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When Arthur held Natasha in his arms, he didn't feel the usual urge to pull away. Instead, the sudden, overwhelming warmth of the embrace made him want to melt into the moment and stay like that forever.
That silent, electric connection forced Arthur to look clearly at the truth within himself. Sharon was right, deep down, he was selfish enough to want both of them. And now, the bitter irony of it all was the only thing he could do: mock the ugly core of his own soul.
"No, I'm the dirty one," Natasha whispered, her voice husky. "I know you already have a girlfriend. I know what I'm doing is wrong, yet I can't stop myself from wanting to be near you. That's the real me… the flawed one."
Arthur shook his head slowly.
"Liking one person isn't wrong. But liking two people, knowing the hurt it causes, is truly wrong."
Natasha looked up at him, her eyes searching. Arthur's gaze was full of a quiet sense of sadness.
"The moment I was sure of this, I already became a bad man."
"You're the best," Natasha insisted, cupping his face with sincere conviction. "You're the best, Arthur!"
"I'll end up hurting two people who love me," Arthur replied, the words a raw confession. "How can I be called the best? The good ones are you two… the bad one is me."
A sudden shame welled up in his chest.
Two pure hearts were tied to his ugly, complicated soul. Arthur wondered if his past life really had saved the universe, but did a person like him truly deserve their devotion?
"No, you won't hurt her, and I won't," Natasha said, her voice firm. "All my life, I have only asked to stay by your side, nothing more. She will never know, and she cannot know. To her, you are just… that."
Arthur's pupils contracted sharply.
"That's unfair."
"This is fairness," Natasha countered, staring directly into his eyes, her conviction absolute.
Arthur clenched his teeth, a muscle twitching in his jaw.
"I will solve this. I will solve it…"
Natasha frowned, about to speak, but Arthur gently waved her off, stepping back to create a small, necessary distance.
"No more talk. I'll handle it. Until then, everything stops here."
"I understand."
Natasha took a deep breath, released him, and stepped back further.
"But I suddenly realize neither she nor I can stay with you forever. In the endless years ahead, you'll seek new companions. It's too early to say this, but… I hope that when that day comes, you'll accept that person quickly. Don't live in your memories… don't torment yourself."
Arthur rubbed his face, trying to scrub away the sudden, unexpected weight of her words.
"Too far… too far… Can we change the subject?"
"Then talk about Hela?" she offered wryly.
"…Can we change the subject again?"
"What should we talk about, then?" Natasha asked.
Arthur thought for a moment, then said,
"There's something I'm not sure I'm handling correctly… I hope you can help me."
"What is it?" Natasha asked, her focus immediately shifting to him.
"It's the thing I originally wanted to tell you."
"The thing you originally wanted to tell me… wasn't it about us?" Natasha asked, puzzled.
"…I said it wasn't… wait, didn't you know about Hela before? Did I miss something?" Arthur suddenly realized the bizarre path their conversation had taken.
"What was I supposed to have noticed? Didn't you just suddenly bring that up yourself?" Natasha's confusion was genuine. "What is actually going on with you, Arthur?"
"There must have been a bizarre misunderstanding between us that sent our conversation careening off on a weird tangent," Arthur muttered, scratching his head. "The thing I wanted to talk to you about was obviously Tony."
"What about Tony?" Natasha asked, her professional calm returning.
Arthur fell silent for a moment, then began explaining the entire situation from the beginning, the past, the secrets, the Winter Soldier, and the terrible realization.
After listening, Natasha was stunned too.
She hadn't anticipated a situation this layered or painful.
"How can it be… so complicated?" Natasha was dazed for a good while. "What can possibly be done about this?"
"That's exactly it, I don't know. I've already explained everything clearly to Tony. As for how it ultimately gets resolved, that's really not something I can interfere with," Arthur said. "On top of that, there's Steve. My relationship with Bucky is secondary, but Steve and he have been friends since childhood. Their bond is close enough that Steve would die in Bucky's place. Faced with this situation now, I can't predict how things will develop at all. When Bucky finally comes back, I just don't know how I'm supposed to face the final outcome between him and Tony..."
Having said all this in one breath, Arthur rubbed his head sorrowfully. "It's impossible to please everyone. And if the result of all this turns out to be tragic, how am I supposed to face Steve?"
Natasha looked at Arthur's tormented profile. After a moment of heavy silence, she walked over to him, picked up his hand, and placed it against her cheek. "I was wondering… are you trying to be God?"
"Huh?"
Arthur paused. "What do you mean?"
"No one can make everything perfect, because perfection is something that doesn't exist in this world," Natasha said, her voice a calm anchor. "Human perfection is always judged by us, which means someone will always find flaws in it. Unless you want to be omnipotent, you shouldn't waste your effort trying to cover every single base."
"Stick to your principles. Do what you think is right." Natasha looked into Arthur's eyes, demanding his attention. "No one will blame you. You've already done everything you could. If Bucky comes back, whatever the outcome, it's his choice. Actually, the best thing about you is that you gave everyone a chance. Tony has the chance to choose whether to seek revenge and enough time to consider if it's right, rather than making a snap decision in the heat of the moment. And Bucky... you restored his memories, allowing him to face his own life. That is enough, isn't it?"
After listening, Arthur gently rubbed his temples, a sense of weary acceptance setting in. "Perhaps. I have… done my best."
Natasha offered a small, knowing smile. Then, remembering the file she had been holding, she bit her lip, picked it up, and said, "Instead of agonizing over this, let's think about something more important."
(End of Chapter)