When You Were Never Mine: Part 3

I'm Fine

"D-do we bow?"

"Yeah," Rhodey scoffed. "He's a king."

Hurrying forward in the quinjet to intervene, you grabbed Banner's arm and led him out, getting him as far away from the brewing mischief as you could. "Jimmy, stop. Be nice to Bruce, he's had a rough day. No, honey, you don't do that here. It's just T'Challa, and he doesn't actually bite, no matter what you've heard."

"Not what I've heard," Steve chimed in.

"Okay, well If you're not trying to run away then he's a lot nicer."

"Maybe he shouldn't be chasing people in that scary cat suit then."

"Touché."

As the group had all exited the jet they gathered in front of T'Challa, looking a little beat up and completely exhausted. It had been more hours than they cared to count since they had found Wanda and Vision and made their way here, and to be on solid ground again was all too welcome. All they wanted was a nap and possibly a shower, should the king be so gracious.

"Seems like I'm always thanking you for something," Steve said as he greeted T'Challa, his hand extended and quickly taken. "How do we look?"

You released Bruce and pushed your way out in front of the Captain, leaving T'Challa to release him just in time to catch your hug that knocked him back a step or two. After you greeted each other with a few quietly shared words, he kept his arm around you while you looked at your leader, eyeing him skeptically now with the king joining in the joviality. "I don't know, Cap," you smirked, "I still can't get on board with that beard. At least clean it up around the edges and we'll take another look."

"Smartass, that's not what I meant."

"What happened to you?" you sighed. "You used to be so clean-cut and respectable. But if we're going to talk about being respectable...this guy definitely isn't," you smiled briefly. "Hey, Buck."

"Hey, doll, Im really glad to see you."

"Oh yeah? Why? What did you do now?"

"What?!" he gasped, feigning shock with a hand to his chest. "Nothing! I swear!"

"Mmm hmm. T, is that true?"

"It is," T'Challa agreed, albeit hesitantly and with a trained eye on the man in question. "Believe me, I am as surprised as you are, (Y/N)."

"Well, that's just rude," Bucky huffed, moving to you to take you in for his own hug and away from the king despite the risk he may be creating for himself. "I'm glad to see you because you've got me worried. I've barely been able to connect all day. You avoiding me now?"

"Pretty much, yeah. This is more than you need to take on, Buck. I've got it."

"Any word at all? How about Nat?"

"Nothing."

Bucky chewed nervously on his lip as he looked for her in the group, stopping to see her with Vision as Shuri took him to prepare for her work. He looked apologetic to consider leaving your side, but in reality he had other motives. "Do you mind if I talk to Nat for a minute? I just want to see how she's doing since Tony went silent, you know, since you think you're good and all."

"Do what you gotta do," you smiled, though the emotion was lacking in it, "I'm gonna catch up to Steve and get our plan set."

You were giving it a valiant effort, he'd allow you that much at least. It wasn't like you had to protect him from anything because he had been through his share of life on his own and there wasn't anything you could bring that scared him. What he couldn't understand was why you were so resistant to him when years had gone by with so many occasions of relying on each other for even things that seemed miniscule compared to this. "Doll, I know what you're doing, and I'm not buying it. I don't actually need to go over there because I can see that Nat's just fine from way over here, but I can't read you and I'm barely a foot away. Why are you blocking me?"