Underwater

Shuri fumbles the jade earring in her palm, letting it flow with the water and catching it back swiftly before it floats away. She wouldn't want to lose it.  

She took it off the moment she was back on land. It will be too obvious. And there will be questions. Like where she got it. Still, she kept it safe and close to her. Putting it on only when she's back in the river. Like now, she tosses her own kimoyo beads earrings, maybe she could get Ch'ah—

A school of fish ran into her, and SHE LOST HER GODDAMN EARRINGS—

"Shit! Woah, chill, fish!" Shuri raises her hands, and the fish brushes past her hands, the slippery feel of the fish makes her flinch slightly and so does the fish shrink away when her fingertips touch them.

Great, now she had lost her bead earrings.

Shuri digs into the sand beneath her, maybe the fish didn't snatch her earrings, or maybe the earrings dropped.

Another swoosh~~~came to her when she was checking in the sand, NOT AGAIN—

Shuri didn't need to look up and saw a pair of winged ankles.

Ch'ah Toh floated before her, raising an eyebrow at her while crossing his arms.

"—Why are you here? I thought you were busy!!" She sounded so surprised and continued to search in the sand, she only grabbed some shells.

"What brings you here?" Namor looks at her, searching through the sand, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"You realized I came here for a break, not totally because of you? And I came here first, it's my spot!" Shuri gives up and shuffles the sand out of her hands. She hopes no one is looking for her now and finds her in the middle of nowhere in the ocean.

"Are you looking for something?" Namor asks knowingly, digging into the sand with his feet.

"It's not in the sand. I think some fish just snatched away my earrings, ha…" Shuri tells him.

Namor pretends to look around and points somewhere, "That fish?" 

The school of fish swimming in the distance. It looks near, but it may be far.

"I guess so? They look the same—" Shuri huffs out in amusement, brother is not going to believe her if she tells him her earrings got snatched by fish!

"Be right back." Namor swims after the fish, disappearing in front of her in a blink.

…Did Ch'ah just chase after the fish…?

"Pffftttttt—" Shuri laughs out in disbelief, the man just went after the fish real quick. How fast is he anyway?

He comes back a few moments later. Hiding both hands behind his back.

"What do you say?" Namor smiled triumphantly at her.

"I need to see proof!" No way he got it back from the fish!

"Tsks." Namor tsks fondly and raises his chin at Shuri, signaling her hands. She spread out her palm, holding out,

"It's alright if you didn't get it back, I just need to call it lost—" She wasn't expecting Ch'ah really get it back because—

"What do you say?" He asks again.

Namor reached out his left hand…

Placing Shuri's kimoyo beads earrings into her palm, his enormous hand closed her palm into a fist.

Shuri clenched her earrings firmly in her palm as his hand tightened around hers, ensuring that they would not be lost again.

Shuri rolls her eyes fondly at the man, You son of a gun!

"All right, you win~ THANK Y—" 

Namor reached out his right hand…

Placing a flower crown on Shuri's head.

"—YOU…?" Shuri's eyes widened as she saw a brief of colourful shades flash before her eyes and Ch'ah put something on her head.

If Ch'ah wasn't holding her left hand tightly, she might have let go and her earring would have floated away again . Her right hand curiously touched the thing on her head and decided to take it off to see what it was.

Shuri takes it off under Namor's gaze and looks at it—

It's a wreath…a flower crown. Made with various underwater plants that she doesn't have a clue what the name is. The whole thing is green— but where did he even find flowers under the water to add into the crown…

Little flowers in colours of light blue, yellow, white and purple…wrapping the crown and the flowers blooming on it…

It's beautiful.

Namor looked at Shuri, who was staring at the flower crown he had specifically made for her. He swallowed nervously, his wings flapping as he felt nervous. Or excited. He wondered if Shuri didn't like flowers…? But Shuri's face told him the answer the next moment.

Her face lit up as if she had just gotten a treasure.

His floating heart dropped as she looked delighted, and he felt happy that she liked it.

"...Where did you even get this?" Shuri's eyes were filled with surprise and euphoria as she looked at him. 

"Saw one along the way back…" Namor let go of her hand and sat down beside Shuri, their shoulders lightly touching. He helped her put the flower crown back on her head. It's a bit big on her, she has a smaller head… He takes note of that if he makes another one next time.

"...And you just…grab one?" For me. Shuri looked at him with a mischievous expression on her face.

"Yeap." Now they have the matching mischievous expression on their faces.

"Hmmphhh~ why I never saw flower crowns floating in the ocean before? I would have hoarded them…" Shuri grins like mad, and she continues to make fun of him.

"...You weren't looking in the right direction. And you might want to save some for others~" Namor plays along, always glad to please his girl.

"How can you be so confident in bullshitting?" Shuri saw the talent in him and was amazed.

"What does that mean?" Now that's new for him.

"Means you are good at speaking nonsense!" Shuri huffs out in amusement immensely.

"Ah! That~ Actually it was the fish that led me to the crowns, maybe they wanted to trade your earrings for it—" Namor continues to "bullshit." He shrugged nonchalantly but couldn't hold back anymore as his smile grew wider.

"For Bast's sake, you'll be good at handling the public relation crisis for Wakanda, or being a politician…or a sales…? Hahahahaha—" Finally, Shuri couldn't help but burst into laughter, her melodious laughter echoing across the entire ocean, shattering his eardrums and vibrating his heart tremendously.

Namor couldn't help but laugh with her, his eyes crinkling up in joy, and he even asked Shuri, still laughing—

"...Sales?…As in selling…flower crowns?" Namor can't believe he is saying something like this.

"Yes! Selling flower crowns to people, you would definitely make great businesses! That's a good idea, by the way—" Shuri can't believe she is saying something like this.

"...I'll think about it…?" Namor says jokingly.

And they laughed together in sync again, with Shuri laughing so hard that she leaned onto him, crumbling in laughter, while Namor supported her and gently put the fallen flower crown back on her head.

"...Oh my Bast, this is too funny and getting out of hand—You better be prepared, people will be knocking down your doors to buy from you, especially the ladies! DAMN~" Shuri was sure, with his handsome face and well-ripped build.

"I don't think I want to sell flower crowns anymore, I only have one door and I intend to keep it—" Namor said teasingly.

One door to his heart.

"Unless it is you knocking on my door, I'll consider doing your business…" 

And you didn't even need to knock.

"And I might just give it out to you for free, how does that sound?"

It's already open.

"—That sounds splendid to me. And you get to keep your only door." Shuri agrees with him wholeheartedly.

She likes the flower crown he made for her. She wouldn't want to share with others either. It's for her.

"Thank you, Ch'ah Toh, I like it…it's beautiful—" Shuri was surrounded by technology and vibranium all the time. On the contrary, something simple like this does surprise her. She had never received a flower crown before.

"You are welcome, Shuri. Glad the fish took me there~" Good thing is that the flower crown he suddenly thought of could make her so happy. 

"So~ knock, knock! What happened to the busy painter that has busy training duties to attend to?" Shuri mocks in fun.

"Apparently I got the work done early and came to see if I could knock into you~" Namor's voice was smooth as silk. The American Ship that hovered on their domain has left. They intercepted their signals and found out they only stopped for repair.

"Looks like it's your lucky day~and glad to hear everything went smoothly for you." Shuri would have come here occasionally, but that was before meeting Ch'ah. She now came here every day, just for the sake of him, and also spending her so-called break in the meantime. She could have gone elsewhere, this is not their only place with a river or water.

She came up with the breaks so she could see him every day anyway.

Shuri had looked forward to meeting Ch'ah every day.

It was something new to her. Making new friends. Or meeting someone out of Wakanda. Or someone that is not Wakanda. Shuri thinks that's why she gets along with Ross and Bucky. Well, she did save both of their lives at one point. They are not someone she is familiar with.

She grew up with people around her, they are all too familiar to her and all of them know each other quite well. This sounds unbelievable, but she doesn't have many friends besides her brother and lab colleagues, and does the Dora Milaje even count? Everyone could be friends with the princess. Butnot everyone could catch up with the Princess of Wakanda. And she had her duties, whether as the nation’s Princess or as the head of the Wakanda Design Group.

But, Ch'ah Toh had interested her. 

He's someone new, someone she's not familiar with, and she feels…novel. He's pretty charming anyway—

And Shuri wants to know more about him.To be friends.

Most importantly?

She could be Shuri.

Shuri could be all herself, just Shuri—

In front of Ch'ah Toh. And that—

It is the only reason she lets her guard down. 

She let her walls down.  

Not realizing what she had just done.

Opening her heart to the man before her. 

Not knowing what it may cost her.

Making friends requires opening up.

The future of Wakanda?

Heart to heart.

Or her heart?

Isn't that the way of life?

The consequences of letting him have a glimpse of her.

And he will end up wanting more.

More than Shuri could offer or possibly give him.

And there's only one thing that could quench his thirst.

Her heart.

Her soul.

Her.

"—Not gonna lie, you, chasing after the fish just now? It was hi-la-rious! How fast are you anyway?" Shuri pokes fun at him.

"Do not make fun of the person who helped you get your earrings back. And don't tell that to anyone…" Namor looked at her with a playful and teasing expression. He didn't mind Shuri's little poking fun at him. It wasn't a godly thing to do but whatever~

"Noooo~~I won't~ No one knows I'm here to see you anyway—" Besides her brother who knows she's heading to the river.

Hmm, good to hear that. "No one ever asks where you go every time you break?" Chaac, Namora was giving him suspicious looks already.

"Nope. But I was with my brother just now, he almost followed me here. I just told him I've come to see some fish and crabs, that's all~" Shuri remembers T'Challa's retreating form and chuckles joyously.

"You have a lot of brothers?" She mentioned it once before. There's one that could fight a hundred.

"Just one. And one is enough. He's everything I looked up to—" Shuri’s speech was filled with admiration for her elder brother. But sometimes T'Challa annoys her, of course!

"How lucky is he to have a little sister like you?" Namor smiles, she does have a family. Something he wondered about all those years ago.

She is loved. And I am not.

"You?" Shuri asks, she can't tell whether he seems like an only child or has siblings. But she thinks it's the latter. Depending on how kind he treats her.

"No." Namor shakes his head while smiling.

"Just me."

All alone in this world.

Namor couldn't help but wonder…

If the disease never fall upon his mother's village,

He didn't lose his father to the disease,

They never drank the plant that saved Talokan,

His people didn't need to settle in the ocean,

They never need to run, hide, or move,

His mother never drank the plant to save him,

And he wasn't born with wings on his ankles or ears pointed to the sky,

And they live in peace.

There was no war, no disease,

He may have a brother…or a sister, who knows…

He will grow old with his family and rest in the soil of his homeland when the time comes.

But there is no what if.

And the world has always been cruel.

Cruel to him.

Cruel to the people he loved.

And they took everything from him.

It still pains him…sometimes… a brief moment of weakness—

But it was not true. He is loved.

But if that means leading me to you, it doesn't pain me that much anymore.

It no longer hurts me.

"That sounds…a bit lonely…but you will have so much freedom at the same time…" Shuri couldn't imagine a life without her brother, she would have felt so alone.

"But I have a cousin…she's like a sister to me…" Or a child. Namor smiles, Namora is just like the others, everyone in Talokan grew up looking up to him, like how could they not love their K'uk'ulkan.

"And there's like…a lot of children in my nation…so, no." Not lonely. All his people are his children. He's not alone. He's never been alone. As long as his children are safe.

"Oof— I have a cousin…once…but unfortunately, he's not around anymore…I don't even know if I should call him my cousin…" Erik, or N'Jadaka, who tried to beat her up and kill her. And that one time she almost lost her brother.

"I can pretend…to be your sister?…pffttt—" Shuri jokingly brought it up but couldn't help laughing out loud. It was just too funny.

Namor smiled a little, finding it unbelievable. "You are…too young to be my sister, Shuri. And I have enough children under my care…" But other than being his sister?

Love knows no age boundaries.

As long as—

"See? You have the potential already! My brother still treats me like a child! Wait—No! I'm not a child anymore, I'm turning 22 in a few months, wait— If you count the blip, I'm actually 27! Bast! And everyone still considers me a child!" And I'm running the whole country's technological advancement!

The mention of the blip stings Namor a bit. The years that he lost her.

"And you look about the same age as my brother, maybe a few years older, Bast, maybe even a few years younger, who knows? How old are you anyway?" Shuri was curious now.

"Do you underwater people age differently?" He aged way slower than his people due to his mutation and as a mutant, everyone was a child to him at this point.

"You wouldn't want to know." His eyes were full of humour as he looked at her.

"Come on~ Fine. I'm guessing you are around your late 30s? Early 40s? Middle 40s? You can't be much older than that—"

How does 500 years old sound?

"I think so…early 40s? Pick a range you like? We never really cared—" Namor shrugs casually, he should be around this human age range, if not considering he's a mutant that age slower, he guesses. Talokanils live longer than a hundred years old on average.

Shuri should ask how long he's been alive or how long he's lived.

"Enough with the age talk. People tend to look down on me because I'm young, since they still consider me a child—" As a child, as a princess, who needs extra protection from the mighty men. Her brother is the only exception. 

"I don't." 

Namor spoke to her with a sincere and genuine expression.

"Yeah, I know. Never underestimate Wakandan women, they are so strong and independent, unflinching—" Shuri thinks of her mother, Okoye and Nakia, and fellow Wakandan women. Loyal and reliable.

"Fierce and grace—" Shuri was proud. The fierceness of Wakandan women and the beauty of Wakanda herself.

"Intelligent and beautiful?" 

Ch'ah looked at her and his eyes were inexplicably rich and deep as he spoke.

Shuri saw the look in his eyes.

Shuri could see the sincerity in his eyes as he clearly was complimenting her intelligence and beauty, his gaze lingering on her with appreciation and respect.

Shuri grinned at him, then couldn't help but turn her head in another direction and smirk in satisfaction. 

"—Thank you~ looks like you are not only good at bullshitting, you're silver-tongued as well…it means a smooth talker—" And a charmer. After a few days of getting to know each other, his true nature had begun to show, and Shuri had seen it all.

And Shuri had been more proud to be young, gifted and black.

Namor shrugged off her praise, acting as though he was indifferent to it, but in reality, he was overjoyed. "I'm just stating the facts," He said.

"You do that to everyone?" Shuri blurted out. Remembering what he did to her last time, and now she's using it on him.

Namor arched his eyebrows, knowing exactly where Shuri was coming from. He didn't answer, instead waiting with a playful smile for her to continue.

"Charming people with those eyes of yours? Eyes that speak?"

Ch'ah had a pair of piercing and soulful eyes indeed, Shuri thinks. He's captivating and attracts her interest with those eyes of his. Bast, she believed he must be popular in his hometown.

This time it was Namor's turn to turn his head and chuckle.

He turned to look at Shuri, his eyes full of teasing. He instinctively nodded his head and then put on a serious expression as if he was thinking carefully. Then Shuri heard him say, 

"No, not really. Just you."

Just you.

Great— now Shuri felt like his words were making her a little blush.

"—Bullshit~! You must be the kind of man surrounded by women all the time, she said teasingly.

"I can say the same for you…men, women, children…?" Namor counters easily. Shuri definitely is the type to charm everyone of all ages.

"We will never reach a conclusion to this if we keep on continuing this topic, I assume?" Shuri teased hard.

"Yes. You'll find it difficult to persuade or to beat me in this…" "Namor said it with great certainty, looking at her with a firm gaze.

"Fine! Onto the next! Guess we are both incredibly great at charming people then~" Shuri smiled with satisfaction, taking precautions in case he said anything more that would make her blush.

"You're always right," Namor said to her while smirking.

Great—He's doing it again!

"How fast can you travel in the water?" The question that she's been curious about since she saw him disappearing in an instant while chasing the fish.

"I don't know. It depends." It depends on the mood of the day. But usually really fast.

"Hmmm…then how long do you need to travel from your home to here?" He had known her home, where she was and where she was from. But she doesn't know him at all. Where is his home located in the ocean? Where is he from?

Namor thinks he swims underwater for 100 kilometers from Talokan to here. And it does take a moment.

"I don't know. It depends." Namor replies the same answer again, grinning at her smugly. It was Shuri's turn to tsks at him loudly!

"On?" Shuri was adamant about getting an answer! At least give her some clue! Namor thinks about it for a brief moment and smiles—

It depends on how eager he is to—

"—It depends on how eager I am to see you." 

Namor knew the impact his words would have on Shuri, and he looked at her with a smug smile, his eyes and face filled with the sense of "I won."

Is he flirting with her now!? Shuri can't believe it!!!

"Are you satisfied now?" And he even dared to ask for confirmation!!

But Shuri never backs down. I'm going to wipe away that smug smile of yours.

"Define eager!" She challenged him.

And nothing could prepare Shuri for what comes next.

"...More than yesterday, more than the day before, more than every day and every year and every minute and every second before I met you…" before I finally found you.

I've been eager to see you—

It feels like I've been looking for you my whole life…

And I've finally found you.

I found you.

And no one will take you away from me ever again.

Shuri was rendered speechless.

There was a moment when she felt like the person in front of her had been searching for her for a long, long time. So long that it seemed like he had been looking for her since she came into this world.

She gazes into him—

He gazed at her with a soft yet resolute expression.

Shuri saw the look in his eyes.

The look in his eyes was tender yet determined beyond belief.

Shuri blinked, trying to hide and suppress the intense emotions bubbling in her heart, but the person in front of her seemed to see through everything. He just gave her his deadly charming smile again, gently reached out to help her fix the flower crown on her head and helped her tuck the floating long hair behind her ears.

Namor felt like he had crossed a line because Shuri was utterly stunned. Like she was short-circuited.

Oops—

But he wasn't sorry for it at all. He waited for her to recover patiently—

Shuri returned to reality and gently placed the flower crown on his head instead. "Here…you take it. You won— you deserve it more than me, I gracefully accept my defeat—" She said while breathless.

She felt her emotions roiling inside, making it hard to breathe.

She got owned. And she surrendered completely. On her knees.

Bast, save me.

First, the flower crown. Second, Ch’ah expressed he doesn't look down on her although she is young. Third, he praises her intelligence and beauty, which people usually only say she's smart. And now—

"...Come on~ you look more beautiful with it than me, that's for sure—" Namor placed the flower crown back on her head, tying her braids to it so it won't fall off. He appreciates her gesture and decides to let her go before she's out of breath.

"Alright~ Come ask me anything, I'll answer you properly this time." Namor offers in kind.

Shuri thinks hard, she wants to ask where he's from—

"But just one." He said.

"What? That's too less! I have a bunch of questions!" Shuri whines in protest. And think harder.

"Cherish this one opportunity. And you better make it count…" Namor suggests her in kind.

He guesses Shuri would ask where he's come from—

"—How long do you need to swim from here until you reach my country's borders?" 

And out of our border, you are free.

Shuri asks.

Namor gives her a look.

"Let's find out then." He smirks.

Namor gets up and beckons Shuri to do the same.

"What? I'm not going to swim with you." Shuri estimates within a minute or faster.

"Hold your hand out," He instructed her.

"If you are going to prank me—" Shuri grunts but still does as he says, holding her hand out to him.

Namor firmly held her hand,

"Please don't tell me you are going to drag me with you—" Shuri holds back tightly.

"No. But if you want to come along..." Shuri shakes her head furiously, "No! I don't want to die!" She jokes. She slowed him down anyway. She wants accurate data on how fast he can travel so she can estimate the frequency of his wings flaps.

"Then close your eyes. And start counting—" Namor thinks of the fastest route to get to Wakanda's borders from here.

"How do I know when I should start counting? And you say your swimming speed depends!" Shuri remembers to ask the critical questions before letting him start.

"I'll swim as fast as I can, I promise," Namor tells her while grinning.

"Doesn't sound promising to me…" Shuri bets he can swim faster than he promised.

"When should I start c—"

"The moment I let go of your hand."

Namor looks at her expectantly.

"Okay…So I'll just close my eyes, count…and wait? Why do I have to close my eyes anyway—" Shuri complains and still closes her eyes obediently.

"So when I come back, you'll be surprised." His thumb gently caresses the back of her hand.

Shuri pursed her lips and nodded, she kind of agreed with his saying and wanted to sneak a peek—

"And no peeking." He lightly tapped her forehead.

Shuri tsks loudly.

"Are you going to go now, or are you wasting my t—" 

Namor immediately released her hand, looked at her for one more second, and then quickly swam away. Practically zooming.

Shuri started counting immediately when she felt Ch'ah's hands were not on her anymore, "One—!" She counted steadily and calmly.

"Two—Three—Four—Five—!" 

And open her eyes at five. Ch'ah was nowhere to be seen already. Let's see how fast you can reach Wakanda's borders.

Shuri closed her eyes and remain her right hand reaching out, she didn't stop counting—

"Eleven—Twelve—Thirteen—"

Second by second.

"Twenty-two—Twenty-three—Twenty-four—"

She waits patiently, should take him within—

"—Twenty-nine…Thirty~! Thir—" She feels a water pressure and—

Ch'ah grabs her hand and pulls her forward with force—

Namor grabbed her hand and pulled Shuri into his arms, causing her to crash into his embrace.

Namor embraced her with his whole being as if he was holding the entire world in his arms.

"Ty-One—! Oh fuck!" Shuri let out a yell and plunged into his arms, instinctively embracing him and tightly wrapping her arms around his neck.

"For Bast's sake, this is more of a shock than a surprise—" But she chuckled in his arms gleefully.

"So, how long was it?" Namor finally lets her go and leans back to ask.

"I think I heard you swooshing back at 29, then water pressure coming at me at 30, and you grabbed my hand at 31. So yeah, 31 seconds—Impressive~" Shuri said and took notes. Having calculations in the distances, speed and time in her head already.

"There are a lot of more impressive things other than how fast I can swim." Namor teases.

"Like? You only gave me one chance!" Shuri jokes back and retorts.

"Hmm…like—" Like showing you my home.

Suddenly, a long and deep, otherworldly whale sound echoed through the ocean.

He recognized the sound, it's one of their whales. It wandered near Wakanda. 

An idea popped into Namor's mind

To take Shuri to see the whales.

"Come with me." 

He reached out his hand to her, making an inviting gesture, looking at her with anticipation, the glimmer of light in the ocean reflected in his eyes.

His eyes are brown. Shuri realized.

Shuri was so confused, but she took Ch'ah's hand without skipping a beat. "—What? Where are we going???" 

Namor looked at her with a sincere yet slightly mischievous expression and said, 

"You trust me?" Smirking at her slightly.

"Not this again— I've seen it in American movies a million times…" Shuri replied while grunting slightly, but she wanted to go. Suddenly, she had this strange idea that…no matter where he went, she would follow him.

I'll follow you anywhere you go.

♫Runs to your~ runs to your arms♫

Screw it, let's go!

Because it was what her heart says.

"...But my tank is almost up." Shuri checked her tank's oxygen level with her kimoyo beads, which had 30 percent left.

"You wouldn't need it, come on~" Namor holds onto her hand firmly and starts swimming away, leading her to the whale outside Wakanda's borders.

Shuri lets him drag her along the way, she doesn't even need to swim herself. And another calming whale sound echoed through the ocean.

"...Are we going to see the whales?" 

Is this man bringing her to see whales??? NO WAY—!

"Close your eyes," Ch'ah tells her to.

"Don't tell me what to do..." She whines slightly but still closes her eyes like a good girl.

He leads her to swim in the ocean for a while. Shuri was closing her eyes, feeling the water course through her body, cooling and soothing, and feeling the warmth of his hand. If anyone decides to look for her now, she'll be in the middle of the goddamn ocean!

"Now~ open your eyes." 

Ch'ah voice rings in front of her and Shuri opens her eyes.

All she saw was him.

"Where is the w—" Namor chuckled and moved away.

All Shuri saw was a majestic beast in front of her.

A blue whale larger than their ship, the Sea Leopard.

Shuri was fascinated by sight and in awe. Namor was satisfied with her awestruck face. And brings her to float closer to their whale. The whale brushes past Namor with its head affectionately, saying hi to her Ajawo'.

"Shuri, this is Xelha." Namor introduces her to their whale.

"Hi…" Shuri floats and looks at Ch'ah and Xelha, admiring the sight before her. It's not like you get to see a whale this close anytime—

The whale makes a long whale sound when Namor calls her. The whale was still hesitant to approach the human girl.

"Xelha, leti' ma' taak u betik loob. In wojel uts, lela' Shuri— Leti'e' in sáasil."

-Xelha, she means no harm. Be nice, this is Shuri—- Namor pets her gently, talking in his mother tongue. The whale slowly approaches Shuri—

"Leti'e in sáasil." Namor repeats.

She is my light.

Xelha gently brushes Shuri with her flipper, and the human girl giggles in delight.

"Hey, nice to meet you too~" Shuri gently caresses back. These creatures are not just majestic but magnificent, intelligent, and kind.

"Ma'alob ch'úupalo'." Good girl. Namor was grateful that Xelha warmed up to Shuri in no time.

"Wow, so you really can talk to whales, huh?" Shuri leans her head at Xelha's body, smiling widely at him.

"Told you~" Namor tells Xelha to swim to the surface.

"Hold on. Grab her tight and don't let go, Shuri—" Namor literally flings her up to the head of Xelha and tells her to grab tight. Xelha ascends to the surface as Namor commands. Shuri finds a surface of Xelha that she can get a grip on and grips it tight.

"Wooooooooo~" Shuri cheered excitedly—

Namor ensures she had her grip and—

"Don't close your eyes, Shuri!"

You wouldn't want to miss it.

Namor laughed loudly and said to her, then let go of his hand as he watched Xelha breach the water's surface, watching her soar joyfully.

With a screaming Shuri on her back.

"CH'AH! WHAT AR—WHAT THE FUC—!!!!" 

Xelha jumps out of the water and makes a flip majestically, with a screaming Shuri on her back.

"WHOAAAAAAAA~~~~~~~~~~" 

Shuri dared not to close her eyes or let go of her hand.

She had never felt so close to the sky at this very moment as if her hand could touch the clouds.

Xelha splashes back into the sea, making a BIG SPLASH. Namor dodges in the water, smiling wildly as he watches Shuri plunge into the sky with Xelha. He would fly out of the water and catch her if Shuri couldn't maintain her grip. Xelha could have flung her away ultimately.

But it looks like the girl has an iron grip.

Xelha swims along the surface, with a Shuri lying on it in shock and stunned, gasping for breath. She gazed at the bright blue sky, feeling so alive .

"Told you there are more impressive things than how fast I can swim~~~" Namor pops his head out of the water and sweeps his hair back. He leaned over the edge, looking at her with a smug expression on his face.

Shuri looks at Ch’ah, awestruck. This is the first time she sees him out of the water.And it was different. He looks—

So lively and dazzling , like she could only look at him while squinting her eyes—

—So bright. Like he shines…

Shuri gives him a thumbs-up ultimately, still catching her breath after cheering in a high just now.

"...You didn't…fly…with me...what…what happens…if I…let go of my hand…are you…kidding…me?" Shuri holds onto Xelha with her dear life moments ago. She imagined she would hit the water like a rock if she let go and flew away.

"I would fly out of the water and catch you. You want to try again?" He said with a roguish smile on his face.

Shuri quickly waved her hands and said no, "Noooo~~~enough…enough…impressive stuff for today— save it for…next time…yeap…next time!"

Xelha blows water through her blowhole, sending Shuri to sit up in shock, "I promise, Xelha! Next time!" 

While Namor chuckles like mad in front of her, his eyes crinkle with a smile.

"Ko'oten, Xelha. Suficiente sorpresa utia'al Shuri bejla'e'. Ko'ox ts'áa ten jump'éel xíimbal."

-Come, Xelha. Enough surprise for Shuri today. Let's go for a stroll.- Namor pats the whale lightly and Xelha starts moving, swimming along the waves.

"Come, Shuri. Slide down—whoaaa, I got you—" Namor beckons Shuri to slide down and she does. He catches her, lifts her up by the waist easily and places her to sit by the edge. Shuri dips her legs into the sea while feeling the sea breeze blowing in her face.

The sea has been calling for her all these years.

And Shuri finally felt she had answered the call at this moment.

All thanks to Ch'ah.

He swims along with Xelha, keeping a hand on Shuri's legs to prevent her from slipping, the three stroll in the ocean leisurely as they blend in with the breeze and sail with the wind—

He took her to the ocean. Sailing in the open sea—

Breathing the warm and salty air and dreaming of things to be—

"This is the most fantastic and jaw-dropping thing I have ever done— nothing…like nothing can ever top this—" Shuri blurted out and smiled blissfully. She feels she went through a roller coaster of emotions and is having the time of her life.

"Yeah? Glad you loved it, Shuri. The honour was mine." Ch'ah said softly, his words sailed with the breeze and brought them to her cheeks, caressing her gently.

Namor stared at her peaceful and calming face, the flower crown on her head was still intact, vibrant and lively with green shimmering along the colourful shades, Shuri's smile was radiant like the sun.

Looking more beautiful than ever, especially under the sun— Namor founds out Shuri was sparkling, stunning, striking and drop-dead gorgeous—

Shuri saw the look in his eyes.

His eyes sparkled with genuine delight and pleasure, his expression conveying both his admiration and happiness at being able to share in her company and presence.

Namor guides Xelha to swim back to Wakanda and towards their riverbank. Sending her back home after a roller coaster ride.

Namor lifts her back into the water and swims her back to their spot while Shuri holds her breath, her tank completely empty.

"Fun time is over~ Run along now~" Shuri pouts slightly and waves him goodbye. Namor nudged her to go when she just stood there daydreaming while holding her breath. Silly girl—

Namor calls upon a school of fish to nudge Shuri to resurface before she's out of breath.

Shuri widens her eyes as she watches the fish circle and surround her, nudging her backward—

Shuri looked up abruptly, pointing her finger at him accusingly, she would have gaped if her mask was on—

It was you all along!!

He could talk to fish!!

Namor pretended to shrug his shoulders and raise his hands as if to say, "I don't understand what you're saying," but the curl of his lips and the playful glint in his eyes gave him away. Shuri pointed at him and said, "You wait for it," then returned to the land.

"Ba'ax ku yáalkab u paache' wotoch ti', ch'úupalo' nojoch." -Race you back home, big girl?- And Xelha took off immediately, leaving Namor to look at Shuri's silhouette for a few moments. He smiles and turns around. Namor returns home with a  heart full of—

"Ndiyibonile inkangeleko yamehlo akho, Ch'ah Toh…"

Shuri whispers to herself in her mother tongue as she walks back to her lab.

Takes off her jade earrings and cradles the flower crown in front of her chest.

Shuri saw the look in his eyes—

Shuri murmurs to herself in her mother tongue again.

"Ndiyibonile inkangeleko yamehlo akho, Ch'ah Toh…"

It was like his eyes were talking.

Ch'ah Toh didn't come here to see her every day, just to be her friend.

Shuri saw the look in his eyes—

Full of affection.

.

How is that possible?

.

Does he mean it?

.

Is it real?

.

It's not real.

.

He doesn't mean it.

.

They only met for less than a week.

.

He's just being kind and—

.

Her heart was pounding fiercely.

.

It's real. 

.

Eyes don't lie.

Shuri saw the look in his eyes.

"I saw the look in your eyes, Ch'ah Toh…"

It was like his eyes were talking to her.

I'm not here to be your friend, Shuri.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I'm here to be your boyfriend.