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songficsbyrissi · 1 year

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The Fix (part 6)

Previously on The Fix….(click here for part 5)

“I think…..I think I l…..”

You turned around to face him with a puzzled expression, gazing into his eyes.

“You think you what?”

T’Challa shook his head and kissed your forehead. “Nothing. Just go on and be with him. That’s what you’ve wanted all along.” He managed to plaster a fake smile on his face. You weren’t really buying it but figured you had to. You said goodbye and walked out of the door. As you walked away from his office, you felt yourself tearing up and didn’t know why. What was the problem? You’ve gotten what you wanted, right?

Then why aren’t you happy about it?

************

You were back with Aaron. That’s what you wanted for so long. He was somewhat being more attentive than he was before. It felt like he was trying to redeem himself for the past shittiness. Your relationship was better now. You should be happier now.

But you weren’t.

You still thought about T’Challa. When Aaron was kissing you, you were lowkey wishing it was T’Challa’s lips. When he was hugging you, you wished it was T’Challa’s arms around you.

You missed him.

You hated to admit it, but you did.

Was it guilt because you were in a committed relationship, thinking about another man? Or was it regret that you took Aaron back?

No. You wanted him. Aaron was your man and has always been your man. This was inevitable, and both you and T’Challa knew it.

Should you tell Aaron? Should you tell Aaron you cheated? Well, you didn’t cheat cheat, but you technically did. You gotta be honest with him. You can’t start this new relationship, especially since he’s improving himself for you. It’s only right.

Yeah, sure, bitch. You’re just hoping when you tell him, he leaves you alone for good so you can have T’Challa, all to yourself and guilt-free.

You winced at your brain. No, that’s not it. He deserves the truth. I would want him to tell me if he messed with another girl during our break.

LOL, so you can have an excuse to end it? So transparent.

Shut the fuck up, brain.

You finally got out of your head and glanced at your phone. It was almost 6, meaning Aaron was on his way over here. To study, of course. One would think after a long separation, you two would be at it like fucking rabbits. Granted, on your end, your needs were being more than fulfilled, but him? You weren’t sure, but then again, he swears he was faithful. It’s a shame you couldn't say the same.

Maybe Aaron wasn’t attracted to you anymore. No, that’s ridiculous. He wouldn’t have come back. You two were kinda starting over, so maybe he wanted to take it slow, which you were grateful for, lowkey.

A sharp knock on your dorm door shook you out of your thoughts. That must be him. You opened the door to see your boyfriend giving you a small smile. You failed to return it as he pulls you in for a quick hug and stepped aside to let him inside. He started to talk a bit about his day, but you weren't listening, and you felt bad that you weren’t listening, but you needed to get this off your chest.

“Aaron…we need to talk. Well, I need to talk, and you need to listen, then decide what you wanna do afterward. I just need to get this off my chest.” You blurted out, interrupting his rambling. He looked confused, taking a seat at your desk. In the look of confusion, worry seeped through. It seemed like he was panicking on the inside, but doing a good job to look calm. He was doing a good job, but you could read people easily.

He’s probably worried that you're breaking up with him.

You wanted to sigh. You weren’t, but after this, you were sure he was gonna want to break up for good.

You sat on your twin xl bed, facing him with a sincere expression. “There’s no easy way to say this, Aaron. But I have to. I had sex with someone else during our break. I’m so sorry, but I have to be honest with you.”

Your boyfriend blinked a few times and let out a deep sigh. “Um, so there was another guy?”

It was your turn to be confused. “Yes, there was, but I promise I ended it when you came back. I feel bad, but you were gone and dodging me, and I know that’s not an excuse but-“

“Y/N…it’s cool.”

You could’ve sworn a record scratch played in your head. He wasn’t mad.

“Huh?” Your eyebrows furrowed with your head tilted. Aaron let out a dry chuckle at your expression.

“Yeah, well, I ain’t really happy that you did that, but I guess I deserved it for abandoning you.”

You felt like you were dreaming. Is this real? Is he being serious or sarcastic? Was he gearing up to break up with you viciously? What was his angle here?

You shot up out of bed like a Jack in the box. “Where is Ashton Kutcher with the cameras?!”

“What?”

You got close to him. “Aaron, I CHEATED on you, and you’re ok with that?!”

He groaned in response, which caused you to raise an eyebrow, skeptical.

“I told you! I ain’t happy about it, but we were on a break, and you were honest. Girl, what do you want? You want me to scream at you? To break up with you?”

You were taken aback by this because what did you want him to do? You weren’t sure, but damn, it felt like he didn’t really care. You told T’Challa you were breaking up y’all’s situation-ship, and he seemed distraught. Your fucking boyfriend, on the other hand, finds out you fucked another man, and he acts as if you told him you lost his pencil or something.

Hell, you were beginning to think you would get more of a reaction if you lost his damn pencil!

However, the crazy thing is, you were somewhat relieved he didn’t blow up on you. It was a mix of emotions, and you were overall annoyed with it.

“So I fucked another man, multiple times, and it was GOOD, I mean really -“

Aaron’s face scrunched up in disgust. “Alright, you’re doing a lot. I feel like you want me to break up with you.”

You got mute, but after a while, managed to squeak out. “Well, are you?”

He finally stood up and took your hands. “No, babe. I meant it when I said I wanted us back. I can’t sit here and act like you weren't gonna meet and like other guys during our break. Like I said before, I ain’t thrilled about it, but it happened. We just gotta push through.”

You raised an eyebrow again. “Did you meet and like other girls? Because you’re surprisingly so understanding about this.”

He let out another chuckle. “I told you I was working on me during our break.”

You allowed yourself to crack a small smile. “I guess you really did.” You leaned in to kiss his lips, and after a few seconds, you both pulled away.

“I really am sorry. I never meant to hurt you. For real.”

“I know you are. Now come on, let’s study.”

Aaron was at your dorm for maybe an hour before he had to go. You barely studied, but it’s ok. You could do it later. It was a little past 7. Still kind of early. You resolved things with Aaron, and you had a nagging feeling that you should resolve things with T’Challa. You haven’t talked to him since that day. It didn’t seem like anything was bad between you guys, but you still felt a pressing urge to see him. You decided to pop up, so he wouldn’t reject you.

You got dressed in a simple, casual outfit and walked to his apartment. You remembered the number and made your way to his door. You hesitated to knock because what if he really didn’t want to see you?

You didn’t get the chance to knock because the door swung open, and there was T’Challa, clad in his black v-neck t-shirt and grey sweatpants. It took everything, and I mean, everything for you not to look down. He was stunned to see you, and you gave a shy smile.

“Hi. I’m sorry for just dropping in on you, but can we talk? Please?”

Unbeknownst to you, he wanted to smile at you, but couldn’t. In all honesty, his heart was happy to see you, but his brain was angry at your audacity to show up at his apartment after breaking his heart. But with those eyes of yours, he just wanted to give you whatever you wanted. The problem was…you wouldn’t let him.

T’Challa finally mustered up some words for you. “Y/N, now is not a good time.”

You felt defeated, but you should’ve expected that answer.

“I get it, but I just wanted to say-“

“Hey, T'challa, where’d you get that soap-“ a girl popped up from where his bathroom was, and her eyes fell on you. You recognized her. Nadia Richardson. She was a girl you had class with a few times, and let’s just say the classes weren’t the only easy things.

Don’t get it twisted. You were very hoe-positive and not a slut shamer, but this slut needed to be shamed. She flirted and ended up sleeping with many men on campus, single, married, in a relationship, you name it. She didn’t care who she was sleeping with. She was an attractive woman and felt like everyone deserved a piece of it.

And it seemed like T’Challa was one of them. Her first professor. She must be fucking ecstatic.

“Oh hey! I recognize you! Y/N, right? We had classes together!” Nadia must’ve seen the expression on your face and giggled. “Oh, this isn’t what this looks like! He was helping me with these upcoming finals! I was a mess, but he really fixed me!”

She was grinning now as if she was mocking you. Your blood began to boil, and you sprinted away from his door.

“Did I say something wrong?” You heard Nadia ask as you ran away.

You couldn’t believe this. He really was fucking her?!?! A student? So quick after you two ended?! You felt like you couldn’t breathe with how furious you were. Hot tears were pricking your eyes as you continued to stomp away from that disgusting display. You fucking knew it. He was some sick professor that preyed on students, and your dumbass fell prey to him.

You were not aware T’Challa had chased after you until you were finally outside, and he grabbed your arm, pulling you towards him. He had been calling your name the whole time, but you couldn’t hear in all the anger.

“Y/N! Will you please calm down?!”

You pulled away from him roughly and gave him a huge shove to his chest.

“CALM DOWN?!?!! YOU WANT ME TO FUCKING CALM DOWN WHEN YOU GOT SOME BITCH FROM CAMPUS IN YOUR APARTMENT?!”

“Y/N, lower your voice please let me exp-“

You shoved him again, this time, the hot tears fell. “I KNEW YOU WERE A DIRTY DICK PROFESSOR THAT WAS OVER HERE PREYING ON STUDENTS! YOU WERE GIVING HER THE FIX TOO, I SEE!”

Now T’Challa was mad. “HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, WOMAN?!”

You sarcastically laughed. “Oh yes! But I FUCKING FOUND IT! I should’ve never fucked your nasty ass!”

You turned on your heel to storm off, but he prevented that by grabbing your wrist roughly. You looked in his eyes, and you could’ve sworn you had never seen him that pissed before. You almost swallowed nervously.

“I did not fuck that woman! But even if I had, that is none of your concern! You ended our relationship to be with your boyfriend, correct?! So why are you still concerned about me?! Why did you even come here?!”

You finally swallowed and pulled your arm again, with no success. “I wanted to fucking talk to you! I didn’t wanna be on bad terms with you-“

“WELL, WE ARE. UNDERSTAND?! YOU CAN NOT BREAK MY HEART, AND COME BACK HERE AND EXPECT ME TO ASSOCIATE WITH YOU! HOW INCREDIBLY SELFISH ARE YOU?!?!”

That was it. He finally burst. You were still trying to register what he just said to you. Break his heart?

T’Challa’s face softened, and he loosened the grip he had on your wrist.

“I loved you. Loved you more than he did. I did everything I could to show you that I loved you, but you wanted him. I would have given you the world if you asked me to, Y/N. But you did not want the world from me. You wanted it from him. Even after you wounded me with your actions and now your words, I still love you.”

You don’t know what possessed you to do this, but you did it. You slapped him. Right across the face. You did it hard as hell too. He was shocked by your action. You were somewhat shocked by your action.

“You’re a fucking liar.” You hissed venomously. “You don’t fucking love me. You ran into that hoe’s arms right after I left! And now you wanna say you love me?!”

T’Challa‘s anger came back. “What are you doing here, really? Wanting to talk to me?! As if you care about me?! As if you love me?!”

“I DO! I FUCKING DO!” You shouted out, shocking him and yourself. It felt like something that was waiting to burst out of you, and it finally did. You felt relief, but you were still so fucking mad at him.

He finally let your wrist go completely. “I see I am not the only fucking liar here.”

His words cut deep. You were hurt. He denied your love, but hell, you did the same thing, so how could you really talk?

More tears fell, and you wiped them away, quickly. You took a deep breath and chuckled dryly.

“You know what? Go to hell and take that fucking slut with you.” You spat and turned to storm away, but you turned back to let out one more thing before completely walking away.

“And you’re right. I am a liar. Because I fucking hate you.”

You didn’t know when you got back to your dorm, but you did. Through the tears you sobbed while walking, you managed to make it to your dorm safely. You hated him, but you loved him. You love him. It took a minute to realize, but you did. If anything, you’ve been in denial about it because Aaron was all you knew. How could you let go of all you knew?

Maybe you held onto the thing making you sad because once upon a time, it made you happy.

You fucked up. You hurt T’Challa and yourself by being an absolute fuck up. In reality, you didn’t deserve him. You clearly weren’t the type of girl he should love. Maybe he’ll find love with Nadia, and she’ll finally sit her lil nasty ass down. You had it coming.

You were scared to love him, and now you lost him.

Amid your sobbing and wallowing, you finally noticed your group chat had messages and, before you could read them, Melanie was calling you.

“HOE!!!” She screamed as soon as you answered the phone. You wanted to smile, but you couldn’t.

“What’s up?”

“Were you not looking at the group chat?! Bitch, we're about to go to this party at GSU. You down?!”

You shook your head as if she could see you. “I don’t think so. I’m not really up to partying.”

“Come on, bitch! Let’s go! We gotta party one time before we really gotta focus on finals! We deserve it! Besides, doesn’t your boo go here?”

She’s right. Finals was about to whoop our ass, and Aaron did go to GSU, the college thirty minutes away from yours. Fuck it. Let’s party and see your actual man instead of thinking about that stupid man you still love.

You got off the phone to get cute, and your friends came to get you an hour later. When you arrived at the party, it was loud and looked fun as fuck. Once you walked, Mel immediately went up to a guy, and Cass went to go get a drink. Ari stayed with you, being just as asocial and anxious as you are. Soon after, a man asked Ari to go dance, and she looked at you for permission. You silently gave it to her, and she went on her way. Now you were alone. You sighed deeply. This was trash. You should’ve stayed in your dorm. You really weren’t in the mood to party.

A minute or two later, You decided to follow Cass’s lead and go get a drink. Maybe you just needed a drink or 2 or 5 or 10. You didn’t see Cass where the drinks were. You shrugged this off and continued getting a drink. As you were sipping, the three stooges ran up to you, with calm but panicked looks on their faces. What was going on?

“Hey, this party is actually wack. I think we should go.” Mel stated as the rest of them agreed with her easily. What the fuck is their problem?

“Yeah, it’s a Friday night. There’s probably another party we can go to.” Cass chimed in.

You looked at all three suspiciously. “What’s wrong with you guys? Your niggas did something?” You snorted before taking another sip.

“No, but yours did,” Ari mumbled under her breath, causing the other two to hit her. You didn’t hear her though.

“What?”

“Nothing, sweetie. We should just go!” Mel attempted to push you out of the kitchen while Cass and Ari followed behind. Once you almost made it to the front door, you glanced to your right, and think it was the alcohol affecting you, but you only had one drink. Were you drugged?

“Hey guys. Is it just me, or is that Aaron kissing a man?” You questioned, giggling at how ridiculous that might’ve sounded. When your three friends stopped, hung their heads in defeat, and sighed, right then and there, you knew you weren’t drugged. The alcohol wasn’t affecting you, and what you were seeing was real life.

“You guys…Why the FUCK is Aaron kissing a man?”

********************

A/N: uh oh! Did anyone see that coming? I know I did because I am the author 😇 I do wanna make a few things clear:

I do not condone homophobia so please know this isn’t the direction I am going in with this story. Reader will NOT be homophobic, and I’m trying my absolute best to make sure she doesn’t come across as so.

This bombshell moment has always been intended since the beginning of this story. It's not something I threw in for the hell of it lol. If you reread the parts and even this chapter, the hints were there!

That fight between you and T’Challa was whew! But let’s see how and if we come back from this! 😉

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wakandaforeverwrites · 1 year

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Learn Ya || Chapter 9

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

Author Notes: SURPRISE SHAWTY. Shout out to everyone that lowkey bullied me into continuing this fic some three years later. I love y’all for that. I kept the same tag list as before so if you no longer wish to be tagged, just let me know.

Amaya felt like her whole world had come crashing down in a matter of seconds.

She’d had her life planned out from the time that she was a young girl, and now all of those plans had gone astray. She could understand that her mother’s job was having financial issues and there needed to be cut backs as far as employees went. What she couldn’t understand was why her mother needed to be included in that. She sort of knew that she was being selfish about her true reasoning for caring that her mother lost her job, but she couldn’t help it. Her entire world had just been flipped on its head.

She couldn’t afford school anymore. The financial aid she had been given didn’t cover the complete cost of her first year. Her mother was going to cover the difference so that Amaya didn’t have to worry about the financial strain of school and could solely focus on making sure she made the best grades that she could. She was even going to cut back on the hours she worked at the centre to give her all to her academics.

That wasn’t the case anymore.

She had to come up with the money in a very short amount of time and she had really only two options as far as she was concerned because deferring a year simply wasn’t going to work for her.

She could either work more hours at the centre to get the money to pay the difference or she could take out student loans. Honestly, neither of them were stellar options, but she was heavily leaning towards the student loans. It would give her the money she needed right in that moment and she could deal with the fall out to her credit score and paying it back later in life. All she wanted to do was go to law school. How she did it really didn’t matter to her anymore.

“Is everything alright, Amaya? You have been unusually quiet tonight?”

She looked up from the plate of food she had been toying around with the last few minutes, pushing around bits of mashed potatoes across the ceramic, and saw T’Challa looking at her. Concern was etched into his features, brows sitting low on his face and his full lips pulled down into a soft frown.

She really should have canceled their date but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to do that. It had been a few weeks since she had last seen him and she knew he was a busy man. Though, she supposed canceling would’ve been better than going and being in a sour mood the entire night.

“Yeah, everything is fine.” She did her best to put on the most convincing smile but the look that he gave her showed that it didn’t work in her favor.

“I do not appreciate being lied to.” The frown was still etched on his face but his voice was soft, almost as if he didn’t want to scare her.

Amaya pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and let out a small breath through her nose. She certainly hadn’t meant to lie to him but she wasn’t sure if they were at the stage where she could dump all of her issues onto him. Everything up until that point had been lighthearted and fun so it was hard to say if he truly even wanted to know. She allowed silence to settle between the two of them as she continued to push around food on her plate, lost in her thoughts. It might be good to talk to someone who could provide an outside prospect of things, and he might even have some sort of sage advice to give to her.

“No, really everything is fine,” she had every intention of leaving it at that but the way he lifted one brow let her know that it wasn’t going to fly a second time. “My mother lost her job and now I’m trying to figure out how to pay for law school.”

She hadn’t really said those words out loud. Other people might have said them to her, Charlie or her brother, and she might have thought them on more than one occasion, but the words had never once left her mouth. Not even when her mother had sat her down and told her the whole truth. Saying the words out loud would only make the reality of her situation settle in, making it that much harder for her to try and deny the truth. She had hoped that if she simply just remained positive then maybe things would work themselves out, but with each passing day, she could see that a positive attitude wasn’t going to work and that very same attitude diminished and made way for a more negative one.

When his hand moved across the table, she didn’t hesitate to slip her into his. Regardless of whatever mood she was in, her body sought out the physical comfort from him because there was something about his presence that had been nothing but soothing for her, even in the times he made her heart stutter in her chest.

“How much is your balance?”

“A lot.”

“How much is a lot?”

“$19,980. I gave them $20 so they would stop calling me for a few days but really I just think the lady felt bad for me when I started crying on the phone. Half of that needs to be paid by the end of next week.” Again, she had thought about her situation plenty of times but saying it out loud only made it that much more daunting for her.

“I will take care of it.” His tone was so final as he squeezed her hand.

“T’Challa, no. I can’t ask you to do that.” The very last thing she wanted him to think was that she had only told him in hopes that he would pay for it.

“It is a good thing you are not asking and I am offering.”

“I mean I get that but I’m still saying no.”

“It is also a good thing I am not seeking your permission on this.”

Amaya rolled her eyes and kissed her teeth. “Now is not the time to be playing that little game where you need to have control over everything. This is serious and it’s too much money for you to pay and I can’t pay you back,”

“You will not need to pay me back. Consider it an early graduation gift if that will help you feel better about accepting the money.”

“I don’t need you to do that. I can figure something out.” She made a face and could start to feel herself get defensive.

The logical part of her knew that he was only doing this out of the kindness of his heart and not because he thought she couldn’t do it on her own (which they both know that she couldn’t). But there was also some jaded part of her that felt like he was doing it because he expected something in return. Sex maybe.

Of course there had been indications that the two of them were sexually attracted to each other, anyone on the outside looking in could see that, but he hadn’t given her any reason to believe that was the one and only thing that he was after. It was yet another thing she had to remind herself that set him apart from the men she had dealt with in the past. Particularly Rod.

“Come here.” A frown had once again settled onto his face as she pulled her hand away from his.

“You can’t just distract me with whatever you’re going to try and do.”

“Amaya,” her name was a rough warning on his tongue that she felt right between her thighs. What was wrong with her that him being even a little stern with her was making her wet? “Come here. I won’t tell you again.”

She watched as he pushed his chair away from the table a little bit. Any other time she would’ve pushed the boundaries a little bit more, trying to see just how much she was able to get away with, but she didn’t have the energy. She mirrored his actions and stood up from her own chair, rounding the table to stand in front of him. She wasn’t standing long before she found herself being pulled down into his lap.

A shuddering breath left her lips when a large hand rested against the bit of thigh exposed by her dress. A distraction and damn if it wasn’t working.

“Why is it so hard for you to accept my help?” She could barely think with the way his thumb traced back and forth across her skin.

“Because I don’t want you thinking I told you so you would help me.”

“If you are going to be someone in my life then you should expect to be taken care of in all aspects of your life, Amaya.” She had to admit that he did have a way with words but she could tell that he wasn’t just saying them for show. He meant them.

“I don’t think I know how to let people do things like this for me.” Amaya prided herself on being an independent woman. Of course, her mother and her family were there if and when she needed to help but no one outside of that circle really did anything to take care of her.

“I can teach you.”

————-

The rest of the dinner had placed Amaya in much better spirits and a lot of that was due in part to T’Challa keeping her in his lap with an arm wrapped around her waist as he held her close. The two of them fell back into their usual back and forth banter with ease. It was nice to not have to worry about whether or not she was going to be able to attend school or not.

She had never been so grateful to be called into work on a random Tuesday morning. Without that, she would’ve never met him and she would currently be shit out luck, probably forced to drop out of school because Rod certainly didn’t have an odd $20,000 laying around to help her out.

She still hadn’t agreed to let him pay for her first year but she also wasn’t fighting him on it either. She would sleep on it for a few days, telling him she would give him an answer in a few days time. He had been reluctant but he agreed, albeit begrudgingly.

The night was coming to a close and she felt an almost loss at knowing that he would be leaving in the morning and hadn’t really given her a time frame on when he would be back.

Her key twisted in the lock of her front door but she didn’t open it. Instead, she cleared her throat and mustered up all of her courage, putting on her proverbial big girl panties as she turned to look at him. “Did you want to…I don’t know like come in or something?”

Even in trying to make it sound like no big deal, her voice cracked.

“I would love to but I do fly out early tomorrow morning.” She was happy that he sounded sad about the fact but she had no intention of letting up.

“I know I know. It’s just Charlie isn’t home and I really don’t wanna be home alone, Sir.” She rocked back and forth from one foot to the other, looking up at him with what she could only hope was a look of helplessness.

T’Challa made a soft sound like a hum as he hooked his finger underneath her chin. “You call me that and think I’m just supposed to give in to you whatever you want.”

“I do.”

“I could tell you no right now. Don’t forget that, Amaya.” Despite the half grin forming on his lips, he gripped her chin a little tighter.

“I know you could, but do you wanna know what I think?” His fingers left her chin in order for his hand to cup the side of her face. Her body wasted no time leaning into his touch.

“Enlighten me, beautiful.”

“I think you don’t want to say no. I think you want to come in as much as I want you to come in. You just wanna play hard to get.” She reached behind her and opened her front door.

“I’m playing hard to get?” He chuckled softly as his brows lifted.

“Mhmm,” she nodded. “You definitely are and you need to cut it out before it gets you in trouble.”

She took one step back and then another, finding that he was following her back into her apartment. The way kept his eyes on her as he pulled her keys from the door and kicked it closed before flipping the lock, had her chewing on the inside of her cheek. She found that she loved having his attention solely on her.

“You and your mouth.” His thumb ran across her bottom lip and it took every ounce of strength that she had to resist the urge to pull the digit into her mouth. “Always pushing your limits.”

“You like it or else you would’ve made it so I couldn’t sit down for a week by now.”

“The night is still young.”

Taking his hand from the side of her face, she wrapped her fingers around his wrist to guide him to her bedroom. The voice in the back of head was telling her that she needed to get herself under control. She hadn’t invited him up because she wanted to jump his bones. She really had invited him because she didn’t want to be alone for the night, and she wanted to spend what little time she did have left with him.

When she pushed open the door to her bedroom, she was grateful that she had cleaned up some before she left. Any other time, her room would have been in shambles with clothes and shoes thrown all over the place in her attempt to find something suitable to wear. Instead, it was just the small desk in the corner of her room that was a mess with books and papers haphazardly thrown across the top, and her bed that she had forgotten to make.

Her room was small and his large presence made it seem that much smaller.

“I’m gonna get changed but could you unzip my dress for me?” She could easily reach the zipper herself but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little fun. When she turned and pulled her braids over her shoulder, she felt his presence behind her.

T’Challa said nothing as one hand ghosted up her arm and the other wrapped around the small zipper and pulled it down slowly. Amaya swore her heart felt like it was about to explode out of her chest and it didn’t get any better when she felt his lips trail along the skin of her shoulder. She inhaled sharply. His fingers pushed down the thin straps of her dress and her hands instinctively came up to hold the dress in place before it hit the ground.

She talked a big game and had no problem teasing him but she wasn’t so sure that she wanted to drop her dress and stand in front of him in just a pair of panties just yet.

When his lips pressed the shell of her ear, her eyes fluttered and she let out a small sound despite her best efforts to remain calm. It had been far too long since someone had touched her, played with her body until her mind went fuzzy and she couldn’t think, and it showed.

“Go change before I forget that I would like to be a gentleman tonight.”

She wondered what might happen if she told him she didn’t want him to be a gentleman, but something was telling her that she wasn’t quite ready for that. T’Challa seemed like a man who knew exactly what he was doing with far more years of experience than she had. She didn’t want to write a check that her ass couldn’t cash.

“Right,” she nodded her head and stepped away from him.

She practically scurried out of the room with her pajamas in hand. She knew if she had stayed in her bedroom for one second longer, she would have easily given in to the x rated thoughts that had been swarming in her head. The magnetic pull that man had over her body was insane. Scary. Thrilling. And more than just a little erotic.

She had never wanted to fuck someone so badly in her life. It was to the point that if he asked, she would be hard pressed to say no, but she truly did what to take things slow with him. She wanted to be sure that they had something that went beyond just the very apparent physical connection and attraction.

And she didn’t want him to think she was a whore.

Amaya used her night time routine as a means to distract herself, probably taking far longer than she needed to, but she needed to give her body all the time that it needed to cool down. By the time she had gone through the steps, her body was still on edge but only just barely. She was sure she would be able to keep her hormones in check.

Or so she had thought before she stepped back into her bedroom to see T’Challa sitting up against her pillows with her civil procedures book in his hand. It would have been fine for her, nothing she wouldn’t have been able to handle if he hadn’t stripped down to his boxer briefs and nothing else. .

This man was going to be the death of her.

“You just made yourself right at home I see.” She gave him a pointed look before she shoved her clothes into her hamper. She just needed to distract and deflect so nothing got out of hand.

“Well, you can only leave a man to his own devices for so long before he starts to get bored.” The smirk he gave her when he looked up from the book had her grinning back at him like an idiot.

“I see that.” She rolled her eyes as she walked over to him and pulled the book from his hands. “I don’t think this is how you want to cure your boredom though.”

“Do you have any suggestions then?”

“I have a few, but you have to leave so early in the morning and I would hate to keep you up all night, y’know?” She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling as he laughed.

She dropped the book back off on her desk before she flopped down on her back onto her bed.

“Lay down before your mouth lands you into some trouble you can’t handle, Amaya.” He shook his head.

She had no doubt that she would find herself getting into some trouble at some point with him but tonight wasn’t going to be the night for that. Crawling into bed, she laid on her side with a hand curled underneath her chin so she could face him. He wasted no time in mirroring her actions minus the hand under his chin.

“Do you know when you might be able to come back?”

“Unfortunately, no I don’t. There are quite a few things back home that I will need to take care of before I can get away again.” His hand reached out and his thumb moved along her cheek.

She figured that he was a busy man but she’d had a sliver of hope that he would be back sooner rather than later. It was getting harder and harder each time to only have an afternoon or a few hours a night with him at a time before he disappeared for an extended period of times. Phone calls could only do so much.

She really did like having him around.

“Don’t look so sad,” she wasn’t aware that she had started to frown until he pointed it out. “I’ll still make sure to call you every day.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it is nice hearing from you every day but actually seeing you more often would be even better.” She shrugged her shoulders and toyed with the ring that hung from the chain around his neck. When she looked up there was something of a smug smile on his lips. “What?”

“If I didn’t know any better I would think you had a thing for me.”

“You’re alright I guess.” She rolled her eyes playfully.

“Oh I’m just alright? I guess I should go somewhere where I will be appreciated then.” He started to roll over to get out of bed before she caught his arm.

She pressed her body into his and buried her face into his chest, inhaling his scent gently. “Don’t go.”

His arms wrapped around her tightly, holding her close, as he pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

“I’m right here, baby girl.”

Tag List: @deliciousstreetkidcroissant @rose-bliss @theunsweetenedtruth@cancerianprincess @aykanna@supersizemeplz@ayellepea @Ijstraightnochaser @chaneajoyyy@vanitykocaine @slimmiyagi @purple-apricots@justanotherloveaffair@beautifulqueenflaws@hotthrow@90sinspiredgirl@hidden-treasures21@marvelpotterlove@depressionandfandomsinc@theblulife @airis-paris14@blackchickfics @skysynclair19 @jusanarae57@leahnicole1219 @blackdesires-blog @voyagetoadinas9 @lalapalooza718 @blackpinup22 @chefjessypooh @tntnv @jennajai@erikstan4ever @raysunshine78 @determinednot2fall @tchallasbabymama @prettystringbean @kissmyafropuff @blowmymbackout @wakanda-inspired

#black panther smut #black panther fanfiction #black panther imagine #black panther fluff #black panther fic #tchalla fanfiction #tchalla fanfic #t'challa x oc #t'challa imagine #t'challa fanfiction #t'challa fanfic #t'challa smut #series: learn ya

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griots-tales · 2 years

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Warrior Falls: Awesome Shots (Part 2)

(Masterlist)

#rare shots #rare pictures #black panther #Black Panther #T'Challa #M'Baku #Ramonda #Shuri #Dora Milaje #Warrior Falls #T'Challa fanfic #Jabari #Black Panther 2018 #fight scenes #fight scene #awesome shots #griots tales

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your-averagewriter · 1 year

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Work interruptions.

Summary: Shuri enjoys calling her girlfriend from the Jabari Tribe during her work shifts bearing gifts that give homemade a whole new meaning but they can't hang out during the day so (y/n) meets her after her shifts (Shuri x fem!reader).

Word Count: 1.3K

Warnings: fluff, weapons, kissing?

“(y/n) of the Jabari Tribe, your council is sought by the leaders of the Golden Tribe.” A warrior of a lower rank requests.

“Permission to leave,” I ask of M’Baku who’s slumped in his chair.

“Yes, yes.” He says dismissing me with a wave of his hand before continuing the meeting that was interrupted by the announcement. This has happened multiple times now, Shuri summons me to her home for unimportant reasons.

Grabbing hold of my sword I hop down from the platform I was standing on and I follow the warrior out of the room. He leads me out of the building and towards the hangar.

“I can escort myself, thank you,” I say, a serious, authoritative tone in my voice. It’s hard to get taken seriously when you’re only 17, a woman and the warriors ranked below you are all taller and older than you. But he nods before exiting.

I make my way to my speeder, yes I know sounds like some science fiction but it’s not, Shuri designed it for me. Quickly, I mount it and fly to the Golden Tribe’s palace. I drop off my speeder in their hangar before announcing myself to the guards. They lead me through the building and to the lab even though I already know the way.

“You requested my presence?” I ask bowing to Shuri slowly before standing up straight.

“Yes, my love. Come here.” She says waving me towards what I assume is a new creation of hers. She starts explaining about the small object, a bracelet of beads by the looks of it. She ties it around my wrist and explains what it does and how it will help keep me safe.

“Princess, I am on duty, you cannot keep calling me over when you are not in danger or there is no reason of importance,” I say and she looks disappointed.

“But I miss you in the day. You’re always so busy!” She says.

“I’ll come back later when I’m off-duty,” I say trying to appease her.

“Ugh fine.” She says, begrudgingly.

“Do you need anything else, princess?” I ask bowing again.

“Yes, actually.” She points to her cheek and I sigh but walk over anyway. I kiss her on the cheek before leaving the room.

“You look very pretty today, goodbye, my love,” I say before heading back to my post in the mountains.

The rest of the day is fairly calm, not much happens apart from the usual security at M’Baku’s meetings. Otherwise, it’s an easy day although the time that I relax will be the time I’m caught off guard.

Taking off my armour, I place it on the armour stand before pulling on some more casual clothes, a mesh bodysuit with a pair of black trousers and chunky boots - not the most practical but great for kicking people with.

Heading towards the Golden Tribe palace for the second time this day I suddenly hear a voice from the beaded bracelet, jumping slightly I’m awakened by it.

“(y/n), are you almost here?” Shuri’s voice sounds through the beads.

“Shuri? I that you?” I ask holding the beads in front of my mouth, my mind completely ‘boggled’.

“Yes, my lover, it is me. You need not hold the beads so close to your mouth.” She says with a chuckle.

“Why are you in the beads?” I ask shaking my wrist.

“I am not in the beads, I promise. It’s a telecom like in the fighter jets.”

“Okay, if you’re sure…” I trail off.

“So, are you almost here?” She asks again.

“Yes, I’ll be with you in mere minutes, be patient, my dear.” I say before tapping the beads trying to ‘hang up’.

“Excellent.” She says before a small beep sound is made and her voice disappears. Pulling up to my ear I shake it once more before shrugging and moving on.

Minutes later I arrive at the same palace and I’m escorted in once again by two guards.

“(y/n)?” I hear a voice from in front of me.

“King T’Challa,” I say before kneeling on one knee and bowing my head, the guards behind me do the same.

T’Challa chuckles. “Surely, we are past this now, are we not (y/n)?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” I say with my head bowed still.

“There is no need for you to kneel and bow to me, are we not better friends than that, how long have you been dating Shuri? 2, or 3 years? Come on now, surely we moved past these formalities a while ago.” He says with a laugh, holding his hand out to me.

I take it hesitantly with a gracious smile. “I guess so, King T’Challa.”

“Just T’Challa, please.” He says before shaking my hand and looking behind me. “Do they not let you in here unaccompanied?” He says and I shake my head. “Well, from now on (y/n) does not need to be accompanied within my home, it is safe and I trust her.” He says to the guards and almost immediately they retreat back to the main doors. “Do you mind if I walk with you?” Placing his hands behind his back.

“Of course not.” We continue walking towards the laboratory.

Conversation is made, the usual ‘how are you’s and ‘how’s work’, the usual until we make it to the lab.

“(y/n) finally!” I hear as soon as I step foot in the lab, the next thing I see is her running towards me. She wraps her arms around me.

“Shuri, as adorable as this is moment is, give the woman some space.” He chuckles.

“Go away brother, why are you even here?” She asks, jokingly grimacing at him.

“I’ll leave, I’ll leave.” He says placing his hands in the air in a mock surrender before backing away towards the door. “I don’t want to interrupt you two.”

“Yes, get out of my lab!” She yells as he opens the door and leaves.

“I missed you today, my love.” I say as she’s still gripping onto me. “I’m guessing you did as well.”

“Of course,” She pulls away from me but stays holding onto my hand. “Come on, I’ve got something extra for you.”

She picks something small off of the side and places it into my hand and closes my palm. Re-opening my palm I inspect the two small objects against my skin. Two earrings it looks like, they’re made of a pale blue gem like material with metal coatings. They’re beautiful.

“They match your bracelet and they work very similarly - they have qualities that help track you and protect you.”

“They are really pretty.” I say admiring them.

“Try them on.” she says, leading me over towards one fo the full body mirrors. I change out my old ones which are plain balls of metal whilst the new ones are blue gems. Checking myself in the mirror, I look at the earrings and how well they match my outfit before turning to Shuri.

“They’re beautiful. I love you.” I say, kissing her gently.

“Thank you, I couldn’t make a second pair in time for your arrival so that’s my pair, you can have them, they’ll keep you safe.” I shake my head.

“You are the princess, sister of the king, you need to be safe and protected, I am a warrior I’m of no high status and am a target of little persecution - you need these more than me.” I say starting to take out the earrings.

“No, no, (y/n), you don’t need to, I’ll be able to make a second pair sometime tomorrow and I’ll be safe until then.”

“Who is gonna keep you safe until then?”

“You, I guess you’re staying the night babe unless you want to leave me entirely defenceless. What would I do without you?” She says with a smirk before pecking me on the lips.

AN: I just saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and I'm in love with everyone in the movie all over again.

This a reminder that Shuri is at a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 19 so please don't be creepy and read this if you're like 30 - I am a minor and so is the character. In this fic specifically, Shuri is either 16 or 17 so just don't be creepy.

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dramaqueeenamby · 1 year

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Easy | T'Challa Udaku

A/N: My god, BP2 was such an emotional ride. This is a product of all of the emotions I'm still reeling from. I have not written for BP in probably a year+, so I apologize for the rustiness.

Warnings: ANGST.

Words: 3K

You can find my other works HERE.

++++++++++++DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER++++++++++++

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Loving him was easy.

Maybe too easy.

Maybe things would have been easier if he wasn’t so easy. So easy to admire, so easy to be drawn to, so easy to feel an ungodly amount of love and adoration for.

But maybe that was just T’Challa. With his beautiful smile and brilliant mind, few paths seemed to lead to some place loveless. He was the embodiment of attraction, from the way he spoke, to the way he conducted himself, to the way he loved.

Yeah….easy seemed to be unavoidable.

A small smile makes its way to your face as you reminisce on your first meeting all those years ago.

“Would you just tell me already?”

Nakia simply looks over at you with that same bored yet tempted expression. “And ruin the surprise? Never.”

She laughs, clearly amused by your frustration, by the lack of patience for which you’ve still struggled to fully comprehend.

You’d just completed your War Dog training and had been assigned to Nakia, to shadow her on a few missions and prove that you were ready for your own assignment. It was a perfect partnership, as Nakia matched your wit and sense of humor, both of which had definitely gotten you in trouble more times than you’d like to admit.

“How about a hint?”

“How about no?”

Your eyes narrowed as you nudged her. “You are enjoying this.”

“Somewhat,” she admits. You share another look before giggling together when a firm voice from behind interrupts your moment.

“Forgive me, ladies.”

“You are not forgiven,” your response is natural and instantaneous, a small smirk playing on your face. “Matter of fact, you should know better than to sneak on two lad–” The smirk drops and your ridicule is cut short by the dark eyes and curious gaze of the crowned prince who stands before you.

If Nakia was amused before, she was delighted now. You can feel her eyes still focused on you as she bumps you with her hip. “Y/N, you didn’t finish your statement. How rude.”

Your glare could burn two holes into the princess as she shakes her head and returns her focus onto Prince T’Challa.

“Yes, T’Challa?” It’s in the most random, unexpected moments that you remember while Nakia is your friend, she is also royalty. Perhaps it’s something you should commit to memory, especially given how you’ve just completely disregarded all protocol for the future ruler of Wakanda.

Finally able to pick your eyeballs off the ground, you find that T’Challa’s gaze is pinpointed on you. “Nakia is correct. It is improper to finish your statement…..”

He trails off, and you realize he’s searching for your name. Slightly dejected and still embarrassed, you answer, hastily adding a “your grace” onto the end. For good measure and respect.

He simply makes a sound before repeating your name. It feels so strange hearing your name on his mouth, strange but also….right. Shifting your stance, you’re thankful when he finally reirects his focus to Nakia. Memory of what was said between them was lost years ago, but the initial butterflies in your stomach upon your first meeting have always stayed with you.

You pray to Bast they always will.

Rolling your shoulders, your fingers dance across the fabric on your skin. It’s a piece you’d acquired since moving to Haiti. Your fingertips stroke the intricate pattern, and just like that, you’re hit with memories of laying in bed, naked, a sheen of sweat covering your back while the same fingers dance across his chest.

There are too many times that this occurred, but it’s somewhat easier to recall one of the later moments.

The silence rattles you, not because you can’t handle it. It’s because you know underneath it lies turmoil, It’s present in the way he entered you, rough, desperate, lost. Lovemaking with T’Challa was always anything but that, maybe the first of them at times, but never the latter two.

Your hands flatten against his chest, gently curving inward to draw his attention. He doesn’t move to look down, but you know he’s listening.

“Talk to me,” you implore, licking your lips. “There’s so much more room out here, my love.”

He says nothing but you feel the scoff underneath his strong chest. “There is already too much out here.”

“Nay,” you lean to kiss the underside of his jaw. “You underestimate the space, kumkani.”

Finally, allowing you a glance of his dejected expression, he counters, “and you underestimate the weight, Isithandwa.”

Sighing, your hand travels to his face. “You didn’t know, T’Challa. None of us did.” If you’re being honest with yourself, it’s still nearly incomprehensible to believe that King T’Chaka was responsible for the murder of his own brother as well as the abandonment of his nephew, T’Challa’s cousin, the man who seemed hellbent on revenge.

But not for poor reasons.

Still, the fact that so much of this falls on T’Challa, who has barely had time to mourn the loss of his father, your heart aches for the pain he refuses to show but you know he feels.

“And we cannot change the past,” you continue, though vaguely unsure of yourself. T’Challa has always been the better of you two when it came to wording things in a way that was equally beautiful as it was helpful. “But, we can make decisions now that will help us create a better future.”

“Built on what? Lies.”

“No….” Again, your hand movement shifts to his hard abdomen, as your fingers offer comforting, circular movements. “No, my love, the lies stop with you. You will be the change that will usher in a new era for Wakanda, a better era, for us all.”

Instead of the incoherent sounds you usually receive, his hand on your back tugs you just a little closer. “You have such unyielding faith in me.”

You sit on his words for a few seconds before answering thoughtfully. “I’ve questioned many things in my life, T’Challa, but not one of them has ever been you. Not your ability to rule, to protect, not even to love.” A beat. “Now I’ve maybe questioned your fashion choices at one point or another, but Shuri’s influence will hopefully start to rub off on you.”

A small yelp escapes your mouth as he flips positions so that he’s hovering over you. Your gazes lock as he lowers himself, stealing the gentlest of kisses before resting his forehead against yours. Your hands cradle his cheeks as he kisses both of your palms before shifting downward and laying against your chest. Your arms cocoon him, protecting him, offering a solace only found within your safe embrace.

“I love you, T’Challa. Never forget that.”

You once believed that the five years without T’Challa, having lost him to the Snap, was the most difficult thing you’d ever had to endure.

Clearly….clearly you were wrong.

It starts with a cough.

Nothing persistent or chronic, more inconsistent and light than anything. Probably nothing major enough to raise an eyebrow from anyone else. But you knew T’Challa, and you knew the many benefits of the heart shaped herb.

He didn’t get sick, and more importantly, the black panther didn’t get sick.

A small part of you pretended that it wasn't an issue. You were comforted by the fact that he’d been ripped away from you for five years and returned. What more heartache could possibly outweigh that?

But then the cough was no longer as infrequent, and along with it came a sort of dullness in his normally bright eyes. He seemed….weary.

You knew the weight of returning after being gone for so long weighed on him, but this….this was different.

It was also concerning, as he would come and visit at least once a month, the two of you no longer able to steal moments in time as often as you once did. You were both older now with even more responsibilities than ever before. So when he came to visit two times in a row and you noticed the same dullness, your concern definitely spiked.

It was late, and the two of you were just getting into bed. He’d only just pulled back the blankets when you finally asked.

“How long do you plan to pretend that everything is alright?”

He stands upright and his jaw ticks. “What are you talking about?”

Deflection. T’Challa never deflects. Your concern increases.

Moving across the room, you stand directly in front, looking up at him. “You know exactly what I am talking about.” When he says nothing, your hand lifts to his cheek. “Please talk to me. I am worried.”

“It’s nothing.”

“What is it, T’Challa?” Moving closer, you lay yourself against his chest, mindful of how he hesitates to reciprocate your embrace. “I need you to be honest with me.” A beat. “Or maybe I just need you to be honest with yourself.”

His body tenses underneath the weight of your own as well as your words. And finally, he answers, “something has been…..plaguing me.” Looking up, he immediately goes into comfort mode. “It is nothing to worry about, Isithandwa.”

His eyes betray him, and you can’t help how your own water. “How close are you to a cure?” His silence is the answer you don’t want to hear. It’s an answer that is not the security of promise and hope that you need in this moment.

“Y/N–”

“What-what does Shuri think?” More silence. Your eyes naturally widen. “You have not told her?” His lack of an answer adds another layer of panic as she painfully realizes, “you have not told anyone….”

“There is no need to worry anyone, Y/N.”

“But I am worried, T’Challa!” You whisper harshly, mindful of your volume as not to disturb or let alone awake the last person who needs to be hearing this conversation. “Do you not think I have not noticed how long this has lasted? You have been sick for weeks, months maybe, and if there is no cure in sight, then who is to say you will get better?”

He shakes his head, cupping your face. “Aye, listen to me.” The tears are falling, and his thumb goes to brush them away. “You once told me that you have never doubted me. Do you remember this? Hmm?”

Sniffling, you manage to nod and murmur, “yes.”

Relieved, he tucks you into him, his chin resting on the top of your head. “So trust me now, Y/N. Have faith.”

His words still haunt you, still bring the sting of tears to your eyes and the sharp flash of pain in your chest. Realizing that the man you love has limited time left on earth is a pain like none other. But watching him gradually decline, knowing that there’s nothing you can do….that is a hurt too explosive to even describe.

For his sake, you both acted normal. Same smiles, just a little dimmer. Same laughter, just an octave lighter. Same love, not a damn thing different. Some days you wonder if that was for the better or for the worse. Was it staying and operating out a state of denial? Could you have maybe delayed it, prevented it even if there was more of a sense or urgency?

Because even when you both sat him down, when you were finally honest about T’Challa’s condition, about where his path was leading him, it still felt bitterly hopeful. Like it was a maybe instead of a definitely.

Maybe this will happen, instead of this is going to happen.

But you also knew this wasn’t a decision that you could make by yourself. And truth be told, it wasn’t even a decision T’Challa could make, which disgusted you. How could a man like T’Challa, your sweet, kind love be subjected to such a cruel ending? An ending so unbecoming of the majestic man that he was.

This is when the anger kicks in, the rage at having him taken from you not once, not twice, but three times. Why the hell did you all have to be dealt such a vile card? What travesties could you have done, could he have done to deserve this ending?

In the final weeks, days even, items were dropped or were thrown, tempers were short, clearly, and interactions felt so much more heavy. You still beat yourself up for being so consumed by your own emotions that maybe you weren’t present enough for him when he needed you the most.

That also happens a lot, that feeling of it not being enough. Not enough of him. Not enough of you all. Not enough time.

Not enough of…..anything.

And then that ceremony, the damn goodbye that he decided would be just for them, that was the moment you realized that T’Challa wouldn’t be returning for another visit. This was the last time, and it broke you. Of that night, you don’t remember much, just the absolute agony and grief that tore through your entire being. It’s such a blur, but the pain felt is a constant.

That last goodbye…..even reflecting back on it is too much to bear, too much to try to swallow. Maybe someday you’ll be able to dwell on it….but now….now is too soon, much too soon.

What does stand out is the days following the notice you received that he’d passed on to be with the ancestors.

Washing the dishes was the last thing you wanted to do, but the dishwasher was giving an error code, and you couldn’t bring yourself to seek out someone who could fix it. Especially when that someone you would usually call is no longer available.

Wiping at your face with the back of your hand had become a habit, one that had caused the skin on your face to become tender, harsh even from the constant friction. But the final straw was dropping the glass plate in your hand onto the floor, shattering all over the tile.

You cursed, leaning down to gather the pieces only to not pay close enough attention, accidentally slicing the palm of your hand.

Hissing loudly, you lifted your arm, observing the blood leave the open wound. You do nothing to stop it, watching it continue to spill, even aiding in the process as you apply pressure around the area. It’s a fruitless effort though, because the physical pain is nothing in comparison to your emotional pain.

Overcome with that same emotion, you bring yourself to your feet and storm out the door, running toward the beachfront.

T’Challa always loved the water and wanted you two to be away from everyone else, both for your comfort as well as your privacy and overall safety.

Falling to your knees, your hands brace against the grainy sand as a loud, guttural, visceral scream erupts from the deepest part of your soul. But, it’s not enough. So you go again. And again. And again. Continuing to scream until your voice breaks, as does your resolve.

Now on your side, sobs rake through your entire body, you wails bouncing off the waves of the water.

It’s both comforting and suffocating. A release and a limitation. A blessing and a curse.

“How-how could you leave me?” The question is posed to no one, to everyone, to anyone who will listen. “How could you leave us!” The interrogative nature quickly transitions to a demanding tone, a plea, a beg for mercy. “You said-you said to have faith, and I–I did.” You continue to wail, shaking your head. “And where are you now? WHERE ARE YOU, T’CHALLA?”

Stomach throbbing and eyes burning, your vision is blurred by pain, but you manage to twist your body when small but firm arms wrap around you and a body is pressed against yours. The familiar smell of shea and cocoa butter fills your nostrils as you look down and nearly cave again.

“I’m right here, mama,” your son’s words hit you deeper than anything you could have imagined. And another wave of tears overcomes you as he repeats himself and holds you even tighter. “I’m right here.”

You’re not sure if Challa, as both you and T’Challa took to calling him even when he was still in your womb, will ever be able to fully comprehend the depth and importance of his words. His comfort in that moment pulling you from a darkness you’d never encountered. A darkness you’re not sure you would have been able to save yourself from without him.

It’s been roughly a year since that night, that evening where your greatest blessing saved you from your greatest battle. And every day is a struggle, there’s always moments where you find yourself encountering a memory, missing a touch, yearning for that love.

But then Challa will smile at you, and you’re reminded that death…is never the end.

You remember that loving T’Challa was always so easy because it was inevitable.

“You’re always with me, my love,” you speak upward, smiling softly. “And you always will be.”

#black panther #black panther: wakanda forever #bp2 #black panther fanfiction #black panther fanfic #T'Challa #T'Challa x reader #T'Challa x you #T'Challa Udaku #Black Panther x reader

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aokoaoi · 1 year

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𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. ʰᵉᵃᵈᶜᵃⁿᵒⁿˢ

pairings : big sister!shuri x fem!reader x big brother!t'challa

warnings : ooc characters(?).

authors note : this is not a ship fanfic. everything is completely platonic, just pure sibling relationship<3.

GROWING UP !

— you were only 2 years younger than shuri, so of course, it wasn't difficult for you two to get along.

— compared to your sister, you didn't have very strong ambitions. But even so, you were taught how to rule a nation by your mother when you were younger, and when you were prepared enough, she took you to train to be a Dora Milaje member.

— you were a fairly calm and obedient child back then, and even since you grew into a fine woman.

— you didn't have an interest in fighting whatsoever, but it did cross your mind that you'd end up needing the skills to fight. But you didn't complain and go against your mother.

— there weren't that much things that interested you as a kid. Your sister and brother often picked on you(playfully) for it.

— shuri even tried to get you to be interested in her ambitions, saying that it's 'fun' and 'an opportunity to learn something new'.

— you weren't adventurous, smart like shuri, nor would you be strong like t-challa. Sometimes, as you grew older, you think if you could've done something more than just train to be in an elite group. But despite those, something sparked inside you and motivated you to be the strongest amongst all the members of the Dora Milaje.

BONDING WITH SHURI !

some big brother t'challa scenes<3

— it's awfully loud when there's two of you in the same room. Like seriously, it's just filled with Shuri laughing at your jokes. Everyone sees you as 'the calmer one of the siblings' but boy.. when you're with those 'siblings' its like someone released a whole mammal out their cage.

— despite not understanding half she's saying, you still go visit shuri in her lab to keep her company. She's just yapping to you about what she's doing, while you just nodded, pretending like you understood what the hell she's saying.

• "(name)? Are you listening or no?"

• "I am. But I don't understand."

• "It's fine, at least you're listening."

— whenever her brother is doing something, or is busy, you'd be the one training her some fighting abilities. You aren't as skilled like your brother, goodness no, he's the black panther for Pete's sake, but you are strong. Somewhat.

— shuri always supports and cheers for you whenever you're about to go to your training. Boy, the proudness she felt when she was told that you were slowly beginning to be more skilled the passing days. She's not lying, Okoye said it herself.

— tackles you in hugs almost everytime she's overly enthusiastic to see you.

• "Stop that. You act like our rooms aren't next to eachother."

• "I missed you!"

• "we see eachother everyday!"

— okay but listen to this. The over protectiveness that randomly summoned inside her when she heard that you were getting marriage proposals.

"atrocious!" You and your mother deadpanned at her reaction, side eyeing eachother blankly. "(name), whatever you must do, do not even look at those proposals, okay?!"

— yeah it was a wild experience.

— besides that, shuri is a great sister. She loves you but literally acts like she's the youngest. Seriously, you mightve heard that she's older and you're younger, but when you see these two and know the personally, you'll end up doubting yourself.

— even your own brother said it himself.

• "Shuri, stop clinging onto your sister like a wild monkey climbing up a tree."

• "What?"

• "brother said to stop climbing me like you're a monkey."

— ooh, have I mentioned that you're a great dancer? If not, you're a very great dancer! Dora Milaje members are probably all great dancers if you must say so yourself.

— growing up, shuri was probably your favorite person who ever walked the soil of earth. And then your brother follows right behind her, and then your parents, and then—

— when it's the three of you combined, it's like the whole definition of the word 'chaos'. In the end of the day, T'challa is tired as hell, Shuri went to drain more of her energy in her lab work, and you? Already fell asleep.

— despite being a whole menace the three of you were, mama Ramonda and papa T'chaka were proud of what you three have achieved.

i am very tired<\3 still figuring out my layouts for headcanon posts, so this one is kind of messy rnn. this is also my first time writing about sibling relationships, especially in readers pov so I'm sorry if it's cringey oml😭

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avengerscompound · 1 year

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Avengers #1 Trailer

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livstarlight · 1 year

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I see all your modern au takes on the Black Panther characters who are just regular people with no powers, where Namor is one of T’Challa’s friends and this is how he comes to meet Shuri and they fall for each other while trying to hide it from him and everyone else, and I love them, but I offer you instead Namor as N’Jadaka best friend

Imagine the potential of Shuri, who can’t stand her cousin, tolerates him at best, despising everything he does and of course thinking that the people he surrounds himself with must be absolute douchebags too to put up with him, but then she bumps into Namor who is yes an arrogant smug bastard but he is also different, like charming-different, deep-different. Devastatingly handsome and challenging-different and oh no maybe she kinda likes her awful cousin’s best friend

#my mind is a costant forge of nonsense and aus #will i ever stop?#the world may have to wait and see #namor x shuri #namuri #nashuri #seaprincess #namor #shuri #erik killmonger #n'jadaka #t'challa #black panther #wakanda forever #mcu #fanfic aus

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dmysterioblog · 1 year

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could you write a ramonda x reader where the reader works at shuri’s lab and the queen comes down with t’challa one day (bp1) and they’re discussing something while the readers admiring ramonda and t’challa and shuri notice and set them up??

The Set Up

Paring; Queen Ramonda x reader

Summary: You work as a scientist in Shuri's lab, and one day the Queen walks in to talk with Shuri and T'Challa about something. You find it impossible to take your eyes off of her. Shuri and T’Challa notice and set you both up.

Warnings: none just fluff

Word Count: 868

A/n: I hope you like it anon!

I was working on a new project with Shuri when Griot announced that the Queen and T’Challa were on their way to the lab. My breath caught in my throat as the elevator doors opened to reveal the stunning Queen of Wakanda. My eyes followed her every move as she came closer to greet her daughter. She greeted me as well before discussing something with Shuri and T’Challa as I stood there staring, mesmerized by her. This, of course, didn’t go unnoticed by Shuri and T’Challa. When the Queen was gone, Shuri and T’Challa looked at each other smiling then looked at me.

“What?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

“You alright? Thought we lost you there for a second,” Shuri said with a smirk.

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just got lost in thought,” I said but a cough from T’Challa interrupted me.

“I have royal matters to attend so I’ll see you both later,” he informed us, winking at Shuri on his way out which left me confused.

“What was that about?” I asked, turning towards Shuri.

“Oh, nothing…”

- 3rd person pov -

Shuri and T’Challa have been planning how to get you and their mother in the same room for the past 3 days. After much thinking, they came up with the perfect plan. They planned to trick you both into admitting your feelings. They planned to send both of you secret admirer notes to lead you into the same room.

- Reader pov -

I was working in my lab station when I saw a red note peeking from under some papers. I picked it up and noticed my name written on it. I opened it and read it.

Sithandwa sam,

I want you to know that the moment I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I couldn’t help but fall in love with you. If you want to know who I am, meet me in the throne room at 8:00 PM.

- Secret Admirer

I stood there shocked. My eyes not believing what they just read. I sat there thinking if this was some sort of joke but my thoughts were interrupted by Shuri.

“Hey, Y/n. What do you have there?”

“Uh, I think I have a secret admirer?”

“What really? Let me see.”

I handed her the note and let her read it. She looked amused when she read it.

“So, are you gonna go?”

“What? No. Someone is probably playing a joke on me.”

“Maybe, or maybe this person actually likes you. You should go, you never know what will happen. Who knows, what if you find the love of your life.”

“Please, let's not exaggerate. Fine, I'll go. But if something bad happens I will blame it on you.”

- Time Skip -

I was done with the project for today. I looked at the time and saw it was 7:30. I had thirty minutes to get ready so I had to hurry if I wanted to be on time. I ran to my room to change into something nice and fix my hair. When I was done it was already 7:55 so I hurried, took the note, and made my way to the throne room. I stopped in front of the huge double door of the throne room, contemplating whether I should go in or go back to my room. I decided to go in. I slipped quickly inside and closed the door swiftly. When I turned around I came face to face with the queen of Wakanda.

“Queen Mother, i- I'm so sorry. I was supposed to meet someone but I guess not.”

“You're alright dear, we all make mistakes an-,” her eyes caught the red note in my hand, “Where did you get that?” she asked, pointing at my hand.

“I found it in between some papers on my lab station.”

“May I see it?”

I nodded and handed it to her. She read it and raised an eyebrow. I was confused until she raised her other hand which held an identical red note.

“I found this on my nightstand.”

“I think we were set up. And I have an idea of who could have done it,” I said, shaking my head.

“I think I have a pretty good idea as well. But before we do anything about that I would like to say something about this situation. I don’t think we were set up as a joke. I believe the person who did this knew that we felt something for each other.”

“Are you saying that the person who did this, did it to get us to confess to each other?”

“Yes.”

“Well then in that case, what was written on the note wasn’t too far from the truth. I do think you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and I do love you. But of course, I didn't say anything because you are a literal queen while I am just Shuri’s lab partner.”

“Sithandwa sam, I don’t care if you're ‘just a lab partner’. I love you and nothing is going to change that,” Ramonda said as she pulled me into her arms for a sweet, passionate kiss.

Let me know you yall like the first person pov or the second person pov better!

#queen ramonda #reader #queen romanda x reader #princess shuri #t'challa #fanfic #fluff #bp1 #black panther

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tarithenurse · 1 year

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T'Challa Masterlist

Smut/lemons/nsfw/sexual themes = * Mental health issues = % Violence/gore = #

Always watch out for individual chapter warnings/content.Reader is per default female unless otherwise stated.

One-shots

Bast *

Goddess!Reader. The duty of a king is to protect and serve his people. Thankfully, that can be quite pleasurable at times.

Better %

Being lonely in love is a pain.

Good morning

Can be read as GN!reader. AU. Just a dose of the morning after fluff with a sprinkling of domestic!T’Challa and a hint towards sexy times.

Longing

Love confessions.

#T'Challa #Black Panther #MCU #T'Challa Fanfiction #T'Challa Fanfic

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uzumaki-rebellion · 1 year

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“Ramonda’s Choice”

Summary: Ramonda Matela makes a choice that changes the course of Wakandan history forever.

Finally! My Ramonda fic is finished! Enjoy because it’s long! Please reblog, comment, share etc, because that is the only payment I require.

NSFW. Some smut. Angst. My usual stuff!

"With every passing moment Thoughts of you run through my head Every time that I'm near you I realize that you're heaven sent, baby I think you're truly something special Just what my dreams are really made of Let's stay together, you and me boy There's no one like you around…"

Tamia – "So Into You"

Ramonda Matela knew the Udaku brothers like the back of her delicate hand from childhood to adulthood.

T'Chaka Udaku was the gregarious extrovert: arrogant, vain, and the elder statesman of the two. N'Jobu was the introverted one who observed the world with inquisitive eyes, a quiet nature, and a smoldering confidence that was less flashy than his older brother, but just as appealing nonetheless.

Ramonda was in the middle of their age group, meeting both boys at the same time when she was thirteen and dreaming about becoming a Dora Milaje. The palace had an extravagant fourteenth birthday celebration for T'Chaka out in the royal garden that was so exclusive, that Ramonda almost didn't get invited herself. It was by sheer luck on her mother's part in nabbing coveted invitations. Saffra Matela knew the head gardener who oversaw the royal grounds, and he was the Godfather to Ramonda and her younger brother, Khosi. L'Wazi had twenty years of service to the royal family, and he emboldened his throat to ask for permission to allow his Godchildren to attend the festivities and have the one opportunity to see the layout of the garden estate. He was granted permission and their household received the invitation on exquisite linen paper laced with pure gold and purple satin trimming on the envelope.

She squealed when the personal invitation sat in her hands, and she traced languid fingers across the gold-embossed words that lifted in a heavy Wakandan script from the paper.

"You are cordially invited to the Umgidi of Prince T'Chaka Milani Udaku…"

Fourteen was the age of manhood for Wakandan boys and after the birthday celebration, Prince T'Chaka would be whisked off to initiation school near Warrior Falls where all fourteen-year-old boys went for thirty days, only returning from the rites of passage retreat wth a new status as young adult men.

Ramonda couldn't wait for her version of the event. Her parents saved money for three years to prepare for her upcoming intonjane and the celebration that went with it. T'Chaka was lucky, his parents could afford to have a combination birthday and rites of passage party. Every night she counted down the days of the royal celebration. Her mother sewed her a lilac dress from a pattern Ramonda begged her to make, and her father purchased plum-colored diamonds for her neck and ears. Her maternal umakhulu twisted her hair into an elaborate cascade of thick textured layers that made her neighbors snap tons of holo pics when she was picked up with her brother by her Godfather L'Wazi.

They brought a hand-crafted citrine gilded filigree of a golden jaguar made by their father as a gift. It stood two-feet tall in a fancy silver gift box and Ramonda held onto it so it wouldn't fall to the floor in the back of L'Wazi's vibranium powered car. Nervous and a bit anxious at being around so many nobles and royals for the first time, Ramonda's godfather was a natural charmer and had everyone thinking that Ramonda and her brother were nobles from the Panther tribe because the Queen of Wakanda, Zintle, greeted him with such affection. Eyes wide and full of wonder at the dazzling purple dress and matching isicholo of the queen, Ramonda stood frozen in place with T'Chaka's gift in front of her while introductions were made.

"I see you love purple as much as I do," Queen Zintle said. She touched Ramonda's ears. "What lovely plum diamonds. You have wonderful taste for such a young age. L'Wazi tells me you have so many interests and hobbies. Tell me, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Queen," Ramonda blurted out.

But that was not what she meant to say. The exact words Ramonda practiced in her head just in case anyone asked her was "To become a Dora Milaje for the queen." However, the dazzling smile and elegant beauty of Queen Zintle flustered the young girl, and made her forget the first seven words in her sentence before the word "queen".

"Ohhhh, I see!" Queen Zintle said out loud for all the adults to share in the bold accidental declaration.

Queen Zintle winked at L'Wazi and then put a finger under her chin.

"Well, in order to become a queen of the nation, one must meet the crown prince. T'Chaka, come here! N'Jobu, you too!" Queen Zintle shouted.

Ramonda's cheeks warmed up like the tea on her mother's stove and she stood there mortified in her pretty lilac gossamer party dress and grown-up fancy jewelry in front of the mother of the nation. Two good-looking rambunctious boys trotted over with feisty giggles and a jovial shoving of each other as they approached the queen.

"I want you both to meet, Ramonda."

T'Chaka grinned at her with big white teeth, and N'Jobu lost his smile as he stared at her.

"Hello," T'Chaka said, his voice bold, colorful and a little bit creaky from puberty.

Ramonda lowered her head in a polite bow.

"Hi," N'Jobu said.

Ramonda lowered her head to him too and then forget to raise it back up. Both boys were so handsome and she was not prepared to be up close and personal with royalty so soon.

"What is in the box?" T'Chaka asked, touching the gift Ramonda brought.

"That is for later," King Azzuri said, stepping forward with a flock of admirers following behind him.

Ramonda's heart beat so rapidly like hummingbirds fluttering around inside her chest. The king's powerful voice was like a sudden booming of thunder from out of nowhere.

"Why is she still bowing?" N'Jobu asked.

Ramonda raised her eyes and the first-born prince smiled at her again and she could not fathom the emotions that swirled inside of her. She was two feet away from the future king of Wakanda and her friends back in her neighborhood would not believe that she had spoken to him.

Wait.

She hadn't said anything yet.

Royal drummers beat out a steady rhythm to announce entertainment, and when Ramonda finally straightened her back, she watched the shaggy-headed king and graceful queen lead away a procession of adults. Her brother ran off with the two princes to check out the stunning colorful acrobats flipping and flying through the air in the distance above the surging crowd of guests.

Left alone as two servants lifted her gift for the prince to join the hundreds of others on a raised dais, Ramonda touched her heart to make sure she was still alive as the beginnings of a crush developed for Prince T'Chaka… and Prince N'Jobu.

"Hurry up, you silly girl!"

Sixteen-year-old Ramonda stood on a flat wide rock ledge and peered down into the cool, dark blue waters of Warrior Falls. Laughing voices echoed all around the enclosed part of the natural pool that sat far enough away from the actual waterfall.

T'Chaka called out to her again, teasing her for not jumping into the depths like the others had moments before. There were six of them there. T'Chaka, N'Jobu, Ramonda, and their three school chums, Zhari, Sitha, and Imbo. Everyone swam in the pool except for Ramonda. She had a fear of dark water and the inky depths below the surface frightened her. The others frolicked in the cooling liquid counteracting the blistering sunlight that roasted all their skin into dark ebony hues. N'Jobu was the only one who treaded water in front of her, beckoning for her to join them with his hand outstretched for her. T'Chaka had encouraged her to jump in holding hands with him and she thrilled to the touch of his warm fingers threaded with hers. But she panicked and he became annoyed, leaving her to dive in head-first with the others.

"You won't drown, Ramonda. Holy Bast, you know how to swim for goodness sake!" T'Chaka shouted.

The two other teenage girls and boy watched her with T'Chaka and smirked at her fear.

"Ramonda, it's okay. It's not that deep," N'Jobu whispered to her.

"Don't stand there all day!" Zhari yelled, tightening the braids on top of her head with a hair tie.

Warrior Falls was a sacred place and they weren't supposed to be there desecrating the waters with their loud splashing and wild frolicking in the nude. Skinny dipping was something they started doing as a group the previous year and the risqué behavior was something Ramonda liked because she had the chance to look at T'Chaka naked. He had a beautiful physique and began to receive the delicate scarification rites that would prepare his body for ruling. Fresh symbolic cuts had been made on his pectoral muscles and on his stomach, marking his future ascension to the throne. The wounds had finally healed and his dark mahogany skin looked like a work of masterful art. T'Chaka preened and strutted like he ruled everyone already and it sometimes annoyed Ramonda because he was so much more than that when they were alone. He was sweet to her, and patient, but not then, not in front of their friends he liked to show off for.

N'Jobu had no marks on his body.

As the second son, he would receive no special cuts or the same treatment as his brother. The weight of the nation would never burden his shoulders like his brother. He was the spare royal, born into wealth and power, but would never harness it for himself… unless, of course, something happened to T'Chaka. Perhaps that fact made him the way he was with people. Unpretentious. Self-deprecating. Down to earth. His soft puppy eyes looked up at her and she still couldn't unfreeze her legs or stop her heart from palpitating, looking down into the void. If she could just see the bottom, she would be able to leap and join the fun.

Clenching and unclenching her fists, she relaxed her hands and stepped away from the ledge,

"I can't," she whispered.

"It's okay. Sunbathe and relax. Read a book," N'Jobu suggested.

Ramonda nodded and headed back to her folding chair where a fluffy yellow towel protected her skin from its heat. Stretching out her body, she watched her crew swim away toward the hidden caverns they would explore. She read a book about gemstones, her latest hyper fixation, and dozed off.

An hour later, she woke up to a wet tongue sliding around her right nipple. Opening her eyes, she blinked several times from the brightness of the sun and found T'Chaka's head dipped down to her plum-sized breasts. She glanced around to see if their friends were watching, but they were alone.

"Relax, everyone is still exploring the caverns," he said.

He lifted her off of the chair by her hands and wrapped his arms around her. Their naked forms melded together, and he kissed her with so much passion that it took her breath away. Rubbing her lower back, T'Chaka sighed into her mouth.

"I'm sorry for teasing you," he said.

She lowered her gaze to his chest and traced her fingers along the embedded half-moon-raised scars that marred his flesh.

"You always make fun of me when I'm afraid of something. You know dark water scares me. I don't know why you insisted on coming here. We could've gone to the beach or Pearl Lake. There's the palace pool—"

"Everyone wanted to come here. I didn't want to leave you behind. You would've been upset with me if I planned a trip leaving you out… even if I did it to protect your phobia," he said.

He nudged her chin to raise her eyes to his.

"Still mad at me, love?" he asked.

She tapped her fingers on his collarbone.

"Are you?" he pushed.

"It hurt my feelings," she said.

He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, and her chin, his special way of begging for forgiveness. She crinkled her nose and twisted her lips to pout, seeking more affection from him. He stroked her dark twisted hair that fell to her shoulders and nibbled on her earlobe.

"I don't want to hurt your feelings. I love you," he said.

She stared at him, her heart nearly flying out of her throat. He grinned, flashing those pretty teeth and a lupine smile.

"Say it again," she squealed, jumping up and down in his arms.

"I love you, Ramonda Matela. I have loved you since you told my mother you wanted to be queen and take her place on the throne so you can rule the nation—"

"I did not say all that back then!" she said, smacking his chest.

He pressed his forehead against hers, scooping her elbows into his chest.

"You have to take a chance sometimes and push against your fears. I will never let anything bad happen to you… ever," he said into her mouth before kissing her.

T'Chaka pushed her against a grainy wall of red rock and slipped his tongue into her mouth. He palmed her breasts, tickling her nipples with flicks of his fingertips. His left hand trailed a line down her flat belly to her warm mound. He palmed his hand into the shape of her vulva and held her gently as he gave deep, slow kisses. She moaned into his mouth once he went further and fingered her clit, spreading her natural sticky lubricant all along her sensitive folds. He pushed open her labia, allowing air to hit her damp opening before he dared to insert a finger. Her body stiffened. It was the first time he had ever tried to do that with her. The furthest they had gone with her body was the slow delicious fingering on her clit until she came. That was usually hit or miss because she was still learning her body with him. Sometimes he could make her cum and sometimes he couldn't, depending on how relaxed or tense she was.

Ramonda grabbed his arm when her opening resisted the push of his fingers inside of her.

"Relax, I'm moving slow," he whispered into her ear.

"I'm too tense," she said, gritting her teeth with discomfort.

"You need to relax so you can enjoy it… I'll go slower… like this… see… I'm almost in there all the way," he huffed.

T'Chaka's dick was hard and pushed against her thigh, the tip already spewing pre-cum. His steady breathing turned into heavy panting. Ramonda tried to relax, but once she focused in on his pleasure instead of her own, she tightened up down there and his fingers hurt.

"Stop, it doesn't feel good anymore," she said.

"Okay," he said, removing his index and middle finger and placing them back on her clit.

He rubbed gentle circles and pressed into the swollen nerves, but Ramonda couldn't find pleasure in it anymore because she was so worried about disappointing him. She faked an orgasm and stroked his dick for him, forcing him to splash cum all over the rock wall. He shouted with pleasure and hugged her afterward.

"You always make me feel good," he said.

He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the ledge again.

"Jump in with me. I will hold your hand. If you get scared after we get in, I'll lift you out," he said.

Ramonda could see the love in his eyes for her. He wanted to share everything with her.

"I don't want to jump. Can we just sit on the ledge and just… drop in?" she asked.

"Of course!" he said.

They sat down together, and he kept holding her hand. He kissed her knuckles, then leaned over and kissed her cheek. There was something so young, sweet, and innocent about them being naked together out in nature.

"On the count of three… one… two… three…," he said.

They scooted their rumps together and plopped down into the chilly water. Ramonda shivered from the cold until her skin became accustomed to the temperature. T'Chaka clapped his hands for her and snuggled with her near the ledge, their legs pumping furiously below the surface. She eventually swam away toward the middle of the pool and felt more confident with him next to her. The others returned, impressed that she finally braved the water. N'Jobu gave her a thumbs up and she had her chance to frolic and gossip while cooling off properly.

T'Chaka summoned a spider jet to pick them up on the other side of the falls and a pilot flew them toward Birnin D'Jata to have a late lunch before the two princes had to return to the palace. Everyone had to sport large shades to avoid the intrusive nature of the Wakandan paparazzi who snapped holo pics of their group dining in an expensive restaurant.

T'Chaka waved goodbye to them all once they arrived at the palace. A royal shuttle took the rest of them home and Ramonda floated to her room in a daze. The future king of her country loved her. She twirled around giddy and tapped her kimoyo beads to tell her besties the good news.

Ramonda caught them in the shadows of the tearoom when she ran back to fetch a headscarf for the queen.

T'Chaka had pretended to seek his brother in the royal garden and would see her at his mother's private art reception inside the second palace. The queen, forgetting a simple teal silk scarf, brought Ramonda face-to-face with her lover's infidelity.

She stood in the shadows with tattooed geometric red shapes on her bald head designating her status as a Dora Milaje guard for the queen as T'Chaka inserted an uncovered erection inside of a woman he insisted was the head of his new conservation project in the Border Tribe lands. He grunted and humped the full-figured woman, pushing her up against a wall with her curvy thigh resting over his arm. Pulling out his dick for a guttural climax, he ejaculated all over the woman's vulva.

"Bastard!" Ramonda shrieked, running from the room without the queen's scarf.

She ran smack into N'Jobu, who carried a tall stack of old texts, knocking them over.

"Ramonda," N'Jobu said.

Flustered, she dropped down to help collect the books with him. T'Chaka rushed out and his secret tryst was revealed to his brother, too.

"Let us not make a scene, Ramonda," T'Chaka said.

He stroked the hairs on his new goatee as his lover dashed off in embarrassment, avoiding eye contact with Ramonda. Had N'Jobu not been there, she would've knocked T'Chaka on his ass with her sonic spear. N'Jobu positioned himself between the two of them, sensing the rage coursing through her fired-up body.

"Leave us," T'Chaka said to N'Jobu.

"I should scratch your eyes out!" Ramonda screamed.

"You are on duty and will do no such thing," T'Chaka said.

The sweetness he once carried in his teenage face so long ago didn't stay with his mid-twenties demeanor, and a part of Ramonda knew that the halcyon days of their youth would change once they grew older and adulthood wiggled into the equation. They had kept their love affair quiet, but Ramonda trusted he would be faithful as she took on her additional responsibilities as a Dora. All her life as a child, she dreamed of wearing the shaved head, regal-looking uniform, and garnering the respect of her family and peers for such a prestigious honor. Her grip on the sonic spear tightened, and she lifted it an inch off the floor. N'Jobu blocked her from T'Chaka.

"Mother is waiting for you," N'Jobu reminded her.

Ramonda stomped into the tearoom and collected the scarf she came for.

"I hate you!" she hissed at T'Chaka, storming past him.

He chased her down, and they stalked through the halls side-by-side.

"I messed up," T'Chaka barked.

"It's over."

"It doesn't even count as cheating. We are on a break, remember? Your new assignment changed things. You told me—"

"I told you my work would keep us apart at times and we should concentrate on our duties until I was settled in my position. That was not me saying we were on a break."

"I misunderstood—"

"Liar—"

"Watch your tone with me!"

He snatched her arm and pulled her into an alcove for privacy.

"I am still a royal and above you in rank and status. While you are on duty you will address me as the Prince of Wakanda."

"Fuck you… your highness," she spat.

She left him behind and wiped away the tears that leaked from her eyes. Reaching the queen, she handed over the scarf and took her place among the other Doras. T'Chaka pretended to be interested in attending his mother's social event so he could be near Ramonda, but she ignored him. Queen Zintle's gracious nature dazzled her guests, and the artwork was astounding. Over one thousand guests packed the gallery, and Ramonda kept her concentration on protecting the mother of the nation. T'Chaka's regretful stares didn't penetrate her cooled heart. How she wished she had been on assignment with the king in America. Discovering her man in another woman's arms was the last thing she imagined happening in her life. Would it have been better to not know in a foreign country, or walk around like the biggest fool in Wakanda with the revelation?

There were signs of his unfaithfulness in the past year.

She ignored her intuition, hoping she was wrong about her man. After college, they went their separate ways for one summer as she trained to become a Dora. Their love was too strong to stay apart, and they found themselves together again, more in love than ever, until they handed her final assignment to her. Working for the queen. It shifted their relationship because Ramonda was out and about in public all the time. She committed to five years with the queen before she'd have to be rotated in duties or discharged from the corps, and it put a damper on their time together.

The eldest prince walked around the art gallery being charming, keeping himself in her constant view. Hurt washed over her in waves that grew in intensity until her eyeballs felt like they were cooking in their sockets from the heat of her anger. Her temples throbbed all night. He took advantage of her words. Used them as a loophole to fuck someone else. Perhaps two others. There were women he had around that she was not familiar with personally, and she chalked that up to his extra responsibilities as the Black Panther. They had given the mantle to him right when she became a full Dora. The added complication of their important work and love life clashed. They hadn't slept together for a few weeks because of travel and the various events the queen was in charge of while the king was away for conferences and the U.N. general assembly meetings in America. T'Chaka was left behind to protect Wakanda in his father's absence, and Ramonda was grateful that the prince would be home and not abroad.

A lanky woman with twisty black hair approached T'Chaka in a way that was too familiar and Ramonda grit her teeth. So be it. If he thought he was single, she would let him be that. A hot pain brewed in her stomach and she clenched her jaw until N'Jobu swept into the room. The younger prince looked like a dream in a cranberry and crème colored tunic and flowing pants. He had spruced up for the event after bumping into the scandalous affair of his brother. Ramonda's jaw relaxed watching the royal sibling make the rounds of greeting guests.

"Mother," N'Jobu said, kissing his mother's cheeks.

Queen Zintle beamed, having both of her sons present. N'Jobu positioned himself beside his mother, but close enough to Ramonda.

"It would be wise to finish my brother in private and not disrupt the queen's gala," N'Jobu said with a playful tone as her eyes glared at T'Chaka like hot spikes ready to carve him into pieces.

"The Wakandan streets can have him. We are no more," she whispered.

"You only say that because you are hurt. Look at him, doing his best to impress you," N'Jobu whispered back.

T'Chaka was all smiles, but he kept looking over at Ramonda with worry in his eyes. N'Jobu's cloying cologne shifted her attention. Standing close to him, she studied his profile, and a feeling came over her that should've stayed hidden. Her attraction to him bubbled up quickly.

There had been public gossip about N'Jobu's dating recently. He stayed discreet, but there were rumors of him courting two noblewomen from distinguished families vying for a chance to snag him. Ramonda hoped he went for the sweet one with the wide eyes and the adorable wide nose who made him laugh in all their holo pics together in the media. He liked plump women with personalities and they appeared to be a good fit from what she knew of their relationship.

"I am ready to retire," Queen Zintle said to all four Doras protecting her.

Ramonda tapped her spear, signaling the queen's departure from the event. She helped lead the queen out into the hall where a new set of Doras met them for a change in shift. Free from her duties for the night, Ramonda scurried down a palace hall that led to a private elevator for staff to leave the main rooms. The other Doras followed her, chatting about tired feet and wanting to sleep for hours.

"Ramonda,"

N'Jobu called to her before she stepped onto the elevator with her co-workers. The doors slid shut, and she faced the younger royal. Released from her work, Ramonda's body trembled with vexation as she fully processed T'Chaka's deceit. Her kimoyo lit up with T'Chaka's avatar signature and she ignored it. N'Jobu watched her expression and chuckled.

"Let's go have a drink before you run off to fight him," he said.

T'Chaka appeared down the hall and she balled up her fist, ready to punch him.

"Can we talk, please?" T'Chaka begged.

"I think you should let her cool down first," N'Jobu said.

"This is none of your concern, baby brother. I want to talk to my woman."

T'Chaka clasped her hand and Ramonda shook him off and turned away.

"We can't even talk?" T'Chaka whined.

"Go away. I can't even look at you!" she said. "I'm working my ass off protecting your family and you're running around fucking women all over the palace. You disgust me."

"You broke up with me."

"No, I didn't!"

"Okay… okay you two. Stop. Take a breath—"

T'Chaka threw up his hands at his brother and spun on his heels, leaving in a huff of entitled indignation.

"Brother," N'Jobu called out.

T'Chaka ignored him.

"Did you know?" Ramonda asked.

N'Jobu's bottom lip smooshed up into his top lip and Ramonda sighed.

"I didn't think it was my place to speak. I'm not privy to your personal interactions on that level," he said.

She waved a hand at him.

"Don't beat yourself up. I always suspected there was something off about us. I just didn't want to see it… not like that."

She rubbed the deep crease in her forehead and closed her eyes.

"Maybe I did make him think we were on break. I put a pause on so much to do well in my work."

"Don't second guess yourself. Clearly, you thought you were still connected, or else you wouldn't be so distraught. I'm sorry I said nothing to you. I try to stay out of his way. Being the Black Panther has puffed him up."

"Does that drink offer still stand?"

He grinned.

She pretended to escort him to his quarters and, once there, she placed her spear against the wall and pulled off her work boots. He loaned her a long caftan to change into after she took advantage of his luxury shower that overlooked a terrace with a view of the golden city that was spectacular.

N'Jobu mixed their drinks from his private bar stash and they sipped together, leaning against the terrace railing. The liquor hit them both hard on empty stomachs. She needed the feeling. It protected her heart from breaking.

"What will you do?" N'Jobu asked.

"Work. Become the best Dora Milaje there ever was. I'm living my dream. Your mother is an exceptional woman and I am so blessed to lay my life for hers if I ever need to."

N'Jobu reached over and stroked her cheek.

"Hopefully that will never happen. You would be a significant loss to me."

Ramonda took a step back and gulped down her third glass of hard spirits. She willed her legs to walk to her spear, grab it and her uniform, then vacate the premises, but she stood there and allowed his fingers to linger on her skin.

"Maybe breaking up with him is best," he said.

"Maybe."

His eyes captivated her, while his hand cradled the back of her neck and pulled her in closer.

"I think we've had a little too much," she said, holding up her glass like a talisman to ward off the arousal stirring within.

"I don't think we've had enough," he said.

She became so aware of herself naked under the caftan. Strange to think that for years they'd swam nude together as teenagers, but at that moment, a thin bit of material made her feel more naked than she had ever been in front of him.

"He doesn't deserve you. Never has," N'Jobu said.

"Why are you saying this when you know I'm feeling vulnerable?"

"What better time to tell you how I feel than now? When you're finally free?" he countered.

"This is too much. Goodnight, your highness—"

Warm arms with powerful muscles enveloped her, pulling her close to his broad chest.

"I'm sorry. This liquor has loosened my tongue, and I have dishonored your feelings," he said.

His touch caved in her will to leave his side. The urge to get back at T'Chaka with someone else raced up her spine and tilted her head up to look at the second prince with desire. Thrusting herself against him, Ramonda kissed N'Jobu and gave in to feelings that hovered beneath the surface between them since childhood. Her world had been upended and giving into her lust for T'Chaka's brother felt like the right thing to do.

Their lips sought an agreement on who would lead, and N'Jobu gave Ramonda control of the encounter. Full fleshy lips painted stories across her mouth before moving to play sonatas on her neck and clavicle. She arched her body, giving him room to explore, and he lifted the caftan off of her, tangling her hands. He nibbled, licked, and kissed his way to her breasts, circling each pebbled nipple with the tip of his hot tongue, bathing her areolas with saliva and promises of more.

Ramonda moaned and buried her fingers in his thick curls that smelled of sage wood and bitter root hair butter. His tongue slid further until it reached her clipped mound, slathering the area with more warm saliva and tender kisses. He parted her folds and teased her clit with artful, long swipes of his eager mouth muscle and looked up at her face. N'Jobu's lips glistened with her arousal and the slick feel of his lips on her forced a whimper from her throat. He took that as the signal to go further, resting his tongue against her slippery folds, before sucking on her clit again. She pulled his head back by his hair.

"We can't," she said.

"We can… we will," he replied.

He stood then, revealing an erection through his garment. Pulling it over his head, his length bobbed with pre-cum spilling out from the deep slit of a wide head that ran down the thick ridge surrounding his tip.

"Come," he said.

He led her to his bedroom and tapped the top of his fireplace to make a small fire appear, making the room cozier. The firelight flickered, and she glanced around his private space. Books were in various stacks on every open surface. English-language books and non-fiction texts about America surrounded them. The Udaku brothers were already fluent in three languages other than English. She herself was taking a crash course in American standard to prepare for away trips with her work.

His unmade bed had a small pile of poetry books resting on an unused pillow. He lifted them away and added them to his nightstand. Reaching for her hand, he settled her on the edge of his bed and sat next to her. The doubt in her eyes clouded his.

"If you don't want this, I will understand," he said.

He cupped her chin.

"I won't pressure you," he said.

Her rational mind finally made an appearance. She scooted away from his warm thigh.

"I'd only be doing this to spite him," she said in a harsh tone.

"So spite him."

"I would be using you."

"Use me."

"This isn't right. You're his brother. My friend. I can't sink lower than him."

N'Jobu's eyes were shiny beacons reflecting the crackling fire.

"I'm in love with you, Ramonda. I will never have a chance to be this bold again," he said.

She touched her right temple lightly and thought of a hundred reasons to walk away, but… she couldn't. T'Chaka stopped her angst by calling her again. Her kimoyo beads warmed up and his small avatar floated above her wrist. N'Jobu crashed his lips into hers with a sad desperation to keep her by his side.

"I love you," he murmured under his breath, his lips sending hot tendrils of pleasure all across her chest and neck.

He placed her hand on his dick and she squeezed it, wanting to know the heat and thickness before she jumped up with his pre-cum sticky on her fingers.

"We can't… I'm sorry. I love you too, but not the way you want…"

Ramonda ran out of his bedroom and gathered up her uniform and boots. She dressed quickly in the living room and grabbed her spear. Praying to Bast, she hoped no one saw her leaving his quarters or looking suspicious while departing the palace. A mad dash to her vehicle in the underground parking structure had her out of breath and feeling loopy. N'Jobu had never acted that way with her before. She sensed a crush when they were children, but she thought for sure he would never cross a line over his brother. What a mess!

She used autopilot and sat back in her car, watching the cityscape whip past. Her condo was located a half hour away by car and she arrived home trembling with confusion. Stepping inside of her spacious floor plan, she locked her spear in its safety housing and nearly jumped out of her skin when T'Chaka approached her on quiet feet.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have some other woman to bed tonight?" she quipped, turning the living room lights brighter.

His royal attire was gone, and in its place was a basic loose-fitting pink shirt and white lounge pants. He stood barefoot in the middle of the room with his hands at his sides, looking defeated and sad. For the first time since knowing him, he looked vulnerable.

"I made a mistake, Ramonda. You were so adamant about work and duties and being apart. I really thought you had broken off our relationship. My love, I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you by seeing me like that. There's nothing serious going on with that woman. Just a fling to pass the time waiting for you to come back to me."

A quiver in his voice gave credence to his words.

"T'Chaka, I'm tired…"

She walked around him, hoping N'Jobu's scent wasn't obvious. Rushing to her bedroom, she removed her clothing and jumped into her shower, scrubbing so hard that her skin became irritated. Water ran down her bald scalp and she tilted her neck, allowing the warm liquid to rinse away tears and guilt.

T'Chaka stood in her bedroom doorway when she stepped out dripping nude, searching for a clean towel in her bathroom cabinet.

"I want us together," he said.

"Can we talk another time? I'm not… I'm not in the right frame of mind to deal with us."

A shimmer in his left eye brought her closer to him. Watery sadness threatened to drip down from his tear ducts.

"Mondie, I miss you. I barely see you anymore. I'm lonely without you with me. Being the Black Panther is difficult, knowing you don't need me anymore. I wish we could be like we were as teenagers… free. No responsibilities. Without you, I am nothing… not even close to being my best self."

He encircled her waist with his arms and pressed his cheek against the middle of her breasts.

"Please, don't throw us away," he said.

Ramonda cuddled him with her hands on his nape. His tears were warm droplets on her clean skin trailing down her belly.

"I love you, Mondie," he shuddered into her flesh.

His pet name for her soothed the ache in her heart. She lowered her head and kissed him, his lips frantic to connect with hers. Slow and lazy, she shared her mouth until he undressed, parting from her to get everything off until he was naked. Ramonda straddled him, gripping his hard dick, lining it up with her entrance. His skin smelled delicious, lickable, and all hers. Inching her way down on his erection, she grunted in her throat when she reached the fruit at the bottom.

T'Chaka's soft lips were slightly parted as he grew accustomed to having her ride him again. His pants and gentle groans pleased her. Clutching his strong back, she bounced on him faster. Images of N'Jobu tangling up her lovemaking. She squeezed her eyes shut, savoring the feel of T'Chaka inside of her, chasing away thoughts of his brother's dick weeping pre-cum in her hand. Ramonda slammed her ass cheeks on T'Chaka's thighs and he shouted her name. He threw his head back while praising her tight walls clenching him into submission.

"Yes… yes… yes…," he panted in her ear, fondling her ass cheeks while his warm breath stimulated her ear.

The woman he fucked in the tea room flashed in her mind, throwing off her rhythm. She adjusted her speed and thrust into his groin, bending him to her will. He began lifting her up and down, and gulping for air. His release was upon him., so she tried extending it by pushing him back on her bed and loving him slow and easy.

"Oh, Bast… oh… Bast!" he shouted, staring at her breasts.

The juiciness of N'Jobu's dick haunted her, and she stared across the room at her reflection in a wall mirror, drifting into a state of panic. Her pussy grew wetter thinking of the younger prince. The memory of his mouth on her folds catapulted her into murky waters. Watching herself fuck T'Chaka, she pretended it was N'Jobu and her walls spasmed. Her orgasm throbbed all over the future king's dick, shoving him over the precipice of release too.

"Mondie!"

He shoved his hips up from the bed and rooted himself in her depths. His body became stiff, and he shoved his face to the side, lost in his pleasure. His cum felt warm and thick, coating her walls. She collapsed on his chest and their sweat mingled and cooled quickly.

Butterfly kisses peppered her chest as T'Chaka showed his appreciation for their reunion. He helped her roll off of him and they stared at her ceiling, shoulder to shoulder. They fell asleep together in that position.

The next morning, they made love again. The parting of her folds relaxed her with his gentle missionary position. Afterward, he showered, and she stayed sprawled on her bed. Her kimoyo lit up with an encrypted code in the floating avatar. Facing away from the bathroom with T'Chaka singing off-key, she read the message.

"I love you."

N'Jobu's three words filled her heart with dread and longing.

Ramonda kept her distance from N'Jobu in private. Publicly, she did her job as a Dora and treated him the way she treated all the royals, with deference and respect. But he scared her sometimes. His eyes followed her whenever they were in a room together, and she feared everyone could see his feelings for her.

She made a mistake.

A year after his confession and their only sexual encounter, she gave into their lust for one another. It took place on her first and only trip to America with the queen. An East African delegation of women headed to the U.S. for a week-long women's conference. Queen Zintle was a guest speaker, and Ramonda almost didn't make the journey because her English skills were still very poor. The queen vouched for her to go anyway so she could learn on the job. Ramonda was one of the fiercest Dora Milaje, and the king allowed her to take the trip. She wore a translator to help guide her and felt comfortable leaning into the tech to help her along.

Ramonda hadn't expected N'Jobu to accompany his mother. A sudden change in plans had T'Chaka traveling with his father to Europe instead of the queen. Doing her utmost to stay above the carnal desires that always lingered around them, she picked a fight with N'Jobu to thwart his advances when she had a half day to herself to sightsee and play tourist. Exploring the rugged harshness of New York was going to be an anthropological experience for her. Americans were dangerous and odd. A deadly combination. New York was supposed to be the epicenter of their culture and it smelled like human waste and hot garbage the moment she stepped out onto the street to protect the queen and her son.

N'Jobu found it a fascinating place and went on day-long excursions, worrying his mother. He had the audacity to ditch his set of Doras on a subway by pretending he had to use the restroom. Queen Zintle fussed with him and forced Ramonda to escort him because he could never ditch her. N'Jobu went all out pretending to be upset with a babysitter, but the moment they hit the streets together, he gloated. It was her time off, but she didn't want the queen to worry and fret while trying to represent Wakanda.

"You are a stubborn rhino," she hissed as they rode to a museum.

"Do I look like I fit in?" he said in English.

She stared at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. His English was impeccable and there was no trace of an accent. He winked at her and stuffed his hands in a puffy black jacket that was a stylish New York trend in the city. His hair was clipped short and tapered in a style that fit in with the Black Americans on the subway.

"I do!" he said with enthusiasm.

She rolled her eyes, and he pressed into her, using the crush of new riders boarding as an excuse to get closer to her.

"Yo, my man, back up from my lady," N'Jobu said.

Ramonda glanced to her left side and noticed a light brown-skinned man easing up to her with a large backpack draped on his chest. N'Jobu glared at him and the man moved through the subway to get away from the bass in the prince's voice. She couldn't get over how comfortable he was speaking the language.

He grabbed her hand for the next stop at the American Museum of Natural History and dragged her out of the subway.

"Where are you going? The museum is over there," she pointed.

"Plenty of time to see that. Let's go for a walk," he enthused.

The excitement on his face made her smile.

"An hour's walk, and we'll come back," he offered.

They never made it to the museum.

N'Jobu entertained Ramonda with stories of his travels in Brooklyn and Harlem, speaking to her in his flawless English. Her earbud translator missed a few phrases, but he allowed her to practice openly and didn't chide her for mistakes in pronunciation. The city's ugliness transformed into a lesson in American culture through his eyes. He fed her giant salty pretzels with mustard, had her try a greasy pizza slice, and then took her to Central Park. Hours flew by. On their way back, he took her to a discreet hotel to rest in private. Watching American news together was depressing. Nothing positive happened in the country. Murder, poverty, racial tensions, and government failures dominated the airways and Ramonda switched over to her kimoyo beads to check on her homeland and all the amazing progressive programming they had for their news streams. N'Jobu seemed fascinated with the Americans. His eyes never left the flatscreen as story after story piqued his interest. Ramonda grew bored.

"We should leave," she said once the sun slipped down from the sky.

"No rush. You're not back on until morning," he said, relaxing on the king-sized bed across from the chair she lounged on.

"I have to check in with T'Chaka," she lied.

His expression changed with his lips pouting in frustration.

"You don't have to lie to me," he said.

"I'm not."

T'Chaka hadn't responded to the last four messages she sent, so wrapped up in being around his father. A bit of worry whispered to the anxious part of her brain with him being so far away.

"Okay, let's go then," he said.

He checked his kimoyo, swiped some code, and grinned.

"What?" she asked with curiosity.

"Made some plans. Grab your sweater," he said.

"Plans… where? With who?"

"Dinner with a friend."

They left the hotel and journeyed down to the subway. Ramonda fidgeted in the seat next to N'Jobu, wanting so desperately to know who he was seeing.

"Here's my stop. You can continue on back to the hotel on your own," he said.

He plunged through the crowd and exited with ardent strides to his next destination. She followed him down several blocks until he arrived at a hole-in-the-wall spot stuffed with chatty diners. He took a seat in a far corner booth. Ramonda spied on him from outside, but he sat alone for fifteen minutes. His date must've stood him up. She walked inside the restaurant and surprised him at his table. With hands on her hips, she stood ready to tease him until he pushed a menu on the table toward her.

"I hear the seafood here is delicious. It took you long enough to come inside," he said.

Flummoxed, Ramonda sat across from him on an uneven chair that rocked slightly when she moved closer to the table.

"You tricked me into having dinner with you?" she said.

"Not exactly. You want to be around me… don't shake your head… following me here lets me know you have feelings for me."

"Your safety is important—"

"I can protect myself with my vibranium shield. You were jealous and wanted to see who I was with. Admit it."

"I love T'Chaka."

"I know you do. But you love me too."

"Absurd."

"Why? Love is a powerful emotion that transcends time and space… history, even. It is limitless, and sometimes it does absurd things like put you in my heart… and my brother's."

"You are a mess."

"Then leave."

Ramonda stood up. Then sat back down abruptly. N'Jobu reached across the table and held her hand.

"Fate has brought us all together. You love my brother. Dearly. He has all the trappings that women want. But a part of you wants something different, just like me."

"The boldness from your lips—"

"I never pull punches. You know that. Give me one night. That's all I ask. If you don't feel it's right after that, I will fall back and let you trot after him."

"You make me sound like some lovesick puppy."

"You are a lovesick puppy with him. But it's not a good balance. I could give you a life, too. It may not be as flashy and far-reaching as my brother, but I sense a longing in you, Ramonda. You want to live a full, unrestricted life and you can't do that if you become the queen of Wakanda."

Her cheeks warmed up. Talk of becoming the queen was wishful thinking, considering T'Chaka hadn't proposed or even brought up marriage.

"This tension between us could go away if you stayed with me tonight. Last year, when we were together… I've never forgotten how you tasted or how you felt in my arms. You ran off before we could consummate our union fully, but I know you still dream about that. I know there are times you are with my brother and you wonder what it would be like with me. Give in to that and we can see if I'm being a fool for you."

"You are a fool. I am too, for sitting here and entertaining any thoughts of that. It is a betrayal—"

"Alls fair in love and war. This is a battle for the rest of your life."

She pushed away from the table with a queasiness souring her stomach and mouth. He spoke the truth. She loved them both for different reasons, but since she accepted T'Chaka's advances so long ago, she wanted to remain loyal. N'Jobu had plenty of time to claim her hand, but he didn't. His loss.

Ramonda turned down dinner with N'Jobu and wandered the streets for an hour. She caught a cab back to the luxury hotel they were hosted in with their entire Wakandan delegation. Inside her room, she showered and called T'Chaka on her kimoyo, but he still didn't answer directly. There were messages left for her, and he sounded bored and irritated at the European trip. He hated the outside world and how primitive it acted compared to their homeland.

Unable to relax fully, she showered, changed into casual clothes, and stared out of her window. Checking her kimoyo, she noticed the Wakanda media posting photos of T'Chaka in France, posing with international women who attended the same event as him. He wore a broad smile in all the pictures. The ones with his father were nice as they stood near the Eiffel Tower with a group of government officials. Wakandans back home gossiped about when the eldest prince would marry. She hated conversation threads like that because she couldn't scream to the world that he was her choice. Until T'Chaka made an official proposal, Ramonda was nothing to him. Just his secret lover hidden in the shadows until he stepped up to the light and made them official. For all she knew, his parents could arrange a marriage for him in the future to someone else. The queen had discussed family alliances in her presence with the king before.

Grabbing her room card key, she ambled down to the hotel lobby bar to get a drink and commiserate all alone over what her life would be in the future. The longer she sat and sipped, the fuzzier her mind became. Hailing a cab from outside, she returned to N'Jobu's secret hotel, tipsy and unstable on her feet as she knocked on the door. He answered. Naked.

Wasting no time by overthinking it, Ramonda pounced on him, smashing her eager lips over his thick, willing ones, and they tumbled back into his room and onto the bed. She wanted a fast fuck, a way of getting it over with and out of her system so she could erase N'Jobu from her mind, but his hands ruined her. He held her still, slowing their progression.

"No," he said.

"What?" she asked, breathless and agitated.

"You will not give yourself to me like this. Like I'm some chore for you to complete."

Pushing her away, he sat up from the bed and palmed his forehead.

"Leave," he said.

Naked and warm by his side, Ramonda stared at him with a puzzled expression. Her lips quirked and the creases in her forehead tightened her face.

"This is what you wanted," she spat out.

She shrank away from him.

"You're only toying with me. Is this to shame me? Test me?" she screamed.

"Lower your voice."

She slapped him. Twice.

N'Jobu closed his eyes and curled up his lower lip when she struck him there. She burst into tears.

"Oh, Bast! Why did I even come here?!" she wailed.

Raising from the bed, she wiped her eyes furiously, then held up her wrist draped with her kimoyo beads.

"I'm going to tell him," she threatened, "I'm not worthy of him."

N'Jobu leaped from the bed and held both her wrists.

"You are worthy," N'Jobu said.

"No, I'm not… I wouldn't be here if I was…"

Ramonda went limp in his hands and N'Jobu held her up, gripping her arms tight.

"I'm sorry, Ramonda. I don't want you to hurt, but this is more than I can bear. I love you and want you… but I can't force you to do anything you don't want. I want to see you happy."

She nodded and let her tears drip onto his neck as he held her close.

"I wish one of you was just awful so I could move forward in peace. You're both… perfect in your own special ways…" she moaned in his ear.

She pulled back from him. His eyes bound her to him.

"This will never go away. I'll love no one else but you for as long as I live, Ramonda."

The love in his eyes bathed her in warmth. Touching his face, she thought of all the times N'Jobu had stayed quiet behind his brother in all things. His family cherished him, but the reality was a more blatant truth-teller: T'Chaka was the favored one. He was destined to lead the nation and N'Jobu would forever be in the wings, watching and hoping to be noticed.

Ramonda kissed him, letting her tongue dance in his mouth. She shed away all the years of viewing N'Jobu as her friend and T'Chaka's side-kick. At that moment, he was to become her lover for the night. The elder prince was thousands of miles away, and once she was back in Wakanda, she would pretend nothing happened in America.

Lush lips explored her body.

Ramonda reclined under N'Jobu and allowed his mouth to savor every inch of her body. He took his time, the soft pads of his fingertips tattooing unspoken words onto her skin. Lifting her legs and dropping her cinnamon brown thighs open, she watched him fist his length, the swollen mushroom cap of his tip dripping pre-cum. She held her breath at his girth, stretching her, and only released it when he planted himself deep within. Slow and meticulous, he made their lovemaking last a long time. Soft murmurings and gentle pants spilled from her mouth. He grunted a few times and locked eyes with her throughout. His thrusts arched her from the bed and she threw her arms around his shoulders to tether her passion in that room. She had to keep it locked there forever, never to be opened again.

But it was.

Again and again.

Returning to Wakanda didn't quench their thirst for each other. It inflamed their lust. Not only did their passion ignite… so did her ardor toward T'Chaka.

Ramonda became insatiable. Loving both men in secret. In fact, her sex with T'Chaka became even more intense and more pleasurable. She worked her job well, rising in the ranks of the Dora Milaje, and becoming the head Dora for the king. Her mind hid the niggling doubts about how long she could sustain juggling two men. She spent most of her time with T'Chaka, but he traveled often with the king. On those occasions, N'Jobu would come through. She had learned to balance her affections with him, but he increasingly grew reckless with her love. Wanting more from her than she was willing to give. Despite her behavior, T'Chaka meant the world to her, and she held N'Jobu back from making future plans. The Dora Milaje was her priority over everything. He kept pushing, and she stopped seeing him. Cut off their affair and never looked back.

It all came to a head many years later when the king died.

King Azzuri was already middle-aged when he married Queen Zintle. She was a few years younger, but Wakandans tended to marry later and have children later in age, too. The culture believed in having full lives before settling down. Azzuri died peacefully in his sleep with his wife by his side, and although it was a sad occasion, there was no time for the queen to mourn when she was set on putting T'Chaka on the throne quickly.

Ramonda had entered a new phase of her career, training young Doras. The news of the king's passing came directly to her from T'Chaka. He arrived at her small house with a weary expression early in the morning.

"My father has transitioned, Ramonda. He is with the ancestors now."

T'Chaka sat at her kitchen table when he told her, and she hugged him until he wept. Wiping away his tears, it surprised her to see him smile.

"He lived a good life. A joyful life. I want that for us. I was hoping he would be around to see our first child together," T'Chaka said.

He held out a small satin purple box.

"I was going to wait until after winter when you finished training your latest recruits. But now, Baba is gone… and I will be king. I need my queen by my side."

Ramonda couldn't hide the shock from her face.

"Will you marry me, Ramonda Matela? I know this isn't the most romantic way to do this, but the way I feel, nothing is more special than now."

Her emotions were all over the place. Learning of the king's passing rocked her, but being asked to become a wife too was staggering. T'Chaka fell to his knees and held the box out to her. She took it, popped it open, and they both stared at the delicate blue diamond-crusted gold band. He lifted the ring and held it at the tip of her ring finger.

"Ramonda?"

T'Chaka's soft voice prompted her to smile and nod. He pushed the ring far back onto her finger and clasped her hand before burying his face in her lap and weeping profusely.

"Thank you, my love," he said between tears.

She held him, rubbed his back, and said soothing things about his father before he raised to his feet again.

"I would like for you to come with me to the palace. The family is gathering together for the press announcement. Queen Mother is waiting for us."

Ramonda showered and dressed quickly, choosing a long pale blue dress. Pale blue was the king's favorite color, and she wanted to pay tribute to that. She ran a light oil over her baby locs and put on make-up. The Royal Talon Fighter floated in front of her house and her neighbors were outside watching and wondering why it was there.

They flew over the golden city and arrived inside a hectic palace. The severity of the passing hit her. Nothing would ever be the same again. The gravity of her thoughts were reflected to her as the palace staff worked non-stop. The Dora Milaje escorted her and T'Chaka to the queen's chambers. Close relatives were already there. N'Jobu stayed by his mother's side with a grim expression. Queen Zintle's eyes shined with tears, but they became shinier when she saw the ring on Ramonda's hand.

"Daughter," Zintle said, holding Ramonda's finger up to admire the engagement ring.

N'Jobu's face became unreadable. Ramonda couldn't bear being near him. They hadn't been intimate for a long time, and there was enough distance in that for her to ignore his disapproving glare. She focused on the bereavement instead, hugging the queen and greeting the rest of the Udaku clan. T'Chaka introduced her as his fiancé with pride. Ramonda rested in that pride, wishing that they had been connected like that years before.

She avoided N'Jobu and took part in the mourning period, which lasted weeks. Plans were already in the works for T'Chaka's coronation and the presentation at Warrior Falls. She wondered if other tribes would test the new king, but there was no word on any challengers to the throne. Ramonda planned for a summer wedding that would take place once T'Chaka was crowned. The palace kept her busy with lessons on protocols and her new role as a future queen. Zintle was over the moon. Keeping busy with a wedding helped ease the loss of her husband. They spent hours on the design of Ramonda's wedding dress and royal isicholo and fussed over what foods to feed the guests. The queen showed Ramonda what would become her new home in the palace with T'Chaka.

Her life became an open book to the palace, and N'Jobu's words came back to haunt her. She wouldn't be free anymore. The needs of the king and the Council of Elders would dictate and control every aspect of her life. Ramonda belonged to the people and not herself anymore. The weight of that pressed down on her shoulders.

A few days before challenge day, Ramonda wandered the halls of the palace alone, taking in the beauty and thousands of years of history that rested within that structure. Meandering out into the royal garden to get fresh air, she came across N'Jobu walking near a gazebo overlooking a pond. He noticed her before she could slip away.

"Hi," he said.

She lowered her head, and he shook his.

"You are about to become royalty yourself. No need to defer to me anymore, Queen Ramonda," he said.

He pointed toward a bed of water lilies.

"Right over there, you told my mother you wanted to be the queen one day. You finally got your highest desire," he said.

"I hope we can be civil," she said.

"Why wouldn't we be? Instead of a lover, you will become my sister."

Ramonda stepped closer to him but kept a respectful distance.

"I will challenge him," N'Jobu said.

"No," she said.

"I will."

"Please don't do that. Your mother just lost her husband. She doesn't need to see her two sons fighting over the nation."

"Fighting over the nation? Do you think that's why I want to challenge him? Stop being silly."

"I chose him. It was always going to be him."

"It doesn't have to be."

"Things have changed… I've changed. Please, don't do this."

"I can do what I want."

"You're being spiteful. I'll tell him everything. Confess it all!"

"You think he doesn't already know? Maybe I told him myself."

Her heart fell to her feet.

"You didn't…"

"Marry me."

Ramonda pressed her right hand into her chest.

"Did you tell him?" she demanded.

N'Jobu's blazing eyes glared at her. Her eyes welled with tears. His face softened.

"I have not."

She covered her face with her hands and exhaled loudly.

"Please. Let me be with him in peace, N'Jobu. Don't tear apart this family over me."

"You're asking me to live without my heart. How am I supposed to survive without that? Eh? What do you expect me to do, fade into the background like always? I am tired of being second in your life."

"We are over—"

"We will never be over. You can marry him and fulfill your role as queen, but you will always itch to come to my bed. That is a fact."

"Don't fight him. If you love me, let me have this. Don't destroy the family."

"If you marry him, you will destroy me."

"I'm sorry."

She fled the royal garden, blinded by her watery eyes and fear.

"Ramonda."

She slammed into T'Chaka near his quarters, and he hugged her.

"What has you so upset?"

"I was thinking of your father… in the garden. The memories came back when I looked at his favorite lilies. I'm fine… really… it's hard letting go. I grew up here and around him. He was like my father, too. I wish he could see us marry."

"Me too," T'Chaka said.

Her heart thumped in her chest, and the lump in her throat swelled as more tears leaked down her face. What if N'Jobu killed T'Chaka? What if everyone found out it was her fault?

T'Chaka held her for a long time. All of his love flowed into her. The fear never left.

At Warrior Falls, Ramonda stood next to the queen as the royal shaman beckoned challengers to step forward. The elderly woman wore long, dark royal purple robes, and held out a long staff that she pointed toward each tribe's representative who was eligible to fight T'Chaka. Two men and two women stood in their tribal regalia, deflecting their eyes from T'Chaka, who knelt down in the cool water, shirtless, covered in dark body paint, waiting to see who had the nerve to step to him. Hundreds of witnesses crowded the sacred site, hoping for something to pop off. The energy in the air crackled with intensity and anticipation.

"Anyone?" the shaman said, her glittery eyes encouraging bravery.

Ramonda's eyes cut to her left as N'Jobu shifted his weight on his feet. He leaned forward and Ramonda nearly lurched from her spot to stop him. Their eyes met and locked. She trembled and her lips parted. N'Jobu lowered his gaze and kept his head down.

"I present to you all, King T'Chaka Udaku!" the shaman said.

Ululations and drumming rang out as the shaman placed a panther claw necklace around T'Chaka's neck.

"Wakanda Forever!" the people shouted.

Ramonda closed her eyes and shoved her hands to her lips to hide her relief. The crowd genuflected to T'Chaka, and he held his hand out toward Ramonda. She lifted her dress and stepped into the sacred water to greet the new ruler. He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear.

"One day, our child will stand here to rule the nation. Don't you ever forget this day because we shall see it again," T'Chaka said.

They stepped on board the Royal Talon Fighter to do a flyover of the city before heading to the banquet and ball back at the palace later.

The day flew by fast. There was the Council of Elders' special ceremony for the king and then greeting all of his kin privately before they had a break to change clothes and prepare for the evening festivities. Ramonda had her hair in long braided extensions decorated with shells and gold hair jewels. Her elaborate orange ball gown was presented to her by personal handmaidens, and she allowed them to bathe, perfume, and pamper her for the night. Once dressed, she presented herself to the king, and the audience of guests praised her beauty and charm. The coronation turned into an engagement party as the queen brought in gifts for the couple. The whirlwind of activity gave Ramonda a taste of what life would be like with T'Chaka. All eyes were on them.

Ramonda took a private respite to walk outside on the long bridge that connected the double palace. The cool air blew across her face and hair, rejuvenating her spirit. N'Jobu walked past her on the bridge, his steps brisk. He ignored her completely, which was surprising. The Queen Mother came out onto the bridge with her personal Dora.

"N'Jobu! Come back!" Zintle shouted to her son.

"What's wrong?" Ramonda asked.

"He's being foolish. Maybe you can talk some sense into him," Zintle said.

Ramonda gathered up her gown and followed the angry prince.

"N'Jobu."

He stopped at an elevator and jabbed at the call screen.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"Did Mother send you?" he said.

"She said you were being foolish. What have you done?"

"I'm leaving Wakanda."

"Leaving? Leaving to go where?"

"I'm going to be a War Dog. If I can't have what I want here, I will go away."

"Breaking your mother's heart is what you're doing."

"Don't talk to me. Go back to the party and live it up."

"You stubborn man!"

She gathered up her dress and huffed away. He snatched up her arms and shoved his lips against her ear.

"Come with me," he pleaded.

Ramonda shoved him from being so close to her on the bridge exit.

"I want to hate you so much… if I could hate you…" he said.

The doors to the elevator opened, and he fled her side to jump on it. She ran after him, jamming her arm through the doors before they closed. Riding up to his floor with him, Ramonda stayed quiet.

"You won't truly be happy. I wish you well, though," he said.

"And you are making a decision in haste and under duress. Your father just died. The nation is in transition. Queen Zintle needs you here."

"I cannot stay here any longer. I will not be at your wedding next month."

The elevator doors opened on his floor. N'Jobu stepped out and faced her. The lights from his floor made his skin look like the precious ebon stones from the edges of Warrior Falls. His nostrils flared with his intention to escape the palace.

"Do you really want to be a spy?" she asked.

"I know how to blend in anywhere," he said.

He tilted his head.

"Do you even want to be a queen?" he asked.

"It is my destiny. According to you, it is my greatest desire."

He gave her a slight smile, then stroked her face.

"You are truly a queen at heart, Ramonda. You will serve the country well."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Next lifetime then," he said, before the elevator doors closed.

Ramonda saw N'Jobu one last time before he took a War Dog assignment in Oakland, California.

T'Chaka stayed busy adjusting to being king and left Wakanda before their wedding to take part in a summit that his father was supposed to preside over. Left alone in the palace with the queen, Ramonda prepared for marriage and decorated her new wing of the palace, making it cozy for T'Chaka's return. His presence at the summit cemented his place on the global scene. He was a colossal hit with Americans and the EU, and this pleased the Queen Mother and Council of Elders. T'Chaka's leadership would continue the great legacy of the Udaku rulers.

She invited N'Jobu for tea with his mother and he was pleasant and funny, making Ramonda relax. The sweetness he held blossomed all over their afternoon together. Zintle wanted to be supportive of her youngest son, but becoming a War Dog was a heavy burden for any family. N'Jobu had military training and the skills to do well overseas. Pretending to be a Black American seemed like such a simple job and so beneath his skill set. He appeared excited and his mother accepted his new pursuit.

They left her home in the early evening, and she cleared away their teacups and dishes without her servants. Spending time out on her own terrace, Ramonda rubbed her arms to self-soothe and watched a quarter moon rise. Her kimoyo beads lit up.

T'Chaka.

"I miss you," she cooed at her fiancé's floating avatar.

T'Chaka smirked and gave her a pretend smooch by puckering his lips.

"I miss you more. I'll miss you even more in the next few weeks. They have invited me to present in Switzerland at a consortium."

Ramonda pouted.

"Patience, my love. Oh, before I forget, did you have the tea gathering with Mother and N'Jobu?"

"I did. It went well. Queen Mother is upset that you won't be able to see him off."

"I will see him when he does his first check-in. Don't worry. I'll be with you soon enough."

He ended their call, and she went back into her parlor room. N'Jobu left T'Chaka's small parting gift on a side table. She picked it up and stroked the blue ribbons and decorative wrapping around it. Ramonda knew there was a ring inside. A black and silver ring that belonged to King Azzuri and was made as a set for both sons. T'Chaka wanted his brother to have the ring before he left the country and entrusted it to Ramonda. She hurried out of her suite to give it to him.

N'Jobu had a few bags packed and by his suite door when she arrived. He answered her knocking with a grin on his face.

"You forgot this," she said.

He took the gift and opened it, slipping the ring on his finger, and they both marveled at how regal it looked on him.

"There are only three rings like this ever made. We buried one with my father. T'Chaka has the other. I have this one," he said.

"Take care of yourself, Prince N'Jobu," she said.

"Farewell, Queen Ramonda."

They stared at each other for a very long time until he kissed her mouth.

After marriage, life was kind and fruitful.

Ramonda gave birth to a son, T'Challa, and she had never seen a man lose himself over his child before. Her T'Chaka spoiled and coddled the baby boy so much that she had to fight for time with her own child to breastfeed him. Never a prouder father had existed before King T'Chaka. Their son brought the family closer together over the years, especially when N'Jobu disappeared.

His last check-in had been when T'Challa was nearing thirteen. After that, there was an attack on Wakanda by a colonizer named Klaue. T'Chaka lashed out for answers as to how a white man could enter and exit Wakanda. Those were dark days, and the king leaned on Ramonda for support. Hundreds of Wakandans lost their lives on the border and T'Chaka swore to find the perpetrator no matter how long it took him. Soon after, they lost track of N'Jobu. Ramonda and Zintle pestered T'Chaka about his whereabouts, fearing the worst. The king stayed elusive and cryptic, telling them the work was a part of national security. Zintle visited the royal temple daily, burning incense and praying for her youngest son. Ramonda joined her on the days that T'Challa wasn't busy with school or activities. All three of them would kneel at the temple in front of a small black marble statue of the Panther Goddess holding long incense sticks, praying to Bast that N'Jobu would be found alive.

T'Challa asked about his uncle and Ramonda soon learned to change the subject until T'Chaka confessed to believing the worst, too. N'Jobu must've died on the job and was lost to their family forever. There was no official burial and T'Chaka forbid anyone to discuss N'Jobu in front of Zintle. He was simply missing in action under the official record.

Ramonda wept in secret often. The stubborn fool had gone out and gotten himself in trouble. All just to escape from seeing her with his brother. Lamenting over his fate, Ramonda's son helped bring her out of too much sorrow. He was a brilliant, growing boy who needed a mother's full attention. Especially since he had developed a crush on a young girl named Nakia.

Years marched on.

T'Challa became a young man, and Ramonda had a daughter to tend to also, little Shuri. The world moved on without N'Jobu.

Then the world moved on without T'Chaka.

The news came to her from T'Challa as he stood in front of a damaged building in Sokovia that a bomb attack had felled. Through smoke and tears, her beloved son told the sad fate of the king of Wakanda.

Broken down to her knees, Ramonda screamed her grief. She lost two men she loved in tragic ways.

"Mother… my wonderful mother… do not worry. I am coming home," T'Challa said.

His grief slashed lines across his forehead as he wore his father's ring.

"Come home, my son. Bring your father to me," Ramonda told him.

She trekked through the palace moaning her sorrow. Shuri held her arm, weeping, and Ramonda gathered the strength to be a rock for her precious baby girl. T'Chaka had been a lion for the nation. After their marriage and the birth of T'Challa, he rose in stature as the global leader the world needed. She created a life with him that put the needs of Wakanda first and they led the nation as no other royals had ever done in the past. Their War Dogs kept them abreast of the pulse of other nations and T'Chaka walked with the power of knowing how to bend the world in protection of his people.

"Mother, it's time. T'Challa is here," Shuri said.

Ramonda looked at her youngest child with loving eyes. Seventeen and full of spunk and confidence like her father.

"Let us greet the new king," Ramonda said, clasping her daughter's warm hands.

A phalanx of Dora Milaje surrounded Ramonda and Shuri as the Royal Talon Fighter gently landed on the Talon Port. A ramp slid out from the aircraft and T'Challa walked with the swag of his father. Nakia was by his side. Ramonda closed her eyes for a second to thank Bast for his safe return. She held her head high in the colors of dawn, her isicholo tall on her head, fingers clasped together. Her daughter stood next to her, watching T'Challa walk with General Okoye. The Dora Milaje crossed their arms with respect in the traditional Wakanda Forever salute, but protocols and salutes meant nothing to Ramonda. Her son was home. She bowed her head slightly to thank Bast, and then her feline eyes sought the child who would soon become king.

"Queen Mother… Princess," Nakia said.

The Wakandan spy bowed in the colors of her tribe, her head wrapped and her eyes downcast before Ramonda.

"My comfort for your loss," Nakia said.

Ramonda noticed her son could not stop looking at the River Tribe woman who grew up with him. Holding her queenly stance, Ramonda grinned at who she hoped would become her daughter-in-law soon.

"Thank you, Nakia. It is so good to have you back with us," Ramonda said.

Okoye addressed Ayo.

"Take her to the River Provence to prepare her for the ceremony," Okoye told Ayo.

"Yes, General," Ayo said.

Nakia walked toward another aircraft behind Lieutenant Ayo and once more Ramonda's son tracked her with longing in his dark brown eyes. Shuri fidgeted next to the queen.

"Did he freeze?" Shuri asked Okoye with playful aplomb.

"Like an antelope in headlights," Okoye offered with teasing eyes.

The embarrassment on T'Challa's face made Ramonda soften inside. She understood the feeling he wore on his handsome face. Shuri laughed, making her brother uncomfortable because of the open desire in his eyes.

"Are you finished?" T'Challa demanded of his first in command.

Okoye's teasing eyes fluttered across to the queen, and Ramonda held her head higher, trying to diffuse the ribbing her son was taking so poorly. Okoye tapped her spear and all the Dora Milaje turned in perfect formation to enter the palace, leaving the Udaku family alone.

"So surprised my little sister came to see me off before our big day," T'Challa said, holding his arms behind his back.

"You wish!" Shuri challenged. "I'm here for the EMP beads. I've developed an update."

"Update? No. It worked perfectly," T'Challa said.

Shuri pursed her lips, then cajoled her brother.

"How many times do I have to teach you? Eh? Just because something works doesn't mean it cannot be improved," Shuri said.

Ramonda caught the unsaid teasing name-calling in her daughter's tone.

"You are teaching me. What do you know?" T'Challa said.

He handed over his EMP beads, and Shuri palmed them.

"More than you," she chided.

"I cannot wait to see what kind of update you make to your ceremonial outfit," T'Challa called out.

Not seeing her daughter from behind, but knowing her well, Ramonda tilted her head back and called out to Shuri, who more than likely had her middle finger up.

"Shuri!" Ramonda shouted.

"Sorry, mother!" the princess called back.

Ramonda gazed at the man before her. Thirty-three years ago, Ramonda gripped her birthing chair and squeezed T'Challa out to the world in a rush of blood and prayers. He was the light of T'Chaka's life, the future beacon carrying the hopes and dreams of Wakanda. The world was much too cruel to deny T'Chaka the chance to see T'Challa take the throne. N'Jobu too.

Ramonda fought back the tears that loomed so close. The past created a reckoning that she swallowed down.

"How are you feeling today, Mama?" T'Challa asked.

Ramonda quelled the broken parts laying inside of her spirit. Deception and regret had no place before her son.

T'Challa had his eyes. His temperament. His smile.

"Proud," she said as T'Challa entwined his hands with hers. "Your father and I would talk about this day all the time."

A lie.

"He is with us… and it is your time to be king," Ramonda declared.

N'Jobu's son smiled at her, and Ramonda stroked his cheek. The past was the past. She made her choice and had to live with the outcome. Alone.

N'Jobu's son, not T'Chaka's, would become the king of Wakanda.

The secret she held for thirty-three years would never have to be revealed. T'Challa would go to Warrior Falls and defeat anyone who challenged him. The two men she loved were dead and gone. The living would carry on. Ramonda would carry on.

"Your grandmother is waiting to see you. Come, my son," Ramonda said.

She led T'Challa inside the palace. The family would live on in peace now, Bast willing.

Author’s Note: Betcha y’all will look at the Black Panther movie different now, lol!

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