Say you'll remember me

44. Blend

Bucky and Natasha continued running through the near-empty street.

They could hear footsteps coming from behind them.

Armed bodyguards trying to catch them.

"Guys, how are we doing?" Natasha asked Tony and Steve through the comm in her ear.

Tony answered first.

"You got eight guards, two with guns, about fifty meters behind you", he informed.

Steve spoke then.

"You need to find an alley on your left, it'll lead you near us. There is a large crowd outside a night club too, you can lose the guards there."

Natasha nodded and quickly looked behind.

She saw two guards beginning to aim their guns.

She reached for her own gun that was normally on her waist but there was nothing, just the stupid dress she was wearing.

She was unarmed.

"They are using the guns, James", she warned him as they continued running, looking for the alley Steve told them about.

They first gun shot rang out through to alley not long after.

Natasha felt the bullet fly past her head, between herself and Bucky.

A few more bullets followed but Natasha relaxed a little when she saw the alley approaching.

However, the shots continued.

Just as they reached the alley, Natasha swore loudly, a bullet landed in her side.

She tightened her grip around James's hand and forced herself to keep moving.

The wound was near the edge of her torso, she knew the wound wouldn't be too deep.

They turned down the alley and came out into a large crowd outside a night club, just like Steve said they would.

Both spies looked around, it was too crowded to run.

"We have to blend in", Bucky shouted over the noise.

Natasha nodded and pulled Bucky to a gap near the back of the crowd.

She knew they only had a few moments before the guards caught up.

She saw James's metal hand and looked up at him.

"Take off your blazer, give it to me", she said quickly.

He did so instantly, he trusted her.

Natasha quickly put the blazer on herself before pulling James's hand around her waist so his metal hand was hidden by the blazer. 

James smiled at her quick thinking.

Natasha looked around her and saw a few people kissing.

James quickly noticed what she was looking at before he spotted the bodyguards coming out the alley.

He quickly moved his hand to Natasha's chin and kissed her.

Natasha was caught off guard by his move but quickly responded as she heard the guards moving through the crowd.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, hiding his face as best as she could.

They could hear the guards getting closer.

James suddenly thought about Natasha's dress, the guards would recognise it.

He quickly turned around so his back was towards the guards and he was hiding Natasha from their view.

As the guards walked past them and continued to get further away, Natasha finally allowed herself to melt into the kiss.

The feeling of James's arms around her just made her feel safe, even in this situation.

It was one of the many reasons she loved him.

Even when the guards were gone they continued to hold each other, not even James pulled away.

Maybe he felt something too, Natasha wondered.

Eventually, they had to part for breath but they remained in their embrace.

They weren't ready to let each other go.

It took a few seconds for Natasha to open her eyes and look at James.

He looked just as effected as she was.

They were both looking at each other for a few moments until they were interrupted by Tony's voice in their ears.

"Amazing way to blend in guys", Tony joked rather cockily.

Natasha and Bucky couldn't help but smile.

"You seriously watched that?" Natasha asked.

She looked around to try and spot Tony and Steve but she couldn't.

"Yep, that's right, I'm a master of disguise baby", Tony joked again. 

Natasha sighed as she lent in to James.

She wasn't sure how much blood she had lost from the wound in her side.

"How bad is it?" James asked.

"You're hit?" Steve asked through the comm.

"It's just a scratch", Natasha told them.

However, she couldn't help but hiss in pain when James ran his fingers over the wound as he removed his hand from her waist.

His metal hand came out of the blazer with blood on it.

"We need a safe house, Natasha needs stitches." James spoke seriously.

"Fury, hasn't opened any, none are secure", Steve spoke.

Natasha thought for a second.

"I know one, I'll take Bucky and send you guys he address so you can meet us there from where ever you are now", she spoke.

Everyone agreed and began their way to Natasha's 'safe house'.

Bucky protectively kept his arm around Natasha's waist as they walked, as if there was a chance of her collapsing at any moment.  

Natasha had to smile at that.

She'd been through much worse than a simple bullet wound.

However, she had no problem with James holding her, she even lent into him, letting her head fall on to his shoulder.

James didn't mind that either.