Untangling a Memory

Drinks, bites, light conversation

"Miss Romanoff... sorry- Natasha- how are your accommodations? Hopefully they meet your needs?"

T'Challa sat at the head of a large table on a terrace overlooking the city. It was a rather intimate gathering, set to welcome his guests to Wakanda. Drinks flowed freely, platters of small bites were continuously being added to the table. Surrounded by trellises of vines and flowers covered in tiny lights that seemed as if to float,  it was pure bliss after the perpetual missions.

"The room is completely inadequate. Do you have a larger palace you could offer to me instead? Maybe something with a pool..." Natasha's signature smirk was ever present.

"That means that the room is exceptional to Nat. If she is being a bit cute, that's how you know she feels at home." Steve elbowed Natasha and Natasha just smiled. It's true, she was starting to settle in.

"The pool I might be able to help with..." T'Challa said as he gestured to his right. Natasha stretched to see, suddenly realizing there was another lower terrace with a beautiful lap pool, sparkling crystal blue.

Natasha threw up her hands and sunk into her chair again. "Alright I'll stay. As long as you don't raise the rent!" T'Challa laughed and nodded his head to Natasha.

"Sorry to be late!" Bucky took his seat at T'Challa's right side, directly across from Natasha. "I... lost track of the time. I hope I didn't miss much or cause too much trouble." He looked almost sheepish, clearly nervous to disappoint from being late. He compressed his body to try to make himself as small as possible, hoping to be less noticeable. But it was hard to make his large muscular frame look small.

"No, of course not, Buck. Just so glad you are here!" Steve was enthusiastic, but sweet. He had a good way around Bucky, understanding that he still was relearning how to function around people he didn't really know. Bucky didn't really have a measure for trust anymore, so Steve helped guide him in the same way his new Wakandan friends were.

Bucky eased back into his chair, relaxing his shoulders and allowing his body to go back to normal. Someone came over to ask him what he wanted to drink and he just quietly said that he was good with his water. "Thank goodness Steve didn't eat all of the lamb!" Bucky reached for the last bite on one of the trays, batting away Steve's hand lightly with his metallic fingers.

Natasha smiled as she saw his shiny finger tips. It was the first time since she arrived that he'd not hid his left arm behind his back or under the table. Even though one of the last time's she'd seen his mechanical hand he'd had it around her throat, she still missed it somehow. Though it clearly was a different metal arm, after his original HYDRA one had been blown off by Tony in Siberia, it still had a familiarity to it for her. Ultimately, she was just happy to see that he was becoming comfortable enough to start showing it and using it in front of others.

Bucky saw Natasha looking at his metal hand and his initial reaction was to hide it again. But the softness in her glance and small smirk on her face encouraged him to leave it where it was. He was still working on allowing people to see him for Bucky, the new Bucky. Metal arm and all. He had trouble separating the metal arm from the Winter Soldier in the beginning, but he was slowly realizing that it was part of him either way. He could control it rather than letting it control him.

This time when Bucky met Natasha's eye line, she had her usual smirk on her face. He felt instantly comforted, worried that her look earlier had been one of fear, even as he did his best to put on a disarming smile. But now she was relaxed. He let out a deep breath and returned to the general chatter at the table.

The night continued on this way- drinking, eating, enjoying each other's company. Sam and Shuri joked continuously at one of the table, Okoye in the middle and enjoying their banter. At the other end, Steve, Natasha, and T'Challa gabbed on and on as Bucky nodded along, listening and occasionally chiming in. Bucky was just as happy to quietly sit back and enjoy the others company. It was nearly 2am before almost everyone had peeled off from the table to head to their rooms.

"Should we plan to see you for breakfast tomorrow, Nat?"

Natasha stood up, placing her napkin on the table, taking the last sip of her drink, and pushing in her chair. "I think you mean today and you will see me at some point. I'm looking forward to sleeping for as long as possible. If you wake me, you'll feel my wrath." Natasha smiled and started walking off the terrace and back towards her room. "Night, boys!"

Natasha entered her suite and immediately flopped straight onto her bed. She enjoyed the cool sheets and quiet breeze from the open window over her liquor-warmed skin. For the first time in a long time, she wasn't looking over her shoulder. And even though she still needed to deal with Bucky, she'd made it through a first night in his presence without any massive mishaps. That was definitely worth a rest. And just like that, she curled up on the pillows and drifted quickly to sleep.

Listen to: "Somersault" - Zero 7