Don't Say Yes
"You ready for this?"
She spun around, heart hammering in her chest, ready to slam the door shut on his knuckles. But then she saw him standing there, cleanly shaven for the first time in who knew how long. His hair had been trimmed, shorter than she was used to seeing it. But it looked good.
He looked good.
"You know the rules, you shouldn't be here." She whispered, but her voice lacked conviction.
He smiled, slow and familiar, eyes sweeping over her. Like she was a memory he wasn't ready to let go off. Natalia ran a trembling hand down the satin of her skirt, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles. The fabric was too nice for her. Soft, with a slight shimmer in the light.
He stepped in further, the door creaking as he shut it. Their last bit of privacy before vows were said. His white button down was crisp, tucked into tailored black trousers that fit him like a glove. HIs tie hung loose around his neck, untied and defiant, like he was seconds away from undoing it all.
"What if I told you I don't care about those old rules?" His voice was low and daring. His gaze caught on her hair, half up half cascading in soft curls over her shoulders, with delicate pearls pinning pieces into place. "Wow... You look stunning."
A deep blush crept across her cheeks. She looked down, brushing one of the stray curls behind her ear, pretending she didn't notice the way he was staring at her.
He took her hands gently, his thumbs tracing calming circles over the back of hers. The temperature difference between his left and right hands was drastic, but with one made from metal it was to be expected. "I don't think I have ever seen you so nervous."
"I'm fine." She lied, inhaling a deep breath.
"If you don't feel ready for this..." He trailed off, searching her face. "You don't have to go through with it."
She nodded, her emotions were a storm, insides crashing in wave after wave.
"Thank you for the out." She whispered with a half laugh. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"We could run." He murmured, lips brushing against the shell of her ear. "Right now. Elope, just you and me."
She let out a sharp laugh and gave his shoulder a playful slap, though her voice wavered. "Don't tempt me."
He smiled once more, softer this time. He backed away, slowly letting her hands fall from his. "I'll see you in there."
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She gripped the bouquet so tightly her knuckles turned white, her finger nails bit into the green stems beneath the satin ribbon. The music swelled, too grand, too cruel, as the heavy doors swung open. The small crowd rose in unison. Every face turned towards her, expectant, judging, trapping her beneath his gaze.
But all she could see was him.
His tie was finally knotted. His dark suit fit him like a glove. He looked like a prince carved from a dream—elegant, noble, and heartbreakingly beyond her reach. His eyes found hers the moment she stepped into the aisle, and for a split second, the whole world stopped. It was just the two of them, the smile tugging at his lips, full of the things neither could say.
It was just the two of them again.
The smile that tugged at his lips was small, almost imperceptible, but it was real. It said everything neither of them could. It said, I see you. I remember. I love you.
She wanted to run to him, to fall in his arms. To agree to run. But she couldn't.
She forced her gaze forward, chin lifted. She had to focus. To remember why she was here. Why she was doing this.
To look at her groom.
To pretend this was what she wanted.
If only to save her soldier.
Her heart broke a little more with each step closer. Each step away from him. She finally met Alexei's eyes. Forcing a fake smile, his own didn't reach his eyes. But it was filled with greed, knowing he had won. If her soldier was the prince then Alexei was the wolf at the edge of the woods, smirking and blood thirsty. Ready to enjoy his prize.
She walked forward, each step a betrayal masked in grace, toward the man she would marry.
The man who wasn't him.
From the corner of her eye she could see the smile drop from his face, realizing it was happening no matter what he tempted her with, until this point they could both pretend it wasn't true. But now...
The light glinted off the gun held at his back to prevent him from acting out. She straightened her shoulders and blinked back tears as she stepped up to the alter.
The words of the officiant felt far off as they blurred together. Meaningless, just another cruel joke in their fairytale.
This wedding wasn't for love. It was punishment, a warning. A spectacle.
A lesson in consequences.
Alexei didn't need vows or rings to claim her. But he wanted this ceremony, for her soldier to witness. For her to suffer.
"If anyone has objections, speak now or forever hold your peace." The words drew her attention. She closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing. Counting down the seconds until it would end.
She dared a glance towards him, his jaw was clenched. Fingers flexing and unflexing. Her eyes pleaded with him. She gave the tiniest shake of her head.
Don't be a hero. Not today. Please.
But he didn't listen. His was voice was sharp and unwavering.
"I object."
It was cold. Clear. Final.
The air snapped.
No. No. No!
He stumbled, eyes wide in shock, hand flying to his chest as blood blossomed across the white of his shirt.
"NO!"
Her scream ripped through the cathedral, raw and animal. The bouquet fell from her hands. She didn't feel the flowers scatter or the skirts tangling around her legs as she ran.
She only saw him. Surely they wouldn't kill the Winter Soldier. The KGB would wage war.
But then he hit the ground.