#b049

Eventually, however, I looked down, and they were no longer nestled against me, the space previously occupied by their sleep-warm body now cold and empty. Before panic could rise in my throat, however, I pushed myself upright, finding them sat on the floor beside the bed, a book in hand, idly toying with Zeus’ ear as he dozed beside them.

“Hey,” they offered, shooting me a smile. “Sorry – I got back from my place and you looked so cute, I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“You left?” I clarified, blinking in surprise, rubbing the heel of my hand against my still sleep-heavy eyes. They chuckled, smoothing a hand over Zeus’ side.

“I did. Had to see to my own menagerie. I hope you don’t mind, but I took this one with me – figured he could use the morning relief, and… Like I said, you were cute. Thought it best if we left you to sleep for a while.”

I exhaled heavily, dragging at hand over my face with a heavy sigh. “I- Yeah. That- it’s fine. Sorry. Didn’t sleep great.”

A concerned frown creased their features and they pushed themselves up quickly, sitting beside my legs. “I’m sorry. Any idea why?” I shrugged, eyes shifting away, and their fingers reached out uncertainly to find mine. “… You’re really worried about this, huh?”

I could only shrug, finding myself unwilling and unable to lie to them. “I’m… I have concerns, yes.”

“Oh, Win,” they murmured, squeezing my hand gently as another jolt of pleasure shot through me at the feeling of being recognized. “It’ll be okay. And hey, we’re gonna go away for a little while, yeah? Hopefully that’ll… Ease your mind a bit?”

I found myself nodding, fingers wrapping more fully with theirs. “Yeah... I need to call Steve.”

“You want me to do what?”

“Look,” I growled, feeling my muscles clench in annoyance. “The only reason this is happening is because you showed up and made me paranoid. I can’t stop looking over my shoulder, and I need to get away from it for a while. It’s not like you’re doing anything else these days, is it?”

The team was still in disarray since the discussions over the Accords – while everyone else was still on speaking terms, just about, there were no planned missions until further notice, with tensions running too high to risk much of a public presence for a little while. And I knew Steve – I knew that inactivity made him anxious, and I knew that, underneath his complaints, he’d be glad for something to do.

I also knew that we were both aware of how much he had already done to keep me safe from Tony, but I was relying on him to be too polite to mention that factor. When I heard his soft sigh, I grinned a little. “Fine. What do you need me to do?”

I relayed his duties briefly – “Nothing too intensive – it’s mostly just feeding a few birds, a cat, couple of reptiles…” – and assured him that Mars would, I’m sure, leave him an intense step-by-step manual as to how best care for their beloved critters.

“Oh, and don’t worry if you get screamed at by a green puffball. That’s just Denzel.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fi- … What?”

As expected, by the time Steve arrived a few hours later, Mars had prepared an entire packet to detail the minutiae of daily care for their menagerie by the time Steve arrived a few hours later. They showed him around their apartment with a single-minded intensity – and Steve, to his credit, said nothing more about their role in our life, instead simply nodding and asking questions when he deemed it necessary.

It wasn’t hard to see the nerves in their face as I climbed into the driver’s seat, Zeus safely secured in the back. “You okay?” I prompted gently, reaching over to squeeze their fingers, the key dangling forgotten in the ignition. They nodded once, then glanced over their shoulder at the store, worry creasing their features.

“He’ll… He’ll call if there’s a problem, right?” they clarified, their voice cracking minutely. I nodded hard, my hand clasping a little tighter around theirs.

“He said he would,” I reminded them with a soft smile, “and you know Captain America can’t tell a lie. Hell, Stevie can’t tell a lie. It’s not in his nature. And he has all of the info, and the contact details in case anything does happen. But I would trust him with my life – have, actually. Many times. I promise it’ll be okay,” I vowed, leaning over to skim a kiss against their cheek tenderly.

“Thanks, Buck,” they breathed, nipping their lower lip nervously before letting out a heavy breath, nodding. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

There was, of course, no way that Steve was driving the entire way from the East Coast.

I didn’t think to warn them – it hadn’t crossed my mind that the quinjet was something of note. But the way their eyes stretched wide when I turned down a rugged track just outside the city, following the directions Steve had given me, pulled a chuckle from my throat despite my anxieties. “Oh. Yeah… Figured it was better than going commercial,” I offered by way of explanation, shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly. They simply turned their open-jawed expression to me, speechless.

“We… We’re… Going… In that?” they stammered eventually, their voice barely audible. Tem and Win chuckled in unison in my head as I grinned, their adoration clear.

“The quinjet? Yeah… Is that okay?”

A weak nod came first, uncertain and hesitant, then a little more forcefully. “Yeah. I just- I didn’t expect it. I’ve never seen one. Not up close, I mean.”

“Up close?” I clarified, one eyebrow arched as we climbed from the car, releasing Zeus, who barrelled into the long grass without hesitating. With a simultaneous chuckle, we both moved to take our bags from the trunk, but I waved them off, and they blushed as they considered their answer.

“I… When I figured out you were… You know, you – I looked into the Avengers a little more. I knew some stuff, but I didn’t follow it quite so close, you know? Other side of the country and all that…” Their blush deepened, and they looked down, scuffing a toe in the dust of the track as they shrugged. “There was a lot of stuff. Some videos from… Something that went down in New York? There was quite a few of those things there,” they added, gesturing at the jet. I nodded and grimaced, grabbing a bag in each hand before locking the car and calling the dog to my side.

It wasn’t until they’d fallen into step either side of me, the quinjet’s ramp lowering, that I spoke again. “I wasn’t around for New York.”

“No, I found that out after. I’m… Kind of glad. It doesn’t look like it was… I…” They paused again as I stopped to drop our bags, their fingers finding my forearm as I turned to continue on to the cockpit. “… I’m glad you’re safe.”

With a soft smile, I moved closer, my free hand finding their jaw to cup their face tenderly as my mouth met theirs. “I’m glad I’m here.”

Their child-like excitement was beautiful.

The chatter was incessant as we crossed the country, the land far below largely a mass of forests and fields, interspersed with cities that looked fit for ants from our height. I flew far slower than necessary, enjoying their excitement, letting them tell me about their life – trips abroad to Egypt and Greece, their first holiday without their family, and the move to the US. They talked about the different bugs and birds found in the States compared to ‘back home’, and idly wondered what it would be like to drive a tractor.

I was enraptured by every word that left their lips, and was almost sad when the scenery dissolved into ocean below us, the Atlantic spreading out endlessly towards the horizon.

I needn’t have worried.

They used the sight of the sea to bring up one of their favourite topics of conversation – ships. They told me about the dockyards at Portsmouth and visiting a Town-class light cruiser on the River Themes, moored in the centre of London. They told me about the Titanic and the Olympic and the Britannic, and gaped at me in wonder when I told them I’d seen the Olympic in person.

“After the war – it was… 1929, I think? I was still only young – Olympic was a tourist ship again, like she was intended to be. Southampton to New York, and back again. Transatlantic,” I noted with a grin, inclining my head towards the sea stretched before us and eliciting a chuckle. “My mom still remembered the news about the Titanic, so… One time when Olympic was coming in, she took us – Stevie and me – down to see her.” I shook my head, smiling softly. “It was just about the coolest thing I’d ever seen at that point. It was massive. There was some pretty big ships around by then, but I didn’t go down to the docks that often. My mom told me that when Titanic sank, it was headline news for weeks. She was only a kid, really – barely an adult, at least. England seemed so far away.” I chuckled a little, entwining my fingers with theirs. “I wonder what she’d think if she could see us now. A hop, skip and an 8,000 mile flight…”

“Magic, metal arms, mutants and feats and mechanical marvel,” they agreed, smiling softly. “Though from what you’ve told me about her… I think she’d love it.”

With a laugh, I nodded. “You’re probably right. The idea that she could explore the world so readily would be intoxicating to her. She always wanted to travel,” I added, then frowned minutely. “… I don’t think she ever went out of the city.”

We sat in silence for a minute, each lost in our thoughts, and they squeezed my fingers gently. “She’d be proud of you,” they reassured me gently, inching closer to lean their head against my shoulder. “You’ve had a hard life… But you’re a good man. You and your brothers. She’d love you all, so much.”

I let my eyes close briefly, cheek resting on their hair. “Thanks, Mars.”

Their eyes were half-closed by the time we made land again, quietly mumbling to themselves, and I shot them a glance with a grin, opting to let them doze a while longer. They’d spent some of the time over the Atlantic playing with Zeus, who was now curled up lovingly by their feet, snoring audibly.

It wasn’t until a familiar expanse of nothingness spread before us that I reached out to take their hand once more, chuckling as their eyes snapped open in alarm. “Hey, it’s okay – it’s just me. We’re almost there.”

With a frown, they cast their eyes around, brow furrowed. “…Where? There’s… Nothing.”

Snorting, I arched an eyebrow, the serum’s enhancement to my vision revealing the faintest shimmer spreading across the sky before me. “Didn’t you know?” I replied innocently, waving a hand at the open skyline. “Wakanda is just a simple farming nation. One of the poorest countries in the world.”

“Isn’t Wakanda where you got your arm?” they clarified, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Seems like a high-tech bit of gear for a ‘simple farming nation’.”

I chortled, shaking my head fondly. “You know, if you go about remembering the things I say, this is never going to work,” I teased, rolling my eyes affectionately. I paused, letting us get closer to the barrier. “Fine, fine… You wanna know what Wakanda is really like? Take a look.”

On cue, we passed through the almost-invisible divide, and Birnin Zana rose before us, a sprawling expanse of shimmering buildings and lush mountains, fed by roaring falls. In the centre of it all sat the citadel, the city’s shining jewel, where T’Challa’s palace overlooked his domain.

I heard their soft exhale of wonder and smiled to myself, glancing across to see their wide-eyed expression. “This is just… Here, all the time?” they clarified incredulously, and I snorted.

“Yeah, it doesn’t move around or anything,” I agreed teasingly, earning an affectionate glare.

“How did they stay hidden for so long?”

We watched as Zeus rose to peer out of the window, tail wagging lazily, before turning back to Mars’ unoccupied hands imploringly and eliciting a chuckle from us both. “The barrier,” I explained, when my dog was happily slumped against their leg, Mars’ fingers scratching idly behind his ear. “It hides them from the outside world. People stumbled across the city on occasion, of course, but…”

“But?” They frowned, hand pausing. “They didn’t… Kill them, did they?”

“No, no,” I consoled them quickly. “No. They were simply deposited back beyond the barrier with only a vague recollection of what they’d seen. No. But that’s where the legends of a great golden city started – you’ve heard of El Dorado, right?”

The quinjet approached the palace as they nodded, and they leant forward to track our descent as I hovered. “I have. Thought it was supposed to be in South America, though.”

“People back then weren’t the best at knowing where they world they were,” I offered, leaning forward as the jet began to descend, carefully lowering us towards the landing platform. “They thought America was India for a fair while there, after all.”

Mars snorted but didn’t respond, glancing nervously around. “… There’s… People.”

With a smile, I took in shaved heads and long red robes. “A welcome party.”

No sooner had I begun to descend the lowered ramp than I was approached with a grin and an outstretched hand, drawing a broad smile across my own face.

“White Wolf,” the warrior before me noted by way of greeting, her fingers wrapping tight around my forearm, warmth in her gaze as her eyes met mine.

“Ayo,” I replied, a familiar ache setting up in my chest. I owed this woman a lot, but I couldn’t hide the faint pang of anxiety that I found in her presence. She had been the one to challenge me after my deprogramming, using the words I’d heard countless times before to prove my deactivation had been successful.

She’d been there as I’d wept, afraid and relieved.

Few people had seen me as vulnerable as she had, and despite the time that had passed since I had left Wakanda, being back in her presence immediately made me feel safer.

“We’ve come to seek sanctuary for a short while,” I explained, and she laughed, glancing over my shoulder.

“Yes… I see you are not alone,” she noted, one eyebrow raised. “Shuri will be most disappointed that you have not brought her another broken white boy.”

I glanced back with a grin, finding Mars hesitating uncertainly halfway down the ramp, my dog halfway between us and wagging happily. “They’re none of those things – but I think Shuri will find them a delight nonetheless,” I replied, chuckling.

Distantly, I felt the others poking at my thoughts – one excited, one anxious.

Ayo should know about us!

What if she sees me as a threat?

There’s nothing threatening about you, Win. You’re not the things they made you; you know that. I know you do.

With a reluctant sigh, the soldier hummed his uncertain agreement, and I gripped the arm beneath my palm tighter. “I’d love to catch up with you later, if that’s alright? There’s- I think we should… Talk, about a few things.”

A flicker of concern creased her features, and she nodded, then glanced back toward the ranks of the Dora Milaje, a subtle but distinctly uncharacteristic shyness edging her smile. “I think we should, yes.”

I followed her gaze to a woman stood with her spine straight, spear gripped in hand – no different to her comrades, save for the taut muscle in her jaw as she fought to smother a grin, eyes flittering intermittently towards Ayo before she could force them away once more, and I let out a laugh. “I see.” I released her arm at last, smiling fondly. “I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

Steve had warned T’Challa about our impending visit, and Ayo assured me that he would welcome us when we were ready. While I looked forward to reacquainting myself with the King who had sheltered me when I needed it the most, there was one person I could wait no longer to introduce Mars to – and the dog trotting eagerly by my side, occasionally nudging his head under my palm when he picked up the increase in my breathing that betrayed my nervousness.

Shuri’s workshop was exactly as I remembered it. Chaotic in an almost unnoticeable way – it was clean and uncluttered, but only by looking closely could the consequences of the young genius’ bouts of inattentiveness be seen. A piece of half-welded vibranium sitting on the wrong workbench and kimono beads nestled in an empty bowl instead of their usual jar were subtle signs of a trait I’d come to know well during my time in the city. Shuri fluctuated between hyperfocus and an almost painful inability to settle, working on projects for weeks at a time with barely pause for sleep, or moving from task to task with seemingly random motivations, leaving a trail of her previous work in her wake.

She’d shown me things I’d never have been able to imagine – and while this visit contained nothing quite so incomprehensible, I was certain I had something that would delight to the adolescent engineer.

She was bent over a desk when I found her, sketching intently with her nose mere millimetres from the page. “If you have come on my brother’s orders, remind him that I have told him already to be patient. It will be ready when it is ready, and rushing me isn’t going to make that process any faster.”

I bit back a laugh, arching an eyebrow. “I don’t think anybody could rush you, Shuri. You do things when you want to, and not a moment sooner.”

Spine stiffening as I began to speak, she sat sharply upright. “Sergeant Barnes,” she replied, the smile evident in her voice, “I was not aware you would be gracing us with your presence.”

“Where’s the fun in that? You know I love surprises,” I teased, and she laughed, turning at last to fix her glittering gaze on me.

“It’s been too long, White Wolf.”

“It has.” I extended my arms, grinning. “So - do I get a hug, or are you gonna make me stand here all day?”

No sooner had I finished speaking than she was crossing the space between us, slotting herself against my chest and clinging tight, her fingers curling in the back on my shirt.

“Missed you,” she murmured against me, and I smiled softly, pressing my cheek to her hair.

“I missed you too,” I replied readily, giving her a small squeeze. “Hey – wanna see what I brought you?”

She gasped and stepped back, her eyes shining. “Someone to fix?”

With a snort, I shook my head. “Not quite. Do you remember what you told me – that there was something you’d love to do if you ever left Wakanda?”

She frowned, eyebrows creasing as she thought. “Uh… There’s a lot of things, really. Which one did you mean?”

I laughed, resting a fond hand on her shoulder. “This one.” Pursing my lips, I let out a long, low whistle, bringing my dog skittering around the corner, tongue lolling happily as he found someone new to lavish him with attention. Shuri let out a quiet squeak, dropping to her knees, arms extended excitedly.

As Zeus coated her face in long strokes with his tongue and she cackled happily, I half-turned, finding Mars peering at us with amusement and curiosity. I extended my hand to them, gesturing them closer, and smiled softly as they moved uncertainly nearer. “A lot’s changed since I was last here,” I noted, letting my fingers wrap with theirs as I looked down at Shuri embracing my dog, chuckling.

“I never thought you’d settle down and do something quite so normal as getting a dog, Barnes. Next thing you know, you’ll be-”

Shuri cut herself as she looked up, eyes zeroing in on the hand in mine and growing comically wider. “… You’ll… Be doing something like, uh… Dating.”

“I guess I’m just the guy next door these days,” I agreed, snorting, and wrapped my arm gently around Mars’ waist to hold them closer. “Shuri, Mars. Mars, Shuri. Mars is- I mean…” I blushed softly, glancing down at them, suddenly nervous. I’d never actually thought to clarify our relationship – it’d never seemed a priority to have a label on it before now, but with the young engineer’s eyes on me, I fumbled for a succinct way to summarise the happiness I’d found with them.

“We’re together,” they offered gently, their gaze finding mine, and I felt myself light up.

“Yeah,” I agreed, surprised to find the word coming breathlessly in my exhilaration. “Yeah, we… We’re together.” My eyes shifted back to the teenager, finding them watching us adoringly, and chuckled. “They helped me find my dog – Zeus, he… His name is Zeus. He’s a rescue. I…” I scratched the back of my neck uncertainly, hesitating, but Mars’ hand finding mine on their hip steadied me, and I swallowed. “I struggle, sometimes. With… Everything. It was suggested that I get a dog – especially one trained to help with… When I get too much in my head. And he isn’t – well, he wasn’t, but we’re getting there.” I eyed my four-legged companion fondly. “And Mars is helping us with that, too.”

“I’m a dog trainer, by trade,” they interjected helpfully, flushing just a little when Shuri’s eyes moved to them once more, becoming nervous under the attention of her analytical gaze. “He’s very smart – he’s been a delight to work with.”

“The dog or the man?” Shuri teased, smirking, and I snorted.

“Oh, I’m no patch on him,” I laughed, reaching forward to scratch Zeus fondly behind the ears. “He’d run rings around me in a battle of wits.”

“He’s beautiful,” she cooed, burying her face in his striped coat adoringly. “Thank you for bringing him. Are you staying long?”

“Only a week,” I chuckled, “so you can’t run off with him; I’m gonna need him back.”

The teenager rolled her eyes light-heartedly, pouting. “You’re no fun.”

I was leading the way as we headed out from the underground labs, Zeus bounding up the steps beside me eagerly.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Mars murmured, hanging back with the teenage engineer. “Bucky speaks quite fondly of you and the things you’ve done for him.”

“He’s a good man,” Shuri replied readily. “He deserves to be happy; I’m glad he’s found that with you, Mars.”

“I do my best,” they answered, the blush tangible in their tone, pulling a subtle grin over my face.

“You’re modest,” Shuri laughed. “He’s… Different.”

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

“I’ve never seen him like this,” the teen replied, her voice lowering conspiratorially. “He’s only this soft around you.”

“Mind who you’re calling soft when there’s folks with enhanced hearing around,” I grunted, sparing a glance at the pair over my shoulder. “Whispering doesn’t account for much in that situation.”

T’Challa wasn’t on his throne – not that either Shuri or I were particularly surprised by the revelation.

“King T’Challa isn’t the kind to sit around,” I offered with a chuckle as we passed through a shining archway and into the rays of the sweltering East African sun.

“He mentioned visiting with the Border Tribe,” Shuri mused, raising a hand to shield her eyes as she peered out across the plains. “M20 has just sired another calf – you know what he’s like for…” She trailed off, humming thoughtfully, then paused. “There!”

I followed her gaze, smiling at the sight of a blockish movement on the horizon. As the seconds passed, the shape grew larger – slowly at first, and more rapidly as the distance between us lessened.

When I realised what it is that I was looking at, I quickly summoned Zeus from the tuft of grass he had been intensely investigating a dozen feet away, flushing with pride when he crossed immediately to my side.

“The training is paying off,” Mars noted, and I grinned broadly.

“Thanks to you,” I pointed out, ducking my head to kiss their cheek and chuckling when they reddened.

“So cute,” Shuri sighed, eyeing us affectionately. I slung an arm casually over my partner’s shoulder and beamed, pressing another kiss to their hair gently as the King’s mount slowed to a halt before us, T’Challa sliding to his feet beside it.

“Sergeant Barnes,” he greeted me, grinning broadly and extending a hand to clasp my forearm tightly.

“King T’Challa,” I replied easily, smiling, my free arm still looped around Mars. “This is Mars. My partner,” I added, joy fizzing in my chest and happy laughter echoing in my shared mind. His eyes flicked to them, and he inclined his head respectfully.

“A pleasure.”

“I- Um… Th-thank you,” they stammered, cheeks reddening. “It’s an honour to be here, your highness.”

He let out an easy laugh, shaking his head. “T’Challa is fine. Wakanda is pleased to have you.” The rhino beside him butted his arm pointedly, and he chuckled, offering a banana to the creature. “They are nothing if not demanding.”

“How is the calf?” Shuri asked, moving forward to rub the rhino’s forehead affectionately.

“Another strong male to add to our ranks – though the mother is just as cantankerous as always,” he added, turning his arm to show a thin scrape on the back of his bicep.

“Have you considered using some Javan rhinoceros DNA?” Mars queried, eyeing the mount curiously. “The cows don’t have horns – it may be helpful for your breeding stock. Plus, they’re functionally extinct, so if you helped conservation efforts in the process, it’d be a win all around.”

T’Challa hummed thoughtfully, glancing at his rhino. “That’s an interesting proposition. We have done some conservation work before; one of the Shuri’s companies worked with Sumatran elephants a few months ago to help bolster their numbers.”

“I finally convinced my brother to let me host some outreach programs under anonymity,” Shuri added, grinning at me, and I laughed.

“You were bugging him for long enough,” I retorted, and she chuckled.

“You didn’t introduce me to the third member of your party,” T’Challa noted, eyeing the dog beside me uncertainly, eliciting a shocked snort.

“T’Challa – are you… Are you scared of dogs?”

He shot me an affectionate glare, crossing his arms. “I’m not scared of them,” he countered, huffing. “I just don’t trust them.”

Shuri laughed, shaking her head. “My dearest brother is more inclined toward cats.”

I thought of T’Challa in his Black Panther armour, and the cheetahs trained by the Dora Milaje, and smiled to myself. “Yeah, pretty sure it comes with the territory.”

“He won’t hurt you,” Mars interjected softly, their gaze never leaving the king as he eyed Zeus uncertainly. “He’s very friendly.”

“Zeus?” The dog looked up at me as I spoke, and I grinned. “Good boy. Sit.” He dropped to his butt immediately, mouth open as he panted, tongue lolling from the heat, and my fingertips scratched his head lightly. Mars squatted by his side, running a hand over the white blaze that trailed down his chest.

“He’s a softie, I promise,” Mars reiterated, their voice gentle but firm, unwavering. My eyes shifted to them, awestruck as always by the way their confidence flourished when working with dogs.

Slowly, hesitantly, T’Challa left his steed’s side, moving closer to the dog gazing at him with dopy adoration. “… Why is he looking at me like that?”

Mars laughed, rubbing Zeus’ neck affectionately. “He’s interested in you! Most people dive on him – sometimes without even stopping to ask. He’s not used to people being so aloof.”

The king hummed under his breath, pausing. “… They’re always showing their teeth…”

I watched as my partner fought not to grin, gesturing around. “They pant a lot more readily than cats, and it’s pretty hot out here. He’s just keeping cool – same as me!” they added, chuckling as they wiped beads of sweat from their forehead. T’Challa hummed again, taking another step closer and bending his knees to squat before my dog.

“Hello, Zeus,” he murmured, casting an eye over the wagging hand warily. “… You are beautiful, I must admit.”  Zeus let out a low whine at the increased proximity and lack of pets, wriggling forward a half-inch as his tail lashed, and T’Challa frowned again. “If one of the Cats moves its tail like that, you’d best get out of the way, and sharpish.”

Shuri rolled her eyes, moving forward to cup Zeus’ face in her hands. “He’s just a beautiful, happy baby,” she crooned, pressing a kiss to his nose, and earning a long pass of his tongue in response, earning a laugh from each of us. T’Challa sighed, smiling, and shook his head affectionately.

“Fine, fine…” he murmured, his jaw ticking nervously as he extended his hand, letting his fingertips brush against Zeus’ chest gently.

My dog moved immediately, enamoured with this new attention, and launched himself bodily at the king, sending him sprawling in the dust with enormous paws planted on his shoulders, tongue bathing his face enthusiastically. I looped a hand in his harness quickly, mortified – until T’Challa started laughing. He chortled as my dog eagerly snuffled and snorted at his face, his entire body moving with the force of his wags, both seemingly just as happy as the other.

“See? Harmless,” Mars chuckled, watching the pair with a broad grin. Shuri moved to the rhino’s side as it huffed, head lowering defensively, muttering platitudes to the enormous ungulate until it straightened, seemingly soothed by the teenager’s reassurances.

“One of them is,” I clarified, eyeing the rhino with a chuckle.

T’Challa was quickly enamoured with Zeus. He spent longer than I would expect sat on the floor crooning to my dog, who was delighted with the attention. Eventually, however, he clambered to his feet, dusting himself off as he explained he had to return his steed to her home. The king bowed his head at both Mars and I in turn as he moved to stand beside the creature, offering a slappy pat to the thick hide.

“It’s good to see you again, Sergeant Barnes,” he noted, smiling softly, “and it’s a pleasure to meet your partner.” He swung himself up into the saddle, eyes shifting to Shuri. “Will you show our guests to their rooms, sister?” When she inclined her head in agreement, he beamed, looking back to me. “It truly is a delight to see you again, James. Wakanda will always be a home for you, my friend.”

Mars looked around in awe as we climbed the endless stairs of the palace, the extravagance making their jaw drop. “I can’t believe you lived like this!”

I laughed, shaking my head. “I stayed with the Border Tribe last time I was here,” I pointed out, waving a hand dismissively. “Outside the city. It was… Quieter, that way.”

Mars frowned, but had no chance to reply when Shuri led the way off the staircase and into an adjacent hallway.

“This is you!” she declared, beaming as she turned on the spot outside a nondescript door. I glanced between her and Mars, the latter’s cheeks flushing as they came to the same conclusion I did.

“Both of us?” I clarified.

“Is that a problem?” Shuri asked, batting her eyelashes innocently. My eyes flicked back to Mars, their own gaze on the ground as they smiled shyly.

“It’s fine by me,” they murmured, peering up at me demurely through their lashes, drawing a grin from my anxiously pursed lips.

“It’ll be alright,” I agreed, wrapping my arm affectionately around their waist.

The room was breathtaking – glass walls curved to arc overhead, offering a ninety-degree view of the dimming sky from horizon to apex. I hummed in appreciation, moving forward to look out over the city quietly.

“So… You didn’t want to live here? Why not?” Mars pressed, seemingly undistracted by our surroundings, and I grimaced without turning.

“I… Had a hard time, after Hydra. Especially before I was deconditioned. I… I have nightmares now, but before…” My eyes closed briefly, shutting out the sight of the buildings below me, remembering the pure terror that overcame me in the dark of night. “They were worse.”

I startled when a hand brushed my back lightly, head snapping around, my muscles unclenching at the sight of them gazing at me with concern. “That sounds awful. I’m sorry.”

I nodded, smiling weakly, and reached out to rub my thumb against their cheek. “It’s okay. We’re alright,” I assured them quietly, and they leaned into my touch with a quiet purr.

“I’m glad… Missed you, Win.”

I blinked in surprise, their recognition still bringing a flush to my cheeks. “Missed you too, little one.”

With a happy sigh, they moved closer, slotting easily beneath my arm to nestle against my side. “It’s beautiful out here,” they murmured, and I glanced down, admiring the starlight reflected in their mahogany eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” I breathed, earning a deep blush. “I mean it, Mars. You’re gorgeous… Inside and out.”

They let out a soft, shy laugh, squirming against me. “You think so?”

“I do,” I muttered, fingers finding their chin to tip up their red face. “I’m falling in love with you.”

The blood in their cheeks faded slowly as the silence stretched out, jaw slack with surprise. “... What?” they murmured eventually, and I laughed, rubbing the back of my neck timidly.

“I’m falling in love with you,” I replied simply, shrugging, and my thumb rose to wipe away the tears gathering along their lashes. “Is it that bad?” I teased, the light waver in my voice betraying my anxiety, and they grinned damply.

“It’s perfect.” Their eyes found mine as metal fingers closer against the small of their back, coffee and scattered stars making my heart stutter in my chest.

“I’m so glad I met you,” I breathed, fingers shifting to cup their jaw tenderly. They swallowed, tongue skimming along their lower lip nervously. The tension was palpable, their pulse thrumming under my fingertips, my gaze on theirs causing a subtle hitch to their breathing.

When I couldn’t handle the anticipation any longer, I let my head drop, lips grazing theirs, feather-light and full oof longing. The soft sigh that the motion elicited pulled away at my already tenuous resolve, hand shifting to curl around the nape of their neck with a quiet groan, holding them closer.

“I want you,” I breathed, nose skimming against theirs, and they nodded once.

“Please,” they whispered back, arms snaking around my neck, their fingertips carding lightly through my hair. A stuttered, desperate sound, breathy and weak, escaped me as I lifted them easily, their legs wrapping around my waist to hold themselves closer as our kisses grew deeper, hungrier.

When my knees met the bed, I lowered their body to the sheets without breaking contact, already feeling my cock straining against my fly. Judging by the way their breathing wavered as I pressed myself closer, they had made the same discovery, fingers tangling in my hair to hold me tighter.

“‘s been so hard not to beg for you,” they sighed as my mouth found their throat, nipping and kissing needily, and I smirked against their skin.

“I wish you had,” I purred, my hand finding their thigh, slowly snaking higher. “I’d have made a mess of you well before now.” They whined quietly, back arching, and I chuckled softly. So that’s what they like, hm? Good to know…

Fingers slid slowly under the hem of their shirt, and they let out a gentle, pitiful sound, clinging to me needily as I brushed a thumb over their bare skin. “Please, Win…”

With a quiet groan, I nodded obligingly, burying my face against their neck as I fumbled with the button on their shorts, desperation overcoming gentle tenderness. They were only too happy to help, pressing their hips higher to let me drag the material down their thighs, accepting me back into the space between their legs with a needy whimper. The feeling of their palm pressed against the bulge in my jeans made my eyelids flicker, a ragged moan escaping me as they squeezed my constrained length gently.

“All for me?” they purred, and I grunted, pressing into their touch.

“God, yes,” I panted, all but squirming against them. With a quiet, gleeful chuckle, they got to work on my fly, grinning at my enthusiasm when I kicked my jeans free.

My cock was achingly hard beneath the thin weave of my boxers, and they slid to their knees and ducked their head to press soft, open-mouthed kisses along the cotton-covered length, eliciting a low growl of need. “Surprisingly teasing, aren’t you?” I chuckled, knotting my fingers in their hair and tugging them closer automatically. Their tongue dragged over their lower lip slowly, and they peered up at me through their lashes.

“Please,” they whispered again, gaze wide and imploring, and I gulped, nodding weakly.

The moment their breath passed over my throbbing cock, a shudder worked its way through my body, my head falling back. “God, please,” I whispered, distantly marvelling at how quickly the shift had occurred, but the plea came readily at the very notion of their mouth on me.

When their lips skimmed against my tip gently, I almost lost it, a low keening creeping between my clenched teeth. My vision flashed white with pleasure, and I trembled fiercely, fingers tangling harder in their hair. “I- I-I don’t know if I ca-can do this,” I admitted, quivering with the effort of forcing out the words. Their eyes widened in alarm and they drew back quickly, cheeks flushed.

“Oh! Oh, of course – I should have checked, I’m sorry-”

My thumb brushed their jaw as my own face flushed, the loss of contact letting my mind clear slightly. “No, I mean- I want to, I do, I’ve just... I’ve never... Buck has, obviously, but me, I mean...” I gulped nervously, and their features relaxed, a soft smile gracing their lips as their hand shifted to my hip, rubbing my skin comfortingly.

“We have all the time in the world, Winter,” they murmured, gaze fixed on mine. “I don’t mind how long – or not – you take. I don’t mind if you want to go again, or if you don’t. If you want it to go both ways, or you just want me to take care of you...” Mars turned their head, pressing a soft kiss to my palm, then met my eyes once more. “Whatever you want.  Everything, or nothing, or anywhere in between.”

My heart swelled, and I nodded gently, my fingers moving to their hair once more and tenderly guiding them closer. Breath seizing in my throat, I watched, enraptured, as they slowly took my cock between their lips, their own gaze on me just as avidly.

It was with a shameful whine that my back arched, inexperience and delight combining into a humiliating hurried climax, pressing myself deeper and shuddering with ecstasy as they swallowed around me. To their credit, the hand on my hip simply held me tighter, the pad of their thumb still caressing me encouragingly as their lashes fluttered in pleasure.

By the time I drew back, muscles jerky and uncoordinated, I was panting hard, my gaze feeling lazy and unfocused. “F... Fuck...”

Is it always that... incredible?

I had some hazy access to Buck’s memories, but nothing had prepared me for the pure thrill that thrummed through my veins the moment their mouth encased me, the wet heat wrapped around my cock so exquisitely...

They beamed up at me, passing their tongue over their lower lip, and pressed a soft kiss to the bottom of my abdomen. “Doing okay?”

“Doing so good,” I breathed, head falling back for a moment in rapturous disbelief. “Holy shit...”

They chuckled, squeezing my hip once more. “I’m glad.”

My gaze lowered once more, and I uncurled my hand from their hair, shifting my fingers to beneath their chin to guide them gently to their feet. “I want to taste you...”

My fierce, possessive passion had gone with the stark reality of my inexperience, replaced instead with a gentle, intimate longing that brought tears to their eyes as they nodded weakly. They let me guide them to the bed once more, laying back against the soft sheets, their arms wrapping around my neck as I kissed them tenderly. Quiet sighs of joy crept between their lips as I worked my way over their jaw and down their throat, their pulse thrumming hard beneath my mouth.

The feeling of their fingertips trailing up my back and into my hair as I travelled down their body left a path of goosebumps in their wake, a searing line elicited by their feather-light touch. When I glanced up at them, knelt on the floor between their thighs, they were staring down at me with pupils blown wide, breath coming heavily. I couldn’t help but smile, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to the cotton. “Are you okay?” I breathed, making their eyelids flutter as they nodded hard.

“Please,” they whispered, voice cracking, and I purred, fingers curling in the elastic of their underwear. While I’d never done this myself, I let instinct take over, peeling their panties off slowly and wrapping my arms around their legs to pull them closer as I considered my prize. I could feel them trembling beneath my hands, nervous and excited as I gazed hungrily at their wetness for a moment.

When I tongue travelled the length of their pussy and their fingers scraped against my scalp as they gasped and arched, pressing themselves closer needily. I growled, desperation sparking once more at their eager rutting, and held them tighter, letting my tongue push inside them, willingly forgoing oxygen in my attempts to taste as much of their sweet wetness as I could. They whimpered weakly, pushing their legs wider beneath my hands as I lapped at them like a parched man, driven mad by their squirming and the sounds they made, my mouth working to find the spots that made them shiver harder and press against me with shameless need.

When one hand left their thigh, Mars let out a low whine – but the sound shifted into a sharp gasp when my lips wrapped around their clit, two fingers teasing their waiting hole while they mewled.

“Fuck – Please, Win, please, I-I need-”

Their words died with a deafening moan as I obliged their pleading, slipping my fingers inside them as my tongue flicked eagerly. I relished the shifting of their muscles and the quivering of their body around my digits as I shifted slowly, fingers curling and probing, seeking and searching, doggedly searching for-

Their yelp of pleasure was accompanied by a desperate rut of their hips, back arching. “Fuck! Oh god, please, please, don’t stop, I want more, need more...”

Their garbled begging lapsed into senseless whimpers and moans as I eagerly obliged, fingers moving against the spot inside them that had their pussy leaking steadily around me, licking and sucking hungrily at the sensitive bud between my lips. I found myself groaning along with them, cock already stiffening once more in response to their pleasure. The leg I had released draped over my shoulder to hold me closer, their pussy quivering around me warningly.

“Win- Win, fuck, I’m gonna- I-”

There’s no way in hell I’m stopping.

Rather than raise my head to encourage them verbally, I simply redouble my efforts, my gaze locked on their face as I curled my digits inside them. The sight of them with their eyes closed in pleasure and lips parted, enraptured, made me groan and hold them tighter, pinning their slick pussy to my face as they began to convulse.

The feeling of their orgasm plowing through their body – accompanied by the sobs and wails falling unfitted from their lips – was exquisite, and as soon as their muscles unclenched I drew my fingers free, passing my tongue over their still-twitching hole with a soft grunt of delight before scrambling to my feet.

“I- Can I-”

They nodded quickly, reaching for me with shaking arms and glassy eyes, saving me from having to formulate the words. “Please...”

I positioned myself over them desperately, cock already aching needily, and let my leaking tip brush against their slick hole. “Fuck, so beautiful – taste so fucking good,” I muttered, guiding my cock inside them slowly and dissolving into soft curses of pleasure. They let out a pitiful whine, head falling back as their nails dug into my back.

“Fucking- God, Win, feels so good, please...” they breathed, their legs wrapping around my waist to pull me deeper. I was in no way willing to disobey the silent request, and let them drag me nearer, burying myself to the hilt and earning a stuttered gasp. “So fucking big, holy shit, fuckfuckfuck...”

I smirked softly at their senseless chattering, one hand cupping the back of their neck to bury my face against their temple as I moved slowly. “Feel so good, angel...” I muttered, eyes closed against their skin. The feeling of their pussy clinging tight to me, fighting against me every time I drew back to keep me inside them, made my lips quirk in a soft smile, fingers knotting in the hair at the nape of their neck to cling them to me. “Fuck, I love you… I love you.”

They trembled beneath me, their own hands snaking into my hair to embrace me with something akin to rapture. “I love you, Winter.”

I felt my body moving faster instinctively, responding to their mewls and gasps, the way they held me feeling for all the world like they were the only thing keeping me together. It was impossible to think of anything beside the sensation of their body wrapped around me, their wetness beginning to coat my skin as I drove myself into them with increasing desperation. “Fuck- oh, God, Mars… I…”

“It’s okay,” they crooned softly, pressing their cheek against me, back arching. “Please- please, Win… Give me everything.”

I groaned quietly, muscles tightening as I moved harder against them, making full use of my not-insignificant length to press myself deeply inside them, already aware of the building fizz in my veins.

The feeling of their hand snaking between us to stroke themselves needily made me shiver, leaning back to gaze into their eyes as I increased my speed, wanting nothing more than to see how they reacted to the feeling of me inside them. The hazy look in their eyes as I drove myself home was intoxicating, and my free hand wrapped around their hip, pulling them up to meet them as my pace became clumsy and desperate.

When I buried myself to the hilt with a frantic grunt, darkness seeping into my vision as I felt my own warm seed leak out around my pulsating cock, they cried out, hips jerking to impale themselves on my spurting dick as their hand moved faster. The feeling of their pussy convulsing around me had stuttered whimpers falling from my lips, and I let my head drop forward, forehead meeting theirs gently as we panted together.