The Lightest Path

23

Next year

A year had passed by now.
And today was a terrible day.
Nothing was wrong with Bucky. He slept well these nights. He did his work good, even let a little girl braid his hair once when he was done-Grace had been very surprised when she saw his brown locks being braided.
No, there was something wrong with Grace.
She felt it in her bones when she woke up. Bucky didn't see it. He didn't hear it. He couldn't know what was going on, because she didn't tell hem.
And Grace decided not to tell anyone what was going on. Today was her free day, so she slept as long as she could. But at some point she got out of bed, finding Bucky in their tiny kitchen.
"Morning," she said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He stood behind the sink, tried to cover up the cut he had in his hand.
"Mornin' love." He smiled at her, but Grace clacked her tongue.
"Tried to cut something, huh?" With her hand she grasped his wrist and pricked in his tiny wound.
Hissing Bucky pulled away. "What was that for?"
"Oh please, don't tell me that you can't handle that! You're a Soldier!" She wiggled her eyebrows and Bucky rolled his eyes.
"Just clean me up, please." Rolling her eyes Grace "cleaned him up" and ate her breakfast. As long as she talked with Bucky and didn't think about the terrible thing that happened as soon she woke up, everything would be fine.
Totally fine.
Until they reached Shuri's lab-for some reason she asked them to come. They thought she would tell them that Bucky had made a great progress, the only thing they wished to hear. He had made some progress, but in Bucky's eyes not enough to become more intimate.
If Grace would be endangered in any kind with his mind problems, he rejected to take the risk.
As soon as they walked inside the lab, Shuri jumped up from behind a desk with a party popper, first screaming "Yeet!" and then the thing that gave Grace chills of horror.
"Happy Birthday, Grace!"
Shuri ran towards her and hugged her, throwing herself around her neck. Like a child Shuri jumped around, yelling that she finally would get a real "White People Party".
Grace was way too shocked to react and Bucky just stared at her with blaming eyes.
"No!" Grace gasped and she pushed her away. "Stop that!"
"What's wrong, White Doll?" T'Challa entered the lab as well-for a moment Grace was afraid Shuri invited the whole Royal Court to "celebrate" this agonising day. "Shuri, did you upset the white people again?" he asked in Xhosa.
"You little witch," whispered Bucky under his breath. Grace realised that the insult was meant for her, not Shuri. Bucky could never be mad at Shuri-he absolutely adored the teenager, even though he didn't say it.
"I didn't!" Shuri raised her hands to defend herself. "I just congratulated Grace with her birthday!"
"Please stop saying that!" Grace shrieked and pushed her hands against her ears. "I don't want to hear it!"
"Why not?" T'Challa had to hold his laugh. "Your birthday is something to be celebrated."
"Oh, I agree," Bucky joined in, his voice so calm that it was deadly. That wasn't good. Grace's hair in her neck raised up when she heard that voice-it somehow made her think about the Winter Soldier. "Telling that today is your birthday is something normal people would do. So we can celebrate it."
Grace wanted to turn into smoke and disappear.
"Congratulations, Doctor," said T'Challa and he wanted to shake her hand.
"Please don't." Grace pushed her hands in her pockets and rejected to take them out. "I don't want that everyone knows. And how do you know this?!"
Blaming Grace turned towards Shuri. "I just looked up your file and everything! I can't help it that it is the first thing to be said!"
"You looked up my file?!" Grace felt dizzy and stumbled towards the desk. "Oh, I'm losing my mind here!"
At first thought Grace that Bucky came to stand behind her to calm her down, when he placed his arm around her waist and leaned to her ear. But then he whispered something that made Grace white of anger.
"Happy Birthday, doll."
"No! Don't say that!" Grace freed herself from his grasp and leaned against the wall, trying to keep standing. "I hate this day," she muttered to herself and she hid her face behind her face.
Now Bucky came to stand next to her to truly comfort her. He realised that this wasn't the time to play around.
He mouthed something to Shuri, and she gave him a thumbs up with a great grin. T'Challa just sighed and led his little sister away. She kept talking about his suit and how it could be improved. The King rolled his eyes.
"What's so wrong about this day?" asked Bucky when they were gone. "It's a special day that is meant to be joyful. How can it be wrong?"
Grace mustered courage to look him into the eye. "I'm ageing."
At this comment Bucky started to grin and she saw that he tried not to laugh to spare her feelings. "You're ageing." Bucky shook his head, amused. "Doll, don't talk with me about ageing. I was born in 1917. I am older than hundred."
"That's gross," she said and wrinkled her nose. Bucky's grin disappeared. "I'm dating a grandpa. I see this age gap between us like you're in your forties and dating a six year old girl. I should be running away."
Now he realised that she was joking, Bucky chuckled again.
"Thank your for reminding me that I'm a fossil." He sighed. "But I gotta say, being over a hundred years old isn't so bad." Grace knew what he meant-that he met her. Probably a lot of other things, too.
She just smiled back at him.
"Biologically you're around your thirties. And you still look good for an old man." With a hand she went through his hair, that now was curly-again the girls had braided it yesterday.
"So it seems. But we both know what caused that." His smile trembled. "We should celebrate your birthday."
"I'm getting old."
"Grace, you're twenty eight. You don't need a walking stick."
"Hush! Today is the worst day of my life! I'm old!" she kept whining Bucky laughed aloud.
"Twenty eight. I think I'll make a reservation for an elderly home for you, visit you sometimes to bring you pudding." Bucky laughed at his own joke.
Grace was filled with horror.
" I'm wondering what Shuri will do." He grinned at her. "Probably a true American party or something, she's been whining about it by T'Challa for months now."
"I'm old. I can't have a big party and I don't want a big party," she said again and pouted. "I'm not a party beast. I'm... shy at that."
"I guess so. I've never seen you partying. You say you're too old for that so I probably never will." He flicked her nose. Bucky now pulled a serious face, almost concerned. Grace's heart started pounding like a freak.
"What is it?" she asked nervously.
"Well... Maybe you're right. Maybe you are getting old," he said, also his voice sounded worried. "Is... Is that a grey hair I'm seeing?" With his fingers he went through her hair until he had one.
"No. No way!" Grace pulled away from him and ran towards the only looking glass that Shuri had in her lab. With her hands she went through her hair, searching for the grey devil that would ruin her beautiful hair.
Bucky was shaking to keep his laugh inside.
Finally Grace turned around and folded her arms. She stood like she was about to burst into her attitude mode. Quick Bucky made his way out of the lab, grinning like an idiot.
"Happy birthday, my love," he said dramatically before crossing the corner.
"Very funny!"