Better - Part 2
A Captain America: Civil War fic
Alternate ending for CACW. Set immediately after the big fight scene between Bucky, Steve, and Tony. A bit of possible reconciliation inspired by Kodaline’s Better.
Once T’Challa assured the three men were given proper medical care and cleaned up, he asked that they join him in his office. Sitting behind his desk, he watched as they filed through the door. He could see the tension between them. Steve stayed close to Bucky, keeping a wary eye on Tony as they sat on opposite sides of his office. Despite the truce declared on the plane, things were far from settled between them.
“We have to do something.” Tony’s voice cracked as he stared at his feet. “They’re … he … Ross put them on The Raft.”
“Shit.” Steve’s head hung, palms pressed against his eyes. “I can’t leave them there.” He’d known they’d be taken. Hell, they’d known they’d be taken, but he couldn’t imagine any of them thought they would be treated so poorly.
“We can’t leave them there.” Tony corrected. He’d known Ross would insist on some punishment, but he’d never imagined it would be so severe. Seeing is teammates confined as they were, especially Wanda, had been harder than he’d ever imagined.
“I believe I have a path to solving that.” T’Challa interjected as he rose from behind his desk, moving to fix them each a drink. “Without putting any of you in further danger.”
“You do?” Bucky stared at the king, a glimmer of hope in his defeated eyes. Despite Steve’s arguments to the contrary, he was still less than convinced he deserved to be free, and certainly not while Steve’s friends were imprisoned at sea.
“The Accords,” T’Challa began. “They were never ratified. We’d only just begun the ceremony …” His voice faded, the memory of his father’s death still so fresh.
Bucky moved closer, approaching the king slowly for fear of startling him. Reaching up, he clasped T’Challa’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
The Wakandan’s head turned, looking over his shoulder at super soldier. “You did not kill him. You have no reason to be sorry.”
“It feels like I do.” Bucky shook his head. “He did it because he wanted them to find me. If I hadn’t been an option maybe he would have done something less drastic.”