Untangling a Memory

Market day

It took a couple of days before Natasha was back to her usual self. The wounds on her hands healed quickly and the tiny dots on her face where the capillaries had burst vanished. The dark circles that had formed underneath her eyes gave way to her usual smooth, tan skin and her expression began to brighten again.

The recovery hadn't been easy for Natasha. Every time she tried to shelve a memory from the nightmare, she would be reminded of it again upon seeing Bucky. Even though he had been extra thoughtful over the past few days, she still had pangs of weariness.

She'd tried to ignore the feelings she was developing for him since being in Wakanda, but as time went on, she had been allowing those feelings into her heart more and more willingly. But the nightmare had changed all of this, putting her on edge again. He was never yours. Natasha had thought she knew Bucky before, had been in love with him when she was young, but had found out that it was all a lie back then. The nightmare had planted the seed again- could she ever really trust him?

But as the days went by and she got more distance from the traumatic episode, Natasha fell back into her usual patterns with Bucky. They started each day with breakfast and then a workout together, before Natasha did some work for the team. Bucky was doting on Natasha even more now, bringing her lunch or a snack in the afternoon before heading down to work with Shuri. Late in the day, Bucky would make them both dinner while Natasha sat at the counter chatting with him, and their nights were capped off by movies or reading.

To anyone else, they probably would have looked like a couple, with the ease at which they functioned around each other and the routine they had established. But neither were emotionally accessible enough to think about it in terms of a romantic relationship. For them, it was just the kind of structure they had become comfortable with after years under authoritarian control.

Finally, after days of working with team on intelligence gathering and decoding, Steve bugged Natasha to take another day off. Steve always worried about the way she threw herself back into things after an episode, and since he had Bucky with her, he could actually hold her accountable for taking the vacation day. Reluctantly, Natasha acquiesced.

Bucky and Natasha started their morning as usual with breakfast on the veranda, followed by a sparring session in the gym. After both were showered, they had planned to head into the city to the market to roam around and look at the various goods. Shuri had been recommending it to Bucky for the food, shopping, and as good way for him to get more social exposure. Natasha had agreed to come with to keep him calm, but also because she wanted to see everything in the market as well.

After cleaning off from the long workout, Natasha got dressed in a high-necked tank top, denim shorts, and her sneakers. She pulled her still wet hair into a French braid that went at an angle around the back of her head. With her red roots growing out, the crimson to blonde strands made a beautiful pattern in this style that she especially liked. Natasha swiped on some mascara and chapstick, grabbed her small purse, and usual jewelry, and headed for the common room.

Bucky was already standing in the kitchen, eating a banana, as Natasha descended the stairs. Even though he was facing away from her, Bucky could sense her entrance, not just from the soft stepping of her sneakers, but also from the scent of lavender as it began to fill the air. By now, Bucky had figured out that the familiar scent was from Natasha's shampoo and he relished being around her after each time she showered, allowing the brief memories to roll over him.

Bucky turned to face Natasha and smiled broadly, scanning her appearance. He could never get over what a knockout she was and her outfit choice today neatly showed it off. From her toned legs and shoulders, to her delicate facial features, she was stunning.