#(we can blame my ex-fiancee for that one. she was Daddy in every damn way) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

tchallasbabymama · 4 years ago

Text

Bambi

Hey y’all, here’s Chapter 7 of Playlist.

Check out my masterlist HERE to catch up and read my other stories. Let me know if you want to be tagged!

Word count: 6300

“Ashanti”

The name passed over the king’s lips as his fiancee watched him toss and turn in his sleep. Tamala didn’t know what to do. She was so angry she wanted to smother him with his stupid silk pillows, but didn’t want to risk the whole “charged with having committed a regicide” thing. She wanted to know who this Ashanti bitch was and why her man was dreaming about her with a smile on his face. She made a mental note to butter Shuri up and ask her tomorrow.

The king rolled over away from her and continued to dream about the elusive Ashanti while Tamala snuggled deeper into the covers as a tear came to her eye. She knew he didn’t feel as strongly for her as she did for him, but she hadn’t considered there could be another woman. Could she work in the palace? Is this Ashanti even Wakandan? He travelled so much, it was a possibility…

Tamala sighed and then closed her eyes, allowing sleep to take her, but her dreams were nowhere near as good as T’Challa’s. In his dream, he and Ashanti were making love on a white sand beach on a secluded island off the coast of Greece. Every kiss, every touch felt real. He could smell the sea salt and feel her warm skin against his. The taste of her pussy lingered on his lips as he buried himself inside her over and over and over again. Unfortunately, outside of his dreamland his body was responding to his subconscious in ways he had no control over.

By the time he woke up around 6 in the morning his dick was hard as a rock. He silently shuffled out of the bed and to the bathroom, trying in vain not to wake Tamala. When she heard the bathroom door close she sat up in a huff, ready for him to come back out so she could confront him about this Ashanti girl. She waited and waited for several minutes before she got up and walked towards the bathroom door. She pushed it open slightly and caught sight of her fiance stroking his gorgeous dick in the shower. Any other time she would have gladly gotten on her knees for him at the sight, but this time it just made her sick. Even more so when she heard that name slip out his mouth again.

“Ashanti, mmm fuck just like that.”

Tamala closed the door and went back to bed, facing away from T’Challa’s side. When he returned, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. Normally she would give in to his desire for morning sex even though she preferred sex before bed, but this time she pretended to be sleep. She just couldn’t face him yet.

T’Challa was only mildly disappointed, he didn’t enjoy sex with Tamala very much but she was there and he was horny. He wasn’t proud of feeling that way, but at least he was faithful to his fiancee in his waking hours. He still wished he didn’t have to marry her, but at this point he couldn’t back out or his immigration proposal wouldn’t go through. The council had all the leverage over him, so he felt like he had no choice. Tamala was tolerable most days, so he could manage a loveless marriage for the rest of his life, but as far as children went, they had yet to come to an agreement. T’Challa just wanted one or two, but Tamala wanted a whole tribe of little Udakus. Just the thought of it made T’Challa nauseous, but he knew he and Tamala would have to produce at least one heir to the throne. He shuddered at the thought, not of fucking her but of that being the future he had to look forward to.

As much as he tried to not be, T’Challa was still in love with Ashanti in his waking hours, too. Everything reminded him of her, from his mother’s flowers to rainstorms…she loved the rain. He still listened to their combined playlist from time to time, reminiscing on the few short months it took for him to fall head over heels in love. He wished a lot of things in regards to Ashanti, but mostly he wished they had more time together before things went south. Maybe then she would have been able to trust him more and she wouldn’t have left…

It was a dangerous line of thinking that T’Challa cut off when it reared its ugly head. All the what-ifs were almost as bad for him as his guilty conscience, so he shook himself out of it and got up to start his day. As soon as Tamala heard the door shut she let out the tears she had been holding on to. She got up to go shower and get dressed, too. She had a long day ahead trying to figure out who this Ashanti bitch was, and her first stop would be his little sister.

——-

Oh, oh, oh

Mmm mmm mmm

Bambi, Bambi

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, my dear, my dear

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, I want you here

(Bambi)

Don’t get too near for there’s lions, beware

(Mmm bam bam bi)

Oh Bambi I won’t lie

If I weren’t in this spiderweb of mine

If grandfather never had seven wives

Then darling you would be love of my life

Oh Bambi it’s my design

To run the jungle I must be a lion

Or be a cheetah but neither is fine

Don’t wanna hurt my dear love of my life

Bambi, Bambi

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, my dear, my dear

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, I want you here

(Bambi)

Don’t get too near for there’s lions, beware

(Mmm bam bam bi)

Ashanti sang along to the song with Binta as they glided around the kitchen cooking dinner.

“Girrrrl, I just want Jidenna to spank the fuck out of me. I’d be like ‘thank you sir, another?’” Binta swooned at his voice coming through the speakers.

“That man is capital ‘f’ fine. ‘Ruin my uterus and my life’ fine.” Ashanti joked as Kwame entered the room, swaying to the catchy beat.

“This Jidenna?” he asked.

“Mmmhm.”

“You already know,” they both answered at the same time.

“He’s ‘spit in my mouth daddy’ fine” he added.

“Ew, that’s gross!” Binta screamed at her brother while Ashanti had sex flashbacks to her time with T’Challa. There were several times he would have her stick out her tongue and he would spit in her mouth to remind her she was his dirty little-

“Ashanti!” Kwame yelled.

“Huh?”

“Girl were you even listening?” Binta asked her, knife in hand as she cut up the yams for dinner.

“Honestly no, this conversation has me horny as fuck.” she decided it was best to be partially honest, but not all the way. They didn’t need to know she was fantasizing about her ex, she’d let them continue to think she’s talking about the man behind the smooth voice tickling their ears.

“I can’t even blame you,” Binta said as the twins both laughed. Ashanti joined in and went back to her task at hand, but eventually her mind drifted back to T’Challa, “Bambi” providing the perfect soundtrack for the melancholy feeling she got from those bittersweet memories.

Sometimes I hide

When you FaceTime I text you back a lie

‘Cause I’m afraid to look back in your eyes

I’m terrified you were love of my life

The women among the tribe

They will be jealous of this lullaby

I’ll drink alone in my hotel and cry

'Cause now they know you are love of my life

Bambi, Bambi

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, my dear, my dear

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, I want you here

(Bambi)

Don’t get too near for there’s lions, beware

(Mmm bam bam bi)

Ashanti was on autopilot through dinner and was relieved to make it back to her room so she could be alone with her feelings. She missed T’Challa. Seeing him at the bazaar the other day only made things worse. She had been doing well, but then when he was in front of her and that same powerful aura she missed so much engulfed her, he had her in his trap once again. If she hadn’t left when she did she would’ve completely forgotten about the man’s fiancee and jumped on him then and there. All those feelings came rushing back to her as the smell of his cologne wafted her way and she knew she had to get out of there before she made a fool of herself. For good measure, she twisted her hips a little more as she walked away and she was sure she could feel his stare on her behind as it twitched out of view.

To distract herself, she decided to work on a necklace commissioned by the River tribe elder, but Jidenna’s words haunted her as her fingers attempted to wire-wrap a large lapis lazuli crystal point.

I wish that we were forever young

I always knew that this day would come

The fork in the road where I cannot run

Between love and many I’m loving one

I got the wedding invitation, Bambi

I’m happy that he wants to make a family

But I cannot promise I won’t run up in the church

There screaming your name, Bambi

No one can take you from me, Bambi

Bambi, Bambi

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, I want you here

(Ba bam bam bi)

Oh baby, don’t get too near

(Ba bam bam bi)

Oh oh oh, there are lions, beware

(Mmm bam bam bi)

Mmm mmm mmm

I don’t wanna see the wedding

I just wanna see my baby

Most times Ashanti loved when music spoke to her in that way, but this time she just wanted to block out his words.

The wedding…

The fiancee…

She knew her pining was in vain, and that just made it hurt more. She missed him and regretted her decision, but she really did try hard to not let it get to her. She brought it up with Jamila in therapy and they’ve spent the last couple sessions talking about that regret and learning to forgive herself. She understood the mindset she was in when she made the decision to end things, and she couldn’t fault herself for doing so out of fear. She just wished she could go back in time and do it over, or come to this realization much quicker. Now she had to see wedding coverage on every screen and hologram in the damn country. “What will the princess be wearing?”, “Will the king and future queen have a traditional wedding or more modern?”, and “Royal baby predictions: about a year?” were just some of the Bast-awful headlines she had tried to ignore as of late. It was beginning to be a bit much and she considered going on vacation until after they married since it was only a month away. She had plenty saved up and had never really done anything like that before, so she figured she’d give it a try and take herself on vacation.

Ashanti found a quaint little Air BnB in New Orleans that was well within her budget and allowed for long-term stays. She booked it on the spot, before looking for flights out of the new Wakanda International Airport and found a round trip ticket to New Orleans for $45. Once she paid, her heart rate started to pick up. She was really doing this, she was going to go to a whole other country on her own…and she needed to get a passport asap.

——-

T’Challa was hoping to fly under the radar, and so far the shades and hood seemed to be working. He had left his Dora Milaje back at the palace, much to Okoye’s dismay, because he wanted to do this alone. He wasn’t even sure what this is, but he knew he had to do something.

The king stealthily made his way to the heart of the city. He knew it was probably a bad idea, but he just had to see her again. He walked with the hustle and bustle of the crowds, going unnoticed and therefore not having the luxury of them clearing the path for him. He didn’t mind though, they weren’t rude about it.

As he waited to cross the street he noticed the kid next to him staring at him a little too hard. He checked his surroundings and lifted his shades, sending her a wink. She flashed a snaggletooth smile before saluting him and carrying on her way with her mama. T’Challa shook his head, thinking of the baby girl he wanted to have one day. Wakanda’s future queen.

Speaking of future queens, his wrist vibrated and he looked down to see that Tamala had texted him asking where he was. He rolled his eyes and ignored the message, turning the beads off for the time being.

When Taj’s was in view he stopped walking, disrupting the flow of foot traffic. A couple people cursed him out for blocking the street before he realized he was in the way. He stood on the sidewalk, staring into the storefront. He could make out her profile as she spoke to a customer and the king couldn’t help but stare at her beauty.

The king tried to take a step towards the shop, but didn’t move. He tried again, but was still glued to the spot. His legs had turned to stone and he couldn’t lift his feet to move in her direction. His eyes stayed zeroed-in on her. He watched in awe as her coily hair bounced while she nodded her head, and he missed how she spoke with her hands…it had really been too long. He tried with all his might to move again, but he was still frozen on the spot. He had decided to turn around and go back to the palace when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see who it was, and a smile appeared on his face.

“Bisa!”

“Hi dear,” she hugged him and looked over his shoulder at Taj’s to see that Ashanti was still busy and had turned so that her back was facing the window.

“How are you?”

“I should be asking you the same question, out here in disguise spying on my daughter,” she said playfully.

T’Challa laughed as they sat down at a table inside the Mostafa’s restaurant.

“I had planned to actually say something instead of just spying, but I, uh, lost my nerve it seems. I couldn’t go to her.”

There was silence for a moment before Bisa spoke up.

“You still love her?”

T’Challa grew silent again, knowing he shouldn’t say what he most certainly said next.

“Yes, I do.”

Bisa sat back in her chair with a satisfied smirk on her face.

“Good.”

“Good?”

“Yes, good. She still loves you, too. She won’t admit it though. She’s worked through her fear in therapy, but those feelings for you haven’t gone anywhere.” She noticed a tear falling from the king’s eye and she reached out to wipe it away.

“T’Challa, I know you are engaged, but-”

“I have to go through with it, Bisa…for political reasons. I do not love her,” his voice softened with each word and Bisa let out a sigh.

“So you absolutely have to marry her?”

“If I don’t the Mining and Border tribes will not vote for a proposal I have presented them with for Wakanda’s future. She is the Mining tribe princess, so calling it off would anger K’hari, and this would never go through.”

“I thought the king could declare whatever he wanted.”

“No, we are a lot more democratic than most would believe. I have the final say of course, but they can veto my decisions if the vote is high enough. Checks and balances and whatnot…”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware of that…You know, you should go over and talk to her. I bet she’d like that.”

He shook his head. “I thought I was ready, but I need more time. Especially now. Thank you Bisa, you’ve been a wonderful ear.”

“Anytime, son,” she sent him a wink and he chuckled at her nickname.

T’Challa walked back out the door and gave Taj’s one last glance before heading back to the palace.

——-

After her usual morning routine Ashanti strolled into the bazaar, making her way to her shop. She was in a great mood this morning, having dreamed of T’Challa the night before yet again. The dreams used to bring her to tears when she woke up, but now she welcomed them since they were all she could get. She knew that one day they would eventually fizzle out and stop coming to her, but until then she was going to enjoy getting her dream back blown out by the Black Panther.

As usual, her parents were outside cleaning off tables for the morning rush and when they noticed her, there was a certain gleam in their eyes she couldn’t quite place.

“Hi mama, baba,” she hugged them both. “What’s with the looks? I don’t like this…”

Chidi laughed and turned her around so that she could see her shop. Her jaw dropped in shock at the sight before her.

There on her stoop was a huge bouquet of violets, their purple hue seemed to be even brighter than any violet she had ever seen.

Ashanti peeled herself from her father’s arms and walked across the street in a daze. When she reached her door she could only stare at the flowers, noticing there was a note. She was almost too scared to read it, but her curiosity overruled her fear and she reached for the card.

I am sorry, Ashanti. For everything.

-T

In that moment Ashanti knew for sure that he still loved her. Her heart opened up and tears rolled down her face, some bouncing off the purple petals before hitting the ground. She leaned into them and their sweet smell overwhelmed her senses.

Chidi came over to help her move them inside and he smiled at her before giving her a kiss on her forehead. “Give him a call, nugget,” he advised before heading back across the street to his beaming wife.

“Just ‘give him a call’ huh? It’s that easy?” Ashanti said to herself out loud as Jafari entered the shop.

“Wow, who sent those?!” he exclaimed upon seeing the giant bouquet.

“Oh, uh,” she secretly snatched the card and pocketed it. “They’re a ‘thank you’ from the River tribe elder.”

“Funny, I thought they already sent-”

“What are you doing coming in so early?” she tried to change the subject, but he caught on.

“I was in the area…so who are these really from?” Jafari eyed her closely as she struggled to come up with a lie.

“I-I don’t know. No card, see?” He took a look and didn’t see one.

“Ooooh, bosslady has a secret admirer,” he teased.

“No I don’t, for all we know it could be a ‘thank you’ bouquet from somebody.” Ashanti tried to keep the heat off her.

“It’s too big and fancy for a ‘thank you’ bouquet, plus they would’ve left a note. Someone’s sweet on you Shanti.”

“Maybe…well since you’re here can you take over? I have a call to make.”

“Sure thing,” he winked at her and grabbed the broom from her hand. On her way to her workspace in the back, she heard Zina come in before the two started gossipping about who they thought it could be from. They weren’t even close.

Ashanti stared at her rose gold kimoyo beads for a few minutes before she worked up the nerve to activate her communication bead and call him. When she chose his picture her heartrate picked up as the trilling sound filled the air. It continued for longer than Ashanti was used to, so she ended the call assuming he was busy.

As it turned out, he wasn’t busy at all, he was just too nervous to answer her call. When the ringing stopped, his heart dropped and he immediately called her back. When she picked up they just stared at each other and smiled for a moment.

“They’re beautiful, thank you.”

“Anything for you.”

Her heart skipped a beat, but she broke eye contact and looked away for a moment, reminding herself that no matter how many feelings were still involved she would not let herself become his mistress. She had to keep it together.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, by the way. It wasn’t your fault.”

Now it was his turn to look away, fighting tears that welled up in his eyes. He felt a sense of relief wash over him knowing that she didn’t blame him for the incident.

“I blamed myself for a really long time,” he cleared his throat. “So thank you for saying that.”

She could see the pain in his eyes and it was her turn to feel guilty. Moments of silence passed as she stared into his glassy eyes and she contemplated the choices she made. Had she not left him-

“You did what you had to do, I understand that Ashanti. I was never upset at you, only at myself.”

“You had no reason to be, Challa, it was that evil woman,” Ashanti added, tears welling up in her eyes too.

His heart warmed when she called him Challa. He had missed it more than he realized. “I know that now, but…I knew something was coming, I felt it, but I didn’t know what…and for the longest I let that eat me up inside and I…” He let out a heavy sigh.

“You…?”

“I let it drive me to drink. I am an alcoholic, Ashanti. I have been sober for months now, but I was in a very dark place for a long time.”

“That explains the ginger beer at the party.”

“Oh so you were watching me?”

She blushed and tried to hide her grin.

“Everyone was, you’re the king. Oh I never got to wish you a happy birthday, so here it is: Happy birthday!!!”

The two of them shared a laugh.

“Thank you, I really do appreciate that coming from you,” the king said, staring into her chestnut brown eyes as best as he could on a hologram.

“I’m glad. So I guess since we’re sharing, I um…I was too scared to leave my parents’ house for months. I was paranoid and anxious all the time. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat…it took a long time to get back to semi-normal.”

“Why just semi?”

“Because it never really goes away, Challa. It just becomes manageable.”

He nodded his head in understanding.

“How are you now?” the king inquired.

“It’s much more manageable now, therapy has been good. Having a routine helps. I keep myself busy- oh! Speaking of, your sister is a Bast-send. My jewelry business has been booming ever since I opened my commissions back up, and it’s all thanks to her! And you. So thank you both for that.”

“It is as I said, anything for you.”

“You say that like it’s true.”

“Why isn’t it?”

She paused, thinking over whether she wanted to lay it all out there or not.

“Because you’re getting married.”

——-

Tamala made her way down to Shuri’s lab carrying a basket full of fresh mandazi. She knew the princess had a sweet tooth and figured it would be a good way to bribe her for information. As luck would have it, the prince and princess were both there testing out weaponry. They stopped when they heard the doors swoosh open. When they turned around they both kept their poker faces on as they greeted their future in-law.

“Hi Tamala, what brings you down here?” Shuri asked, trying to sound cheerful.

“Well I came to visit family then figured I’d stop by with these! My mama made them right before I got there so they’re fresh. Have some!” She grabbed one for herself then passed them the basket. They grabbed one each and dug in, surprised at how good they were.

“Damn, tell your mama I said I’m coming to dinner tonight,” N’Jadaka said as he reached for another one.

Tamala ignored him and turned to the princess. “So what are you working on?”

“Weapons,”she responded dryly. Her cousin nudged her in her side and she perked up.

“That sounds cool. Hey, Shuri can I talk to you for a second? Alone, if you don’t mind, N’Jadaka.”

“Nah I don’t mind at all. Need anything from me cuz?”

She mouthed “don’t leave me with her” as Tamala was turned around waving goodbye to the prince. The prince read her lips and chuckled on his way out.

“Aight, catch you at dinner then.”

He jogged up the ramp ignoring Shuri’s piercing gaze. As soon as he was out of sight Tamala turned around and her face immediately took on a seriousness that Shuri had never seen from her.

“Shuri I have to ask you a question and I need you to be completely honest with me. Please, as your sister.”

“Ok…” Shuri was nervous about what she might ask, she was such a bad liar…

“Who is Ashanti?”

Her eyes widened and she had to think quickly about how this needed to go.

“Ashanti…oh the artist? Yes she made necklaces for me and mama a while ago. You’ve seen them-”

“Is that the same Ashanti T’Challa knows?” Tamala asked the nervous princess.

“T’Challa knows so many people-” Shuri struggled to make eye contact with her future sister-in-law and that was all the confirmation she needed. It would be easy to find her now.

The next day, Tamala and her personal Dora Milaje warriors walked through the bazaar causing a scene. The princess had never been seen alone with Doras before, so this was a big moment and Tamala was eating it up. She loved the attention she received as the people moved out of her way to let her pass, it made her feel powerful. That feeling is exactly what she needed to harness in this moment, powerful.

Tamala made it to Taj’s and stared at the storefront in disgust. Through the window she could see the same woman he had been staring at all night at his birthday party and she felt sick to her stomach. Just how long had this bitch been hanging around her man?

Two of her Dora opened the doors for her to enter as the customers left the shop to give her space, unused to royalty moving through the city so aggressively. Ashanti turned to see what was going on and the shock on her face was readable all the way from the door where Tamala stood.

“Hello, are you Ashanti?”

“Y-yes I am your highness.” She saluted her and felt her blood boil.

“Well aren’t you…pretty. Hm. I hear you make custom pieces?”

“Yes, I do,” Ashanti said, scared she knew where this was going.

“Good. Well as you know, I’m getting married in a few weeks. I would like you to make me a necklace fit for a queen. Since that is what I’ll be…his queen, Ashanti.”

The artist’s breath caught in her throat. She knew Tamala had to have found out about the flowers or the calls or the texts they had sent each other in the days following their reconnection. They kept it PG, but there was definitely some flirting going on despite the need to remain platonic.

“Ok. Do you have any inspiration or a design in mind?” Ashanti’s voice trembled.

“No.”

“Ok, um-”

“We both know I’m not here for a necklace, Ashanti.” Tamala said as she leaned on the end of the counter..

Ashanti’s legs trembled under her long flowy skirt and her voice caught in her throat. This was the worst case scenario.

“How long have you been seeing him?”

“Who?”

“Don’t play dumb. My fiance, how long have you been seeing him?” Tamala’s voice rose as she got more and more frustrated with the Merchant girl.

“T’Challa? We’re not-”

“Do not lie to me, I know you have something going on with him.”

“Princess, I promise. We were together over a year ago, not now.”

Tamala stood back up from her perch.

“Then why is he calling your name when he sleeps? Tell me that.”

“I-I don’t-”

“You know what? Save it, just don’t come near him ever again or once I am his queen I will have you exiled from Wakanda.” Tamala said in a huff before storming out of the shop, Dora Milaje in tow. It was about time to close anyway so Ashanti shuffled her feet towards the door to lock up and draw the shades. She could see her parents out in front of the restaurant waiting to talk to her, but she decided to go out the back door and sneak home without talking to anyone. Binta was on a date with Kiki and Kwame had gone to stay with Omar for the weekend, so she knew she would have the house all to herself.

Her beads buzzed, signifying a text. She saw that it was from T’Challa and she erased it before even reading it.

Ashanti stripped herself naked and stared at herself in the mirror for a while before turning on the hot water in her bathtub and filling it up just the right amount before sliding in. The lavender bath bomb she dropped in the water had turned the bath purple and she thought of her breathtaking violets. She knew she couldn’t continue to talk to him and that it was really and truly over now, but she could preserve the flowers and keep them forever. She needed to have something beautiful come out of the last two years.

Not wanting to sit in silence, she called out to her kimoyo AI.

“Hey Kim, play music.”

The tears that had threatened to fall from her eyes finally made the leap as the opening chords to “Bambi” played throughout her bathroom.

——

Two days had gone by and Ashanti still hadn’t responded to him. T’Challa had tried texting and calling her, but the calls weren’t even going through anymore. She had him blocked or changed her number without telling him. Either way, he was upset at the sudden loss of contact, but he knew Ashanti wouldn’t just do that for no reason, so something had to have happened to change her heart so quickly.

The king was visibly tense during the council meeting and even more aggressive in sparring with Okoye and his cousin, which neither one of them were opposed to. By day three he had finally had enough and marched down to his sister’s lab. N’Jadaka was there trying out a new upgrade to the Jaguar habit and T’Challa was relieved they were all in one place so he wouldn’t have to do this twice.

“Ayy, what up cuzzo? Like the new threads?” N’Jadaka’s new upgrade included more visible spots than the last one and he was loving the print.

“Looks good on you.” T’Challa tried to muster up some cheer but couldn’t.

“Why the sour face?” Shuri asked her brother, finally looking away from the screen in front of her and noticing his scowl.

“This stays between the three of us.”

His family nodded and looked on with concern.

“I had been…speaking with Ashanti again-”

“Oh no.” Shuri thought she only said in her head.

“What do you mean oh no?” T’Challa was confused at his sister’s reaction. He knew she loved Ashanti like a sister, so her response made no sense.

“I-I mean, um, you finish telling your story then I’ll um, yeah…” Shuri stumbled out.

N’Jadaka sat back and observed them both in his usual way, sure he knew exactly where this was going.

“Ok, well…long story short, we bumped into each other, then I sent her flowers, and we had been texting and calling back and forth platonically since then…until a few days ago. She just stopped and now my calls won’t go through.”

“Wow, so you and Ashanti huh? Tryna get that old thang back?” the prince joked before getting serious when his big cousin shot him a look. “You know I support you, but you gotta be real careful man. You’re getting married in like three weeks, just keep that in mind.”

“Yes, I know but-” he was cut off by a sniffle coming from his sister. “Usisi, what is wrong?” His arm wrapped around her shoulder.

“Tamala, she asked me about Ashanti the other day…all I told her was she was the artist who made our necklaces. She said that she heard you say her name in your sleep…”

“Daaaaaamn,” N’Jadaka said exactly what T’Challa felt in that moment. He knew his sister meant no harm, but somehow Tamala had gotten to Ashanti.

The king knew he had two options. He could drop in on Ashanti and try to make things right or he could confront Tamala. He chose the latter so as not to upset Ashanti any further than she surely already was thanks to his fiancee. He excused himself from the lab before giving Tamala a call. Almost immediately after it started to ring, she answered.

“Hi baby!” she answered with a fake smile on her face.

“Hello Tamala, are you busy?” he asked, keeping his voice even.

“Not too busy for you, I just finished-”

“Great, will you meet me at the panther cave in an hour?”

“Sure thing, baby. Is everything ok?”

“Yes everything is fine. See you in an hour.” T’Challa ended the call and ran his hand over his face in exasperation. If he still drank he would have poured himself a glass right about now. To distract himself, he returned to the lab to check out the new upgrades to the Jaguar habit.

Tamala arrived at the cave early since she had been at her parents’ house not too far from there. Her nerves had gotten the best of her when she realized he didn’t seem to be in the best mood and her mind raced over the possibilities until it landed on the one thing she could think of. Her.

When T’Challa arrived a few minutes later she tried to keep a straight face, but her attitude seeped through and he could sense it a mile away. He sighed and rolled his eyes, they hadn’t even had the conversation yet and here she was, already mad.

“Could this have waited until later?” she asked him, annoyance clear on her face.

“What’s the matter now? You were just in a good mood an hour ago.”

“You tell me, T’Challa.”

He could feel his blood pressure starting to rise so he took a couple deep breaths to calm himself.

“Don’t act like a spoiled child, talk.”

“Oh I’m the spoiled child? Ha! Says the man who wants to have his cake and eat it too.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I am to be your wife and she is not, so you should act accordingly if you want your little proposal to go through.”

A tense silence followed, his suspicions confirmed. The smug look on Tamala’s face irked him to his core because he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

“So who is this ‘she’ you’re referring to?” he asked for clarification.

“Do not play dumb, T’Challa, it does not look good on you. I am talking about your precious Ashanti. I don’t know how long you have been seeing her behind my back, but it ends today.”

“She is my ex and a friend-”

“I saw how you looked at her, she’s not a friend T’Challa…and she’s also not a concern anymore,” she said flippantly.

“What do you mean?” he took a step forward as she stepped back, bumping into the cave wall as he descended upon her slowly, prowling like a cat.

“I mean, I-I-”

“What did you do?” his voice grew, instilling fear in her heart at the cold look behind his eyes.

“N-nothing, I just told her to leave you alone or-”

“Or?”

“Or I’d have her exiled when I become queen.”

“You will do no such thing!”

He pulled back and lowered his voice when he saw the fear in her eyes.

“And no harm will come to her if you know what is good for you.” he turned to leave but stopped and faced her once more. “You may be my queen, but she will always have my heart. Do not forget this is simply an arrangement.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the cave, heading straight for the Talon. As soon as his shadow disappeared from the cave wall Tamala broke down in tears. She knew he didn’t share her feelings, but she didn’t know just how little he cared. After a few minutes of crying, she regained her composure and sat against the wall with her knees at her chest contemplating her future. She had to do something, or the rest of her life she would be stuck in a loveless marriage, but she couldn’t think of what. Eventually it hit her, and the realization broke her heart.

She would have to call it off.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @maddeningmayhem, @theblulife

#cecewritessometimes #black panther fic #t'challa x oc #t'challa #black!oc #playlist

69 notes · View notes