The Mimic

124

"So yeah, you didn't miss much!" Natasha joked sarcastically, leaning against her seat on the quinjet.

Nat, Steve, Sam, Scott, and Wanda had told y/n everything that had occurred during the time that she was locked up. From the Sokovia Accords, to Bucky getting framed and brainwashed by Zemo, to Tony finding out who killed his parents, to Zemo finally getting caught. Now all of Steve's team were war criminals that were on the run. How fun.

Y/n was almost a little upset that she'd missed it all, but it was probably for the best that she wasn't there. Seeing Bucky under control of the code words would've been horrible. Especially since y/n still had nightmares about the time she almost killed Bucky. She couldn't imagine how he'd react if it were the other way around. Being a war criminal wasn't anything new to y/n. She'd been under the radar for practically her whole life, it wasn't going to be hard to do it again. 

She laughed weakly at Nat, a happy but tired smile plastered across her face. "Oh yeah, doesn't seem like much at all!" She teased with a shrug. Y/n was exhausted. Completely exhausted. And rightly so, she hadn't slept properly in a long, long time. The nightmares were too intense. But succumbing to sleep felt like such a nice idea, especially now that she was surrounded by the team. She wasn't alone anymore. 

Natasha smiled fondly at y/n's laugh, busy wrapping her hands in bandages. Fighting all of those guards definitely wasn't easy, but Nat would do it over and over again for y/n. She'd missed her so much. It just hadn't been the same without her stupid comments and random dance sessions in the mornings. But, Nat knew that it would take a while to get y/n back to her happy self. She could see how exhausted she was by just her eyes. "Have a nap, y/n. I'm sure that nobody will mind. We still have a few hours before we reach Bucky, anyway." She hummed in a gentle tone, standing up out of her seat to sit down beside y/n. "Here, you can use me as a pillow. Laying across the seats isn't very comfortable."

"Are you sure?" Y/n asked with cautious eyes. She didn't want to be a nuisance. There was nothing worse than being stuck in one position. But of course Nat insisted, leading to y/n resting her head on her lap. She fell asleep faster than she expected, especially after struggling to sleep for so many months. But the background noise of the team talking seemed to really help in drowning out the voices in her head. Her cheek was smushed against Natasha's leg, one arm hanging off the edge of the seats whilst the other had a gentle hold on her necklace.  

God, she was so grateful for Nat. She was like the big sister that she never had. Always there for her, always supporting her, always making her smile. It was so nice. Hearing her voice over the speakers was going to be something that she'd never forget. The amount of relief and excitement that she had felt was something that she couldn't even explain. Throughout everything that y/n had been through, Nat had always stuck by her side. Hell, she'd even punched Steve in the face for being rude to y/n. Nat was amazing.

Y/n had only managed to sleep for an hour or so, but that was alright. She had woken up to Scott and Sam singing along to whatever random song was playing on the speakers, with Scott using a disinfectant bottle as a microphone as he danced around. Wanda had the widest smile on her face as she stayed sat on her chair, busy picking the next song for them to sing along to. Steve was trying his hardest to stay focused on flying the quinjet, but he was desperate to turn around and watch whatever was going on behind him. Natasha watched it all with a fond smile, both hands gently playing with y/n's hair. If it were different circumstances, and if Peter were there, they would've joined in on singing along. God, y/n had missed all of this.

Around halfway through the flight, the team decided to stop and get food. Of course it had to be a quick trip so they didn't get caught, but the small amount of stress was worth it. It was probably the only time the whole quinjet had been silent. All happily enjoying their food. Y/n was definitely the one that enjoyed it the most, she'd decided to go for her classic cheeseburger, and she didn't regret it for a second. God, she'd forgotten how good food was. She was so used to the same bland meal every day, so the burger was more than amazing for her. If she could've had ten burgers, she would've. 

As they neared closer and closer to Wakanda (where Bucky currently was), the nerves begun to kick in for y/n. She wasn't sure why, she was desperate to see him. But she was so, so nervous. They hadn't seen one another in so long. What if he'd moved on? What if their love just wasn't there anymore? No. The team wouldn't take her to him if Bucky had fallen out of love. She almost felt like a teenager with their first love, nervous and giddy to see him again. 

She took a shaky breath, her knee bouncing anxiously as she fiddled with her necklace. Just the idea of him filled her with butterflies and nerves. However, a hand on her knee quickly grabbed her attention. It was Natasha, smiling reassuringly at her. "You'll be fine. You and I both know that." She hummed, swatting y/n's hand away from her necklace. "So stop stressing, or otherwise I'm going to have to fix that necklace again." Nat teased, watching as a small smile appeared on y/n's face. Seeing her so nervous over seeing Bucky again just made Nat's heart warm. She wished she could have a love like y/n and Bucky's. "Do you want me to walk out there with you? I'm not joining in on the hug, though." 

Y/n laughed slightly, resting her hand on her lap after Nat swatted it away. "Yes please." She murmured nervously. It was nearing closer and closer to landing in Wakanda and seeing Bucky, yet she almost wished she had more time. She looked like a mess, and she wanted their reunion to be as perfect as possible. But of course there was no way she could shower or change her outfit now, there wasn't enough time.

"Here we are, y/n!" Steve announced as the quinjet landed, turning around to face her with a reassuring smile.