Be With Me

Chapter 1

A/N:I don't know how the upcoming Black Widow movie will tackle/ handle Natasha's reunion with Steve before Infinity War, so this is just my idea and it will do for now for me  :). Writing fanfic is kind of a mental and writing calisthenics for me so I just had to write this one down for my own peace of mind. Hope you like it!

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It's been almost a year since Steve left Bucky in a cryotube in Wakanda. It's been almost a year of him, Sam, and Wanda playing hide and seek with Ross' men. It's been almost a year without Natasha by his side. And he had to admit it has been a struggle. Of course he didn't say it out loud nor act like it because he knew how much Sam and Wanda depended on him. But deep inside, Steve was grasping at straws.

He didn't know much about being a fugitive and the logistics that come with being one. All he knew was things would be much easier if it was just him but no, he had two other lives to take into account. Not that he didn't want Sam and Wanda around, but he had to remind himself that the two were in this situation because of him, because they chose to follow him and the least he could do was look after them now.

His emotional stress was so evident in his eyes. It could have easily taken a toll in his physical body but thanks to his serum, he didn't have to worry about that that much. So his eyes bore all of his internal struggle. They were dim and often staring at something far away. His mind wandered off to a lot of things that he started neglecting some of his usual routine like shaving every two days. He just woke up one day and suddenly felt what a task shaving was, so he stopped. When Wanda started to notice months ago how unkempt he looked, Steve simply made an excuse that a fully-grown facial hair was a handy disguise.

Aside from the logistics of everything, Steve's heart was also weighed down by his ruined relationships. He and Tony never met eye to eye with a lot of things but Steve still believed that at the heart of everything Tony does was the greater good. So he cannot truly despise the man even if he didn't agree with most of Tony's logic and methods.

Then there was Natasha.

He had to admit, Natasha's decision with the accords felt like a knife in his heart. But he cannot be angry at her, really, nor at anyone who stands up for what they think is right. It pained him to see her at the other side of the battle line but they both made their choice and they had to see through it. He didn't want to leave her at the hangar that day. He actually believed that if T'Challa didn't catch up with them, Natasha would have jumped in the jet with them. But Natasha put herself in the line for him and Bucky. She was his shield.

He sent Tony and Nat a phone each and while he didn't expect Tony to be calling him anytime soon, he thought Nat would take a little risk to check up on him especially after their prisonbreak at the raft. But no, nothing from her. No phone call, encrypted email, nor a coded message. And as the months passed, the more bothered and puzzled he became. He tried telling himself not to worry because she's at the compound anyway, continuing their work and just probably didn't want to take a risk now that she's working closely with Ross. Besides, he had Bucky to attend to. Two weeks ago, the princess called them back to Wakanda for the last test before they can declare Bucky one hundred percent free from his HYDRA programming.

Steve told Shuri that he wanted to be there for this because he didn't want anybody else getting hurt should they need to neutralize Bucky. So heart pounding and muscles tightening, Steve started to slowly recite the triggers words as best as he could while Bucky waited inside a containment pod made out of pure vibranium. Okoye and the king's guard surrounded them, Sam and Wanda stood ready by Steve's side, the latter's fingers steadily glowing red. Steve watched as Bucky readied himself too for whatever was coming. His Russian wasn't that bad so the words would still work if Shuri's work on Bucky's head was a bust. Good thing the princess was a genius, even more of a genius than Tony, if Steve was being honest, because after he uttered the last trigger word, he saw Bucky ease up, put a huge grin on his face, and two peace signs. Steve let out a huge sigh of relief. One less thing to worry about.