Summary: The day that Okoye is stripped from her title as general. You, who has been away to Jabari-land for meetings with M'baku, come home and comfort her.
--‐-----------------------------‐-----------‐-------------------------
Okoye left the throne room filled with her superiors, a prominent line of tears leaving her eyes as she walked briskly, careful not to trip. She had just lost her title as the General and she was no longer a member of the Dora Milaje, now having been demoted to being a regular civilian.
Regardless of that though, she didn't want to be seen crying by too many more people, already feeling humiliated at how weak she must has looked in there. She for sure knew that the word would spread soon and all of central Wakanda would be gossiping about the entire ordeal before suppertime. So she walked as fast as she could to her headquarters in the royal palace, to pack her few things and return to your shared nearby home.
There wasn't much in the room, anyway. Just a few pieces of clothing, some gadgets that she would leave behind, and a small picture framed of the two of you on your trip in America taken last year. It had been a goofy photo, one that she had never shown anyone, of the two of you sharing an ice cream during a short break at an ice cream parlor when you both had a free hour. You had taken it before she could stop you, doing it to quickly for the camera to capture clearly, so it was a bit blurry. But the smiles on your faces were clearly wide and happy.
After admiring the photo and putting it in her bag, she looked around one last time.
She left most of the things that she had found in the room when she had first arrived exactly where they were, choosing to send you a quick message with her kimoyo beads telling you that she would be at home tonight. She tried to make the message sound as normal as possible, not wanting to alarm you, or prompt you to come home from your week away working in the Jabari-Lands too soon.
She remembered you mentioning how important the week was for your work, as you would be attempting to work with M'baku and his elders for the architectural developments that were to take place in the coming months for their people. M'baku had been extremely stubborn about the entire situation. Not wanting to admit to the real troubles that living in caves often brought to the people of the Jabari-Lands. After 3 years of negotiating, you were finally given permission to start the renovation process, just a few small things in the caves to make living in them less physically taxing. Although you had offered to do much more for them, you accepted the offer before M'baku or anyone else could change their minds.
It had been 6 days since you had left, and today was the last day before you were to return, so Okoye didn't want to postpone any of your progress by making you leave 6 hours early. You were each other's weaknesses, and she knew that seeing her hurting would make you loose all rationality and you would rush home faster than ever, just to make sure that she was okay.
If she was lucky, you wouldn't find out about what happened before she could tell you herself, but with the way that the day had been going, she doubted that she had much luck left to her name at that point.
She took off her uniform and left it on the bed, deciding to put on a plain dress and her blue sandals from home. She looked in both directions before leaving her room and subsequently leaving the palace.
The journey home was very uncomfortable because the word was already starting to spread. Many people gave Okoye looks of pity, some, of gratitude and a few people even looked quite smug.
She wasn't as distinguishable as usual, not being in uniform, or standing quite as tall as she usually did, but people still tried to get her to answer questions on whether the rumours were true whenever they recognized her. They wanted to know if she had really lost the princess and been released from her work with the royal family. She didn't respond much, giving people quick and few words like, "Move, please" or "I'd rather not say" up until she reached home.
By now it was still early, but the sun would set soon and you would be home not to long after.
She had noticed a vibration from her beads on her way, but seeing that it was a call from you she hadn't wanted to answer you while in her current state. She had stopped crying so much, and her face also looked better, but her voice was still fragile and she would have broken down the moment she tried to speak to you.
Now at home, she pressed her beads to play your voicemail.
"Imibuliso, sithandwa sam. Ndizakufika ekhaya kungekudala, kulungile. Akukho mfuneko yoxinzelelo malunga nokupheka. Kukho ukutya efrijini. (Greetings, my love. I'll be home soon, okay. No need to stress about cooking. There's food in the fridge.)
She felt a bit better hearing this.
Locking the door and sitting her keys on the kitchen table, Okoye went to go lay on the bed in the bedroom. She tried to go to sleep, wanting to get a few hours of rest and wake up to it all having been a huge misunderstanding, but your lack of presence made it hard. She wanted, needed you to be with her. She grabbed your blanket out from the wardrobe wanting to be as close to you as possible, and dragged herself to her favourite corner in the living room to sit by. There was a very nice chair that sat in the corner, but Okoye opted to sit on the floor.
There, she began to slowly allow herself to cry, the tears coming out with less grace as when she was in the palace. She nearly stood up to go back to the palace and fight for her position back, her sore and weak legs being the only things that prevented her from getting up.
After what felt like 10 hours, she heard the door unlock, seeing your figure enter you home from the distance.
"Standwa, I'm home!" you announced as you took your shoes off and went to go and wash your hands. It had been a long day and you wanted to freshen up and relax for the rest of it.
" In here." Okoye declared sniffling.
You hadn't yet seen your wife's emotional condition so you continued to speak about your day as usual, not having spoken to her properly for about 2 weeks.
"Sthandwa sam, awuzuyikholelwa into ethethwe nguM'baku kwintlanganiso yethu namhlanje. Ngamanye amaxesha andiyazi ukuba iJabari Tribe ivumela njani umntu ohlekisayo ukuba abe nguMpathi wabo- (My darling, you will not believe what M'baku said at our meeting today. Sometimes I don't know how the Jabari Tribe allow such a comedian to be their leader-)" you paused upon walking closer and seeing Okoye, your entire world, on the floor with your blanket wrapped around her.
She only took that blanket out when she needed you for comfort and you weren't there. Without knowing what exactly had happened, you felt guilty for not getting there sooner.
"Baby, kwenzeka ntoni (Baby, what's wrong)?" you walked towards her slowly, not wanting to scare her while in her already shaken state. You knew that she didn't respond well to fast movements when she was emotionally charged and you didn't want a hard bruise from her spear on your arm today. Looking around, you noticed that her spear wasn't with her which was strange.
Okoye knew immediately that you really had no idea what had happened, and although that is what she had hoped for, she now wished you had found out on your way back. Now she had to muster up the courage to tell you the highly disappointing news. Although she knew that you wouldn't be angry, you had always taken pride in being the General of the Dora Milaje's wife. And now that title was no longer.
Seeing her so frazzled, you went to get a glass of water and sat on the chair next to her, handing her the water. She would eventually break down completely, you knew that, but right now you just needed her to stay as calm as possible. You hadn't seen her this emotional since the day King T'challa died, and it had been rare to see her shed even one tear before and after that day, so you knew that it was serious.
After she had drank the water and you had completely soothed her for a while, you went ahead and started asking for answers.
"Do you want to move to the couch?"
She shook her head. You decided to get on the floor as well, moving the chair to the side and positioning yourself to cradle her.
"Can you tell me what happened?" you asked, your arms holding her softly. You were sitting behind her now your head laying on her shoulder as you nuzzled her neck so very gently. That usually made her feel good.
"I..." she tried to speak but instantly there was a lump in her throat.
"Take your time, Sthandwa."
Clearing her throat and taking in few shaky breathes, she tried again.
"The queen trusted me to take care of Shuri while we went to find the scientist, but I failed to." tears again flooded down as you held her a bit tighter.
"I lost her in battle and she was taken. Since I did not adhere to my promise. Queen Ramonda decided that I should be... that I should be stripped of my title and no longer be allowed as a part of the Dora Milaje." The last part came out almost inaudible as her throat closed up again and the only thing she could do was cry.
"Ndiyaxolisa ngokuphoxeka. (I'm sorry for the disappointment.)" she choked out sobbing some more.
"Don't say that Okoye." you turned both of your bodies to make it that you were now craddling her from the front instead of the back, so that she could see your face when you spoke.
"Andaphoxeka qha ndinexhala.(I'm not disappointed, I'm just worried.)"
Her face was completely drenched, you had no tissues on you and you didn't want to leave her to get some so you took the long sleeve of the wool jersey that you were wearing and began to softly and slowly wipe her face of her tears.
You would have to put it in the washing machine after this, which you didn't like doing because it was you favourite jersey and you loved wearing it everyday, but for her it was worth it.
"I'm sorry." Okoye kept repeating herself.
" Don't feel sorry. I'm sorry for not getting here sooner."
"You did take forever." Okoye chuckled out. You laughed around that and said sorry again.
The two of you sat on the floor for a long time, Okoye occasionally going into a fit of tears again but soon pulling herself together.
It was far past the evening when Okoye picked herself up off of the floor, prompting you to do the same. You helped her get into bed and offered her food before saying goodnight.
"Ndiyakuthanda sthandwa sam, futhi ndohlale ndikuthanda, ndifuna uhlale uyazi lo nto. (I love you, baby. I will always do so. I want you to know that.) "
You, still having a little work to do, closed the door to the bedroom enough to not disturb her sleep but not enough to not hear her if she were to call for you.
--‐--------------------‐-----------------------‐----------------------
The next day...
Okoye woke up feeling a bit more refreshed. She had still been disappointed when she realized that yesterday's events had indeed actually happened, but she was glad that you were there for her when she needed it the most.
Hearing the rustling from the sheets you called out.
"Sthandwa sam uvukile? (My love are you awake?)"
"Ewe sthandwa sam (Yes, my love.)"
You came into the room with a tray of her favourite breakfast dish, something you clearly had woken up early to do and definitely had made from scratch.
"For me?" She questioned as she sat up to balance the tray on her legs.
You gave her a a serious look that turned quickly into a smile, "Yes for you."
"You didn't eat dinner yesterday so I wanted to make your breakfast special."
At this point, Okoye remembered once more why she loved you so much. You were always 10 steps ahead in knowing what she needed.
The funny thing was that she knew that you never catered to anyone the way you catered to her. Most of the time you did only exactly what was required, no less and definitely not too much more.
With her, you always did far too much. She always did the same with you so it was a balanced relationship but the way that you looked after her when she had her moments, the ones that she considered to be weak and humiliating, was always just another reason why she fell more in love with you everyday.
As she indulged in your amazing food, you sat down on your side of the bed facing her way so that she could tell that you had something to say.
"My love. I want you to know how much I love you. I know that I said all of this yesterday but I really meant it. You are always gonna be enough for me. Whether you are a General or a regular civilian or neither of those things. You will always be making me proud."
Okoye kept eating not saying anything but you knew that she heard you.
" Uyandiqonda? (Do you understand me?)"
"Ewe. (Yes.)" She muttered eventually
"I said, do you understand me?!" You asked again wanting to get her riled up.
"YES!" She finally exclaimed.
With that, you went in for a kiss, before attempting to leave the room to give her some privacy.
Before you could leave; she stopped you.
"Wait! I can't finish this all by myself."
You turned around to face her.
"Okoye, be serious, now. You can definitely finish even 2 of those by yourself. If you wanted me to stay you should have just said that."
She laughed out at how much you hated when she tried to beat around the bush, but she didn't want to give you the satisfaction.
"Fine then. You can't go because... because you never finished telling me what M'baku said at the meeting yesterday."
You were smiling now, going back to where you were so that you could finish telling her what exactly M'baku had said at the meeting.
You knew that the moment might not last long, and you would have to have a much more intense conversation about everything later on in the day.
But for now, you were both there and you were both happy so you knew that she would be able to get through this.