~International Outreach Centre~
After a few more seconds, they unfortunately had to pull away to catch their breath and both panting, they looked at each other. Both with red cheeks because of the lack of air, chest going up and down heavily and their pupils dilated as they rested their foreheads against each other. "Does this mean~...."
"It means whatever you want it to mean, princess."
~~~
"Can we take it slow though?" She played with his dreads, twisting a few around her fingers and he replied with a nod. "Thank you." She smiled.
"You're welcome, princess." He glanced at her lips with a smirk and wrapped his hands around the back of her thighs to lift her up. "Let's get you to bed now, we're leaving early in the morning."
"Leaving early? I thought I was free." She teased and held onto his shoulders not to fall backwards while he got up. She still felt a little awkward after everything, but she decided to just trust him with this since it looked like he had the right answers for everything. It was hopefully all going to be fine.
"Yeah." He licked his lips and carried her inside his room, closing the balcony door behind him. "You are and so we're going to make a trip to Oakland."
"Oakland?" She let go of him once he laid her down onto his bed and she climbed underneath his sheets. "What are we going to do there?"
"You'll see.... just go to sleep, ma." He gave her a small smile and wanted to turn around if it wasn't for the woman to grab his wrist, raising her brow, but yet not daring to ask her question. Not that she had to ask it.... he already knew what she wanted and lifted the sheets so he could join her. His strong arms wrapped around her waist again after he laid down and she closed her eyes. She still couldn't believe she was doing this. Being this close to her king. If the Elders saw this scene, she probably wouldn't be worthy of her title anymore, they would've felt betrayed that she chose him as king above T'Challa, but they weren't there and she didn't care. Her heart had already betrayed her.
The next morning, the woman woke up in a cold and empty bed. The warm body had vanished, but his cologne still lingered around her and she rubbed her eyes to look around. To her surprise it was still dark outside and checking her watch it said 04:50. He wasn't seriously going to pull her out of his godly bed around this time? Not when she was free. Looking around with her sleepy eyes, she watched him coming out of the bathroom with just a towel loosely wrapped around his waist and a smirk on his face.
"Slept well?" He twisted a few dreads while watching her through the mirror.
"Yeah." She sat up, pulling her cropped sweater down since it had moved up while she slept. "But I'm still tired."
"You can continue sleeping on the way there, get up." He held out his hand, the other holding onto his towel.
"Erik, please-.... 15 more minutes." She gave him puppy eyes and he grabbed some boxers and sweats to put them on in the meantime. She moved around and laid on her stomach, burying her face in his pillow to give him some privacy and perhaps get some more sleep. That was until she suddenly felt the soft sheets slide off of her and a strong hand wrapping around her wrist. 'Don't' was all she could mumble into the pillow before she was pulled off of the bed with a lot of force and ended up in his arms.
"Go take a shower and get ready, ma. No discussion possible." He growled in her ear and she groaned in annoyance. "It'll be worth it when we arrive there."
"Promise me."
"I promise, princess." He gave her a smile and brought her to his bathroom, sitting her down on his bathtub's edge. "I'll lay down some clothes for you when you're done."
"I can do that myself too." She suggested, but he shook his head.
"You can't go to Oakland in one of those fancy dresses you got. You need to have a simple, more comfy outfit to travel." He closed her bathroom door so she couldn't argue with him and went to her room after finding the key to the door. Ven was in the meantime taking off her clothes, letting her naked body lower in the hot bath that she prepared for herself and relaxing in it for the first time in months. Her head fell back against the wall, closing her eyes at the comfortable warmth. She never took a bath this long before because she never had the time for it, but now she did and she smiled to herself as she slowly started drifting off to sleep.
"You didn't fall asleep in there right?!" He knocked on her door after 20 minutes and her eyes flew open wide, shocked.
"I didn't!" She shouted back and rushed out, drying herself and covering herself up before opening the door in a hurry. "I'm sorry...."
"So you did?" He laughed a bit and handed her the pile of clean clothes. "Well, you have 30 more minutes before we leave."
"That's enough." In all honesty, it wasn't enough time for her, but she decided to leave her hair for what it was and just finish the rest first.
"Good, I'll be waiting outside." He gave her a friendly smile, his dimples deep and golden fangs visible, and he closed the door again, giving her the same privacy she had given him before. The woman quickly got dressed in some black cargo sweats and a dark green crop top, matched with a black oversized blouse and some white sneakers. She must say she liked the comfy outfit and it actually gave away her curves in a teasing and mysterious way which she really liked. She wasn't really someone to show off her figure completely because of how different she looked from other women, but she liked to tease a bit.
"Ready girl?"
"Yeah, give me a sec." She checked herself out in the mirror one last time and walked out the bathroom, seeing him checking her out instantly as well. Apparently, he agreed she looked hot in it too. "I do need to get my purse first before we leave."
"Nah, got it for you." He tossed her purse and she caught it just in time before it hit the floor. "Your reflexes are bad, ma."
"Don't judge my reflexes." She crossed her arms and chuckled a little when he laughed too. He was just so damn handsome when he laughed that she couldn't stop blushing or smiling too. Walking to the door to open it, Erik held out his hand and she took it. "You're not afraid people will see us?"
"The guards are downstairs so until we leave that elevator I don't care what we do." He pulled her along and together they walked through the hallway and into the elevator.
~~~
The streetlights were turned on in the pretty streets Ven and Erik passed in the Royal Talon Fighter and the sun completely disappeared behind the horizon after a few more hours. Ven was napping with her head on her king's lap and Erik was holding onto her while playing a simple game on his phone. Soon they would land on a basketball field in one of the less known streets in Oakland. A basketball field he had played on when he was just a kid.
Honestly, he was nervous to face his past once again, but wanted to show her his old home and discuss some matters there so he couldn't back away now.
Not when he had brought her all this way when he knew she didn't like being in public much.
Shaking her gently, Erik tried to wake her, but the only reaction she gave him back was a small groan.
"Come on, ma, wake up." He tried again and she furrowed her brows with her eyes still closed, shaking her head.
"15 more minutes." She groaned and covered her eyes with her arm.
"Not again." He laughed and lifted her head up from his lap before pulling her up. "That weekend off is already doing you some good, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess so." She rubbed her eyes and snuggled into his side sleepily. "My years of exhaustion are suddenly kicking in."
"I see it." He rubbed her side. "But we arrived, princess."
"Really?" She got up slowly and walked up to the window, staring outside in awe. She hadn't been in a different place in years so this was really something new for her. "It's gorgeous."
"Just like you." He whispered in her ear and she blushed when she felt his hand on her lower back.
"I um~ Thank you...." She smiled up at him and then back at the city, Erik's eyes still focused on her.
He couldn't believe he had her by his side right now, even after everything he had done. He knew she deserved better than a man like him.... she was too sweet and caring and always seemed to have good intentions, but he was already silently promising her that he would take care of her and keep her safe.
"Erik? Can we not go to a place where it's too crowded?" She watched some people playing basketball in the distance and he was pulled out of his thoughts.
"Yeah of course. I wasn't planning on that anyway. I rather need your opinion on something." He noticed them too and smiled to himself, flashbacks returning from when he was playing basketball with his dad.
"Opinion on what?"
"An idea. Go sit down again, princess." He felt the aircraft lower and held onto her waist while guiding her back to her seat. Together they then both sat down, feeling the vehicle land and it shook lightly afterwards because an opening and a set of stairs appeared so they could leave the aircraft. "Ready?" He looked at her and raised his brow.
Ven nodded and laid her hand in his before walking down the stairs with him.
The sky was dark, yet the air was still warm and Ven furrowed her brows, confused as to why they were standing in the middle of a basketball field. She hadn't noticed they had accidentally interrupted some teenage boys' game too, but Erik did and tossed them the keys to the aircraft.
"Aye yo, don't touch anything in there!" He laughed and the kids ran off.
"They will definitely touch things in there." She mumbled jokingly and her king nodded.
"As long as they don't fly off, it's cool." His eyes landed on the apartments in front of him and his smile disappeared from his face. Somewhere in there was his father's apartment.... the apartment where he had found his father with panther claws in his chest.... dead.
"So, my king, why are we here?" She teased him and her facial expression immediately changed when she noticed the sad glare in his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"You know what happened here?" He sighed, not taking his attention away from the buildings.
"No...." Her eyes switched to the buildings as well.
"Let me tell ya. This is where my uncle left me to die after he killed my father." He pointed at the level he used to live on and his jaw tightened. "In this fucking building.... He didn't care what would happen to the kid on the streets because he was too scared to bring back the truth to Wakanda and look at what it did. It created a broken man full of hatred."
"Not that broken...." She whispered and his head snapped her way which made her back off a bit. Something made that hateful gaze he gave T'Challa back at the ritual return to his face and she swallowed. She didn't mean to say anything wrong. "I mean, you have good intentions or else we wouldn't be here, right?"
"How do you know that we're here for good intentions?" He rubbed his hands together and folded them behind his back before softening his gaze again.
"We weren't planning on going anywhere crowded and you wanted my opinion on 'an idea'." She shrugged and he closed his eyes, giving her a nod to show her she had guessed right.
"I wanna make this the first Wakandan International Outreach Centre."
"You do?"
"Yes. I want to buy these three buildings to make it happen, but I wanted your opinion on it first because you're my adviser and all you know." He watched her closely and she nodded with a bright smile.
"It's a beautiful and reachable spot to do so." She checked her surroundings and then stared back at him. "And it's a very good idea."
"Yeah?" He sounded a bit unsure and she grabbed his hand, stroking the back of it with her thumb.
"Yeah. Your father would be proud, Erik." She kissed his jaw very quickly and then climbed over the fence to get closer to the buildings and note the phone number on one of the signs. "Now let's go buy these buildings before they get taken down."