Still In the MCU...They Can't Get Rid of Us (Follow up to story Into the MCU)

Little Bit of T'Challa Appreciation

Notes: Kinda possibly spoilers for Wakanda Forever. Like nothing is directly said that spoils it, but if you've seen the movie it's obvious what a lot of the conversation is about. And if you haven't seen the movie, it's obvious enough that it could spoil the opening of the film, so fair warning. This one is very brief, like not my usual chapter length. I just have wanted to write a brief thing with T'Challa since watching Wakanda Forever back when it came out. And I found the first hours of peace to do so, but only enough for a bit so it's short. I have other ideas for chapters and all of your suggestions, I just need time. Which I honestly don't know if I'll ever have😂 Cuz that's life. 

Stakeouts have to be the best job, you thought as you munched away on your Pringles.

You'd taken a car out "shopping", instead coming to this rendezvous. You'd had it planned for a while now, though you had backed out and recommitted a hundred times in the last twenty-four hours. It wasn't necessarily uncommon for you to do things without asking, especially as you grew increasingly more comfortable being your own person and having your own life in the MCU. In the past, you'd always still been a guest in ways. At least in your head. Now, you had to realize that you could come and go places as you pleased...not that this revelation thrilled some people...and clearly, if you felt the need to sneak around, then you didn't entirely believe that.

There was no need to tell them, you justified to yourself, And there's no need for any of them to panic and look for you, you're allowed out.

The tapping on the window made you nearly launch the Pringles in the air. Your face went from fear to happiness to "oh shit" and finally landed on reluctance, as you sighed and unlocked the car.

T'Challa opened the passenger side door, slipping in to the front seat and giving you an amused smile.

"How's your shopping coming along?"

"Great actually, I got some Pringles," you offered him the can, but he declined. "Shuri tell you I went shopping?"

"She did. She also told me the strangest thing," he said sarcastically, "She said you were in New Jersey, over an hour away."

"Good Pringles are hard to come by. How'd she know anyway? Not that I didn't think this car or anything is traceable if someone wanted to track me, but is there an alarm that goes off once I cross the stinkin state line?"

"She was checking to see how far it'd be for you to pick up those doughnuts she likes."

"You mean Okoye was checking."

"Breathe a word of what the general secretly likes to eat to any outsider and it might be the last thing she lets you do," he said jokingly, though the statement was entirely true.

"So how'd Shuri find me?"

"Be careful where you wear those kimoyo beads."

"I'm a sucker for fashion."

"Of course," he grinned.

"So why're you here?"

"The right question, but wrong person."

"I'm just eating Pringles," you said in exaggerated innocence.

"Yes. And eating and eating and eating..." he looked at the near empty container with mild concern.

"Hey, I offered."

"My body's under enough strife."

"Even the super kitty's juiced-up body's feeling a little sore?" you teased.

"Something like that," he smiled, "But what are you really doing here? It isn't like you to go off by yourself or lie about it."

"How'd you know? Maybe I'm so good at it that I do it all the time and you never realize?"