Chapter 66: Full Moon
September 6, 2017
Luce assumed the offer to join the Moon Meal was just a polite invitation, but when the night actually came there were three children on their front porch babbling in a mix of English and Wakandan and dragging them out of the house. Bucky was barely showered and Luce was still trying to consolidate the things she studied that day, but the children didn't care. Apata and his siblings held their hands all the way to their village, and the two former super soldier assassins had no choice but to follow along.
The village was a flurry of activity as they entered, the sunset painting everything gold and bronze as the people set up drums and seats. Smoke rose from pits, the smell of barbecuing meat making her mouth water and turning one corner of the village hazy. She wasn't a bad cook, but this was something more, something better, something she could never recreate.
For a split second Luce was afraid that her enhanced senses were going to betray her and overwhelm her, but with the open sky above them and Bucky by her side, it was easy to fall into the melee. When she reached over and took his hand, it was because she wanted to be close to him, not because she needed him as a lifeline.
"Ah, you came!" Onokowe, the man from the community center, greeted them with open arms. His husband smiled from behind him, giving them a shy wave. Onokowe grasped their hands in turn.
"Of course, we wouldn't miss it." Bucky said with a smile. Luce couldn't help but grin as well; something about seeing the community move like a well oiled machine helped relax the tension in her stomach. It reminded her of their days back in the military, though the reason for the assembly was much happier.
"Good! Come, come. You must prepare." he said, shepherding them towards a group of young women seated cross legged on a carpet. They beckoned for Luce and Bucky to join them, waving with beautifully dark skin painted in white and gold and green. The women all had intricate braids, with ribbons weaved through and shining beads adorning the ends that clicked pleasantly whenever they moved, which was often.
"Sit, sit." the nearest said in Wakandan, patting the area in front of her. Luce followed her instruction; she had been practicing the language as much as possible for the past month, and now she knew it almost as well as Bucky. Almost. Another woman joined as the first shifted, sitting so their knees were touching. Luce fought the urge to put more space between them.
"Hold still. Kiala will do your paint." another woman said, her deft hands running through Luce's blonde hair. The left side was still a little shorter than the rest of it after Hydra shaved it, but it was long enough to pass. As she started braiding, the first woman sat in front of her with bowls of paint.
"Close your eyes. Xenda, don't pull her hair so tight, you'll stretch her skin and mess up my work." she said, which did not help Luce relax. She took a deep breath, glancing to Bucky one carpet over. He already had his eyes closed, the women working on his hair and trying to paint around the scruff on his jaw. She obeyed, if only so she didn't have to witness other women being so close to him. Jealousy was one of her weaknesses; she knew this before the serum, but it reminded her at the most inopportune times.
"That is your husband?" Xenda asked. She was remarkably gentle as she worked, and Luce couldn't help but allow the tension to ease, just a little.
"Yes." she said, because it was too difficult to explain that they didn't have time to get married before getting captured and brainwashed by Hydra. She absentmindedly ran her thumb over the inside crease of her ring finger, still searching for the cool metal that was long gone.
"You have nothing to fear." Kiala said. Her strokes were slow and confident, and the paint was cool and pliable instead of sticky like Luce anticipated. "Bana and Zashura have no interest in him."
"Oh?" she asked, figuring that it would be because of how different he looked compared to the other men in the village. Or perhaps because they were afraid of him. Or perhaps because they were afraid of her.
"You on the other hand, they might invite for a dance." she finished, using a word for dance that often had a double meaning. Even with her eyes closed, Luce could hear the smile.
"Oh." she said, the one word making her new friends dissolve into giggles. She saw the opportunity for a joke, and decided to take it. "Even if I remembered how to dance, I've never danced with another woman. They wouldn't want to teach me."
"I disagree, but based on how your man is looking over here, I don't think he would be open to the idea." Xenda said through her laughter. Luce opened one eye and found Bucky looking over at them, one eyebrow raised. Kiala looked over too, howling with laughter as she caught his expression.
"Oh, the White Wolf does not like to share, hm?" she said, patting Luce's thigh affectionately.
"We're very…protective of each other." Luce said, hoping that explanation was good enough. If she was honest, she couldn't describe with words how deep their loyalty ran, both romantically and otherwise. The woman behind her made a noise low in her throat, some sort of implication that Luce didn't understand.
"I see. Loyalty is admirable." she said. "He must be very attentive for you to stay so close to him."
"Extremely." Luce said, not realizing until they were giggling again that she did not mean it in the literal sense. Apparently that was another Wakandan word that had more than one meaning.
"Good for you. You can open your eyes now." Kiala said, giving her thigh another pat. She started painting over Luce's neck and collar bones with practiced ease.
"And do you have anyone?" Luce asked, not sure how to word the question correctly in the new language. That was the struggle of learning the old fashioned way: at times, she only knew one way to say something.
"Heh, she wishes." Xenda said lowly, reflexively dodging behind Luce to avoid any retaliation from Kiala. Kiala, with Luce between them and her bowls of paint in her lap, could do nothing but glare angrily.
"I do not wish for him." she snapped, and even Luce, with minimal knowledge of the language and no knowledge of the man in question, knew that it was a lie.
"How long has she been wishing?" she asked, trying the new word out. Kiala's jaw dropped, a sharp noise coming out of her mouth.
"Not you too-"
"For ages!" Xenda said, drawing the second word out. "I keep telling her to just make a move, but she won't. She's a baby fawn, to afraid to take the step."
"I am not!" Kiala said. Her brush strokes were a little more aggressive now, and Luce reached up to gently touch her elbow. "Sorry, She-wolf, sorry. Tell her she's being stupid."
"I can't do that." Luce said.
"What? Why not?" Kiala said, crossing her arms over her chest and nearly smudging her own paint.
"Because I agree with her." she said with a shrug. "Trust me, don't waste time. It's very precious."
"You sound like the old ones." Kiala continued with her painting now, going over Luce's shoulders and upper arms.
"I am an old one." Luce said.
"What, thirty-five?" Xenda asked, giving one of Luce's new braids an affectionate tug. "Oh yes, so old."
"Feels like I'm ninety-four." Luce said, grinning to herself at the joke. Kiala and Xenda laughed too, shaking their heads. "So trust me."
"Old and married and so full of wisdom." Kiala murmured, now going down the lines of gold with little white dots. She paused, looking down at Luce's left hand. Without saying anything, she did one more swipe of gold across her ring finger, adding tiny, decorative dots to it before going back to her original work.
"I've learned a thing or two over the years, yes." she said. She glanced over at Bucky again; his face was now painted, and the ladies were done with his hair. He looked absolutely ridiculous, but he was smiling and laughing at something they said, the perfect picture of contentment. She turned back to Kiala. "I almost waited too long. So take it from me: life moves to fast. You have to go for what you want."
"Exactly, I agree." Xenda said, finishing her work. Luce reached a hand up, feeling her hair. They weren't the same braids the other women had (obviously), but they pulled her hair away from her face and kept it from moving when the breeze rushed through the village.
"Well, I'll think about it. I guess." Kiala said, putting the finishing touches on the paints. "For now, it is almost time to eat, so you have to go."
She beckoned past her, and another woman came and helped Luce up. Bucky joined her, reaching with a grin and tugging a braid.
"You look beautiful." he said, and the way he looked at her turned her cheeks red in a way that had nothing to do with the heat of the fires.
"Thank you. You look rather handsome yourself." she said, slathering on as much innuendo as she could. He took her hand in his, one of his fingers tracing across her palm and sending shivers down her spine.
"White Wolf!" Luce wasn't sure which of the kids called to him, but all of them came trampling through the crowd to jump on him. His face absolutely lit up and he leaned into their tackle, acting as if they were making him struggle. The smallest girl, unable to get into the wrestle with the boys, ran to Luce's side and hugged her leg. Luce leaned down and picked her up, balancing her on her hip.
"Well, don't you look beautiful." Luce said to her, making the girl giggle.
"She-Wolf, you learned!" she said. She patted Luce's head. "So smart."
"Sometimes." Luce agreed. "Do you know what we're doing tonight?"
"It's Moon Meal!" she squealed. "We eat and we dance. Are you going to dance with me?"
She used a different word from the women earlier, but Luce couldn't help but smile. "I don't know the steps."
"You learn fast. You'll be okay." the girl said sagely. She kicked her legs, squirming out of Luce's hold. "But now it's time to eat!"
"Lead the way." Luce said. She grabbed both boys around their middles, hauling them over her shoulder as their sister started running. They tried to escape, but her vice grip was iron tight, and they were yelling so fast in Wakandan that she couldn't understand. Bucky got up, dusting his clothes off.
"Thank God you were here, they nearly got me." he said.
"The great White Wolf, nearly taken down by children." Luce teased, finally letting them down. They ran after their sister as well, and Luce and Bucky weaved through the crowd towards the smoking pits. People were coming away from it with plates of meat and flatbread, the smell absolutely intoxicating.
"I'm not the man I used to be." he said. She looked over to him, but instead of finding him pensive, or sad, he looked…light. The fading sun made his blue eyes sparkle in a way she hadn't seen in decades. She leaned in, bumping her shoulder against his, and he turned that smile on her.
"You know, there's supposed to be dancing tonight." she said, cutting in with the Wakandan word. He raised his eyebrows.
"Really?" he said. They joined the line for the food, and for once they weren't clocking every person and every movement around them. They only had eyes for each other.
"That's what I've heard."
"Your new friends tell you that?"
"Yes. They were very interested in how well you could dance."
He raised his brows further. "And what did you say?"
"Darling, that's just between us girls."
"You're a little minx, you know that?"
"Only when I want to be."
Bucky let out a playful growl, tugging her close so he could kiss the side of her head. For just a second, she was able to let go of everything and just be a woman with her man, enjoying a night out at a party. This was how things were supposed to be.
They got their food and joined Apata and his family at their circle, managing to sit and eat the delicious, savory concoction while the kids ran every which way. She truly saw the phrase it takes a village come to life in the way their friends let the little ones visit each other, many kids they didn't know stopping and talking to them too. It made Luce's heart ache, but she forced the feeling down with more food. They could still find a way to have a family, but neither of them were ready for it right then.
After dinner, their hosts handed them small, clay cups. Luce noticed that only the adults had these, and moments later the women from earlier came out from one of the huts with frosty looking pitchers, the outsides collecting dew in the heat of the night.
"You're going to love this." Apata's mother said as Kiala filled their cups.
"Cheers. Thank you for inviting us." Bucky said, lifting his cup. The others lifted in kind, and Lu took a hesitant sip. The drink was cold and refreshing, some sort of lightly fermented fruit that she didn't know. The tingle of alcohol was there, but it wasn't anything near enough to affect her or Bucky. She drained the cup anyway and got another glass, if only to cool herself from the heat.
Luce jumped when the drums started up, and Bucky put a reassuring hand on her back. Apparently this was the best part of the night, as man, woman, and child alike ran to an open area between the fires. Luce and Bucky stayed on their carpet, watching as the people danced in steps that they didn't know.
"Remember dancing?" she asked quietly, and Bucky hummed in response. The people moved with grand gestures, the rhythm beautiful and powerful in the night.
"I do." he said. "This is a little different than what we used to do."
"If it wasn't in a crowd, it would look fun." she replied. Bucky stood up, putting his cup down and offering her his hand.
"Let's dance right here then. Just you and me." he said.
"It won't make us look ungracious to our hosts?" she asked, making him roll his eyes.
"See, now I know you're better, cause you use words like ungracious." he teased. He attempted to imitate a Southern drawl, an accent Luce hadn't heard in years. "Would you care to dance, little lady?"
"Oh my God." she said, tilting her head back and laughing. "Only if you promise to never ask it like that again."
"I make no promises." he answered, still in the same accent. He wiggled his fingers.
"I guess I'll still do it." she said, putting her cup to the side and taking his hand. He easily lifted her to her feet. "But only because I love you."
"I'll take it." he said, tugging her to his chest. It was hard for him to lead with only the one arm, but he made it work, taking a second to remember the steps and adjust to the beat before continuing. The drums beat heavy and loud, pulsing through them as they continued to move. It was still hot even though the sun was gone, and she could feel sweat gathering on her chest and low back. Bucky didn't care, hugging her closer as they danced.
"No, no, no." Xenda interrupted, taking them both by the wrist in a surprisingly strong grip. "Come dance with us."
Luce instinctively dug her heels in. "Crowds make me nervous." she said, looking past her to the group of moving bodies.
"So you stay on the edge." she said. "Come on, She-Wolf. It's a celebration."
Luce looked at Bucky, who shrugged. Well, if he was in, then maybe she could handle it. The rhythm was enticing, and she found that she really did want to join. She decided she wasn't going to let what they did to her keep her from this.
"Okay." she said. Xenda needed no further encouragement, dragging them into the fray. It took them a minute to feel the beat again, but then it was easy to follow the way everyone moved. Sweat was pouring freely now between the heat of the night and the heat of the bodies, but with Bucky pressed close and the music loud, everything else seemed to fall away.
Ayo proved to them that they were free.
It was time to act like it.
It was later now, the children mostly wandering off to sleep on the carpets or in their homes. The elderly, exhausted from dancing, settled back on chairs, most of them also dozing off as they tried to stay up. Still the drummers worked, the songs and rhythms changing seamlessly and the dancers moving with it. It was unlike anything Luce and Bucky had heard before, and it was incredible.
Kiala appeared through the crowd, pulling Luce away from Bucky so she could dance with her herself, making jokes over the sounds of the drums about dancing and jealousy. The woman was obviously intoxicated, but her movements were still fluid and controlled as she twirled Luce around and held her close, making pointed looks at Bucky any chance she got. The White Wolf stared back with glinting eyes, one eyebrow raised as if he knew the game they were playing. Finally, with a devious grin on his face, he slipped through the crowd and pulled Luce away.
"Give me my girl back." he said, his heart beating in time with the music. Kiala tugged Luce back, and she let her.
"You'll have to fight me for her, White Wolf." she said, running a seductive hand over Luce's side. Luce nearly shivered; no one had ever touched her like that except for Bucky, even in jest. The look in his eye darkened. "Oh, jealous are we?" Kiala laughed, doing it again.
"Extremely." Bucky said, coming and grabbing Luce around the waist. Kiala made an exaggerated grab, but ultimately allowed him to carry her off, laughing the entire way.
"You're so dramatic." Luce commented as he set her down. He didn't answer, instead pulling her in for a rough kiss. She responded in kind, gripping the front of his shirt to kiss him a little longer.
"Let's go home." he said, his voice low and gravely as he murmured in her ear. This time she did shiver, the words sending a jolt through her.
"Let's." she agreed, pulling him as she stepped back towards their home. They turned to say goodbye to their hosts, but the celebration was past full swing now, and they knew that no one would remember their leaving early. An Irish goodbye, Luce thought, grabbing Bucky by the waistband and leading him away.
Their hands wandered like teenagers as they made their way back home, the trip twice as long as they stopped to kiss under a tree or against a rock. They weren't drunk on the drink, but they were on their freedom and each other, no one around to watch them except the dazzling stars of the Wakandan sky.
When they finally stumbled into their house, Luce took the first opportunity to push Bucky into a kitchen chair. They both knew that he could withstand the push if he wanted, but he let gravity take him, the wood groaning as he landed. She immediately straddled him, settling on his lap to kiss him deeply. His hand went to her rear, squeezing as desire burned through them.
"Didn't like me dancing with someone else, hm?" Luce asked, tangling her fingers in his hair and pulling so he lifted his chin. She placed her lips against his neck, feeling as his pulse jumped. He gripped her harder, relaxing his fingers a moment later.
"No." he said shortly. She placed hot, wet kisses over his neck, loving the way his breath caught at every one. It was hard to avoid the paint from earlier, but not impossible.
"I'll make it up to you." she replied, rolling her hips. He groaned, letting out a swear at the contact, his hand letting go of her and holding the cloth of her tunic so tight that the fabric protested. She ran her fingers under the hem of his shirt, going dangerously close to his waistband before raising his shirt up, removing it and discarding it. His chest now bare, she was able to run her hands unhindered over the muscles, his abdomen tightening every time she drifted close to the place he really wanted.
Before she could make another move, he pulled at her tunic, and she broke away from kissing his neck so she could take it off slowly. She could feel his eyes on her as she revealed inch by inch, eventually letting the tunic drop to the floor. She started rocking her hips again, contorting so she could unclasp her bra and add it to the growing pile of clothing.
"Fuck." Bucky breathed, his hand going to her chest and squeezing. With the way the night was going, every part of her felt extra sensitive, and she couldn't help but arch into the touch, especially when his thumb lightly ran over her. "You're beautiful, you know that?"
"I'm yours." she said, making his breath leave in a rush. For better or worse, till the bitter end. But this end would be so, so sweet. Her hands went to his waist, unbuttoning his pants and tugging down the zipper. Already she could feel him straining against the garments, but he kept his face as neutral as possible. She stood up and he followed, kicking his pants off and reaching for her underwear. "Ah, ah." she stopped him, directing him back to the chair. His brows twitched ever so slightly in question, but he followed her instruction. "Let me take care of you."
Gone was any snarky response, any chide about jealousy. Bucky watched as Luce knelt in front of him, her hands going to him and making him bite back a moan. They were sweaty and gross, but Luce didn't care. She knew what she wanted, and she wanted it now.
She eased her way between his knees the way he'd done to her a thousand times, keeping her eyes on his as she slowly took him into her mouth. He bit his lip and this time couldn't stop the groan from escaping his lips. She took him deeper, her hands going to pay attention to the parts of him her tongue couldn't reach. His hips jerked slightly as he tried to stay in control, his chest heaving at her ministrations.
"Fuck, Lu." he said, his voice high pitched now as he tilted his head back, eyes squeezed shut. She loved making him make these noises, loved hearing as he left behind the Winter Soldier and the White Wolf and was just her Bucky. She took in as much as she could and his abdomen spasmed, his hand going to her hair. "I - shit - I'm -"
"Mhmm." she hummed, not stopping what she was doing. His breath was coming quick now, and she could feel the change in his pulse, the way his body spoke louder than his words or his mind.
"Lu I - I can't -" He was being very sweet, trying to warn her. But she knew what was happening, and she was okay with it. She wanted him to feel good, wanted him to be undone by her, so she continued until he was pulling her hair and moaning her name, his hips moving in small, uncontrolled motions. She let him ride it out, working him through it until he was still and panting, his forehead resting on the back of her head as he tried to catch his breath.
He collapsed against the back of the chair, his hand going over his eyes as he came down from his high. She took the moment to go to the kitchen sink and rinse her mouth. He was just coming back to himself when she returned, and she returned to her original seat across his lap.
"Jesus fuck, what did I do to deserve you?" he asked.
"You want the list?" she countered, and he reached up to bring her in for a searing kiss. She kissed him back hungrily, her thighs squeezing his hips as her body ramped up. His hand started wandering over her bare skin, leaving fire in its wake, and soon she could feel as his own body started reacting again. "Do you want more?"
"What do you think?" he asked. Her hand went to him again, his response evident. She shifted her underwear to the side, allowing him to feel how ready she was too. "Please," he murmured as she rubbed against him, her own legs twitching at the friction.
Like the good partner she was, she gave into his request, standing slightly so she could work them together. They both moaned loudly, his head buried in her neck as the rest of him was buried inside her. She waited a beat before moving again, using her legs to lift and lower, starting to ride him with a gentle rhythm that matched the beating of their hearts.
She watched as his eyes dropped from hers to the sight in front of him, his gaze bouncing as he matched the movement of her flesh. She leaned her hands back on his knees, giving him a better view of the rise and fall of her chest. He licked his lips, giving in and leaning forward to attach his lips to the most sensitive area, the flick of his tongue making her whole body tighten.
Her hand went to the back of his head, holding him there to continue as she picked up the pace, the sounds of their love making echoing in the empty kitchen. Their breath sounded loud in her ears, encouraging her further. She felt his hand sneak between them, and she wanted to tell him that no, this was about him, but a few swipes of his thumb took the words from her mouth.
His lips detached with a soft pop, and he leaned back to watch with hooded eyes as she picked up the pace further, her jaw going slack as her end came closer and closer.
"It's supposed to be for you." she gasped, though she made no move to stop him.
"You know I like to watch you." he said, his voice low and gravely. His eyes took in the sight of her greedily, eventually settling on her face as he felt things starting to build up in her. Under her hands his thighs trembled, his hips rolling up to meet her as they both chased their release. He slid down slightly, changing the angle and continuing the circle of his thumb, making her gasp and moan his name. "Come for me."
She did as she was told, coming with a shudder and struggling to continue her movements as it crashed over her. Luckily he followed soon after, his hard thrusts keeping her going as they tumbled over the edge together. She could've sworn another wave hit them both, but with all the sensations going on, she couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she was left panting and sweaty, collapsing against his chest despite the heat of the moment.
"I love you." he murmured into her hair, nuzzling her contentedly.
"I love you." she replied, still catching her breath. She went to untangle, her body so sensitive that it sent aftershocks through her abdomen. Bucky's hand went to her hip to steady her, his touch gentle and loving after all the roughness of before.
"I need a shower." he said, laughing. He stayed sprawled on the chair, a shit eating grin on his face. "And a cigarette."
"I've only got one of those things." she said, attempting to get her jelly legs underneath her. If she was honest, she was dying for a cigarette too. She held a hand out and he took it, letting her pull him to his feet and towards the bathroom.
"Maybe next time then." he said, following her.
Her heart thrummed at his words, because finally, after all they'd been through, they could decisively say next time.
Aaaaaaay, some fun saucy times to bring us back! This is a romance, after all. We can afford to get a little steamy.
Thank you everyone for your patience, and for your love on this story! I seriously love working on it so much, and I love hearing that y'all like it. Please feel free to let me know all your thoughts!
Be safe, tell your friends you love them,
-XM