If T'Challa noticed their guilty expressions at breakfast, he didn't comment on it.
Instead, he inclined his head towards them and said, "Two ships docked at our port this morning. One claims to be the Milano, from the Kingdom of Aavenge."
Tony startled. "Peter Quill's ship?" he asked, hovering over his chair.
T'Challa raised his eyebrows. "That is who the captain claims to be, though he requested my people call him 'Star Lord'," he said, mouth curled up in amusement. "However, it was a blond gentleman and a fierce brunette woman, who said their names were Lord Steven Rogers and Lady Margaret of Stark, who were most insistent upon seeing you both immediately."
"Peggy is here?" Tony hissed, while Bucky's stomach flipped unpleasantly.
It didn't really surprise him that Steve would come to collect them himself - honestly, Bucky would be more surprised if he hadn't - but the thought of facing him now, after everything, after -
"And the other ship?" Bucky asked, more as a way to distract himself than anything.
T'Challa chuckled. "Ah, yes. The Bifrost, of Asgard," he said, steepling his hands under his chin. "I take it you know Prince Thor? He and his compatriots are all threatening to bring the wrath of Asgard down upon us if we have harmed you in any way." He shook his head, still looking as though the whole situation amused him, and added, "Also, his brother, Prince Loki, has somehow managed to sneak his way into the palace. The Dora Milaje are keeping him engaged, but it might be best for everyone if he could see the two of you in person."
Tony gaped at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish, while Bucky had to squelch the inappropriate desire to laugh.
"Er, right," Bucky said finally, when he thought he could speak normally. "When you say 'keeping him engaged'..."
T'Challa shrugged. "We could hardly leave him unsupervised," he said mildly, before nodding to the only Dora Milaje in the room. "I can have them bring him here now, if you would like."
While a small, spiteful part of Bucky wanted to tell T'Challa no, the louder, nobler part of him that sounded suspiciously like Steve won out. "That… would probably be a good idea, yeah."
Tony made a noise that sounded like a choked-off hiccup, and collapsed in the chair he'd been hovering over, face hidden in his hands. "If Loki got in, you know it's only a matter of time before the others find a way," he said, voice muffled by his hands.
At that, T'Challa actually grinned. "They're more than welcome to try," he said wryly.
Bucky looked out toward the balcony, imagined Steve scaling it, and winced.
"Please don't tell them that," Tony told T'Challa, as if reading Bucky's mind. "They'll probably take it as a challenge."
Bucky cleared his throat. "It… might be best if we could arrange to see them soon," he said, because T'Challa looked as though he were actually considering it.
Most of the amusement faded from T'Challa's expression. "Are you certain?" he asked, gaze darting from Bucky to Tony with eyes that were a little too knowing. "I can delay them a day, if you would like. If you think you need more… time."
Bucky swallowed, hard, and chanced a glance at Tony - who was staring out at the balcony, expression distant and hand clenched around his pendant.
"I think sooner would be better," Bucky said, pleased when his voice remained steady.
T'Challa's face softened. "Then I will make it so," he said, and while there wasn't any inflection in his tone, Bucky could still hear the note of sympathy.
Bucky wasn't really hungry, but at T'Challa's insistence he filled his plate with the spread that was offered. He did little more than nibble on a few pieces of fruit, however, and a quick glance at Tony's plate told him that Tony wasn't faring much better.
They were both eventually saved from pretending to eat more by a commotion in the hall. Bucky leaned out of his chair to see two Dora Milaje walking into the room, both flanking the tall, familiar form of Loki - who was wearing the most ridiculous helmet Bucky had ever seen.
"Are those horns?" Bucky blurted before he could think better of it, completely overtaking Tony's happy greeting.
Loki's gaze darted to Bucky. "Tactful as always, Sir Barnes," he sniffed, and while his tone was affronted, Bucky saw a brief flash of relief in his expression before his eyes settled on Tony. "Tony. It's good to see you're alive." He raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. "Even if you both look positively awful."
"And yet, still better than when they first arrived," T'Challa said mildly as he stood up. He tilted his head towards the Dora Milaje in silent instruction, then motioned to a chair at the end of the table. "Do have a seat, Your Highness. Your brother and his companions will be joining us soon."
Loki nodded stiffly, then made his way around the table, picking a chair closer to Bucky and Tony instead of the one T'Challa had indicated.
"I take it you two are being treated well, since you're up here dining with the king, instead of rotting away in a dungeon, as my brother feared," he said as he sat down, sharp eyes raking over them both. Bucky wasn't sure what he thought he was looking for, but, oddly enough, found he didn't mind the scrutiny.
Tony grinned. "We're fine. T'Challa has been a very gracious host," he said, motioning to his (still full) plate of food, and winking at T'Challa.
"Not as gracious as I could have been," T'Challa acknowledged smoothly, though a corner of his mouth ticked up in a fraction of a smile. His eyes mostly remained on Loki, however, and Bucky belated realized that he was quietly sizing Loki up - and that Loki was doing the same.
Tony must have picked up on it, too, because he caught Bucky's eye for the first time since they'd left his room and raised an eyebrow.
Bucky made a face, and coughed to catch everyone's attention. "Uh, not to sound ungrateful or anything, but what are you doing here?" he asked Loki.
Loki gave a deep, world-weary sigh. "Mounting a rescue, obviously," he said with a wave of his hand. "The frightening, forthright woman - Carter, I think she said -" Tony choked into his cup of water. "- offered to come with me, but I informed her it wasn't necessary, and if I ran into trouble that she could always sneak in while I provided a distraction."
Tony covered his face with his hands, still coughing, and then lowered them to shoot T'Challa an apologetic look.
"The guards will find any stragglers," T'Challa said with a shrug, brow furrowing in concern when Tony's coughing didn't cease. "Do you need-"
"Fine," Tony gasped, waving him off, and then Loki and Bucky as well when they both leaned towards him. "Fine, I'm fine, just completely mortified."
Mollified, Bucky eased back into his seat, but Loki continued to hover. "You don't look well," he said quietly to Tony, expression worried.
Tony scowled and opened his mouth to retort, but T'Challa beat him to it.
"Tony has been recovering from an illness," he said calmly, raising an eyebrow when Tony shot him a look of betrayal.
Loki looked at Bucky over Tony's head, then rounded on Tony when Bucky only grimaced. "I think that might have been something you should have opened with," he said archly. "Are you even well enough for the voyage back to Aavenge?"
Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes," he huffed indignantly, throwing threatening glares at both T'Challa and Bucky, as if daring them to contradict him. "But never mind that, you haven't answered Bucky's question. We know why you're in the palace, but what are you doing here, in Wakanda?"
Loki frowned, but let the subject drop, though he looked very much as though he was going to pick it back up again in the near future.
"We accompanied your friends on their voyage here," he said, absently picking up a piece of fruit and popping it into his mouth. "After you fell overboard, we tried looking for you, and when we couldn't find you Heimdall suggested we sail the rest of the way to Aavenge and let your friends and family at least know what happened to you." He made a face and picked up another piece of fruit, but turned it around in his hand instead of eating it. "After a brief misunderstanding that may or may not have included kidnapping allegations, we finally spoke with your Lord Fury and the stubborn man I assume to be your fiance, and found out that they had just received a message from Wakanda."
He grudgingly inclined his head towards T'Challa, who returned the gesture, but with much more grace.
"While your friends turned down our offer to sail them here in our ship, they did not turn down our offer to assist in an extraction." He paused, then gave them both a crooked half-smile. "Not that we gave them much choice. Thor was most distraught over your loss, you see."
"Just Thor?" Bucky asked, wondering who Loki was fooling.
Loki shrugged. "Thor was the loudest about it," he said mildly, before frowning and cocking his head at Tony. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, reaching up towards Tony's neck. "You have a bit of a rash, here -"
Tony squawked and batted his hand away, face flaming, while T'Challa caught Bucky's eye across the table, mouth twitching.
Bucky frowned and turned his head towards Tony, only to freeze when he realized that Loki was talking about the red marks that were just barely visible above Tony's collar - marks Bucky himself had put there the night before.
"It's a sting," Tony huffed indignantly while Bucky coughed and looked down, fighting the heat he could feel creeping up his neck. "Do you know how many bugs are in this jungle? I'm lucky I haven't been eaten alive, you should see the size of some of-"
"Tony?"
Bucky jumped minutely and looked up towards the doorway, where a woman with dark, wavy hair was standing next to a Dora Milaje, expression a mixture of relief and incredulity as she stared at Tony.
Tony stood up, tone disbelieving when he said, "Pegs?"
The woman who could only have been the infamous Aunt Peggy sucked in a sharp breath, then marched across the room towards them, eyes shining with emotion. Her face split in a wide grin when Tony met her halfway with a hug, which she returned without hesitation and with twice the enthusiasm.
"You, young man, have caused quite a bit of trouble," she said, pulling back so she could reach up and clumsily pat at Tony's cheek.
'Meek' was not a word Bucky ever thought he'd use to describe Tony, but it was the word that came to mind when Tony ducked his head. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, sounding younger than Bucky had ever heard him.
It made something in Bucky's chest twist, and he started to stand - to comfort Tony, or defend him, he didn't know - but before he could say anything Peggy's face softened.
"Don't be, darling, it wasn't your fault," she said firmly, her expression turning worried now that she had a better look at Tony's face. "Heavens, you look terrible," she said, eyes widening as she brought her other hand up to tilt his head back. "And - goodness, what's this on your neck?"
Bucky's chair screeched under him as he sat down hastily, drawing both Tony and Peggy's attention.
"Apparently Tony's been ill, and nobody bothered to tell us," Loki interrupted helpfully, waving when Peggy glanced over at him.
Peggy frowned. "Your distraction was terrible," she told him, before turning her attention back to Tony. "Is this true?"
Tony sighed, but apparently his respect for his aunt was even greater than Bucky had estimated, because he didn't brush her off entirely. "It's not as big as all that," he began, only to be interrupted by a loud - and vaguely familiar - boom of "My friends!"
Though Bucky had had an idea of who the voice belonged to, it was still a surprise to see him all but bounding into the dining room, arms outspread. Peggy and Tony both startled and turned, but before either of them could say or do anything else, Thor had Tony crushed against his chest in an embrace.
"Friend Tony! I cannot put into words how happy I am to see you alive!" Thor cried, physically lifting Tony off the ground in his enthusiasm while the other occupants of the room - minus Loki and the Asgardians that filed in with Thor - stared on in shock.
Tony said something that might have been "I'm happy to see you, too, Thor," - it was hard to tell with his face mashed up against Thor's shoulder - before Thor finally set him back on his feet, beaming.
"Do be careful with him, brother, he's still in recovery," Loki said, though Bucky could tell the reproach was halfhearted at best.
Thor snorted and turned to his brother, only to freeze and beam harder when he spotted Bucky. "Friend James!" he cried, raising his arms and making his way over to the table.
Deciding escape was futile, Bucky stood up to meet his fate, and thought he heard Loki mutter "I'm adopted," to T'Challa before the world went a bit muffled as he, too, was lifted up in a bone-crushing hug.
"Good to see you, too, pal," Bucky wheezed, tapping on Thor's shoulder when his ribs started to protest to the pressure.
Grinning, Thor let him go, but kept an arm around his shoulders so he could steer him back towards Tony - who was currently getting hugged, albeit much more gently, by another tall, familiar blond.
And damn if seeing Steve didn't feel like a punch to Bucky's gut.
"We have brought your friends and Tony's beloved," Thor said happily, oblivious to Bucky's sudden disquiet - or his slight flinch at the word 'beloved'. "They are quite a formidable bunch, especially the ladies Peggy and Natasha."
Bucky nodded numbly, swallowing when Stevie reached up and squeezed the back of Tony's neck, expression fond and relieved.
Tony ducked his head in embarrassment, then said something too quiet for Bucky's ears to pick up and pointed towards Bucky and Thor.
Steve's head whipped up towards them, his shoulders slumping in relief when he set eyes on Bucky.
Bucky swallowed, hard, and gave him a tentative smile. "What took you so long, punk?" he asked shakily.
Steve huffed out a startled laugh, then pulled Bucky into a hug, calling him stupid and about a dozen other names that would have earned him a smack from his ma back in the day - he and Stevie talk for 'I love you', which made Bucky feel all the worse for it. Swallowing hard, Bucky wrapped his arms around Steve, catching Tony's eye over Stevie's shoulder in the process, and seeing his own guilt mirrored in Tony's miserable expression.
