OKOYE AND ZARINA HAD THE RELATIONSHIP WHERE THEY RARELY EVER SPOKE WHEN TOGETHER, BUT WHEN THEY DID SPEAK, THEY SPOKE FOR HOURS. Okoye and Zarina, while close when they were younger, their mothers both Dora Milaje, though Zarina's long since gone, had drifted apart slightly due to their divulging paths, Okoye focusing all her time as a Dora Milaje, practically finished with her training and rising up in the ranks faster than expected of any other woman, while Zarina focused on her studies to practice medicine. Each woman held the other in the highest regard, however, and made an active effort to spend at least a few minutes with the other when possible.

Which meant Zarina often slipped in during training to read and let Okoye know she was there to support her, even if she only looked up when there was a shout of pain or a laugh; she had work of her own to do, she was not a simple bystander in the lives of all the warriors in her life.

"Thank you," Okoye breathed, taking the proffered water from the shorter woman, sitting down next to her, "How is your father?"

"He is well," she replied, setting down her book, her lips curling into a smile, "Princess Shuri is proving to be a rather difficult student despite her genius. I wish you luck in protecting her from herself."

Okoye tried to hide her smile under a disapproving look. "Do not speak ill of the royal family."

Zarina rolled her eyes. "King T'Chaka wants his rule to his questioned, he wants what is best for his people, not for himself. He asked me, once, when I was young, what I thought about a matter of business."

Okoye raised an eyebrow. "Was it about anything important to Wakanda?"

Zarina shook her head, shrugging. "No, but he asked for my opinion, that must count for something."

Okoye shrugged, still standing, allowing herself a smile at that. "Speaking of protecting a princess, should I begin protecting you?" At Zarina's incredulous look, Okoye laughed. "You are practically a princess yourself, Zarina, all you have to do is actually speak to T'Challa about it."

"About what?" Zarina cried, her face warm; hearing these words from Okoye was much different than hearing them from W'Kabi; the boy teased as a brother would, but Okoye shared the truth as a sister.

"Zarina," Okoye said with fond exasperation, sitting down next to her, "You cannot keep lying to yourself or T'Challa, it's exhausting for the two of you as it is for all of us watching. You have known each other your whole lives, you've been in love for over half, I would think you would have done something by this point."

"You cannot define love by how you look at it or how happy I feel when I'm around him, it is deeper than that," was the first thing Zarina had said, "I do love him, but neither of us know if it is the love you describe."

Okoye took a deep breath, looking up towards the ceiling. "Okay. But that wasn't a disagreement."

"Of course it's not, you how I feel," Zarina said, almost in pain by how warm her face was, feeling as though it was inflamed, "But it is not that easy, Okoye. He is the prince. My father taught him. We have known each other for years."

"All the more reason for them to accept you," she reasoned, "Zarina, be honest, have you shown T'Challa to have any interest in any other person than yourself?"

She shrugged. "I do not know all the people he knows."

Okoye sighed long sufferingly and shook her head, catching W'Kabi hovering by the entrance of the designated area where the Dora Milaje train in close quarters, the young man smiling at her with a fond look, not yet registering that the woman in question could see him.

Zarina looked between the two of them before jumping to her feet and grabbing her book. "I will talk to you later."

With that, she scurried off, passing by W'Kabi who was only partly able to pry his attention away from Okoye to greet her. She said a quick greeting back, on the search for T'Challa who was supposedly having a discussion with his father about diplomacy and other kingly duties that were outside of warrior training and basic Wakandan rule; T'Challa was never fond of learning how to network and understand nuances in politics, it was never his forte, nor did he want it to be.

As she made her way up to his room, figuring to just wait for him there, she ran into her father who had his papers and folders tucked underneath an arm, looking much more relaxed than he had been in quite some time.

"Hello, baba," she greeted, hugging him quickly, "Were you with the princess?"

He shook his head, feigning relief. "Thankfully, no. I was with King T'Chaka and Prince T'Challa. I am just on my way to Princess Shuri, actually. T'Challa and his father will be talking for a while longer, but he should be up shortly."

Zarina smiled, too used to her father knowing that she was often in search of T'Challa more often than not, giving him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder before continuing on her way, knowing fully well that the man was having a rather difficult time teaching the genius girl.

Making the muscle memory trek to T'Challa's room, she pushed open the doors, smiling when she was greeted by the various kittens he still kept, scooping up one and moving to lie down on his bed, huddling under his covers and dropping her head onto one of his pillows, her book left forgotten next to her.

She had been thinking about her medicinal studies greatly. In Wakanda, she was much more advanced than the others her age also in her field of study. Whereas it would take an average of eleven years to accomplish her goal, she knew she would be capable of practicing medicine in almost half that time, and with the strings that had been pulled, it would be possible for her to practice outside of Wakanda, not that she would leave.

Though she had to wonder what it would be like to live outside of Wakanda, to help others who didn't have their technology. If she was able to start practicing in half the time as those her age, shouldn't she try to help their people until they were able to start helping them themselves? That was something she pondered more than she cared to admit, and she often voiced her sentiments to her father, who never did give her a clear response back.

He had been rather distant with her as of late, and she couldn't seem to find the reason why. She wondered if it had something to do with her mother, but that seemed to be the reason throughout both of their lives, so she didn't believe it to be the cause; her father would tell her when he was ready, so she let it be.

She didn't even register that she had fallen asleep until she felt the rough lick of the kitten's tongue on her face and a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against a solid body that she had come to know so well.

"Go back to sleep," T'Challa muttered against her neck, clearly settling in to take a nap as well, "Today has been exhausting."

She turned so she was facing him, his arm still wrapped around her. "Would you like to talk about it?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes long sufferingly at whatever it was he was remembering before shaking his head. "I do not want to think about it. Tell me about your day."

So she did. She told him all about Okoye's training, about W'Kabi coming to visit, about her father being so tired but so rewarded in tutoring Shuri, about all her thoughts on her medicinal studies and what she wanted to do with her career, and T'Challa listened. She knew he was listening, even though his eyes were closed and his lips were millimeters away from her own, she knew he was listening, because he always did.

"You will be wonderful at whatever you decide to do," he said, when she finally finished, "And you should do what makes you happy and most fulfilled. That is what your father always says, and I believe him."

"You believe everything my father says," she mumbled, and he laughed, nodding as he pressed their foreheads together.

"He's a very wise man," he reasoned, and Zarina nodded in agreement, but grew serious.

"I feel like he is hiding something from me," she said, and the two opened their eyes at the same time, sharing a look.

"I do not know what it could be," she continued, "But I feel he is hiding something from me. You would think that if he cared, he would tell me the truth."

T'Challa paused at that, pulling back to look at her, gauging her reaction. "What do you mean by that?"

She shrugged, pulling the kitten chewing on her hair to her chest, running her hand over its fur. "If he loves me, he would tell me what he is hiding. I wouldn't be upset."

"Even if he is afraid that you will get upset?" T'Challa countered, adjusting the kitten that was trying to sit on the side of his face.

"T'Challa," she said, giving him an exasperated smile, "If I rarely ever get mad at you for telling the truth, why would I get upset at my father? He knows I love for him, he shouldn't be afraid. Why kind of love is that?"

T'Challa let out a short breath, mumbling under his breath. "Maybe it's the love that is the problem."

If Zarina heard him, she either paid no mind or did not understand, instead just tucking her head underneath his chin. "I am going back to sleep."

As Zarina slept peacefully in his arms, T'Challa stared at his doors, his mind elsewhere, her words a constant echo. While she had been talking about her father, her words could apply to him. It would make sense that they did. Yet he was afraid.

But he was the prince, soon-to-be-king and a contender for the title of Black Panther, given to the greatest warrior of Wakanda, a title he could potentially earn, and while he was not too keen on receiving either title, he would wear them with pride, should the day arise.

He would like to have someone by his side if it did.

He looked down at Zarina's sleeping frame, then to the forgotten book that a few of the kittens were now chewing and sitting on. Their roads were growing father and farther apart, he would like to make sure that there was something that would still link them together.

So he would tell the truth. Soon. Not now. But soon.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

( 05.19.18 )

I love how literally they could get together in every chapter I write them in, but I'm drawing it out for a ridiculous amount of time. Like, for all my other fics, there's a set time when it's supposed to happen, but deadass, it could have happened right now, and it would have been perfect. But I'm gonna wait until we get to a chapter number with meaning to me, because I'm ridiculous and petty. I'm sorry. But it's soon!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!