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T’Challa was in the lab, watching James flex and test his new arm.
“Does it work well?” Shuri asked, glancing up from her designs. “I made it lighter than your old one, for a better weight distribution. It has nerve endings and the sensitivity and feeling of a real arm.”
“It’s perfect, better than anything I could’ve asked for,” James said, smiling at her. Shuri preened at the compliment.
Heavy footsteps plodded down the walkway of the lab, and M’Baku came into view.
“You gave the little one an arm!” M’Baku was grinning as he sized up James.
“I’m the second-largest person in the room, you can quit callin’ me that,” James grumbled, jumping off the lab table to his feet. He stumbled a moment, and M’Baku swooped in to catch him.
“But you are little compared to me. You can’t even stand.” M’Baku teased, eyes flashing with amusement.
James scowled. “I’m tryin’ to find my centre ‘f balance. Keeps changin’ for me. I had normal arms, then a heavy clunky metal one, then only one, and now I’m back to normal balance. ‘S hard, okay?” He said, righting himself.
M’Baku only laughed and kissed him. James melted into the kiss, and T’Challa wrinkled his nose in slight jealousy.
“I missed you, little one,” M’Baku said, finally pulling away.
“It’s only been a week since you last saw me, and since we even met.” James rolled his eyes.
“A week I’m sure T’Challa has spent hogging you.” M’Baku made a face. “You should spend time with me in the mountains.”
James rolled his eyes again, walking out of the lab. “I feel like I’m a kid of divorced parents.” He huffed. “Thanks for the arm, princess.” He tossed over his shoulder. Shuri smiled and gave a thumbs up.
M’Baku and T’Challa were close on James’ heels, following him out of the lab.
“While I enjoy visiting James, I do have business I need to speak with you, concerning the Jabari tribe,” M’Baku said, addressing T’Challa.
T’Challa nodded, flipping into business mode. “Of course. James, if you don’t mind, I mentioned to Captain Rogers and his team that you are awake and moving around, and he wishes to see you. Okoye will show you where their quarters are.” T’Challa said, and with the mention of her name, the general appeared out of the woodwork.
James nodded. “Sound good to me. Don’t kill each other while I’m gone, alright?” T’Challa and M’Baku both only shrugged.
Okoye rolled her eyes, then she and James disappeared down the corridors of the palace.
“Now that that has been tended to, where is the little one?” M’Baku asked.
“With his friends.” T’Challa said. “Come, we’ll go find him.”
“Friends? More Americans? How many of them do you have here?” M’Baku demanded, frowning.
T’Challa didn’t answer the question, not wanting to have to deal with M’Baku’s response to it.
He pushed open the doors to the large communal room he’d given the rogue Avengers.
Just in time to watch James chase Wilson across the yards long room, vault a table, and use the momentum and both feet to kick Wilson in the ass, sending him flying several feet through the air, and landing right in front T’Challa and M’Baku.
M’Baku looked down at Wilson, then back to T’Challa. “I thought you said they were friends?” He asked.
“Not with him. Wilson can kiss my ass.” James scowled, folding his arms.
“Language!” Rogers shouted. James flipped him the bird.
Wilson groaned and pushed himself to his feet. He did a once over of T’Challa and M’Baku. He shrugged and turned back to James, shaking his limbs out. “I hate you.” Wilson said, grumbling to himself as he limped back over to his friends, who were all lounging on furniture on the other side of the room.
“I hate you too.” James snapped.
“Sure, Binky Bonks!” Wilson called out, grinning.
James spun around. “I’m borrowing this.” He snatched M’Baku’s staff from him and hurled it at Wilson, hitting him dead between the shoulder blades, sending him to the floor again.
“Motherfucker!” Wilson shouted, rolling onto his back to sit up.
“Language!” Rogers shouted again, giving an annoyed sigh. Barton and Maximoff looked about ready to piss themselves, and Lang was compulsively eating nuts while looking utterly captivated.
“I hate all of you.” Wilson grumbled, pushing himself to his feet. “I think a need a medic.” He rubbed his back.
“I think you need to man up.” James deadpanned. M’Baku roared with laughter.
M’Baku grabbed James by the collar and kissed him. James let out a startled squeak, but didn’t fight it.
“And you call me needy.” He muttered when they broke apart. He glanced over to T’Challa. “Quit pouting.” James said, and leaned over to give T’Challa a quick kiss as well.
T’Challa had to admit, the looks on the Avengers’ faces were absolutely hysterical. Except for Rogers, maybe. The look on his face was a bit terrifying.
“What. The hell?” Rogers demanded, voice rough. He pushed himself to his feet, rolling the kinks out of his neck. He cracked his knuckles, walking toward T’Challa and M’Baku.
M’Baku frowned, but didn’t look frightened in any way. Instead, he only looked amused. “What does the white man think he’s going to do? I’ll feed him to my children.” M’Baku boomed, voice threatening.
Rogers actually paused, looking confused for a moment.
“He’s kidding.” James waved his friend off. “He’s a vegetarian. But seriously Stevie, you need to calm down. I’m fine. They’re both good to me.”
Rogers stopped a few feet in front of James, folding his arms. “Were you going to tell me you were… romantic with T’Challa and…?”
“M’Baku, he’s the leader of the Jabari tribe.” James finished. “And yes, eventually.”
“How did this even start?” Rogers demanded, folding his arms.
James was silent for a moment, glancing at T’Challa and M’Baku. “It… it’s a long story.”
“Long story.” Rogers repeated, eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means it’s a long story.” James shrugged, still avoiding the question as he went to pick up M’Baku’s staff.
“That’s not an answer, Buck.” Rogers said.
James shrugged. “Sure it is, just not the answer you want.” He slipped past T’Challa and M’Baku, out back into the hallway. “Are you two coming?” He glanced over his shoulder, grinning.
T’Challa smiled, and he was the first to step out into the hallway, M’Baku close on his heels.
“Hey, this conversation isn’t over!” Rogers tried to argue, but James shut the door in his face.
James snickered, shaking his head. “Sooner or later he’ll catch you guys for a shovel talk, you know.” He warned, leading the way to T’Challa’s quarters.
“You expect me to be afraid of some white man?” M’Baku scoffed.
“Captain Rogers is an admirable man, and one to be wary of,” T’Challa admitted, their footsteps echoing down the hallway.
“He’s overprotective is what he is.” James grumbled.
T’Challa smiled. “You are worth being protective of.”
“Agreed.” M’Baku said, nodding.
James turned around, walking backward to face them as he pushed the doors to T’Challa’s room open. “I’m the goddamned Winter Soldier, I think I can take care of myself.” He said, but he was grinning through the annoyed tone.
M’Baku only laughed, sweeping James off of his feet to carry him to the bed.
“I hate you.” James sighed, but didn’t fight it. “You know I’m one of the most dangerous men alive, and you’re carrying me to bed.”
“Oh hush, little one.” M’Baku chided setting him down on the bed. He leaned down for a kiss, making out with James.
When hands started to wander, James gently pushed him away. “Baku, doll, I’m tired. The treatment to try and fix what HYDRA did to me is mentally exhausting. Can we just cuddle, watch a movie or something?” He asked, and for the first time, T’Challa did notice to fatigue in his movements. He felt awful for not having noticed before.
T’Challa expected M’Baku to be pushy and belligerent and he would have to intervene, but surprisingly, M’Baku relented. “Fine, but I get you in the morning.” M’Baku said, climbing into bed with James to wrap an arm around him. “Are you coming, kitten?” M’Baku glanced at T’Challa.
“Do not call me that.” T’Challa frowned, but slid out of his shoes and onto the bed. “And get your shoes off my bed.”
M’Baku made a face, but kicked his dirt and nature worn shoes off.
“How is the treatment coming along?” T’Challa asked, soothing his thumb back and forth across James’ hip.
James shrugged. “Don’t really know. Shuri says it’s going great, though. She said something about having to take it one codeword at a time, unprogramming them individually, otherwise she’d end up wiping everything that makes me… me, I guess, with it. HYDRA attacked some of my most personal memories, distorting them beyond recognition. I still have problems trying to remember what’s real and what’s not. Shuri’s not sure if… if my memory will ever be completely restored.” His words were forced, voice distant.
There was a long pause of silence, only breathing filling it.
“Who is HYDRA, anyway?” M’Baku asked.
James sighed. “Some alt-right nazi death cult from World War 2, everyone thought they went away after World War 2, but they didn’t. I fought in the war, I was a part of the Howling Commandos. I fell off a train, was presumed dead. HYDRA found my body though. I lost my arm,” He wiggled his metal fingers. “Was given a knock off super soldier serum, and brainwashed to be HYDRA’s best weapon. Fighting for the very people I joined the war to defeat.” James’ had his fists tightly clenched, eyes down and voice self loathing.
M’Baku growled, holding onto him tightly. “I’ll kill them all.”
James let out shaky, bitter laughter. “Good luck.”
“Kitten will help me. We’ll be the death of this HYDRA, together.” M’Baku said, and T’Challa couldn’t quite gauge his seriousness.
“If you call me that one more time I’m throwing you out of my room.” T’Challa scowled, and James laughed, this time more genuine.
“You’re both idiots.” He sighed, using a finger to beckon T’Challa to cuddle him on the other side, to which T’Challa happily obliged.
“I’m the king of Wakanda, and you think I’m an idiot?” T’Challa teased.
James and M’Baku chorused together, speaking at the same time. “Yes.”