A/N: MAJOR SPOILERS. This story is set in-between the final scenes of Avengers: Endgame. There are major spoilers. You have been warned.

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"I knew Natasha," Bucky said, breaking a comfortable silence that had fallen in the room, "A long time ago, but I knew her."

He and Sam had arranged to meet half an hour after settling in to the resort they'd been seconded to, allowing each other time to freshen up, but both needed to talk. The resort, in the mountains of Colorado, was temporarily closed to the public due to undergoing light renovations between ski season and hiking season. But Happy, acting on behalf of Pepper who was a key shareholder in the parent company, had managed to book out the entire place in two phone calls. The offical debrief had been succinct and to the point but no less painful, and Sam and Bucky had decided they needed something more. They'd ordered room service, then invited Wanda to join them. She was grief-stricken, holding Bucky's hand as they walked back to Sam's room. Carol had seen them, and awkwardly asked to join. More room service had been ordered, and the four sat around Sam's bed.

Despite Tony's passing in front of them, it had been news that Natasha was gone that had hit Bucky the hardest. He tried to rationalise his feelings, telling himself it just shock, but he had never been able to thank her, and now he never would.

"You wanna expand on that one, or you gunna leave it there?" Sam asked.

"I knew her," Bucky breathed, looking out the window to avoid eye-contact. "I - I don't know when. I don't even remember the season. We were in Prague or Vienna or - somewhere old Imperial Eastern Europe. I - so much is blurred, but I remember her."

"Were you friends?" Wanda asked.

"Oh, I think they were more than friends," Sam said, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't remember why I was there," Bucky said, ignoring the others, and not wishing to give Sam the satisfaction of being right, "But I must have been out of programming for a while. I don't know why Natasha was there either. Perhaps I never did. We were in a nice hotel. Nice sheets, room service, turndown service, buffet breakfast, bottles of champagne, chandeliers, marble pillars in the foyer. I - well, I wasn't so young but I think Natasha was. I think it was the first time I was free in 50 years. And for Natasha, maybe the first time in her life. We planned to run away. Go to Australia or New Zealand, somewhere they'd never think to look. I don't know if I completed my mission. For some reason though I went back and I was wiped. I - I don't know if Natasha ever told her handlers. I wouldn't think so. Just - compartmentalise, and put it aside..."

"You loved her," Wanda said.

Bucky nodded. "For some reason, it took her a long time to realise that I was the Winter Soldier. I shot her. Twice. Maybe - maybe the second time, I think - I don't know what to think."

They all sat in silence for a moment.

"I'm sorry, man," Sam said.

Bucky sighed. "You can't judge a man on his worst day. I - I think Natasha said that a long time ago. I thought my cover had been blown, but now - she may have been talking about herself."

"Isn't the arm a bit of a giveaway though?" Carol asked, "Like, can't be that many dudes with a metal arm."

"The world was a weird place. I - I know there were other folks in our line of work with prosthetics like this," Bucky said, holding up his hand. "Guess I always wore a mask while working. Plus I think I had short hair and no beard and we were using pseudonyms. I - I just wish I could tell her now. My memories are so jumbled, but that, those weeks - she's the one speck of gold in the decades of darkness."

Again the room fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Wanna order more chips?" Sam asked, taking the last one.

"Yes, please," Carol said, "And another bowl of wedges? They were good. Really salty. What do you think the burgers are like?"

"We should probably get some sleep," Wanda said quietly.

"I can't," Bucky said.

"I actually think I want more coffee," Sam said, standing up, giving his sore shoulder a rub.

"Let's go talk to the kitchen staff," Carol said, unfolding her legs. "It's amazing how much better earth-coffee is nowadays."

"You guys want anything?"

Bucky shook his head. Wanda just picked st the sheets.

"Ok. We'll be back in a bit. Maybe find some chocolates. See what the kitchen's specialities are."

"Pizza?" Wanda suggested.

"Maybe pizza," Sam gave her a smile as he and Carol left the room.

Wanda moved across the bed to sit beside Bucky.

"You can go to sleep if you want," he said.

She shook her head. "I cannot sleep."

"But you - "

Wanda shrugged, and her eyes filled with tears. "What is the point of having magic if you - you can't..."

"Hey," Bucky said, grabbing the box of tissues from the bedside table and handing them to Wanda. "None of this is on you."

Wanda took a tissue and wiped her eyes. "If I had of been stronger... If I'd been able to take the stone out of Vis... oh, Vis..." she sobbed.

Bucky shuffled closer and tentatively put his arm around her. Wanda lent into him, and Bucky allowed her to cry, rubbing her on the back. "It's not on you," he repeated, to little effect. Bucky allowed his mind to wonder back to the battle in Wakanda, and the one earlier. He wanted to talk to Steve, but Steve was yet to come to the resort, staying behind with Thor and Pepper and a few others. Bucky had needed to get away from the battlefield. He looked down at Wanda, and for a moment wished it was Natasha he was comforting. He didn't doubt for a moment that she would have preferred him to be Vision.

Eventually Wanda pulled herself away from Bucky, and lay down on the pillow beside him.

"Want a drink of water?" Bucky asked.

Wanda nodded, and Bucky climbed off the bed to get it.

"Sam and Carol are taking a while. Maybe the kitchen is busy," Bucky said, making idle talk while he filled up the glass in the bathroom and brought it back to Wanda. She sat up and sculled the glass.

"More?" Bucky asked.

"That's ok," Wanda said, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them. "I would trade the magic for them in a heartbeat," she said, as much to herself as to Bucky. "To see Pietro smile..." Tears run down her cheeks.

Bucky sat back down on the bed. "He was your brother."

"My twin. Our - after - without Vis and Tony and Natasha, I, I'm so - all alone..."

"You don't have to be," Bucky said quietly.

Wanda looked up at him.

"I - I mean, I had three younger siblings," Bucky said, looking at the ceiling, "A very long time ago..."

"I do not want to be alone..." Wanda said.

You're not," Bucky said, holding out his hand.

Wanda took it. "We are still Avengers?"

"I think so," Bucky said.

"Sorry 'bout the wait," Sam said, flinging the door open, "There was - oh. You two ok?"

"Yeah, fine," Bucky said. "Pizza smells real good."

Carol closed the door, "They were a bit slow. Not to mention all the fuss going on downstairs now that the others have arrived."

"Steve's here?" Bucky said.

"And Clint and Thor and T'Challa and - "

"Pepper," Sam sighed.

Wanda bit her lip and closed her eyes.

Carol sat down on the bed and opened the pizza boxes. "Got some napkins," she said, pulling them out of her pocket. "Figured we're all pretty good at making a mess."

Sam, Carol and Wanda all took a bit of pizza. "Someone's gunna have to get me fresh sheets before I can sleep here," Sam said, looking at the crumbs on the bed.

"I'm sure you've slept in worse," Carol said with a mouthful of food.

"Yeah, but they haven't been six-star ski resorts," Sam said. "Next time, we can crash your room."

Carol smiled. "You eating, Buck?"

Bucky blinked. "We have to return the stones, right?"

"Right...?" Sam said.

"It's just - something..."

"What?" Carol asked.

"Barnes, just eat some pizza," Sam yawned.

"Then we really are all getting some sleep. We can top-and-tail it in here if y'all really want, but I am getting some shut-eye as soon as I eat about six slices of pizza and go clean my teeth."

"You said Steve and the others are back?"

"Yeah, but - "

Bucky climbed off the bed. "I'm coming back. Save me a piece."

"Probably not going to happen," Carol said, taking another slice.

"Whatever," Bucky said, just about tripping over his own feet as he raced out of the door, "But I'm coming back!" he called as he flung it shut behind him.

"I wasn't the only one who saw that, right?" Carol asked.

"What is he - ?"

"Hope," Wanda said, her eyes lighting up. "His eyes were full of hope."