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#sad okoye
mobius-m-mobius · 9 months
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The Nice Guys (2016) // Panhandle 1.01 (2022)
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itaintenough · 1 year
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I’ll be contributing 10% of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earnings cause I’ll be watching it weekly until the promotion ends 🧎🏽‍♀️
I’m so obsessed with it idc, i miss proper film especially on marvel, that movie reminded me back of how amazing Marvel Superheroes are and their internal conflict between themselves and saving the world who are against them. Ryan Coogler thank you for restoring back the standard in Marvel Phase 4, i had lost hope in this era because of the messy filmography filled with action and explosions. Sometimes you just want to sit back in the cinema while appreciate every single detail and scenes of the film without any expectations but having passion as a Marvel fan.
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thebusylilbee · 1 year
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I gotta say Angela Bassett might be one of the greatest actress of this generation, the intensity she was able to convey through the screen while playing queen Ramonda is nuts, my eyes could not look at anything but her every time she appeared
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flannelepicurean · 1 year
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Some ShuriKan headcanons, because YOU MADE ME DO THIS
Seriously, hellsite sweethearts. I did not anticipate spending this much of the first day of this Year of our Blorb 2023 thinking about this, but it turned out to be quite the ride. File this under: Does it count as "Domestic Bliss" if the domicile is actually multiple international palaces and there's a sort of "on land/underwater" element in play?
The kids have Namor absolutely wrapped around their adorable, chubby little fingers. He cannot say no to them, although he likes to pretend he can. 
Okoye also indulges them to an extent, but in a very, "Mm-hm. What does your father say? And what does your mother say?" method. (Winner is often the ruler of whichever nation they're currently in, but the balance naturally tips in Shuri's favor surprisingly often. Okoye and Namora come to be aligned in this, as practical people who realize that Namor has not one lick of goddamn sense when it comes to spoiling those precious babies.)
Shuri spends a lot of time outfoxing the entire lot of them. Things still have to get done, it can’t be all, “Oh, sorry ambassador, gotta take a three-hour break from treaty negotiations because the kids have an emergency whale-ride situation…”
She and Namor have a parenting dynamic not unlike that couple from The Emperor’s New Groove. “Oh suuure, you can stay up late! We’ll just be in here telling each other how much we love each other, [exaggerated smoochy face noises].”
But when the kids do run away, declaring them gross, Namor’s like, “...Well, since we’re here…” And then Shuri’s like, “OMG, husband, I have so many things to do.” And he gives her the sad sea-otter eyes, and she’s like, “YOU have so many things to do! We have to do the paperwork for the treaty with the UN! And don’t even get me started on Krakoa!” And he’s all, “Nooooooooo! Cara mia! [Flop] My humidifier…I feel weak…” And she’s already walking away suppressing a giggle like, “Oh, okay, I’ll have Riri take a look, maybe she can tweak the enviro settings in the office for you?” And he’s like, “NO, THAT’S OKAY, THAT’S COOL, GONNA JUST HOP IN THE SHOWER, WORK TO DO, FEELING SO PRODUCTIVE, LOVE YOU…”
Also, Riri is the one who introduced Namor to the term “thirst trap,” and initially he was like, “...thirst???...trap…???...like??? The thing you…put me in????” And of course she’s like, “OMG, no, fool, it’s…you know what, I’ll just show you, it’ll be faster.”
A couple hours and some copious notes later, he’s like, “Okay. I think…Right. I’m gonna need to move some really big mirrors around, but I think…yeah…yes. I can do this.”
He trots back in like 5 minutes later all, “Okay, explain about the selfie stick again–you know what, no. No, I can…we’ve got the spears from last years test models, or…intern! That’s it, I’ll get an intern!”
10 minutes later, “Hey, where do I get the shirts??? That go like???" [Makes a V-shaped gesture from collarbone area to approximately navel]
Namor doesn’t really “do” social media, because he’s still very private, and doesn’t want the greater world to know about his kingdom. So he pretty much only spams Shuri with thirst trap pictures.
Never dick pics, though. He’s classy.
The first time Shuri calls him “mi amor,” he’s like, “Oh. Oh noooooooooooooo! Oh, I did not think this through, ohhhhhhhhhhh…” And that’s when he goes full Gomez. Because she wouldn’t do it lightly. She would really have to have healed, A LOT, and they would both have to have grown significantly, both individually and together, and damn wouldn’t that moment really clobber him? No longer sin amor, but con amor. And still Namor. Hell of a thing.
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I have SO many questions about the ending of Wakanda Forever and the whole timeline and just so many things
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miricastor · 1 year
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Watched Wakanda Forever last night and my god Coogler did an amazing job depicting the stages of grief. Shuri (emphasis on her!), Nakia, the Queen, and Okoye were emotional powerhouses. Shuri's arc was beautiful and so well-done because it's rare to see depictions of women in mourning that are angry. Women that choose to direct that anger to themselves and the people around them. And it's shown as something raw but rational (esp since Shuri is considered to be logical), which is why anger is a prominent and dangerous aspect of grief. Namor embodies the danger of wrathful grief all too well. I'd watch Wakanda again for Shuri's trip to ancestral plane alone because that scene bares her soul for all of us to see. And what we see are two people that had their family unfairly taken away, one temporarily driven by grief-stricken vengeance and the other succumbing to it.
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silver-pieces · 1 year
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a messy writing update
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Okay okay okay so I have 9 fics ready or in their final edit, plus an additional 14 unwritten, all of which I want to post this month. Is that a lot? Yes. Am I going insane? Haha, yes! 😃
Below the cut is a list of the content you can expect on here in the coming weeks of December, starting Monday 12th (unless I have a brain freeze or meltdown or something. It could really happen at any moment! 😅)
Mandalorian's Mercy Pt9 (Alpha!Din x (afab) omega!fem!reader)
Chase Her Down (Vampire!Selina Kyle x gn!reader)
Andor Bingo: Escape (Mon Mothma x librarian!gn!reader)
4 x Marvel Girlfriend May fics (Days 14-17)
You Will Beg Part 2: She Loves It (dom!Wanda x (afab) sub!fem!reader)
The Catch (Paz Vizsla x (afab) princess!fem!reader)
And depending on what else I get written, the remaining 14 fics I want to write & post this month:
5 x MGM fics (Days 18-22)
4 x Andor Bingo fics
Mandalorian's Mercy Pt10 (finale!)
You Will Beg Pt3 (finale!)
An Untitled Fennorian x OC Request
An Untitled Okoye x Reader Request
An Untitled Christmas Fic for a Pedro Pascal character I haven't written for before 👀
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Thankyou for sticking around and I hope you enjoy watching my impending madness unfold in fic form 😌
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alpha-mag-media · 6 months
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Holly Willoughby shares sadness following sudden death of This Morning star Dr Uchenna Okoye | In Trend Today
Holly Willoughby shares sadness following sudden death of This Morning star Dr Uchenna Okoye Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS
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ur-mag · 6 months
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Holly Willoughby shares sadness following sudden death of This Morning star Dr Uchenna Okoye | In Trend Today
Holly Willoughby shares sadness following sudden death of This Morning star Dr Uchenna Okoye Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS
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voux-mag · 6 months
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Holly Willoughby shares sadness following sudden death of This Morning star Dr Uchenna Okoye | September 19, 2023 at 06:28AM
Holly Willoughby shares sadness following sudden death of This Morning star Dr Uchenna Okoye Read Full Text With Ad or Continue reading Untitled
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einaudis · 1 year
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Watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and yes, the Dora Milaje remain as the ones I'd die for.
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waltermis · 4 months
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Stay, Stay, Stay
Summary: You & Natasha share a comforting moment
Warnings: hurt/comfort
Pairings: Natasha Romanoff x reader (romantic)
A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATASHA!! ❤️❤️
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↠↠↠ 
Natasha sighed, cutting her peanut butter sandwich. She listened to Rocket, Nebula, and the rest of the remaining avengers argue from across the universe. It’s been five years since the snap. Five years since Thanos. Five years since the Avengers officially split up. Five years since she lost Yelena. Five years since everything… But no matter how much time passed, she couldn’t let this life go. 
“Carol, are we seeing you here next month?”
“Not likely,”
“What? You gonna get another haircut?” Rocket teased.
“Listen, fur face. I’m covering a lot of territory. The things that are happening on Earth are happening everywhere. On thousands of planets.”
“Uh, all right. All right. That’s a good point. That’s a good point.”
“So, you might not see me for a long time.” 
“All right. Uh well, this channel's always active. So, if anything goes sideways… anyone’s making trouble where they shouldn’t… comes through me.” Natasha stated, before Rocket, Okoye, Carol’s channels disappeared, leaving Rhodey. “Where are you?” she asked him.
“Mexico. The Federales found a room full of bodies. Looks like a bunch of cartel guys never even had a chance to get their guns off.”
“It’s probably a rival gang,” Natasha denied quickly.
“Except it isn’t. It’s definitely Barton… what he’s done here, what he’s been doing for the last few years. I mean, the scene that he left…I gotta tell you there’s a part of me that doesn’t even want to find him.”
“Will you find out where he’s going next?” she asked, taking a bit of her sandwich, tears filling her eyes, threatening to spill.
“Nat?”
“Please?” she asked, quietly. She looked so vulnerable, her eyes glassy and nose red from holding back tears.
“Okay,” he sighed, before leaving the channel.
Natasha sighed, trying her hardest not to cry. She missed him, Clint, he was her best friend. One of the first few people that truly trusted her. When she met Clint’s family, they welcomed her in with open arms. They were like her second family; finding out that they were blipped broke her heart. She couldn’t imagine what Clint was going through. 
‘God, this is a fucking mess.’ She thought, wrapping her arms around herself. Taking a bite out of her sad excuse of a sandwich, Natasha’s senses picked up the sound of wheels rolling against the hardwood floor. Natasha furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, watching you hauling two big blue luggage, she’s never seen before, through the common room. “Moya lyubov’, where are you going?” You ignored her, continuing to grab the luggage’s outside. “Detka? Are you okay?!” Still nothing. Natasha began to panic; thoughts of you finally realizing that you deserved better clawed their way into her brain. “Dorogaya? Can we talk about this? Please!”
“Babe?” you asked, coming back. “What’re you doing in here? I thought you were gonna use Meeting room A today… W-why’re you crying?” you asked, wrapping her up in your arms. She didn’t even notice the tears that streamed down her face. 
“Please don’t leave me! I promise I’ll spend more time with you, just please don’t go…” she cried into your chest, her words muffled as she tugged you into her, her grip tight.
“What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere,”
“Then why are you taking your luggage outside?!” she wailed, her nails digging further into you, afraid that you’d leave the second she loosened her grip.
“What? Those aren’t mine.”
“Huh?” she sobbed out. “Then whose are those?”
“They’re Tony’s, from when he and Pepper used to live here. They still have a bit of stuff here they haven’t moved to the cabin yet, he wanted me to finally bring it over for him.” you explained slowly, knowing that the lack of sleep was finally catching up on your redheaded girlfriend.
“Then what about you ignoring me?” she asked softly, her grip finally loosening.
“I was listening to music,” you showed her the air pods still in your ears. “I couldn’t hear you. I didn’t even know you were in here. I thought you decided to use one of the meeting rooms instead. You know I would never intentionally ignore you,”
Natasha nodded; her eyes grew heavier listening to the soothing sound of your voice. “Promise me you’ll never leave me.” she begged, tilting her head up to look into your eyes.
“I promise, there is nothing in this world that would make me leave you. Ever.” you promised, pecking her on the lips.
“I love you; you know that right?”
“Of course, I do, and I love you too. To Vormir and back.”
“Where’s that?” she asked sleepily, her head thudding on your chest again.
“Not sure… just came into my head.” you laughed, picking her up in your arms. You brought her back to your shared bedroom, placing her underneath the covers.
“Stay,” she said, grabbing a hold of your arm.
“Of course.” Bringing her into your arms, you placed a firm kiss on her head, letting sleep envelope the two of you.
↠↠↠ 
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nexusnyx · 1 year
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OMG can I request a shuri x reader where reader gets hurt but refuses to worry shuri with it until one day it just gets unbearable. Idk I just nee dthe fluff fr
→ soft and sweet
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⚠️ Mentions violence and injuries, no spoilers. | 🏷️Hurt/comfort, fluff. [2.9k]
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"Should you be back in my lab so soon?"
Her voice makes everything still, and not even Ayo's eyes so firmly set on you matter. Every muscle in your body is frozen, as always.
"Your majesty," you nod, and watch as Shuri makes her way inside. "I'm sorry. I know you said don't be back so soon—"
"And yet, here you are," Shuri interrupts. In under five seconds inside the room, her presence has commanded everything—from your prognosis projected from your beads into thin air, to the aura of command that so far, belonged to Okoye sitting in the corner with her legs crossed. "What was it this time?"
"Reckless abandon and, what I suspect, the desire to see a certain—" Okoye starts, only to be interrupted by you.
"Improvements." Your heart rate betrays you in the back, but Shuri's eyes are on you. "Ayo mentioned improvements. I'm always curious."
"You don't have to be curious and injured to come here," Shuri shrugs. "You're the youngest Dora in training Okoye's ever recruited. I trust you not to break things or touch anything in the lab you shouldn't."
It's not the things I'm worried about.
"Let's take a look at you." Shuri's words make you nod, solemn and tongue-tied.
As straightforward as ever. Ayo clears her throat, and says, "As I was saying, Your Highness, our dear sunshine over there thinks she's still in the ballrooms sometimes."
As straightforward as ever. Ayo clears her throat, and says, "As I was saying, Your Highness, our dear sunshine over there thinks she's still in the ballrooms sometimes."
"Ah," Okoye smacks her teeth. "You're just upset she injured herself after managing that move."
Ayo scoffs, turning around with her mouth wide open. "She almost stabbed Aneka."
"Almost being the keyword," Okoye retorts, sending you a smile that turns sour in two seconds. With her eyes set on you, her eyebrows pierce together. "Never do that again without telling me first that you'll be trying your... dance-y moves."
"Ah. So that's what it was?" Shuri asks, and you have to blink away from her eyes to be able to answer.
"Just trying out new things," you answer.
"Your 'new thing' made you dislocate your shoulder, clavicle and—Bast, how are you just sitting there?" she turns around sharply to the other Dora in the room. "How is she not knocked out in pain?"
"Drugged," both of them answer at the same time.
Your nod comes a beat too slow, and Shuri registers as she turns back to you.
"Yup." They definitely gave you something on the way in. "I am a-okay."
For the first time ever, you hear it.
Shuri laughs.
The sound freezes you again—it spells all the cells in your body, caught under an immediate trance. You only heard it before a couple of times, under different circumstances.
Under different times.
Times when Shuri was still Princess, and not Panther. Times when she had witty remarks, cheeky smiles, and middle fingers to offer to anyone willing and asking for it.
Bygones; or so you thought.
A quick, military sweep of the room — a surprising feat for your altered mind — shows you're not the only one surprised by the sudden burst of laughter.
Only two seconds of it, but the first one is enough to almost shock you back into sobriety, and the second has enough room for your heart to break. Ayo and Okoye share a look, and the amount of sadness that pours between pokes between your ribs.
Then, the laugh ends, and the moment was unfortunately too short for you to enjoy it.
"A-okay," Shuri mutters, chuckling. "You sounded like Ross for a second."
"The coloziner?" you shriek.
Shuri smiles at you, and damn it—"The one and only," she replies with a smirk. Her expert hand sends all your files flying, and she gestures for someone outside the room's glass walls. "I'm glad you're under medication already, 'cause I'm pretty sure this is about to hurt."
"Doras feel no pain," Okoye sneers.
Both you and Ayo nod in agreement. "No pain."
"Really?" One of Shuri's eyebrows goes up. "So if I do this—," she pokes the tip of her finger right against your clavicle and smiles when you wince. "Ah. I thought you felt no pain?" the sarcasm drips from her just like her damn clothes.
Why does she always look so good? "That was mean," you whisper. No whine comes out of you, because Okoye trained you better than that.
Shuri's smile widens as the doctor walks in, and she stands still in front of you for a moment. "Just a reminder that you're still human." Something else trembles beneath the surface of her words, and it compels you to look into her eyes. "One about to be part of the most well-trained and skilled army in the world, but a human, nonetheless. Please be more careful."
Please. The knot that grows in your throat out of nowhere is hard to swallow. "I will, my Queen."
"I saw you here not two weeks ago," she goes on. You can feel the doctor's hands starting to roam on your arms, and Ayo excuses herself with a quick 'we'll wait outside for you'. "I meant what I said. If you want to look at designs, just drop by."
"And bother you while you work?" you scoff in laughter. "I wouldn't dare to assume my time's that precious."
"Ouch," the thump of Shuri hitting both hands against her chest makes you look up—her hands placed over where her heart is, and her face set in a theatrical look of pain makes you feel so stupid and gone. You wanted her to smile like that all the time, preferably because of something you did or said. "And here I was, thinking my spar companion was at least a friend."
A friend.
You bite down on the cry of pain when the Doctor puts something back into place, and offer Shuri the best smile you can at the moment. "I was here thinking I was just the miserable, unlucky girl who Okoye wanted you to have as a punching bag."
Shuri cackles again. "Right. The prodigal punching bag who's been keeping me on my toes outside the suit, you mean?"
The lessons — twice a week, by the riverside, at dusk — are somewhat of a dream.
"How can I keep you on your toes if I don't end up here every now and then?" you gesture with your head around the lab, and Shuri's mirth is gone from her eyes.
"You're more creative than this," her tone is scolding. "Aneka took it easy on you. I don't want to see you coming back worse because you tried something on Ayo and she severed something that might never be replaced."
You nod at that. "I'll be more careful, your Highness."
Shuri opens and closes her mouth once, then nods at you. Whatever she wanted to say is left aside as she nods towards Vance, then leaves the room with Griot speaking on her shoulder.
You'll see her in two days.
It'll twist your insides as much as it does every time.
"Girl," Dr. Vance snorts, and you groan.
"Shut up."
"Good Bast, Shuri is blind."
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The promise works, if only for a little while.
It's hard not hurting yourself when life does that by itself, so easily, and so often, too. It's hard to stay away from something that's a part of your road, and unfortunately for you and everyone around, bruises and aches were a part of you for as long as you were alive.
For a few weeks, the purples on your bodies and the grunts that come out of you come, for the most part, from your training sessions with her.
Black Panther.
Shuri is as deadly without the suit nowadays as she is with it, but as a woman of science, her training was nowhere as intense as a warrior.
You were training for six years before she took the mantle, and now, graduation is on the horizon.
"Eyes forward," Shuri whispers, right before she attacks.
The glint of purple and black paints your skies too, because of her.
It's so hard to focus when she smiles.
'Do not think I haven't noticed how poor your focus is when she's on-field, child.' Okoye, once reinstated as General, took you back under her personal wing. 'If that goes on, you will never graduate.'
It works, the slap on the face.
Fighting Shuri becomes easier once it's resignified to fighting for her, and the bruises come less often.
There's your graduation.
A whole new line of Dora Milajes—and you're one of the sixteen.
Shuri dances on the stones of the waterfall, and you think happiness is the only thing that looks more fitting than the mantle on her.
"Now I'll never see you around my lab again," Shuri jokes in the middle of the celebration party.
She found you with a drink in hand talking quietly with Nakia in a corner, speaking in hushed tones about trips around the world if you ever managed to take a vacation, and Nakie excused herself as soon as Shuri arrived.
It made you feel suffocated.
She had on traditional fighting clothes, and even the smooth, cold drink was going down in hard gulps. "Don't worry, I'll find a way."
"Yeah, it's called taking my invitation."
"I've been there," you argue with her, trying to fight a smile. "I went to see the new suits. And the improvements to the spear."
Shuri shakes her head. "Okoye's request."
"I went there two weeks ago to pick up the gadgets and stayed for hours. I'm pretty sure I got in the way of your work and made you arrive late for a UN meeting."
Shuri smiles as she shakes her head again. "The pick up was Ayo taking advantage of you. The meeting—," she tilts her neck. "I didn't want to go anyway. You just gave me a good excuse to show up fashionably late."
"I heard you made a scene."
"It's a thing we Wakandas too once outside our nation. You'll find out soon enough," she leans against the counter, and you almost take a step back because your brain alarms go off—
too close, too pretty, she smells so good, oh Bast please send me a light and I'll do all my morning prayers, I swear—
"'m not sure the General's keen on letting any of us new girls go out any time soon."
"I'll ask for my friend to be my escort as a personal favor, how about that?" Shuri wiggles one eyebrow.
Cool, you think. "I think you're above playing favorites," you chuckle.
"Then you don't know me very well," she whispers, smile turning into a grin. "See? That's why I'm bringing you along."
"We'll see about that, your Highness."
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Being hurt is part of the job, but not a part Shuri is fond of, you discover.
Each time you shrug off the shrapnels of savages attacking your nation or the swollen bumps around your body, her face loses every inch of that easiness it had.
Shuri demands you to slow it down, to take it easier, to—"stop jumping head first in front of things! Are you out of your mind? You're not a human shield!"
To which Okoye fights back with, "My Queen, with all due respect, that is exactly our duty. To you, and to Wakanda. We are your defense. She was just doing her job this time and, doing it well, may I add."
"Her spear's not a shield, General. Something that, may I remind you, all of you have in your uniforms. Shields! So she doesn't end up like this!"
It's only when she raises her voice that you notice.
Shuri's chest panting.
"General—," you start, but as always, Okoye's a step ahead.
"Your Highness," her tone is gentle. It's the same tone you've heard her speaking with the kids, and sometimes, you. "I'll be back in an hour to check on her and my other two girls. And then we'll discuss the attack. Is that ok?"
"It is. You may go, General," Shuri nods to her.
And then, you two are alone.
And it hits you. "Panther," you whisper.
Shuri shakes her head, pacing around the room. "I'm thinking, give me a second." You doubt a single thought could be formed after the day you two had, but if one person in the world could have them, it'd be her. "It has the be something I'm missing—a breach, a—a bug. Something."
You see the way she rubs her hands together and try again. "Shuri."
After more than a year of working closely together, it's one of the few times you've used her name, and it works the same as the others:
Everything else stops, and Shuri turns to you.
Her posture relaxes as if someone pulled a pin.
"I'm sorry," you tell her. She's still in her Panther suit, and it's all you can get out. The lab is pitch black dark except for the glimmer of the machines that are turned on, and as she steps closer, you hear the stupid announcement of your vitals monitor alerting of your heartbeat rising, and shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
As blind as she can be, Shuri is not deaf.
"Why are you sorry?" she asks.
The sounds grow louder because she only stops when her legs touch the side of the bed, and you have nowhere to hide your nervousness. "I told you I'd be more careful and..."
"You weren't."
"No," you look away from the sewing pattern of the suit and try to find a thought that doesn't involve the way you can still feel the air humming around her. "And you seem... worried."
"Seem?"
It's like a hiss.
You look back at her, and Shuri runs one of her hands over her face.
She exhales loudly, and when her eyes find yours, your mouth runs dry.
"You jumped," she whispers at you—out loud, like a confession. As if you weren't there, and she somehow can't believe that. "Right in front of me."
You did, and you would again, and she knows that. You nod, unsure of what to answer, if you even could answer. Unsure if you would be able to no matter how much you wished to.
"Your eyes were on that thing, and I know you heard the drop, but..." there was no time for her to reach it. "I had to," you finish, and the little smile that forms on your face seems to do it for her.
Something snaps inside Shuri because her whole face loses its composure, and both of her hands come up to cup your face, alerting to what must be the entire building that you're on the cliff, hanging over and looking down at a heart attack.
"Never. Do that. Again." Her palms are sweaty on your cheeks. When she speaks, Shuri's bottom lip trembles, and all you can think is—
Oh.
I'm blind too.
"I have to," you repeat a little dumbly.
Shuri laughs, right in your face. It sounds like disbelief, and her hands grip you tighter, and you have to bite back a whine at how much you enjoy the force of that hold. "You're going to kill me if you do that again. Did you know that? Griot informed me. Griot said, 'My Queen, I'm obliged to inform that your heart has reached concerning rates', as if I didn't fucking know, as if—as if—," her chest moves up and down faster again, and you do something you never thought you'd have the guts to—
You hold her back.
It's surreal to feel the texture of the suit underneath your hands, but what's even crazier is the notion that she's under it.
"Breathe," you whisper to her.
"I can't—" she exhales shakily, and you plunge forward with your gut.
When her hands cupped your face, you tuned out everything around. The embarrassing heart rate, the machine noises; anything not Shuri didn't matter, and when her breathing comes out in raggedy tries, your lips reach forward before you realize what it is you're doing.
When you do realize it, both of you are caught under it.
It's a spell, you think.
Attraction. Love.
It's white noise and being submerged underwater all the same time—it's the feeling of her soft, delicate lips on yours, and the way you can feel her pulling in a deep breath before she whispers, "Bast..." and leans forward again.
Whatever it is that keeps you tied to her, you embrace it. Magnetism, gravity, electricity—it must be a little bit of each, all thrown into the bowl like the best recipe in the world, and the result is there,
on her lips, and the taste of her kiss.
Bast, indeed.
You'll never let go of the bruises if this is where they land you in.
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rayrayvan · 1 year
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I am not trying to seduce you, would you like me to seduce you?
(Shuri x fem!reader)
As Shuri got busy with being queen and being head of the Wakandan Design Department, you, her wife, took it upon yourself to be head of management in the Wakanda Outreach facilitates.
There is an event that both you and Shuri needed to attend to. Somewhat a small gathering for all the states in Vienna.
In your hotel room, as you were putting the finishing jewellery to wear for the event, Shuri came out wearing a black and purplish suit. She stopped when she saw you sporting out a black thin strapped tight fitting dress paired with black stilettos. The neckline of the dress was a bit low but deemed appropriate.
“My love you look absolutely beautiful “ Shuri approaches you and smothered your neck and the top part of your chest with kisses. “Are you trying to seduce me my sweet?” Shuri said, arms wrapped around your waist and pulling you close to her. “I’m not trying to seduce you” You told her in a monotone way but with a bit teasing behind it. Shuri felt a little sad of your answer and you took notice of this and you took action.
You slowly played with the buttons of her suit and leaned in her ear “Would you like me to seduce you?” You asked her with your low velvety voice. To which she replied “ Yes baby” and when she was about to lean in, Okoye barges in.
“Oh no, we are not doing this again. We were late in that time in Berlin” Okoye told them in her general voice “It was one time” Shuri rebuts “In New York, Nigeria, Korea, Japan-“ As Okoye was about to list the other countries, Y/N interrupted “Okay okay Okoye, we get your point but it’s our honeymoon phase please?” You practically begged, just a quickie would do for you and your queen “Honeymoon Phase? You have been married for 3 years” Okoye pointed out.
In the end, both the Queen and her wife yielded to Okoye and as they were walking along the hallway, Shuri slapped your butt that it made you moan “ After the event girls” Okoye said warningly.
“After the event, my love” As both of them walked side by side until they reached the exit.
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shurisleftearring · 3 months
Text
Green Eyes
I am so scared posting this but here it is, my first part (maybe). Any grammar or plot suggestions are welcomed, but please be nice. Not sure if I wanna include smut in this story or not idk. Anyways, thanks for reading, and enjoy! :) (Also how the fuck do I work this damn app? I am so fucking confused it’s sad fr)
But I don’t love you anymore, I’m so insecure, never knew that love did this…
Word count: 1k+
Pairing: Shuri x Black!fem!reader
Summary: Five years. It’s been five years since the blip. And even longer since you’ve been in a relationship. Maybe it’s for the best. The last time you were in a relationship, it just ended in disarray. But, when your ex comes back into your life, can you start over and do it again? Or try to move on with an unexpected love?
______________________________________________________________
“Y/n c’mon, you are slow!”
You were always late. You can never make it to anything on time. That’s what you need to change. You somehow wake up 5 hours before and still end up 10-15 minutes late.
“I’m coming damn, hold up.”
“Girl, I need you to make this on time, the board offered us amazing positions at Stark Industries and WE.CANNOT.BE.LATE.” 
At this point you were rushing to get your hair together, your makeup on, and your fit. You had a very boring style, but sometimes you surprised people. 
“Is this okay?”
“Girl, it’s fine. Now c’monn”
“Ok ok damn”
______________________________________________________________
By the time you got there, you had one minute left. You used that minute to scope the place out. Can’t even lie, it was beautiful. All of those good-looking drinks, food, people. You were in awe. 
“Damn, this place is nice!” You said.
“Girl, I know we're in the big money now!” Kaira said.
You and your close co-worker friend get guided to the huge table in the back. When you see the table everybody is already there. You look around and your heart drops to you stomach. It's her. At first, you had no idea who she was, she had changed so much. She dresses more masculine now, she has sides of her hair cut, and she has on grillz. You are wondering where the hell she knows about those. Back when y'all used to “date”, y'all were both young and didn’t know shit.
“Shit,” you whispered.
“What did you say, girl?” Kaira said.
“Oh nothing”
You were freaking out inside. Lost in your thoughts. Your memories of her. You were so lost in your own head that you didn’t notice that she he saw you too.  She almost spat her drink out. She didn’t even recognize you.
“Damn, she's fine. Do you know her Shuri?” Peter said.
“...No,” Shuri said, looking away from your curvaceous body.
“Mm, well I’m going to go over there and introduce myself” 
“Don’t you have Mj?”
“Well…she doesn’t remember me. Our love can wait”
Shuri rolled her eyes and they landed on you. She saw how beautiful you became. Your braces were gone and got a skincare routine. She saw how your body grew into its grown woman body. Your thighs, hips, and breasts were just too mesmerizing.  She was shamelessly  checking you out, not caring who saw. You were trying to look distracted when you accidentally locked eyes with Shuri. Her gaze suddenly made you weak in the knees. You didn’t even notice that you were about to run into a waiter. You ran into the waiter, the gaze broken. She started chuckling, not realizing how powerful her stare was. She guessed that’s how she got all those models so easily. You apologized to the waiter and walked to your seat, trying to get some dignity back.
“Girl, are you ok?” your co-worker friend asked.
“Yeah. I’m good Kaira”
“I swear you always trippin’ somewhere” she said laughing.
You laughed praying that no one saw that. You looked and saw that you were sitting in between Okoye and Kaira.  Thank god you weren’t sitting next to her. But, across from her was even worse. Her staring just got more intense by the second. You tried to focus as Pepper Potts-Stark began. 
“Well, now that we have everyone here, welcome. I hope we get a lot of things accomplished in these upcoming years, as you know the people are still-”
You were tryna listen, but you could feel her stare lingering on you. It makes your stomach churn and do somersaults.
“-Now, to focus on the positive things, I have decided to hire more people on the personal Avengers team. Welcome y/n and Kaira!”
You and Kaira stood up. Everyone clapped and said welcome. Kaira was eating up the attention thankfully. 
“Well, if a pile of paperwork and deadlines to meet is a ‘ welcome’, then I’ll accept it,” Kaira said as people started chuckling.
“Ah, yes, as you can see, the team is very happy to see new people joining, but don’t let them bully you, okay?” Pepper said, winking. 
“Oh, trust me I won’t,” You said.
“We’ll see about that sweetness,” Thor said.
You cringed at that. Men being men. The people at the table saw the discomfort on your face.
“Ok, enough guys. They’ve already experienced your ‘warm’ welcome” Shuri said. 
“Not Shuri defending them. She must like one of them.” Peter said, drinking his drink.
Chuckles filled the room after he said that. He was honestly right but she was too prideful to accept it. 
“Peter do not test me” She looked at Peter and he just drunk his drink and tried to hide his face. 
“Ooo Shuri is going to mess him up” 
“He's always talking he needs to shut up”
______________________________________________________________
A few hours later,  everything was done. You and Kaira signed everything and promised to sign an NDA until your contract expires. Now people were just talking. You didn’t like being in boring places, but that was your life lately. Boring ass places. 
“Girl, I am ready to go, I love networking, but damn it sure does make you tired.” 
“Amen girl, I'm gonna crash at your place, is that okay?” You said
“Yeah, that’s fine. Also, I saw Her Majesty staring at you. Does she know you?” 
 You were trying not to show the sudden panic on your face.
“...Not Really…” 
“Mhm, yeah ok.”
Kaira knew when you were lying. She knew you like the back of her hand. She always knew when you were sad, angry, happy, and when you were lying.
Y’all were leaving, laughing and chatting about how your first day would go. While walking, you notice a nice vintage 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO. Your mouth was wide open. 
“Kaira look!” you said
Kaira looked and her mouth went wide open as well. 
“Shit….that’s your dream car!” she squealed.
“I know! It’s so beautiful!” 
“Excuse me” 
You turned around and were moving out of the way when you saw it was Shuri. Her voice felt like butter, and you could smell her amazing vanilla perfume since she was close. 
“Ooooo” Kaira mumbled.
Kaira was never any help. She was a proud instigator. 
“Oh- Umm we're sorry, we-”
“It’s all good love, you were just admiring right?”
“Right”
Love. You haven't heard that word in a long time. She said so casually like you were still with her. 
But you weren’t. 
______________________________________________________________
6-7 years ago
“Sher please? You've known my friends for a while now. You said it yourself you trusted them!"
“Love, no. Besides I don’t like you hanging around Daniel anyways”
You groaned. “Shuri, we don’t like each other”
“You still like men"
You knelt down to her level. “But not that man. I don't like any men, just you” You pressed your lips on hers, her jealousy slowly drifting away. You loved moments like these. Her being putty in your hands.
“Ok fine. You can go. Only, you have to make sure that you call me every hour”
“Oh my God, you are so obsessive”
“It’s called keeping you safe”
“No one knows we're dating. I’ll be fine” You said, kissing her forehead. 
“Mhm. Still, I want you to call me”
“Ok my love see you soon~” You went out the door and to one of your best friends arms for a hug.
"You ready to go girl?"
"Yes! I am so excited!"
"I'm surprised that Shuri even let you out"
"Haha, now hurry and let's get to this festival!" You squealed in excitement.
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damisarki · 11 months
Text
heavy is the head etc etc
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pairing: shuri udaku x riri williams
summary: set about 5 years post-bpwf; post-breakup (😢), riri reflects on the several unique factors that come with falling in love with a nation's leader and protector.
warnings/tags: angst; i've been going thru it im so srry; but it's also so sweet; flashbacks; falling in love; secret relationship (at first); royal obligations; international relations; duty vs love etc etc; media trolls; breakup; vignettes; time-jumps; non-linear narrative; brief mention of champions (“young avengers”);  i made okoye slightly ooc in this but i needed a voice of reason ™️; peter is also at MIT here nd everyone remembers him ok; teeny tiny mention of shuri/oc; smut (18+) i mean it, the phone sex scene alone is…🙈; shuri is addressed as king in this bc i can nd bc its what she wants !!; they never finish their sentences bc i don't finish mine irl either, i prefer telepathy.
a/n: eid mubarak (if u celebrate) shuriri nation 💋; we got 2 days public holiday over here so i finally had a break to bang this out, i've been fantasizing abt completing this draft for like a month now no joke; this version of  shuriri is inspired by @walshisaweedbrain's variations (darling, set the tone) an absolutely beautiful piece of work, go read it if you haven't !!
word count: 8.4k+ (🤣)
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☆○o。present day, nyc , riri’s apartment 。o○☆
"it's been five years since the death of beloved Queen Ramonda of Wakanda and King Shuri taking on the mantle of Black Panther, the nation's protector, as well as assuming the position of ruler. her presence today at the UN is indeed shocking, as relations between Wakanda and many countries present are strained to say the least—  owing in part to the Black Panther’s recent and ruthless modus operandi.  in a decision that shocked several, the leader announced that M'baku of the Jabari challenged her for the throne and won. she's here today to formally..."
riri tunes out the news reporter's voice, tilting her head to the side as she takes in shuri's countenance. she's stoic, jaw stiff and eyes blank in a way that riri knows to mean she's dissociating. completely outside of herself and everything surrounding her. riri once asked her where she goes when that happens and all shuri said was
"anywhere but here. changes with the seasons but the only constant is you"
riri had kissed her for being way too sweet but she couldn't shake off the very real undercurrent of sadness that bled through those words. shuri wasn't happy, she hadn't been happy in a very long time and the reason was the source of their most brutal fights.
riri shakes her head to clear it of unpleasant thoughts, honing in on shuri's cheekbones instead, sharp as ever, sharper even now. lending to the almost deadly air that seemed to surround her these days. unbidden, her mind conjures her favorite memory of the two of them. the beginning of it all (sorta), when it felt like time stood still for them and them alone.
☆○o。5 years ago, Shuri's lab, THE goodbye scene 。o○☆
"i'm not blind, riri. i know — i can feel that there's something between us. i just — i wish things were different, i just—"
"shuri—"
"would it be so wrong if i kissed you goodbye?"
riri froze. this. she felt it in her soul - whatever it was that hovered when they spoke, lingering in the spaces between them from one interaction to the next. the tension that often threatened to drown her. and at her words, riri found a deep-seated longing for something else. but, but shuri was King now. maybe there had been a sliver of hope when she was solely the Black Panther, but riri was a college student. her mind was swirling with equations, new ideas for her suit, and how to fund those ideas, how on earth was she supposed to balance dating the literal ruler of a nation?
"right," shuri exhaled, nodding. "right. we should probably never kiss, in fact," she determined, looking briskly certain. "it would make things so difficult, really. and i do need ... friends," she lamented, faltering slightly.
"understandable," riri confirmed shakily. "that— that sounds very reasonable."
"yes, definitely," shuri said , drawing herself upright with a nod. "no kissing."
"no kissing," she confirmed. "but we can definitely be friends. i don't have to treat you like a King, you know, you can just be Shuri— to me" she hurried to assure her, hoping the offering sounded slightly less stupid than she suspected.
shuri leaned in to hug her goodbye (again), holding her for a moment. she bent her head, her chin pressing into the line of her shoulder, and riri felt her cheek against hers, warm and comforting. she smelled like she always did, all rosemary, bergamot and vibranium. the material of their dress was so soft, so soothing against riri. her arms around her waist were both anchored and weightless; perfectly complementary shapes. part of her hoped she wouldn't lean away, but after a moment she released her, sparing her a nod.
"right," shuri said, gaze fixing on hers. her eyes were so dark, sharp and strange, and wholly signs of warning; a storm. "so, friends, then."
"friends," riri said again. "definitely friends."
shuri didn't step away.
neither did she.
"i'm sorry i'm such a liar," were the last words riri remembered her saying before her entire brain was effectively silenced, shuri's lips falling to hers with a sense of lawlessness that came from desperation; from the knowledge on both sides that if it could have possibly been avoided, it would have been, if not for a paralyzing impossibility to deny. shuri fit against her perfectly, and she molded faultlessly into her, and what sort of joke was this, that she would be here and be her and riri had to go back there and she would be her friend and really, truly, could they honestly be friends? could anyone be friends who kissed like this? could anyone exist apart from someone else after knowing this, all of this and everything, was what they were together?
she kissed the corner of shuri's mouth, her lips open in a lazy gasp as she sucked a sharp breath in, desperate for air. shuri's hands slid under her shirt and crept up to her ribs and she very nearly moaned into her mouth yes, yes, do it, definitely do it, don't stop, but then
"Panther, Ms. Williams' transport has arrived"
the two sprang apart, shuri turning away sharply as riri pressed a hand to her too-warm cheeks, almost collapsing on the car behind her. the lab was completely silent save heaving breaths and words unsaid.
☆○o 6 months later - year 1 : october; location: MIT campus, halloween party o○☆
"halloween!" everyone cheered in unison, and riri took the shot of what happened to be extremely cheap tequila, letting the alcohol slide down her throat.
in the same moment, she caught shuri's earnest gaze from beneath her Black Panther mask (very unoriginal, but necessary to prevent unwanted media attention), lingering from the sheen of alcohol on her lips to the very, very scandalous gold dress she was wearing, sliding over the curves of her waist and then slowly dragging back up. riri couldn't tell you what she was dressed as if you asked, she was sexy and that's all that mattered. and more importantly, the only person she wanted to take it off was staring at her.
she swallowed hard, letting the alcohol burn its way down her throat, and let herself stare back. riri could hardly believe she was even here. she'd mentioned it in passing during one of their video calls and shuri had given a noncommittal answer, which riri had come to understand meant "i'm sorry, i wish i could, but i can't."
in the six months since their first kiss in the lab, she'd heard various refrains of that same phrase as reasons why they couldn't see each other. why they couldn't properly be together.  riri was beyond understanding of shuri's responsibilities, but she couldn't help but miss her. they hadn't seen each other since riri left wakanda and after knowing what it felt like to kiss her, hold her, well..
looking back on it, she probably shouldn't have been surprised what happened next.
"hey," she said as the door opened behind her, looking up and blinking vacantly into the bathroom mirror as she paused from checking her makeup. she'd stepped away from a very crowded and very sweaty makeshift dance floor to adjust what she was positive was an episode of leaky mascara, which she'd since come to learn was also a limited series featuring smudged lipstick and an avalanche of glitter that had once passed for eye shadow earlier in the night. "everything okay? i thought you said you were gonna get another dr-"
shuri cut her off with the kiss they'd so far been narrowly avoiding while dancing, dragging her backwards only far enough in the tiny bathroom to smoothly lock the door with one hand before abruptly switching directions, yanking riri against her and lifting her up onto the sink in a confusing, haphazard series of motions. throughout the night, shuri's hands had been distractingly present, holding tightly to her waist, and they were no different now, her mouth blissfully hot and tasting faintly like jell-o as riri hastily peeled the mask over her head to taste more of her, running her fingers through her curls.
"oh, thank Bast," she exhaled into her mouth. it was a shiver-inducing reminder of how her breath had skated across the back of her neck when she'd pulled her close, lips brushing the bare skin of her shoulder while she ground shamelessly against her (to soweto remix by victony ft. rema and don toliver, rema's verse would forever register in her memory as a totally unhelpful enablement). "it was starting to be difficult to breathe under there—"
"hold on," riri gasped, head spinning slightly as shuri's hand reached under her dress. "are you—is this—shuri, are we bout to— i thought—"
"i can't do it," shuri said, pulling back for a moment to look at her. "this, be near you, feel nothing, i can't. i really can't. i know we can't be together in the way you would prefer," she assured her, pained. "i understand, but please, ndicela [please], if I could just—if you could just let me try—"
"try," riri echoed, swallowing hard. the faucet was progressively jamming further into her lower back but she was helplessly distracted, both by the placement of shuri's fingers between her legs and, more pressingly, by the things she was saying. "try… what?"
"i don't just want you like this. i want to be with you, properly" she mumbled, shaking her head. "i don't want just one time in this bathroom, riri, i want—" she broke off, dragging her hand through her hair and scraping it back with frustration. "what if we tried to make it work? what if i could be King and still be with you? i mean we would have to keep it under wraps, i couldn't bear if anything happened to you because of me—" she managed to say raggedly, and grimaced as riri blinked. "i know, no one wants that, it's hardly a romantic proposition—but if the only way I can be with you is to keep it from everyone else—"
she was so beautiful when she was uncomfortable, riri realised abruptly. she was beautiful all the time, really, but she looked like something else when she was being earnest. when she was out of her comfort zone, she looked like… like something unfamiliar. something she never was with anyone else.
when she was telling her how she felt about her, she looked like hers.
she cut her off, yanking her mouth to hers as she let out something of a muted yelp, digging her fingers into her thighs as her teeth scraped clumsily against hers.
"Bast, i want—" shuri struggled with her dress, shoving it unsuccessfully up her legs.
"just rip it," she gasped, trying to pull her even closer, which was probably physically impossible. she felt the faucet jab her spine again and ignored it, grazing her nails over the indentations of her abs beneath her shirt. "it's not like i'm ever wearing it again."
"don't say that," shuri groaned, though she obediently tore up the side of her skirt, effortlessly ripping the fabric into something of a high slit. "i swear, i'm going to be thinking about how you look in this dress until i die—"
she fumbled with her underwear (a seamless fenty thong that riri  thanked every deity for deciding to wear) and riri slid her hand up the back of her neck, considering everything. did she want to do this here? no. yes. absolutely. absolutely not, this was madness. god, she wanted her. part of her was certain someone would bang down the door and stop it from happening. the Dora Milaje? possibly. more likely the reinstated Okoye. oh my god, where was Okoye right now? she couldn't be far—
she felt shuri's fingers dart inside her and moaned in her ear, finding herself rewarded by the way her head fell back, luxuriously wrapped up in her. she moved her hips against her hand and helped her, translated her need for her; told her i want you, fuck, i want you so badly in all the languages her hands and lips and tongue knew how to speak, and by the time she was panting—when she heard the words, "i want more, i need more, please," fall in anguish from between her own lips—she stopped asking herself questions, realising she'd made up her mind already.
she was going to have sex with the King of Wakanda.
she was going to have sex with the Black Panther in a bathroom.
more than that, though, she was finally going to have sex with the person she'd had a semi-debilitating crush on for months.
she was going to have sex with shuri.
and it was fucking bliss.
[the next day; location: riri's garage]
even though she'd been there before, shuri still spent a good hour going through almost every single thing in riri's workspace.
extreme focus adorned her face as she examined every spec, every part and muttered to herself quietly. she only interrupted riri's coding to pose questions that later ended up improving her initial blueprints. riri was happy to answer each and every single one, she was glad to see the light of discovery in shuri's eyes, even if brief.
shuri didn't speak on it often, but her new duties had caused significant strain on time spent in her lab. she was a scientist before anything else, just like riri, but her outlets for discovery/research were now few and far between. she had a unique way of viewing the world; not only as a leader, but as a non-American. her instinctual responses to autonomy of the self and morality were fascinatingly foreign, and before she knew it, she and shuri had been debating the ethics of uploading everyone's conscious minds to artificial intelligence in the name of science. (shuri was in favor, riri was not)
"wait, i can't believe you've let me go on about this for so long," shuri said, rubbing her eyes with a grimace. "haven't i bored you to tears yet?"
"you listened to me talk scalar and vector quantities for forty-five minutes," riri reminded her, giving her shoulder a nudge. "i think you get a pass."
"yes, but that's interesting," she said. "you're interesting. i'm—"
"thoughtful. and thorough," riri said, and smiled. "and deeply disturbed"
"you're too kind," she said, giving her a penitent bow, and she struggled not to giggle at the expression of total solemnity on her face.
"okay, i actually have to focus for real now," riri said, struggling to drag her attention back to her laptop. "i have to finish the MVP at least before i let you go."
"by all means, keep me all night," shuri told her. "it's a pleasure to be doing something that isn't simply listening to the same topics over and over again while wondering how we're going to protect ourselves from the countries trying to attack us."
"don't you have to leave in the morning?" riri asked.
"yes," she replied with a shrug, "but who cares?"
"aneka. she'll definitely be mad if you have dark shadows under your eyes in any of your pictures," riri noted. "you know how dearly she cares about your reputation."
shuri giggled and then sighed, "i like you a lot, riri williams."
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☆○o。year 2 : january 。o○☆
riri:  this is insane, right? tell me it's insane
shuri:  it's insane
riri:  thank you
shuri:  though, it also makes perfect sense. in fact, one might say you were destined for this
riri:  !
riri:  gratitude retracted
shuri:  i’m serious riri. you’ve always said you didn’t align with the avengers, maybe bc you were meant to be a champion. think about it, they’re all kind of like you. and you get to do what you love.
shuri:  bonus for me is more ironheart YT content
riri:  ...say more nice things
shuri:  i can do the thing you like
shuri:  twice, even
riri:  are you sexting me right now?
riri:  read the room shuri i'm having a crisis
shuri:  sorry sorry 
shuri:  this is your path riri, i know it. you just need to trust yourself
☆○o。year 2 : march; riri’s birthday 。o○☆
"two more days—finally."
"two more days," riri agreed, the words turning from bright exuberance to a growl of frustrated impatience. "i’ve barely even noticed it's my birthday. well minus MJ’s loud 12:01 facetime call that is," she mused, and shuri laughed.
"i’m sorry i can’t be there to celebrate with you"
"i think the few dozen gifts you bought me should hold me over," she said, shrugging. "plus, you can make it up to me when you get here…"
"i can't wait to see you in person," shuri said. "i miss your face. seeing it on this screen does not do it justice."
"i miss your face. and your other things."
she groaned. "don't remind me—"
"your diplomacy," riri cut in. "that, and your excellent taste in tracksuits."
"i hate you. so bad."
"i know." she glanced at the clock. "i'd better get to bed. see you soon?"
"two days, riri. two days."
she closed her eyes, clinging to the thrill of it.
"two days," she agreed.
✦ .  ⁺   . ✦ .  ⁺   . ✦
"hello, happy bela—" shuri said, right before riri pulled her in by her sweatshirt, half-throwing her arms around her neck. "oh, wow" she managed, stumbling into her, "did you miss me or something?"
she pulled shuri's lips to hers and relished the low sound of hunger she growled into her mouth. she remembered, suddenly, the way she'd first kissed her—the strain of fighting not to—and how strange and far away it felt now. this, by contrast, was an undeniable pull, and if the act of missing her had been mostly thoughtless patterns of repetition, this was a progression filled with intention. a kiss here, a touch there, hips and teeth and shaking hands. 
there was very little need for foreplay. she couldn't remember a time when kissing could be so satisfactory. shuri tugged her jeans down and she shivered, the hovering pause of her fingers over her underwear leaving her to let out a desperate sound she'd never heard herself make.
her mouth on her clit was a fucking revelation. she was sensitive and slick, her tongue rolling over her, and it was so carnal, really, with her hand locking her royal head to her cunt while she dove her fingers inside her—she considered maybe she'd never understood how love could have so many distinct pieces. how her face and voice could satisfy her for so many nights, only for her to remember now how her touch could so easily have her undone.
"i missed you," fell from riri’s lips without warning, shuri’s motions continuing as her shoulder blades dug into the door and she arched her back, rising up on her toes to grant further access to the ministrations of her mouth. "god, i missed you," she said, the words more delirious each time she said it. "i missed you, i—fuck, fuckfuckyes there," she gasped as she sucked precisely, with feverish intensity, "don't move, oh god, i missed you—"
she came with a slam of her hand against the surface of the door and shuri was on her feet well before her orgasm had faded, launching her up and back again. she gave her a dizzied look of total intoxication, her hair in total disarray and eyes unfocused, lids heavy with want. 
"i missed you," she said, voice barely over a rasp as she slid her fingers inside her. "so fucking much," she said, the sound of it muffled as her mouth traveled over riri’s neck, her breasts, rising to her chin and her cheeks. "i can’t—," she mumbled unintelligibly, "if i could be with you all the time i would, i swear—"
a handful of thrusts, fast and hard and deep, and riri gasped. shuri choked out a groan at the feel of her. it was familiar bliss, wrenched and wrung out. pain for separation, with euphoria as a reward.
riri caught her breath slowly, motionless except for her chest rising and falling.
she didn't ask when do you leave again?
shuri didn't say soon.
she didn't say don't go and she didn't say i have to.
she said, "my turn?"
and she replied, "nope. i’m not done with you yet"
they fell into a habit of not speaking. it was a collective surrender, a la: well, we don't have to talk about feelings just now, do we? so let's not. 
"i'm not going to say it," for example, was what shuri whispered in her ear while they lay wrapped in each other hours later. "not now. not yet."
the absence of the sentiment drove riri crazy in the best way. she'd never said the words before and meant it, so the distinction in circumstance (meaning it, but not having to say it) was, quite frankly, ideal. there was a mutual understanding that if one of them ever said it, everything would then become real. and riri wasn’t sure she was ready for how real it could get.
☆○o。year 2 : october, MIT dining hall; bubble bursting 。o○☆
"look at this," ned beckoned, gesturing, and peter’s mouth tightened as he leaned over, a look of hastily stifled distress coming over his features.
"oh, um. mj," he called, voice strained with false pleasantry. "could you come look at this, please?"
"what's going on?" riri asked, watching mj lean over to take one glance at ned’s screen before promptly lurching away, lips immediately taking on their most authoritative formation. "ned," riri growled at him. "speak."
"it's really easier to grasp if you see it," he said with a delicate cough, eyeing his fingernails, and then slowly turned his laptop to face her.
the words were in bright, glaring pink type, settled beneath a picture of riri that had obviously been taken with a phone, catching her entirely unaware. she calculated the timing of the picture quickly, eyeing her own clothes; it had been taken a few days prior, probably in one of her classes. the headline IS THIS KING SHURI'S NEW GIRLFRIEND?! screeched beneath the image, and riri blinked, startled.
she wasn’t concerned about the people currently around her. they already knew. she had told shuri early on in the relationship that she couldn't keep them a secret from her closest friends. The Champions didn’t know though, and it was probably safer that way. 
shuri had become something of a… lethal mystery lately. a leader and superhero who openly flouted western laws and regulations while strengthening Wakanda’s alliances with other African countries and, most notably, Talokan. tensions were fraught between the US and Wakanda concerning vibranium distribution (mining), but the King refused to budge. she did however, continue to commission more Outreach Centers around the world to foster research. all this to say that her persona, combined with her being possibly the most beautiful woman on (every) earth (in riri’s opinion), had gained her quite an enthusiastic following, especially among women (honestly all genders) around the world. inevitably, as parasocial relationships tend to go on the internet, some of them went to extremes and did weird shit like this. 
“this doesn't look like a newspaper," were the first words she managed, though she was dismayed to hear how steady her voice wasn't.
"that's because it isn't," ned confirmed, looking troubled. "a student took this."
"a student," riri echoed, stunned. "which one?"
"it's anonymous," peter noted, folding his arms over his chest. "it could have been anyone."
"but there's no proof of anything," mj inserted quickly, jumping to a very unusual (for her) comforting optimism. "right? It's just speculation, that's all. nothing to worry about."
"er," ned said.
"NED," mj snapped, glaring expectantly at him, and he winced.
"no need to yell," he ventured uncomfortably, "but, um. maybe look at the threads."
"threads?" riri repeated, her voice barely a squeak. "plural?"
ned grudgingly clicked a button, prompting hundreds of posts to reveal themselves beneath the initial caption. seeing the spidery web of comments emerge, riri slowly moved forward, reaching for the laptop and picking it up to read the screen.
omg, i know her ?!! she goes to MIT and once tried to charge me $500 to fix like one line of code smh
riri flinched, scrolling down.
how is the King of Wakanda dating an American college student, can y’all be fr this ain’t wattpad.
now that I think about it, i SWEAR i’ve seen those dora milala ladies around campus before. you know, her personal guards???
No. Way. NO WAY she's dating her. have you seen her? she should be with ME instead
riri rolled her eyes at that, but her palms began to sweat. this wasn't good for either of them, but she was mostly focused on the damage to shuri.
check her ig y’all riwilliams. there’s a picture on there with someone’s arm in the frame, i swear those are King Shuri’s tattoos ????
omg her ig is so lame wow does she even have friends
yesssss good detective work guys lol. quick what's her sign
reply: she's an aries
wait do y’all think the CIA knows this loooool, bc i don’t put it past them to do some weird shit to make Shuri get in line 
reply: ouuuuu u might actually be onto something omg
I can't decide if I'm jealous of her or if I just loathe her
both? both is good.
riri forced herself to take a deep breath at the CIA comment, figuring she was overreacting (and that person was definitely crazy). it was just a random blog, after all. just an unsubstantiated blog, made up of anonymous comments and no facts. the whole thing would blow over.
it did not.
☆○o。year 2 : november, riri’s dorm 。o○☆
“i am going to rip her apart from limb to limb i swear to Bast—”
"shuri, would you stop talking," riri said, launching to her feet and startling the other woman. "please," she amended. "would you please just listen to me for a second?"
shuri stared at her, caught off guard, and she took advantage of her silence. "i want to be with you, that hasn’t changed," she told her, frustrated she didn't already know as much. "i told you i could handle the secrecy, didn't i? i'm okay with it, really. the thing with valentina de whatever the hell her name is was just…" she waved a hand. "i was shaken up, yes. she basically threatened me and i think the rest of the Champions as well, for information on you and your future plans. of course i didn’t say anything, didn't even confirm the rumours. i’m not scared of her. but if you'd been here," she pressed, reaching over to take her hand in hers. "if you'd been here, i would have been okay. i don't mind the secrets. i just… i want you," she told her firmly, and she softened regretfully, nodding.
"i just don't want to go through this alone," she finished, glancing down at her fingers where they laced with hers, and shuri took hold of her chin with her free hand, tipping it up to look at her.
"you're right," she said. “i let my anger consume me, i was selfish and i'm sorry." she leaned towards her, brushing her lips softly against hers. "i just hated how miserable you sounded in your message."
"i don't think i even realised how unhappy i was until i called," riri admitted, leaning her forehead against shuri’s. "but mj pointed out i was looking for advice from everyone except the one person whose help i really wanted."
"i'm so sorry, riri." she kissed her again, deeply this time, the little sob riri had been fighting suddenly hopping up to her throat, making an untimely appearance as she pulled her closer. "truly, i'm so sorry—"
it became evident sooner rather than later that the conversation was transitioning elsewhere, shuri's hands sliding under her shirt to her ribs as she gladly shifted beneath her, grateful she was there, and real, and touching her with the fierceness she'd so painfully been missing. so long as it was shuri kissing her way down her torso, pressing her lips to the little indentations of her, then let them say whatever they wanted to about her.
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☆○o。year 3 : january, Wakanda, Tribal Council meeting 。o○☆
"quite frankly we feel as though we have given you a lot of leeway, given your …untraditional ruling style. you have served and protected Wakanda well, and we are forever grateful, but on this matter we must share our concerns. what are your intentions with that girl? do you plan to marry her, bring her here? have your fun and then leave her? if it is marriage, she's unprepared, and worse, she's unsuitable. she's an American, your Highness, and also a superhero, if our intel is correct. does she plan to give that up for you? have you thought long and hard about the optics of a relationship like this? we have positioned ourselves, very strongly, as indifferent to the United States and powers that be, what does it say to our allies that you, King of Wakanda, are dating an American “avenger.” if no one else wants to say it i will, it does not look good. it looks like we are consorting with the enemy and it makes us vulnerable to those whose support we seek. i once again urge you to revisit the topic of marrying the princess Itzel of Talokan, Namor’s descendant ....”
shuri didn’t wait to hear the rest of whatever the fuck he had to say.
[that night; location: shuri’s bedroom]
“and is that— is that something you think could happen? like, do you— do you see yourself marrying her?,” riri forced herself to ask, hating how small her voice sounded
silence.
"shuri," she exhaled shakily, "if you continue to treat this thing like it's fragile—like anything could break it—then i think it's definitely going to break." she swallowed hard, grateful she opted for a phone call instead, she doesn't think she could get through this otherwise. "and i'm just not… i can't do that. i can't have one foot in and one foot out. i'm in this," she told her, staring at her ironheart-socked feet (a gift from shuri) and struggling not to be completely humiliated by the admission. "and if you're not, then i need you to… i need this to stop. because i just don't think i can—"
"i love you." shuri’s voice startled her out of her rambling and her mouth snapped shut. 
no way. no way she was finally saying it now. of all times. on the damn phone
 "i'm in love with you, riri. i'm so deep in this you can't imagine how stupid i feel, every day, thinking about you like you're the embodiment of the rest of my life. i do not see myself marrying anyone but you. "
"oh. shit," was all riri could say.
☆○o。year 3 : april; riri’s final semester at MIT 。o○☆
"so? how was it?"
"disgustingly easy," riri replied, settling herself on her bed. "i mean, i never really expected to fail or anything—"
"understandable," shuri said knowingly.
"—but damn can i get a challenge or something?" she reclined against her pillows with a sigh, relieved to be back in her dorm. "now i just hope i don't miss my alarm and oversleep tomorrow, i stayed up all night studying for it so i'm beat."
"ah, yes, right. well, i'd let you go," shuri said carefully, "only i— i wanted to run something by you."
"oh, yeah?"
"yeah. there's something i want to try tonight."
"mm?"
"yes. only if you're up for it."
riri closed her eyes. "seems sus, but go ahead."
"okay. well, first thing. are you alone?"
"creepy question but yes, i'm in my room."
"okay. and are you, ah." she heard her swallow. "are you… wearing anything?"
riri's eyes snapped open.
"what?"
"sorry, no, let me back up. what," she clarified, "are you wearing?"
she sat upright. "sweatpants. a hoodie."
"oh, the grey one?"
"shuri" she couldn't decide whether to be elated or concerned. "are you… is this…?"
"phone sex? maybe. kind of. i mean, ideally, yes."
"oh my god."
"should i stop?"
"what? god, no. did you actually think you'd started?"
"well, i asked what you were wearing."
"yes, but i—" riri sighed, rolling her eyes, and flopped back on the bed. "okay, never mind, just keep going."
"oh. well, right, okay—sweatpants, you said?"
she glanced down. "yes."
"take them off."
"alright, your highness." she bit back a smile, setting the phone down and wiggling out of her sweatpants before putting the speaker to her ear again. "they're off."
"panties?"
"black."
"sexy. off."
"i'm still wearing my hoodie, shuri."
"the hoodie will come off when i say it comes off, ironheart."
riri shivered.
"okay," she breathed, holding the phone in place with her shoulder, "they're off,  what now?"
"that's a good question. hm." she bit back a laugh as shuri considered it. "well, if i were there, i would definitely be touching you right now. kissing your stomach, your hips. the inside of your knees."
"yeah?"
"yeah. take the hoodie off now."
"one sec." she set the phone down, took it off, and re-settled herself on the bed. "now?"
"hmm," she mused, and then, "i miss the taste of you. it's the first thing i'd do if i had you right now, if i were there. i'd take you in my arms, of course, i'd kiss you until you gasped in my mouth, but then i’d make my way down your torso. Bast, i miss the way you taste."
okay. okay, so it wasn't going poorly at all. "yeah?"
"yes. do you like my tongue on you?"
oh god. "yes. i like," riri began, and hesitated.
"come on, then. tell me."
tell me. King’s orders.
"i love the way your mouth feels. how hot your breath is." she inhaled sharply. "i like when your fingers are inside me."
"do it."
"do what?"
"use your fingers." riri herself positively pulse with longing. "pretend they're mine."
fuck, fuck, fuck. "okay," she said, and yep, she was wet already. this was happening. this was very definitely happening. "oh," she exhaled, closing her eyes. "now what?"
"i'm fucking you with my fingers." fuck. "your legs are tight around my head."
"oh, oh my god."
"do you not like it?"
"no, i… i like it. i just. it's… new. this. it's new. i was not expecting this"
"how do you want me to fuck you, baby?" oh lord.
"i want you to slide up against my—" breasts? boobs? "tits?"
"yeah?"
"yes, i want you to, um. suck on them. my nipples, i mean."
shuri swore quietly under her breath, then returned to the phone. "right, okay. i'm sliding my tongue around your nipples, riri, and i'm—i'm wet for you, so, so—. that's not even a lie, i'm completely telling the truth. just the sound of you, i'm—"she swallowed. "i miss you."
"i miss you too”, riri breathed, “i want you, shuri. i want to taste you.  i want you inside me, i want you to fuck me."
"i'm kissing your neck the way you like it. running my tongue along your jaw."
"i have my hands in your hair, my legs around your hips—"
"i love it when you do that"
"you're looking at my face."
"always. always, riri, i love to watch you come."
she shivered, working her hand faster against her clit.
"tell me more," she begged her.
"i'm fucking you slowly, so slowly. we have all night. i'm taking my time."
"i want it faster."
"well, too bad." she groaned. "i think i’m going to edge you until you can’t think straight. maybe brush your clit right when you think you can't bear it, hm?"
"i hate you."
shuri chuckled, breathing hard on her end. "i want your mouth."
"have it. i like to kiss you when i’m about to come."
"are you?"
"about to come? yes."
"don't." she whimpered. "take your hand away for a second."
"shuri, i swear if you don’t—"
"just wait, riri. baby," she said softly, "sthandwa sam [my love], just wait."
she squirmed, fingers tightening in her vacant sheets.
"i love you,"she said, “i love the way you look, the way you taste, the way you feel. love how strong you are, how smart. how brave."
rir’s throat was impossibly dry.
“love the way your skin looks against my sheets. love when you arch your back and pull me closer."
"shuri," she pleaded softly, and she chuckled.
"love it when you beg," she murmured, and riri let out a loud groan.
"shuri—"
"okay," she said, "okay. put your hand where i should be."
fuck. "okay—"
"i want to fuck you harder now. want to be deep inside you."
she said something incoherent; something delirious, and then, "yes."
"are you going to come, riri? come for me, i want to hear it."
she felt it like an avalanche, fivefourthreetwoone—"oh god," she gasped, biting her teeth around the sound of it, and from the breathless silence on the other end, she figured shuri was also close. "shuri, oh, shuri, i love the way you feel inside me," she hurried to say, mindlessly conjuring phrases she assumed would be effective as her wave of recent orgasm slowly ebbed away. "miss the way your skin tastes, love your mouth on me, all over me, want you to fuck me like this all night, want to fuck you like this—"
"riri," she choked out, and she bit her lip, silently satisfied, as she waited for the sound of her breathing to slow again, steadying quietly.
she stayed on the phone with her in silence, still in her sports bra and nothing else, and listened to the sound of her breathing for two minutes… three… five.
"well," shuri said eventually, clearing her throat. "that was…"
she took a few more breaths, trailing off.
"it's possible i need to come to you immediately," she murmured, and riri  laughed, rolling onto her side to face the picture of them she'd finally put on her nightstand.
"i love you," she said. "really kind of a lot."
"and i love you really quite terribly," she agreed. "inconveniently."
"enthusiastically?"
"that's the one."
she smiled, then paused for a moment.
"hey, shuri," she said, "would you choose this? this life, i mean. the mantle. your… title. if you had a choice."
"you mean if i could be with you some other way?"
"no, i mean—" riri shook her head, which of course she couldn't see. "no, just leave me out of it for a second. say i'm a foregone conclusion. would you still want this?"
gratifyingly, she took a few moments to answer, considering her question at length.
"not every day," she admitted. "some days, no. many days, actually. especially being King"
"i am incredibly grateful this is my birthright and i would die defending my people," shuri said, shocking her a bit. "but it comes at a cost."
"oh." 
"having second thoughts?"she asked her, warily interpreting her silence.
"when it comes to you, never."
☆○o year 3 : june, nyc, Stark Industries Benefit Gala, some random room o○☆
"riri," shuri said, turning her head to her ear as she slid her legs around her waist, tugging her closer. "can i ask something horribly unfair?"
her fingers found their way into her curls, holding on. "yes?"
the world went quiet as she waited. outside the sound of her beating heart and the palpable silence of impending words from her tongue, everything stopped. shuri pressed her lips to her ear, and said:
"come with me. come to Wakanda."
she closed her eyes, breath catching in her throat.
"that's horribly unfair," she informed her, voice ragged, and shuri pulled back to look at her.
"i told you it was," she said. she paused a moment and then forced out, "just pretend I didn't say it."
they looked at each other for a long moment, waiting for something she wasn't entirely sure would come.
one pulse.
two.
three.
"i'll think about it," she conceded quietly, and shuri brushed her lips against her cheek, grateful for any consideration.
☆○o。year 3 : august, Wakanda, the Lab 。o○☆
while riri knew a bit about Namor, having been up close and personal with the Sub-Mariner, she knew basically nothing about Itzel, his descendant whom the Council (and the whole of Wakanda it seemed) wanted their KIng to marry. when the pictures first started to circulate of shuri kissing itzel’s cheek during Talokan’s courtesy visit to Wakanda, something of a frenzy seemed to descend on the country, and the world at large. world powers weren’t blind to how much stronger a  Wakanda-Talokan alliance would be with a marriage, and some media outlets were just flat out shipping the two together. 
"oh my god, they love her," riri said, eyeing her tablet as she scanned the article. “anyway, they do look good together," she said, giving the magazine another mournful glance
"oh no," aneka said, tutting firmly. "do not do that to yourself. shuri loves you, know that. she would never be swayed by some stupid media craze. what even is a ‘hashtag shitzel’? sounds like the german meat"
riri sighed, “yeah i know that, it’s just a lot sometimes you know”
✦ .  ⁺   . ✦ .  ⁺   . ✦
“are you willing to give up your life for her?" okoye asked simply. "she can't leave Wakanda. she's the Black Panther and King of this country. there is simply no compromise to be made. are you willing to spend the rest of your life here?"
riri blinked. "i really don't think—"
"and what about your ambitions, ironheart?" okoye asked without missing a beat, in a tone far too dark to be as leisurely as she pretended. "did you have plans for a job elsewhere after university? a career of your own? smart girl like you, you must have goals, don't you?"
"i—yes, but—"
“i just want you to fully understand what it is you’re committing yourself to”
☆○o。year 3 : november, Wakanda, shuri’s (and riri’s!) chambers 。o○☆
"if you want me to stop doing it," riri said, feeling a little bitter, "you're going to have to say so."
"i don't want to tell you to stop."
"yes, but you want me to stop, don't you?"
silence.
"the council is concerned. i’m concerned, riri. you were unconscious for two days after your last mission" shuri said eventually.
"bullshit, you’ve come back in way worse conditions than that. tell me the truth shuri"
"doesn’t mean i was any less worried. but yes okay, it’s mostly the elders. you have to understand," she said quickly, "to them, it does not look good. there’s also the issue of Blackheart almost following you into Wakanda on the Talon Fighter. they believe it exposed a vulnerability we weren’t even aware of. riri, sthandwa sam [my love], i promise you the last thing i want to do is hinder you in any way—"
"but that’s exactly what you’re asking of me isn’t it" riri retorted. "what happened to ‘this is your path riri, i know it. you just need to trust yourself’? how would you feel if i asked you to give up the mantle huh? i picked my life up and moved here because of you, because—"
shuri flinched and she could tell immediately she'd overdone it.
"i— i’m sorry," shuri said quietly. "i really, truly wish it didn’t have to be like this."
suddenly, riri felt very, very tired.
"but you agree with them? you must, otherwise you’d have told them where to shove it," she continued, and shuri sighed.
"fine, i agree," she said, her voice soft and hard and cold and sad. "are you happy now, riri?"
no, she wasn't. not at all, and it didn't get much better. 
it weighed on her, and her thoughts started to twist and morph, convoluting themselves into a dull refrain consisting of her own harrowing thoughts: is anyone, even a King, worth all of this?
shuri began to channel her frustrations into missions. she became more withdrawn and uncommunicative, it almost seemed to riri that she was falling into bed with a stranger now
even naked, even in her arms, even post-orgasm, she struggled to feel the satisfaction she'd become accustomed to.
"how are you?"
"fine."
"fine?"
"yeah, fine, i don't know."
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☆○o。year 4 : february, Wakanda, shuri’s chambers 。o○☆
even though neither of them spoke the words, riri knew this was goodbye.
it wasn't the most inventive sex she'd ever had. because it was goodbye; because her heart would inevitably miss being close to shuri’s. because her mind would run straight for thoughts of her every time she opened her eyes. she wouldn't daydream about how her body looked in the low purple light. as good as the sex was, she wouldn't lust over the occasion. but she would always remember the way shuri’s eyes never left hers, and the shape of her mouth when she said, riri.
riri, you have no idea—
you can't possibly know how much i love you. how much i'm going to miss you.
inhliziyo yami eyakho, uthando lwami lungangolwandle [my heart is yours. my love for you is ocean deep]
and when it was over, because she'd already said everything she needed to, riri slipped out of her bed after she fell asleep, sliding out from under her arm and tiptoeing carefully into the hall where okoye stood waiting, leaving her heart behind.
☆○o year 4 : october, undisclosed location, Champions’ regrouping station o○☆
“five bodies were delivered to the front steps of the UN today, courtesy of the Black Panther. further increasing the King’s death toll and re-emphasizing her newly instituted “kill on sight” policy for those found trespassing. the growing death count and  unconcerned attitude of the Black Panther fuel rumours that the country may be on the brink of war against Western powers who want to get their hands on vibranium at all costs”
riri stared unseeingly at the tv broadcast, mildly surprised that there was one here in the first place. It wasn’t the first time she was seeing and hearing news of shuri’s newer, brutal style of deterrent. she wasn’t even bothered to be honest, they probably deserved it. she just couldn’t shake that tiny leap in her heart whenever anything remotely connected to shuri came up. she never could.
her train of thought was thankfully interrupted as viv burst into the room
“oh, riri thank goodness, i thought Eshu, i thought they—”
“viv it’s okay, it’s fine, i’m fine, honestly—”
riri didn’t get to finish her sentence as a pair of unfamiliar lips pressed onto hers. she froze, the sensation practically overwhelming. riri hadn’t kissed anyone but shuri in the past 5 years, and nobody atall in the past 7 months.
she finally came to and none-too-gently pushed viv away from her.
“viv, what the hell— look you’re a really good friend and you saved my life, but I—”
“oh”
“i— i was mistaken. My apologies riri, i’ll leave you alone”
[from Champions issue 27]
viv turned and fled before riri could even process what happened. 
viv was kind, intelligent, beautiful, someone riri could see herself falling in love with. if she still had the capacity to love anyone else, that is. her heart ached in remembrance. 
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☆○o。year 5, last night, nyc , riri’s apartment 。o○☆
numerous thoughts flew through riri’s mind as she stared at the woman before her. many flying past before she could fully conceive them, like half-formed butterflies. it’s been a year, yet time had never felt so inconsequential.
how are you? did you miss me like i missed you? i love you. do you still love me? how do you know where i live? stupid question. are you getting enough sleep? it doesn’t look like it. i love you. can you hear how my heart beats for you? i love you so so so… what are you doing here?
“what are you doing here?” won out.
“i’m here for you,” she said simply. frustratingly.
“i’m here because i can’t spend one more day without you. i can’t open my eyes and face another day knowing that you aren’t mine, i fear i may not survive many more days”
riri’s heart did something peculiar in her chest
“shuri—”
“everything is different now, i promise. It’s what i’ve been trying to do all year, i’m sorry it took me this long to come to you”
“how? you’re still the King, you still—”
“i’m not. not anymore. i let m’baku challenge my claim to the throne and lost. it’s not for me, the politics involved i— i felt like i was drowning. i’m still the Black Panther, but i’ve renounced the title of King, it's actually part of the reason i’m here, to inform the UN in person about the change in leadership. the most important reason though—”
riri felt like time stood still once again, loudly echoing the moments leading up to their first kiss, as shuri slowly sunk down on one knee
“was to ask you this: will you, riri williams, marry me?”
it was exactly on brand for shuri, for their relationship, for her to propose marriage after a year of no contact. a large part of riri eagerly, fervently screamed yes, yes of course i’ll marry you shuri. i don’t think i can ever love anyone else the way i love you. you’re it for me.
the truth is, she and shuri always had a distracting amount of chemistry. it was what kept them going, really—when they wanted to be together, yes, but also when they didn't. it seemed like there was always something magnetic between them, something unbroken and irrepressible, and it kept them going in this constant cycle of drifting apart and inevitably returning, always finding themselves drawn to each other again.
then she remembered the pain of separation, the pain before they were even separated, the way it felt to watch shuri become almost alien to her due to the burden of the crown, and with the specter of that pain lingering, riri finally choked out
“i— i can’t, not like this, not after everything. i need— i need time”
“you can have all the time you need, sthandwa sam [my love], i’m not going anywhere.”
[end of flashbacks]
☆○o。present day, nyc , riri’s apartment 。o○☆
riri takes a deep breath as she focuses on the screen again. shuri’s address is over and the french president is on screen, ardently pledging his country’s support for wakanda, hypocrite.
she picks up her phone, her fingers sliding across the screen in an all too-familiar pattern, searching for shuri’s name.
come back
come back and ask me again
 i love you.
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end-notes: this fic beat my fckn ass omfgg, i was so tempted to give up so many times lol, but im trying this new thing called consistency. i definitely went a little harry-megan on these two im sorry 😭. anywho i hope y’all enjoy nd im always always grateful for the likes/comments/reblogs, this fandom rlly does mean a lot to me i luv y’all , and happy lesbian visibility week !!!!!💋 ❣️
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