seasons | killmonger

9 | K I L L M O N G E R

When I stayed with T'Challa's family and when W'Kabi felt like he was tired of watching me, I always found myself with Zuri, helping him out in any way he'd let me. I wasn't there to see him die, but I was there for his burial. "You good?" Erik asked me and I realized my finger was still brushing against the scar.

"Zuri was like family just like the T'Challa's family." I mumbled to him. He bit at the inside of his cheek and sighed.

"I can't take back what I did—"

"I know. It is what it is." I huffed and grabbed my food, deciding to just eat next to him. It grew quiet between the both of us when we went back to eating until Erik cleared his throat.

"Zuri... was he your pops?"

I smiled and shook my head no. "He was like a father figure to me since I didn't have my parents. Him and T'Chaka looked out for me while W'Kabi watched after me. W'Kabi hated it though."

"No siblings?"

"Only child." I shook my head. "I don't think I could handle having siblings, that's way too much responsibility for me."

He frowned at me, "Too much responsibility... but you like being first in command for the border tribe? How does that even add up?"

I tried to see if I could even validate what I said, but I knew I couldn't cause he had a point. "Now you're the one asking a lot of questions."

"What happened to your parents?" I sighed and put my food down completely cause I knew this would be a long discussion if he kept going.

"I don't really know, but they went missing a while back when I was eighteen. I don't know where they are now. If they're alive they never bothered to look for me, so I never bothered to look for them." He looked at me and nodded his head. I know he didn't fully understand, but he probably figured that nodding was the best response he could give right now.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. I don't really think about it much unless something reminds me of it."

Omniscient

Soon enough, Mbali found her head pushed up against Erik's thigh and their food was on the table while they kept talking. Even though she didn't want to admit it, she had a lot in common with Erik than she thought that she would— she wouldn't tell Nakia, Sanaa or the others though because she didn't want to see the looks on their faces. They didn't get too deep into the conversations since they both had things that they didn't feel that comfortable with sharing.

Erik had his feet kicked up on the table and a hand behind his head while his eyes stayed closed while Mbali kept poking at the scars on his arm in amazement. She knew that this was the closest she's ever been to him without her trying to fight him or their mouths being on each other, and if their friendship could stay this way, she wouldn't mind it. Everyone knew that Erik was good looking— even she did. But she didn't want any boundaries to be crossed. She enjoyed being single, just like he did.

"Yeka." Stop. Erik mumbled, his eyes still closed.

"Stop what?"

"You keep poking them like they're buttons. Nothings gonna come out of them, sweetheart." He smirked and opened his eyes to fully look at Mbali.