It's easier to listen to the full story with Natasha. He doesn't think there's any way she's disconnected from the situation, but she's not close to it in quite the same way as Steve, and her explanation is sharp and concise. She lays out events, and pauses to let him ask questions, press for details. He gets most of them, he thinks, but he has no way to know. This is a favor, so he returns it with trust. She's lied to him plenty already, but he would be hard pressed to say that he wouldn't lie out of loyalty to Steve, or out of a desire to protect those he cares about from harm.
He thinks of Peggy, of what Steve had quietly confessed to him, and wonders if it isn't better that she'll never know what became of all her work. It's too dark of a thought to be comforting. None of this is a silver lining, but it's what he needs to confront.
She talks about the Winter Soldier with less certainty. Even for someone as careful and meticulous as Natasha, he seems to be more myth than person. She can list some of his likely targets, a couple of names Bucky even remembers from the history books he's been working through. A general, drowned in his pool. A diplomat, found hanging from his balcony. He drinks deeply.
There isn't much to say when she's through. His head is pounding, and he really doubts that it's the wine, but he leans forward anyway, arms against his knees, and lets the whole story settle into place. The future itself, even knowing he wouldn't be a part of it, had always been an exciting prospect, at least. Now there's this. He's silent for a while before he speaks again.
"You kept all of this from me, the whole time..." There's no accusation in his tone, despite the words. He's had plenty of time to be angry already, and that's the least of it. He looks up at her. "If I asked you to keep it from the rest of them, would you?"
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He thinks of Peggy, of what Steve had quietly confessed to him, and wonders if it isn't better that she'll never know what became of all her work. It's too dark of a thought to be comforting. None of this is a silver lining, but it's what he needs to confront.
She talks about the Winter Soldier with less certainty. Even for someone as careful and meticulous as Natasha, he seems to be more myth than person. She can list some of his likely targets, a couple of names Bucky even remembers from the history books he's been working through. A general, drowned in his pool. A diplomat, found hanging from his balcony. He drinks deeply.
There isn't much to say when she's through. His head is pounding, and he really doubts that it's the wine, but he leans forward anyway, arms against his knees, and lets the whole story settle into place. The future itself, even knowing he wouldn't be a part of it, had always been an exciting prospect, at least. Now there's this. He's silent for a while before he speaks again.
"You kept all of this from me, the whole time..." There's no accusation in his tone, despite the words. He's had plenty of time to be angry already, and that's the least of it. He looks up at her. "If I asked you to keep it from the rest of them, would you?"