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It was already getting dark outside when Luna finally emerged from Shuri's Lab for the evening. The lab had been quiet for several hours, but Luna was dedicated to the work that she was doing there. Luna adjusted her bag on her shoulder and made her way quickly up the stairs and out into the village. She needed to return home and grab a few things before going back out to meet T'Challa at their spot.
Each night followed the same pattern. Luna rushed home to change clothes and then headed right back out of the door to the coast of Lake Victoria, where she would find T'Challa with a beautiful picnic set up and waiting for her. They could debrief about the day and then just enjoy one another's company. The simple routine of their relationship had become something concrete that Luna could hold onto.
Since the Wizarding War, Luna had struggled to find a place to fit in and people that would want to spend time around her. She had met T'Challa and the other Avengers in Vienna. It was a happy accident that she had even stumbled into them in the first place. Luna had been chasing a group of nargles that had made their way from London to Vienna via an infested plant. It brought a smile to her face each time she thought about her first meeting with T'Challa and how she had to explain to him what a nargle was and why it was so important that she capture the one that had been hovering around his head for the last several hours.
In her attempts to capture the elusive nargle floating around his head, Luna had managed to overhear a few things that she probably wasn't supposed to and interjected a few of her own ideas. After capturing the nargle, T'Challa had invited her to return to Wakanda with him and offered her a place in Shuri's lab, working to find ways to unearth sources of vibranium. As Luna quickly found out, the nargle chasing after T'Challa was attracted to the energy coming from the necklace he was wearing at the time of their meeting.
Off in the distance, Luna could hear the crashing of the waves on Lake Victoria along the coast. A smile pulled at her lips. Soon she'd be with T'Challa, and all would be right with the world. Something was isolating about working down in the lab, but at the same time, there was also a buzz around the lab of everyone busy doing their part.
Luna neared their usual spot and noticed that T'Challa had his back to her, staring out at the water. She could feel the tension in the air even without being able to see his face. The smile on her face faded as she approached. He must have heard her feet crunching against the pebbles because he turned in her direction.
"Hey," Luna whispered, smiling at him as she approached and wrapped an arm around his waist.
"Hello, Luna," T'Challa replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and giving her a gentle squeeze. Even though he was standing beside her, it felt like he was a million miles away, distracted by something in his mind.
"Is everything okay?" Luna asked, pulling away from him, tucking her hands in her pockets, and kicking aimlessly at a rock at her feet.
T'Challa didn't answer her immediately; it appeared he was lost in thought. Luna bumped him with her elbow, forcing his attention to come back to her. He looked down at her with a furrowed brow and offered a half-hearted smile. "I'm sorry. What did you say?" he asked.
Luna took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. She let out a sigh, shaking her head. "I asked if everything was okay. T'Challa, what's going on?"
"I've been spending some time thinking," T'Challa began, his eyes trailing over Luna's small form. His heart went out to her, but he knew this would be the best thing for him right now. He needed to take his rightful place as the ruler of Wakanda, and he would be required to take a wife that was worthy of being queen. It wasn't that he didn't think Luna could handle the pressures of being queen, but that wasn't the life he envisioned for her. She deserved a life of happiness and freedom to do as she wanted, not restricted to the duties of Wakanda.
"About what?" Luna asked; she could feel her emotions starting to get the better of her. She let out a sigh and wiped away the tears that had started to form in the corners of her eyes.
"I want you to know, Luna," T'Challa said, reaching out to take her hands in his and squeezing them tight. "I will always love you."
"I love you too," Luna said, taking a step closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly.
"But," T'Challa continued as she lowered herself back down, "not in the way that I wish I could."
"What do you mean?" Luna asked, her eyes blinking rapidly as she fought back the tears that were starting to roll down her cheek.
"I need to take my place as the rightful ruler of Wakanda and find a queen who is willing to rule alongside me," T'Challa explained, reaching up to cup Luna's cheek and brush the tears away with his thumb. "You deserve a chance to do what it is with your life and not be confined to the limits of Wakanda. You deserve to be free."
"What if I want to rule alongside you?" Luna asked, leaning into his hand. The warmth of his skin set her heart a-flutter. "What if I don't want to be free?"
"Luna," T'Challa whispered, leaning in to press a kiss to her ear. "I don't want to be the reason that you feel trapped here in Wakanda, and you will do many beautiful things with your life."
"I want to stay here with you," Luna said, resting her head against his chest. "I want to be remembered for being more than just the weird girl who sees invisible creatures floating around peoples' heads."
T'Challa let out a laugh as he wrapped an arm around Luna's shoulders. "You, my darling, will never be forgotten. I will always love you, but I can't give you the love you deserve."