Eyes of Fire | Bucky Barnes

41

Uxolo was finally feeling better, and it was just in time.

Today was the official beginning of the Ekwindla Equinox.

Scientifically, the term simply represents how during this time, the sun shines directly on the equator, and the northern and southern hemispheres get the same amount of rays.

Figuratively, the autumnal equinox is largely a time of harvest. The apples, heather bush, herbs fennel, marigold, hops, berries and mushrooms are in full power and ready to harvest. That's why during the festivities, there's an emphasis on farmers and the products they share with the rest of the nation.

Equinoxes in general are thought to represent the period of struggle between darkness and light, death and life. It occurs when the night and day will be equal, and the journey of the Sun to actually get there also signifies the journey of the Universe.

The symbol of the Autumnal Equinox, specifically, is the double spiral. It illustrates the in-breath and out-breath, the point of balance between the worlds, the inner and outer journey. It hinges on practicing gratitude for the bright spots of the year and clearing the way for a new beginning.

It's a time to make a list of everything one is thankful for as a way of reaping the inner harvest.

The celebration surrounding the actual physical change of the environment goes on for weeks (which explained why it took so long to plan for and set up in the first place), with the day of the equinox serving as its beginning.

Most of the activities were established well in advance and set up for the entirety of the celebration, including the carnival portion (which consisted of small mechanical rides and booth games), the animal interaction stations, and the marketplace (in which the farmers themselves were celebrated for all they did, and other citizens overindulged in all the goods they had to offer).

Some of the ventures were one-day only, like the royal family appearances, various animal award ceremonies (which was one of Uxolo's favorites parts, because a rhino wearing a crown and a medal necklace is beyond cute), the parade, and the ending formal (where all of the adults dressed in their finest and danced together to celebrate another period of survival and persistence).

"Hello, bright eyes." The sergeant's voice was low, rumbling like thunder.

Bucky had watched as she approached, shuffled awkwardly to the side so he wasn't standing in the middle of the moving crowds. As much as she'd warned him of the typical apparel for today's activities, he was definitely underdressed. More-so because his closet consisted solely of jeans and simple t-shirts rather than the traditional Wakanadan garb everyone else was in.

Uxolo was clad in a nice, ruffled off-the-shoulder dress, with a piece of fabric wrapped around her waist to cinch it towards the middle. The bright yellow shades along with the traditional red and green patterns made her shine, complimenting her silk skin in a way Bucky didn't have the strength to comprehend or the words to explain.

He held out his hand towards her when she got close enough, but she didn't take his hand immediately. Her fingers ran over his palm instead, along the underside of his arm. She reached out for his other arm, too, treating both metal and flesh as equals.

She trailed her hands up the back of his forearms and pulled him into a brief hug, faces pressed together before she leaned in to kiss his cheek. He was going to do it back, truly, but hesitated too long, let his mind get too clustered, and once it was finally clear again, she had already leaned away.

"Hello, blue eyes." Uxolo said in response, despite the slight confusion. "How was your morning?"

Bucky shrugged, "Could've been better. Felt like I was missing something."

She shook her head, grinning. Uxolo leaned into him for a moment, pressing the side of her head against him as she teased, "I can only wonder what that something is."

It was the first time, in what felt like a long time, that they'd spent their mornings separately.

Ever since their relationship progressed towards the more romantic, intimate realm, they'd been spending more nights at each other's respective homes, more nights pressed together in each other's beds.

More her home and her bed than anywhere else, because his dingy place didn't have the warmth that hers did. Bucky attributed that to the fact that in her home, she was everywhere. If one looked closely enough, they'd find her in the wall decorations, in the book selection and organization, in the old movies and shows that were on constant repeat, and in the everlasting scent of honey.

To anyone else, it might appear that he'd essentially moved in. The pair knew otherwise, dancing around the way he had to bring a change of clothes every time he wanted to stay the night (which was all of the time), and the way her bathroom storage was slowly expanding to include his toothbrush and a towel, set aside just for him.

Back to how they'd spent the morning apart, though; long story short, he was running out of clothes. His clothing was all of the same, in all honesty, and no one would be the wiser if he wore the same physical shirt everyday, but he didn't want Uxolo — of all people — to have that impression. He'd have to upgrade his wardrobe, maybe tap into the boyish charm he'd been known for almost a hundred years ago. He already stuck out like a sore thumb next to her — metal arm, messy hair, and all — the least he could do was not dress like a caveman.

"Are you ready to go, Bucky?" Uxolo asked, nudging her chin in the direction of which the crowds were moving.

Bucky nodded, and followed her into the droves of people.