AN: Hey y’all, truthfully, honestly, dead ass I am a SLUT for fake dating or enemies to lovers trope. I really eat that shit right the fuck up I love it. I saw this post and this idea just kinda popped up in my head and I HAD to write it. I like how cocky this Shuri is, I’m a fan. As always to be added to my tag list comment below!
Summary: As the only daughter of Geneliea, there were things you just had to do, and marrying the Queen of Wakanda was one of those things.
Pairing: Shuri x Fem!Reader
Warnings: Cursing, l think that's it.
Word count: 2,821
Suggested listening: Die For You - The Weeknd
“I don't want this feelin', I can't afford love
I try to find a reason to pull us apart
It ain't workin', 'cause you're perfect, and I know that you're worth it
I can't walk away, oh”
“You know you could at least pretend to like me sometimes,” Shuri said to you as you two sat side by side on the couch in the living room of your shared home. The cameras in front of you had been abandoned for a quick systems check, momentarily leaving you and Shuri alone in the room.
You scoffed at Shuri’s comment and rolled your eyes. “Is the act I’m putting on not satisfactory for you, your majesty?” You asked, adding emphasis to her title.
That got under Shuri’s skin enough to have her turn to face you. “No, my queen, it’s not. Try harder, this ‘I hate you with everything in me.’ act is getting old.’” She scooted slightly closer to you on the couch so that your bodies were within reach of each other. “Especially when we both know it isn’t true.”
You snapped your neck to face her and sent her a glare that held a thousand knives. “You know I’m really starting to think I hate you.”
The Queen let out a gasp with a smile before speaking. “You’ve been thinking about me usana?”
“Fuck you, Shuri.” You spat, never dropping your glare the same way she never dropped that stupid devilish smile that you couldn’t help but find a little cute.
She leaned in closer to you and you immediately turned back to face forward. You heard her chuckle at your action but she still stayed close to you, now whispering in your ear. “You sound so pretty when you say my name like that sthandwa.”
The feeling of Shuri’s breath hot on your neck in combination with the sound of her voice sent shock waves through your body. God, she was electric. No. Shuri Udaku was not supposed to be electric. You swore to never allow yourself to develop any feelings for her other than hate. And this feeling, the one that you were too afraid even to name in your head because of its power, was definitely not one you were supposed to be having.
Just as you tried to scoot away from her, to give yourself room to breathe away from her magnetic energy, the first beginnings of the camera crew started rolling in. Shuri quickly grabbed your hand and took it in hers, preventing you from moving any farther away. You shot her a look of warning, but when she didn’t let you go you had no choice but to attempt to pull your arm away from her.
They weren't kidding about that Black Panther strength.
Shuri didn’t move an inch but you did and you made a sound when you were pulled back down to the couch. “Careful my love, people are watching.”
You looked around the room, more people had come and Shuri was right. A few people were looking at you two. ‘Fuck.’ You thought. This facade you had to put up with Shuri was your job and despite your personal feelings toward her you always did a good job. You pulled your hand from her grasp and brushed some dust off your skirt.
“I like it when you wear skirts, did you know that?” Shuri asked, still looking at you. You could feel her eyes on the exposed skin of your legs and you rubbed your thighs together involuntarily.
“Shut up.”
“I like the short ones, like this one.” She reached out to touch the hem of your skirt but you slapped her hand away lightly earning a chuckle from her. “But I also like the long ones that you wear when it’s just us in the house. The flowy ones that touch the floor when you walk.”
Had she really paid so much attention to you when you were together that she knew what you wore? Sure you two lived in the same house and slept in the same bed but truthfully you lived two completely separate lives. You assumed that she paid you no mind but her comment about your attire seemed to prove different.
Before you could speak, the woman who was interviewing you two came back into the room. Without thinking you scooted your body closer to Shuri’s, ready to put on the show that your job required. Shuri wrapped her arm around your waist and pulled you so that your bodies were touching, you naturally leaned into her, and the way you two fit together felt right. As much as your mind wanted to hate being so close to her, your body felt like it was right where it was supposed to be.
The interviewer stood in front of you and Shuri for a moment with the biggest grin you’d ever seen on her face. “Oh my Bast, you two are just the cutest! Can’t keep your hands off of each other for a minute, can you!” She exclaimed with a laugh.
“What can I say, Asha, when Bast has blessed you with a beautiful wife you don’t let her go!” Shuri joked back with the woman, tapping the side of your hip where her hand rested sending shivers she no doubt felt up your spine.
‘Laying it on thick today, are we?’ You thought. ‘Two can play that game.’
“Oh, my Queen you’re gonna give me cavities with how sweet you are on her! Alright well, we got everything figured out on the back end so if you two are ready we can start back up again?” Asha looked between you and Shuri for confirmation.
“Just one second. Look at me, baby.” Shuri turned to face you and you tilted her chin up and wiped an imaginary fleck of dust off of her lip. The way her eyes watched you made you feel like prey. “Now we’re ready, I think I may have left some of my lip gloss on her lips. Sorry!” You said with a chuckle.
That was a lie that only you and Shuri knew. You hadn’t gotten anywhere close to her for your lip gloss to end up on her lips, you touched her because you wanted to get under her skin. And it worked. She wanted to lay it on thick in front of reporters, you could do just the same.
“What is Wakanda going to do with you two love birds!” Asha squealed after you two had finally turned your attention back to her. She sat down across from you and looked to a producer in the back who gave her a thumbs up. “Ready?” She asked one last time.
You both nodded and the cameras started rolling. Game time.
“Hello and welcome back to Wakanda’s favorite source of social news, I am your host Asha Mehfume and this is The Hot Seat! Today I’ve got with me two of my favorite guests to have here on The Hot Seat and in fact this time they’ve dragged me out of the studio and into their gorgeous home. Any guesses? I’ll give you a hint. Their whirlwind romance started two years ago and the country, scratch that, the world hasn’t been able to get enough of them since.”
You couldn’t help but let your mind wander as you listened to Asha’s opener. While you always enjoyed Asha’s energy and even watched her show occasionally, you’d heard some version of this cold open a million times. You wondered if Shuri’s mind wandered the same as yours and you glanced over at her quickly to see if she was paying attention. She was facing forward, eyes on Asha but you could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn’t mentally there. It was the same look you’d seen throughout the majority of your courtship.
“For those of you who’ve been living under a rock, or just were not quick enough to catch my clues today's special guests are the queens of our nation, Queen Shuri Udaku and her wife Queen Y/N Y/L/N Udaku!” Asha applauded and you and Shuri couldn’t help but smile at her excitement over you two.
“Thank you for coming over Asha really, we’re so happy to have you here.” You beamed.
“Oh my Queen, thank you! It’s not every day you get invited into the personal home of the Queens' of Wakanda.” She replied with a smile.
“Asha we’ve got to have you over one day without all the pomp and circumstance.” Shuri gestured around the room. “We’ve done how many of these now? I’d like to think we’re friends.”
All three of you shared a laugh at Shuri’s comment. It was true you had done countless interviews during your relationship with Shuri but your favorites and most frequent were always with Asha.
“If you two would go as far as to consider me a friend I would love to come over.” She let the last bit of her laughing out before turning back to her notes. “So, as we’ve already hinted at, today's show doesn't take place in the studio or even at the palace. Today we are in the Queen’s private residence. Now obviously for safety reasons, we aren't going to disclose where in Wakanda we are. Even if I wanted to, I’m sure the Dora Milaje would have my tongue before I could get a location out.” You laughed politely at her very true joke.
“Before we get into what we’re really here to talk about I have to say, your home is beautiful! Who's the interior decorator of the relationship?”
“Oh Y/N a hundred percent,” Shuri stated emphatically.
“Really?” Asha asked, surprised by the response.
Shuri waited for you to speak, but when you didn’t she spoke up for you. “Don’t shy up now, usana, tell them how you decorated the house.” Shuri nudged you gently with your body when she saw the shy smile on your face, having learned you weren’t one to take credit for that type of stuff.
“I may have dabbled in the design plan a little bit.” You said with a smile.
“My wife’s too humble,” Shuri interjected. “Everything in here was her choice and doesn't it look great? If it were up to me this whole thing would look like a lab but she’s created a home for us.”
Shuri’s comments warmed your heart and you smiled. “I took some inspiration from everywhere I lived. It’s the openness of US design, French-inspired decor, and the color palette from right here in Wakanda.”
“Wow and it all came together so well, I’m amazed,” Asha remarked looking around your living room. “Speaking of everywhere you’ve lived, you’ve been in Wakanda now full-time for a year. How does it compare?”
Shuri looked over at you, wondering what your answer was going to be. “I’ve loved it here so much Asha you have no idea!” You giggled. “I drag Shuri out with me to the markets just to be out in the city, it’s so beautiful.”
What you said wasn’t a lie, you and Shuri did go out to the markets to look around together once a month. But the romantic way you described it as if you two were sneaking off, was far from the truth. It was a planned event, a work event that you two both had to show up to and play the in-love couple for the people of Wakanda.
“So it’s safe to say it tops France and the United States?” Asha asked curiously.
You nodded, the smile still on your face. “Wakanda has my heart now. Literally and physically.” Shuri looked over and smiled at you, pressing a sweet kiss to your cheek. Your brain temporarily checked out upon feeling her lips on your skin, but they were gone just as soon as they came. She always knew how to leave you wanting more.
“And what about home? Everyone couldn’t stop talking about your pride in your country when you married. How does Wakanda weigh up against Geneliea?”
Hearing the name of your home made your heart feel suddenly heavy in your chest. You involuntarily started tapping your leg the more you thought about Genelia. The last time you were home you swore to your parents that you would never forgive them for forcing this “duty” upon you and taking your life away. That’d been a year ago and you hadn’t been back or voluntarily thought about it since.
Shuri felt your leg start tapping and put two and two together that your sudden irritation or anxiety was due to your home being mentioned. You never spoke about Genelia and Shuri never asked about it, it was just one of those things that were best left tucked away and not thought about.
“Genelia was where I was raised Asha, so you have to understand I’ll always have some love for it. But Wakanda is my home, there's not really anything to compare anymore. I’ve built my life and plan on continuing to build it here.” While your statement may have fooled Asha and the rest of the public, Shuri could tell some part of what you were saying wasn’t true. Your hip bouncing was an obvious tell.
Shuri slipped her hand in the space between your skirt and shirt so her hand was touching your skin and she rubbed gently. Her touch shocked you at first but you soon melted into it, allowing yourself to be calmed by it. After a few moments, your leg stopped bouncing and your heart felt normal again.
The rest of the interview went well. Asha asked you and Shuri a series of questions that had been sent in by viewers of the show and you two answered. Most of them were sweet like what you thought of the other when you first met or who made the first move. Those were easy, you two had concocted the story of your relationship months ago so it was just a matter of spewing the same lines. When Asha asked the last question you and Shuri laid it on thick, ending the interview with a big kiss.
You tried to put your feelings aside when you kissed, it was a work thing, something you had to do because it was your job to look like you were in love with your wife. But something in you told you that wasn’t the case, the feeling of butterflies that she sent through your body when she took your face in her hand or the blush that ripped across your cheeks when she pulled away and smiled at you. Those weren’t work-related feelings.
It took twenty minutes for everyone to clear out of your home. You and Shuri stayed in each other's physical presence, you leaning your head on her shoulder until the last sound person left. Leaving you with just Ayo, Aneka who were your personal guards, and Okoye who had come to supervise. In just the presence of the three women you knew it was safe to drop the act.
You lifted your head off of her shoulder and waited for her to unlatch herself from you. “You can remove your arm from my waist now.”
“What if I like it there?” Shuri questioned, rubbing your skin again and sending the same shock waves through your body.
You scoffed at her boldness and stood up from the couch facing her. “I’m going out.”
“Where?”
“Why do you care?” You asked, scrunching up your face at her interest in your whereabouts.
“I’m your wife, it’s my job to care for and know my wife's location.” Shuri countered, keeping cool despite your building attitude.
You held your wrist up in the air, jangling your kimoyo beads against your other beaded bracelets. “You’ve got my location twenty-four seven and you have guards follow my every step. Is that not enough for you my queen?”
“Nope.” She replied simply folding her arms over her chest, not moving from her position in the argument or her spot on the couch.
Her coolness bothered you deep to your core and it took everything in you not to scream. “I’m leaving.” You turned on your heels and walked towards the door. You only noticed Ayo and Aneka behind you when you reached for the handle. “I do not need my shadows today, you are dismissed.”
Ayo looked you up and down while Ankea tried to reason with you. “But my Queen-”
“You have to follow my orders correctly as Dora Milaje?” You asked tilting your head to the side.
“Yes, your majesty but-”
“Then my order is that you and Ayo spend the day not following me around. You are dismissed.” You said one final time before turning back around and exiting the room.
Aneka looked up at Ayo, unsure of what to do. Ayo just sighed and turned her attention to Shuri.
“She never knows when something is in her best interest,” Shuri said with a sigh. “Follow her please, make sure she doesn't get herself into any trouble.”
Here's a little snippet thing to get myself started at having a blog with, like, content.
I was inspired by the absolute silliness that is the class of TWST item called "Secret Snacks." I just adore the concept that you can boost your friendship with game characters by, apparently, stealthily feeding them illegal snacks during class?
All my (excessive number of) Jade cards have full vignettes *cries* but I just want to keep feeding him forever... help...
"Secret Snacks"
You are sitting next to J.ade in class before lunch. You can hear his stomach growling and whining every few minutes.
You occasionally catch him frowning down at himself after a particularly egregious rumble, like he's trying to scold his belly into silence. You can't help but let out a quiet giggle at his stern expression, and Jade, realizing he's been perceived, shoots you a sheepish grin.
"So sorry," he mouths, sotto voce.
You reassure him that it's alright.
Towards the end of class, you notice Jade reaching down to fold one arm around his middle. His stomach's complaints have gotten quieter, but they've also become more frequent, to the point that the gurgles have become a near-constant background noise.
As you watch, Jade looks up to check the clock for the umpteenth time, then sighs quietly and slumps forward a bit in his chair, lips pressed tightly together in a disappointed pout. You look up, too, and note that here's still about fifteen minutes before lunchtime.
Poor Jade. Since agreeing to switch seats with Leona (who wanted a spot behind the tall student so the professor couldn't see him as well), you've noticed that Jade gets distractingly hungry like this every day, around the same time.
Jade is usually perfectly attentive and studious during class. But you've heard he also has, what he terms, "poor fuel efficiency. So, you guess that this is around the time his energy reserves from breakfast are nearly depleted.
His empty, grumbling stomach clearly makes the mer student unhappy and fidgety, shifting in his seat, shuffling papers aimlessly, or doodling in the margins of his notebook.
You've seen Jade's actual sketchbook, so you know the eel is quite artistically talented. But, humorously enough, as lunchtime draws near, Jade's sketches seem to inevitably devolve from nearly-photorealistic drawings of mushrooms, trees, and plants, to simplistic and almost cartoony renderings of his favorite foods.
Octopus dishes, you couldn't help but notice, feature prominently.
You've even caught Jade gnawing on the decorative filigree around the edges of his magestone pen, once or twice. Thankfully, the pens are apparently spelled to be highly durable and shatter-proof. Still, the grinding sound of Jade's razorblade teeth on stone or metal makes you wince every time you hear it.
Jade, now nearly drooling, is putting the finishing touches on a drawing of what appears to be a steaming plate of grilled octopus.
... Not for the first time, you find yourself wishing you had something to feed Jade.
Students technically aren't allowed to bring food into the classroom, but you've seen your fellow classmates covertly munching on candies, meal bars, and the like enough times during class, that you feel like sneaking in a snack or two couldn't be *that* big of a deal.
Maybe tomorrow, you think, you'll slip Jade one of those packets of barbecue-flavored dried squid that are on sale right now at the Mystery Shop.
Smiling, you jot down a quick reminder to yourself in your planner. Next to it, you draw a little cartoon eel. You give it a big, toothy smile, and add lots of cute little sparkles in its eyes.
Satisfied with your work, you close your planner and wait for the bell to ring.
Classes have been getting increasingly more difficult, as midterms are approaching.
But now, you think, you have at least one reason to look forward to tomorrow's lesson.
Summary: Héctor, Imelda, and Coco share some sweet memories in the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead.
Written for @swanpit for the Coco Discord server’s Secret Santa gift exchange.
Inspired by this piece of art
---
“Papá!” Coco screeched, her little body emitting an infectious excited energy.
Imelda smiled at the energetic little girl. She loved giving her this news. “That’s right, mija! Papá will be home in a few hours!”
The two year old continued to do her dance around her room for a few moments until she launched herself into Imelda’s arms. “Papá!” she exclaimed again.
Imelda couldn’t help but giggle. This tour was longer than most and it had taken a bigger toll on her and Coco than she expected. Now that Coco was growing up, she was becoming more and more aware and affected by his absence. She would often ask for him, especially at night, since when he was home he would sing her lullabies to help her fall asleep. Imelda would always have to tell her that he wasn’t there, but that he’d be home soon. But she never really knew when he’d be back.
Then, Imelda received a letter from Héctor saying that he would be on the afternoon train to Santa Cecilia. Imelda could finally tell Coco that he was on his way back to hug and kiss her and sing her lullabies. And perhaps Imelda could even convince him to stay for good…
“Papá is on his way, so you know what that means,” Imelda said, looking into her daughter’s eyes. She looked like she was going to burst from pure excitement. “We’ll make him pan dulce for when he comes home! How does that sound, mija?”
Coco squealed and clapped her hands together. Coco always loved helping her mamá cook because it made her feel like a Big Girl, and she was determined to show her papá just how much of a Big Girl she was.
“Okay, let’s get started,” Imelda said as she scooped the bubbly little girl in her arms and started towards the kitchen.
Coco helped Imelda crack the eggs and whisk the ingredients. The pair giggled as some of it spilled on their aprons and the flour got in their hair. Gentle, experienced hands guided little hands as they cut and rolled the dough. Soon, the bread was baking, and Coco stopped to take pride in her handy work. She truly was such a Big Girl.
“Mamá, bread!” She exclaimed, pointing at the baking bread and then putting her hands on her hips, a beaming smile on her face.
“You did such a good job, mija! Your papá will love it,” Imelda said, stroking her daughter’s braids.
Then, at the sound of a door opening, Coco practically flew out of the kitchen.
“I’m home! Where are my beautiful girls?” Héctor’s voice called out from the front room.
“PAPÁ!” the little girl screamed. Héctor dropped his suitcase and squatted down to her level as she launched herself into his arms.
Héctor hugged Coco tightly to his chest. “I missed you so, so much, mija,” He said. After a few minutes he let go to take a good look at his daughter.
“Wow, you have grown so much!”
Coco stood up straight and put her hands on her hips again, a proud expression on her face. “Big girl!” She said.
Héctor laughed. “Sí, mija, you are a big girl!” He patted the top of her head before pulling her into another hug.
“You need to stop growing so fast, I can hardly keep up!”
Coco giggled.
“Hmm. Maybe if I push down on your head you’ll stop growing so fast…” Héctor gently pushed down on Coco’s head, only for her to cross her arms and give him an adorable little scowl.
“Okay, okay,” Héctor laughed, pulling his hand away. “You can grow a little bit more.”
Coco seemed content with this, and her gleeful smile returned.
Then, Héctor looked up and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Imelda leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen.
How she managed to get even more beautiful every time he saw her, he didn’t know.
“Imelda,” he said softly as he crossed the room to his wife. “Mi amor, I--” His words abruptly cut off when she grabbed his tie suddenly and pulled him into a deep kiss. He stumbled forward slightly, caught off balance by the sudden movement, but he quickly composed himself and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Bleh!” Héctor heard a shrill voice behind him exclaim, and the couple pulled away from their kiss laughing.
“Welcome home, Héctor,” Imelda said softly with a grin on her face. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“I missed you so much. I couldn’t wait to see you again.” Héctor went in for another kiss and then pulled back quickly while sniffing the air.
“Oh, I smell something good!”
“Bread!” Coco screeched, jumping up and down with excitement once again. “Bread! Bread! Bread!”
“Coco and I have made something special for you,” Imelda said. “Stay here while we go get it.”
Imelda grabbed Coco’s hand and disappeared into the kitchen. They emerged a few moments later with a plate of pan dulce in Coco’s hands. Grinning from ear to ear, she held out the plate to Héctor.
“Wow, thank you! Did you help mamá make these?” Héctor asked, kneeling down to get a better look.
Coco nodded wildly and pointed proudly at the buns that she helped to make. They were small and sloppy compared to Imelda’s, but Héctor thought they were perfect.
“Eat, Papá, eat!” Coco insisted. She grabbed one of the buns and shoved it in Héctor’s mouth. He laughed for a moment and then took a bite.
“Good?” Coco asked, adopting a serious expression.
Héctor paused for a moment as if to truly evaluate the taste. “It’s delicious!” He said, scooping up Coco with one arm and slipping his other arm around Imelda’s waist. “You’re an amazing little chef.”
------
Héctor couldn’t believe it. He was holding his little girl in his arms again.
After years of trying, and failure after failure, he was finally there hugging his child again. Years and years had led up to that moment, and it was as beautiful and emotional as he dreamed it would be.
But then the moment ended.
He was happy. Unbelievably happy. Happier than he had been in years. He finally had his familia back-- his wife back, his daughter back. Yet there was still something inside him that wasn’t quite right. Something was still… broken.
He ignored the feeling. He didn’t want to address it. He hated the feeling. Why on earth should he feel sad? He finally had everything he could ever have wanted. It was more than he deserved. He should feel grateful, and he did, but it was growing more difficult to deny the sinking feeling of time that was wasted, moments that weren’t shared, and choices that shouldn’t have been made.
------
One clear afternoon, Héctor sat on the steps outside the house plucking a lazy tune on his guitar while Pepita stretched her wings nearby. It wasn’t unlike many afternoons since a talented young boy-- his grandson-- got himself cursed and changed all their afterlives forever, but this time he had his daughter. His little girl was by his side once again.
Well, he supposed she wasn’t quite so little anymore. Looking at her now-- her grey hair, her wise demeanor, the fact that she had a husband-- made it all the more real just how much of her life he had missed. Not only the big moments, but the small ones too. She was her own woman now. She had a life, and he wasn’t a part of it.
Coco sat close beside him, listening quietly as he strummed a half-finished song. They had done so much talking over the past few days, and he had loved every minute of it. He wanted to know everything about her life and the woman she had become. There had been laughter and tears. But it was nice to simply enjoy each other’s company. They had all the time in the world now.
“Papá, are you okay?” Coco said quietly.
“Of course I am, mija,” Héctor said. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Coco shrugged slightly. “A lot has changed for you. I wanted to make sure you’re doing okay.”
Héctor strummed out a small flourish on his guitar. “I have my family back, and that was all I ever wanted. I’m doing better than ever.”
A few more moments passed before Coco spoke up again. “It just… It seems like something is bothering you.”
Héctor stopped strumming for a moment and turned to look at Coco. He remembered those eyes. When everything else about her was unfamiliar, he still remembered her big brown eyes that would stare up at him in adoration whenever he played their lullaby. But now they were full of concern. Héctor sighed.
With a deep breath he said, “I am so grateful to be here with you and your mamá and everyone else. I… It’s just… I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there for you. I missed so much of your life and…” Héctor closed his eyes.
He felt gentle arms wrap around him and a skull rest on his shoulder. “Oh Papá…”
They sat in silence for a moment. Then Coco said quietly, “A lot of time was stolen from us. But the rest can’t be stolen from us now. We can’t change the past, but we’ve got here and now. And I’m so grateful that you’re here, Papá.”
Héctor turned his head to look at Coco once again, a small smile on his lips.
“You’re absolutely right, mija,” He said. “Now, how did you get so wise? I think I should have pushed down on your head more often to keep you from growing so fast.”
They both laughed, and the moment of melancholy had passed.
“Papá, I was thinking, do you want to make pan dulce together? Now that you’re home again?”
Héctor couldn’t help but gasp a little. His daughter’s memory continued to amaze him. Not only did she hold onto the existence of a man who was only present for the first four years of her life despite the fog of her dementia, but she could remember specific memories of their short time together.
“I’d love that.”
------
The Rivera kitchen was bursting with life (so to speak) as everyone piled in to help make the pan dulce. Coco no longer needed help cracking the eggs and those little hands weren’t so little anymore, but she still held onto that childlike excitement as she and her parents cut and rolled the dough. She was a Big Girl, but she figured she would always be a Little Girl, too.
The twins stood to the side contemplating how to improve the efficiency of various kitchen tools while Rosita cheerfully shared memories of baking with her mamá. Victoria was leaning over the counter consulting a cookbook while Julio watched in adoration at his wife.
The bread had been baking in the oven for a few minutes when Héctor felt something hit the back of his head. He turned around to see Coco wearing a mischievous grin, trying to suppress giggles, and holding some flour in her hand.
“Oh no you don’t,” Héctor said teasingly, picking up a wad of flour himself. And before Imelda could protest, a full scale food fight had erupted in the kitchen. Julio had ducked behind the counter while the twins started using the kitchen utensils they were studying as catapults. Even Victoria joined in after being pelted in the face by a particularly large pile of flour that coated the entire surface area of her glasses in white dust.
Then, covered with flour and grinning from ear to ear, Coco presented the finished buns to Héctor.
“Welcome home, Papá.”
At that moment, Héctor felt something inside him become a little less broken.
He grabbed a bun and took a bite. “You’re an amazing little chef,” he said.
---
I hope you like it! This was literally my first fanfiction EVER so hopefully everything came across well. Happy New Year!
He was sitting on the edge of a cliff, a large field behind him. The cool night breeze ruffling through his hair as he stared into the inky darkness below his feet.
His brain was...really fucking hazy right now. He didn't fully remember what he was doing here, just that he wandered off, needing to get out of the sickeningly bright and cheerful environment the residents of Syspocalypstar surrounded themselves with.
The fireworks were so loud, too loud
He picked up one of the lone rocks lying on the ground near him, tossing it into the icy depths of outer space, watching as it got swallowed up by the unforgiving darkness. Just a meaningless speck in the grand scheme of things. Easily forgotten... just like he was.
He didn't get why Lucy and the others were making such an effort now to comfort him. Ever since they had such a 'happy' reunion, they've all been somewhere around him. Sure Emmet might've appreciated it but he didn't, all of the attention was suffocating, and he usually liked attention so that was saying something.
It just... didn't make sense. They all forgot about him so easily, moving on like he never existed, like he was meaningless to them. They left him to suffer in the depths of space for years as his mentality slowly crumbled, unforgiving rage taking root in his once sunny demeanor.
He spent so long believing they never cared about him, so long that he didn't know what to think anymore.
The sound of fireworks exploding in the distance overtook his hearing again. The loud booming only serving to make his breath quicken with anxiety.
He was crashing, burning, it hurt-
Lucy... came back for him in the other timeline. Rex still didn't know what to think about that, and it's already been months since that happened.
Something just tightened in his chest whenever he thought about how Emmet never had to go through Undar. That Lucy loved him enough to do whatever it took to find him again. His... gave up on him so quickly.
She and his past self had such a lovey-dovey happy reunion, they were so... happy to see each other. Her speech before Emmet destroyed the cake only adding to his inner turmoil.
Was it just... him? Was he the problem?
Lucy said she never wanted Emmet to change, but that's what happened to Rex. The isolation broke him beyond repair, he could never be the man that Lucy loves-loved-he didn't know.
Looking back down, all he could see was the darkness threatening to swallow him alive. The rock he threw was gone, swallowed by the shadowy abyss, left to be forgotten, just like he was.
Another loud boom erupted in the air as another firework was set off, but all he could hear was the sound of his ship crashing, blowing up into a burst of flames, burning his side as he was launched into Undar. Forgotten by the world around him, rotting in the dusty, lonely wasteland.
It was getting hard to breathe, it was like he was back there, trapped, suffocating while his lungs filled up with dust.
Everything hurt.
None of them were coming to save him.
He was trapped inside an unforgiving cycle of suffering
shedidn'tlovehimshehatedhimwhy-
"-ex, REX!"
He suddenly felt two hands make contact with his shoulders, the touch so sudden it had him leaping away from it like it was burning him. Maybe it was, all he could feel on his entire left side was a searing pain.
His whole body was shaking with his panicked breaths, eyes darting everywhere. Another boom echoed through the air, eyes snapping to watch the firey red and orange explosion erupting midair, just like-
"Hey, no, look at me okay?" A soft voice broke through the thoughts racing through his head. His toxic green eyes locked with Lucy's blue and pink ones. He didn't feel her grabbing hold of his gloved hands.
"Good, alright, take a deep breath, okay?" He could only manage a shaky nod at her question. Everything was still so blurry, reality slipping away like sand.
He distantly heard her counting, trying to encourage him to breathe every 5 seconds or so.
".....in.....hold.....and out....." Rinse and repeat. He didn't know how long they were sitting there in the grassy field as she slowly coaxed him out of that panic attack, the fireworks long gone.
"You okay?" She asked once his breathing evened out, tone drenched in worry he didn't deserve it. He tilted his head in thought. God, she was so beautiful, he never deserved her. Not then, not now.
"...What? You want the truth, or would you prefer me to lie about feeling great to make you feel better?" He answered, voice still hoarse from the frantic puffs of air escaping him beforehand. Maybe he was being a bit harsh, but panic attacks always sucked the life out of him.
She just gave him a sad look, letting go of his hands while he turned away from her, tucking his knees up against his chest and resting his chin on his forearms.
"...Do you..." She began, before thinking over what she was about to say. He just watched her from the corner of his vision, focusing his gaze on the night sky, finally seeing the stars instead of just darkness.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She decided to say.
He let out a sound that was a mix between a laugh and a scoff, dragging one of his hands down his face.
"Talk about what? The weather? The way you all keep dragging me to those mind-numbingly bright celebrations? The ones that have fireworks that remind me of-" He caught himself before he could say more, immediately looking away from her, though he could still feel her gaze burning into him.
"Remind you of what? Rex, what do fireworks remind you of?" She asked. Her tone was so soft and understanding. It made him want to punch something.
But he still hesitated, did he really want to trust her? "I...it's just too... loud. Reminds me of... crashing." He muttered at the end, subconsciously rubbing at his burn scar. He didn't see the way Lucy tensed up at the mention of his crash into Undar, the guilty look that overtook her face.
They both sat in silence, neither willing to break the tense atmosphere that came from his words.
AN: Hey y’all! So I’m trynna do some palate cleansers while I work on BTB3 cause lord is that one just emotionally taxing to create lol. 80% of this fic is just Riri and Shuri talking about you and how they view you so there's that. This was heavily inspired by the wonderful work of @generallysapphic who is thee supreme when it comes to Shuriri postings. There's someone else who wrote a Shuriri fic but I can’t find them anymore. Just some cute shit to post fr. Set on a timeline where you went with Shuri to defeat Namor but Riri is a super genius.
Summary: Normally these types of moral dilemmas don’t bother Riri but after meeting your girlfriend, the queen of Wakanda. Riri decides to pay you a visit to end things.
Pairing: Shuri x Fem!Reader, Riri x Fem!Reader and the beginnings of Shuri x Riri.
Warnings: Cursing, mentions of D/S dynamic, kissing, i think thats it.
Translation: Sthandwa - my love , Entle - Beautiful & Usana - baby.
Word count: 2,864
Suggested listening: WILSHIRE - Tyler, The Creator.
“It's morals I really have, it's lines I could never cross
But you got somethin' that make
All them good intentions get lost
I try to keep it together, never felt this way”
Riri knocked quickly on the door three times, rocking on her heels as she did it.
“Busy right now!” Someone called from the other side of the door. The genius didn’t know if the voice was yours or not but she didn’t care.
‘Oh no, that bitch did not.’ Riri thought to herself. She brought her fist to the door and knocked harder this time. Everything was always on your schedule and Riri was going to be damned if her ending this fling was on your time too. She heard some rustling around and the bed creek before the door opened up enough to reveal a person on the other side.
The person Riri was expecting to see behind your dorm door was you, it was your room after all. Instead, she was met by the exact person she was here to talk to you about, Shuri. The taller woman stood in your doorway leaning up against the post. She was wearing a black sports bra and a matching pair of black sweats with golden embroidery on the side. The sweatpants hung low on her waist and Riri could make out the band of Shuri’s boxers. ‘She’s a Calvin Klein girl huh,’ The thought came to the mechanic quicker than she could stop it and she mentally cursed herself for getting so off track.
“Riri Williams, right?” Shuri tilted her head to the side, allowing the name to roll off her tongue.
Riri’s eyes flashed over Shuri’s figure one more time before she finally pulled herself together. “Yeah that’s me,” She cleared her throat. “Is uh Y/N here?” Riri tried to look further into the room but Shuri blocked her movements with her body.
This unintentionally gave the younger girl an opportunity to ogle at the Queen’s perfectly sculpted abs and steal a glance at her waistline again, so she wasn’t complaining.
“No Y/N is busy right now, can it wait?”
Snapping back into the conversation Riri finally got back to her original plan. “No it really can’t wait, I’ve been needed to talk to her about this.”
Shuri pondered over Riri’s words for a few moments looking her up and down as she did. Riri wondered if she might melt under Shuri’s gaze. Something about the monarch was slowly starting to make her weak in the knees. She averted her eyes back down to the floor, once again sneaking glances at Shuri’s body as she did.
“Well I’m sure whatever you wanted to tell her, you can tell me and I’ll relay the message,” Shuri suggested. She had noticed the way Riri was staring at her and decided to play into it. “Is it normal for American girls to make it this obvious when they’re checking someone out, or is it just you?”
Riri snapped her head back up to meet Shuri’s eyes, “What!? I wasn’t- Why would you say that? No, I wasn’t! '' Riri slowly started panicking.
Had she really been that blatant in her staring that the queen would notice? And this was totally not what she came here for or what she had rehearsed saying.
Shuri relished seeing Riri’s cheeks flush with a dark red blush as she tried to regain herself. “Ah. No matter.” Shuri said with a smile. “What is it that you wanted to tell Y/N?”
‘No fucking way.’ Riri thought to herself. ‘No fucking way did I just get bested at my own game! Bitch had me stuttering over MY words when I came here to end shit with HER girlfriend. I can’t go out like that.’
Riri opened her mouth to speak, after brainstorming something logical like ‘No I need to talk to her in person.’ or ‘I literally have her location and know she’s here right now. I need to speak with her.’ All of those would have been rational things to say but instead what came out of Riri’s mouth was fueled by nothing but good old-fashioned Chicago pride.
“I’m fucking your girlfriend.” She blurted out.
Shuri tilted her head to the side and chuckled lightly before turning around and closing the door behind her. Riri was left standing in the dormitory hallway staring at the now-closed door. What the fuck was she thinking?? Telling the Queen of arguably the most powerful nation in the world that you were not just seeing her girlfriend, but FUCKING her? Surely that was enough to get her killed and probably in a way no one would know. She would just slowly fade out of the popular consciousness until no one remembered her name; all over some pussy. Great pussy at that, but still. She was roused from her thoughts by the door opening and Shuri standing on the other side once again.
“I know you’re ‘fucking my girlfriend.’” She said the last part in air quotations with a chuckle. “Are you going to come in so we can finally discuss this or just stand outside confused?”
The question caught Riri off guard and she stood there staring at Shuri, unsure of what her next move should be. She hadn’t planned for this at all. She had expected to come to your dorm room today and completely end things with you. Normally she didn’t have an issue with sleeping with people who were cheating on their partners. That was someone else’s moral dilemma not hers. But after interacting with Shuri today while she was a guest speaker at a lab on campus, the guilt started eating her alive.
Eventually, Shuri got bored of waiting and grabbed Riri’s shoulder pulling the small girl into the dorm room and shutting the door behind her.
“Come in and sit down.” Shuri walked back over to the bed and hopped onto it. When Riri didn’t move it prompted Shuri to speak again. “Do not act like you do not know her room entle, make yourself at home.”
Riri wanted to ask what entle meant but decided that was the least of her problems right now. She made her way over to the bean bag in the opposite corner of the room and sunk down into it. She could hear the sound of the shower running in the bathroom connected to your dorm and assumed that's where you were since your location had pinged as here, yet you weren't in the room currently.
“She shouldn’t take too long,” Shuri said noticing where Riri’s line of sight was going. “We can wait till she gets here or you can ask whatever you’d like to ask now.”
The younger girl shifted in her seat and contemplated what Shuri had proposed. “I’ll wait for Y/N to get out of the shower.”
Shuri nodded and picked back up the book that was lying on the bed. Riri watched Shuri intently as she read. How was she being so cool right now? Sitting in the same room as your girlfriend's lover would typically draw a stronger reaction out of the average person but the royal seemed to be in a very relaxed state.
‘Duh’ Riri thought to herself, it’s because Shuri already knew. She had told Riri already so her presence couldn't have been that much of a surprise to her. This thought in turn only raised more questions for Riri.
‘How long had she known?’
‘Was she upset with Y/N?’
And most importantly,
‘How much did she really know?’
Shuri looked up from her book and caught Riri staring at her once again, which must be a theme for the night. Riri cleared her throat and spoke. “I change my mind, I’d like to ask my questions and you answer them.” She paused, “Right now.”
Shuri chuckled at the girl's forwardness. “Y/N did say you didn’t have much patience, I see she wasn’t lying about that… Among other things,”
Riri swore when Shuri said it she caught Shuri looking her up and down. Shuri didn’t even give her enough time to react before continuing. “But go ahead, I’ll do my best to answer them.”
“How long have you known about us?”
“Since the beginning,” Shuri replied simply.
“And you’re not mad?” Riri questioned, sitting up in the bean bag chair.
“Why would I be?” Shuri questioned back with a genuine look of confusion on her face.
Shuri’s look of confusion was replicated on Riri after hearing her answer and seeing the woman's face. “Uhh, because while you’re in Wakanda saving the world and shit, I’m here with two fingers buried deep in your girl!”
“Just two? Normally she likes three but whatever works for you guys really.” Shuri’s sarcasm left Riri’s mouth agape and which only fueled Shuri’s laughter. Once she had pulled herself together Shuri apologized and said she would actually answer Riri’s question, earning a huff of agitation from her.
“You already answered your question in your question, entle.” Once again Shuri spoke coolly and used that entle word that Riri couldn’t understand.
“What the hell does that even mean!” Riri sucked her teeth as she spoke. “No more weird shit, no more nicknames in other languages, just explain this shit to me 'cause it’s not making any sense.”
Shuri nodded, understanding that Riri did deserve the full story. She wanted to wait for you to come out of the shower but the combination of not knowing exactly how much longer you were going to take and her sensing Riri’s agitation; she was compelled to speak.
“What I mean by that is you gave yourself the answer already. Y/N is here for school for most of the year and I’m kept busy looking after Wakanda. My love has needs that unfortunately due to the distance most of the time I cannot fill. She’s permitted to fulfill these needs in any way she chooses, as am I.”
Riri looked dumbfounded once again as she digested Shuri’s words. “So you’ve known this whole time?”
“Mhm.”
“About everything?”
“Pretty much yeah.” Shuri tapped her fingers on her stomach where they lay interlaced.
“Even the sex?” Riri probed. There was no way Shuri was just so chill about this.
Shuri was humored, sensing that Riri was hoping to incite an angry response. “Yes, even the sex. Of which I only heard good things about so I must give you credit Ms.Williams, you kept my girl satisfied.”
The blush returned to Riri’s face and she felt her lips creep into a smile upon hearing Shuri’s praise. Her cocky side came out and she decided to get smart. “You weren't worried I was gonna take her from you?”
“Oh, not for one second. Y/N’s collared, she’s not going anywhere anytime soon.” Shuri replied confidently. Seeing Riri’s confusion she moved her hand down to the necklace resting on her chest; holding it up before letting it fall back down. “Never noticed her necklace? I know she doesn't take it off.”
Riri’s mind flashed images of you and to Shuri’s credit in all of the scenes, a golden necklace with a small claw was hanging from your neck. Even in the ones where Riri’s head was buried between your thighs and your head was thrown back as you cam-
‘Focus Riri!’ She thought to herself.
“So she’s your submissive?” Riri clarified.
“Wow, you are pretty smart. Maybe you do live up to that genius title after all.” Shuri quipped with a smirk. “But yes, Bast has gifted me with an amazing girlfriend and sub.”
Riri desperately wanted to make a smart remark back at the royal but she stifled it in favor of getting more information about your dynamic Shuri. What she had learned thus far intrigued and turned her on. “And she listens to you, a hundred percent of the time?”
“A hundred and fifty percent of the time.” Shuri corrected her. “Does she not do the same for you?”
“Hell fuckin no she does not!” Riri exclaimed. “There is not a bone in that girl's body that knows how to listen, everything with her is a fight.”
“My Y/N? Never. She knows better than to even make me repeat myself.” Shuri was baffled at what Riri had said but also intrigued at the idea of seeing a more bratty side of you.
“I don’t believe it, she’s not physically capable of listening.” Riri tapped the side of her head to mimic how hard-headed you acted with her.
The sound of the shower turning off, signifying your arrival soon gave Shuri an idea. “Do you want me to show you just how well she listens?”
A smirk slipped onto Riri’s face as she picked up on Shuri’s idea. “Yeah I do, show me how well your girl listens.”
Shuri let out a puff of air along with her laugh and nodded. You stepped out of the bathroom looking down at something on your towel.
Let the show begin.
Your bathroom door was on the wall that ran parallel to where your bed was, so when you looked up you were first met with Shuri. “Whew! I needed that baby, I don’t think I was conscious for the first ten minutes of that shower.” You beamed as you made your way over to the bed, still unaware of Riri’s presence in the room.
“Of course sthandwa. And more to come tonight, you know that. We wouldn’t want to be rude to our guests before that though. Why don’t you go say hello to our friend.” Shuri nodded past you and to the corner.
You spun around confused at what “friend” Shuri was referring to and immediately alarm bells began ringing in your head. There sat Riri, looking calm as ever manspreading on your bean bag chair.
“What’s up ma.” She said with a smirk.
“Oh fuck no.” You murmured under your breath. Never in your life did you expect to mix your worlds like this. Sure both women had known about the other but never in a million years had you imagined them to be in the same room together. You instantly started moving towards the bathroom door, hoping to lock yourself in and formulate a plan without being under either woman's gaze.
Of course, Shuri calling out a strong “Stop.” ended all hopes of that as a means of escape. “Go give Riri a kiss, I’ve taught you better manners than that.”
You looked back at your girlfriend as if she had lost her mind. Yes, you had told her every detail about your relationship with Riri and described the sex in explicit detail. But to kiss her in front of Shuri? Something about that felt so wrong it was right.
“You know I won’t repeat myself without punishment, usana. Go.” Shuri gestured over to Riri who was taking the whole scene in. She watched as you shifted your weight between your feet, debating if you would listen to Shuri. If Riri was a betting woman, she would have bet her entire life savings at that moment that you wouldn’t listen.
Good thing Riri didn’t like to bet.
You walked over to Riri and gave her a small smile, slightly embarrassed knowing that Riri just watched you fold to Shuri. “Hi.”
“So you do know how to listen the first time?” Riri concluded, the smirk still on her face.
“Only when the right person asks me.” You maintained, crossing your arms across your chest to keep the towel from falling. Shuri heard your response and let out a light laugh and a “Be nice my love.”
“You heard what your girlfriend said though ma, gimme me a kiss.” Riri sat up in the beanbag chair awaiting you to make the move.
You looked back at Shuri one more time, kissing other girls had never been an issue for you before but for some reason doing it in front of her felt different. Secretly it turned you on to know that your girlfriend not only ordered but encouraged you to kiss Riri.
Fuck it.
You bent down and Riri pulled your face to hers so that your lips met. As soon as they touched Riri hungrily devoured them savoring the taste of you. By now you knew her style and you opened your mouth slightly so her tongue could come in and meet yours. Shuri watched from the bed as you two made out, turned on by the hunger you both displayed. She could tell the two of you were getting into it, Riri especially as she brought her other hand up to cup your cheek.
Deciding this was the perfect opportunity to prove her point Shuri ordered. “Step back Y/N.”
Once again if Riri could bet she would have bet her life on the fact that you wouldn’t pull away. You loved kissing and she could tell that you were especially enjoying this little makeout session by the way your chest was heaving up and down.
And once again it was a good thing Riri didn’t bet often.
You unlatched your lips from Riri’s and stood back up, taking a few steps back in the process. Riri’s eyes flashed between yours and Shuri’s unable to believe what had just happened.
AN: Hey y'all! The love on Back to Black was actually mind-blowing, like I had no idea y'all would like it THAT much lol. I’m glad though it was definitely really fun to write something different for Shuri and make her (I don’t wanna say the villain that seems so harsh lol) not the good guy in a fic. This is turning out to be more of a slow burn but I PROMISE all will end well… eventually. Also about the music, I’m a HUGE Amy Winehouse fan, like love that white woman DOWN! So I’m gonna pick a different song from her discography for every chapter of this fic, something that relates to the theme of this chapter. That taglist was hell to do and I don’t even think it worked fr fr, how do the pros do their tag list??
Summary: After vowing to never step foot in Wakanda again, unforeseen circumstances bring you back and face to face with everything (and everyone) you left.
Pairing: Shuri x Fem!Reader
Warnings: Cursing, alcoholism.
Word count: 3,085
Suggested listening: Love Is a Losing Game by Amy Winehouse
“Love is a losing game
One I wished I never played
Oh, what a mess we made
And now, the final frame
Love is a losing game”
“Sit.” You instructed Shuri, positioning her body over the closed toilet seat. She sat down with a sigh, leaning her head back against the wall behind the toilet and closing her eyes. You took the moment of her eyes not being on yours to look at her in the light.
She had lost a lot of her color, and while her skin was still a deep chocolate color, it lacked the depth that Wakandan sunlight brought her. Her jawline had gotten sharper, a telltale sign that she wasn’t eating as much as she needed to anymore. And although her eyes were closed, her brow remained furrowed. As if even in her thoughts she came face to face with the problems she was trying to avoid.
Shuri opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of you looking down at her. She recognized the look that you were giving her, it was the same way you looked at her the first time she had come out of her lab after her six-month self-containment. At that time Shuri swore she would never do anything to make you feel like that again, clearly by the look you were giving her, she had failed.
“Unbutton your shirt and get undressed, I’m going to run you a bath okay?” Shuri nodded in response and you turned on your heels, breaking your gaze from her. You approached the tub and reached to grab the tablet that controlled it.
“I- I haven't let anyone change anything Y/N, all of your settings are still there,” Shuri spoke hesitantly. She was referring to the presets you had on set up for the tub. Shuri realized when you were dating just how much you loved baths, so as a surprise she tricked the whole tub out for you. Allowing you to make custom presets that each had varying temperatures, scents, and even playlists. You smiled lightly to yourself at the memories as your fingers clicked the relaxation button. Instantly hot water began flowing out of the tub spout and the drain locked. Your playlist entitled “Best of Amy Winehouse” started playing and the smile never left your face. The smell of lavender filled the air and even though this was supposed to be for Shuri you immediately felt calmer.
Remembering Shuri’s word about not changing anything you opened the drawers next to the tub grabbing a bottle of lavender bubble bath. You poured a capful in and instantly bubbles filled the tub, another one of Shuri’s more mundane inventions: crazy strong bubble bath.
You turned back to face Shuri and found her in no better state than you left her in. Her hands were fiddling with her buttons, the tired expression still on her face. She hadn’t made it past the first button.
“Let me help you Shuri.” You said softly walking over to her. You crouched between her legs and allowed your fingers to find the buttons she struggled on. Shuri didn't move her hands and after a second she started swatting yours away.
“I can do it myself Y/N.” She said looking down at you through her heavy lids.
You took a deep breath in and exhaled softly. “You never could let anyone else help you could you?” She was now stuck on the second button, her slender fingers unable to push it through the hole.
“I-” Shuri went to speak before deciding not to, you were right and even in her drunk, hungover state she knew it. She dropped her hands to her sides and broke her eye contact with you. Your hands resumed their place and quickly undid the button.
“I’m not going to fight you Shuri.” You said moving on to the next button. “I’m not gonna sit here and fight you with every step of this. I’m here to help and if you don’t want it I have no problem leaving.” You looked up at her and she sent you a nod of understanding.
You finished the rest of the buttons and pulled the shirt off of her shoulders leaving her in only the wife beater she wore as an undershirt and her shorts. You stood from between her legs and held your hands out for her to take, she obliged. She delicately placed her hands in yours and stood up, standing a good amount taller than you. You unbuttoned her shorts and slid them down her legs as she stepped out of them. Both of you were aware of how little physical space now existed between the two of you.
Seeing her now in this more vulnerable state you were aware of just how sick she looked. While Shuri had always been slender you could now see her ribcage peeking through her skin and her once-toned body had lost much of the muscle she developed through hard training with Okoye. Shuri felt the concern in the way you were observing her and it instantly made her cross her arms to her chest, not wanting you to see any of her new scars.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.” You said, removing your eyes from her body and putting them on the floor. “You can um finish undressing, I’ll go get you a towel.” You started walking backward away from her, creating distance between the two of you.
“You don’t have to leave sthandwa.” Shuri’s hands found the bottom of her shirt, pulling it up revealing some of her torso. Her hands caught your eyes, following her hands, and would they have continued as she pulled her shirt up further but the sound of the water stopping pulled you back into reality. At the sound, you spun your back to face her and walked quickly out of the room, face flushed. You needed to get your head back on straight. A few pet names and a flash of her body weren’t enough to make you forget what had happened.
You heard the sound of her body entering the water and a groan accompanying it letting you know that Shuri was in the tub. You dug through the dresser drawers and pulled out an array of butters and lotions for Shuri after the shower, along with a variety of hair products. You retrieved a large fluffy towel with a matching washcloth, a hair wrap, a new set of pajamas, and some of the hair products. You set the pajamas down on the bed before making your way back into the bathroom. Shuri’s body sat emerged in the tub with only her collar bones peeking out above the bubbles. You hung the towel and hair wrap up on a nearby towel warmer and returned to Shuri.
Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted back, resting on the edge of the tub. You grabbed some of the body wash and squirted it onto the washcloth, dipping it into the water and rubbing it together to get it soapy. You removed her arm that was closest to you from the water and started washing it. Your mind had memorized the various scars and bruises that littered her body and as you moved further up her neck to her collarbone the memories of how she got each one faded back to you.
It wasn’t until you got to the part of her chest that peaked out of the water that you noticed a new scar. It was no more than three inches long and by the looks of it couldn’t have been there longer than a few months. You ran your finger over it and felt the ridges signifying that it hadn’t healed correctly.
Shuri could read your mind by the expression on your face and the way your hand gently touched her chest. “It doesn't hurt Y/N.”
You looked over at her, you hadn’t even noticed Shuri open her eyes. Assuming the hot water and lavender had put her to sleep. You wanted to speak, to tell her that you would make sure that it healed correctly, but the words wouldn’t come to your mouth. It was almost as if your body was reminding you that healing Shuri in that way wasn’t your place anymore. So you simply nodded and continued cleaning her body.
After you felt her body had been cleaned, you grabbed the showerhead off the wall and positioned it over Shuri’s hair before turning it on. Once again Shuri let out a soft groan as the warm water touched her scalp. You used your free hand to start finger detangling some of her curls, upon realizing this was going to be a job that needed both your hands you grabbed a bottle of leave-in detangler and poured it generously over Shuri's head. You set it down on the side of the tub and massaged the substance into her scalp and curls with delicate hands.
“I miss you Y/N,” Shuri said, opening her eyes and tilting her head to look up at you.
You took a deep breath before speaking “Shuri, you moved your head, I was working on the back, and now I can’t reach it.”
Shuri tilted her head back down and you continued your work in silence for a minute before she spoke again.
“That is all you have to say?” This time she didn’t move her head so she didn’t catch you rolling your eyes. You dipped your hands into the water washing the excess product off. You stood finally from the spot you had been in for the past hour and looked down at Shuri. Normally she could tell your mood by the way your eyes looked, but for some reason now she couldn’t place your emotions.
“What I have to say is,” You walked over to the towel warmer, grabbed Shuri’s towel and hair wrap, and set it on the sink next to her. “This is your towel and hair wrap. I left lotion, butters, and pj’s on the bed. Dry off, lotion up, get dressed, and call for me when you're done, I’ll be outside the door waiting to do your hair.” The first part of the sentence was almost cold enough to make Shuri think you might not have any feelings left for her, but the second half. She heard the softness come out in your voice when you mentioned doing her hair. She hadn’t lost you yet.
She thought about giving a witty remark but didn’t want to push her luck with you on your first day back so Shuri responded with a simple “Okay.”
You exited the bathroom and then your room closing the door behind you. You leaned against the door and took a deep breath, “Focus.” You reminded yourself. You figured it would take Shuri at least twenty minutes to get herself situated given her state, you chose the time to enter her room again, opening her blinds immediately. You called to Isoke who stood guard outside of the door and she came in.
“Yes ma’am?” She spoke softly, her eyes looking straight down. You hadn’t seen her much during your time in Wakanda and if you remembered correctly she had just graduated when you left.
“Can you please have the cleaners sent in? I want this place looking more like a home when we bring Shuri back here.” Isoke nodded and turned on her heels.
“Oh and one more thing.” You spoke, causing her to pause in her tracks. “Every bottle of alcohol, every ounce of weed, all her paraphernalia, everything. I want it boxed up and burned. Do you understand me?” She nodded again and quickly scurried out of the room.
You couldn’t place it but something about her leaving you feeling unwell. You walked around Shuri’s room to see if you could find anything else to help you understand Shuri’s mental state. In her bed, you found an object that nearly brought tears to your eyes. It was the Build-a-bear you two had made on one of your trips to America. By the way its fur had started to matt you could tell she had been sleeping with it. You couldn’t tell how much time had passed but the soft call of your name brought you out of Shuri’s room and back to your own. Where Shuri now sat in the all-black pajama set that you had picked out for her, waiting for you.
You looked once more at the hair products you had pulled out, ensuring that you had everything you needed. Once you were sure you sat down on the edge of the bed. You and Shuri had done this before but unlike normal this time, she waited for your signal. You gesture in between your legs and Shuri quickly scurried into her place, being this close to you was all she desired.
Before the cheating and couples therapy and more cheating, when you were still able to pull Shuri from her lab with just a sweet smile. You would devote Sunday evenings to doing her hair, an intimate act she had only let her mother do before you. She would sit in between your legs and speak of anything that frustrated her or what inventions were not working. You would listen as you detangled and twisted her hair, preparing it for the long week ahead. Eventually similar to a child when she had finally tired herself out of complaining she would lean her head against your leg and pepper kisses to the inside of your thigh before she fell asleep. The feeling of Shuri letting you take care of her was something you cherished, especially as your relationship furthered and the time you spent together became less and less. Every once and a while when she was particularly stressed she would come to you and ask you to do her hair. And you always obliged.
You silently began your work on her hair as she sat, first separating her hair into four sections and then working with her hair a fourth at a time. You ran a wide tooth comb through her hair, starting at the ends and making your way up, in order not to snag any knots. After detangling, you split the section into fourths and twisted each fourth. You had made your way through the second section and were onto the third when Shuri rose her voice and spoke up.
“Why did you come back Y/N?” You stopped humming, considering if you even wanted to give her an answer.
“Nakia and Okoye came to get me.” You continued combing through the third section.
“And you just agreed? All the messages I sent you begging for you to come back to us didn’t mean as much as their words?” You had not forgotten what drunk Shuri was like and this was a symptom of that. There was a hint of anger in her words that didn’t go unnoticed by you.
You let out a sigh, clearly a common theme for the night, and spoke. “No, I didn't want to come back Shuri, when I said I never wanted to return, I meant it.”
“So why did you?” Shuri snaked her left arm under your left leg, wrapping it around so her hand could rest on the top of your thigh. Her words seemed accusatory but the way her hand was sitting on your thigh, that was nothing short of romantic.
You started twisting her hair before you spoke. “They told me you started drinking again.”
“I-” Shuri tried to speak but you cut her off.
“Although truthfully that wasn’t what did it.” You moved on to the next twist. “Nakia begged. She said you refuse T’Challa and begged that I get you out of bed and back into his life.
Shuri had nothing to say to this, shame ran hot through her face. She moved her hand from your thigh and sunk more into the floor. As you finished the last twist you started to feel bad about your response but she was the one who asked.
“Shuri.” You spoke her name lightly, leaving the conversation like that felt wrong.
“Hmm?” You took down the last section of her hair and started combing, repeating the process for the final time.
“Of course I missed you. I spent six whole months in the states missing you. So consumed with my want to be with you I couldn’t do anything but cry and sleep.” You separated the last section and started twisting. “But after six months, Shuri, I had to ask myself what was I missing. Was I missing the dates you stood me up on? The nights I went to bed alone while you were in the lab tinkering away with your latest technological development? That couldn’t be what had me throwing my life away. So I stopped missing you.” By the time you finished speaking you had finished the last twist, letting it plop down on her face.
Shuri nodded her head, there was nothing she could say. You were right, Shuri hadn’t treated you the way she should during the final year of your relationship.
You grabbed the silk scarf from next to you and wrapped it around Shuri’s head. The words you wanted to say to her blossomed in your mind. “But I do miss you, I miss when it was simple and just us.” Even so, you kept them to yourself.
You tapped Shuri’s shoulder and she stood from between your legs, giving you the space to stand up and stretch. You looked at the clock on the table and the time read 11 PM. Shuri followed your eyes and sighed knowing her time with you for the day was nearing a close. You smiled at her sigh and you turned to start removing objects from the bed to give Shuri a clear place to sleep. She walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers, looking back at you as you nodded signifying that you were serious about her sleeping. Shuri slipped under the covers and watched as you walked over to her.
You sat on the edge of her bed and placed your inside hand on Shuri’s cheek, she melted into your touch and placed her hand on top of yours. You leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Goodnight Shuri.” You removed your hand from her face and stood from the bed. Shuri caught your hand before you could leave.
“Stay? Stay with me tonight?” Your breath caught as you thought about her words.
