T'cham, a continuation of your lovely prince!au please. It's so lovely. Maybe the night before their wedding?
Sam canât believe that he and TâChalla had the same idea. He also canât believe that his ring is pure vibranium, a silver circle painted lightly with black letters on the inside. TâChalla wonât translate but Sam has a few dozen advisors; between the lot, one of them has to be literate in Wakandan. Honestly, Sam should be too but heâs always been more of an auditory learner.Â
Twenty-twoâŠ. Twenty-threeâŠ
They arenât allowed to see each other a full 24 hours before the wedding. Itâs driving TâChalla crazy and he paces his room, back and forth, counting the steps in an attempt to keep himself calm. Shuri watches but says nothing as he spins on his heel and turns around again.
Itâs difficult to sleep for Sam. He keeps tossing and turning and eventually gives up with an exaggerated sigh. Part of him regrets turning Steve, his best man, down for some late-night drinking. Then again, the last thing he needs is a hangover on his wedding day.
TâChalla loves the ring Sam gave him. Itâs gold, as is the tradition in Samâs kingdom, but carved on the inside is âI love youâ in his handwriting. As much as TâChalla enjoys poking fun at how Sam loops his letters together and scrunches everything so that thereâs hardly any room between the words, itâs still Sam and that means more than anything to TâChalla.
Thirteen⊠Fourteen⊠FifteenâŠ
This is the first time in maybe eight years that they havenât spoken to each other in so long, Sam realizes. Ever since they were children theyâve always been close, mostly by force, but it wasnât until they turned fifteen that the teasing and annoyance transformed into genuine friendship.Â
All Sam wants is to be able to reassure TâChalla that everything will be ok. He knows that itâs all too easy for TâChalla to fall into his thoughts, going over plans and situations too many times for it to be healthy. But Sam has no idea how to get a message to his soon-to-be husband. Itâs not like he can flyâŠ
His eyes go over to the bird resting in the corner.
Eighteen⊠Nineteen.. TwentyâŠ
âYou are going to be exhausted for your own wedding, brother,â Shuri comments from the chair sheâs sitting in, finally fed up with his pacing. âWhat are you worried about? You and Sam love each other. There is no question of how this will go.âÂ
TâChalla stops in his tracks. He looks down at his hands. The left is where the band sits, glittering. In the morning, he will have to take it off and wear it around his neck, keeping it secret. That is fine. After the ceremony he will no longer have to hide how much he cares for Sam.Â
Something taps on the window. Both TâChalla and Shuri exchange a look and, silently, she draws a large dagger out of its hiding place under her skirt. TâChalla reaches for the war club that is leaning against the wall. Itâs a gift but, well, not dying from an assassination attempt takes precedence over being polite.Â
Shuri flings open the window and prepares to strike, but instead of a person itâs a bird that comes inside. TâChalla recognizes Redwing instantly and smiles even as the falcon lands on his bed and sticks his foot out. If a bird could look annoyed, Redwing is.
âWhat is it?â Shuri asks as TâChalla takes the note off of Redwingâs leg. He smiles and, well, thatâs all Shuri needs to know.
Both TâChalla and Sam sleep peacefully that night.
[First part here. Requests and commissions are open]