[oom] see right through my walls

[nerves_of_ice]

As T'Challa stares at the hologram in the palm of his hand, he can already feel the headache forming. "She what? No. Never mind. Bring her to me in the throne room, when she arrives. I will deal with her myself."

He clears the image, then taps the Kimoyo Bead again. "Nakia. I need you."

* * * * * * * * *

"You cannot be serious."

"I don't see why this is a problem. You brought Everett Ross here--"

"Ross was dying! And he was never allowed to know that the man he was seeking was here! Nakia, I have made a promise to protect him."

"She is not a threat. Not to him."

"I will be the judge of that."

Nakia throws up her hands. "Fine. You will see. I hope it does not bother you that I stay and watch?"

T'Challa smiles. "Of course not."

Comments

[from_the_outside]

"Well, maybe I can help."

She doesn't let go of his hand when he's up, just grins up at him and then turns to look for the little herd she'd seen before. "I've named plenty of animals in my day. Granted, most of them were of the 'stuffed teddy bear' variety, but I think it still counts."

[nerves_of_ice]

He chuckles a little at that.

"Come on, this way." He gives a slight tug to her hand to start her in the right direction. "They're usually behind the hut at this time of day. Unless they've wandered off with the kids. Human kids."

Bucky slants a look at her.

"What kind of names did you give your stuffed animals?"

[from_the_outside]

She clicks her tongue and gives him a coy look out of the corner of her eye, following along with the pressure of his hand in hers. "Great ones, obviously. There was..."

She looks playfully at the sky, like she's thinking hard and trying to remember. "Polar, the stuffed polar bear. Tiger, the stuffed tiger. Brown Bear, the stuffed brown bear. And Dog."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I think I'm getting the idea," he says, dryly. "But I can't name them all Goat, so..."

As they come around the side of the hut, the small herd of goats comes into view. There are six of them, of varying colors and sizes and coats, all busily grazing.

Bucky pulls his hand free and goes to a bin at the side of the hut. He pushes the lid aside and reaches in, coming out again with a scoop full of grain, then clicks his tongue.

One by one, the goats' heads come up and their attention settles on the humans as Bucky walks back to hand the grain to Sharon.

"Here."

[from_the_outside]

"Actually, Dog was a horse," she informs him, and laughs. "Admittedly I was four and thought it was a dog. Okay, so maybe creativity isn't my strong suit."

She obediently takes the grain and pours herself a handful, then offers her cupped palm out to the first of her new visitors, a brown-and-white patched creature that looks at her with calm, barred golden eyes and bleats.

"Language!" she tells it, and laughs again as it starts busily lipping away at the grain in her hand.

[nerves_of_ice]

He's smiling, he realizes, as he watches the goats crowd around Sharon, competing for her attention. She's smiling too as she feeds them, relaxed and laughing.

He's glad. Steve will be too, when he tells him.

[from_the_outside]

She squeaks a little yelp of surprise as one of the larger goats butts its head right into her hip and pushes her off-balance, sending her stepping into a tiny white goat who bleats in alarm and runs off only to circle around and trot back, shoving towards her hand for more grain.

"That's it!" she tells them, laughing, showing them her empty hands. Undeterred, they just start nibbling on the hem of her shirt instead. "Hey! Who raised you?"

She turns to Bucky, teasing, all bright brilliant happiness even as she's playfully shoving curious muzzles away from her beleaguered clothing. "Your goats have no manners. My old etiquette teachers would be horrified."

[nerves_of_ice]

"We're a work in progress," he says, wryly, as he walks over to rescue her. "Etiquette's pretty far down the list."

"Hey. C'mon now." He slaps his hand against his thigh, making a hollow clapping sound that gets a few sets of ears laid back in annoyance as some of the goats back off in a huff. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It's okay."

[from_the_outside]

"It's fine. They were pretty horrified by me, too."

She steps back as the goats wander off back to their grazing, then gives him a playfully impressed look. "My hero."

Turning back to the little herd, she shakes her head, smiling thoughtfully. "Well, they look fat and happy. You must be doing something right."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I hope so," he says, quietly. "I'm trying, anyway."

Bucky glances after the goats, then reclaims the grain scoop and returns it to the bin, securing the lid once more. He seems to be quite used to doing all of this one-handed, to the point where it looks easy.

[from_the_outside]

"That all anyone can ever do."

He's moving well. Maybe he isn't quite used yet to having only the one hand and arm, but it certainly looks as though he's adjusting well. She tips her head towards the wall behind them.

"So, is this your new bachelor pad?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Sure," he says, wryly amused. "You can check it out if you want."

[from_the_outside]

"Why don't we grab your stuff first," she suggests, "before I forget it's there and it gets eaten by your goats?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Good idea," he says, and leads the way back around to where the backpack and assorted items are lying spread out on the grass.

[from_the_outside]

She packs up everything but the blankets into the backpack, then holds it out to him before gathering up the throws herself and heading back in the direction of the little hut.

After a thoughtful moment, she asks: "Do you mind if I ask you something? How...did you get here? The last thing I knew, T'Challa was still after you. What changed?"

[nerves_of_ice]

His small smile fades.

"A lot happened. Yes, you can ask."

He takes a deep breath, but seems calm enough.

"The short version is that he found out I'd been framed. T'Challa's ... he's got a strong sense of justice. He caught Zemo before he could escape, and offered me and Steve sanctuary and help here."

[from_the_outside]

It's not far at all to the little hut; she politely waits at the entryway for him to let her in. "He seems like a good man."

And protective of Bucky, which she finds really very relatable.

She doesn't comment on Steve's involvement, or ask where he is; she's still a little unsure of just what Bucky thinks is happening there, and she has no desire to discuss the kiss they'd shared in the last moments before she had to flee.

Instead, she looks around at the neat little room, taking in the brightly patterned and colored blankets and wall hangings, the little table with its chairs. "Very cozy," she says, approving, and smiles at him. "I like it."

[nerves_of_ice]

"He is."

He leans the backpack against the end of the bed and turns to face her. Her smile is brilliant, lighting the room, and he can't help but smile back, just a little.

"Thanks. I'm ... still getting used to it, but it's... nice."

He nods to the table.

"Do you want to sit down to talk? Or walk around some?"

[from_the_outside]

"Um –"

She goes to deposit the blankets on top of a chest tucked against the wall, and her gaze lands on the pair of black tac boots tucked beneath the bed. Her mouth quirks. "Actually, sitting for a bit sounds nice. I've been doing a lot of walking lately."

Like, say, when she walked across the Wakandan borders earlier in the day. "Is that okay?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Sure." He moves to the chair across from her and waits for her to take her seat first.

[from_the_outside]

She pulls out the other chair and sits with a faint sigh, then leans her elbows onto the table and sets her chin on her folded hands, studying him.

This whole time, she hasn't been able to look away for long; now she lets herself drink him in like she's wanted to for six long weeks. "It's really good to see you," she says, softly, after a long moment.

His eyes look more blue than gray today. She didn't quite manage to nail down the color when she thought about it before, trying to picture him like she had so often over the last month and a half of being on her own.

There are so many questions to ask, and things to be said, and confessions to be made, but for this one moment, she just basks in the simple happiness of being here with him at all.

[nerves_of_ice]

She's watching him like - like ... he's not sure, actually. Like she'd thought she'd never see him again, maybe, which he guesses he can understand, given what they were facing when last he saw her, while crammed in the back of a tiny car.

"It's good to see you too," he replies, just as quietly. It is. She's alive, and here, and safe, and just the thought dissolves a burden he didn't know he was carrying.

Steve'll be glad to hear, when he can tell him. Sharon had said that they hadn't been in touch since Leip-- since before the airport, so this'll be great news.

One corner of his mouth quirks, very slightly, without his realizing it, at the thought of being able to give Steve good news for once.

[from_the_outside]

There's a faint touch of a smile, like he'd thought of something funny, and her own smile turns a little quizzical.

"What?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Hm?" He blinks out of his own thoughts and looks at her with surprise.

[from_the_outside]

"You looked like you thought of something funny," she says, smiling, and gives him a teasingly arch look.

"But go ahead, keep your secrets."