eighty-five.
Bucky's day started with his phone ringing off the fucking hook and a frantic Steve half-yelling at him on the other end of it. From what he could gather, Rumlow had managed to escape in Bucky's absence and they couldn't find him, so they needed him to come back and help them find him because he was probably the one who knew Rumlow's habits the best.
He tried to argue that he couldn't just leave Peter, especially now, but he knew that he needed to help them. Even though it meant leaving Peter for a little bit, he knew that Steve was right. He did know the Hydra Rumlow the best, and everyone knew it. Of course, he didn't like it, being the one they could call with a Hydra problem because he had "inside knowledge", but he supposed it happened to be useful sometimes.
Now he just had to figure out how on Earth he could manage to break the news to Peter that he was going to be leaving, despite promising Peter just yesterday that he wasn't going to leave his side. He had to figure out how to live with being that asshole of a deadbeat parent that abandons their child in their time of need.
He found Peter in his room, staring blankly at the wall. He sighed. "Hey, Pete?"
Peter looked up with a smile. "Hey, what's up?"
So, Bucky broke the news as gently as he could. He only told Peter that he was needed for a mission back in the States, but it should take him a couple of weeks. Peter seemed to understand and only seemed slightly bummed out.
He said okay, but asked Bucky to please pick up some of his stuff from home if they were going to be stuck in Wakanda. They were most likely going to be here for a long time at this rate, with so much goddamn crime and now the baby, so Bucky agreed without hesitation and asked Peter to write him a list of the things he wanted to be brought back.
While Peter did that, he made his way back to his own room to prepare himself and call Steve back.
Peter sat on his bed and used his leg as a table for the small notepad he was scribbling in. He didn't want to ask for a whole lot, but he lived here now and he probably wouldn't see New York for a long time as it was. So he just jotted down some of his clothes and his favorite blanket and the dog tags from the hidden compartment and most importantly- underlined thrice- the mp3 player that Wade gave to him.
He made sure to get the note to Bucky before he was finished packing, and the man thanked him with a kiss on the top of the head. Peter couldn't deny that knowing that he was going to be alone here in Wakanda scared him immensely, so much so that he wanted to cry at just the thought of Bucky abandoning him, even if it was necessary.
And Bucky hated it too. Leaving Peter alone was the last thing that he wanted to do, but he kept promising Peter that he'd be back soon and he'd bring Steve so they could spend some time together again and be close as family. He promised to bring Rebecca back with him so that Peter could have some company, and that he'd make sure to talk to MJ while he was there to let her know how to reach Peter.
And Peter did his very best to hold back his tears as he stood next to Okoye as Bucky boarded the jet out of Wakanda, and he tried so hard but the moment the doors closed and Okoye was touching his shoulder all kind and gentle like, he was bursting into tears. And he felt weak but he'd spent so much time apart from his family, and he was the last of his bloodline for the time being and the rest of his new family was so far away and it all just hurt so badly.
Peter had always hated being alone, but now all he ever really was was alone. He couldn't stand it. Okoye offered to walk him to the Princess' lab and he accepted as quickly as he could, damn sounding needy.
Okoye's head was held high as they walked into the palace and despite that, she wasn't looking down on Peter or being condescending of his sadness. She seemed to understand very well. They passed the King in the halls and Peter bowed his head, partly of respect, and partly to hide his sleep-deprived and tear-stained face.
T'Challa, however, handed him a tissue with a gentle smile and said, in a very soft voice, "It is okay to cry. You are in an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar faces. It is only natural to be frightened and sad. But we are here, and we are going to keep you both safe until your father returns."
Peter thanked him softly and wiped his tears before continuing with Okoye to the lab.
When they arrived, his jaw dropped at the giant room filled with all kinds of technology that he'd never seen before.
And his breath caught in this throat when he laid eyes on her for the first time. Because there she was in all of her brains and beauty, Princess Shuri.