You are the only one that understand (Bucky & Natasha)

Part 6

"Soldier, punish this ungrateful child! Can you do it? ... Now! That's an order!... Oh, you useless shit, you will pay for this later!" My father's voice boomed, directed at the man standing beside him, dressed in all black with a gleaming metal arm. I recognized him; I'd heard stories. But I had thought he was the perfect soldier, one who unquestioningly obeyed orders. Yet my dad's patience with him was wearing thin.

"Very well, I will take care of it myself!" My father raised his hand, and I instinctively curled into a protective ball, drawing my knees closer to my chest. I shut my eyes, bracing myself for another searing blow, but nothing happened.

Slowly, I opened my eyes to witness a terrifying sight: the man had a vice-like grip on my father's throat, gradually cutting off his air supply. I met the man's vacant eyes and detected the anguish within them. It wasn't the same as my pain – it wasn't physical. He was hurting from within, not wanting to do this, much like me. Yet he found his voice and addressed me in flawless Russian, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Turn around, Natalia." I didn't comprehend how he knew my name, but I had learned not to question such things. I was also well aware of the consequences of defying authority figures. So, I obeyed his command and listened to the all-too-familiar sound of a neck breaking. My father crumpled to the ground, lifeless and devoid of any signs of vitality.

"Oh God, Natasha, I'm so sorry." Steve reached out for my hands, but I shook my head and offered a smile."Don't worry, Steve. That day is actually one of the best days of my life.""What?" I understood that it might be hard for him to comprehend, especially if he hadn't experienced abusive parents. Confusion was evident on his face."I despised that man, and his death brought me immense joy. I don't care if it makes me seem like a terrible person. He was responsible for everything I detested about myself. I was elated when he died.""You're not a bad person, Natasha. He hurt you, forced you into the Red Room, I can understand...""I don't think you truly grasp it, but thank you. Well, I was happy, but the guards who burst into the room moments later were less impressed. They took him away. I overheard them saying he would be punished for it, and I honestly couldn't imagine anything else.""I assume that wasn't the end of it." He raised an eyebrow, giving me a playfully skeptical look."No, have you had your fill of revelations already, Rogers?" I attempted to tease him, sporting a smirk and pretending to keep my composure. It probably wouldn't last if I kept going, though."Not at all. I'm still surprised by how much more of your history you're sharing.""Trust me, you're really not prepared for this.""Well then, keep catching me off guard, Romanoff.""I didn't see the Winter Soldier after that day for years. Looking back, I realize now that they must have put him back into cryo, but I didn't know that then. I didn't know he didn't want to be there. So when the time came for the other girls' final exams, that's when I saw him again. I was about 12 at that point. But he didn't even spare me a glance as he walked past, as if he had never seen me in his life.""He was wiped." Pain, sadness, and a hint of self-blame washed over the super soldier's face."Yes, he was. He didn't remember me. Yet, for some reason, he never stopped watching out for me. I endured a lot of bullying. The other girls called me weird because I was much smaller than the rest of them and because my hair was red, unlike anyone else's. They claimed I was cursed because my parents had died and somehow it was my fault. Of course, they didn't know the truth about my father, but rumors spread quickly. While normal schools tried to combat bullying, in the Red Room, it was actively encouraged. So, one day, while some girls were tormenting me in the hallway, he walked by."