing an angry, stone-cold look on her face as she glared over at the car. Adrenaline exploded like a firework in her chest when the car door slowly begun to open. Y/n prepared to fight. She was ready to protect everyone if she had to. But, the sight of the person that stepped out of the car quickly caused y/n to ease up.

Nat.

Despite y/n leaving, the pair had been staying in contact. They'd message back and forth whenever they were free, but that wasn't very common. Y/n was very busy on the farm, and Nat was busy leading the Avengers. But, whenever they did manage to catch up, it was always a nice conversation. She was like a big sister to y/n. If anything bad ever happened, they would drop everything to help one another. It was a bond that didn't need many words, but one that was strong nonetheless.

"I thought that you were about to beat me up!" Natasha laughed, closing the car door behind her as she watched y/n begin to hurry over. However, as soon as she saw all of the dirt that covered y/n, her eyes widened. She slowly begun to back up, a nervous smile playing at her lips. "Don't you dare. I don't want a hug!" She laughed, holding her hands out as if to defend herself. "Don't you dare! I mean it, y/n! I'll ki-"

"Too late!" Y/n hummed happily as she pulled Natasha into a tight hug. She rested her chin on her shoulder, squeezing her tight. God, she'd missed her. Y/n soon pulled away, resting her mucky hands on Nat's shoulders with a curious look on her face. "Why didn't you tell me that you were coming to visit? I would've cleaned up the house a little better if I knew that you were coming." She smiled, moving away from Nat so she could pick the wooden cart back up. "Do you want to head inside? I just need to drop these carrots off. The kitchen is on the right if you want a drink, but I'm sure that Maria will already have it sorted!"

It was nice to have Natasha visit. Usually they only got to hang out during or after missions, so this was a nice change. Plus, Nat would finally get to see what life was supposed to be like for y/n in her hometown. The pair had both been living double lives for a long, long time. So to finally be able to be themselves was a nice change. No fighting, no enemies, no drama. Just miles and miles of rolling fields.

"Actually, that's not what we're here for, y/n."

That wasn't Natasha's voice. That was a man's voice. That was Steve's voice.

Y/n's whole demeanour dropped. She kept a tight grip on the cart as she turned around to face Natasha and Steve. She had a defensive look on her face as she glanced over to the car to check if there was anyone else that she didn't know about, but she couldn't see anyone. Y/n took a sharp breath, shaking her head as her eyes fixated on Natasha. She waited for an answer, an excuse, anything, but y/n could already predict what Nat was about to say.

"One last mission, y/n." Natasha tried to reason, taking a careful step toward her. There was a look of desperation in her eyes. "This isn't just a normal mission. We're gathering the whole team back together. We need you." She said slowly, trying to contain the visible anger and betrayal in y/n's eyes. "Please-"

"No. No, Nat." Y/n interrupted, shaking her head again. "I told you that I wasn't coming back. I'm not doing any more missions, I'm not doing any more crime-fighting or any superhero shit." She snapped, glancing between Steve and Natasha. "I'm happy here, so leave me be. I'm sorry if that's a disappointment after driving all the way out here, but you should've known that I was going to say no." She huffed, turning back around as she begun to walk toward the side of the house with her wooden cart. Y/n didn't want to listen to their attempts at convincing her. She didn't buy into the superhero fantasy anymore. Every time that they went on a mission, it went wrong. Y/n couldn't handle any more pain.

"There's a chance that we could get Bucky back, y/n."