seventy-eight.
Eddie offered Bucky a half ate candy bar from his jacket pocket. It was slightly warm, a little bent, but it was probably all they had until Wade returned from wherever the hell he managed to escape to.
He took it, grateful, chocolate always seemed to do the trick for just about everything. He didn't really think there was a wrong time for chocolate. He took a bite and hummed a little before looking to the tired man beside him. "My apologies, my introduction seems to have been interrupted by some C4, my name is-"
"James Barnes. I know."
He nodded, "From the news, huh?"
He was a little shocked when the guy shook his head no. "No dude, from the museums, from the history."
"Nah, I don't think I made it into much of that..." Bucky knew what this was. It was flattery, being used in a way to distract from one of his earlier questions. Bucky knew the signs, he was no idiot. This man had a secret, and that was dangerous. He made easy work of changing the subject to something else, a common factor.
"How did you get Peter his healing abilities back?"
It was Eddie's turn to look confused. "How'd you uh, h-how'd you know it was me, exactly?"
Bucky smirks and takes another bite from the candy bar. "I didn't, until just now, but I had a hunch. It's amazing you're so good at your job, falling for a trick like that."
"Can't say I've had 70 years of practice either, sir."
Bucky scoffed a little, "You don't have to call me 'sir' you know?"
"Mr. Barnes, then, I-" The man paused and wiped his hands on his sweat-stained jacket before excusing himself from the room. Too tired to pursue him, Bucky just sighed and turned to look at Peter's now nearly entirely healed face. It was no secret he had his powers back, especially now.
It was less of a secret to Bucky because he's the one who helped Peter inject the damn serum in the first place. This boy was the physical embodiment of Steve Rogers' recklessness and Tony Stark's genius all tightly wrapped up in one little body and two giant blankets. He ran his only remaining hand through the boy's knotted hair.
"I wanted to keep you away from this life, kid... Seems like all we've done is drag you into it... No more, Petey. I want you to be done with this. Powers or not, I want you as far away from this as possible... If I have to move you to Alaska, I will, you hear?" He sighed and shook his head. "Maybe not that far, but I want you safe, and I know Tony and Steve do too, hell, they all do... I'm gonna get you out of this life... I promise."
When the door opened again, Peter was still sleeping, but Eddie was beckoning him out into the hallway. Slowly, he agreed, wondering what the hell this could be about. He quietly made his way after Eddie, who led him just down the hallway and into a small waiting area.
"Mr. Barnes, this is who we've been waiting for, this is-"
The man stood, a soft smile on his face. "King T'Challa, of Wakanda."
And Bucky suddenly realized that he was standing here in front of literal royalty looking nothing shy of a fucking hobo and his cheeks flushed as he reached his hand out to shake, "Your Highness, a pleasure."
The king shakes his hand firmly, though his face shows nothing but politeness. "I was told you may be in need of some help. Wakanda's borders are not currently open to outsiders, but I believe in this case I can make an exception, should you choose to accept."
And Bucky's head was spinning, not just from the pain coursing through his body, but from trying to wrap his head around what the hell this guy was even saying to him, his words weren't exactly registering properly. T'Challa glanced back to a woman sat on the seat next to where he'd just been and she shrugged a little before crossing her arms. Bucky could already tell that she would be a force to be reckoned with, should he piss her off somehow and it freaked him out a little.
The king took one look at his face and chuckled, "Do not mind Okoye. She doesn't bite... Always."
Bucky didn't feel any better but he appreciated the humor, staying silent to allow the prince to continue. "I'm here to offer a place for you and your young son inside of our borders. I can offer you safety, a sense of normality, jobs, a home. Anything you might need for the time you stay with us."
Bucky knew when a deal sounded too good to be true, and this did just that. "What's the catch?"
T'Challa looked momentarily put-off before recovering. "I merely wish to offer you a home with us... In return for assistance from your son."
"Assistance?"
"Your son is nothing short of a genius, and although my own sister is very smart on her own, she has wished for a second opinion, and mine will not do."
"So you came here because you want my son to work for you?"
"That is only a bonus, should you accept. My offer still exists if he does not wish to assist. "
And Bucky had to consider it. Of course, he did. A safe place for Peter? A mostly normal life? It's all he's wanted for the boy since he came into his care, but of course, he wasn't Peter's only parent. He couldn't just decide on his own.
"Would you mind if I waited for my fiance to come? I'd like to see how he feels about this."
"Of course. Okoye and I will venture to the Starbucks..." He glanced to the woman who nodded, "Down the street while you deliberate with your partner. Take all the time you need, we're here for the week."
And with that, they left, not looking back once, and smiling at everyone as they passed. And Bucky's only coherent thought as he watched them go was, What in the fuck just happened?