Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shuri sat perched up in a tree, enclosed in the darkness that Wakanda's forest offered her, warmed from the heat of her new Panther suit and observant of her surroundings. Ever since Queen Mother had passed, more attacks were made toward Wakanda.

The outsiders knew Wakanda no longer had a queen, but what they did not know that we had a new found protector.

Almost every night after her battle with Namor she came to this same forest to defend her people against whoever was brave enough to threaten her home. Wether that be the Americans, the French or the any of the Talonkanil... including Namor. She was prepared. She dared they test the patience of the Black Panther, protector of Wakanda.

A growl came from below her and shuri gulped and clutched her stomach, she began to get nauseous and wondered why, soon after realizing she forgot to eat before she left. Her stomach grumbled unhappily and she groaned.

Before she could even think about returning to retrieve any food, her AI spoke in her ear, "I've detected thermal activity three miles from your left, princess."

For now, she'd have to forget about her hunger and focus of the threat. Shuri stealthily and quickly hopped from tree to tree to get a visual on the intruders. Not even a minute later she found them. There were three men, dressed in black and dark green with pistols on both sides of their hips and assault rifles in their hands.

They weren't very good at sneaking.

'Perhaps this was a diversion?' She thought to herself. Either way, they would be taken care of.

She hopped down from from the tree onto one of the men's shoulders and snapped his neck easily with her new found strength.

It wasn't long before the other men began shooting, the forest was now lit up with the light of the fired guns. Guns no longer feared her, the bullets shattered at the touch of her suit.

She skillfully gripped the arm of the second soldier and broke the gun in half, he then attempted to strike a blow to her face which she already predicted, of course. She dodged his attack and slammed him down on the ground, surely breaking his spine and leaving him yelling out curses. The last soldier continued to shoot his final bullets and once he ran out, he retreated toward the water.

Shuri tilted her head slightly, curious as to where he was going. It is possible that they snuck underneath the water to get here, with a sub marine of some sort? She had no energy to chase him into the water. That's the excuse her mind made for her, at least. She didn't want to admit the real reason she didn't want to enter those waters.

Her eyes averted to the other solider who was heavily breathing on the ground. She walked over to him and stood over his whimpering body. Her urge to teach him a lesson overtook her mind, she wanted to show him what happens when he threatens he lands, she was bloodthirsty.

Shuri flicked her hand outwards, revealing her claws, the man's eyes widened as he noticed his final moments of life were happening right now. Swiftly, the soldier grabbed a grenade, pulled the striker lever and threw it directly at her. The explosion immediately killed the soldier and sent Shuri flying backwards, her head hitting the nearest tree and knocking her unconscious.

                                         
Namor

Unlike Shuri, Namor rarely had unwanted visitors threatening his underwater home. That secret was kept, as the Black Panther promised. He hadn't stopped thinking about her since their last encounter on the beach. She had him defenseless, weak and vulnerable and after all the pain she had endured, all the pain he had put her through, she allowed him to live.

That was a type of kindness, a type of bravery and strength he had never experienced from a person and although it happened two months ago now, he replayed the fight in his head over and over again as if it was yesterday. He owed her more than his life and gratitude.

He closed his eyes as memories of him impaling her with that spear on that rock flashed through his head.

'It could've been different'. He opened his eyes and stared up to the roof of his residence.

He gulped and turned his head to the side, as he sensed someone getting close, a perk that came with his abilities.

"K'uk'ulkan." A young woman's voice spoke, she waited for his response and held her hands out in their signature greeting pose.

"Yes?" He spoke back and walked over to the woman. When her eyes met his she swallowed and took a deep breath. "While Attuma was watching over Wakanda's land," she paused, "as you asked him to.." she paused again, "he noticed intruders, before he could make a move on them the Black Panther handled it."

Namor hummed in admiration and mumbled, "so?"

She continued, "there was an explosion, a bom-" before the young woman could finish her words K'uk'ulkan was gone, at the speed of light, he swam up to the surface, underneath Wakanda's impressive barrier and made his way over to Attuma, who was still observing the area.

"Where is she?"

"By that tree," Attuma pointed, "she is still unconscious, I wanted to wait until you-" once again, K'uk'ulkan broke off the conversation there and allowed his working wings to carry him over to her as quick as he could.

He stumbled a bit during his landing but didn't allow that to get off task.

He kneeled down next to her unconscious body and placed his ear against her chest. He began to get nervous as he heard no heartbeat, at first, but that nervousness was replaced relief when he heard a soft, quiet thump in her chest, one that only he could hear.

He sighed and lifted his head up.

"Is she dead?" Attuma asked with a stone cold expression on his face, K'uk'ulkan shook his head, "no, but we will need to take her to Talokan, so she can heal," he easily lifted her body up into his arms bridal style and walked toward Attuma.

Attuma raised an eyebrow toward him, "K'uk'ulkan, the last time I brought this woman to our home, one of our people were murdered. If we bring her again, who is to say another won't die?" His concerns were valid, but in Namor's mind, this was not up for discussion.

He passed Attuma and began to walk into the water, "I will be with the princess the entire time she is in Talokan. She will not be a threat to you or our people."

"Lela' jump'éel ba'alo', K'uk'ulkan." Attuma spoke, "a big one."

Namor decided not to to reply as he sunk into the water. He did not worry about Shuri's breathing underwater, as she had her suit on. When he reached Talokan's caves he set her limp body down on his bed. He brushed his wet out of his face and sat down on a chair opposite from the bed, admiring the unconscious princess that was now welcomed to Talokan once again.

He called over one of the nearby guards and invited her in, she gasped once she saw the black panther and got into a defensive position. Namor put his hand in the air, ordering her to stand down. She looked at him curiously and did as she was told.

"Yes, K'uk'ulkan?"

He cleared his throat, propped himself up and said, "bring our best doctors and mechanics here. Urgently."

She hesitated a bit before nodding and leaving his quarters.

Namor sat there, still, for minutes. Just the princess and him. He felt as if he hadn't seen her in years, which, of course, wasn't true. He had never admitted it to anyone but often times, when it was dark and his thoughts were raging like the ocean during a storm, he would travel to the surface land to see her.

Sometimes she was in the trees, looking below as he was looking down at her from the skies and other times she sat in the sand at the beach they first met at and watched the stars. It always calmed his mind. She always calmed his mind. Her presence.

Having her this close to him made his stomach churn every once and awhile.

After waiting for about an hour, three doctors and two mechanics walked in, all greeting their God and awaiting his request, each of them being slightly intimidated by Shuri.

"The black panther was harmed in battle, an explosion," he looked over at the mechanics, "find a way to take off this suit," then he looked over at the doctors, "once the suit is off, I need her to be checked of all and any injuries and they need to be tended to immediately, understood?" He sternly spoke.

They all nodded their heads and quickly got to work. Namor watched over them, making sure she was not harmed and that she was still breathing through this whole process.

Not even five minutes later, Namora was storming her way into K'uk'ulkan's home, prepared to kill the princess right where she laid. Namor gripped her arms and rid her of her weapon, "stand down."

She had fire in her eyes, she glared down at Shuri with a hatred he'd never seen in her before. "Why is she here, K'uk'ulkan?" She yelled, distributing the mechanics.

Namor led her out of his home and spoke to her with a calm voice, "she was injured in battle."

"I don't understand your point. This has nothing to do with us! First you order Attuma to guard Wakanda, now you're aiding their princess, have you forgotten who your people are?" She angrily spoke.

Fury began to rise in Namor, he was getting sick of her judging his decisions.

"Bringing the princess here is a decision I, as king, made. I will handle whatever consequences it causes," he took a step toward her, "if you cause harm to our guest while she is here then you will have to deal with my consequences."

She stared at him in disbelief, shook her head and jumped into the water, swimming away. Before all of this happened Namor and Namora rarely had encounters where they disagreed with each other. He had never threatened her in all the years they've known each other.

Namor's head pounded in annoyance and he squeezed his fists in anger.

"K'uk'ulkan," he heard from behind him, "we managed to get the suit to disable itself, the doctors are currently bandaging her wounds up."

Namor took a deep breath, nodded at the mechanic and walked back in the room, his eyes immediately softened at the sight of her. She had a busted lip and blood seeping from her head, multiple bandages that covered her legs and bandages around her ribs.

One if the doctors stopped what they were doing and walked over to Namor. "She has three broken ribs, a few open wounds and a possible concussion. We won't know until she wakes up. The good news is she is healing quickly," the doctor cleared his throat, "if she would've been out there without help for just another hour it's possible she would've bled out."

It astonished Namor that the woman that once took him down, was almost killed with a mere explosion.

Namor nodded and thanked the doctors and the mechanics for their work, they escorted themselves out and he was left alone with Shuri once again. His body felt as if it was floating while he began to walk over to her unconscious self lying on the bed, he had to look down to make sure he wasn't.

He sat on the bed and analyzed her, she was the epitome of beauty. Her dark curls fell over her eyes slightly and only then was it when he remembered what staring into them felt like. He closed his eyes in bliss and stood up from the bed, unable to handle being this close to her. Instead, Namor decided to go over to the couch in the other room and rest his head.

For once in a few years, he was able to have a peaceful rest, with the woman who almost killed him, in the room next to him.

Funny right?

Chapter Text

Shuri woke up in a foreign bed, her body ached and she let out a quiet whimper as she sat up in the bed, although her body protested. "Where am I?" She quietly mumbled to herself, curiously

I need to remember. She thought to herself, she closed her eyes and sat in silence, recalling what occurred last night. I remember being high up.. guarding Wakanda, like usual, and then there were intruders..

Shuri stopped what she was doing, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck arise, which is a feeling she hasn't felt in two months and 3 days to be exact. Only one man has made her experience that. Her eyes shot open and laid upon Namor. He sat slightly slouched in a chair that was directly in front of her, the outfit he wore was similar to the one she last saw him in, his jewels still shiny, and his skin still glistening. The only difference was the one wing that was slightly shorter than the other, the one she so recklessly sliced off.

She looked him up and down quickly before meeting his eyes once more. She hated that she couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

"Namor..." the name slipped off her tongue so deliciously, it was too bad it wasn't the one he wanted her to speak.

"Yes, princess?" He replied, emotionless. She wondered if those intruders were apart of a plan to get her down to Talokan, to make her defenseless against the feather-serpent God. At least I have my suit- wait.. Shuri realized not only was she injured but her suit had been discarded, her kimoyo beads were gone.

A thousand questions ran through Shuri's mind and Namor noticed.

"Where am I?" She spoke, trying to hide her fear. The black panther fears no one, especially not enemies she has already defeated and moved on from. 

His eyes bored into hers for a few seconds longer.

"Why are you asking the obvious?" He questioned her, with his left eyebrow raised just little. He was absolutely correct, Shuri knew she was in Talokan, this definitely wasn't Wakanda and Namor would never take her anywhere he knew he wouldn't be safe.

She gulped and looked around, "what happened to me?" Namor sighed and sat up, "an explosion occurred while you were fighting enemies." He walked into the living room and allowed the princess to be with her thoughts.

Shuri's mouth parted slightly as her memory came back to her. All the events that happened last night returned to her and she placed her hand on her head, remembering the pain she felt when it hit the tree.

When he walked back in he had her kimoyo beads in his hand, he made his way over to the side of the bed she was on and stared down at her, the look he gave her erupted butterflies in her stomach and she immediately broke eye contact.

"As strong as the suit is, you'd think it would be able to completely protect the person inside of it from a bomb," Namor said, disappointed. Shuri stared up at him in disbelief, "from a distance, possibly, but it was thrown directly at me, now give me those!" She reached for the beads in his hand and he swiftly turned his back to her, analyzing them some more.

"Did you make these, princess?" He asked, curiously.

She parted her mouth to answer his question but stopped, why am I answering him? Why am I consulting with the man who murdered my mother? The man who drowned my home and my people?

He turned around toward her after he was done looking at the beads, he noticed she was highly upset. He grabbed her hand and in return she yanked it back, giving him a hard stare. He grabbed her hand once more, this time harder so she couldn't pull it back, and put the beads on her slender wrist. She soon stopped fighting against his hold after that.

Before Namor could process what he was doing he leaned down and pressed his lips on the back of her hand. Her skin was soft and sweet, like a forbidden fruit.

This was the second time Shuri's stomach erupted with butterflies in less than two minutes, she was getting worried now. She pulled back her hand slowly and spoke, "I want to go back to Wakanda."

"I know you do. Unfortunately, I cannot allow that." Namor replied, his hand made its way toward her face, "why?" She replied nervously. His finger traced its way up her jaw, "you're injured, you need to heal and rest," and gripped her chin, tilting her head up to look at him.

He was surprised that Shuri didn't swipe his hand away, and she was just as surprised, at this, too.

She quickly snapped out of it and moved her head away, to look forward instead of at the man to the side of her.

"Why do you care, Namor? Why did you bring me here anyway? Why didn't you just leave me for dead as you did my mother?" Shuri squeezed her hands into fist as her rage began to build up inside her all over again.

He sucked in a breath. he wanted to tell her the real reason, he really did, but instead he said, "I owe you."

"I do not want you to help me! I'd rather you have left me there for dead."

He decided to ignore that comment and change the topic, "when you heal, I will return you to Wakanda."

With that said he turnt his back to her and began to walk away. He did not want to be in that room for a second longer.

"Do not walk away from me!" She shouted from the bed, Namor halted and kept his head high.

She was on the verge of tears, emotions overtook logic, her heart overpowered her mind. "You.." she let out a sob, "you killed my-" it was as if the words battled against her, they wouldn't come out like she commanded.

Laying her eyes on Namor for the first time since their battle brought back feelings she thought she had trapped away, deep inside her. The fury she allowed to bottle up inside her boiled out in the form of tears and harsh swears in her native tongue. Throughout it all, Namor stood there, enduring it all, listening to it all until it died down. All that was left were sniffles and silence.

He gave her a minute to collect herself before turning around and looking at her once more, her demeanor shifted. Before, she was stiff, guarded and stern. Now, her head fell downwards and her shoulders drooped.

Namor walked over to Shuri, slowly, not wanting to upset the already saddened princess. He sat down on the bed, next to her. She lifted her head up to look at him, her eyes were puffy and a light crimson, tears stained her cheeks.

"Why?" Is the only word she mumbled. One simple word, that had so much meaning behind it.

Namor ran a hand through his damp hair and leaned his head back slightly, "it was not my intent to kill your mother, I hope you know that, princess."

"But you didn't care if you did, when you threw that bomb?"

"No. I didn't care," he murmured, "I was blinded by anger. I wasn't thinking about anyone except my own people," he spoke, "which I do not regret." He truthfully said.

He stared down at her soft lips as they parted slightly, He had to get ahold of himself, he should not be thinking these lucid thoughts at a moment like this, he knew that. "you do not regret taking my mother's life?" She asked.

"I.. do not regret putting needs of my own people before her, no." He half answered her question, the last thing she needed right now was to be having this conversation.

She shook her head, obviously not deeming his answer well enough to calm the storm that was her mind, but she had little to no energy to argue with him.

"I do not feel safe here," she murmured.

"Know that you are safe as long as I am near, no matter where you travel in Talokan."

"Are you saying if you leave my side, there is a chance one of your people will try to end my life?" Shuri asked.

"There is a chance my people will try to end your life, wether it be inside or outside of Talokan, but yes, that is possible, although not many Talokanil know of your presence, you will be fine." He tried to soothe her worries, "I do not plan to leave your side, princess, not until you are ready to return to Wakanda."

"I find that incredibly hard to believe," she bluntly spoke. He leaned in a few inches closer to her and paused before speaking, "do you have no faith in my word, princess?"

She stared into his eyes, not intimidated, Shuri did not fear death, when her time comes she will welcome it with open arms, welcome her family with open arms. What did frighten her, is leaving her nephew and home defenseless against intruders, especially since what happened with Namor and Talokan.

"I have no faith in a ruthless murderer's word."

Namor leaned backwards, away from her face and let out a short, menacing chuckle, "let us not pretend we are not the same, Shuri."

She was confused for a moment, what did he mean? It all clicked after a couple of seconds.

"I am aware of the.. atrocious bloodshed you've inflicted on your enemies." He fessed up, they sat in a dreadful silence moments after. "You've been watching me, Namor?" She questioned him.

"Why wouldn't I?" He replied.

Shuri sucked in a slow, sharp breath, "I thought we were no longer foes?" She scoffed "allies don't typically follow each other around."

Namor's face went stone cold, the look he gave Shuri was one she hadn't seen in a while.

"Answer this, princess, if we are allies, why do you still call me by that name?"

The truth was, Shuri couldn't call him by the name his followers— his people, call him. She could not stand the thought of calling him by his real name, it would make things feel all too normal, when that wasn't the case at all. He killed her mother and attempted to drown Wakanda and everyone that resides in it, how could she let that go? What type of protector— what type of princess would forgive a man, let alone feel things for him, who committed such crimes to her kingdom?

"I... do not know," is all she replied with. She wouldn't be able to explain how she felt to him even if she had a week to do it. It made her angry and drove her insane, how could she feel any type of attraction toward this man?

All he did was hum, in response. If he had the power to invade one's thoughts he would of done it in a heartbeat. All Namor desired was to be closer with her, but every attempt he made was brutally knocked down by her.

Namor yearned to hold her in his arms, and provide for her as much as he could. Anything she wanted, she could have, all she had to do was ask.

Her ego was beyond that, though. Shuri wanted nothing more but to prove to him she was fine on her own, that she hadn't thought about him once since they left that beach wounded, scarred and shaken.

"You should rest," he said and stood up from the bed, "when you wake, there will be food provided for you."

"I do not want anything from you."

At this point, K'uk'ulkan was growing tired of her stubbornness and brattiness, “you will rest, and when you wake up you will eat. It was not an offer, it was an order.”

Shuri could argue with him until the end of time but the throbbing pain in her head told her otherwise. In response she huffed and turnt to her side, looking away from him.

She was naïve to no end, but it intrigued Namor, very few people tested his patience to the extent that Shuri has in the span of a few minutes. It only drew him in more and more. It is no secret that he was hypnotized by her beauty but her attitude, her ambition and her will to do good is what infatuated him. These traits make a great woman and an even better queen, he thought.

He walked out of the room she resided in with smug written all over him. By the time he is done with her, she will not want to go back to Wakanda any time soon.

Chapter Text

The yelling, crying and arguing worn Shuri out quickly. After Namor left the room she attempted to stay awake and guard herself but that only lasted for five minutes. He went into the room once he knew she was asleep for sure and leaned down, admiring her in her sleeping state.

Shuri's face was as calm as the waves on a sunny day, her lips were parted only slightly and her hand laid spread out on the bed. She had reached complete comfort and the only thing Namor had wished was that she could be this relaxed while awake.

He brought his hand down and brushed the back of his knuckles on her cheek. How could her skin be so soft? How could she be this beautiful and not be his already?

She had to have been a gift from the Gods above, for all the troubles he has gone through, they sent a woman down to carry his troubles with him and that woman was Shuri, The Black Panther, the protector of Wakanda.

Namor sighed and stood up, he could watch her forever but, when she wakes up it will be another issue to argue about, so, he left. He decided to exit the hut entirely to prevent himself from doing something he'd regret in the near future. Namor sat down by the body of water that connected the rest of Talokan to the cave.

He admired the cave and reminded himself of the moment he introduced Shuri to his home. She had looked gorgeous in Talokan formal wear, although, he wanted nothing more but to see her without it on.

Namor's peaceful moment in solitude was ruined not too soon after. A warrior erupted from the water and opened his hands up in respect which Namor gladly returned.

"What is it, my child?" Namor spoke up, "K'uk'ulkan, my deepest apologies for disturbing you, but Namora has sent me here to inform you of an urgent meeting with her and Attuma."

K'uk'ulkan sighed, what was she up to now? Despite the hatred Namora has for Shuri, they have many similarities when it came to traits. Stubbornness, for example.

"Very well. I will be there," he said. The warrior nodded and sunk back into the depths of the darkened water. Namor stood up from his sitting position and walked back into the hut, he carefully made his way over to Shuri, ensuring she was still asleep. Her heartbeat was steady, as was her breathing.

He ran a hand over his face and spoke, "please do not do anything mischievous while I am gone, princess." Namor had only wished he could bring her with him. He gave one last glance to the princess and with that, he left the hut, leaping into the warm water.

One would believe that after living in the same place for over five hundred years, you'd get bored of it or tire of seeing the same things over and over but, that wasn't the case for K'uk'ulkan. Every day new advancements were made to Talokan, his people always ensured that there be something new for him to admire when he comes down to visit them. Wether it be a new baby, a new building or perhaps a brand new invention, he was always fascinated.

K'uk'ulkan swam quickly through the people who attempted to swarm him, occasionally stopping to say hello to a few children. Although he loved talking to his people, he had a more pressing matter to attend to.

By the time he made it to the old dining hall, where they attended all their meetings at, Namora and Attuma were already there. There heads snap over to K'uk'ulkan and they bow their heads in respect. Namor swam over to the head of the table and sat in the chair comfortably.

"What is all this about?" He asked, slightly annoyed that he had to leave the hut, he did not plan on leaving Shuri alone at all during her stay.

"Cousin, I have called an urgent meeting with you because Attuma and I would like to express our concerns on your recent decision regarding the black Panther of Wakanda," Namora spoke with a stone-cold face.

Namor had to suppress a groan of annoyance. He knew Namora wasn't going to let this decision go, he just wasn’t aware she was going to bring it up so soon. Nonetheless, Attuma and Namora were his most trusted warriors and friends, so any concern of theirs would be listened to.

"What are your concerns?" K'uk'ulkan calmly said.

Before Namora could open her mouth Attuma spoke up, "my king, personally, my biggest worry is the black Panther going rogue and harming anything or anyone in Talokan." He paused and sighed, "I have watched her closely, over the month, and I have seen how she has brutally attacked and killed Wakanda's intruders. She no longer kills to protect, she kills for sport!"

"I am afraid of the harm she could cause while she is here." He stated his last claim and the two waited for his response. Namor calmly ran a hand over his beard and nodded. "As I said before, I can and will handle the princess."

"Can you?" Namora spoke up, gaining risen eyebrows from him due to her tone and judgement. "K'uk'ulkan, the black Panther has already proven she can overpower you in battle, I'm afraid—"

"That is enough, Namora. Shuri used her technology to weaken me, and brought me to an environment I could not heal myself in," Namor raised his hand upwards, "we are in Talokan, the princess has multiple injuries and her suit has been confiscated, she has no chance at overpowering me here." He said. "The princess will be gone as soon as she has healed."

Namora leaned her hands on table, "I do not think we should give her the chance to heal herself at all! We should end her, here and now!"

"Why should we ruin our newly found alliance?" Namor asked her with furrowed eyebrows, he grew more and more fed up with her by the second.

"K'uk'ulkan, she killed two of our people when we offered her and the scientist hospitality and nothing but kindness! She attempted to kill you! And the other Wakandians caused the death of multiple Talokanil warriors!" 

"I am aware, Namora. I hold the same anger you do, but, have we not done the same? Many Wakandians drowned during both attacks," K'uk'ulkan let his head drop slightly, "women, children... mothers, all dead, because of our rage."

The room fell silent and Namora slipped back down into her chair.

"The princess spared my life during a time I would not have spared hers, I owe her." K'uk'ulkan pointed toward Attuma, "you owe her," he pointed toward Namora, "and you owe her as well."

"I will continue to believe the princess should not reside here... but I will trust that you can handle her, K'uk'ulkan." Attuma said

Namor nodded at him in respect, which he returned.

Namora sat there, staring at the two of us with wide eyes and parted lips. "We have lost our way," she said to herself in disbelief.

"Speak your mind," Namor told her.

She sighed, "cousin, I have reasons to believe you are... romantically interested in this girl." She annoyingly said. Namor didn't speak at first. He sat and thought about how he wanted to respond to the claim.

"What if I am?"

Subtle gasps were heard from both Namora and Attuma, the room got tense causing majority of the fish in the room to swim away in a hurry.

"This is..." Namora was in shock, "I—" she shook her head and swiftly swam out of the room leaving Namor and Attuma to themselves.

"My king, is her assumption true?" Attuma asked, still shocked. K'uk'ulkan rubbed his eyes tiredly, "I believe so, yes."

Attuma nodded and hummed, not showing any oppression or bias.

"Feelings do not have rules, K'uk'ulkan, one cannot choose who they suddenly feel for." He shrugged, "it just so happens that you feel for the woman who was able to make you yield to her," Attuma chuckled a bit, causing Namor to smile and bite his lip, thinking about the stubborn princess.

"Indeed," he said.

"I will try to stop Namora from harming the princess in any way, but I cannot promise anything, you know your cousin more than anyone else in Talokan. She is not one to give up."

K'uk'ulkan stood up from his seat and walked over to Attuma patting his shoulder and nodding, "thank you, my friend."

Attuma nodded and with that, he swam away, leaving Namor with his thoughts.

A part of him wanted to listen to Namora. Only two months ago he would have certainly swam up to that hut and killed her in her sleep.

But, things have changed. He saw the viewpoint Shuri has, he saw how she altered after her mother died. He saw her break and he watched her snap on that beach.

And after all of that, he would be the one to put her all back together. He caused it, why wouldn't he fix it? Of course he couldn't bring her mother back to life or reverse time to stop his warriors from invading Wakanda but he could mend her broken heart over time.

And perhaps, she could brighten his dull heart, too.

Meanwhile, Shuri began to awake in the hut. She wasn't used to silence, in Wakanda she could always hear people rustling in the streets or ships zooming above her building. It was empty in this cave. No Talokanil wanted to live anywhere up on the surface, as far as she knew, it was unnecessary and extra work for them.

Shuri was already beginning to feel better. Of course there was still pain lingering throughout her body, especially the migraine in her head, but finally felt her legs and believed she could walk. Just in a few days she should be able to swim out of here and go back home.

But she had two issues, she no way of getting home. Usually she would just call a ship to her from her kimoyo beads but, the blast must've broken them.

"Useless!" Shuri threw the beads on the floor and they shattered, all flinging in different directions in the room. One of the beads landed in the bowl of fruit laying on the ground. Sometimes she forgot how strong she really was.

The second issue was her suit. Namor must've hidden it somewhere, there is no way he would have left it in this hut for me to potentially attack him with it on.

"Oh, Bast, please, please, don't have my suit be broken," she clutched her hands together and looked up at the ceiling. If her suit was broken, she really would have no way out of here other than Namor.

She advanced the suit to allow the person inside to swim to great depths in the ocean without having to worry about the pressure nor oxygen for at least two hours. She lied to herself about why she added those advancements to her suit.

Shuri threw the covers off her body to reveal the same outfit she had on before she left her room to go guard Wakanda near the border. A pair of shorts with a plain black t-shirt that hung low on her body.

She leaned up and managed to maneuver her body over to the edge of the bed, her legs hung off the side and she took a deep breath. She prayed to her ancestors that her legs still worked and hopped off the bed.

Immediately she fell to the floor like a fish. She groaned and shouted, "damn legs!" She stealthily lifted herself up again and gripped onto the wall next to her for support. Her legs wobbled and they hurt, badly. The blast really did some damage on her.

"Shuri, you are the Black Panther, princess of Wakanda, stand up and get yourself out of this situation." She encouraged herself, put on a stern face and straightened up her legs.

The pain will numb soon, I need to find my suit, she thought.

Shuri exited the hut and was immediately distracted by the long crystals that hung from the cave, truly beautiful. "Focus, Shuri!"

She walked down the steps that led into the hut and made her way to the back of it, of course, there was nothing there except for rocks. Anger began to rise up quickly, a trait that has been happening more often since her mother passed.

Shuri yelled and punched a hole into the hut's wall. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise and she flipped around to see Namor, standing there with a bored expression. His body was still wet from the water he had just emerged from, including his hair that he wiped from his face. It had Shuri wondering if she was wrong for finding him handsome.

"Are you going to fix that?" He asked, seriously.

"Good, you're back," Shuri muttered and began to limp her way toward him, earning a concerned look from Namor, "where is my suit?"

All he did was look at her. His eyes bored into hers as if they were searching for something, for anything, "why are you out of bed?" Is all he spoke. Shuri closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to suppress her
frustrations. Namor treated her similarly to the Dora Milaje, straight forward and stone faced, it reminded her why she was so lucky to have Okoye in her life. When she reopened her eyes Namor was walking away from her and towards the hut to analyze the damage she made.

He hummed in disapproval and shook his head, "do people on the surface world tend to break things that do not belong to them?"

"Namor!" Shuri yelled, getting fed up with his games. She slowly limped her way over to him once again, her legs practically screaming for a break and seconds away from giving out, he met her half way to ease her travel.

"I understand your frustrations princess, I do, but, I cannot provide you with what you want, not right now," Namor said sternly and reassured her once again, "you do not need it, you are safe with me."

“No, you do not understand, at all. Wakanda has been heavily under attack for the past two months because they believe we are weak and unprotected! I cannot protect my people if I am here with you,” Shuri threw her hands up in the air in anger, “in an underwater cave with the man who tried to murder me, instead with my people.” She pointed her index finger at him, inches away from his wet chest. Shuri was on the verge of tears just thinking about any more Wakandians lives being lost due to her not being there, her not being good enough.

K'uk'ulkan sought to ease her pain, to calm the restless anger that raged inside of her, he reached for her hand that pointed toward him and gripped it in his hands. “I can send warriors from Talokan to guard Wakanda’s borders from the sea. No intruders who step in your home will leave with their lives,” he assured, Namor lifted his hand to her cheek to wipe the single tear that left her face, “let me help Wakanda, allow me to assist you, princess. All you have to do is ask.”

Shuri’s soft sobs and sniffles echoed through the cave, it took her minutes to get her emotions under control and took her even longer to gain the strength to speak the words Namor yearned for her to say,

“Help me protect my people Namor, please.” She whispered the words silently, but loud enough for K'uk'ulkan to hear. Confidence quickly swelled within him but he kept his ego at bay.

“As you wish, princess,” he maneuvered her hand in his and pressed his lips firmly against her palm, “I will return soon.”

K'uk'ulkan made his way toward the water once again, preparing to leap into it before Shuri’s voice called out from behind him, calling him by his name, the name he had wished her to call him since she arrived.

“K'uk'ulkan… thank you.”

Chapter Text

K'uk'ulkan was given the name Namor for a reason. The child without love, the one no one cared for. But in this moment, Shuri calling him by his birth given name, he felt his heart flutter.

He had to question wether or not his heart had their own set of wings that were only activated when he felt strongly about someone. Namor was stiff and Shuri could see it, his back muscles clenched and the tension in the cave could've been sliced with a butcher knife from how thick it was.

Shuri bit her lip and played with her fingers out of nervousness, she was wondering if it was the right thing to call him that, after all that has happened? When she called him K'uk'ulkan it wasn't on purpose, it just slipped. It felt right. And vice versa as well, Namor hearing his name slip out of her mouth felt blissful, so much that he could've shuddered.

"You're welcome, princess," Namor's voice came out, smooth and quiet, so quiet she almost didn't hear his response, he left no time for her to speak another word before he jumped into the water and swam away swift-fully.

Shuri let out the breath she'd been holding in for at least a minute now, her heart too, fluttering, beating rapidly like the drums often heard in Wakanda.

"Bast," she whispered as she walked back into Namor's tiny home. Shuri felt restless, there were too many things to think about for her to close her eyes and relieve her headache.

Wakanda, for instance. She knew the elders might have not cared much for her disappearance but Nakia, Toussiant and Okoye, she couldn't imagine how worried they must be. The crime scene that was left in the forest, her body missing, they had to have thought she was killed.

But, fortunately, Wakanda would not rest until she was found, alive or dead. She began to worry about another factor which regarded Wakanda and Talokan. She had attended all of the council meetings since her mother's passing. She knew that any issue that would arise in Wakanda, Talokan would be blamed for it not too long after.

In a sense, they wouldn't be wrong, but Shuri wasn't brought here to be killed, at least she thought. So, waging war against Talokan for her would be pointless, she thought.

These were just some of the minor thoughts in her head, the ones she could think about with her stomach twisting in fifteen different directions, the thoughts she used to distract herself from thinking about him.

Her thoughts trailed back to Namor. She gazed at the back of her hand, where he had raised it to his lips and kissed it tenderly. Shuri could have sworn it was tingling, but she knew it was just apart of her imagination, her mind playing tricks on her.

She had hoped that's what it all was. All the invasive thoughts she would have about him, the attraction she felt when he came near her, she hoped it was all apart of her head.

Shuri dreaded him coming back, she dreaded the awkwardness that would spread across the air and eventually suffocate them both. She almost wished she would go back to despising every part of him. At least then it wouldn't be..

She sighed and sat down in front of the wall with him and a black panther drawn on it. Shuri admired it, she hadn't fancied herself much of a painting artist but she did like to express art in different forms. Wakanda had very talented artists, from sculptures to simple graphite drawings, talent never fell short when it came to art but this was truly impressive.

It was a depiction of their battle, one that Shuri would absolutely never forget. Thoughts of her holding a spear to Namor's neck, him impaling her with one, on the other hand flashed through her head.

The words, "it could have been different," ringed through her, he was going to leave her there, attached to that rock and spear. He was going to leave her there to bleed out and— she closed her eyes and squeezed her hands into fists. Forget it, Shuri. It is in the past now.

She reopened her eyes to continue analyzing the artwork but the reoccurring images of the battle was all that came to her. The look in his eyes as she prepared to kill him on that beach was one she would never forget about. And the yell of sheer pain when she easily swiped one of his wings off, Shuri sucked in a breath, and shakily released it.

"Is everything alright, princess?" A voice spoke behind her, she jumped up on her numb legs and flipped around, her body instinctively getting into a defensive position. Namor raised an eyebrow at this and she eased up when she realized it was only him.

"I'm sorry... what did you say?"

"I asked if you were alright," Namor stepped closer to her looking her up and down and licking his lips after. That action alone made her take another deep breath.

What was this feeling?

"I am fine, just reminiscing..." Shuri lied, she turned around and gazed at the artwork, "it's impressive."

Namor hummed and made his way over to the wall, he didn't stand next to her, no, of course not, he stood directly behind her. So close that if she moved a single inch they would be touching, which would be all too much for her today.

"I worked on it as soon as I returned to Talokan," his lips inched closer to her ear, "I could not get the battle out of my head."

Chills made haste to spread around Shuri's arms, but her temperature rose.

"Oh?" She retorted softly.

"Yes," he responded, "I could not get you, out of my head," Namor sighed, "every tiny detail about you captivates me in the best ways, Shuri." Namor spun Shuri around to face him he tucked his thumb and index finger underneath her chin and lifted her face to meet his.

"Namor..." she whispered. He was growing increasingly impatient day by day, it was slowly driving him crazy, he needed her.

"Look me in my eyes, tell me you feel nothing from me and I will return you to Wakanda right now."

Her lips parted in surprise of his words, of his question, of his offer.

"K'uk'ulkan... I.. I—" Shuri stumbled over her words, trying to wrap her head around what was going on, her body was hot and Namor's being so close to her didn't help.

"Tell me, tell me the truth, Shuri," Namor asked, almost ready to beg her to say what he wanted to hear.

Shuri took a deep breath, the chain of events from these past two months flashed across her head, from Namor introducing himself to her and her mother and to this moment right now. She knew what she had to do, she knew what she had to say. It was the only reasonable thing to do.

She straightened her back and cleared her throat, "K'uk'ulkan Feather-Seperent God of Talokan, I do not feel anything for you."

It pained her to say it, of course it wasn't true. Even if she didn't understand what feelings she was experiencing, she knew they were there. She felt them in the form of her heart quickening, her stuttering and her biting her lower lip when he neared. But, as princess you have to decide when and when not to put yourself before your people and in this moment, Wakanda needed her more than Namor did.

"I see..." he grumbled, annoyance seeping out of his words.

"Shuri, Black Panther of Wakanda," Namor grunted, "you spew nothing but lies." His words caught her off guard but nothing could have surprised her more than what he did next.

He moved the palm of his hand toward her jaw and brought her face closer to his slowly, she allowed him to guide her towards him until their lips were grazing upon each other, waiting to connect with each other in the most romantic way. Every breath they took, the other felt from the lack of space.

The reasonable side of her hastily snapped her out of whatever trance she was in and she was grateful for that. Shuri had one goal and that was to get out of Talokan and get away from Namor. How could she have let her guard down so much that she nearly kissed him?

Shuri pressed the palm of her hand against his bare chest, right over his heart, that was beating very rapidly, too.

"Namor..." Shuri whispered, "we cannot." Not being able to actually mention the words 'kiss' or 'touch', she felt like a child all over again.

"Why can we not?" He questioned, K'uk'ulkan was fully prepared to kiss the princess and go however far they desired afterwards.

Shuri let out a huff of frustration, "because we—" she couldn't seem to think of a mature reason at the moment so she said, "because we are not... together."

Namor brought his hands up towards her arms and rubbed her smooth skin, softly. "I could arrange that, if it's what you would like,"

"What?— That's not what I was trying to say!" Namor was amused at how flustered Shuri got over the simplest statements, "I understand you, princess, if you are not prepared to accept your feelings, I will not rush you." And with that said, he dropped his hands from her and took a step back.

Namor was many things but impatient was rarely one of them. When it came down to Shuri he would wait another hundred years if that's what she asked of him. He recognized that she was inexperienced and that didn't bother him, it only drew him in more.

He saw that Shuri kept a straight face, she tried not to act like his comment didn't annoy her more than hearing M’baku munching on a carrot obnoxiously.

"I am done with this conversation," she blinked at him and turned to walk away. Don’t let him know what you’re feeling, Shuri thought.

“One last thing, princess,” K'uk'ulkan spoke up causing Shuri to flip around and look at him once more with the best neutral face she could muster.

Namor held up a tan dress, decorated with beautiful patterns, a language she had not known but was interested in learning in the future. The dress hung low and had tiny specks of jade scattered around it. She thought the dress was gorgeous.

“What do you expect me to do with this?” Shuri raised her eyebrows at him, trying not to stare at the beautiful dress too much.

Namor sucked in a small breath and walked towards where Shuri stood, “I figured you would want to bathe,” she nodded her head, telling him to continue.

“And I wouldn’t want you to be draped in…” Namor paused and analyzed Shuri’s outfit, “those.” Was what he described her clothes as. She couldn’t be offended, really, these were merely clothes she found and threw on in haste before entering Wakanda’s dark forest.

She decided not to answer his question, she greedily snatched the dress from his hands and ran her fingers over the soft fabric, “fascinating.” She whispered.

“We have a talented group of clothing artists, they only pass their secrets down to their kin and they are very stingy about how they craft them,” he told her, earning a short giggle from Shuri.

Just a simple giggle from her made him grin.

Shuri gave the dress one last glance before looking back at Namor, “I don’t suppose Talokan has showers?”

“Show-hers?” He questioned, confused, completely butchering the pronunciation.

“Mhm.” Shuri noted and clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, “where do you advise I bathe at?”
Namor exited the humble abode, “follow me, princess,” she trailed behind him, curiously until he reached his destination. “Here.”

“This?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” Shuri mumbled.

Namor turned toward her with a expression she could not decipher, “is it not up to your standards?”

Shuri clutched the dress against her body as she stared down at the oversized pond that he expected her to bathe in, “it’s just very.. public.”

“I see,” K'uk'ulkan muttered, he hadn’t thought much about the differences between the surface and Talokan when it came to little things such as bathing, “privacy is rarely an issue here, no one in Talokan comes to this cave,” he observed the cave once more and then looked at Shuri, who was still staring at the pond with slightly widened eyes.

“Unfortunately, Talokan does not have these… show-hers you speak of,” he said, earning a small laugh from Shuri, “but, I can assure you your privacy will be respected here.”

Shuri shut her eyes, debating this. She really did need to clean up, her clothes were all wrinkled, dried blood covered her in multiple places and she was beginning to smell bad. On the other hand, being naked near Namor after what just happened?

Sighing, Shuri reopened her eyes and looked over at K'uk'ulkan, “it will be fine…thank you.” She whispered.

And with that, Namor left her with the pond and the humidity that was the cave. She sharply exhaled a breath that she hadn’t known she was holding and loosened her grip on the dress, setting it down on a nearby rock.

“Make it quick,” she encouraged herself, “in and out, Shuri, in and out.” The princess quickly ridded herself of all the clothing she has on and slid into the pond before any peering eyes could see anything they shouldn’t.

The pond was lengthy, but not very deep and the temperature was damn-near perfect. Not too cold, not very hot, she felt her muscles relax while she sat in the water, letting her body soak.

Shuri had once thought her and the so-called Feather-Serpent God were complete opposites, not alike in any way but while residing with him for the past two days she had come to conclusion that she was wrong.

Her lab back in Wakanda was much like K'uk'ulkan’s cave, a safe place to get away from all the pressures of being a leader, from being royalty. This was where he would unwind, just like how Shuri would in her lab.

She sighed and began to rub her body with nothing more than her hands and the warm water.

What was supposed to be a five minute rinse became a twenty minute soak as the princess took her sweet time to scrub herself and also lounge in the pond she was opposed to not even an hour ago. Her wounds slowly healed, thanks to the gifts of being the black panther, and transformed into more battle scars. When the discomfort in her legs returned, Shuri relaxed her body and allowed it to float atop the water like a swan.

Not even a mile away, Namor sat on the bed slept in not too long ago, his elbows set on his knees and his hands dug into his dark hair. Reality began to set in, for him.

He had the princess of the greatest surface empire locked away in his cave like some type of damsel. Namor didn’t want her to leave, he wanted her to stay here with him and cure the loneliness that settled in his heart. He wanted to carry all her burdens and support her unconditionally, too.

But, even if he was successful in his goal, and she wanted to stay here with him, Wakanda would soon invade Talokan in search for the princess. K'uk'ulkan wasn’t afraid of battling the Wakandians again, nor afraid of losing, in fact, he was afraid of winning.

In defeating Wakanda, Shuri will have lost her friends, her people, those that were close to her, ultimately wedging an invisible barrier between him and her.

That was his biggest fear, having to choose between defending his people or seeking out what he desired, which was her.

Namor did not want to think about it now, stressing over the future will not change anything, he learned that after his many years of leading Talokan. He wanted to appreciate the beauty that was princess, now, before the rage consumed him or her once again.

With one last sigh, K'uk'ulkan sat up from the bed and walked out of his hut, he figured the princess had finished bathing and that she was waiting for him near the pond but, he was false.

He froze in his steps, eyes wide, staring at the princess in all her glory.

Shuri’s hair was short, coiled up from the water and shrinkage, her naked back was on full display for him, the rest of her body hidden underneath the water. She didn’t notice him, at first, she admired the crystals that hung above.

The urge to join her in the pond almost overtook him, but his self control didn’t allow it. Instead, he observed and admired her beauty. He basked in it, almost.

So much that he unconsciously spoke, “Jats'uts,” he said.