Make it Better
Heyyy y’all! Here’s Ch 8 of Playlist. Check out my masterlist HERE to catch up and read my other stories. This is a long one....
Check out the actual Playlist HERE
Word count: ~10k
CW: Smut
“What?!” K’Hari yelled at his only child as she cried at the kitchen table. Tamala had sat both of her parents down to tell them the news and so far her father was not taking it well. “Say that one more time so I know I understood you. You’re what now?”
“I’m calling off the wedding,” she said through her tears.
“What happened, busi?” her mama asked softly as her baba continued to seethe next to her.
“What happened doesn't matter, Aja. What matters is your daughter has lost her fucking mind if she thinks-”
“Baba, he loves someone else!” Tamala yelled as K’Hari’s eyes rolled in exasperation. “He’s always loved someone else.” She hung her head and berated herself for not seeing it sooner when her mother’s hand reached out to tip her chin upwards to meet her gaze.
“Sithandwa, he could learn to love you,” Aja said softly while using her other hand to wipe the tears from her daughter’s eyes.
Tamala moved away from her mother and looked at her in horror.
“I thought you would be on my side! He doesn't love me, mama, and he never will. He said so himself...he only loves her.”
“Who is this elusive love of his?” K’Hari’s voice took on a sinister tone.
“H-her name is Ashanti, she's from the Merchant Tribe-”
“Owns an art store?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
“Y-yes, how did you know?”
K’Hari sighed and his head fell back. He should have known all along.
“She’s the girl that got herself kidnapped by Princess Zenzi, but the king never said why she was the target. Demethi!” He struck the table, shocking Aja and Tamala. “Does he still see her?”
“No,” Tamala sniffled, “I put the fear of Bast in her and told her I would have her exiled if she contacted him again. It must have worked, I’ve never seen T’Challa so angry before.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No, mama, not physically anyway. He told me...he told me I would be his queen but she would always have his heart and that this was just an arrangement. What does that even mean?!” Tamala broke down crying as her parents gave each other a look.
K’Hari and Aja Obu had wanted nothing more than for their daughter to marry well, so when the opportunity to have her marry the king presented itself they took it. In council meetings K’Hari and several of the other elders voiced their concerns about the king not being married. He would always brush it off until K’Hari had the idea to align himself with the Border tribe and not allow his immigration proposal to pass. He knew the king would want to speak with him one-on-one about it, and during their meeting he insinuated that his vote could be bought if the king would marry his daughter. Three birds, one stone. They didn’t expect the king to be so cruel and tell Tamala about their deal though.
There was a long silence as K’Hari shook his head frantically at his wife, knowing she was on the verge of telling Tamala everything.
“Busi-”
“Aja, no-”
“Thula! This was all your idea anyway,” she snapped and K’Hari shrunk into himself. Aja wiped Tamala’s tears and held both of her hands. “Honey, your father made a deal with the king-”
“What kind of deal?” she asked through her stuffy nose and freefalling tears.
“My dear, I-” he cut himself off with a sigh. He never imagined his plan going south, so he had hoped that he would be able to get away with not telling her what he did, but all of that got thrown out the window the minute she showed up at their house in tears. “I made a deal with the king. He wants to open Wakanda even further to the Lost Tribe and allow them to immigrate here. It is a good proposal, but I split the vote and convinced Hodari of the Border Tribe to follow my lead. The king came to speak with me about it and well, uh, long story short I promised him my and Hodari’s votes if he would take you as queen. I knew how important his proposal was to him, and how the rest of the council had been pushing him to find a wife. It was the perfect plan.”
“No it wasn’t! You used me! And mama, you knew about it!” She snatched her hands away from her mother and stood from the table.
“Busi, we-”
“No! You basically sold me to the king! Actually, nevermind, because in order to sell something the buyer has to actually want it! You pushed me onto him and you thought that was ok? You thought I wouldnt eventually find out?!” She quickly gathered her things and ignored her parents’ protests as she stormed out of their home.
Tamala had nowhere she could go and be alone away from everybody, so she retreated to her temporary quarters in the palace. She stayed in there for a week, only letting kitchen staff in and out, but she was upset even more by the fact that nobody came to check on her wellbeing. She already knew she wasn’t wanted by the king, but it wasn’t until then that she realized how much the rest of the royal family never seemed to like her either. She knew she could be abrasive at times, but for them to be so cold? Then it dawned on her that they must have all thought she was involved in her father’s schemes.
“I wouldn’t like me either.” she mused to herself and decided she would go set the record straight at breakfast.
The next morning Tamala was so anxious that she almost couldn’t make it in time, but she was able to pull herself together at the last minute. She emerged from her room and made the long walk to the elevators that would take her down to the dining area. The butterflies in her stomach flew faster and faster the closer she got, and she was sure other people could hear her heart beating out her chest. By the time she reached the door she had forced herself to calm down again, knowing that what she had to do required a clear head and an unwavering disposition.
The palace guards opened the doors for her and when she saw them she immediately lost all of the confidence she had worked so hard to build. She had expected to just see the four of them there, but for the first time since she moved into the palace a month ago they had several guests at the table as well.
M’Baku and his chieftess Shani were seated next to each other across from Queen Mother and Shuri. N’Jadaka sat next to his little cousin with Okoye to his left. It was her off day so they had invited her to join them for breakfast. Her ex-husband W’Kabi was nowhere to be seen, but instead there were two colonizers at the table next to M’Baku. One that looked like a human version of a golden retriever and the other seemed to be part robot. The empty seat at the foot of the table was her only option, so she sat down and tried to drum up the courage to make her announcement.
“Tamala, we have barely seen you this week,” Ramonda remarked, without looking up from her food, only partially interested in her response.
Tamala cleared her throat and when everyone reluctantly turned to look at her she locked eyes with the king. She could still feel how cold and detached he was towards her, which only solidified her decision.
“I needed some time to myself, to think. I have decided to...to call off the wedding.” Everyone was shocked. They all knew of the arrangement since they had each cornered T’Challa at some point to try to talk sense into him. None of them liked Tamala. She was rude, she was entitled, and she had a jealous streak that rubbed them all the wrong way. Worst of all, they thought she was only with T’Challa because she wanted the throne. “I didn’t know about my father’s plan, but I do now and I can’t go through with it. I can’t spend my life with someone who doesn’t love me.”
She kept her eyes on T’Challa and saw his face fall when he found out she was unaware of her father’s plan. He immediately felt bad for what he said to her when he realized her feelings for him were real.
“Tamala, I-”
“I know. You thought I was after the title. I wasn’t, but my father was.”
“That still doesn’t excuse what I said to you.”
“No, it doesn't, but I would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes.”
A silence fell over them and she looked around at the guilty faces surrounding the table.
“Did all of you know?”
Everyone nodded or grumbled their response and she felt even more embarrassed knowing that everyone knew it was a lie but her. She sat back in her chair in disbelief.
“If it helps, that’s not the only reason we didn’t like you,” N’Jadaka stage whispered to her from across the table. Shuri and M'Baku snickered as Ramonda reached behind Shuri’s chair to hit her nephew upside his head.
“That does help, thank you N’Jadaka,” Tamala said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
“Could someone fill me in on what just happened?” the blonde colonizer, Steve, asked of his friends after another silence filled the table.
“I got you, man. So basically T’s been trying to make it so Black people can move to Wakanda, but her daddy is head of the Mining tribe and won’t let it go through unless he marries her.”
“What happens to the proposal now? Will he still block it from going through?” Okoye asked.
They all turned to look at Tamala.
“I-I don’t know.”
“Have you told your father about your decision?” Shani added.
“Yes, a week ago.”
“So you decided to wait until the wedding was damn near upon us to let us know?” Queen Mother was getting a headache. “Come with me after you finish eating, we have to call the press and cancel all the vendors and-”
“Mama, I will handle whatever needs to be done. Tamala has been through enough in regards to the wedding.” Ramonda wanted to argue with her son, but she knew he was doing the right thing.
“Very well then,” she gave in.
“So what are you gonna do now?” Bucky asked Tamala and everyone’s ears perked up in curiosity.
“I’m not sure, but I definitely can’t go back to my parents’ after this.”
“That is understandable. You are welcome to stay as long as you need to.” T’Challa said across the table.
“Thank you, T’Challa.”
“It is the least I can do.”
-------
With three weeks left until the wedding, Ashanti was finally leaving for her month-long trip to New Orleans. She had purchased a cell phone and linked her beads to the archaic device so she wouldn’t have to use them in public. She had done her research on the city and even though her itinerary mostly involved just letting her creative juices flow, there were a few things she knew she had to see and do before she left.
When Chidi and Bisa dropped her off at Wakanda International they were still a little uneasy about Ashanti’s plan. She had never left Wakanda before, but here she was flying across the globe by herself to a city where she doesn’t have any friends or even extended family to look out for her, but they were supportive because they knew it was her dream. When she was young she always wanted to explore the world, but Wakanda was still closed to the outside so she let the idea slip away. She thought the only way she’d get to see it is if she became a War Dog, but Ashanti never had any interest in being a spy. Now her dream was finally coming true, and despite the anxiety twisting her stomach she couldn’t be more excited.
Her flight only took about 7 hours on the Wakandan jet, and when she touched down and stepped out of the airport she was met with the wet heat of the southern United States. The temperature wasn’t too different from what she was used to, but the humidity made her feel like she was under water. She summoned a Lyft and people-watched as she waited for it to arrive.
She was relieved when it finally pulled up, looking forward to what she hoped would be an air conditioned ride.
“How’s it going ma’am?”
“Hi, uh, it’s good. André, right? How are you?”
“Yes ma’am. Here picking up,” he looked at his phone for confirmation, “Ashanti, but uh, I’ve had better days. Where you from? I hear your accent.”
“Do you hear yours?” she asked playfully as she slid into the back seat while he put her bags in the trunk. He laughed and the warmth of it brought a smile to her face. “I’m from Wakanda.”
“Ohhhhh, Wakanda huh? What made you leave paradise?” He asked as he plopped into the driver seat and closed the door.
“It’s not a paradise.”
“For those of us out here it is.” He looked at her through the rear view mirror for just a second. Her face fell, forgetting how privileged she was to grow up where she did. She had been so focused on getting away from the king that she forgot just how beautiful her homeland could be. “You should be careful out here, I’m sure it’s pretty different than what you’re used to. Crazy folks out here...you going down to Bourbon at any point?”
“Most likely, I’ll be here a while.”
“Hm. Well if you do please, please be careful chère. People get real stupid when they drink.”
“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind. Are you from here?”
“Born and raised. I moved up to Memphis for a while, but came right back. Always on the Mississippi though. What brought you here? You don't seem like the partying type and judging by all that luggage you’re planning to stay for a while.”
She sighed, not sure if she should get into it with her driver, but decided there was no harm in talking to him.
“My ex is getting married and I just needed to get away for a while.”
“Still love him?” he looked at her through the mirror again and she looked back at him before nodding.
“Yeah I do, it’s complicated…”
“Sounds like it. I been there though. My babymama moved on a couple years ago and I still ain't over it. He’s a nice guy though so I can’t be too mad about it. As long as my girls are taken care of, that’s what matters.”
Ashanti listened and nodded along, watching the city pass by as they drove down the interstate to her new temporary neighborhood. She knew they had arrived when he turned off the exit and she saw a mural painted along a wall that read “Tremé” in colorful letters. They drove a few more blocks before André stopped the car in front of a house with a colorful, plant filled fenced-in courtyard. There was a fat tabby cat lounging in the walkway by an adorable little iron bistro set. Before getting out of the car she used her iphone to review the instructions the host sent her, then she swung the door open, ready to see her living space in person. André grabbed her bags out of the trunk and placed them on the sidewalk for her.
“Could you help me carry them in?” she asked of her Lyft driver who turned to look at her like she was crazy.
“Ma’am, you sure are trusting. I’ll help you, but you can’t be out here just letting people in your place like that.”
Ashanti blushed, she hadn’t even thought of the danger she was putting herself in and she was thankful that André seemed like a good man. He brought her bags into the living room and took a look around, whistling at the sight.
“I’ve never actually gotten a look inside one of these new Air Bnb’s, these are niiiice. Ruining the neighborhood though, but what can you do?”
“How is it ruining the neighborhood?”
André chuckled a little at her naivety before concern crept up on him, too. This girl had let him into her home, alone, and he wondered what other stupid things she might get into.
“You know, how about I show you around. I’ll be your personal chauffeur while you’re here. For a fee, of course.”
“Of course. That sounds like a good idea...ok lets do it.”
“Great, did you want to settle in or go out now? I can run some quick errands while you rest up”
“I’ll be hungry in about a couple hours. Come back then?”
“You got it miss lady, see you later,” he turned to leave the house but turned back with a serious look on his face. “Make sure you keep these doors locked, you seem like the type to just keep them open.”
“I will.”
He squinted at her, not believing a word she said.
“I said I will, Bast!”
“You better,” he pointed at her as he closed the door behind him.
She plopped on the couch and she was thankful to have the space all to herself, but the vibe was quickly ruined by him yelling at her from outside.
“Lock the door Ashanti!”
She scrambled from her spot and locked the door.
“Happy now?” she shouted at him.
“Thank you!” she heard him say right before the car door closed and he drove off.
She was finally alone and could really feel the energy of the place. It would be perfect for her little artist getaway. The south facing windows let in so much natural light that she wouldn't even need to turn the lights on during the day. She had already scoped out where she would set up her easel, and she made a mental note to ask André about art supply stores since she could only bring so much on the plane.
She made her way to the bedroom and plopped down on the bed, testing its softness. Once she was satisfied she rolled off and went to the bathroom to set up her toiletries. When she opened the door she was thrown back in time to when T’Challa first invited her to his quarters after their first date. The monstera in the corner and the ivy draping down the walls reminded her of what she always called his “jungle chic bathroom”, but she quickly shook the thought out of her head. She stripped down and stared at herself in the mirror as the water heated up, but ran back to her suitcase to grab her kimoyo beads. They were synched to her phone, but she thought the sound quality was better on the beads..
“Hey Kim, play music.”
How do you mend when you worlds apart?
Ooh, carry on
Ooh, from the start
Somehow, we fell in love, then fell right out of touch
And ooh, that was hard
But ooh, here we are
And it's easier to walk away
Than to look for what would make you stay
“Next song please.” she grumbled, not in the mood for a love song. Thankfully the next song was anything but.
“There’s some whores in this house, there’s some whores in this house…,” she sang along loudly while scrubbing down.
When she was finished she got out and did her usual routine before laying down to take a nap until André came back. When he did, she was excited to see that he brought gumbo.
“I wasn’t sure if you were too tired to go out or not. Either way, this’ll heat up pretty good tomorrow. I made a big pot yesterday, figured you’d like some authentic ‘Nawlins’ cuisine.”
Her eyes lit up and she dug right in, obviously hungrier than either of them thought she would be.
“Mmm, this is amazing. You made this?” she asked, having yet another flashback to her first date with T’Challa.
“Sho did, my daddy’s recipe.”
“Well tell your daddy I said thank you.”
“Tell him yourself. We having a fish fry this weekend, you should swing by. His place is just a few blocks from here.”
“I’ll be there! It’s not like I have any real plans or anything.”
“Yeah, what you gonna do while you're here?”
“Walk around, explore, paint, take in some sights, do some touristy things.”
“Let me guess, voodoo museum and cemetery tour?”
“That’s on the list, yeah.”
“Nah, my granny can probably tell you all that better than some tourist trap.”
“Will she be there this weekend?”
“Oh she never missed a fish fry in all her 79 years.”
Ashanti laughed
“Good. So about our chauffeur situation, how about $2,000 a week?”
He stared at her in disbelief.
“What? I’m sorry, is that too low? I’m not good with the conversion rate-”
“No that’s way more than I been making, you got yourself a deal. Hell I’ll be your protection detail too if you need it.”
She giggled a little bit and finally felt her shoulders relax. As much as she knew she needed this trip, it scared her to be so alone so far from home, but André’s warm aura made her feel safe in his presence. As far as she could tell, he was a Bast-send.
The two stayed in for the night, talking and getting to know each other until André left around 9. Ashanti locked up behind him and carried herself up to bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
-------
The king chose to take the day to himself, and he decided to spend it the same way he spent his favorite off-day, with Ashanti at her shop. She had to have seen the news by now and known the wedding was off, but she was still not answering his calls. He grew concerned and decided to use his day off to try to make things right.
As he walked through the market with his Dora, waving at the occasional excited passerby and stopping to talk to the children that wanted his attention, he felt lighter than he had in a while. He was finally free of Tamala and once her father’s scheming was revealed to the council, he and Hodari were replaced by their second in command. The proposal to open Wakanda to the Lost Tribe had passed and now they could start prepping for the day when their doors would truly open to the world. His plan had gone through, he wasn’t being forced into marriage, and the council had even backed off of their incessant need to marry him off. All he needed now was his lady.
Chidi was the first to see him round the corner and he waved the king over, saluting him to keep up appearances in public.
“What are you doing here, my boy?”
“I wanted to see Ashanti, do you know if she’s in?”
“She’s been gone for about three weeks now, she needed to get away from all the wedding coverage. She’ll be back next week unless her plans have changed. She barely calls us so I have no idea. Can you believe it, my only daughter goes halfway around the world and can't even call me to say she’s alive! Don’t have kids, T’Challa, they’ll rip your heart out.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Where did she run off to?”
“New Orleans.”
“That fits her,” T’Challa smiled fondly while picturing her painting on an old balcony with jazz musicians playing down below or eating beignets and sipping coffee at Cafe Du Monde.
“Not enough to forget about her parents, it doesn’t!” Chidi fussed, causing Bisa to stick her head out from the back. Her face lit up when she saw the king.
“Oh hi T’Challa dear.” She came out from the kitchen and gave him a hug, surprising the few customers Zana Cafe had during the after lunch lull.
“Bisa, a pleasure as always.”
“I’m sure he told you Ashanti is off galavanting around the world avoiding your wedding. By the way, congratulations on being single again. I could tell you hated every moment of being with that woman, she seemed too clingy for you.”
“Thank you, it is good to be single again.”
“Not for too long, I hope,” Chidi’s eyebrow raised as he stared up at the king.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Good.” Chidi clapped him on the back and the king said goodbye to who he hoped would be his future in-laws.
As he crossed the street to Taj’s his nerves picked back up.
“She’s not even here man, chill out.” He spoke to himself softly and took a couple deep breaths before entering the store.
The doorway chimed every time a customer passed through, so when Zina heard it chime and looked up she nearly dropped the beads she was sorting.
“M-my king!” She saluted him as Jafari came from the back room to see what all the commotion was about, before stopping and saluting him as well.
“Please, no need for that.”
“What can we do for you, your highness?” Jafari asked since Zina seemed to be stuck in a trance staring at the handsome king.
“I was hoping to place a custom order.”
“The jewelry artist is out of town currently, but we can still take your order. It probably won’t be ready for another month or so. She doesn’t allow special orders to skip the line.”
“That is fine, I can wa- is your friend ok?”
Zina was still glued to the spot, staring at the king.
“Z, why don't you finish the beads in the back, I’ll handle up here.”
“Yeah. Ok, yeah, sorry, heh.” She shook herself out of it and rushed towards the back to get away from the king so she didn't embarrass herself further.
The two men shared a knowing look and the king chuckled, used to that reaction by now. He had, after all, been fine as hell his whole life.
“So, what would you like?”
“First, I would like it to be anonymous.”
After about 30 or so minutes of finalizing the design, the king left the shop still feeling light, but now with a tinge of anxiety. He wasn’t sure how she would feel seeing him again, but the one big obstacle keeping them apart had finally been removed and he hoped she saw it that way, too.
-------
Ashanti’s time in the Crescent City was coming to an end, and she didn’t want to say goodbye to André and the rest of the François family. She invited them to come visit her in Wakanda and she was sure at least a couple of them would actually take her up on her offer. Saying goodbye to everybody had been rough, but she was more than ready to go back home. She even said goodbye to the fat cat that laid around in her courtyard most mornings. When André dropped her off at the airport they were both misty-eyed. They had become the best of friends and he was already planning to come visit Wakanda during the summer with his daughter Désirée, who simply adored Ashanti. They hugged and kissed each other's cheeks before he sent her on her way through security.
The flight back seemed to take a whole lot longer than the flight there, but she still made it in about the same amount of time thanks to the jets being infused with Wakandan tech. As they got closer to the border, she could feel the tattoo on her inner lip start to tingle, and when they landed it finally subsided. She nearly ran off the plane when she saw her parents and roommates waiting for her at the gate, and she attacked all four of them with a giant hug.
“I missed you all so much!”
“Chile no you didn't, you barely texted me.” Kwame joked as she hit his arm.
“And you barely called us. Must have been some trip!” Chidi added.
“It was! I have tons of pictures. I met this guy who-”
“A guy?” her mother interjected, concern written on her face. Ashanti misinterpreted it as concern for her safety but she was actually concerned about the state of her and T’Challa’s possible relationship.
“Yes, mama, a guy. He was my driver and we became friends and his family sort of took me in for the month. It was great!”
The five of them made their way to Zana Cafe and were met with Zina and Jafari, who were both ecstatic to have their boss back.
“Bosslady! You look well-rested.” Jafari pulled her in for a hug before Zina could do the same.
“That’s because I am. I need to do the whole vacation thing more often. Travelling is so cheap thanks to the conversion rate. Did you know our money is worth five times as much as American money?”
“Can’t say I’m surprised. Why don’t you go ahead and start telling stories and I’ll bring the food out?”Chidi suggested.
Ashanti had them hanging on her every word all night long. She told them about everything, from the cemeteries to the swamps to Bourbon street to the history of Marie Laveau. She told them about the jazz musicians and what she learned about the effects of hurricane Katrina and gentrification. She told them about the François family and the kindness they showed her, and even pulled up some pictures of her work on her beads to show them.
“I’m definitely going back at some point.”
“Don't you want to go somewhere else instead?” Zina asked, stuffing her face full of food.
“I want both,” Ashanti said with a laugh. She had missed her friends and family, but wouldn't trade the last month of her life for the world.
It started getting late so Zina and Binta left to go be with their respective significant others, while the others cleaned up the table. Jafari was the next to go, and after he left the remaining three descended upon Ashanti too quickly for her comfort.
“Do you know already?” Kwame asked her suspiciously.
“Know what? You’re freaking me out.”
“About the king.”
“Why would you- I left to get away from him, I don’t want to think-”
“Intyatyambo, they called it off weeks ago,” Bisa added.
Her whole world stopped, but she was too tired to process the information they had just given her.
“I-I don't...why?”
“Nobody knows, but the king came down here looking for you the other day.” said Chidi.
“He did?!” Ashanti asked, looking to her mother for confirmation.
“He did.”
“Well, um- that’s cool I guess. I-I need to get some rest, it’s late and my brain hurts.”
“Get home safe sithandwa,” Chidi ordered.
“I will baba, bye. Bye mama.'' She hugged them both before she and Kwame drove home in his new hover car.
“So this André guy?”
“Just a friend, Kwame.”
“Ok but is he cute?”
“You know that American show you like to watch? Oh, what’s it called...Insecure! He looks like the light skinned guy on there.”
“Nathan?! Girrrrl and you didn’t hit that?”
“No, ew, he felt more like a brother.”
“Mmmhm, so you didn’t go get your groove back?”
“Meaning…?”
“Did you get that back blown out in Nola or no?”
“No.”
“Girl I swear, the wrong one of us is doing all the travelling.”
The two laughed as they entered their home and said good night before going their separate ways.
As comfortable as her bed back in New Orleans was, it pales in comparison to her bed at home. She knew not to even sit down until she was ready to pass out. She quickly showered and threw on a big t-shirt before hopping in her bed and drifting away to dreamland.
Mmm, Ashanti.
Come sit on your throne, kitten.
Ride me just like that.
Bounce on it.
Cum on my dick.
Nah-uh, don’t fucking move, I’m cumming in this pussy. My pussy.
“Your pussy, baby,” Ashanti whimpered in her sleep just moments before her eyes flew open. She hadn’t had a dream like that in months, now all of a sudden her body was acting crazy just because she heard he was single again. As far as she knew, the council could have another wife lined up for him so there was no need to even get excited. Apparently, nobody told her pussy that.
She looked at the clock and was surprised it was well after 10am, until she remembered she probably had jet lag. Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knock at the door.
“Oh good you’re up, I was just checking to make sure you were breathing,” Binta joked as Ashanti threw a pillow at her from the bed.
“I’m alive, just jetlagged. I don't think I’ve ever slept this late in my entire life.”
“Yeah girl that's why I came up here to make sure you were ok!”
“I guess it’s something I’ll have to get used to if I’m going to be travelling a lot.”
Binta sat on the end of the bed.
“You really did love it huh?”
“I did, and there are so many places to see!”
Binta laughed and was about to say something when her beads rang.
“Oop, gotta go. Mrs. Obi is going into labor, but her doula came down with a stomach bug this morning so I get to step in.”
“Good luck!” Ashanti shouted at Binta as she frantically ran down the steps to grab her work bag and go.
Ashanti sat up in bed and stretched her arms out wide before swinging her legs over the side and standing up, stretching even further. She padded her way to the bathroom and checked herself out in the mirror while brushing her teeth. She decided to shower again since last night was more of a quick rinse, so she cut the water back on and got naked.
“Hey Kim, play music.”
How do you mend when you worlds apart?
Ooh, carry on
Ooh, from the start
Somehow, we fell in love, then fell right out of touch
And ooh, that was hard
But ooh, here we are
And it's easier to walk away
Than to look for what would make you stay
This time she was in the mood for the love song, so she allowed it to play all the way through.
Remember when we first met?
We were having so much fun
So, now, how can we both forget
Telling each other, "We're the one"?
We would make love (We would make love)
At the drop of a hat
Remember that?
(Yeah)
I remember you and me (You and me)
Close as any two can be (Two can be)
Now we're strangers in the night (Strangers)
Awkward in the tight
Oh baby, do you want to make it better?
Do you want to stay together?
Hey, if you do
Then let's please
Make some new
Memories
The song was cut off by her beads ringing. She finished rinsing off and hopped back out the shower to see who was calling her. She threw on a robe, then answered the call. She was surprised to see Zina on the other end.
“Hey Z, how’s it going?”
“Hey Shanti, so um the shop is really busy and Jafari got that stomach bug that’s going around and-”
“I’ll be there in 30, no worries. Breathe Zina.”
She took a deep breath and was able to destress a little bit.
“Sorry, I just get a little tense sometimes.”
“I understand. If it's too busy for you to handle, just close the doors and we can reopen when I get there. See you soon.”
She ended the call and searched for something to wear. She threw on a white t-shirt and colorful joggers with sneakers before grabbing her bags and heading out the door.
When she arrived at Taj’s the customers had died down so she was able to work in the back and look through her commissions. There was one that stood out to her, it was an anonymous client who wanted a very simple necklace. They could have bought one like it at the front of the shop, but she guessed this person wanted it made just for them. Looking at her calendar and other commissions she guessed it would be ready in a month or so, but with it being such a simple design she decided to go ahead and make it to get it out of the way.
-------
The king was surprised when Jafari called him to come pick up his order. It was way earlier than he had expected, but he would never complain about getting to see Ashanti sooner rather than later. T’Challa decided to take the day off again, and he knew his sister wouldn’t take too kindly to it so he decided to make her favorite breakfast for her. When his mother and sister rolled into their en suite kitchen, following the delicious smells wafting through the royal wing of the palace, Shuri immediately knew something was up.
“Unyana, shouldn’t you be working?”
“Oh no. Is this a bribe?” Shuri asked, eyes scanning over the American-style breakfast and mouth watering at the fluffy golden pancakes. She wanted to stand her ground, but they called to her. T’Challa knew what he was doing.
“Don’t think of it as a bribe, think of it as a thank you in advance,” he said with a sly smirk on his face.
“Let me go clear my schedule-” she sighed.
“No need. Already done,” he smiled at her as he shovelled scrambled eggs onto her plate.
“You’re the worst. This better be for a good reason.”
“It is.”
“Are you going to tell us what it is?” Queen Mother inquired.
“No, not yet.” T’Challa didn’t want his family to get too excited.
“Ugh, I deserve to know since you're making me queen for a day.”
He stared at her, deciding between telling her and keeping it to himself. His decision was cut short when his kimoyo beads rang and he answered to see Nakia looking very excited.
“N’Jadaka told me everything! How did it go?”
“Oh so you told him but won’t tell us?! Your own mother and sister? Your own flesh and blood? How rude.” Shuri said, crossing her arms and giving him a look of disapproval, making him roll his eyes at her dramatics.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to start anything, I was just so excited. You know the prince can’t hold water, I don’t know why you ever tell him anything.”
“You are right as usual, umhlobo wam.”
“Well, I’ll let you go since you obviously have some explaining to do,” she looked behind T’Challa at the princess and Queen Mother who had looks of displeasure on their faces. “Call me after!” And with that she ended the call and her hologram disappeared from his hand. He took a deep breath and turned to face his family.
“So?” Ramonda asked impatiently, Shuri nodding along.
“So...I am going to see Ashanti.” He paused as their faces lit up and he couldn't help but smile, too. “I went to see her on my off day a couple weeks ago, but she was out of town. Apparently she left to avoid the wedding coverage...but she’s back now, so I took the day off to go see her.”
Their smiles were up to their ears despite the silence that followed T’Challa’s explanation.
“I haven’t seen you look this happy in a long time, unyana wam.”
“Thank you mama, I’m hoping all goes well.”
“Bast be with you, dear.”
“Ugh, I guess I’ll do your job for you. Tell my sister I said hi and I miss her!”
Ramonda smirked at her daughter’s choice of words, and T’Challa fought to keep a smile off his face.
“I’ll do just that.”
“Well, go ahead and eat so you can get out of here,” Ramonda encouraged her son.
T’Challa chuckled at his mother’s insistence, but did what she said. He tried his best to not rush through the meal, but his excitement took over and he inhaled his breakfast before kissing Shuri and Ramonda on their foreheads and running out the door.
As soon as he left the kitchen his nerves kicked in and he decided to smoke a little something on his balcony before heading out. The royal grower had left him a nice hybrid strain, and after a couple of hits he felt calm enough to do what he needed to do. He ashed his blunt before making his way down the palace elevators and out the front entrance.
He strolled through the city with Okoye and three other Dora, standing tall and smiling at the few other pedestrians when they caught his eye.
“You’re in a good mood today. Is it the weed or our destination?” Okoye teased him.
“Yes.” he responded and chuckled as she gave him a knowing glance. She hadn’t seen her king this happy in...well it’s been a while.
They stopped just around the corner from Taj’s and T’Challa took a deep breath before walking forward. Thankfully it was still early and the market hadn’t livened up yet, so Taj’s would most likely be empty or at the very least not busy.
The Doras stood watch at the open doors and he stepped in, causing the chimes to ring out once again. He was met with the same smiling faces as before and he immediately deflated since he had been hoping he would get to see Ashanti.
“My king.” Zina and Jafari said in unison, saluting him in the process.
“Hello, I received a message that my order is ready. I would love to speak with the artist if she is in.”
“Sure, I’ll go grab her. She’s just in the back working on another order, I’ll be right back,” Zina said before hopping off her stool and disappearing behind a multicolored curtain that had been dyed by children in one of their art classes.
By the time Zina reached Ashanti’s workstation, she was overflowing with excitement.
“The-anonymous-client-is-here-and-they-want-to-meet-you!” she rushed out.
“Zina, breathe. One more time, please.” Ashanti looked up from measuring the pair of pendulums that would become pearl drop earrings when she was through with them.
“Just come out front and see for yourself.”
Ashanti sighed and set down her tools, brushing off her clothes as she stood and following Zina out to the front. She figured the anonymous order was either from someone she knew or from someone of nobility from one of the tribes, but nothing had prepared her to see T’Challa standing in her shop just like he did almost two years ago. She froze on the spot when she saw him and her two employees snickered at what they assumed was her “starstruck” face, not knowing it was anything but.
“Hi.” he said softly with a smile.
“Hi. So you’re my anonymous client?” her voice softened as she took in his form. T’Challa was many things, but he was not someone who repeated outfits, yet here he was in her shop wearing the exact same clothes as the day they met.
Zina and Jafari’s jaws fell to the floor as they both realized that Ashanti knew the king.
“That I am. I hope you don’t mind, I needed a way to see you. I didn’t want to just pop up at your home, but you blocked me, so...I understand though-”
“Holy shit-” Jafari said under his breath but much louder than he anticipated, causing Zina to elbow him in his side.
“W-we’ll just be in the back,” she stuttered as she pushed Jafari into the back room to give them privacy.
There was a tense silence for a moment before T’Challa spoke.
“I heard about New Orleans. How was it?”
“It, uh, was great. I was there about a month and met some really great people. Got a lot of painting done-”
“Hm” T’challa nodded with a warm smile on his face.
“What?”
“When Chidi told me you were in New Orleans that’s exactly what I pictured you doing. You, on a balcony, painting, with Jazz musicians playing on the street below.”
“So you pictured me, huh?” she teased.
T’Challa laughed. “Yes, quite often I’m afraid,” he took a step forward. “And you? Do you still think about me?” he asked her while moving closer so that the only thing between them was the counter.
Ashanti’s heart beat faster and her palms got sweatier with every step he took.
“All the time.”
“Do you have someone special in your life?”
“No. Any more arranged marriages on your end?”
He chuckled and shook his head, “No.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“Mhm.”
“Ashanti,” he took a deep breath. “I really am sorry.”
“For what?”
“I should have never let you go-”
“I needed to go, T’Challa. If you had chased me I just would’ve run further away.”
“Ok,” he nodded. “However, I know that if I had to see you with another man it would tear my heart to pieces, so I am sorry from the bottom of my heart that you had to experience that pain.” His big brown eyes twinkled with sincerity and her nerves simply melted away.
“Eh, I’ve had worse,” she joked, shrugging and holding up her pinky.
The two of them stared at each other in silence with small smiles plastered on their faces.
“Ashanti,” he began as he grabbed her hand and kissed it, feeling the cold metal of her robotic pinky beneath his lips, “I know it’s been a rollercoaster, to say the least, but my heart will always be yours.”
Tears welled up in her eyes and one escaped, prompting his thumb to reach out and swipe it away.
“Please don’t cry, kitten.” he said as tears threatened to escape his eyes, too.
“I’m sorry, I just-”
“Don’t be sorry, my love.”
She looked at him in that moment and took in his face that she missed more than her heart could bear. She missed his deep dark eyes, his broad nose, his bushy yet tamed eyebrows, and that lopsided gap toothed smile. She missed scratching his beard when they kissed and oiling his scalp with him seated between her legs. She missed the little things about him and their time spent together, and she was tired of running. She was tired of letting her fear dictate her happiness. She was tired of other people standing in their way, but now there was nothing in their way but a wooden countertop.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered.
He quickly rounded the counter and pulled her body in close, planting his lips on hers. She melted into him as they both finally let their tears fall. They stayed in that embrace for Bast knows how long, taking in the moment and reacquainting themselves with the feel of each other.
T’Challa had missed the smell of her perfume and the pomegranate leave-in conditioner she used in her hair even more than he realized. Her soft body conformed to his and it took all of his willpower to not explore her body more, so he leaned back to untangle himself from her momentarily only to be pulled back into her embrace. She rested her head on his chest and listened to the comforting sound of his heartbeat.
“Not yet,” she whimpered as she pulled him in tighter. He chuckled and rested his chin on top of her head after placing a light kiss on her crown. He saw the curtain ruffle slightly and knew her employees were eavesdropping.
“I think we have an audience.”
“I figured.” She refused to let go. “Can we go somewhere else?”
“Anywhere you want.”
The wheels in her head turned and turned. She didn’t want to be bothered by either of their loved ones, but she wanted privacy.
“Take me back to the lake.”
“Anything for you.”
She looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye. This time it was true, he really would and could do anything for her. There was no fiancee or council standing in his way.
“Zina, Jafari, you two can come out now,” she said as she pulled only halfway out of the king’s embrace, his arm still around her waist. Her two employees tripped over themselves from behind the curtain and emerged with guilty looks on their faces.
“I’ll be gone the rest of the day. If it gets too crazy I trust you two to handle it on your own.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Of course, bosslady.”
She momentarily left T’Challa’s warmth to grab her bag from the back before they sauntered out of Taj’s hand in hand.
-------
When you take somebody for your own
It can't survive on history alone
Meet me at the hotel, motel
Though we got a room at home
Go to a place that we don't know so well
It be nice, add a little spice
Try some new seduction
Show each other how
Give each other new instructions
On what makes us
Feel good
Now
I just wanna make you feel good now
Do you want to make it better?
Do you want to stay together?
And it's easier to run away
Than to look for what would make you stay
The music played in the background as they swayed back and forth. Her ear was planted directly over his heart again, listening as it beat in time with her own. His right hand intertwined with her left as he held her close and his chin found its home on the top of her head once more. They were both too full of emotion to speak, so they let the music do the talking for them.
Do you want to make it better?
Do you want to stay together?
If you do
Then let's please
Make some new
Memories
Do you want to make it better?
Do you want to stay together?
If you do
Then let's please
Make some new
Memories
Do you want to make it better?
Do you want to stay together?
If you do
Then let's please
Make some new
Memories
Do you want to make it better?
Do you want to stay together?
Eventually the two of them tired of dancing and laid back in the grass talking about their time apart. When she spoke of New Orleans her face lit up, and he made a mental note to take her around the globe. The conversation turned serious about halfway through and T’Challa told her the whole truth about what happened with Tamala, even telling her of his behavior towards her.
“That poor girl.”
“I know. Had I known she was serious I wouldn’t have been so crass with her, but in my mind she was just another obstacle blocking me from you. We’ve since made up and are on good terms, but I still feel like shit about it.”
“Challa, you hold on to too much. You apologized, she accepted, and you two made up. Let it go, don’t let it eat you up inside.” She cupped his face in her hands.
He nodded in understanding and kissed her wrist, sending chills down her spine.
“How is the sobriety going?”
“It’ll be six months next week.”
“I’m proud of you, you know that?”
“For becoming an alcoholic?” he joked.
She pinched his arm.
“No, silly. For getting a handle on it. My umalume was an alcoholic and I saw what it did to him. I’m happy you were able to get better.”
“I am too.”
They sat in another comfortable silence staring at each other until Ashanti got an idea.
“Want to go for a swim?”
A smile slowly crept up the king’s face before he bolted up, already pulling his shirt over his head.
“I’ll take that for a yes,” Ashanti laughed. “Help me with my zipper?” She stood up and turned around, moving her beaded cornrows out of his way.
“Of course,” he said as he came up behind her and pulled her zipper all the way down, revealing a lavender lace bra and the top of what he assumed to be matching panties. “Still into lingerie, I see.”
“Oh please, like you aren’t into it too.” She looked at him over her shoulder and smirked.
“You’ve got me there’” he said with a chuckle that rumbled from deep within his chiseled chest and made her weak in her knees. Ashanti turned around and her dress dropped to the ground, revealing her almost naked body. She undid her bra and let it fall next, freeing her breasts that he loved oh so much. Last to go was her underwear, which she slowly slid down her legs before standing back up and looking him in his eyes as if to challenge him. “You’re next” her eyes said to him.
T’Challa undid his belt buckle before unzipping his pants and pushing them to the ground. He had nothing underneath and Ashanti’s eyes were immediately drawn down to his thick, beautiful dick. She moved closer to him and placed a light kiss on his lips before taking his hand in hers and leading him to the water. The waded in to where Ashanti’s feet could still just barely touch the ground and she finally let his hand go and turned around to face him.
“I want us to start over. Like you said, we have a rocky history and I don’t want to carry that baggage with us anymore. We deserve a fresh start,” she brought her hands up to his shoulders, “You know, my umakhulu used to always tell us to take our problems to the river. He said freshwater had healing properties and could wash away your sorrows...well, it’s not the river, but I imagine this could work about the same way.”
A smirk fell on T’Challa’s face as he listened to her speak. “I never told you the name of this lake, did I?”
“I don’t think so, why?” Her big brown eyes stared up at him curiously.
“This is the Ichibi Lokuphilisa, blessed by Bast herself.”
“Oh...damn, I’m good.” she said as they both busted out laughing. Her bringing them to the Lake of Healing must have been a sign from Bast. Just like the dreams she had before meeting T’Challa and the ones she continues to have to this day.
“You brought us here for a reason, what will you have me do now, my love?”
“Do you mean that? Do you love me?”
His hand splashed up out the water and cupped her face while his other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her into him.
“I’ve loved you since our first date. Before I even met you I had these dreams-”
Ashanti’s eyes widened in shock.
“I saw you, too! I mean, it was blurry, but I saw you come into the shop and then I’ve had like a million sex dreams about you. Those haven’t gone away, either.”
“Neither have mine. My dream was blurry too, but I kissed you in your shop and then when we met and you dropped that broom, I felt sparks when our hands touched. I knew then you had to be the woman from my dream. Ashanti, my soul loved you before I even knew who you were.”
He wiped away the tears that were steadily falling from her eyes before kissing her forehead, her nose, then her lips.
“I love you too,” she whispered against the king’s lips while they stood there forehead to forehead, looking deep into each other’s souls. “And I don’t want to be without you again. I know I’m the one that left-“ she was cut off by him pressing his lips to hers.
“None of that matters now. Fresh start, right?”
She looked up at him and nodded.
“Fresh start.”
He leaned back in for a kiss and the two of them got lost in each other’s mouths, lips suckling and tongues swirling. Her hands found their way to his curls and his travelled down to her ass before giving it a squeeze, making her melt into him even more. Her legs came up and wrapped around his waist and he growled into the kiss, deepening it and holding her tighter. His dick rested between her cheeks as she rocked her hips back and forth along his length, grinding her clit into his pelvis as she let out a soft moan. She had missed how he felt inside her and couldn’t wait any longer, so she lifted herself up to place him at her entrance, and he rolled his hips forward to enter her slowly.
Ashanti hadn’t had sex with anyone since Zane, but her body immediately opened up for T’Challa, allowing him to slide into her with ease until they were connected pelvis to pelvis. Neither one of them realized the tears that fell from their eyes as they kissed and rocked into each other, letting the water hold them steady.
“Ndiyakuthanda” he whispered over and over in her ear, imprinting himself on her body once more as he nibbled on her earlobe.
Ashanti couldn’t open her mouth to form words, only moans of pleasure. She wanted to return the sentiment and tell him she loved him too, but the feeling of him inside her overwhelmed her senses. Tears continued to stream down her face as the pain of being apart from him the last year and a half washed away. Her body felt tingly all over and everywhere he touched her a searing heat followed, warming her skin from the inside out.
It took most of T’Challa’s strength to keep his knees from buckling from the pleasure he was feeling , but the lake waters kept him upright. He felt at home inside her and he couldn’t help the words of praise and adoration falling from his lips.
“You’re so beautiful.”
“I missed you so much.”
“Mmm you feel so good around me.”
“I’m yours, Ashanti.”
The tension inside her rose with each whisper, and when she was finally able to find the strength to speak she pulled back to look at him, taking in the tears that had made their way down his beautiful face.
“Ndiyakuthanda, T’Challa. With all my heart.”
Their lips smashed together and he lifted her higher, allowing the water to cushion her fall back down on him as he went impossibly deep inside her. His thrusts got rougher and she saw stars.
“Come with me, kitten.”
That was all Ashanti needed. She had missed so many things about T’Challa, but hearing him call her by her favorite nickname of his sent her over the edge.
Every time their hips met she grinded further into him and the tension rose in both of their bodies. His toes dug into the sediment as she wrapped her legs even tighter around him, both preparing for their orgasms. Ashanti was the first to break, his thrusts sending her over the edge. She called out his name as she released all over his dick, making his thrusts falter. Her walls contracted around him, locking him in place as he came deep inside her.
Neither could bear the thought of not touching the other, so they stayed just like that, trading light kisses and declarations of love as the waters around them stilled.
Next Chapter
Taglist: @maddeningmayhem, @theblulife, @ljstraightnochaser @determinednot2fall
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