"Namor. ACCESS: GRANTED." GRIOT announced and…
"Hey, princess~ miss m—"
"The real question is WHAAAAT AREEEE THOOOOOSE—?!!!!"
…
Shuri is being too much at this point. Exaggerated. Namor thinks and looks down at his own feet where she is gesturing exaggeratingly.
"...My "wings on my ankle that I could swim in the sky" winged ankles feet?" Namor quoted himself smoothly.
"I invite you to my lab and you have your toes out!"
Namor thinks Shuri is being unreasonable to him.
Only to him, to be exact.
"Why are you being unreasonable?"
"I'm not! You are the one being unreasonable! How could you walk into my lab showing your toes out, and wet feet! You're making my floor wet all over the place—!"
The funny thing is,
The more unreasonable she became, the more he yearned for her.
"The next time you come into my lab, with sandals on, at least! Anything! Are you even listening—"
"I'm listening~" He isn't.
"NO YOU'RE NOT LIS—!"
Namor continues to pace around in the lab, making her floor wetter as the waters drip down from him. Nodding and pretending to listen to Shuri seriously all the while.
"K'uk'ulkan. ACCESS: GRANTED."
Namor enters the lab and immediately stubs his toes.
"FUCK!" Namor kneels in pain as he hits his toes on the edge of a table. He grumbles and waits for the lingering pain to pass.
A few moments later,
"Told you not to have your toes out in my lab."
Namor hates it when she's right.
Except the table wasn't AT the entrance yesterday.
"You little shit." Namor curses under his breath.
"Make way! You are blocking the way, K'uk'ulkan!"
Shuri holds him up and nudges him to the side to let the scientists go through while they are moving tables.
"This is the lab's new vacuum robot, little Vakoo. And ah-ha~ my new invention! I mean upgrade!" Shuri pats the tables when they pass through them.
"Vibranium-enhanced and upgraded tables, to be exact! It is…"
Shuri announces her new toys excitedly. Namor looks at her, deadpan. He looked around while she kept on explaining…
"—Top notch adhesive to the floor, its—"
Namor kicks the table with all he got.
Sending it flying across the lab, across all Shuri's other tables, across her sand table, across the med bay, across her hologram screen, the table etched into the wall. A mighty crash resounded, causing vibrations to ripple through the lab.
"You were saying?"
…
The whole lab falls into silence. Except for the wall that the vibranium table is etched into, it started cracking and crumbling. Pieces and pieces falling off.
…
"I INVITE YOU TO MY LAB AND YOU JUST KICK THINGS AROUND AND DESTROYED MY WALLLLL—!!!"
Shuri continued bombarding Namor for an hour, but he remained unbothered and NOT SORRY AT ALL.
…GRIOT updated the screen accordingly as Shuri instructed this morning:
Namor - Shuri
1 - 1
The next day.
A fucking huge "NO" sign on the lab entrance.
(Rayne: seriously, this is the funniest shit I ever drew (and I don't know how to draw at all, let alone draw with a mouse) Of course, Shuri could definitely draw WAYYYY BETTER but I CAN'T obviously!!!)
With the words "PROHIBITED TO ENTER!"
Still, he decided to try his luck.
"King Namor of Talokan. ACCESS: DENIED."
Namor stood there. Dumbfounded.
Namor - Shuri
1 - 2
T'Challa happens to come to the lab to meet his sister and pats the God-King's shoulder playfully, asking, "First time?"
"King T'Challa. ACCESS: GRANTED."
T'Challa walks in, leaving Namor busy rolling his eyes on the spot. He misses the chance to sneak in with the king.
Shuri and T'Challa do their usual Wakanda salute routine enthusiastically.
"You think it's a good idea to leave someone as strong as the Hulk out of the lab entrance?" T'Challa voiced out from the bottom of his heart.
Shuri pointed at the wall. There's an enormous hole in the wall. Yes. The same hole that was destroyed by Namor who sent the table carved into the wall.
It could fit ten T'Challa's in it.
"Point taken." Her brother raised his hand in acknowledgement.
"He. Came. Into. My. Lab. And. Kick. Things. Around!" Shuri complains to her beloved brother.
"But I heard that you intentionally placed a table at the doorway because he..."
Shows his toes out in the lab.
T'Challa looks down at his royal sandals quietly, he's showing his toes too… for now. And he kicks things in her lab a few times too…
T'Challa decided to remain silent on this issue. No comment. He only hopes it doesn't affect their "diplomatic relationship."
"What was the upgrade that you wanted to show me?" As soon as T'Challa finished speaking,
A loud thunderous clang reverberated throughout the whole lab.
The lab's alarm blares immediately, and the emergency red lights flash.
Another resounding whack echoed across the entire lab.
In an instant, T'Challa suits up and heads towards the source of the disturbance.
Shuri shouts, "GRIOT! Give me an update NOW—!"
A loud thud and reverberating clash of a heavy object is slammed and hurled into the lab. The mighty crash resonated throughout the place, causing vibrations to ripple through the whole lab.
T'Challa sprints to the crime scene and sees…
"BAST, you are fucking kidding me…"
Shuri catches up to him quickly, ready to support her brother.
"Brother! Wha—"
"...I told you it's not a good idea to keep him out."
Shuri hates it when he's right.
Namor came into the lab through the window he sliced.
He walks towards Shuri and—
"Hey, princess." Looking smug. Sounding smug. Being smug.
…
Being an idiot. T'Challa tries to focus on the sound of the maglev trains carrying vibranium. But failed as he heard Shuri cracking her knuckles beside him.
She stares at the huge floor-to-ceiling window of the lab that was being slammed on the floor.
AND having his toes out in the lab after she told him not to!
…
Everyone remains silent. Even the king didn't interfere with the intense atmosphere. T'Challa rolls his eyes, facepalming.
Shuri takes deep, deep, DEEP breaths on the spot, turns around and walks towards her sand table.
"Shuri, let's not be haste—" T'Challa follows her closely,
The sound of gauntlets loaded on.
T'Challa gave a not-subtle head tilt at Namor, signaling him to leave quickly, while Namor himself remained, watching Shuri with great interest.
He just got in! He's not going to leave just like that!
Shuri turns around in her Black Panther suit, mask off and points at Namor directly.
"GRIOT—"
Namor started walking backwards at this point. Oh fuck.
"Light him up."
Namor immediately flies out of the window he came through just moments ago before the concussive sonic force blares and resounds throughout the entire Great Mound.
He soars into the Wakanda sky, looking down at the mountains that remind him of Mayan temples while his eardrums are racked with pain. Waiting for her to chase after him.
Waiting for Shuri to come to him.
Shuri pilots the Sunbird and fires heat seeking rounds towards Namor, ambushing him from behind. Namor dodges it deftly, deflecting them with his spear and takes Shuri on a trip to breathe in Wakanda's pristine air.
Idiots in love. T'Challa sighed silently as he watched them soaring through the sky, dancing around each other.
Another restless day. He thought about venting his frustrations to Mother later. Ever since the God-King arrived, his headaches instantly doubled up.
T'Challa announces through his kimoyo beads when the explosions are getting more consistent.
"Stand down, everyone. It's just a military exercise, no need to worry. Raise the barriers. Raise all your barriers, for Bast's sake…"
He tried to enter Shuri's lab again the other day.
"The Feathered Serpent God. ACCESS: DENIED."
Namor went the other way around. From the windows. And it was SEALED as well. Along with the NO sign. And extra shields. With electrified sonic barriers pulsating furiously.
Welp…
The gears in Namor's head turn quickly.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Prince T'Challa. ACCESS: GRANTED."
"Thanks, Soobe'." Namor high-fives Toussaint.
"You're welcome, Ts'eyuum! Don't forget my xocolatl and whale riding!"
"I won't."
Toussaint runs into the lab happily and says hi to all the scientists.
Namor walks into the lab with his toes out. Heading straight to where Shuri is standing. She's discussing something with her scientists.
The scientists noticed him but didn't say a word. Shuri didn't notice him at all as she was into explaining how things work.
He sat on the couch silently. Fumbling on the prototype kimoyo beads which are coloured in deep blue instead of obsidian black. For his people.
Namor took off his golden-coloured kimoyo beads and connected with the prototypes, playing with her tech effortlessly.
Shuri is done talking and walks past him. She didn't notice him. Namor waited and waited and waited—
Shuri started walking backwards and stopped right in front of him.
She looked at Namor with a bewildered expression, then glanced at her intact windows first, and finally observed him fiddling with her prototypes in his hands. He pressed a few times on the screen, and her deep blue kimoyo beads illuminated in green through the Mayan wordings, indicating approval.
"HOW DID YOU GET IN?" Shuri exclaimed, slightly incredulous, with her hands on her hips.
Namor didn't bother to answer and continued fiddling with the beads.
Shuri was impressed by how he managed to bypass her lab and what he did to make the beads work. But she wants answers.
It distracts her from noticing Namor have his toes out in her lab AGAIN.
And she got her answer when Toussaint ran into her, hugging his favourite aunt fully.
"What did he bribe you with?" Was the first thing Shuri asked her baby nephew.
"Auntie Shuri! Uncle Namor promised to take me to go whale riding and treat me xocolatl for a month!!!"
And Toussaint SOLD him out just like that.
A big smile spread across Namor's face as he shook his head in amusement.
"Ho, that's all it takes to win you over? I didn't teach you like this, young man—" Shuri said with a triumphant look on her face as if she had already won the bet before she proposed.
"How about I promise to let you fly around Wakanda a few times, and you are piloting it! And maybe shoot some flying god from the sky! And tonight, I'll take you to the night market for some fun, once every week starting from now on. The deal is, don't let him in next time." Shuri pointed at Namor and Toussaint grins widely. So does the man being pointed.
"Deal, baby boy?" Shuri knows exactly how to win hearts over easily.
And Namor absolutely enjoyed seeing Shuri in this victorious and teasing manner.
"Deal! Remember your promise, Auntie! You can't brush me off with work like how you do with Baba!"
"Of course! I kept my promises, okay! Now, run along, be careful and don't break my stuff!" She lets him go finally. While grinning victoriously at Namor.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, never knew a princess needed to bribe a child, thinking she can stop me from getting into the lab~" Namor clicks his tongue smugly.
"Tsk, never knew a god needed to bribe a child so he could let himself into my lab~" Shuri looks at him, amused.
"At least I'm not trying so hard to bribe the kid. He mentioned it before, and I just went along with it," Namor returns Shuri her beads, he got everything set up for the ones she left out.
Shuri knows it's a trap but, "What did you do?" She waves her beads, she wants to know what he did to make it work.
Namor looked smug, cocking an eyebrow in a playful manner. Of course, no one will understand every single thing about his nation better than himself. And of course, he could handle these minor technological conflicts with ease.
"Bribe me, princess."
It was Shuri's turn to cock an eyebrow.
"You have a god tempting you to bribe him. Make sure you seize the opportunity," Namor teases.
"What's the deal?" Shuri crosses her arms. Not giving in.
"Simple. Maybe let him back in your lab."
"Sounds like a bad deal, at least for you," Shuri questioned, raising her eyebrows. She thought he was gonna ask something else.
"It's definitely worth it," he replied with a smirk.
"Hmm. Let me think about it~" Shuri decides to let him wait.
It was a peaceful afternoon where they worked with the scientists to improve their border security together.
Before Toussaint almost got himself in trouble.
He was busy playing with the suction robot, little Vakoo and didn't pay attention to the rack of chemical substances behind him.
Shuri's been paying attention to the boy through her peripheral vision. Toussaint is just like her, someone who seems to attract trouble.
And there it is.
Shuri heard a thud and immediately started pacing towards Toussaint without even looking at what was happening.
"—Toussaint—!" Shuri shouts.
Toussaint bumps into the rack and the bottles on the rack start shaking wildly, he reacts quickly to hold onto the rack and not let it fall but the bottles of chemicals are already slipping towards the edge.
Oh Bast, Aunty sounds so angry, Toussaint knows he's doomed.
Shuri was quick to react.
But Namor was faster than her.
He was fast enough to lift the boy out of the falling rack as Namor swiftly pulled Toussaint into his arms, using his entire arm to shield him and positioning his back as a barrier to the falling bottles. His other hand was initially blocking Shuri's head, but as bottles and flasks kept falling, he shoved her away to safety, allowing the chemicals to splash onto his own hand.
Finally realizing the danger, Namor looked quickly and decisively kicked the rack in an open direction where there were no people, causing a huge mess on the floor. The shattering glass echoed in the entire lab and finally fell into silence after the bottles had all jumped down from the rack.
Shuri sat on the ground in a daze, not comprehending what had just happened, until others rushed to her side and helped her up.
Namor wasn't thinking straight. He was a bit slow to react and got some of the chemicals on himself, but his cloak shielded him from most of it, as his sole focus was protecting the young boy.
Namor stood in place, looking at the mess on the floor, realizing there was nowhere for him to go without stepping onto the shattered glass and chemicals that burnt his skin. Ignoring the pain in his feet, he gently patted Toussaint's back to reassure him that everything was okay.
"Toussaint, are you hurt?" he asked, concerned that he didn't shield him completely.
"N-No… Ts'eyuum… I'm not hurt, but-but you- I'm sorry… A-Aunty, I'm sorry…" Toussaint trailed off, unable to bring himself to look at the trouble he had caused. He sensed his aunt's presence behind him and realized he was in trouble. Pretty sure he was grounded.
Namor chuckled and comforted Toussaint, "Well, at least your whale riding is still on. It's alright, just be more careful next time."
Finally, Namor looked towards the aunt and joked, "I found the perfect home for your top notch super adhesive magnetic films. It could come in handy for these little bottles of yours."
She didn't say anything to retort.
Namor followed Shuri's gaze and— He shrugs, signaling the others to help clean up the mess their little prince made. Then, his gaze shifted to Shuri's... and Namor furrowed his brows deeply with concern.
He set Toussaint back on the ground when the floor was cleared. Nudging him to his aunt.
Shuri averted her gaze finally,
Unable to bear the sight of Namor's feet covered in chemical-induced injuries, blood and flesh mangled.
She was tired after the whole incident but she wants to get things done.
And the sound of shattered glass woke Shuri up. Her hand slipped.
The glass surrounds her and there's nowhere for her to go…
Shuri's mind was blurry. She short-circuited.
…
"...Namor—"
Shuri calls for him.
"Namor!"
Namor finally lifts his head from fiddling with the beads to look at her… and sees her situation.
He never left since the incident this afternoon. Or not he would need to find someone else to sneak him in again.
Namor smiles like a devil.
Shuri curses under her breath.
"Need saving, princess?"
Namor steps onto her vibranium tables and crosses through a few tables to reach her, bypassing all the shattered glass on the floor.
Shuri looks at him, dumbfounded.
…Why didn't she think of this???
Oh, because her foot fucking hurts!!!!
In an instant, Namor stood beside her. On the table. Looking down at Shuri. Grinning.
"Shut up." Shuri interrupts whatever he's planning to say. Before he could mock her.
"Give me some space, princess."
Namor proceeds to sit on the table and puts down one leg to sweep away the glass around her and steps into her personal space.
Shuri backs up but Namor holds her firmly.
"It's already cramped here, you genius."
"Step on me."
"What?"
"Step on me, Shuri."
"WHERE??????"
"Step on my feet, woman!"
Shuri does as he says. Lifting her leg and going to step on him—
"…WAIT— but your feet-!"
They both look down at their feet in sync, both wrapped in bandages. Shuri's left foot and Namor's feet.
Namor was quick enough to lift Toussaint out of the way. And shield Shuri a bit then pushed her away. But she still got hit. While his feet were injured the most. However, it was mostly healed thanks to their combined technology.
"Just step on me, Shuri, I'll be fine."
"NO…I'll crush you…"
But Namor insists. Indicating he will lift her up wherever she wants it or not.
She carefully steps onto Namor's feet, wrapping around his waist for support. Leaning her head on his chest. Listening to his heartbeat.
"Impressive if you did." Namor holds her tightly in his arms and starts sweeping the floor with his bandaged feet, carrying along the weight of a princess on top of him.
He sweeps away the glass, making a path to safety while feeling the weight of Shuri on him. She's light. Although his feet hurt a bit. But it was bearable. She's not that heavy to make his pain unbearable.
"…Am I heavy?" Shuri asks while leaning into his embrace, feeling safe.
This is a question of death. To answer or not to answer. From ancient times to the present day, it remains a challenging question.
"Unbearable."
Shuri hits him on the shoulder. She is going to hit him a second time…
"But it is my burden to bear."
…Shuri's hand falls back to his neck securely. Smiling secretly as she rubs her face against his heart.
Namor successfully lifts them out of the mess. Setting Shuri on the couch he was sitting on moments ago. He kicks the suction robot at the entrance. Calling it to clean the floor.
Shuri watched her robot sliding into her sight and sweeping the glass…
"...You couldn't have done that earlier?"
So he doesn't need to lift her out of the mess like that!
"No."
Shuri doesn't want to talk to him and closes her eyes to rest on the couch, waiting for little Vakoo to clean the floor and get back to work.
The couch on her left sank in as someone sat down, causing her to tilt in that direction as well. With a soft thud, her head knocked against his shoulder, and Namor once again invaded her personal space.
Their bandaged feet brushed against each other. His wings poked out as she wrapped the bandages avoiding them since his wings were fully healed. His wings flutter when Shuri uses her feet to rub against them softly. It tickles.
Namor earns a few soft chuckles from the princess. He finally relaxed at the sounds of little Vakoo vacuuming the floor and Shuri's giggles.
Shuri puts her foot onto his. Comparing the size of their feet and contemplating how he walks like his feet weren't wrapped until she can't see his toes.
"Told you not to show your toes out in my lab." Shuri had to quip.
"If it wasn't for my toes, you and your nephew are going to get hurt."
Shuri groaned and pressed her lips together.
He's got a point though.
But he wouldn't be hurt that BAD if he had something on his FEET!!!
Namor didn't understand why, but Shuri seemed possessed, continuously rubbing her ankle against his wings. After rubbing against his right foot, she got up and sat down on his left side, then resumed the same action.
…What are you doing??? Namor decided to keep his mouth shut for a moment this time.
After Shuri had rubbed enough, she obediently sat still, placing her uninjured right foot on his bandaged ankle without even glancing at him.
If Namor didn't like it, he hid it well.
His wings settled beside her ankles, not fluttering nervously anymore.
So does her heart.
Seeing Shuri starting to doze off, Namor gently pulled her into his embrace, letting her rest against his chest as she slept. Even in her dreams, she didn't forget to rub her ankle against his wings. He reciprocate the gesture, and together they fell asleep amidst the noisy hum of the vacuum cleaner.
The first thing Shuri did the next day was lift the restricted command.
.
.
.
.
.
Namor came to the lab during the afternoon and prepared to be blocked outside of the lab entrance as usual.
Thinking he should look for T'Challa to help today.
"—Ch'ah Toh. ACCESS: GRANTED—"
Namor stood still at the entrance. Hmmmmm. Pondering whether it was a trap or not.
He peeks into the doorway, no tables.
The coast is clear! He walks into the lab carefully. As usual, he searched for her figure. And found her easily at her usual spot.
Shuri's laughing.
How could she stand there and laugh and look so beautiful?
Shuri turns around and points at the couch when she hears Namor come. Signaling him to sit and wait for her to finish a discussion with a group of scientists. She comes to him shortly after.
"I'll only say it once, just this once. Listen carefully, and stop smiling like an idiot—" Shuri declared, putting on a poker face, but failing miserably as her lips couldn't help but curl into a subtle smile upon seeing him.
Finally, Namor stood up and said, "I'm listening~"
As he bent down and leaned closer, he gently held Shuri's hands, delicately caressing the back of her hand with his thumb in circles, and her left hand with kimoyo beads. His other hand softly and slowly tracing the inner of her wrist, her right hand with his mother's bracelet.
Shuri's heart skips a beat and feels a rush of butterflies in her stomach. She was tickled by his touch, and she firmly held his entire hand instead, preventing Namor from making her feel more butterflies.
Then, she brought his entire palm up, while using her finger to point at him to said in final,
"YOU are the only one allowed to show your toes out in my lab FROM NOW ON. Only you. Just you. Do you understand? Only one. GRIOT, jot this down—"
"Just me? No, no, no, what about the others?"
"The others? It's only you who do this! I will not tolerate othe—"
"What happens if your future children like to walk around with their bare winged ankle feet too?"
"MY future children WILL NOT WALK AROUND WITH THEIR BARE WING—"
…
…
…
Realization hit her and Shuri is lost for words.
…
…
…
Namor grins wider and wider when he witnesses Shuri being stunned and her brain short-circuited, face going blank—
A few moments later,
Shuri blinks four times and finally looks at Namor, who looks infatuated in her eyes.
Their gaze… interested. And Shuri…
"—YOU WISH!!! Keep dreaming! You idiot!"
The End.
—BONUS:
They still took Toussaint to the night market as Shuri promised him.
Wait, they?
Yes, Shuri "bribes" Namor to come with her.
"Come with me and Toussaint to the night market. Tonight." Shuri commands.
…
Namor smirks, lifting his head with a sly grin from whatever he's doing to look at Shuri.
He smiles roguishly.
"Bribe me, princess."
"I knew it—"
Shuri stepped on his foot a few times purposely to make sure his foot was healed although he still kept the bandages on— Namor didn't wince, OKAY! And Shuri stepped on Namor with her whole body. It's all or nothing.
Namor kindly wrapped his arms around Shuri's waist to prevent her from losing balance.
However, Shuri changed her mind and getting back down, she tiptoed instead. Namor instinctively lowered his head slightly, smiling uncontrollably as Shuri gently kissed his cheek.
"I heard Princess Shuri is very kind and generous and…"
With great gusto, Shuri showered Namor's other cheek with a loud, passionate kiss.
"Hmmm, think I have to disappoint Toussaint on the whale riding because his aunt—"
"Will you EVER stop? You greedy man—"
Shuri tiptoed and finally, with a look of teasing and twinkle in her eyes,
Shuri kissed his lips, just as Namor desired.
Shuri could feel the unabashed smile on Namor's lips as she kissed him, but she noticed that he didn't kiss her back. Purposely pressing his lips tight.
Determined, Shuri began to lick and trace his soft lips, but Namor maintained his defenses. His mouth curved until it pointed to the sky.
Just as Shuri was about to retreat, Namor finally enveloped her in a crushing embrace and deepened their unrelentingkiss.
They kissed and melted in each other's arms, intertwined and inseparable as their lips creating a symphony of tender intimacy that echoed with the sweetest whispers of affection.
Namor lifts Shuri up onto his feet as he kisses her softly, cupping her cheeks and stroking her sensitive and soft skin behind her ears, she shivers under his restless touch. But before Namor could feel smug, Shuri rubs her ankles on his wings intentionally. Making Namor's toes curls helplessly as his wings flutter furiously—
He imprisons her between his arms, his wrapped toes tickling under her feet playfully.
It was suffocating. They kissed with such intensity that it took their breath away. Shuri whimpered, unable to resist as she tightly wrapped her arms around Namor's neck and ran her fingers through his hair.
Namor released her lips just enough for Shuri to catch her breath, and in that moment, they breathed deeply, as if their very existence depended on each other. Inhaling each other's scent with contentment.
They pressed their foreheads together, lingering in their affectionate embrace, their chests pressed tightly against each other as they could feel each other's hearts beating out of their chest exaggeratingly and relentlessly like an unquenchable fire.
Shuri nuzzles their foreheads together softly. Now, they share matching radiant smiles, their whole being brimming with joy. Their eyes crinkled at the corners with affection, their ears turned slightly rosy, and their lips glowed with a moist, rosy hue alluringly.
As Namor nuzzled back, he whispered affectionately, "Alright, wherever you go, I'll follow you. Shuri, In yakunaj —"
Namor lingered in tender kisses, planting them softly on Shuri's forehead, above her eyebrows, beside her eyes, on the tip of her nose, along her cheeks, and on her chin.
Finally, he pressed a loud and passionate kiss on her rosy lips, feeling completely satisfied. Namor released Shuri with a contented smile and took hold of her right hand with his bracelet.
"Come on, let's go~" His left hand with kimoyo beads entwined with her right.
Hands entangled,
Hearts synchronized,
Souls intertwined and,
Destinies interwoven.
They are forever bound in this universe.
Shuri smiled blissfully, her heart swelling with Namor's love. She tightly grasped his left hand, allowing him to lead her to the ends of the world.
"Fucking tease."
"You love it."
"I should change your access name again. Namor, King of Tease~ sounds pretty accurate to me—"
"Whatever you like, princess~"
In the end, Namor and Shuri took Toussaint to the night market together, and let him pilot the Sunbird with Shuri sitting beside him and Namor flying beside them. They went whale riding together and drank xocolatl together, not just for a month, but for the next month too, and the next, and the next more months to come in the future.
Together.
The End.