Wonder Woman ✧ T'CHALLA¹ [✓]

13 - Don't Say Goodbye

THINGS WENT SURPRISINGLY WELL AFTER THE BATTLE. W'Kabi and his Tribe surrendered, and W'Kabi himself was stripped of his ranking as leader. T'Challa, grateful for M'Baku's help, welcomed the Jabari back into Wakanda's government system, giving them an official say in the way things were done. Upon Diana's insistence, Erik was given a proper burial despite his actions, and was buried in a special place that overlooked the sunset.

Now, it was a week later, and Diana and T'Challa were standing together in the city, watching the life around them — much like they had done not so long ago, before all the chaos began.

"Thank you," T'Challa said to Diana after a moment. "You saved me. You saved my family. Our nation."

Diana shook her head. "There is nothing to thank me for. As an Amazon, is our duty to..." She trailed off, then glanced at him with a smile. "It was my duty to fight for what I love. I should have–"

Suddenly she was cut off as T'Challa leaned over and kissed her. When he pulled back, and Diana stared at him in surprise, he grinned at her.

"You can't blame me, I almost died," T'Challa told her.

Diana looked at him deeply, a smile spreading across her face, before she kissed him back.

"Stay," T'Challa murmured.

Diana opened her eyes, speechless as she stared at him. He actually wanted her to stay? After everything that had happened, and after all the danger she had put him and his country through, he really wanted her to stay?

"I know this is not your home," T'Challa said. "But it could be if you wanted it to. Everyone here knows what you did for us. So please, stay."

Diana looked at T'Challa with curious eyes. Then she leaned forward and kissed him. "I will think about it," she whispered.

T'Challa nodded, taking her hand. "Come with me. There is something I want to show you."

"What is it?" Diana asked.

"It's not here," T'Challa replied. When Diana raised an eyebrow in confusion, he smiled at her. "It's in California."

━━ ★★★ ━━

Several hours later, Diana, T'Challa, and Shuri stood in front of an abandoned apartment building in Oakland, California — Lake Merritt Apartment Complex, to be exact. The three of them, now dressed in subtle clothing, looked at the abandoned apartment building, while, in the distance, a group of six kids (mostly Black, some Latino), played three-on-three on a rugged basketball hoop.

"When you said you would take me to California for the first time," Shuri said after a moment, "I thought you meant Coachella, or Disneyland." She looked around, her brows furrowing in slight distaste. "Why here?"