Red Star ✴️ Bucky Barnes X Reader

11: Dinner & Politics

Proud of their work formulating a plan to infiltrate one of the most secure prisons in the world, the quartet eventually left the drawing room to get a well-cooked meal from the palace chefs.

T'Challa led the group to a large dining room complete with several tables that sat all the staff members that worked in the palace. Guards, scientists, and the King himself all sat in the same dining room to eat delicious food.

"Here, we do not believe in hierarchy." T'Challa smiled proudly. "My father used to say, 'A King is no better than his people'."

The group took in the awe of such an amazing place. It was an odd mix between a mall food court and fine dining: the tables had black metal chairs with plush white seating, and each table had a glass top with an intricate metal base. Yet, everyone ate at these ornate seating arrangements as if it were merely an office lunchroom. For them, it was, but it was still quite the marvel to outsiders.

The group claimed one of the tables nearest the window before going to get their food from the long serving table to the back of the room. There, cooks worked tirelessly to make delicious entrees and appetizers before serving them in buffet-style trays.

"Take as much as you need," T'Challa smiled, grabbing a simple plate of steak, rice, and steamed broccoli before returning to the table across the room.

Steve went for the all-american diet: a hot dog, chips, and pickles. Bucky just shot him a weird look. "You're in Wakanda, one of the richest countries in the world, and you order a hot dog?"

"What?" Steve smirked, plucking a chip from his plate with glee. "It tastes like home. That's all I want right now." With that, he flicked the chip in his mouth before triumphantly sauntering over to their table.

Bucky just chuckled, turning to look at Bowman.

Her eyes blanket stared at the serving trays in front of her, darting from option to option. Her hands trembled so strongly the tray she was holding appeared to vibrate.

"Hey, are you okay?" Bucky inquired, walking up to her with caution.

"Uh... Yeah." She tried to force a smile before snapping to a blank, almost frustrated look. "Its just that... It's so stupid..." She tried to laugh off her anxiety.

"It's weird choosing something for the first time, isn't it?"

She merely nodded.

Bucky's heart pained for the poor girl: she was just like him a few years ago when he was finally able to live on his own and make his own decisions without so much as a warning. It was understandable how such a realization could cripple a person, even if it was something as simple as food.

"Well, here, do you remember any food from your home country?"

Her lips tightened. "I... Uh..." She stammered, her lips fighting to breathe out an answer "... No."

"Okay," Bucky nodded sweetly. Silently slapping himself for such a stupid question, he took Bowman by the hand and guided her. "Well, let's start small. You should eat some vegetables. They're one of the first thing I ate when I got out from Hydra, and they're really good for you!"

He took her over to the part of the buffet that served every kind of vegetable steamed, sauteed, spiced, and spruced. There was seemingly infinite options in this one section alone.

"I... U-uh..."

"Hey, it's okay!" Bucky smiled, putting his arm around her shoulders. "It's okay... okay, first decision..."

Bowman looked at Bucky and for a second, her anxiety calmed down a bit. He was looking at the endless options himself, gears turning in his brain to figure out how to best help her, but was unsure about how to exactly go about doing that.