[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

[nerves_of_ice]

"The dreams of several designers," T'Challa agrees, "brought to reality. We plan to offer this training in the institutes of learning we will soon be establishing in America, and later elsewhere."

"Better to build than to destroy," Bucky notes, and T'Challa nods at him. "Exactly."

"Nakia will meet you in the garden chamber," he continues, as a light flickers on his bracelet as they enter the building and move through the halls. "It appears I have some things I must attend to. I will not be long."

"Don't worry about it," Bucky says. "Really."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon watches him go with that faintly wry expression back on her face, then shakes herself and gives Bucky a quizzical look.

"Garden chamber?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"You'll see," he promises. "It's an inside garden, basically. Lots of plants, a little stream inside the room - pretty impressive."

"I will escort you," says one of the Dora, stepping up beside Sharon. For all that she's polite about it, it's very clearly not a request.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon steps back reflexively, bumping into Bucky in the process. The Dora is taller than Sharon, and she has a spear. Sharon is not going to argue.

"Great," she says, a little taken aback. "Escort away."

The Dora inclines her head and indicates the correct direction, and Sharon follows along, looking around with interest.

Bucky was right about the garden chamber; they step from sleek halls and glass windows into a world of green, all leaves and humid air, and Sharon can't help but look around in wonder. "Very impressive," she confirms. "Color me impressed."

[nerves_of_ice]

"It is," he agrees. He points past her to the other side of the room, where a group of comfortable-looking seats stands on a slightly-elevated level, near a large window, framed by plants.

"When we first got here I thought I was losing my mind. Even more than usual, I mean," he adds, dryly.

[from_the_outside]

She heads in the direction of the seats, letting her fingers trail along a few large leaves as they pass by. "Well, to be fair, it had been kind of a whirlwind few days beforehand."

It's incredible how so much went so wrong so quickly, but she's determined not to think about it.

Not now. Not here. "Seems like you're getting pretty comfortable here now, though?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Yeah. And I ... guess you don't know all of it yet," he realizes, walking beside her. "I'll tell you, when you want."

The Dora have stayed on the other side of the room, out of earshot, by the door. Bucky doesn't seem concerned by their presence.

"I'm ... working on it," he continues, after a moment. "They're good people. Sometimes it's hard to believe how good."

[from_the_outside]

"Maybe later," she says, with a rueful smile. "I think I've had my fill of reliving bad memories for a little bit."

The seats are as graceful as the rest of the room, comfortably cushioned and just the right size, and Sharon takes a seat, looking up at him.

"Well, you've mostly been dealing with the bad guys for a long time now. It's nice that you're finally getting to experience the other side. Like those kids, they really seem to –"

"Sharon!"

She looks over, and gets up quickly as Nakia sweeps into the chamber, glowing like a Wakandan sunset. "Nakia!"

She steps forward and embraces her friend, hugging her tightly with a laugh before stepping back again. "I guess I probably have you to thank for this invite, huh?"

[nerves_of_ice]

His unthinking smile is small and a little wistful as he looks down at her, opening his mouth to speak --

-- and then Nakia comes in, and he steps back from their reunion with a different, more wry smile.

"Hello, Nakia."

[from_the_outside]

"Sergeant Barnes," Nakia says, all warmth and welcome. She slants a sly glance at Sharon and adds: "How did you like your surprise?"

"Cute," Sharon laughs, shaking her head. "Very cute." She gazes at her friend with sincere gratitude. "Thank you for vouching for me. And for helping convince T'Challa. I really appreciate it, Nakia."

Her friend nods, and presses her hands. "Did you talk?"

It's quite clear to Sharon that Nakia doesn't mean Bucky. She nods. "A little. Enough. I think we've come to a...detente."

"Well," laughs Nakia, "thank you for managing to do so before dinner."

[nerves_of_ice]

"It was quite a surprise," Bucky concedes, dryly. "But yes. I liked it."

His gaze sharpens as Nakia and Sharon exchange questions and answers. Clearly he's missed something. He'll have to ask later.

"Thanks for inviting us."

[from_the_outside]

"In my defense," Sharon begins, but Nakia waves her off, laughing.

"You only say that when it is your fault to begin with."

"I changed my mind," Sharon tells her, grinning. "I'm not happy to see you anymore."

Nakia, still amused, turns back to Bucky. "We thought reuniting with your friend – and me with mine – should be celebrated." Delicately: "We also thought you might not be prepared to host an evening meal. Have you seen this one eat?"

"Oh my God," Sharon mumbles, covering her face with her hand, shoulders shaking with laughter. "Where's that Dora?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I have, actually," Bucky says, slanting a sideways look at Sharon. His small smile is warmer than he realizes. "It was a memorable occasion."

He looks back to Nakia and adds, frankly,

"But you're right. I'm - I'd be a rotten host right now. Maybe someday."

Being able to look towards a 'someday' is itself a new and fragile thing.

[from_the_outside]

For her part, Sharon has gone pink from throat to ears, and it's not all from holding back laughter. She flushes under that small smile and grins at the ground.

Nakia glances between them, and makes no comment, though her eyes are eloquent, and they soften when she looks at Bucky.

"Until then, you are welcome at our table," she says, decisively. "And, I would guess, afterwards as well. Come, I'll show you the way."

"Okay, but I need to wash up a little," Sharon says, falling into step...but not until Bucky does, too. "I'm not exactly dressed for dinner with royalty."

[nerves_of_ice]

It hadn't even occurred to him - either to dress more formally himself (as limited as that might be), or to try to offer Sharon somewhere, somehow, to refresh herself after what must have been a lot of travel.

He goes silent, unable to come up with anything to say, and paces along beside them.

[from_the_outside]

"You are dressed perfectly fine for dinner with friends," Nakia says, firmly, "which is what this is. Besides, it is good to keep T'Challa humble. He is already king; he does not need to give himself airs about it."

It's deeply fond, and Sharon gives her friend a close, cunning look. "So, you two are...?"

"Oh, look!" says Nakia, brightly. "Here is a washroom. Please go and wash your hands, thank you!"

Sharon, twisting her mouth, rolls her eyes at Bucky and disappears briefly, followed shortly by the sounds of splashing water.

[nerves_of_ice]

He huffs out a small breath of what might be laughter and turns to Nakia as the door closes.

"Thank you," he says, bluntly. "I mean, I know you're friends, but thank you anyway. She's ... done a lot for me. And Steve."

[from_the_outside]

Nakia's eyes are kind as she looks at him.

"I am very glad I could help, but I believe she would have found a way here whether I did or not." Dryly: "She can be very determined."

She says it in a way that makes it clear what she really means is mulishly stubborn.

[nerves_of_ice]

"I've noticed." He says it just as dryly, shrugging his right shoulder, where the backpack rests comfortably. A hint of teasing flickers in his glance as he adds,

"Put the two of you together, and..."

[from_the_outside]

"And?"

That's Sharon, coming back out. She's scrubbed her face and throat and both are now clean and pink, and she holds up her hands sardonically for Nakia's review while trying not to smile in Bucky's direction.

"Unbelievable. I leave for thirty seconds and you're already talking smack about me. Nakia! You are such a bad influence."

"Good enough," Nakia proclaims her hands, not dignifying Sharon's remark with a response. "Come along, we are nearly there."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Should have made it a little bit longer," he observes, dryly. "I was just about to learn some interesting stuff."

He follows along beside them with possibly-surprising ease to someone who's more used to seeing him operating in public spaces with full situational awareness.

[from_the_outside]

"Anything interesting Nakia knows about me is classified," she says, smoothly. Nakia snorts, but says nothing.

There's something different about him, and it's not just the missing left arm, she realizes. She'd gotten used to him constantly, casually checking his perimeter, keeping an eye on any possible exits, avoiding cameras.

Not here. He's more relaxed than she is, but she supposes that's to be expected. The tables have flipped; this time, she's the one on the run, trying to keep a map of where they've already been in this palace in her head, taking unconscious note of how high they are.

It's nice to see that weight lifted from him.

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'll keep it in mind."

It's not in any way a promise not to ask. It's not meant to be. He realizes how it sounds only after he says it, and quietly curses himself.

It's just so easy to fall into old habits with her, for all that they haven't actually spent that much time together. But he can't. He can't. Especially now.

[from_the_outside]

"You do that," she says, amused, and catches Nakia's eye out of the corner of her own. She shrugs lightly, as if to say tell you later.

Nakia shakes her head, then leads them around a corner and through an open door into a bright, airy room. Light spills in over a table and chairs through wide, west-facing windows and illuminates richly-colored wall hangings and woven rugs. The general air is one of warmth and welcome; there's nothing stuffy or formal about it at all.

[nerves_of_ice]

"It took you long enough." Laughing, Shuri dismisses the holo-projection hovering over her wrist and comes to join them. "Nakia, did you lead them in a circle first?"

Bucky smiles, just a little. "Princess," he says, then, when she gives him a look and waves her hand at the room around them, amends that to "Shuri."

"Better," she tells him, and looks at Sharon. "How was your visit?"