"Hello?" Pepper knocks politely on the door of Guest Room 2, unsure whether its owner was in or not.
"Come in!" Shuri's voice floats from inside the room.
Pepper steps through the doorway, immediately catching sight of some very relaxed looking teenagers.
Peter lays sprawled on the floor, his stomach pressed to the ground, reading Of Human Bondage, whilst Shuri perches in the wheely chair of her desk, fiddling with a new invention with feet planted firmly on Peter's back. They look up curiously at Pepper as she speaks,
"Shuri, here's the delivery that arrived for you."
The delighted looking princess jumps up from her seat, using Peter as a springboard, and whisks the large parcel from Pepper's outstretched hands into her own. Peter lets out a surprised grunt at the sudden change in weight.
"Wow, that came fast," Shuri remarks, impressed.
Pepper smiles wryly, "I didn't think you'd order items so soon."
"Did you expect anything less from a fellow shopaholic?" Shuri smiles.
Wishing the two a rest-filled afternoon in preparation of school the next day, Pepper exits, closing the door behind her.
"What's in it?" Peter asks.
"Nothing much. Mostly some clothes and essentials that I bought." Shuri answers, opening the package neatly with some scissors from the desk.
"So T'Challa finally gave you a credit card?"
"Nope, courtesy of Pepper- she is a very kind host."
She plucks an item out of the delivery, grabs her phone and steps over Peter to the room's adjacent en-suite bathroom.
"Can you check that everything came? The receipt should be inside." She shuts the door before Peter could protest.
Sighing at his peaceful afternoon being interrupted by clothes shopping, he peers over the box to check out the rest of its contents.
Colourful shirts, comfortable shorts and oversized hoodies are found inside. A separate section contains skin-care creams, a couple of bath bombs, and a small bottle of perfume.
Pulling each one from its wrapping, Peter carefully inspects each item with the invoice list, making sure that everything matched up then sorting the goods into piles of pants, T-shirts, jumpers, and health-care products. Searching further into the almost empty box, he reaches in and extracts a…black lacy bra? He yelps in shock and drops the offending item immediately.
"Is everything okay?" Shuri calls out from the other room.
"Ah, yep." Peter hurriedly shoves the explicit materials back into the package and covers his face, trying to stop his mind from straying too far into a place that certainly wasn't appropriate to go to. Especially not when a certain princess was changing next door.
Peter grabs the book at MJ lent him and attempts to distract himself with the story.
"He did not care if she was heartless, vicious and vulgar, stupid and grasping, he loved her. He would rather have misery with one than happiness with the other." Peter wondered what MJ was thought about when she had read this line. Was she hoping for someone to love her that way, too?
The sound of the door opening and closing echoed through the room.
"What do you think?"
"About what?" He asks, not looking up from his book.
"This dress?"
Peter's mind goes blank as he stares upwards to find Shuri dressed in a slim gold sleeveless gown that accenting every delicate curve of her body. She had her hair pinned up into a messy bun and the bathroom's light shone behind her, framing Shuri in ethereal lighting.
"What's it for? Aren't you going to be inside the whole time?" He says confusedly.
"T'Challa told me that some of the schools I was supposed to visit still want to hear from me. So I'll do an online talk instead. And since I can't do that in casual jeans and a T-shirt, I had to get something that looked more appropriate for a Princess." She scowls in distaste at the title. "So? Do you like it? Otherwise, I'll return it and get something else. Though the presentation is on Wednesday, so I do need something soon."
"Uh…" Peter still doesn't know how to talk properly as he answers the question. "No, wait I mean, yes! Definitely yes."
Shuri giggles softly at his flustered reaction, knowing exactly how to rile up and turn Peter into a stumbling mess. His shyness was one thing she loved about him. Wait no, she couldn't say that. They were just friends, no calling each other cute or saying she loved him. Because it wasn't true, right? Shuri hadn't yet even considered the possibility, except for sometimes dreaming in bed late at night about Peter could turn the cutest shade of red, like he was right now. Stop it, Shuri, she scolds herself. Just friends…
A knock sounded from the door and Shuri broke the rising tension in the room by opening it.
"Shuri? I got your message." Natasha waves the phone after poking her head in.
"Hey Natasha, here's stuff you ordered." Shuri hands her the box with the items inside.
"Thanks. I'll pay you back later." The master spy withdraws several pieces of x-rated lingerie.
"Well, hope you enjoy them." Shuri's tone is teasing as Natasha smirks right back at the knowing young girl.
"You're damn right I will." The red-head drawls, walking off towards her own room.
Peter averts his eyes quickly from the two women at the door as Shuri whips back round to face him, eyebrows raised in disbelief.
"You did not seriously think I'd order those things from Lady's Luxuries, right?"
Peter turns bright red, and stutters, "Uh…what? Um, I guess, no?"
"Good." She tosses a playful grin at him. "I'd never go black, I think red suits me better."
"W-what?"
Shuri just laughs at Peter's bashful reaction and picks her invention back up.
T'Challa was currently in a conference with his advisors and officials on Wakanda's situation during the pandemic. So far, no infections or deaths had been recorded, but Wakanda was still wary.
"Thank you everyone. We will meet again in a week's time to discuss any new issues that may arise." He ends the call.
A knock sounds from the door as Steve steps into the makeshift office.
"Hello, your Majesty." He greets.
"Captain."
"Have you eaten yet? I think there's still some leftovers from lunch in the kitchen microwave."
"Thank you, but I will eat later when I have finished my work."
"So, what did you call me down for?" The burly soldier with a soft heart asks.
The king folds his hands on the desk and looks at Steve squarely in the eye.
"James Barnes is here."
Steve closes his eyes and breathes in deeply. When he felt calm enough to respond, he did so.
"What do you mean? I thought Bucky was still in Wakanda in cryogenic sleep."
"Shuri had him woken up to run a few tests, and finding him in a stable mental state, she began to help him adjust back to reality. Shuri believes that he has almost fully recovered from the effects of his trauma and was able to return to America. James flew ahead of us incognito a few months ago.
"You…you think he's okay to go back out there? Do you remember what he did?" Steve's fists clench tightly, worried for his best friend and all the other innocents out there.
"Steve," T'Challa raises a placating hand. "I understand your concerns, however it is Shuri's opinion that James is fit enough to rejoin society. You are Captain America, freedom is in your blood. Who was I to deny someone their freedom? It was his choice to stay and it was his to leave. Shuri and I only arranged accommodation. And speaking of accommodation, Tony had agreed to allow James to return to the Facility as my guest, and he arrives in the lobby downstairs in ten minutes. Unfortunately, I have another meeting to attend, and I ask that you are able to escort him to his room."
Steve pauses a moment to consider this new information. When was the last time he saw Bucky alive and well? 1935? Too long ago, his brain answered.
Sighing, Steve nods sharply.
The king acknowledges the gesture and bows his head back to the computer, working vigorously again.
Steve turns to the doorway and exits. He wanders around the area, absorbed in his thinking. What was Bucky thinking? Steve knew how dangerous he was, he could be.
"Oh, hey Steve." Natasha greets, hefting the box on her hip as she surveys the solemn looking captain.
"Hi, Natasha." Steve asks, rubbing his face tiredly. "Do you know where Tony is?"
"Let me check." She responds, putting her box down on a stand near the stairway.
Natasha pulls out her phone and scrolls through the new batch of notifications popping up.
"I think he said he's in a meeting until four, so we should save him any food there is unless it's a tuna salad."
"Tell him there's still some leftover curry from lunch in the fridge."
"Okay…done."
"I don't know what Tony's problem with tuna is; they're a very good source of protein." She jokes.
Steve chuckles at Natasha's comment, her own smirk matching the growing smile on his face.
The intense look on his smooth face distracts Natasha for a moment and she steps back, bumping the table behind her.
The box crashes to the floor, its contents spilling out the way Pandora's box might have released all the evil spirits into the world.
The pieces of underwear scatter on the floor, some indecent enough to make a stripper blush. Natasha scrambles into action desperately.
Just move fast, she commands silently, years of honing her body into the weapon it was now instinctively made it react immediately. Down on her knees, Natasha picks up the fallen lingerie hastily. Only one more, she reassures herself.
"Here," a familiar deep voice rumbles.
Natasha glances up to catch a sight of the super-soldier, his blond beard wild and uncombed, an embarrassed lopsided grin stuck on Steve's face as he offers the last lacy bra to its rightful owner.
"It's okay. Even the best of us are clumsy sometimes."
"Thanks," She mutters, avoiding eye contact, reaching forward to grab the clothing from his hand.
As their hands brush, a slight flutter rises in the elite assassin's stomach, but Natasha hurriedly turns around to grab the box behind her, severing the connection between them.
They stand together,
"Can I help you carry that?"
"The box?"
"Yes."
"No, Steve, this isn't the 1900s, women can do some things themselves."
"Really? Like knock everything off a table?"
"Fine. Take it so you can satisfy your old-fashioned gentleman urges." Natasha shoves the box into his hands and stalks through the corridor.
Steve laughs quietly to himself and takes long steps to catch up to the spy.
"To your room?"
"Where else?" Was her only reply.
Upon arrival, Natasha opened her room to let Steve in and fires up her laptop quickly to check a few things.
"Why is Bucky outside the Facility?" She asks, pointing to a feed displayed on the screen.
Why is Steve surprised that Natasha has surveillance on the front door?
"He's expected as King T'Challa's guest. Turns out Shuri woke him up, fixed him and he's been living in America these past few months."
"Ah." She pauses for a moment. "And you're okay with that?"
Steve scratches his back, considering the question.
"He knows the danger he poses to everyone around him."
"Steve," Natasha directed a stern look at him from the couch. "Bucky is allowed to make his own choices. Maybe he isn't the same man from 1936, but he's still your friend. Your best friend. Bucky just needs your support."
The legendary Captain America sighs.
"You're right," he concedes.
Natasha smiles wickedly.
"Always."
She gets up and drags him out the door downstairs, right to the opening entrance.
There, stands James "Bucky" Buchanan Barnes, gripping a worn backpack and holding a large package.
"Oh, hey Steve, Natasha. Am I on time for lunch?" He grins hopefully.
"Sure, Bucky." Natasha replies. "I'll go up to heat it up now."
Waving goodbye and giving a pointed look at Steve, Natasha climbs the stairs upwards to the kitchen.
"How's everything going? Looks like you're getting pretty close with Natasha," Bucky says with a wink.
Steve gives Bucky a disapproving stare.
"We're just friends." He says tightly. "Why are you here?"
Before Bucky could answer, a yell comes from further inside the facility as the sound of running feet fills the air.
"JAMES!"
"Guess she just got my message," Bucky grins.
"WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME YOU WERE COMING?" Shuri practically tackles the sheepish looking soldier to the ground.
"Woah woah, take it easy. I'm an old man, you know."
"Sure," The princess rolls her eyes.
"I only just turned on my Beads, didn't want to risk leaving valuable Wakandan technology lying around, did I? T'Challa would never let me hear the end of it otherwise."
An extremely puffed and confused looking Peter soon enters the room.
"Peter, this is my friend, Bucky." Steve introduces. "Bucky, this is Peter, Tony's 'intern', or more commonly known as Spider-Man."
"Um, hi?" Peter waves, puzzled.
"Oh, you're the guy who took my arm back at the battle in the airport. Wow, that explains a lot."
"James! Let us show Peter our handshake."
Shuri grabs Bucky's hand excitedly and the duo executed their elaborate handshake that consisted of several slaps and claps, combined with numerous "boom", "yeah" and "whaaaaaat!"s scattered throughout the piece.
They end with an explosive fist-bump that leads Shuri and Bucky to shout simultaneously "White Wolf!" and "Tech Queen!" before collapsing on the floor.
Peter and Steve exchanged incredulous looks before turning their attention back to their obviously proud performers.
"Why are you called White Wolf?" Steve asks.
"It's the name T'Challa gave to James. The children in Wakanda like to shout it when they see him in the fields or marketplaces."
Steve raises his eyebrows,
"You sound like quite a celebrity over there."
Shuri giggles as James mutters,
"Well, they've never really seen a white person before…"
The group bursts into laughter at the sheepish look on Bucky's face.
To divert the attention from himself, Bucky says,
"Here, Shuri. A postman came by to deliver this package. I said I'd take it to you for him, and he wasn't convinced until I pulled out my passport to show him proof that I'd been to Wakanda and given photographic evidence too.
"Great!" Delighted, Shuri snatches the parcel from Bucky's arms and opens it excitedly, the way a child on Christmas might tear into their pile of presents.
Triumphantly, she extracts several sets of new pens, notebooks and room decorations.
"Yes!" She cheers.
Noticing Bucky's confused look, she clarifies,
"I'm finally starting school tomorrow, so I needed a few supplies."
"A few?" Peter mutters then coughs and Shuri elbows him in the stomach.
"Oh, and speaking of supplies, I have your birthday present upstairs." The princess adds.
"Aw, you really didn't have to." Bucky smiles at the thoughtful gesture.
"I missed your birthday last year so this year I had to make it for it. Wanna come up so I can grab it from my room and give it to you?"
Steve interjects,
"That's a great idea, that way I can show you your room."
Bucky nods and the four make their way upstairs to the rooms floor.
Darting inside quickly, Shuri grabs a wrapped box from her desk.
"Open it!" She urges Bucky.
He chuckles at her eagerness.
"Ok, Nkosazana." (Princess in Xhosa)
Setting down his backpack, he carefully opens the gift.
Inside, is a beautiful set of professional wood-carving tools, engraved with the initials J.B along the edge, lying upturned on rich red velvet lining.
"Shuri…" Bucky is speechless at her thoughtful gift.
She beams proudly, "Steve told me how much you liked working on your wood-carving when you had spare time so I thought a new set of tools would be helpful."
"Thanks." Bucky's smile is genuine and watery at the same time.
Something breaks inside Steve, seeing his best friend truly understood by the 17-year old girl. Who saw Bucky not as a tool to be used, a complicit murderer, and no longer a research subject, but instead as a friend. Steve wishes he could do the same.
"C'mon, Buck," He says, referring back to the old nickname to bring Bucky out of his thoughts. "Let's get you to your room."
They wave goodbye to the two teens, and progress further down the corridor, and turn right to stop outside a door.
They head inside the room, and immediately Bucky stops at the doorway.
"Steve," He stares seriously at the other super soldier from across the room. "Am I staying here so you can keep an eye on me?"
"No," Steve says softly. "Because I want to stay near my best friend again."
Silence permeates the room.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" He finally asks.
Bucky blows out a breath and sighs deeply. After a moment, he says,
"You think I didn't want to tell you? After all those years, I was finally free. I was James Bucky Barnes again. But not to everyone. I knew people would only ever see me as the Winter Soldier, and all the other crimes I committed."
"Buck, it wasn't your fault. And I would never think that." Steve protests.
"Steve, I know you." He smiles sadly. "And I know that even against your better judgement, you would choose to have me stay away to protect everyone else, even when all you want is to see me again. That's why I didn't tell you. Because I knew you would persuade me to stay in Wakanda."
Steve is rendered speechless.
Deep down inside, he knew that that was how he thought, and he had wanted Bucky to stay away from America, for his own safety, for Bucky, and for all the other civilians out there.
"I-I'm sorry." He says.
"Nah, it's okay. I know it's just you trying to do the best you can for everyone, including me." Bucky pats his best friend on the back reassuringly. "Us oldies got to stick together, right?"
And they chuckle together, just like the good old days.
Shuri closes the door behind Peter.
He picks up the forgotten book on the floor and closes it with a loud snap.
"Peter?" Shuri asks. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through his feed, ignoring Shuri's concerned look.
"Peter? I'm serious, what's wrong?" She snaps her fingers in front of Peter's face.
He gives her a cold look and turns away.
"Fine, if that's how you're going to be, I'm leaving."
Shuri grabs her computer and spins on her heel, now facing the door.
As her hand reaches towards the handle and the lock clicks open, Peter calls from behind.
"I just didn't know you were really close with Bucky." He mutters.
She whips around, mouth dropping in surprise.
"What?"
"I mean, you basically forgot I was even there when Bucky came, even though I was standing right next to you."
"Peter, I have not seen him in three months."
Neither of them speaks for a while.
Finally, Shuri says quietly.
"He told me, 'You'll change the world someday'. My baba used to tell me that all the time. But he is not around anymore, right? He was just another victim at the bombing. No one cared. We are just another third-world African country. If it were the Queen killed, everyone would have mourned. My people, they did not have time to mourn. My cousin, N'Jadaka tried to take over Wakanda and T'Challa almost died stopping him. James was the first person who let me grieve for him. Everyone else told me that I needed to move on."
Peter is stunned. When he lost Uncle Ben, it was like someone had cut off vital life support. He couldn't imagine pain like that amidst a civil war, having to escape from the country your family had ruled for centuries and almost losing another family member.
"I-I'm sorry." He murmured ashamedly.
"It's okay, Peter. I know you didn't mean it." Shuri smiles gently at him. "Will you help me decorate my room?"
Peter grins and nods.