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“Ororo.”
“Yes T’Challa.”

“Are you free right now?”
“Why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering, whether you’d like to go out somewhere.”
“Why?”

“I would like to talk to you…..”
“About what? Your proposal?”

“Yes.”
“I have thought about it.”

“And….”
”I haven’t reached a decision yet….I-I need more time.”

“Of course. Take as much time as you want. I have waited a lifetime for you, a few more days…I’ll keep-I’ll try to control my waiting heart.”
“Your glibness is not going to help your case.”

“Then what will? Tell me and I’ll do it. For you, anything.”
“….”

--

“So are you free right now?”
“What now?”

“I just want to spend some time with you, just the two of us.”
“We are alone here. There is not one else nearby.”

“I meant away from here. Perhaps in the city. I remember a couple of good restaurants from my previous stay in New York. Fit for a King and a Goddess….and if luck favors me, maybe my future queen.”
“I told you….”

“Don’t worry Ororo,” (smiles) “I was just, as they say here in America…yanking your chain.”
“Hmmm, not even two weeks and already you are fluent in teen talk.”

(Both laugh) “Now come on, before I embarrass myself even further.”

----

Both walk away towards the garage and are soon on the road

“Ororo.”
“Yes.”

“You seem preoccupied. Is something troubling you.”
“…no.”

“I hope my attempt at juvenile humor didn’t offend you.”
“No, its not that and it didn’t….not much.”

“Then what is it?”
“What is what?”

“You said its not that, so there must be something else on your mind.”
“Nothing that should concern you….just normal X.S.E. business.”

“Oh….”
“And don’t worry, my work with the X.S.E. won’t affect my decision regarding your proposal.”

“You just read my mind.”
“I just read your face.” (Both smile)

--

“Whether I accept your proposal or not, you do realize that I will continue my work….”
“Yes of course. But you base it from Wakanda. I can provide your team the best facilities…..”

“….” (silence)
“Or somewhere else in Africa. We don’t want conflicts of interests, do we?” (smile)

“No we don’t.” (smile returned)
“Good….here we are.”

----

Four hours later, they pull back into the side road leading to the mansion.

*WRROOOOMMMMM*

‘Logan’ (she knows)

“Isn’t that your teammate….Wolverine.”
“Yes, and he is no longer on my team.”

“Oh…..”
“Yes. Scott has him on his team now. Before he was on all three teams….”

“All three!!” (He’s surprised) “How did he do it?”
“He…He’s the best at what he does.”

“And now?”
“With the increased threat, his work with Cyclops’s team has increased.”

“Hmmm….I was wondering about it.”
“About what?”

“Nothing. Just that I haven’t seen him around much…hmm, come to think of it, just once. Guess he must be really busy, if he doesn’t even get the time to get back to the mansion.”
“He doesn’t live at the mansion. Not anymore.”

“Any reason?”
“He has been having a tough time. These past few months have been really difficult for him. That’s why he moved away. He needed time….”

“But shouldn’t he be near his friends? People who can help him….people he can turn to.”
“….” (silence)

“I am a king and even have my advisors hear me out from time to time.”
“….” (silence)

--

“I thought it be something else.”
“What else?” (Her heart misses a beat)

“When I told him about my proposal to you, I got the impression he wasn’t paying much attention….like he was someplace else.”
“He has been tracing his past.”

“No, I don’t think that was what it was. It was something else. I have worked with the troll in the past…”
“T’Challa.”

“Forgive me,” (flashes his teeth) “I have with that gentleman in the past, and somehow, something was off about him.”
“I wouldn’t know.”

“You wouldn’t?” (He’s surprised) “I thought you were friends….good friends.”
“We are….” (Thinking) ‘We were.’

--

“You know, I almost expected a showdown with him.” (He chuckles)
“W-What?”

“I expected him to try….well it doesn’t matter now. Its not even worth mentioning.”
“What did you expect T’Challa?”

“I expected him to try and stop you from accepting my proposal.”
“Why would you think that?” (Her voice has a fear in it….one that he catches but does not mention.”

“Like I told you its not even worth mentioning.”

-----

Reaching the garage, they get out and walk towards the mansion. Her walking faster, away from him.

-----

“Ororo.”
“Good night T’Challa. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Ororo…I’m sorry I mentioned it. It was wrong on my part to say that.”
“It was wrong on your part to even think that.” (She corrects him)

“What?” (He doesn’t believe it. He has smelled the other man’s passion for this Goddess, this woman….soon….if everything works out…soon to be HIS woman)
“It was wrong for you to even think that Logan would try and affect my decision or stop my from doing something that would bring my happiness.”

“You think accepting my proposal and marrying me would bring you happiness. There would none other person happier than me….Its my honor that you have accepted…”
“I haven’t accepted anything…..not yet anyway.”

“But you said….”
“I said, Logan would want me to do the thing that would make me happy. Inspite of what you think, inspite of his feelings towards me….my happiness would come first for him.”

“Ororo…”
“Good night King T’Challa.”

-----

An hour later,

A silent, black clad figure leaves the grounds of the X-Mansion.

It has to be somewhere, meet someone….SHE has to meet someone….meet HIM.

She’s made her decision….sort of.
 

Note: Wanted to get a BP-Ororo chapter done, but didn’t feel like writing too much support prose.

Next chapter…..Logan and Ororo.