Water Or Wine

Chapter 3

Once Bucky is calm and collected the next thing we do is get him some new clothing. "Are you sure?" He asks me suspiciously as I give him some, I nod "it will fit. Trust me." He side eyes me and I smile innocently. Bucky sighs and moves into the bathroom, I sit down on the bed and run my hands over the duvet which has a silk cover on it.

A few minutes and he still hasn't come out, I stand up and go over to the door. I knock gently and lean on the door "Bucky?" I call "is everything ok?" I hear a gruff voice say "I look ridiculous, isn't there anything else?" I smile and step back. Folding my arms delicately I say "come out and let me see." The door swings open and Bucky stands in the door way. He has grey sweats on with a black top that sticks to his body, defining his muscles.

I bite my lip absentmindedly and stare at him, he glares at me "I know I look ridiculous." I shake my head and take a moment to gather my mildly inappropriate thoughts "no, you look fine. It's the only thing I could get that would actually fit you." He huffs and scratches his leg "well I guess it's alright."

I stand up and wipe my hands on my trousers "ready to go out and face the world?" I ask and he looks nervous. I go over to him and place a hand on his shoulder "Bucky, it's ok. They have a plan to get rid of that code in your head." He steps away from me and my hand falls down to my side. "And you?" He asks gently "what will you be doing?" I shrug, folding my arms behind my back "I'm not really into the whole science thing." I answer "I'll just be here for moral support."

I flash Bucky a quick smile and he looks down "you said you knew me before." He says "could you help me? Tell me things?" I nod my head slowly giving him my kind eyes "of course, anything you want to know, I'll help fill in the gaps." Of course he is a different person now, he might be embarrassed by some of his actions before he became the winter solider. But I guess it was a different time then, he hadn't gone through what he has yet.

There is a gentle knock on the door and Shuri appears "we are ready for you Mr Barnes." She says her eyes analysing me and Bucky. I only realise then how close we are standing, even after he stepped away. Bucky nods and runs his hand through his shoulder length hair "yeah." He mutters and follows her out. Our hands grazing slightly as he passes.

I meet T'Challa at the outskirts of the city, where they keep the animals that the Wakandan armies ride into battle on. "Is he still growing?" I hear the new king ask his friend as they stand at a fence, looking down at a rhino on the other side. W'Kabi stands up straight then "of course." He spots me and waves me over. As I come over to them I hear him say "I hear Nakia is back. You guys going to work it out?" I snort once I get close enough. I draw level with T'Challa and say "please, our new king is too awkward to ever outright ask her to marry him." The king shoots me a look but W'Kabi laughs.

We embrace and he says "I missed you Noelle." I hold him tightly "I missed you too friend." I say gently. "T'Challa?" I ask stepping back, he is too quiet "what's wrong?" The other man leans against the fence, the rhino has walked off loosing interest in us. "Nakia thinks we should be doing more." He answers lowly staring off into the distance. W'Kabi tilts his head "more like what?" He presses, T'Challa folds his arms, still not looking at us he answers "foreign aid, refugee programs."

The other man stands up and leans closer "you let the refugees in they bring their problems with them." He tells his king simply. My kimoyo beads beep violently and I check them. I quickly excuse myself and take a slow walk back up to the palace.

I am greeted with Shuri once I get to the labs "Bucky requested you, he has questions." I nod, scratching the back of my arm gently "you should talk to your brother." I tell the teen girl "he's going out of his mind already." She snorts and rolls her eyes sarcastically "what would he do without us?" She asks and I smile "not a lot."

She leaves and I head into Bucky. He is putting his shirt back on, he has his metal arm back and my eyes rake over the muscles of his back. "I thought it would take you longer to get here." Bucky says but it sounds like noise to me. I shake my head, letting my thoughts rationalise again "what?" Bucky goes slightly red and runs his metal hand through his hair "I said, you were quick getting here."

I turn slightly red too and fold my arms "yeah well, I'm a quick walker." We both stand in an awkward silence for a while until I clear my throat and reopen the door "do you wanna go for a walk?" He nods and follows me out.

We walk in silence for at least 2 hours until we are far away from the main city, from life in general and I sit down. Bucky follow suit but makes sure to keep a safe distance from me. He still doesn't trust himself, even though there is no one hear that can hurt him. Make him hurt other people.

I bring my knees up to my chest and ask gently "what do you want to know?" Because that's the reason we are here. The reason he called on me. Bucky heaves a heavy sigh, taking a moment before he says "what was I like? Before?" I lean back on my elbows, soaking up the last of the sun "you were a shameless flirt." I say smiling gently "and very unapologetically sarcastic. You would always tell the truth, even when we wished you wouldn't."

I stop talking and turn to face him, he is already looking at me "you said you helped me in the war. It sounds like you knew me personally." I look away, up at the setting sun "I did, we were friends for a long time before... everything."

We lapse back into silence. I lay down on the grass "you used to always say that you would take me dancing." I glance over and see Bucky's lips twitch slightly into a smile "I guess that promise still stands." He says. I wipe my hand over my forehead "don't feel like you owe me anything. You went through hell, I only want to help you get back on your feet."

Bucky turns over to look at me, his dark eyes boring into my own. "One day." He says gently "when I'm better, I'll take you for a dance." I smile and wipe my hair from my face. "Ok."