I'm only 22.
She thinks as she paces back and forth in her bedroom.
Shuri decided to take a pregnancy test today—six tests to be specific—because she'd been feeling under the weather lately but didn't initially think she was pregnant because her periods are too irregular to just go by the dates and occasional nausea.
But then something in her this morning told her take a test and so she listened her intuition. But she couldn't just take one test. Being a woman of science she knew she needed to take multiple tests.
So, she put on an elaborate disguise, sneaked out of palace without any of the Dora Milaje to accompany her, and walked all the way to the nearest market so she could get a hold on as many pregnancy tests as she could, without anyone else finding out about it.
Thankfully, her disguise worked and she ended up coming home with six tests, figuring that if a majority of those showed up positive, that she is indeed pregnant.
She also took each test an hour apart from each other, holding herself up in her bedroom complaining to her mother about cramps and a bad headache.
All six tests show up positive, but of course, Shuri has to double check. She needs to be absolutely certain that she's pregnant. So she disposes of all the tests into the trash can and hurries to her lab, just barely sneaking past her family and the Dora to get there.
Withing a few minutes, the blood tests and ultrasound ultimately proves her hypothesis correct.
She finds out that she's already 10 weeks along, her baby's heartbeat strong, already proving itself to be worthy of it's royal status and chance to take the mantle as Black Panther.
But Shuri is only 22 years old, she's just started her training to be Black Panther, and now she is very much pregnant with her foreigner boyfriend's baby. It would be one thing if Bucky were Wakandan, but he'd yet to gain full citizenship in his time in Wakanda. It would also be another thing if Bucky weren't a white man. But Shuri fell in love with his soul, not the color of skin or the status of his citizenship.
But then it hits her.
Bucky is away on an undercover mission for the next four months, meaning he'll be gone for more than half of her pregnancy and that he'll be home to the news of the baby having already been revealed to her family, the council, and possibly the rest of the country; giving him no time to prepare for the news and likely time to panic over being a dad.
Shuri frowns but chuckles to herself.
"Guess we've got ourselves in a pickle huh?" Shuri asks aloud to herself and her unborn child.
No response.
Typical, especially if the baby inherits Bucky's quiet nature.
Shuri paces her lab, frowning, and wracking her brain for some sort of solution. If not to keep her pregnancy hidden completely than instead to keep it quiet among those she'd trust to know before the child's own father.
She goes to T'Challa first.
Thankfully, T'Challa has a clear schedule today. No one immediately needs the King or the Panther, and those who would need T'Challa are out on business. Nakia is away giving aid through her outreach program, Okoye is on the mission with Bucky. Ayo is busy herself with training the new Doras. And their mother is away for 'vacation.'
With their father's mostly reasonable protectiveness, their mother rarely left the country and before having become Queen she wanted to travel, learn of the other countries cultures and histories, and help spread Wakanda's culture and history in the process. She can do that now that Wakanda's boarders are open to the public.
Shuri enters the location where her Kimoyo Beads last detected T'Challa.
T'Challa is currently laying on one of the large lounge chairs in a secluded family section of the palace. Young Tayla sleeping soundly on her father's broad chest.
Shuri smiles there way and thinks about the day she'll come home to see Bucky and their child resting together.
"Shuri?" T'Challa asks, craning his neck slowly, careful not to wake the sleeping toddler.
"Brother." Shuri responds. "I've got some...news I wish to share with you." She says.
T'Challa blinks his eyes and very gently sits up, shifting Tayla as he moves to keep her from stirring.
"What's the news?" He asks. "Did you improve my suit yet again?" He chuckles.
"No, no." Shuri chuckles a bit, unsure why she just can't come out and say what she wants to say.
It's not like the news is completely upsetting to her. Sure she's young and would have-should have waited until after she was older and possibly married to Bucky to even think about having children. But she's a Princess with a loving family and a large support system. She's not going to disgrace Wakanda for having a white man's baby. Especially when said white man is the most respected and trusted white man in Wakanda.
She has nothing to worry about.
Hell, Shuri's mother was even young than her when she gave birth to T'Challa. She was only 18 years old and married to a man more than twice her age. Sure, Bucky was born in 1917, but his age isn't exactly representative of his birth year. He's definitely not a 103 year old man. She would put him in 30-34 range though.
"Shuri? Are you alright?" T'Challa asks, voice now laced with worry.
"Yes, yes, completely fine, pregnancy isn't usually life threatening and definitely not contagious."
....
"What!?!" T'Challa springs to his feet, as agile as a cat as ever. His outburst and movements don't even phase Tayla, who's still snoring soundly.
"I'm pregnant."
"Is it Barnes?"
"Of course it is."
"And you're keeping it?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
T'Challa sighs.
"You're a busy woman Shuri, I figured you'd want to wait until you were older to start a family with Barnes."
"You know he hates it when you call him that." She smiles, trying to joke to take the tension out of the situation.
"Shuri, are you happy about finding this out?" T'Challa asks, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She nods, smiling slightly with tears in her eyes.
She really is happy about this, but she's just surprised is all. She' never been someone to not plan for something especially something like pregnancy. Really the news is more shocking to her than terrifying. She's always wanted to be a mother one day anyway. Children, especially babies, are perfect and beautiful little blank slates, with so much potential and full of affection and naturally selected adorable facial structures that she can't help herself for falling for evolution's one trick to keep mothers from eating their young.
"It's just unplanned..." She says with a shrug.
"You'll be a great mother." T'Challa says. "Nakia was just as worried when she found out she was pregnant too, she said that there wasn't a maternal bone in her body, obviously she's been proven wrong." T'Challa looks down at at Tayla and Shuri smiles, remembering when Nakia found out she was pregnant and how terrified she was about dropping the baby and not being able to keep her from crying. She's a natural now.
"I'm just worried. Bucky's going to be gone for a while on that mission and I don't want him to get the news before I had a chance to tell him myself."
"We'll keep it between us, you should tell Mama though and then Nakia since she would appreciate knowing as well. We can keep it a secret from the rest of the country."
"Even the Dora?" Shuri asks, a little skeptical. Someone will obviously find out somehow and then word will somehow get to Bucky and the poor guy will probably have a stroke upon learning the news.
Which is exactly why Shuri needs to tell him, in her lab, on a bed beside all her medical equipment. Her broken white boy is very sensitive, she doesn't want to break him even further.
"We'll keep this between blood." T'Challa says, pressing his forefinger to his lips in a 'hushing' gesture. Shuri laughs and nods, hugging her brother as well.
Telling T'Challa first was such a good idea.
~*~*~
Shuri decides to tell her mother a few days after finding out about her pregnancy and as soon as she comes home from her trip to India. She takes T'Challa with her, because this is how they always shared news with her as children.
Shuri then wonders if she'll have more than just one child with Bucky. Her ultrasound already proved it wasn't twins, but if having this one works out, then another two or four isn't such a bad idea.
"You're pregnant?" Her mother asks, eyes wide in surprise.
"Yeah, I'm already 10 weeks about." Shuri tells her. "Heard the heartbeat and everything." She says proudly.
"Oh Bast this is such great news!" Her mother exclaims wrapping her arms around Shuri's waist, hugging her gently. "My baby's having a baby! Oh this is wonderful! I was always a little worried you'd be too much for someone, and now, you're pregnant and giving me another grand-baby!"
Shuri pretends not to be offended by her mother's statement but laughs despite herself. She's never seen her mother so happy. Well except for the day Tayla was born. She wonders how happy her mom will be when she has her baby in 30 weeks time.
"Also..." T'Challa begins. "Barnes won't be back from his mission for a while and Shuri wants to be the one to tell him when he returns."
"But the White Wolf will be gone for at least another few months." Ramonda states. "Shuri will be showing by then, how can she possibly keep things quiet until he returns?"
And Shuri smiles, gears in her brain already working, and assuring her mother she had the perfect clothes to hide her stomach until Bucky came home.
In reality the clothing Shuri has to hide her stomach are a brand of concealing fabrics she designed's herself. Color-cloaking material that will both hide and protect her stomach for the next 16 weeks until her Bucky returns.
~*~*~
I'm finally home.
Bucky thinks as Okoye lands the jet. He waits for no one as he hurries out of the jet, smile plastered on his face.
He's been gone for five months on a deep cover mission to stop some Canadians from obtaining illegally sold Vibranium stolen during one of Klaue's raids some 20 years ago.
And now he's finally home.
Bucky sees Ramonda, T'Challa, and Shuri the moment he exits the jet and breaks into a jog towards her.
Lifting her into his arms he peppers quick kisses along her jaw and then one upon her lips. Shuri laughs with each kiss and hugs him back tightly.
"God I missed you." Bucky mutters and sets Shuri back down on the ground.
"I missed you too, I think that was your longest missions yet." She says.
"Never again, I can't stay away from this place any longer than a month, I don't even know why I was gone for five."
"For the mission White Wolf, you can be so forgetful." Okoye chuckles as she passes them, greeting T'Challa and Ramonda.
Bucky chuckles, a little embarrassed that he just brushed past everyone to get to Shuri. But what can he say? He's a man in love, who could blame him for missing her?
"Forgive him Okoye, he's been away from his home for too long." T'Challa chuckles.
T'Challa moves and pats Bucky on the shoulder, a warm smile upon his face.
"Go get some rest Barnes, you and Shuri deserve some time alone together."
"Just don't have too much fun." Ramonda grins.
Shuri shakes her head and grabs his hand, tugging it gently in a 'come with me' motion.
Bucky follows her, away from the others, and into the palace. She leads him into her lab and sets him down on one of the tables.
"I don't need maintenance on the arm sweetheart."
"That's not why we're here." Shuri says.
Bucky looks up at her, eye brows knitted and trying to figure out why Shuri is acting so strangely. She seems to be fine, the exact same Shuri he left five months ago when he went on the mission. But she also looks like she's changed somehow. New make-up maybe? Her skin looks positively radiant. Her hair definitely looks longer and thicker too.
She looks as beautiful as ever. But there's still something he can't put his finger on.
"So you've been gone for a while." Shuri says, taking Bucky from his thoughts.
"Yeah, 'bout five months." He reminds her.
"Well about a month into your mission I found out something pretty incredible." She says with a small smile. "Well, at least I think it's incredible, I'm a little worried about how you'll take the news once I tell you."
Bucky quirks and eyebrow.
"What are you talking about Princess?" Bucky asks.
What news is she talking about? There's something he's missed out on apparently? He wonders what it is.
"I'm pregnant!"
. . .
What?!
"Pregnant? What? How? You don't even look like you're...oh wow that's like 20 weeks, halfway right?"
"I'm 26 weeks actually, and you can't see it because I've been hiding it so I could keep it hush-hush until you got home." She says.
Bucky watches as Shuri unwraps the blue sash from her waist. She dumps the fabric on the floor and turns to her side, pointing her finger towards her stomach. It's rounded, low hanging, and definitely holding a baby inside.
He blinks, staring at her stomach.
"Wow." Is all he can manage to say.
"Is this okay? I mean, it should be, why wouldn't it be?" Shuri asks.
Bucky stays silent, still staring.
"Bucky?"
"I-I can't believe it." He says. "You're pregnant!" He exclaims jumping from the table and pulling Shuri in for another hug. "This is amazing! Shuri, Princess, oh my god, you're having a baby! My baby!"
Tears run down his face and he transitions from hugging Shuri to kneeling on the ground and kissing her stomach.
Bucky looks up and sees Shuri silently crying over him.
He offers her a smile and stands up, wrapping his arms around her once more. The bump of her stomach keeping a distance between them.
"I'm so happy." Bucky says. "There's no one else in this world who I'd rather have a baby with."
"Good, I'm glad." She says, wiping away the stray tears from her cheeks.
"Has it started kicking yet? Can I feel when it happens?"
"He's been restless ever since last month and for whatever reason he's calmed down, I wonder if you coming home has anything to do with that?"
"He?"
"Oh! I was supposed to tell you that earlier...whoops?"
"It's a boy?"
Shuri nods.
"A boy!" Bucky exclaims and happily hugs her once more. "I-I can't believe it. Who else knows? Have you been hiding it this whole time?"
"Mama, T'Challa, and Nakia are the only ones who already know. After I tell you I want to tell the Dora and, of course, by then word will get out to the rest of the kingdom and in about three months time we'll be having our baby." She smiles brightly and Bucky smiles as well.
"I love you." Bucky says, pulling Shuri in for a kiss.
Slow, passionate, and full of love, they kiss for what seems like eternity.
Shuri's the one to pull away though, gasping slightly and chuckling when Bucky gives her a worried glance. She takes his hand and rests it on the side of her stomach.
There's a little tap against his palm and Bucky's eyes go wide.
"He kicked." He states.
Shuri nods smiling.
Bucky keeps his hand on her stomach, waiting for his son to kick again and smiling wide. Happier than he's ever been to finally be home to his family.
~*~*~
Bucky's finger, the non-metal one, gently rests in the infant's hand, waiting for his own tiny fingers to close in on his.
Slowly, the tiny little fingers close and grip his finger tight, with no intentions of letting go.
He watches the boy's face scrunch up and then relax, his little mouth open and contracting. Something infants apparently do to practice sucking come feeding time.
Bucky thinks he just looks like a fish in a tank of water, mouth bubbling at the surface to eat food.
Bucky also thinks his son is the cutest thing he's ever seen on the planet.
With chubby little arms and chubby little legs attached to a pudgy little body, his son looks like one of those chocolate flavored marshmallows; fat, squishy, and sweet.
But he's also perfect.
His dark eyes are squinted shut, just barely open, not used to all the light in the outside world just yet. His nose is cute. His cheeks are fat and bouncy, keeping their shape even after being prodded gently with Bucky's forefinger. He's got little airy tuffs of dark brown hair on his head that look like little threaded pieces of black yarn.
"He needs a name." Shuri says quietly.
Bucky looks up at her, almost forgetting that she was even there, right next to him and holding their newborn son.
"I went around the villages, asking for name suggestions since I don't know many Wakanda names and I don't think your family will appreciate him having an American name...so uh...unless you have something specific in mind we can go through my list?"
"How about you pick your favorite out of the bunch and I'll give him a middle name, since that's a common practice where you're from, and for that name I'll pick out my favorite American name."
"That compromise sounds good to me Princess."
"It's what we've gotta do from now on, might as well start early." She chuckles.
Bucky hums, quietly, careful not to wake his son. He learned quiet a few names from asking around for suggestions, some stood out more than others, but decided on the one he liked the most. He just hopes it's a legitimate name and not a slang term, his grasp on Xhosa isn't perfect yet.
"I like Iwobi."
"Oh, who suggested that one?"
"Some older woman suggested it to me, she was from the Merchant Tribe I think."
"Iwobi is good, I like it."
"And what's the other name you want to give him?"
"James."
"Yes?"
"No, James is the name I want to give him."
A high pitched sound escapes Bucky's throat and he tries to hold back a new wave of tears, having thought he had gone through his whole supply earlier.
Guess he was wrong.
"You want him to have my name?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Shuri asks. "It's a good name; strong, meaningful, and a good homage to his father, don't you think?" She winks and Bucky wonders how she can possibly still be awake and with enough energy to joke around after 20 hours of labor.
"I think it's perfect." Bucky says, carefully leaning in closer to give Shuri a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Iwobi James has a nice ring to it too." She says. "Makes him sound like a famous artist or something."
"Four Platinum Records with a novel on the way?"
"Exactly." Shuri chuckles.
It doesn't stir Iwobi though. He seems to be pretty content, asleep in his mother's arms. And Bucky is too, happy to have lived through everything he's lived through to enjoy a moment like this with his beautiful and perfect girlfriend and amazing and adorable son.