Skinny Love ▷ T'Challa Udaku

5 - TELL THE TRUTH

OKOYE AND ZARINA HAD THE RELATIONSHIP WHERE THEY RARELY EVER SPOKE WHEN TOGETHER, BUT WHEN THEY DID SPEAK, THEY SPOKE FOR HOURS. Okoye and Zarina, while close when they were younger, their mothers both Dora Milaje, though Zarina's long since gone, had drifted apart slightly due to their divulging paths, Okoye focusing all her time as a Dora Milaje, practically finished with her training and rising up in the ranks faster than expected of any other woman, while Zarina focused on her studies to practice medicine. Each woman held the other in the highest regard, however, and made an active effort to spend at least a few minutes with the other when possible.

Which meant Zarina often slipped in during training to read and let Okoye know she was there to support her, even if she only looked up when there was a shout of pain or a laugh; she had work of her own to do, she was not a simple bystander in the lives of all the warriors in her life.

"Thank you," Okoye breathed, taking the proffered water from the shorter woman, sitting down next to her, "How is your father?"

"He is well," she replied, setting down her book, her lips curling into a smile, "Princess Shuri is proving to be a rather difficult student despite her genius. I wish you luck in protecting her from herself."

Okoye tried to hide her smile under a disapproving look. "Do not speak ill of the royal family."

Zarina rolled her eyes. "King T'Chaka wants his rule to his questioned, he wants what is best for his people, not for himself. He asked me, once, when I was young, what I thought about a matter of business."

Okoye raised an eyebrow. "Was it about anything important to Wakanda?"

Zarina shook her head, shrugging. "No, but he asked for my opinion, that must count for something."

Okoye shrugged, still standing, allowing herself a smile at that. "Speaking of protecting a princess, should I begin protecting you?" At Zarina's incredulous look, Okoye laughed. "You are practically a princess yourself, Zarina, all you have to do is actually speak to T'Challa about it."

"About what?" Zarina cried, her face warm; hearing these words from Okoye was much different than hearing them from W'Kabi; the boy teased as a brother would, but Okoye shared the truth as a sister.

"Zarina," Okoye said with fond exasperation, sitting down next to her, "You cannot keep lying to yourself or T'Challa, it's exhausting for the two of you as it is for all of us watching. You have known each other your whole lives, you've been in love for over half, I would think you would have done something by this point."

"You cannot define love by how you look at it or how happy I feel when I'm around him, it is deeper than that," was the first thing Zarina had said, "I do love him, but neither of us know if it is the love you describe."

Okoye took a deep breath, looking up towards the ceiling. "Okay. But that wasn't a disagreement."

"Of course it's not, you how I feel," Zarina said, almost in pain by how warm her face was, feeling as though it was inflamed, "But it is not that easy, Okoye. He is the prince. My father taught him. We have known each other for years."