Let Me In
3 years had passed since Erik was taken to Wakanda, he got used to it, learned their dialect and starting doing some combat training, he wouldn’t succeed the throne but he wanted to be a an asset do the Royal Family, maybe become a spy or just fight by his cousin’s side, he didn’t decide it yet.
Erik and T’Challa were as close as ever, although T’Challa also started to learn about his duties as the throne successor, he took up a lot of physical training to get ready for being the Black Panther one day, so he couldn’t play around with Erik all the time, but Erik still had some time to play with Shuri, she really enjoyed techy things, Erik always found her playing around the lab when she shouldn’t be there, the scientists always told them to not be there.
But when Erik and T’Challa did have time together, they’d always go outside into the city, eat something and watch the sunset, they really had began to be forge a close bond, King T’Chaka was pleased. But even then he wasn’t able to tell him the truth of what had transpired the day his brother died. He couldn’t, after seeing his nephew grow happier day by day. He wasn’t capable to shatter him once more.
“T’Chaka?” Ramonda spoke to her husband as they waited for the council to reach the meeting room.
“What is it, Ramonda?”
“It’s been 3 years already. Are you really going to leave N’Jadaka in the dark?”
King T’Chaka frowned. “I’ll tell him when the time is right.”
Ramonda wanted to say more, but she knew nothing good would come out of this, so she left it. But seeing Erik grow without knowing the truth was painful, one day all of these lies would crumble, lies always get found out.
--
Erik and T’Challa we’re lunching together as they normally did, the Dora Milaje guards we’re chatting outside.
“What did you do in your hair?” T’Challa asked while eating rice.
“Oh, these?” Erik pointed at his dreadlocks, his hair took some time to get to a nice length to do that,but he finally did it and it looked great “They’re cool right?”
“Yeah,you look really good.” T’Challa smiled.
Erik chuckled and scratched the back of his head “Aw geez, you’re embarrassing me.” They both finished eating and left the restaurant, Erik was with a lollipop in his mouth “You really like those lollipops huh?” T’Challa said.
“I mean how can’t I? These are the best ones I ever had in my life!”
T’Challa rolled his eyes. “Want to do a hoverboard race?”
“Sure!”
They both picked up their hoverboards and started flying away, their bodyguards running after them extremely worried.
--
After they finished their little race they stopped at a random hill in the outskirts of the city to wait for the sunset as they usually did.
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the wind blow and the noise of the leaves shaking in the trees.
“So, T’Challa.” Erik turned to him. “How is the whole Black Panther training thingy?”
“Tiresome, but cool I guess.” T’Challa yawned. “I’m having a lot of exercise and I’m learning a lot about combat and war tactics… I’m not getting enough sleep and I feel a lot of pain from it. Ugh… I want a break.” Erik tapped his cousin’s shoulder, he could see dark circles under his eyes, I guess this was unavoidable responsibility as the successor to the throne.
“At least today you got a break right? Did you have fun?”
T’Challa laid his head in Erik’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “It’s always fun with you Erik.” Erik was a bit startled.
“You called me Erik.”
“Oh?” T’Challa said tiredly “I guess I--*yawns* did”
“Oh c’mere” Erik shifted a bit so T’Challa could lay his head in his lap.
“Take a little nap, cuz” Erik started tracing circles with his finger in T’Challa’s hair, lulling him to sleep.
He looked at T’Challa sleeping, he really was growing to be very handsome. His training was making his body become muscular and he could see traces of facial hair in his chin. He looked so cute and pure, Erik thought. ‘what if I kissed you…’ Erik caught off guard by his own thoughts, brushed that away. This was his cousin, not only that he was a boy.
But not like it mattered in Wakanda did it? He saw gay couples all around the city, and cousin relationships are really that bad? Royal Families used to have cousins marry each other, why couldn’t they both?
“God what the hell am I thinking” He shook his head. T’Challa grunted a bit.
“Oh sorry, cuz” He kept ‘petting’ T’Challa as the sun started to set.
“My lords!” Erik jumped and startled T’Challa with the sudden motion. “There you 2 are!” One of the Dora Milaje said “Your father has been dead worried about you two! Please let’s go back to the castle.”
T’Challa rubbed his eye “Ok… I’m sorry Ebele… me and Erik we’ll go back” Erik helped T’Challa get up as they followed Ebele to their vehicle.
“Sorry, Erik. I should have warned baba we we’re staying out.” He yawned again
“No problem, we can come another day.” They entered the royal ship and flew back to the castle.
--
They had dinner together with King T’Chaka, Queen Ramonda and Shuri. It was a pleasant night but the king scolded the two of them for not letting him know beforehand where they were.
Both of them finished and made their way to their rooms.
“Hey, Erik?” Erik looked at T’Challa.
“What’s up?”
“Can I… sleep with you”
“Sure, why though?”
“I just…” He was a bit red, Erik saw it. “it felt good… at the hill. I think I’ll sleep better.” He was very embarrassed to be asking for this, they didn’t sleep along made some time, they stopped doing it when puberty hit them and they started feeling as if it was weird to be doing that. But T’Challa never wanted to stop. They stopped because Erik wasn’t comfortable with it anymore. He was starting to feel things he thought he shouldn’t for his cousin. He tried to deny it for a long time. But it’s very difficult with T’Challa being so innocent and adorable, being such a good company and always providing Erik with a lot of affection. Erik really liked T’Challa.
“Fine, fine. Don’t make that face” Erik changed and waited for T’Challa to come back.
--
T’Challa laid down and Erik embraced him and started caressing his head and listened to T’Challa breathing. He looked like a… cat. Erik couldn’t unsee that. The way he was breathing reminded him of a purr. How is that even possible?
He kissed his cousin’s forehead. He didn’t know why he did that.
“What the hell am I doing…” He said to himself.
‘why do you have to be so goddamn cute… I shouldn’t be feeling these things.’ He tried to believe that these exchanges were mere fraternal affection, but… he could dream right?
‘did I really fall in love with my cousin?’ He thought, caught a bit off guard with by the word ‘love’.
‘I might as well make the most out of this.’ And finally closed his eyes.
He slept quickly and peacefully and T’Challa finally was able to get some nice rest.