The Mimic

127

The day was as perfect and as relaxed as all of their days in Wakanda. Even in the winter months there was a warmth in the air, heavy winter coats were never needed. Blankets were commonly used in the evenings, but it was never anything thick. Wakanda was a perfect paradise for the pair. No stresses, no worries, just relaxation. Something that neither of them had experienced in a long time.

It didn't take long for it to be time for one of y/n's bedtime stories. The sun was just beginning to set, creating a beautiful mixture of oranges and purples in the sky. The fire in the centre of the village flickered calmly as the children begun to gather around it. Every single one of them were already in their pyjamas, blankets wrapped comfortably around them as they waited excitedly for y/n to begin. It was probably one of the only nights where the children actually listened to their parents when told it was bedtime.

Y/n was sat where all of the children could see her, a warm grin plastered across her face. She had a blanket draped across her lap, her elbows resting comfortably on her knees. This was always her favourite night of the week. To see all of their faces so captivated by her words was something that she cherished so much. Whilst she patiently waited for all of the children to sit down, y/n scanned around the rest of the village in search for Bucky. 

As soon as y/n spotted Bucky, her face seemed to light up. He was sat on the ground in front of a rocking chair, a pained look on his face. One of the elders of the village had decided to braid his hair. It wasn't anything too tight, mostly just a few loose braids here and there. She just seemed to want to play with someone's hair for a while. Bucky wasn't sure if the elder knew that he wasn't one of the women, but he wasn't going to ask her. It had been made pretty clear early on that it was practically forbidden to argue with any of the elders. They were meant to be treated with respect. Even if that meant for Bucky to feel like his hair was getting ripped out of his scalp. 

He took in a sharp breath as his head was yanked backwards by all of the tugging, quietly apologising as he was scolded for moving his head. Usually he liked to have his hair played with, but y/n was much gentler than this. Bucky sighed quietly as glanced up in search for y/n, an embarrassed smile appearing on his face as he realised that she was watching him. He scrunched his nose up with a grin as y/n begun to laugh at him, happy to see that someone was getting some joy out of it. If there weren't so many children around, he would've stuck his middle finger up at y/n. But he knew from experience that the elders would scold him into next week if he did that.

Y/n continued to quietly laugh as she looked away from Bucky, sitting up a little straighter as she prepared to begin the story. She pursed her lips together as she counted all of the children, making sure that nobody was missing before she begun. "Okay! If you're ready for tonight's story, hold out your hands toward the fire! I need everyone's magic to help me!" Y/n exclaimed, holding out her open palms toward the fire as an example. If it wasn't safe, y/n wouldn't let them hold their hands out, but they were all sat far enough away that the fire couldn't hurt them. 

Y/n had a special story for the children tonight. Usually it was something pretty general, but she had decided to switch it up. She decided to tell the story of her life - well, an edited, nicer version where Hydra never interfered. Of course she had to add in some fake conflicts and a bit more magic to make it interesting, but the general idea was there. 

Y/n used the fire to her advantage, controlling it so she could create scenes out of the flames. The children hung onto every word that came out of her mouth, their eyes completely captivated by the dancing flames. It was probably the longest they'd all been quiet. Even the wriggly little ones were entertained. It was a beautiful sight to see. Nobody would've been able to realise what y/n had been through if their first impression of her were her bedtime stories. But for Bucky it was just nice to see her so comfortable and happy.

The story soon ended, and, after a few hugs and kisses goodnight, y/n was finally able to free Bucky from the clutches of the elder. A teasing smile appeared on her face as she casually strolled over, pressing her lips together in an attempt to not laugh at the whole situation. The braids had started out loose, but the elder had seemed to want to go for something tighter instead, which didn't suit Bucky at all. The despair on his face whenever the elder scolded him for moving almost caused y/n to laugh, but she knew better than to laugh at an elder. "Hey, can I borrow Bucky for a bit? I'm sure that he'd want to come back tomorrow so you can do his hair again." She suggested with a hopeful look in her eyes, refusing to make eye contact with Bucky. She knew that if she did, she'd end up laughing.

After a bit of reasoning, Bucky was finally able to leave. Only a section of his hair had been braided, but he was still complaining about the tightness of it. Their arms swung back and forth as they walked casually down one of the dirt paths. They always spent their evenings up in the mountains, it was such a peaceful place to watch the stars. "She definitely thought I was a girl! She kept telling me about how she had some good tools to get rid of my 'face fluff'." Bucky chuckled fondly, obviously talking about his beard.

Y/n scrunched her nose up with a laugh, reaching up to run a hand over Bucky's beard. "Well, even with your beard, I think you'd make a very beautiful woman." She teased with a casual shrug. The elders were lovely, but very traditional at times. It wasn't a surprise that they assumed that Bucky was a woman. 

Bucky raised his eyebrows in surprise, a fond smile on his face as he went along with y/n's teasing. "Y'know what, I think you're right! I'm surprised Cassie didn't make me a permanent member for her tea parties." He hummed confidently. Bucky did miss the team from time to time, but only a specific set of people.