The clock continued ticking—each second stretching into an eternity.
Ayo insisted I train to distract myself. No one says no to her.
She was right; it helped. I got my mind off things, though I earned a fresh set of bruises for the trouble.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm actually getting better. Feels like she's getting faster while I just keep getting my ass handed to me.
26 hours remaining
King T'Challa stopped by to check on our progress. He gave me some work too. It was pretty clear it was just busywork, something anyone could've done.
"Thank you," I said.
"For what? I'm only having you do your job," he replied, standing off to the side as he and Shuri discussed something quietly.
22 hours remaining
I stayed up late that night, knowing that in less than a day, he would be back in my arms.
The anxiety was suffocating.
What was I going to say?
What was the last thing I said to him?
He wrote me a letter. Told me he loved me. But… he never heard me say it back.
I tried so hard to remember the last words I said to him, but they wouldn't come. How could I forget something so important?
That night, I slept beside the cradle again. Every time my eyes closed, I drifted into a nightmare on loop.
I'd wake, turn—and the cradle would be empty. Bucky, gone.
No matter how hard we searched Wakanda, there was no trace of him. As if he'd vanished into thin air.
I placed my hand on the glass again. It wasn't as cold tonight, almost room temperature.
Guess you have to thaw a human popsicle slowly, huh?
My hand stayed on the glass. So I could finally rest. Knowing that if it moved, I'd feel it through my palm.
13 hours remaining
It occurred to me that when he wakes up, it'll be nighttime in Wakanda. Maybe that's for the best. Shuri says his eyes might be sensitive to light at first.
Besides, I think he'd prefer to wake in the still hush of night, not to the blinding sun or the bustle of the city. As beautiful as Wakanda is, it's a lot at first.
5 hours remaining
I drank tea with Shuri while we watched the monitors. Okoye stopped by, she'd been away and just returned. She knew how much Shuri loved hearing about the outside world and regaled her with tales. My eyes, though, stayed locked on that timer.
At some point, the numbers blurred into nothing but glowing, shifting color.
1 hour remaining
The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of purple, gold, and red. I was alone now. Shuri said she'd return right before he awakened.
His heart rate was higher now, not sprinting, but steady. Strong. Healthier.
Not that I'd know. I've got no medical experience. I was just reading Shuri's notes.
His breathing was different too. Like he was telling me he was ready.
Ready to open his eyes.
Ready to see the world again.
Ready to live as a free man for the first time in nearly eighty years.
I wondered what it would be like, for him, for us. To be free in Wakanda. No hiding.
The first thing I wanted to do was to stand across a crowded street and shout his name without fear. Run to him. Wrap my arms around him. Let the whole damn world see.
I know, it's silly. But maybe I'm just a woman of simple pleasures.
10 minutes remaining
I'm so nervous.
Every worst-case scenario loops through my head on repeat. I've been waiting months for this moment, and now, when we're so close, I want to run. I'm scared.
That's just anxiety… right?
I'm fine.
Everything's fine.
Somehow, I ended up curled in a ball on the floor, biting my nails to bits.
"You are not okay," Shuri said, prepping the final steps.
"What? No, I'm fine."
"This is not what an okay person looks like. Go wash your face or something. I'll call you before I open it."
"No, there's—wait. How much time is left?"
1 minute remaining
"Oh god, I'm going to throw up!"
My heart pounded like a war drum. I couldn't catch my breath. My ears rang.
What am I going to say?
What will he say?
What if all that tinkering in his head made him forget me?
What if he changed his mind and doesn't love me anymore?
I felt a strong hand press the back of my head down between my knees.
"You're having a panic attack. Focus on your breathing," Shuri told me.
But it wasn't her hand.
It was Ayo. I'd know that strength anywhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of her spear.
"Um. Why are you here? And armed?"
"Just a precaution. Not to worry," she replied calmly, hand still firmly keeping my head down.
"It is time. Get up here," Shuri called out.
I took a deep breath. Ayo helped me off the floor. I walked over to the other side of the cradle.
There was a loud release of air as the base vented, the glass slowly descending.
It was open.
I could touch him.
I waited…
"Is he dead?" Ayo asked flatly.
"AYO!" Shuri snapped.
"No, he is not dead. Just... maybe slow to wake," Shuri explained quickly.
My eyes locked with Shuri's, we both saw it. Panic. Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling onto my cheeks. My face flushed.
Then, movement.
A flutter of his eyelashes. Slowly, they opened. He licked his lips, nibbling gently on the bottom one.
Still groggy, he looked around. Then, his eyes locked on me.
"I love you too."
I blurted it out. The words I'd waited so long for him to hear.
He smiled. "You look beautiful."
"Hah, liar. I look like a mess," I said, wiping my eyes.
He knows me, thank god!
"Liz," he said softly.
"Yeah?" I moved closer.
"Kiss me."
"With pleasure."
I leaned in. Our lips met. Bucky's hand slid to the back of my head, pulling me closer.
He didn't taste like he used to, that sweet taste gone. But I knew.
This….This was my Bucky.
"AHEM."
We broke apart. Shuri stood there, arms crossed.
"As nice as this is, I'd like to wrap this up so I can go home. Barnes, we need to do a quick physical. Then you two can head out."
Home.
I looked at Bucky.
"Yeah," he said, eyes never leaving mine, as if he was relearn them. Every eyelash and detail "I'm ready to go home."
And I suppose I was doing the same. But how could I not get lost in those beautiful, crystal lake eyes? I felt like I could dive in and never resurface.
Shuri ran a quick physical, reflexes, motor functions, hearing, vision, short-term memory. Some other stuff I didn't quite understand. She said we'd have to come back in the morning for more extensive scans.
But for now?
"I'm done for the night," she said.
She reported no signs of Winter Soldier-level danger. No indication of mental hijacking. That would need to be confirmed in time with more extensive tests.
She handed him some clothes, Wakandan traditional wear, colored red and deep blue. Underneath, a tight black long sleeve shirt covered one arm. The other side? Just a loose, empty sleeve blowing in the breeze.
He looked almost... sad to see it.
Even if he hated what the metal arm stood for, it was still a part of him. Hydra never gave him an adjustment period. When he woke after the accident, the arm was already gone, replaced with a new one.
"Ready?" I asked.
He nodded.
We stepped into the night together, feeling the free air enter our lungs.
"Let's go home" I said taking his hand.